Morning Report

A brief update of movements in the financial sector.

A campaigner for free sanitary products in schools is delighted by a $2.6 million programme being rolled out by the government to tackle period poverty.

From term three, products will be available at 15 schools in Waikato, and from next year all schools will be able to opt in to the programme.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said nearly 95,000 students may stay home during their periods due to not being able to afford period products.

Minister for Women Julie Anne Genter said menstruation is a fact of life and access to period products is a necessity, not a luxury.

Jacinta Gulasekharam is the co-founder of Dignity New Zealand and the campaign lead of Positive Periods.

Philip Wilson booked two trips through Air New Zealand, one to Brisbane with his wife in May, and another to Fiji in September for seven family members.

He wants his money back.

Wilson speaks to Corin Dann.

Two of country's biggest public health units are refusing to use the government's national contact tracing system. Auckland and Wellington say their own software is better.

Epidemiologist Professor Michael Baker says the country badly needs a more tightly co-ordinated approach to disease control and the time is right to set up a new public health agency.

He speaks to Kim Hill.

The move to Alert Level 1 could happen next week if case numbers of Covid-19 stay low and tracable to existing clusters.

Rules for Level 1 were announced yesterday.

They end the physical distancing requirements, lift restrictions on the size of gatherings and free businesses to operate as normal.

RNZ's Hamish Cardwell has been speaking to those who are looking forward to Level 1 and others who fear bad habits might reappear.

Students and teachers are delighted the government has eased NCEA and university entrance requirements this year.

Teachers can now grant up to eight or ten credits to recognise learning students have completed that has not been formally assessed.

The number of credits required for merit and excellence endorsements has been dropped by a couple of credits.

So has the number of credits required in each of three approved subjects for university entrance.

Kaipara College principal Steve McCracken speaks to Corin Dann.

The skipper of the UK's America's Cup sailing team says he may not be able to prepare properly if the crew can't arrive in New Zealand soon.

Sir Ben Ainslie is just one of the world's top sailors clamouring for precious visa exemptions of the type rolled out by the government to the Avatar film crew.

The Economic Development Minister, Phil Twyford, says he expects applications related to the America's Cup to land on his desk soon.

RNZ's Mackenzie Smith reports.

Sources have confirmed to RNZ that the former Crusaders star will join the Blues for the Super Rugby Aotearoa competition, which kicks off on Saturday week.

The 38-year-old's signing is expected to be announced at a media session in Auckland at midday.

Dan Carter, a three time world player of the year, left New Zealand rugby after helping guide the All Blacks to a second straight World Cup title in 2015.

Since then he's played in France and Japan.

The first-five joins current All Blacks first-five come fullback Beauden Barrett at the Blues, after the latter left the Hurricanes at the end of last season.

Three Hāwera police officers will appear in court again in three weeks on charges of manslaughter.

In a rare move, the officers have been charged with manslaughter after a 55-year-old man died in custody at the Hāwera Police Station in June last year.

Reporter Robin Martin has been covering the case and speaks to Corin Dann.

Within hours the Minnesota Attorney General is expected to announce whether additional charges will be laid against all of the police officers in the relation to the death that were present at the death of George Floyd.

The lawyer for Mr. Floyd's family, Ben Crump, said the family was seeking the prosecution of all of the officers present.

Washington correspondent Simon Marks has the latest.