Morning Report for Thursday 28 February 2019

6:00 AM.Michael Cohen dubs Trump a racist, conman, cheat; Tasman residents 'horrified' at having to leave homes again; Fire Service keeping close eye on new Tasman fire; Three Indian fighter jets shot down… Read more Audio

6:06 AM.It's 6 years since former US Open champion Michael Campbell last played a round of competitive golf - and he's refusing to place any expectations on himself when he tees off in the 100th edition of… Read more Audio

6:13 AM.A developer says the Government has little chance of finding 100,000 first-home buyers to buy its Kiwibuild properties. Slightly more than 10,000 Kiwibuild homes are contracted to be built by 2028 -… Read more Audio

6:16 AM.The trust pushing for the so-called SkyPath over the Auckland Harbour Bridge says the Transport Agency has gone back on a promise to pay for its design work.

The Skypath Trust's Bevan Woodward says… Read more Audio

6:19 AM.Should school children who wag class for a protest against climate change be marked truant, or encouraged and asked to write an essay about it? That's the dilemma next month's School Strike for… Read more Audio

6:25 AM.News from the rural and farming sector. Audio

6:45 AM.Most residents who had to evacuate their homes in Tasman's Redwood Valley when fire broke out on Wednesday were able to return to their own beds last night. The evacuation of 81 homes came three weeks… Read more Audio

6:47 AM.Up to three fighter jets have been shot down over the disputed Kashmir region. Pakistani officials say they have shot down two Indian Air Force planes and captured two pilots. India says it lost one… Read more Audio

7:06 AM.The Black Caps captain Kane Williamson says his side isn't playing enough red-ball cricket. Audio

7:11 AM.President Donald Trump's long time personal lawyer Michael Cohen is currently testifying before the House oversight committee in Washington, and has called Mr Trump a racist, a conman, and a cheat. Mr… Read more Audio

7:20 AM.Three weeks after being forced from their homes by the massive Tasman fire, residents were again given the order to evacuate when fire broke out in the Redwood Valley yesterday afternoon. Residents of… Read more Audio

7:34 AM.Junior doctors are back in talks today in a final bid to reach agreement with hospital bosses before their current pay deal lapses at midnight. Six weeks of rolling two-day strikes around the country… Read more Audio

7:37 AM.The Fire Service is investigating how a new fire in Redwood Valley, Tasman, started last night. 81 homes were evacuated on Wednesday afternoon, but most have since returned home. Grant Haywood is Fire… Read more Audio

7:39 AM.The Police Association says Tuesday's shootout in a Christchurch suburb highlights a growing trend of criminals using firearms against officers. A 33 year old Christchurch man fired at officers after… Read more Audio

7:41 AM.Up to three fighter jets have been shot down over the disputed Kashmir region. Pakistani officials say they have shot down two Indian Air Force planes over Pakistani territory and captured two pilots… Read more Audio

7:46 AM.Ten-thousand Kiwibuild homes are contracted to be built by 2028 - just 10-percent of the government's 100,000 target. Figures obtained by RNZ reveal so far that 10,355 KiwiBuild properties are… Read more Audio

7:49 AM.A further blow's been delivered to Auckland Harbour Bridge's Skypath, with the trust reeling from what it says is a "brutal" letter from transport officials. The project's failure could write off… Read more Audio

7:53 AM.President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un are in Hanoi, Vietnam for their second summit. They met on Wednesday night, before heading to a dinner, and a series of meetings are planned… Read more Audio

8:06 AM.The Black Caps captain Kane Williamson believes the settled nature of their squad has been important to their rise up the test cricket rankings. Audio

8:10 AM.President Donald Trump's long time personal lawyer Michael Cohen is testifying before the House oversight committee in Washington. Mr Cohen alleges that Mr Trump knew in advance about the release of… Read more Audio

8:20 AM.Guyon Espiner talks to Washington DC correspondent and columnist for The Hill, Brent Budowsky, as former Trump lawyer Michael Cohen speaks to the House. They discuss the political implications. Audio

8:24 AM.Former Maori Affairs Minister Dover Samuels says a decision to deny John Tamihere membership of the Labour Party will come at a cost. Mr Tamihere, a former Labour MP and cabinet minister, who wants to… Read more Audio

8:25 AM.Anger from scientists over changes at Te Papa took a new turn yesterday with the man famous for his work with the colossal squid declaring he no longer wants to be associated with the museum in any… Read more Audio

8:37 AM.President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un met in Hanoi overnight for their second summit, and kicked off the visit with a formal dinner. Professor Sung-Yoon Lee is a specialist in… Read more Audio

8:42 AM.An Auckland community is vowing to take charge of guarding its local creek in a bid to stop raw sewage, litter and chemicals polluting it. The group in Te Atatu Peninsula held a meeting last night… Read more Audio

8:45 AM.The Government has picked up where Helen Clark left off and resumed regular meetings with the trade union movement. The Prime Minister, as well as Labour, Green and New Zealand First Ministers joined… Read more Audio

8:52 AM.The Wellington City Council has agreed to increase the budget for quake-proofing the town hall to $112 million - almost triple the $43 million estimate it received in 2013. And the cost could be even… Read more Audio

8:56 AM.Environmentalists and villagers are concerned at the lack of urgency to clean up an oil spill in a World Heritage Area just off the Solomon Islands. The cargo ship, Solomon Trader, ran aground on a… Read more Audio