Midday Report for Thursday 19 August 2021

12:49 PM.Ramin Rahman is someone who somehow managed to escape Kabul this week. He's a photojournalist from Kabul who was in the city when Taliban forces invaded earlier this week. He spoke to Worldwatch's Max… Read more Audio

12:44 PM.Etahi o nga manu tioriori o te ao puoro have been named finalists in the APRA Maioha Music awards. Māni Dunlop and Music 101's Yadana Saw check out the shortlist. Read more Audio

12:42 PM.We have broken new Internet use records, as we try to keep working, learning, and entertaining. Māni Dunlop speaks to Chorus network manager Kurt Rodgers. Read more Audio

12:35 PM.A Pukekohe vegetable grower says with independent fruit and vege stores unable to open - his crops will be left in the ground to rot. Audio

12:28 PM.The Silver Ferns captain Ameliaranne Ekenasio has signed with the Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic for next year's ANZ premiership. Audio

12:20 PM.Auckland Airport has made its first-ever operating loss as earnings were battered by Covid travel disruptions. Audio

12:18 PM.From today masks are compulsory for staff and customers at supermarkets, petrol stations, dairies, pharmacies and other essential service businesses open at lockdown level 4. Māni Dunlop speaks to… Read more Audio

12:16 PM.Just moments before we came on air, SkyCity said it has identified around 1000 patrons and 240 staff who were in the casino when a Covid-positive case visited the gaming floor. Māni Dunlop speaks to… Read more Audio

12:14 PM.The window for people needing to get home is rapidly closing -- there're less than 12 hours left. Air New Zealand is asking for more time, with many people still stranded. RNZ's Tess Brunton speaks to… Read more Audio

12:12 PM.There are long queues at Covid-19 testing centres across the motu today; with warnings to Auckland motorists to be wary of the congestion. Meanwhile, academics and modellers think Auckland's lockdown… Read more Audio

12:00 PM.Sky City casino says more than 12-hundred people were there when a Covid-positve case visited. As the outbreak source remains a mystery, we're told to hunker down. And concerns not everyone will get… Read more Audio