09:05 Joe Biden defends troop withdrawal as chaos and fear grips Taliban controlled Afghanistan

US soldiers stand guard at Kabul Airport.

US soldiers stand guard at Kabul Airport. Photo: AFP

There are chaotic and harrowing scenes at Kabul airport as civilians and foreign nationals try to flee Afghanistan, now controlled by the Taliban. At least five people have reportedly been killed at the airport, where foreign military troops are attempting to repatriate their citizens and Afghan nationals who've worked with them. Meanwhile, US President Joe Biden has spoken publicly for the first time since Kabul fell yesterday, saying he stands squarely behind his decision to withdraw US troops after 20 years. But he has admitted the situation there now has unfolded more quickly than he expected. A New Zealand Hercules aircraft and 40 defence force troops are preparing to depart to extract the more than 50 New Zealand citizens in Afghanistan. Susie Ferguson speaks to two people who've been amid the unstable and escalating Taliban takeover. Samatha Mort is Chief of Communications in Kabul for UNICEF Afghanistan, and War reporter Lynne O'Donnell who was on the last commercial flight out of Kabul, before the airport closed to commercial airlines. 

09:20 Why are port workers' vaccination rates falling short?

Delta is looming large on the horizon, so why are so many workers at our ports - one of the most vulnerable entry points - so reluctant to get the vaccine. Just last week the Port of Tauranga faced a real Delta scare, yet many of the affected workers hadn't been vaccinated. Susie Ferguson talks to Tauranga Port CEO Leonard Sampson about this, along with Port Company CEO chair Charles Finny. What happens if there's a core group of workers who refuse the vaccine?

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Photo: 123RF, Port of Tauranga

09:45 USA correspondent Ron Elving - Afghanistan-Biden political crisis

US President Joe Biden delivers remarks about the situation in Afghanistan in the East Room of the White House on August 16, 2021 in Washington,DC.

Photo: AFP

Ron provides the background to the decisions faced by US President Joe Biden over the withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan. The fallout and criticism has been swift as the US backed government in Afghanistan has rapidly crumbled as the Taliban has taken over.

Ron Elving is Senior Editor and Correspondent on the Washington Desk for NPR News.

10:05 Matt Chisholm: my battle with the booze and depression

To the outside world, Matt Chisholm had it all: a successful career as a TV journalist and host of the popular reality TV programmes Survivor and Celebrity Treasure Island. He had loads of friends, a great sense of humour, a happy marriage and two lovely sons. But behind the broad smile for the camera, Matt Chisholm was depressed, anxious, crippled by perfectionism and imposter syndrome. And he had a problem with the booze. Matt Chisholm has written a candid memoir about his mental health journey, called Imposter.

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Photo: supplied

10:32 Health Minister gives green light to nurses' pay equity talks

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Photo: RNZ / Nate McKinnon

The Health Minister Andrew Little has written to DHBs and unions to invite them to start pay equity negotiations as soon as possible. Cabinet yesterday decided on the mandate under which DHBs will negotiate and also decided on funding to meet the cost of the agreement. Meanwhile thousands of nurses, midwives and  healthcare assistants around the country will strike tomorrow. RNZ Political Reporter Katie Scotcher has been at a media conference held  by the Health Minister.

10:35 Book review: Long Players, Writers on the Albums That Shaped Them by Tom Gatti

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Photo: Bloomsbury

Chris Tse reviews Long Long Players, Writers on the Albums That Shaped Them by Tom Gatti, published by Bloomsbury

10:45 The Reading

11:05 Business commentator Rebecca Stevenson - the small foreign boats allowed NZ entry

A maritime lawyer says there may be a legal argument for allowing foreign yachts to come to NZ if they can prove where they have been through electronic tracking.

Photo: RNZ / Tracy Neal

Since June 2020 Maritime Border Order came into effect, the Ministry of Health has given more than 100 foreign flagged small vessels permission to arrive in New Zealand, Rebecca asks why?. This doesn't include trade boats, just yachts and small boats. And the year of tech continues another Kiwi tech company sold. This time robotics software company, Rocos, based in Auckland.

Rebecca Stevenson is BusinessDesk's head of news.

11:30 Invisible: New book exposes prejudice toward Indian New Zealanders

At various stages in the mid-20th century there was a notion that New Zealand's race relations held up better than other comparable countries, say - Australia and South Africa. But in her new book Invisible: New Zealand's History of Excluding Kiwi-Indians, Jacqui Leckie digs deep into the myriad of legislative and societal methods used to discriminate against Indian immigrants to New Zealand  - and their descendants. Jacqui joins Susie to talk about her warts-and-all book, which is an examination of the real impacts racism has had - and continues to have - on the lives of Indian-Kiwis.

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Photo: Supplied

11:45 How to pay off your mortgage faster

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Photo: RNZ

With mortgage interest rates widely tipped to about to rise, Liz Koh has advice on how to get your mortgage paid off faster.  She says it's all about structuring your loan the right way. Liz is a financial planner specializing in retirement planning. This discussion is of a general nature, and does not constitute financial advice.

 

 

 

Music played in this show

Artist: Marinero
Track: Nuestra Victoria
Time played: 11:25

Artist: Ladi6
Track: Shine On
Time played: 11.40