Morning Report for Friday 26 February 2016

8:56 AM.A chat with our Canberra correspondent on things Australian. Audio

8:53 AM.The Super Rugby competition kicks off today with three new teams and a complicated and controversial new format. Audio

8:49 AM.The government in American Samoa has begun a three day clean-up of the main island Tutuila, in an attempt to eradicate mosquitoes which carry the zika virus. Audio

8:46 AM.The large yellow bucket that vanished from Wellington's Cuba Street on Sunday night has reappeared. Audio

8:43 AM.Voting gets underway later today to elect a replacement for the disgraced Sepp Blatter to lead football's troubled governing organisation Fifa. Audio

8:38 AM.An immigration lawyer says New Zealand is acting no better than Australia when it comes to dealing with people fleeing war zones. Audio

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

8:25 AM.It's possible more people will struggle to afford to rent or buy, in Auckland after the council did a U-Turn on its proposed changes to the Unitary plan. Audio

8:20 AM.The Fiji government says about five percent of the population is now in evacuation centres following Cyclone Winston. Audio

8:14 AM.The Government is being warned that detaining asylum seekers in prison is dangerous and it's just matter of time before someone takes their own life. Audio

8:14 AM.Amnesty International's Annual Human Rights report has highlighted the New Zealand government's breach of the right to privacy through the mass collection of data in the Pacific. Audio

8:10 AM.Another key refugee service is considering turning away new migrants. Audio

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

7:55 AM.The New Zealand Festival marks its 30th anniversary tonight with a performance by the Royal New Zealand Ballet, and a dead dog in a suitcase. Audio

7:47 AM.A rural debt negotiator says the dairy industry is in dire straits, and more farmers are likely to lose their farms. Audio

7:45 AM.The Super Rugby season will kick off tonight but it's going to look a little different than usual. Audio

7:43 AM.A high court murder trial in Christchurch has heard the man accused of gunning down two Ashburton Work and Income workers, had multiple run-ins with staff before the shooting. Audio

7:38 AM.Back now to the closing of the Dick Smith chain Audio

7:35 AM.Three people were killed in the small Taranaki town of Patea yesterday when their car was hit by a milk tanker. Audio

7:25 AM.A cyber security expert says New Zealand needs stricter regulations to stop the kind of hoax calls that have been made to 33 schools in the past two days. Audio

7:25 AM.Fiji's government estimates the damage caused by Cyclone Winston will cost close to 700 million dollars to fix. Audio

7:18 AM.Trauma turned to elation in Gisborne last night, when a young girl feared drowned turned up alive and well. Audio

7:15 AM.Hundreds of people will be out of work when Dick Smith closes its doors in eight weeks, after receivers failed to find a buyer for the company. Audio

7:10 AM.The biggest GP service for refugees in the Hutt Valley is going to turn away the 30 Syrians who arrive today, saying lack of government funding makes it unsafe to treat them. Audio

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

6:58 AM.Wall Street is fairly flat after data pointed to a recovery in its sluggish manufacturing sector. Audio

6:56 AM.The Institute of Directors is in support of tightening up the reporting requirements for New Zealand's public-listed companies. Audio

6:53 AM.Meanwhile, the head of research at broking house Forsyth Barr, Andy Bowley, says Air New Zealand is probably being conservative in its forecast of pre-tax earnings of more than 800-million dollars in… Read more Audio

6:52 AM.A major beneficiary of the tourism boom is Air New Zealand, and yesterday it showed the extent its fortunes are being driven by overseas visitors. Audio

6:51 AM.Official figures show close to 3-point 2 million tourists came here in the January year - a record high - bolstered by an influx of Chinese on holiday here for their New Year celebrations. Audio

6:50 AM.The receivers of the electronics retailer, Dick Smith, have pulled the plug on the business and will close it in the next couple of months after no buyers were found. Audio

6:46 AM.The Education Council says complaints about incompetent early childhood and primary school teachers have doubled in the past two years. Audio

6:44 AM.Opposition parties say a bill that governs the next step of the Christchurch earthquake rebuild leaves too much power with central government. Audio

6:39 AM.Greece has ordered its ambassador to Austria home after being left out of discussions between Balkan countries about how to deal with the migrant crisis. Audio

6:35 AM.The biggest GP service for refugees in the Hutt Valley is going to turn away the 30 Syrians who arrive today, saying lack of government funding makes it unsafe to treat them. Audio

6:27 AM.News from the rural and farming sector. Audio

6:20 AM.If you add 3 million plus tourists, cheap oil and cheap airfares ... what do you get? Audio

6:13 AM.New Zealanders in Indonesia are being reminded of the high threat of a terror attack. Audio

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

6:00 AM.Hutt GPs to turn away Syrian refugees, blame Govt funding; The downfall of Dick Smith; Mum sees 'ghost' when daughter feared drowned turns up; Solution needs for hoax school calls - IT investigator… Read more Audio