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Morning Report for Thursday 20 August 2020
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Top Stories for Thursday 20 August 2020
6:00 AM.More soldiers at isolation hotels, New Zealand First says it is the right thing to do, Australia says it would provide the Oxford Covid-19 vaccine to New Zealand if it's approved for public release… Read more Audio
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Covid-19: Concerns about number of foodbanks
6:09 AM.The head of Mangere Budgeting Services is concerned about the number of foodbanks which have sprung up in Auckland since the last lockdown.
Thousands of people have been using community food banks… Read more Audio
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EU refuses to accept Belarus election results
6:12 AM.EU leaders say they do not accept the result of the disputed election in Belarus as it was neither free nor fair.
In an emergency summit, the EU announced they would impose sanctions on those… Read more Audio
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Early Business News for 20 August 2020
6:20 AM.A brief update from the business sector. Read more Audio
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Covid-19: Call for Health Select Committee to be reconvened
6:44 AM.The National Party wants Parliament's Health Select Committee to be reconvened saying Dr Ashley Bloomfield has questions to answer.
Dr Shane Reti - the party's health spokesperson - has written to… Read more Audio
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Land under controversial plant needs testing for dioxin, expert says
6:49 AM.An expert in occupational and environmental medicine says land a controversial chemical plant in New Plymouth is built on should be thoroughly tested for dioxin contamination before ever being used… Read more Audio
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Business News for 20 August 2020
6:53 AM.News from the business sector, including a market report. Read more Audio
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More military headed into border operations, but NZ First wants Defence Force to play greater role
7:09 AM.As hundreds more soldiers begin to move out to isolation hotels around the country, New Zealand First is calling for the Defence Force to play an even greater role.
The call on the military - and on… Read more Audio
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Military will bring authority to managed isolation facilities - Mark
7:13 AM.Defence Minister Ron Mark says soldiers will bring more authority to quarantine facilities, which security guards have lacked.
He is welcoming the deployment of more soldiers at the managed isolation… Read more Audio
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Covid-19: NZ unprepared to roll out vaccine - expert
7:25 AM.A vaccinologist says New Zealand is woefully unprepared to roll out a nation-wide Covid-19 vaccine.
Dr Helen Petousis Harris from the University of Auckland says several key improvements - including… Read more Audio
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Covid-19: Auckland losing 250 jobs per day - economist
7:30 AM.Auckland's chief economist calculates that each day at level three, Auckland loses about 250 job and between $65 million and $75 million in GDP - even with the wage subsidy.
On Friday Cabinet will… Read more Audio
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Covid-19: Hospitals urged to upgrade IT
7:37 AM.The Director-General of Health is urging district health boards to change their spending to upgrade hospitals' IT systems in the wake of Covid-19.
Dr Ashley Bloomfield said "very serious… Read more Audio
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Universities imposing NDAs over sexual harrassment, bullying
7:44 AM.At least a dozen non-disclosure agreements over sexual harassment and bullying complaints have been imposed by New Zealand universities in the last decade.
The information, accessed under the… Read more Audio
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Covid-19:First days of lockdown unlawful - Court
7:50 AM.Attorney General David Parker says a High Court ruling that the country's Alert Level 4 lockdown was unlawful for nine days validates some actions taken by the Government.
Lawyer Andrew Borrowdale… Read more Audio
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Tauranga carpark could have failed catastrophically
7:56 AM.Tauranga ratepayers face a $7 million-plus bill to demolish a building the city council admits could have failed catastrophically.
The building's designer says it blew the whistle on it, but the… Read more Audio
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Sports News for 20 August 2020
8:06 AM.The Wellington Phoenix have finished the A-League regular season in third - the football club's highest finish in its 13-year history. Read more Audio
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Covid-19: Public health experts want inquiry into response as soon as posssible
8:11 AM.The government is being told it should launch an inquiry into its response to the Covid-19 pandemic as soon as the Auckland outbreak is under control.
Public health experts say the 100 Covid-19 free… Read more Audio
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Covid-19: Group overseeing border needs pacific voice - doctor
8:15 AM.The chair of the Pasifika GP Network is calling on the government to ensure there is a Pacific voice on the new group overseeing testing at the country's border.
The Prime Minister has announced a… Read more Audio
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Covid-19: Auckland foodbank numbers grow to 29
8:19 AM.Thousands of Aucklanders are desperately turning to food banks as increasing job losses wipe out family incomes.
There are now 29 registered foodbanks serving the city. Prior to Covid-19 there was… Read more Audio
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Covid-19: Suggestions birth rate could drop due to pandemic
8:23 AM.Many predicted a lockdown lovefest would lead to a Covid-19 baby boom, but now obstetricians are predicting the exact opposite - declining birth rates.
In Australia, the social economic conditions of… Read more Audio
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Coronial case backlog remains despite new relief coroners
8:27 AM.The appointment of eight relief coroners is yet to ease a backlog of coronial cases as grieving families wait up to six years for closure.
The appointments were made in March but five months on the… Read more Audio
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Markets Update for 20 August 2020
8:29 AM.A brief update of movements in the financial sector. Read more Audio
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Lender drops mortgage rates for first home buyers for 2.25 pct
8:38 AM.A mortgage lender says banks are charging too much and rates should drop.
Simplicity, which is also a KiwiSaver manager, is reducing its floating mortgage rate for first home buyers to 2.25 percent… Read more Audio
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Covid-19: Number of older people in prison rising
8:43 AM.The number of older people in prison is going up, partly because of the increase in sex offenders being sentenced for historical crimes. The other reason is longer sentences.
The Office of the… Read more Audio
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Covid-19: PPTA fielding calls from worried teachers
8:47 AM.The Post Primary Teachers Association says they started fielding calls from worried teachers as soon as it was announced they'd be returning to the classroom under Alert Level 3.
On Monday the… Read more Audio
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Covid-19: Economists not sure about post-lockdown rebound
8:52 AM.Economists are questioning whether there will be a second rebound in economic activity when current lockdown restrictions ease.
Infometrics' latest quarterly survey estimates economic activity fell… Read more Audio
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Kiwi acts front and centre for R&V 2020
8:57 AM.Rhythm and Vines are among those looking forward to days when the country is not limited to gatherings of under 100 and everyone can, like Benee says, "join them outside".
Benee, Fat Freddy's Dop and… Read more Audio