Prominent Maori leaders who are challenging the Government’s handling of Whānau Ora say their hui with the Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern was promising; and the head of the World Health Organization Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has issued a plea to countries to work together to fight the coronavirus outbreak.
1.The community in Flaxmere will gather tonight for a karakia for a four-year-old, who was beaten two weeks ago. The boy who was severely injured at his home in the Hastings suburb of Flaxmere, had recently returned to the care of his immediate family.
2.The Waihi reservoir is slowly refilling and tap water is likely to be restored soon. A broken pipe caused the town’s water to run dry today, with the Council setting up emergency water pods for affected residents.
3.The head of the World Health Organization Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has issued a plea to countries to work together to fight the coronavirus outbreak. Dr Ghebreyesus says the virus should be seen as public enemy number one.
4.A former Napier City Councilor wants a commissioner to be appointed if the council’s chief executive gets a large payout. Suff has reported that Wayne Jack is negotiating an exit package of close to $1 million.
5.Prominent Maori leaders who are challenging the Government’s handling of Whānau Ora say their hui with the Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern was promising. Several dames including Tariana Turia and Iritana Tawhiwhirangi want an urgent Waitangi Tribunal Inquiry over how Whānau Ora money is being spent.
6.Family members of a missing British tramper plan to travel to New Zealand, as day three of the search resumes at Mt Aspiring National Park. Stephanie Simpson was reported missing on Monday morning after she failed to turn up at work.
7.A head of the Māori Media Sector Shift review, Māori Television has reminded MPs the network has not had a funding increase since 2009. At at a Māori Affairs Select Committee, chief executive Shane Taurima said it was still a challenge to keep up with the growing multimedia environment.
8.Four US prosecutors have resigned from the case of Donald Trump’s former adviser Roger Stone, after the Department of Justice moved to reduce his sentencing guidance.
9.The Reserve Bank is expected to hold interest rates steady at its first review of the year this afternoon. But signaled it is ready to cut if the Covid-19 coronavirus starts seriously affecting the economic outlook.
10.Sir Robert Jones views on Maori are under the microscope again on the third day of his defamation trial against a filmmaker.The Lower Hutt businessman is suing Renae Maihi for a petition she started, calling for his knighthood to be revoked.
11.A man accused of murdering a woman in west Auckland last year can now be named. Manchao Li is charged with murdering Zhimin Yang on Westgate Drive in Massey on 29 July 2019. Zang, who knew the 64-year-old, died after being attacked in the residential street just after 8.30am.
12.Four wheel drive access into Milford Sound is now available, just over a week after heavy flooding cut off the only road in. State highway 94 was hit with landslides and flooding when a metre of rain fell in less than three days.
13.Up to one fifth of the Amazon rainforest is emitting more CO2 than it absorbs, new research suggests. Results from a decade-long study of greenhouse gases over the Amazon basin appear to show about 20 percent of the total area has become a net source of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. One of the main causes is deforestation. While trees are growing they absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere; dead trees release it again.
14.A university student who drove four times over the alcohol limit has received a discharge without conviction after writing a song in penance. Alexander David James Grant appeared in the Dunedin District Court this morning on one count of driving with a breath alcohol level of 1077mcg of alcohol per litre of breath.
15.The founder of the Grammy winnings South African choral group Ladysmith Black Mambazo has died. Joseph Shabalala was 78.
16.Porirua and Botany KMart’s will be a lot quieter this afternoon in an effort to accommodate those with autism. The company’s trialing low sensory hours between 2-3 and 6-7 on a Wednesday each week for the next few months.
17.A display of diversity will be on show at Eden Park on Friday when the Blues host the Crusaders in the Super Rugby game. To mark Valentine’s Day, the Blues will show their support for the LGBT community by painting part of the ground in rainbow colors.
