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Dozens of migrants have been rescued from a sinking ship in the Mediterranean. 

German aid group RESQSHIP said it picked up 51 people from a sinking wooden boat, including two unconscious people, and found ten bodies trapped in the lower deck. 

A second ship sank nearby, and 64 people total are still missing from the vessels. 

Europe Correspondent Gavin Grey told Mike Hosking that the Mediterranean is the deadliest known migration route in the world. 

He said that since 2014, over 23 thousand migrants have died or gone missing in its waters. 

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Maintenance on ageing Interislander ferries is seen as a short-term solution by the Maritime Union. 

Estimated annual maintenance costs to keep KiwiRail’s three ageing Interislander ferries running could almost double to $65 million by next year, and keeping the ferries afloat will be an “ongoing battle”. 

A previous assessment of the fleet’s condition raised concerns about steel corrosion, metal getting weak and cracking, and prohibitive maintenance expenses. 

The project to replace the fleet with two mega ferries was left dead in the water in December after overall costs, including new terminals and wharf upgrades, ballooned to almost $3 billion and the new Government refused to fund the blowout. 

Finance Minister Nicola Willis has previously refused to commit to replacing the fleet by 2026, which is when the now-cancelled mega ferries were due to arrive. 

Given the project’s history of delays, budget blowouts, and other problems, Willis said people were “dreaming” if they thought the mega ferries would be up and running with the necessary port development in place by that time. 

A Ministerial Advisory Group is looking into new options for the future of the ferry service. 

Maritime Union spokesperson Victor Billot told Mike Hosking that ships of this age will have issues, especially on Cook Strait. 

He says they are maintaining ferries that are nearing the end of their lives anyway.  

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There’s hopes an improved vaccine against an infectious disease running rife through New Zealand cattle could ease costs for farmers. 

The Ministry for Primary Industries is backing a project which aims to develop a modified vaccine against Bovine Viral Diarrhoea. 

It impacts about 80% of our dairy and beef herds and costs the industry more than $190 million each year. 

Research lead John Moffat told Mike Hosking that it's one of the many threats farmers face. 

He says the virus is one of the most important issues needing to be dealt with in the cattle industry. 

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A victims' advocate says new measures to address court backlogs are doable if all players in the system play their part.  

The Chief District Court Judge has introduced maximum waiting times based on the seriousness of the crime.  

For the least serious category —where there's no risk of prison— the aim is six months.  

Independent victims' advocate Ruth Money told Mike Hosking that the courts are jammed and delayed. 

She says people have their lives on hold waiting. 

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Following his visit to New Zealand, the Chinese Premier has begun his visit to Australia. 

Li Qiang was greeted by hundreds of supporters and protestors upon his arrival in Canberra on Sunday, receiving a ceremonial welcome at Parliament House. 

Australian Correspondent Donna Demaio told Mike Hosking that there has been talks of better military communication, as well as extending the offering of visa-free travel to Australians. 

She said that Albanese says the bilateral relationship is back on track. 

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The Government's changed its tune on transgender people participating in community sports.  

A policy in the New Zealand First-National Coalition agreement threatened to withhold public funding if sports bodies didn't separate trans athletes from grassroots competitions.  

After feedback from Sport New Zealand, Sport and Recreation Minister Chris Bishop says the government will now take a watching brief.  

Save Women's Sport spokesperson Ro Edge told Mike Hosking that she thinks Bishop's been given inaccurate information.  

She says a letter she received from Bishop wrongly stated Sport NZ's guidelines have exemptions for fairness and safety in female sport. 

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