Morning Report for Wednesday 23 January 2013

8:57 AM.Homes were evacuated when the blaze first broke out in scrub yesterday afternoon, and helicopters have been called back into the fray this morning. Audio

8:53 AM.The siege has thrown Algeria, and nearby Mali, into the spotlight as international dangerzones but experts aren't surprised by ongoing turmoil in the region. Audio

8:50 AM.The National Urban Maori Authority has signalled it has plans to run New Zealand's first ever national Maori radio station; A lawyer representing the family of James Takamore, who took his body from… Read more Audio

8:43 AM.There are reports that students at a Texas school are taking shelter after reports of a gunman on campus. Audio

8:42 AM.Mr Obama made a clear call for unity, he said there is an urgent need to address climate change, and he mentioned gay rights. But many are talking about what he didn't say. Audio

8:36 AM.Jo-Wilfried Tsonga says he must leave his reverence for Roger Federer in the locker room if he's to have any hope of victory in tonight's Australian Open quarter-final. Audio

8:35 AM.An update from the team at RNZ Sport. Audio

8:29 AM.A brief update of movements in the financial sector. Audio

8:23 AM.The economist Gareth Morgan says his call for fewer cats in New Zealand is just the beginning of his campaign. Audio

8:15 AM.The Mana Party says the sacking of the Housing Minister, Phil Heatley, will be a welcome relief for low-income families, as it says Mr Heatley presided over policies which make it harder to access… Read more Audio

8:12 AM.One of the biggest winners of the cabinet re-shuffle is 32-year-old Nikki Kaye, the Auckland Central backbench MP who goes straight into cabinet with Food Safety, Youth Affairs, Civil Defence and two… Read more Audio

8:08 AM.The Prime Minister says the decision to put Steven Joyce in charge of fixing the Novopay payroll system does not mean the Education Minister, Hekia Parata, or her associate, Craig Foss, have failed. Audio

7:53 AM.As the New Zealand Rugby Union decides what to do about the future of the disgraced All Black Zac Guildford, a close friend says his employers should have given him more professional help and support.

7:51 AM.A new report from the ASB bank shows the financial benefits of construction work in the Canterbury rebuild are beginning to spill over into other parts of the region's economy. Audio

7:48 AM.A developer who wants to build a 28-storey luxury hotel on Dunedin's waterfront has been told to demonstrate its height with a helium balloon. Audio

7:46 AM.An update from the team at RNZ Sport. Audio

7:39 AM.The Candian government is investigating claims by the Algerian Prime Minister, Abdelmalek Sellal, that some of the militants behind the gas plant seige were Canadian. Audio

7:37 AM.The sacked Cabinet minister Phil Heatley says while he's obviously disappointed, he accepts the Prime Minister's decision. Mr Heatley was one of the casualties in the New Year reshuffle, losing his… Read more Audio

7:34 AM.Voting in Israel's general election ends in an hour and a half. It's expected the prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, will win his third term in office. Audio

7:26 AM.The Southland District Council is meeting to discuss whether to back plans for a multi million dollar road, linking the West Coast with Milford Sound. Audio

7:22 AM.Fire crews have resumed the fight against a blaze on Great Barrier Island which forced the evacuation of 15 homes. Audio

7:19 AM.Three Taranaki iwi in line for final treaty settlements say they do not want to lose millions in a bad investment like another local iwi and will take time to decide how to spend their money. Audio

7:17 AM.A United Nations report has found prisoners in Afghanistan are still subject to torture and ill-treatment in custody. Audio

7:08 AM.Both of the ministers sacked from Cabinet have accepted the decision and say they intend to stay on as National Party MPs. Kate Wilkinson and Phil Heatley have both been asked to resign by the Prime… Read more Audio

6:47 AM.News from the business sector including a market report. Audio

6:39 AM.Auckland firefighters are ready to join the fight against a dangerous scrub fire on Great Barrier Island in the Hauraki Gulf. The fire, which broke out at about one o'clock yesterday, has been… Read more Audio

6:27 AM.A lawyer representing the family of James Takamore, who took his body from his wife and children says the whanau has accepted the Supreme Court's ruling to allow his partner to exhume his body; The… Read more Audio

6:22 AM.The latest from the Pacific region. Audio

6:22 AM.News from the rural and farming sector. Audio

6:14 AM.Education groups say the Economic Development Minister, Steven Joyce, has drawn the short straw in the Cabinet reshuffle after being put in charge of fixing the Novopay payroll system. Audio

6:00 AM.Sacked ministers accept changes, will stay on as electorate MPs; Afghanistan report finds systemic use of torture; Republicans ignored in inaugural speech; Voting underway in Israel general election… Read more Audio