Morning Report

The Tertiary Education Union is urging the government to call a national meeting to coordinate how education providers respond to the Covid-19 virus.

Universities, polytechnics and schools could lose hundreds of millions of dollars if more than 11,000 Chinese students stuck in China are unable to travel here.

Yesterday, the University of Auckland announced a freeze on new appointments because of the likely financial impact.

Michael Gilchrist from the Tertiary Education told RNZ education correspondent, John Gerritsen, it's a little early for universities to freeze their spending.

Chinese tourists forced to cancel their trips to New Zealand because of the Covid-19 coronavirus say it's unreasonable for them to out of pocket.

Many of them have booked tours here before the travel the outbreak.

Now they are struggling to get full refunds for what they've paid for.

Chen Liu reports.

News from the rural and farming sector.

A brief update from the business sector.

Family of the Fijian men killed in the Christchurch mosque attacks say they have no ill feeling towards New Zealand - instead they see what happened to their loved ones as fate.

Fifty-one people died on March 15 after a gunman opened fire at two mosques during Friday prayers.

Imam Hafiz Musa Patel, Ashraf Ali Razak and Ashraf Ali died in the horrific shootings and yesterday the relatives of two of the men travelled to Lautoka to meet Jacinda Ardern.

RNZ political reporter Jo Moir was there.

The White Ferns were beaten by India by 3 runs in their latest game at the T20 World Cup in Australia.

Global stock markets slide again on pandemic fears. The number of study visa applications rejected from India doubles. Petrol prices could drop by 30 cents in some areas if proposed changes go ahead.

Te Arawa people are celebrating the return of Lake Ōkaro in the southern Bay of Plenty, a century after they lost control of it. 

The transfer of the lake to the Te Arawa Lakes Trust completes the final part of the Rotorua iwi's settlement, which has taken 14 years to enact.

The occasion was commemorated at at Te Papaiōuru marae in Rotorua yesterday.

Sir Toby Curtis is the chairman of Te Arawa Lakes Trust.

He speaks to Corin Dann.

Transparency International's New Zealand chair is warning the need to reform political funding structures is more urgent than ever - and that complacency is leaving the country more vulnerable to corruption.

The Serious Fraud Office's scrutiny of donations to National and New Zealand First has sparked debate about whether there needs to be a deeper investigation into party funding and electoral laws.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern says she'll review the issue if re-elected - but she's rejecting suggestions the recent scandals show big money is influencing New Zealand politics.

Political reporter Yvette McCullough has more.

Napier student Kingston Webb was clocked going 148kmh in an 80kmh zone - but successfully argued his driving wasn't dangerous and didn't warrant losing his licence.

Motorsport legend and road safety advocate Greg Murphy speaks to Susie Ferguson.