Morning Report

A brief update on the movements in the financial sector.

The Deerstalkers Association says newborn fawns could starve to death if 1080 poison drops scheduled for today go ahead.

It says drops are planned in the Kahurangi area in the north west South Island and another in the Landsborough area on the West Coast.

Trevor Chappell is the Deerstalkers Association's national president.

President Donald Trump has vehemently denied he asked Ukraine to investigate his political rival Joe Biden in exchange for a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

The star witness in the president's impeachment inquiry Ambassador Gordon Sondland has said there WAS a quid pro quo and it was on the president's orders.

President Trump has responded to Mr Sondland's testimony that he asked Mr Trump "What do you want from Ukraine?"

Political Columnist for The Hill, Brent Budowsky, speaks to Kim Hill.

Former Prime Minister Jim Bolger says one way to avoid skulduggery over political donations is to do away with them.

The National Party remains under a Serious Fraud Office investigation into claims it breached electoral laws by splitting a big donation into smaller amounts that did not require the donor to be made public.

Now New Zealand First is pushing the law to the limits by setting up a foundation that lends money to the party, meaning the money is not legally defined as donations.

Mr Bolger says New Zealand should follow the lead of many European countries and introduce state funding of political parties.

The Black Caps skipper Kane Williamson says they're not trying to simply mirror England - but rather beat them.

Summer's fast approaching and for the second year in a row, a study's found many sunscreens do not offer the protection the label suggests.

Consumer New Zealand has been testing sunscreens and once again has found Cancer Society products among those falling well short of their claimed SPF50 rating.

Consumer New Zealand chief executive Sue Chetwin speaks to Kim Hill.

A Black Power life member and community advocate says police misread the situation in Hawke's Bay.

Armed police officers have been patrolling the streets since a spate of clashes between the Mongrel Mob and Black Power in Napier on Sunday.

Detective senior sergeant Mike Foster says gang-related violence is on the rise in the region as turf wars erupt over the methamphetamine trade.

Mike Foster says gangs are becoming more visible and flashy, and their younger members are increasingly out of control due to the burgeoning meth trade.

He says there are about 1,000 gang members in Hawke's Bay and Gisborne, an increase of 58 percent over the last two years, and they were increasingly visible in the community.

A specialist gang taskforce had been operating in Hawke's Bay since May which was doing all it could, but the police acknowledged that they could not "arrest their way out of" the issue.

Denis O'Reilly is a life member of Black Power and a community advocate.

Warning: This report contains details and adult themes that won't be appropriate for all listeners.

The jury in the trial of the man accused of murdering Grace Millane will hear closing addresses from the prosecution and defence today. Over the past three weeks both teams have presented evidence for their cases - calling police officers, women who met the accused through the dating app Tinder, pathologists and even a sex expert.

It's the Crown's case the accused strangled Ms Millane to death while his defence say her death was accidental after they engaged in consensual strangulation during sex.

RNZ court reporter Anneke Smith speaks to Corin Dann.

US Ambassador to the EU Gordon Sondland has told an impeachment inquiry President Donald Trump directed pressure on Ukraine to investigate Joe Biden.

Mr Sondland has also implicated US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and former National Security Adviser John Bolton.

Ambassador Gordon Sondland is the most anticipated witness in the impeachment inquiry.

RNZ's correspondent in Washington is Jagruti Dave.

With the spotlight on a burgeoning donations scandal surrounding New Zealand First, the laws governing such fundraising are coming under fresh scrutiny.

The Electoral Commission is looking into a complaint about the secretive New Zealand First Foundation - and claims that it has been used to hide donations.

The Greens say it proves the need for major reform, but the Justice Minister says that's not on the cards any time soon.

RNZ deputy political editor Craig McCulloch reports.