Morning Report

Samoa's Prime Minister has refused to answer questions about why the Government stopped vaccinating against measles for 10 months.

Its decision came after two babies died from a MMR vaccination mixup in July last year.

The vaccination programme only restarted in April - by which time the measles outbreak had started to take off in New Zealand.

The Samoan Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi dodged questions from our reporter Alex Perrotet at a media conference where he also spoke about just being vaccinated himself.

The World Cup champion Silver Ferns have been awarded the New Zealand Olympic Committee's most prestigious award.

NASA's Parker Solar Probe has just finished its first year of studying the sun from closer than ever before.

The robotic spacecraft was launched in 2018, and today the Space Agency has released the first scientific results from the "Mission to Touch the Sun".

Corin Dann asked NASA scientist Eric Christian about what Parker Solar Probe has seen.

Rugby players and boxers wanted, well your brains at least.

The University of Auckland's Centre for Brain Research wants you to donate your grey matter - after you're dead - so they can study the impact of contact sports on our most-important organ.

They hope it will help them understand how high-contact sports affect the brain in later life.

Neuroscientist Sir Richard Faull heads the centre.

He speaks to Kim Hill.

Bank customers are likely to wear at least some of the cost of the Reserve Bank's decisions to force the sector to hold more capital to help them better withstand a major financial crisis.

The Bank has stuck largely with its draft decision to require the banks to nearly double the amount of capital they need to support their lending. It made some concessions by allowing a broader mix of assets to be used, letting the smaller banks hold less capital, and giving more time for the changes to be made.

As business editor Gyles Beckford reports the effects on most ordinary customers are likely to be muted and the response to those likely to be affected is shop around.

A property developer says he rejected an approach from a company who went on to build a substandard multistorey building in Christchurch's central mall.

The building at 230 High Street is in limbo, having finally been ruled substandard with numerous design weaknesses that are an earthquake risk.

Phil Pennington reports.

For the first time, a council is going to court to get the power to strengthen two heritage listed, earthquake-prone buildings - because the owners refuse to do so.

The Wellington City Council's strengthening deadlines for the Toomath's Building on Ghuznee Street, and the Adelaide Hotel on Adelaide Road both expired in 2013.

Now the council says despite extensive efforts to work with the building owners, there has been no progress, and it has now lost confidence they will do the necessary work.

The council's Chief Resilience Officer, Mike Mendonca speaks to Kim Hill.

It's the second day of the government shutdown in Samoa, with more than 100 immunisation teams expected to head out to the country's most remote areas.

The death toll due to measles is now 62, and is continuing to rise.

People have been told to keep off the roads and stay at home.

At the same time the government is fighting a PR battle with antivaxers, and those pushing alternative treatments.

A man was arrested yesterday and charged with incitement against the Government's vaccination order. He is accused of putting out a public message against the current measles vaccination campaign saying "I'll be here to mop up your mess. Enjoy your killing spree".

Kim Hill speaks to RNZ's reporter in Samoa, Logan Church.

National is demanding answers after reports Cabinet Minister Kris Faafoi intervened in an immigration case to help a friend.

Newshub says it has seen texts and Facebook messages showing Mr Faafoi told Opshop band member Jason Kerrison he'd talk to people after Mr Kerrison's family had a partnership visa applicaton for his father-in-law declined.

It says Mr Faafoi told Mr Kerrison he would speak to people who could "speed things up" but that he couldn't put anything in writing.

Opposition leader Simon Bridges speaks to Corin Dann.

The government is looking into changes to the fuel sector after a long awaited report from the Commerce Commission was released yesterday.

The report found the industry could do more to be more-competitive and making several recommendations to fix the problems including advertising the cost of premium petrol.

Gull Petroleum's Dave Bodger speaks to Corin Dann.