Morning Report for Tuesday 17 February 2015

8:57 AM.Huge cloud-like plumes that were spotted by amateur astronomers stretching hundreds of kilometres into Mars's atmosphere have defied explanation - until now. The plumes, which the amateurs saw in… Read more Audio

8:55 AM.Ireland romped to a four-wicket victory over the West Indies in their opening 2015 World Cup clash in Nelson yesterday. The Irish reduced West Indies to 87-5 after opting to field first but the… Read more Audio

8:53 AM.The Black Caps bowler, Trent Boult, was sold for the fifth highest amount of any foreign player at the Indian Premier League auction in Bangalore last night. Boult was one of eight current Black Caps… Read more Audio

8:49 AM.Two bus-loads of Ngai Tuhoe whanaunga have travelled to Wellington to be guests of the police, in a further step to repair relations between both parties; A government appointed official charged with… Read more Audio

8:42 AM.It's been called the biggest bank heist in history with as much as one billion US dollars stolen from 100 banks around the world. Internet investigators say a sophisticated gang of Russian, Chinese… Read more Audio

8:41 AM.The Earthquake Commission is insisting the current model for settling earthquake claims is the right one. That's despite a report from one of the country's largest insurers that says the system is… Read more Audio

8:32 AM.A brief update of movements in the financial sector. Audio

8:30 AM.The organisers of the South Island's annual coast to coast race are stumped as to what caused the temporary blindness of several of the competitors at the weekend. So far nine contestants have… Read more Audio

8:26 AM.The Auckland Council is getting ready to put some of the city's boarding houses under greater scrutiny. Critics say the houses can be overcrowded, unsafe and unsanitary - and don't have to be licenced… Read more Audio

8:21 AM.Large swastikas have been drawn on both a Jewish and a Christian headstone in Dunedin's Southern cemetery in the past week. Three old Jewish headstones have also been smashed. The police are… Read more Audio

8:19 AM.Denmark is observing a day of mourning for the victims of the weekend's terrorist attack in the capital Copenhagen. Flags are flying at half mast, and thousands of people are expected to gather in… Read more Audio

8:12 AM.The reprisals against Islamic State continues, with Egypt bombing targets in Libya after the terror group's beheading of 21 Egyptian Christians. Egypt says the attack by its F16 fight jets focused on… Read more Audio

8:07 AM.An update from the team at RNZ Sport. Audio

7:58 AM.A brief update of movements in the financial sector. Audio

7:57 AM.Two New Zealanders on the run from authorities have been arrested in Sydney after apparently sailing a stolen yacht across the Tasman. Warrants had been issued for Paul James Bennett and Simone… Read more Audio

7:52 AM.A life insurance salesman has given evidence that he suggested Mark and Christine Lundy increase their policy to one-million dollars each, and that it was the Lundys who turned the offer down. The… Read more Audio

7:44 AM.The involvement of the police in the crackdown on the practice as known as courtsiding at Cricket World Cup games is being questioned. Courtsiding involves a spectator at an event passing on real-time… Read more Audio

7:40 AM.The West Indies' fears were realised yesterday when they slumped to a four-wicket loss to Ireland in Nelson. Ireland's batsmen reeled in their first innings total of 304-7 with over four overs to… Read more Audio

7:36 AM.An American architect who's built a dozen award-winning convention centres says a "world-class" convention centre could certainly be built for 400-million-dollars in Auckland. It comes after SkyCity's… Read more Audio

7:28 AM.The trial of the New Zealand grandfather who could face death by firing squad in Indonesia is due to get underway today. Antony de Malmanche, who is 52, was detained by the police in Bali in December… Read more Audio

7:23 AM.The meeting in Riyadh coincides with an escalation in the hostilities between Islamic State and Egypt. Egypt overnight launched airstrikes overnight in response to Islamic State's execution of 21… Read more Audio

7:15 AM.Labour continues to oppose New Zealand's involvement in the United States-led anti IS coalition. Andrew Little says this country doesn't have the air strike capability to engage, and the military… Read more Audio

7:10 AM.New Zealand's Defence chief Lieutenant General Tim Keating leaves today for Saudi Arabia where he'll attend a meeting of anti Islamic state coalition military heads. His departure comes just days… Read more Audio

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

6:56 AM.Investors are being told the global economy is not as bad as it seems, despite the risk of deflation, further stimulus plans by central banks, and signs of slower growth. Audio

6:54 AM.One analyst says Spark's half year financial result is expected to reflect ebbing revenue from its landline phone business, while its ability to control costs remains uncertain. Audio

6:53 AM.A business lobby group says a strong expansion in the services sector may indicate that last month's abrupt slowdown in manufacturing might just be a blip, rather than the start of a trend. Audio

6:52 AM.Consumer spending is expected to remain robust, but some economists say growth will be kept in check by lower dairy incomes. Official figures show seasonally adjusted retail sales rose by 1 point 6… Read more Audio

6:50 AM.Investors have delivered an emphatic thumbs down to Contact Energy's suggestion it may invest in geothermal power stations overseas. Audio

6:47 AM.The latest on the Greek debt talks coming into the newsroom. A deal appears no closer after a meeting of euro zone finance ministers in Brussels in the past few hours. Audio

6:27 AM.A government appointed official charged with helping to tackle the Kauri dieback disease says rahui could have the power to help stop it spreading further; Two bus-loads of Ngai Tuhoe whanaunga have… 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.NZ commitment to Iraq a foregone conclusion; Labour continues to oppose NZ involvement in anti-IS coalition; Defence chief to attend anti Islamic State coaltion talks; New Zealander's drug smuggling… Read more Audio