Top Of The Morning News Digest

Wednesday, 24 June 2015, 8:40 am
Article: NewsRoom_Plus

Top Of The Morning News Digest

* NewsRoom_Digest from 23 June 2015

* RNZ 7am - Top 5 items for 24 June 2015

1. A community agency says, every year, thousands of at-risk children in West Auckland are not being followed up on. It emerged during the trial of two boys who were accused of a fatal dairy robbery in Henderson that the pair had childhoods riddled with drugs and domestic violence. Waitakere Anti-Violence Essential Services has found about three and a half thousand children are mentioned in police reports on family violence in West Auckland each year, but Child Youth and Family intervenes in only about only around 500 cases.

2. Airways NZ is apologising to passengers for the radar fault that affected nearly 200 flights yesterday, and says there is no immediate danger of it happening again. The corporation, which monitors New Zealand airspace, said it noticed a fault just before 3pm yesterday, and grounded all commercial flights around the country for up to an hour.

3. The Education Ministry says it is monitoring air quality in mouldy buildings at 15 schools because of fears for children's health. It says it had spent about $150,000 in the past 12 months on air testing at the schools, most of which were part of the Ministry's $1 billion leaky building programme.

4. The US Senate have voted to make it easier for President Barack Obama to get American to sign up to the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal. Senators last night passed a measure to limit debate on legislation that would grant the President authority to rush trade deals through Congress. A vote on the legislation itself is now expected by tomorrow at the latest.

5. The Civil Defence Minister has returned to Whanganui to see how it’s faring four days into a state of emergency, after being hit by its biggest-ever floods at the weekend. Parts of the central business district are still cordoned off, some houses are uninhabitable, and contact has still not been made with some rural households.

ENDS

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