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Firstline with Rachel Smalley

Rachel Smalley presents comprehensive coverage of local and international news with sport, business and weather updates.

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Soldiers from the US Army's 1st Battalion, 41st Infantry Regiment, Task Force Bulldog in eastern Afghanistan (Reuters)

NATO disputes report of casualties in airstrike video

The US-led coalition has disputed reports that eight civilians, including children, were killed in a NATO airstrike in a remote part of eastern Afghanistan.

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The Caring Counts report has found carers in residential facilities or providing home care earn an average of $14.50 an hour

Calls for higher pay for aged care workers video

The Human Rights Commission is calling for higher pay for aged care workers.

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By 2026 more than 45 percent of people aged between 0 and 14 years old will be of Maori and Pacific Island descent (AAP)

Pasifika students at risk - Education Review Office video

Pasifika students are still most at risk of not achieving in New Zealand schools according to the Education Review Office.

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The Kokako is officially listed as an endangered species

New Zealand has failed on environmental promises - WWF video

A new report released by the World Wildlife Fund claims New Zealand has failed to follow through on key environmental commitments made at the original Earth Summit .

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Ireland's Prime Minister Enda Kenny (Reuters)

Irish PM calls for EU fiscal treaty support video

Irish Prime Minister Enda Kenny has made a nationally televised appeal to voters to support the European Union's fiscal treaty in a referendum this week, warning that rejection would send the signal that Ireland was not serious about tackling its deficits and was no longer a secure member of the euro currency.

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An anti-Syria regime protest held by Bahrainis at United Nation Headquarters in Manama (Reuters)

Syrian Government denies massacre video

The Syrian government denies killings in a string of villages that left more than 90 people dead, blaming the killings on "hundreds of heavily armed gunmen" who also attacked soldiers in the area.

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A woman walks past SPLA-N fighters munitions and weapons captured from Sudan's Armed Forces (Reuters)

Cluster bombs threaten civilians in Sudan video

Less than a year after the birth of an independent South Sudan, fighting with its neighbour Sudan is escalating.

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A man shouts slogans during a protest outside headquarters of Spain's fourth largest bank Bankia in Madrid (Reuters)

Spain injects €9 billion into Bankia video

The Spanish government has announced it's injecting another €9 billion into its nationalised bank, Bankia.

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England soccer coach Roy Hodgson (Reuters)

No language barrier for new England coach video

One thing working in the new England coach's favour - finally there's no language barrier.

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Queen Victoria

Queen Vic's diaries go online video

Queen Victoria could never have imagined it of course, but her diaries are now available to read online.

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A man walks through the financial district in the City of London (Reuters)

Britain's double-dip worse than expected video

Britain's double-dip recession is worse than first thought, according to a report released today.

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labour Finance Spokesman David Parker

NZ getting 'poorer as a nation'– David Parker video

Finance Minister Bill English is promising more than 150,000 new jobs in the next four years – but where are they going to come from?

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The Budget's figures have been tweaked in recent weeks (file)

Few international eyes on Budget video

International markets have dropped over night with worries over Greece, so the focus on our financial market will be not large.

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Bill English

Budget 2012 expectations: No shock or awe video

There is going to be no shock and awe today – it’s going to be a Budget of austerity and uncertainty. The Government is most likely going to confirm there is a massive deficit of around $11 billion or $12 billion and they will confirm a surplus in 2014/15.

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Audi's new electric bike and a body searching robot: TelstraClear Tech Bytes video

In this week's tech news we meet the biotech firm that's creating global interest in grass, we go for a ride on Audi's new electric bike, and we'll tell you about a robot the Chinese believe could be used for body searches.

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Ganesh Nana

Govt too focused on surplus - expert video

Today's Budget will show us how the Government plans to get the books back in black in just two years, but Berl's chief economist Ganesh Nana believes there is too much emphasis on achieving a surplus.

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Queensland won game one (AAP)

Queensland come out firing in State of Origin video

It was an absorbing and controversial start to this year's State of Origin series in Melbourne.

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Presidential candidate Abdel Moneim Abol Fotouh (C) visits people outside a polling station during the presidential elections in Cairo (Reuters)

Egypt votes in first free presidential election video

More than 15 months after autocratic leader Hosni Mubarak's ouster, Egyptians streamed to polling stations to freely choose a president for the first time in generations.

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(AAP)

Aid agencies disappointed with G8 video

Aid agencies say they're disappointed over the failure of the G8 to commit significant amounts of new money to fight poverty.

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Prime Minister John Key will deliver his second zero-Budget this week (AAP)

2012 Budget - too far or not far enough? video

The 1920s were an era of mass production, consumption and culture but the roar became a pitful cry at the end of the decade.

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