Morning Report for Friday 21 June 2013

8:57 AM.Let's have a chat to our correspondent Kerry-Anne Walsh in Queensland. Audio

8:52 AM.Several hundred tango dancers from as far away as Argentina have gathered in Wellington for 12th annual New Zealand tango festival. Audio

8:49 AM.A Maori business consultancy firm says there's huge potential for Maori business in Indonesia - and it may be able to break through by exporting Manuka honey; The Labour Party candidate attempting to… Read more Audio

8:45 AM.Two families, whose disabled daughters have been hit and verbally abused in residential care say they're struggling to find somewhere suitable for the young women to live. Audio

8:43 AM.And Radio New Zealand has not been immune to the damage of the storm. Audio

8:39 AM.An update from the team at RNZ Sport. Audio

8:33 AM.A brief update of movements in the financial sector. Audio

8:26 AM.The former National Security Agency contractor turned whistle-blower, Edward Snowden, is running out of time to find permanent refuge if he's to avoid arrest and extradition to the United States. Audio

8:23 AM.The Mana Movement is keen to get more Maori into home ownership. Audio

8:22 AM.A court in Doha has sentenced four people to six years in prison each over the deaths of 19 people in last year's Villaggio mall fire, and another man to five years in jail. Audio

8:16 AM.Meanwhile, snow has continued to fall in parts of Canterbury and Otago, with a further 200 millimetres settling overnight. Audio

8:14 AM.The south coast has been particularly badly hit, the Maranui Cafe is on Wellington's Lyall Bay Beach and looks directly South Coast. Audio

8:09 AM.The violent storm which left large parts of the South Island under snow yesterday moved with devastating effect onto the Wellington region overnight, leaving its mark as one of the most significant… Read more Audio

7:56 AM.The All Blacks play France at Yarrow Stadium tomorrow night in the sell-out final of Les Bleus three test tour in New Zealand. Audio

7:52 AM.With just over a week left before the Ikaroa-Rawhiti by-election, candidates are ramping up their campaigns, spending long hours on the road as they travel the enormous electorate. Audio

7:46 AM.An internet freedom group says a bundle of just-released Cabinet papers makes it clear the Government's spy agency has its sights on a vast expansion of its powers. Audio

7:43 AM.An update from the team at RNZ Sport. Audio

7:39 AM.Police in Kaikohe have spoken to the partner of the missing Far North woman, Barbara Ann Moka, who hasn't been seen for 13 days. Audio

7:35 AM.Five people including Qatar's ambassador to Belgium have been found guilty of death by negligence over the Doha mall fire in which two year old New Zealand triplets died. Audio

7:26 AM.Rain, and snow, were two ongoing problems for the South Island over the past 24 hours. he Mayor of Selwyn, Kelvin Coe, lives at Irwell near Lake Ellesmere. He says the area's suffering from the worst… Read more Audio

7:23 AM.Meanwhile, snow and rain has continued to fall in parts of Canterbury and Otago. Our reporter in Christchurch, Belinda McCammon, has been updating conditions across the South. Audio

7:21 AM.There's been significant damage in Wellington's northern suburbs; our reporter Cushla Norman joins us from a damaged warehouse near Grenada. Audio

7:18 AM.The Wellington Region Civil Defence Controller, Bruce Pepperell, has been monitoring conditions overnight, and he joins us. Audio

7:13 AM.The latest information we have on that storm. Audio

7:09 AM.A ferocious storm hit Wellington last night and the Metservice says it's not likely to die down until this afternoon. Audio

6:48 AM.News from the business sector including a market report. Audio

6:46 AM.The traffic news. Audio

6:40 AM.To tell us more about what's in store around the country is the Weather Watch analyst, Richard Green. Audio

6:38 AM.The ferocious storm that's left large parts of the South Island under snow is now bearing down on the Wellington region. Audio

6:27 AM.Organisers of the national Maori performing arts champsionship, Te Matatini, say Haka groups from overseas want to compete in the event; The Labour Party candidate attempting to win the Ikaroa-Rawhiti… Read more Audio

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

6:21 AM.Just reminding you if you have woken up this morning wild weather in Wellington is expected to continue to produce problems this morning and right into the afternoon. Audio

6:15 AM.The latest from the Pacific region. Audio

6:14 AM.All the Alpine passes are closed due to heavy snow, and will be reassessed later this morning. Audio

6:11 AM.The ferocious storm that's left large parts of the South Island under snow is now bearing down on the Wellington region, Taranaki and the top of the North Island. Audio

6:00 AM.The latest on the violent winds which have battered much of the country ..especially in the Wellington area. Sentences of five and six years for several people over the Doha mall fire and Kaikohe… Read more Audio