Morning Report for Wednesday 20 March 2013

8:53 AM.A New Zealand man who defrauded the Queensland Government of more than $20 million has been sentenced to 14 years in prison. Audio

8:50 AM.Environmentalists are continuing their legal fight against salmon farming in the Marlborough Sounds. Audio

8:48 AM.The Maori Women's Welfare League has signalled it will be making changes, with the appointment of a new general manager; A major Maori run beef and sheep operation in Whanganui says the weather is… Read more Audio

8:41 AM.A political scientist says discussion of a three-way leadership arrangement, shows there is division within the Maori Party. Audio

8:38 AM.Seven United States Marines have been killed and a number of others injured after a deadly explosion during a training exercise in the state of Nevada. 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

8:25 AM.Plans in Australia to reform media laws and strengthen the scrutiny of newspapers and media mergers appear doomed, prompting new tension within Prime Minister Julia Gillard's struggling minority… Read more Audio

8:20 AM.A mining watchdog group is considering filing a High Court injunction to stop an oil and gas exploration company from drilling near Dannevirke. Audio

8:14 AM.Pope Francis had held his inaugural mass in front of a huge crowd at St Peter's Square overnight. Audio

8:11 AM.The Mayor of the South Waikato District, Neil Sinclair, says the community is very distressed by the killing. Audio

8:09 AM.The search is continuing for the person who shot a roadworker dead in Southern Waikato yesterday. Audio

7:56 AM.The Maori Party says it's forging new political ground with its consideration of a new leadership arrangement - under which the party would have no official leader. Audio

7:52 AM.Back now to the situation in Cyprus and a suggestion here the Government is considering allowing banks to dip into depositors' savings if they need to bail them out. Audio

7:47 AM.An update from the team at RNZ Sport. Audio

7:44 AM.The Cypriot government has rejected the controversial EU bailout plan which would have charged a levy on bank deposits. Audio

7:40 AM.RNZ Political Editor, Brent Edwards discusses David Shearer's situation. Audio

7:35 AM.The Act party leader, John Banks, has called on the Labour leader, David Shearer, to resign, for failing to tell Parliament he had more than 50-thousand dollars in a New York bank account. Audio

7:26 AM.Just two millimetres of rain fell in Gisborne overnight, which has done little to ease the drought in the region. Audio

7:20 AM.A confidential email from the police's Organised and Financial Crime Agency says it was more luck than good management that government surveillance of Kim Dotcom could be kept under wraps. Audio

7:15 AM.Pope Francis has celebrated his inaugural mass at the Vatican in front of hundreds of thousands of people. Audio

7:11 AM.Some school principals say the compensation being offered for the time spent fixing problems with Novopay, doesn't come close to covering the costs their schools have incurred. Audio

7:09 AM.The police are hunting for the person who shot a roadworker dead on a rural roadside in Southern Waikato yesterday afternoon. Audio

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

6:39 AM.An employment court decision in favour of a seasonal worker who was dismissed by Talley's in Motueka could have ramifications for many others in similar situations. Audio

6:36 AM.Some school principals say the compensation being offered for the time spent fixing problems with Novopay, doesn't come close to covering the costs their schools have incurred. Audio

6:27 AM.The Maori Women's Welfare League has signalled it will be making changes, with the appointment of a new general manager; A major Maori run beef and sheep operation in Whanganui says the weather is… Read more Audio

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

6:18 AM.The latest from the Pacific region. Audio

6:10 AM.The Maori Party MP Te Ururoa Flavell says a three-way leadership arrangement hasn't been rubberstamped, but is worth discussing. Audio

6:00 AM.Police hunt for person who shot rural Waikato roadside worker; Principals react to Novopay payout; Pope Francis celebrates his inaugural mass; Documents reveal relaxed attitude to Dotcom spying… Read more Audio