First Up for Thursday 27 August 2020

5:53 AM.It's the time of the week where we speak to one of our local leaders. We're joined today by the Mayor of Matamata-Piako, Ash Tanner. Audio

5:48 AM.More than twenty young people have escaped from Youth Justice Residences since 2015 - some spending almost two weeks on the run. The figures were obtained by RNZ, following a high-profile manhunt for… Read more Audio

5:43 AM.A victim of the Christchurch mosque attacks says seeing the gunman in court made him realise how weak he really is. Mustafa Boztas travelled from Turkey and spent two weeks in managed isolation to be… Read more Audio

5:33 AM.Plasma from recovered Covid-19 patients could be used to treat newly infected patients. This is known as convalescent plasma, taken from patients who have recovered from the coronavirus, which may… Read more Audio

5:25 AM.The health minister says officials will not "join the dots" between people getting covid-19 tests and whether they are here on a valid visa. Pacific leaders have raised concern that unlawful… Read more Audio

5:13 AM.Women who've lost their jobs due to Covid-19 are being forced to either retrain or seek work well below their skill level. The pandemic has disproportionately affected women's employment, with… Read more Audio

5:08 AM.Indira catches up with our Australian correspondent broadcaster and former Alliance MP Pam Corkery. The Aussie Rules final looks to held in Queensland and growing scepticism of a potential Covid-19… Read more Audio