Asia correspondent Erin Hale spoke to Lisa Owen about a fifth tourist dying as a result of suspected methanol poisoning in Laos, the US issuing fraud charges against one of Asia's richest men and how hard it is to get cold hard cash in Taiwan.

A fifth tourist has died as a result of suspected methanol poisoning in Laos. 28-year-old British lawyer Simone White, as well as an Australian teen, two Danish women and an American all fell fatally ill after drinking in a popular tourist town. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade has confirmed a New Zealander is thought to be among those who have fallen ill. WorldWatch's Niva Chittock reports. According to an MFAT spokesperson, there are currently 14 New Zealanders registered with SafeTravel as being in Laos.

News from the business sector, including a market report.

Former Kiwi Ferns and Warriors womens player Kathleen Wharton has died aged 41. Wharton was a Rugby League World Cup winner and played for the Warriors during the 2019 NRLW season. Sports reporter Felicity Reid spoke to Lisa Owen.

The head of High Performance Sport NZ was warned in 2018 of concerns an athlete would lose their life, if the environment in Cycling NZ was not fixed. The warning came from a senior doctor who had worked closely with athletes in the Cycling New Zealand programme. It's the latest testimony at the inquest into the death of elite cyclist Olivia Podmore. The doctor told the Coroner's Court in Hamilton today that she met with former High Performance Sport NZ boss Michael Scott in June 2018 after reports surfaced in the media about the "toxic culture" at Cycling NZ. Reporter Dana Johannsen has been at court and spoke to Lisa Owen. A warning this story discusses suicide.

A security guard who was stabbed in the neck while working at a popular Auckland shopping hub is said to be recovering well after surgery. The incident happened when the guard approached a man near the Westfield Newmarket about 2:30pm yesterday afternoon, following an earlier incident and the man allegedly pulled out a knife. A 24 year old has been charged with aggravated wounding. The security guard is employed by the the Newmarket Business Association, Chief Executive Mark Knoff-Thomas spoke to Lisa Owen.

Health services are on high alert with the official declaration of a whooping cough epidemic today. It comes as the most recent data shows vaccination rates for babies are woefully low - especially for Maori and Pasifika. Ruth Hill reports.

Opposition to the Government's plan to resurrect live animal exports continues to grow, this time it's on the wharf. The Maritime Union, which represents water siders and stevedores, who have in the past loaded freighters including the ill fated Gulf Live stock, has officially voted to oppose the resumption of live animal exports. The government's delaying the release of a public disucssion document on the issue until next year but remains committed to reinstating the trade that was worth 374-million dollars in 2022. This time round it's promising the highest standards of animal welfare and gold standard transport ships - but has not provided specifics. The practice was banned in 2023 over welfare concerns and following the sinking of the Gulf Live stock one killing almost 6000 cattle and 41 people; including two New Zealanders. Maritime Union spokesperson, Victor Billot spoke to Lisa Owen.

All Auckland buses will have driver protection screens installed by 2026 and those behind the wheel hope this will help to deter aggressive behaviour. The government and Auckland Council are co-funding the project to retro-fit more than 1000 buses with custom-made plexiglass screens, and the first lot of completed buses was revealed today. There have been repeated calls for more safety measures for the city's bus drivers after an increase in physical assaults in the city. Amy Williams filed this report.

A former political figure who sexually abused two teenagers nearly 30 years ago has been jailed for two and a half years. It almost brings the historic case to a close - with the offender now appealing his sentence and the District Court's decision to deny him permanent name suppression. A warning, this report from political journalist Anneke Smith contains distressing details.

Five tourists have died of suspected methanol poisoning in Laos, a country in southeast Asia, after drinking what's believed to be contaminated alcohol. A New Zealander is among those who have fallen ill in the popular backpacking town of Vang Vieng. The Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade has confirmed it has been contacted and is providing consular assistance. British Lawyer Simone White is the fifth person to die after drinking suspected Methanol laced alcohol. An American, two Danish tourists and a Melbourne teenager have also died. Professor David Ranson, the head of Monash University's department of forensic medicine spoke to Lisa Owen.