Midday Report Essentials for Thursday 19 December 2024

In today's episode, the search continues for survivors two days after the devastating 7.3 earthquake in Vanuatu, residents of the small Far North town of Mangamuka are over the moon as State Highway 1 through the Mangamuka Gorge is set to reopen at midnight tonight, New Zealand is back in recession as new GDP data shows a sharp contraction in the economy in the September quarter, and airports across the country are preparing for another busy holiday period.