Morning Report

News from the rural and farming sector.

A brief update from the business sector.

Indian cricket captain Virat Kohli has denied swearing at Black Cap Kane Williamson at the second test in Christchurch, which New Zealand won yesterday.

Kohli was questioned by a journalist about whether he swore at Williamson during the match, and there are reports he also swore at the crowd.

He responded to questions by accusing the journalist of trying to stir up controversy, and said the match referee had no issue with his behaviour.

Sharda Ugra from Cricinfo speaks to Corin Dann.

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the Director general of the World Health Organization has described the the fight against Covid-19 as being in "uncharted territory".

Speaking at a news conference in the past hour he said " we have never seen before a respiratory pathogen capable of community transmission, but which can be contained with the right measures"

The major points made by Dr Tedros were:

In the last 24 hours there were almost 9 times more coronavirus cases reported outside China than inside 

Of the 62 countries who have reported coronavirus cases, 38 have reported 10 or fewer cases.

The epidemics in South Korea, Italy, Iran and Japan are of greatest concern.

A WHO mission has arrived in Iran to deliver supplies and help to the government.

There are indications  surveillance measures are working in South Korea and the epidemic can still be contained there

In other developments, the EU's disease prevention agency has raised the bloc's risk level from moderate to high.

Here, Health officials here are still waiting on the results of tests on two possible cases of Covid-19.

The Ministry of Health expects the results will released later today.

So far, just one person has tested positive for the Covid-19 coronavirus in New Zealand.

Opener Beth Mooney's half-century helped hosts Australia beat New Zealand by four runs last night in Melbourne and seal the last semi-final spot at the Women's T20 cricket World Cup.

The police are reassuring the public after a reported terror threat against the Al Noor mosque. WHO says the world is in uncharted territory with coronavirus. Shane Jones thumbs his nose at the PM, refusing to resile from his Indian students comments. Another presidential hopeful bows out as America's Democrats prepare for Super Tuesday.

Protesters in togs are outside Parliament this morning to demand the Government keep its election promise to clean up waterways.

The student-led Choose Clean Water campaign are there ahead of the Government announcing its final freshwater policy in the coming months.

Group spokesperson James McNally speaks to Corin Dann.

A collection of rare, surrealist artworks are coming to Te Papa Tongarewa - all of which have never before been displayed in New Zealand.

Dalí and the Surrealists: Masterpieces from the Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen, Rotterdam, will open on 5 December this year and run until 26 April 2021, in the Toi Art Gallery.

It will feature 180 works including paintings, design, photography and film, from major artists such as Salvador Dalí, Max Ernst, Leonora Carrington, René Magritte and Marcel Duchamp.

Te Papa Tongarewa's head of art, Charlotte Davy, says the last surrealist exhibition was in 1974.

She spoke to RNZ reporter, Michael Cropp, who begins by asking: what is surrealism?

A group which tests drugs for purity at music festivals have launched a "pill library" on their website listing all the different substances they found this summer.

KnowYourStuffNZ operates stalls at music festivals where concertgoers can take their illicit substances for checking - making sure that what's in their pill is what they thought.

The idea is to reduce drug harm by informing people who will be taking them anyway about what they're actually ingesting.

KnowYourStuffNZ managing director Wendy Allison speaks to Susie Ferguson.

A new video campaign by KidsCan is laying bare the meals that real New Zealand families living in poverty are eating.

Renowned chef Nadia Lim cooks "red soup", the leftover water that cheerios have been boiled in and Peter Gordon cooks a mix of boiled water and a tablespoon of mince per person.

KidsCan has launched the campaign to raise awareness of the poverty facing thousands of children. Its chief executive is Julie Chapman.

She speaks to Susie Ferguson.