Morning Report for Tuesday 1 July 2014

8:56 AM.After more than 3-decades since their last live show - the cast of Monty Python, the British comedy troupe - are holding their opening comeback show in London. Audio

8:52 AM.A new report by an Auckland consulting company says the city has come of age, and is characterised by newfound optimism and confidence. Audio

8:49 AM.Residents of Tikrit in Iraq say heavy fighting is taking place in the southern outskirts of the city - as Iraqi security forces continue their offensive against Sunni militants. Audio

8:46 AM.The job of sharing Kaingaroa Forest among eight iwi is not over yet; A former Maori Affairs Minister says Northland iwi have been given a better opportunity in regional decision making than Maori in… Read more Audio

8:42 AM.The Christchurch City Council is increasingly looking likely to build a sports stadium on reserve land it is leasing to the Canterbury A&P Show - a move which already has show organisers up in arms. Audio

8:38 AM.Mental health staff who cared for a woman who escaped from a secure-unit at Waikato Hospital and then bludgeoned a woman to death are expected to give evidence on day two of an inquest in Hamilton… Read more Audio

8:35 AM.Dozens of young people turned out in Auckland last night to debate the merits, or otherwise, of voting. Audio

8:30 AM.A brief update of movements in the financial sector. Audio

8:28 AM.A lawyer for Motiti Island residents has claimed at a Waitangi Tribunal hearing, that the Crown has been making sham agreements and backdoor deals with the owners of the Rena. Audio

8:24 AM.The credibility of South Canterbury Finance's former chief financial officer as a witness has been called into question. Audio

8:18 AM.Several news organisations, including Radio New Zealand, are fighting to overturn a court order preventing the identification of a diplomat who's accused of attacking a Wellington woman. Audio

8:14 AM.A Waikato woman who helped bring Harris to New Zealand for a promotional tour in 1986 says she's been shocked by revelations about his secret life as a child abuser, but says that's typical of those… Read more Audio

8:08 AM.Australian childrens entertainer Rolf Harris has been found guilty of indecently assaulting four young girls in charges that date back to the 1960s. Audio

8:06 AM.An update from the team at RNZ Sport. Audio

7:56 AM.The Canadian teenager Eugenie Bouchard has succeeded where Serena Williams failed as she beat Alize Cornet to reach the Wimbledon quarter-finals overnight. Audio

7:54 AM.A late burst of goals has seen France through to the quarter-finals at the football World Cup, downing Nigeria 2 - nil this morning. Audio

7:51 AM.Drivers with vehicles made in the year 2000 and newer will have to get their warrant of fitness inspections only once a year, under new rules which come into force today. Audio

7:46 AM.The Labour Party's heads into its election year congress in Wellington this weekend with poor polling overshadowing the meeting. Audio

7:40 AM.Taxi companies say a smart phone app that lets private drivers pick up paying fares could seriously damage taxi services. Audio

7:35 AM.Israeli security forces have found the bodies of three teenagers who went missing in the West Bank last month. Audio

7:28 AM.The murder trial of Oscar Pistorius has resumed in South Africa after a break to evaluate the athlete's mental health. Audio

7:23 AM.30 years ago his 20 year old daughter, Sacha MacFarlane, died in a head on car crash with a Chilean diplomat, Luis Felipe Lopez, who had been drinking and crossed the centreline. Audio

7:17 AM.Pressure is mounting to revoke a court order preventing a diplomat who's accused of attacking a Wellington woman being named. Audio

7:10 AM.Entertainer Rolf Harris has been found guilty of indecently assaulting four girls. Audio

7:06 AM.An update from the team at RNZ Sport. Audio

6:58 AM.U.S. stocks have barely moved after a set of mixed economic data, although the S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite are continuing their steady march upwards. Audio

6:56 AM.Confidence about employment is still a long way from boom-time levels, even though it's reached its highest level since September 2008. Audio

6:54 AM.The Financial Markets Authority is hoping measures put in place this year will put paid to any perceptions of a conflict of interest between the stock exchange operator's commercial interests and its… Read more Audio

6:52 AM.2degrees says it can catch up fast with Vodafone and Telecom because its networks are newer and easier to upgrade to 4G. Audio

6:50 AM.The latest ANZ Bank survey has found a net 43 percent of companies are optimistic about the economy, down 11 points from last month and 28 points down from the peak. Audio

6:48 AM.The airport chief executive, Steve Sanderson, says the pricing won't impact on his company's plans to invest 112-million dollars to redevelop the airport over that period. Audio

6:39 AM.Radio New Zealand and other media organisations are fighting to overturn a court suppression of a foreign diplomat's name. Audio

6:27 AM.A feud between whanau over ownership rights to a Coromandel campground is playing out in public; A former Maori Affairs Minister says Northland iwi have been given a better opportunity in regional… Read more Audio

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

6:16 AM.The latest from the Pacific region. Audio

6:06 AM.An update from the team at RNZ Sport. Audio

6:00 AM.Rolf Harris found guilty, Court being asked to overturn suppression on diplomat charges, Father of woman killed by man who claimed diplomatic immunity, Pistorius trial resumes, no sign of mental… Read more Audio