Morning Report

News from the business sector, including a market report.

It's celebration time for Muslims around the country, as people observe Eid-Al-Fitr, which marks the end of the holy month of Ramadan. The Covid-19 restrictions meant yesterday's celebrations had to be a bit low-key this year, despite the social nature of the day - which involves mass prayer, feasting and gatherings. But Zain Ali, who teaches Islamic Studies at Auckland University, says Muslims in the country have been happy to comply with the new rules. He spoke to RNZ reporter Anan Zaki and started by discussing the importance of Eid in Islamic culture.

Tensions are building among workers as businesses decide which staff to lay off - New Zealanders or immigrants.

Unions say overseas workers are easier to make redundant - but one large hotel is keeping on work-visa holders when New Zealanders are being laid off.

RNZ's Gill Bonnett reports.

There's been a big increase in the number of Wellington children in hospital with acute rheumatic fever.

The region's public health service has issued an alert, telling doctors, emergency department and Covid-19 testing centres to be on the look out for the disease.

There have been nine Wellington children hospitalised so far this year.

Normally there would only be one or two. Nationwide, there's an increase of 25 percent. Rawiri Jansen is a Papakura GP and the clinical leader for the Maori general practice network the National Hauora Coalition.

He told RNZ health correspondent Rowan Quinn it's a worry to see the disease on the rise.

News from the rural and farming sector.

A brief update from the business sector.

The Minister of Justice says returning lawyers to the early stages of family disputes should help parents settle differences out of court.

The government has passed legislation under urgency allowing parents to use lawyers throughout disputes involving children, restoring access to legal aid, and establishing family justice liasion officers.

But recommended improvements to help warring families settle their differences out of court, including scrapping the need for pre-court mediation and introducing free counselling, haven't been addressed.

Andrew Little told RNZ reporter Catherine Hutton why reintroducing lawyers to the process would result in more out of court mediation.

There's been a spike in calls to the National Poisons Centre about small children and hand sanitiser.

It says the calls don't mean any children came to harm, and over the past three years it has only recommended a medical check for about eleven percent of cases.

Dr Adam Pomerleau told RNZ education correspondent, John Gerritsen, the increase is not surprising.

The new National Party leader, Todd Muller, is swinging into action with a reshuffle of his front bench expected today, There's been a dramatic spike in the number of Wellington children in hospital with acute rheumatic fever, and Is it time to lighten Alert Level 2 restrictions? We'll ask the PM

It's Friday so we cross the ditch to Canberra to talk to our correspondent Kerry-Anne Walsh.