The Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern is frustrated, RNZ pushed ahead with announcing proposed changes to its concert radio station; and the Principal of a decile one school in Northland says the Government’s donation scheme is taking the urgency out of its fundraising efforts.
1.The Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern is frustrated, RNZ pushed ahead with announcing proposed changes to its concert radio station. RNZ is planning to take the classical music station off the FM frequency and replace it with the new station, aimed at reaching a wider younger audience.
2.An epidemic expert says the spread of the latest coronavirus strain is more like a flu pandemic than sars. The virus has so far killed more than 800 people in China, overtaking the death toll from the sars epidemic in 2003.
3.Thousands of mourners have gathered for a vigil in the Thai city on Nakhon Ratchasima where a soldier shot dead 29 people. Thailand’s Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha says the shooting may have stemmed from a personal dispute, over the sale of a house.
4.The trial of the first person to face both human trafficking and slavery charges in New Zealand starts today in the High Court in Napier. Samoan national Joseph Matamata, 64, also known as Viliamu Samu, is facing a total of 24 charges in relation to bringing 13 people from Samoa to New Zealand for horticultural work across Hawke’s Bay.
5.The Principal of a decile one school in Northland says the Government’s donation scheme is taking the urgency out of its fundraising efforts. Hora Hora School in Whangarei is one of more than 1500 schools in the programme that gives schools a $150 per child if they stop asking for donations.
6.The bad weather that has been hovering over Vanuatu waters for the last few days has developed into tropical cyclone Wesi. Heavy rains are expected throughout the Vanuatu group today and flash flood in low lying areas and near rivers.
7.Some people who use water tanks in North Auckland are having to shower and wash laundry elsewhere as the region struggles with low water levels. Watercare last week shut off pump stations in some areas where the reservoir levels were low.
8.A fire at the new markets signal box is causing major delays to Auckland’s train services. Auckland Transport says services on the Onehunga line are running between Onehunga and Penrose only.
9.Fire crews are still trying to put out the scrub fire near Lake Alice and Ragatike. They were called on Saturday afternoon to the fire which has burnt through about 80 hectares.
