Morning Report for Wednesday 23 March 2016

8:55 AM.Roger Pikia is Te Arawa's representative on the Waikato River Authority. He says the C minus rating for water quality is not unexpected. Audio

8:52 AM.Cleaning up the Waikato River will likely take the best part of a century and despite millions of dollars spent on the project, the river will continue to deteriorate for the forseeable future, its… Read more Audio

8:48 AM.Playing computer games at school has dramatically improved the reading skills of Maori boys. But as Leigh Marama McLachlan of Te Manu Korihi reports, there is no guarantee that anything will come of… Read more Audio

8:44 AM.The Prime Minister is coming under pressure to disclose how much taxpayer's money has been spent on legal costs in so-called Teapot-Tapes defamation case. Deputy Political Editor Chris Bramwell… Read more Audio

8:36 AM.Fonterra has more than doubled its half-year profit, and held its milk price forecast steady at 3-dollars-90 a kilo of milk solids. Our economics correspondent Patrick O'Meara joins us. Audio

8:31 AM.A brief update of movements in the financial sector. Audio

8:27 AM.The former mayor of Toronto, Rob Ford, who was famously caught smoking crack cocaine has died. David Lamb is a producer with the Canadian Broadcasting Corportation. He joins us now. Audio

8:23 AM.Fonterra's expected to announce its half-year result within the hour, and analysts are expecting the dairy giant to report a robust bottom line. Jacqueline Rowarth is an agribusiness professor at… Read more Audio

8:18 AM.Islamic State has claimed responsibility for the attacks in Belgium. Haras Rafiq is the Managing Director of the Quilliam Foundation,a London based Counter-extremism thinktank. Audio

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

7:52 AM.A new survey shows attitudes towards Asian people are improving, yet many still blame them for pushing up house prices. Max Towle reports. Audio

7:48 AM.Increased internet access, and digital equality, are at the forefront of Labour's discussions about the Future of Work. Labour's finance spokesperon Grant Robertson joins Morning Report. Audio

7:45 AM.A South Waikato farmer is trying to stay positive, saying Fonterra's not entirely to blame when there's also a global oversupply of milk. Richard Cookson joins me from his farm in Springdale. Audio

7:41 AM.New Zealand's getting a new Governor General, but some are calling for a more democratic approach to selecting our de facto head of state. Audio

7:35 AM.RNZ News has obtained a certificate for an initial test of leading supplier Steel and Tube's seismic mesh that shows it failing a key measure of strength. Audio

7:28 AM.Analysts are predicting a strong financial performance from Fonterra when it reports its half year result shortly this morning. With Waikato reporter, Andrew McRae. Audio

7:25 AM.The New Zealand government has upgraded it's travel warning to Belguim, but there has been no indication yet that any New Zealanders have been caught up in the attacks. Audio

7:25 AM.New Zealand is through to the semi-finals of the World Twenty20 cricket tournament in India. With sports reporter Joe Porter. Audio

7:20 AM.Joining us from Brussels again for the latest update is VRT journalist Lukas De Vos. Audio

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

6:57 AM.A senior fellow at a London-based think tank says New Zealand farmers could face increased competition from Europe and Britain, if the United Kingdom votes to exit the European Union. Audio

6:57 AM.Safe-haven gold and government bonds in demand after the attacks in Brussels; Wall Street fairly flat today. Audio

6:54 AM.The listed outdoor clothing retailer, Kathmandu, says it is aiming to build up its international presence, but says overseas is a tough market to crack. Audio

6:52 AM.An economic forecaster says the Reserve Bank is close to impotent in trying to bolster a slowing economy, and it's time the Government started pulling its weight. Audio

6:50 AM.Ratings agency Standard and Poor's says there's little or no chance of any upgrade in New Zealand's sovereign debt rating any time soon. Audio

6:45 AM.Market analysts are picking some much-needed positive news in Fonterra's half-year results out in a couple of hours. Dairy farmer Neil Bateup is the chairman of the Waikato, Hauraki, Coronandel rural… Read more Audio

6:24 AM.News from the rural and farming sector. Audio

6:20 AM.A brief update of movements in the financial sector. Audio

6:14 AM.Questions have been raised about whether all political parties should be consulted during the appointment process of the Governor General. Audio

6:10 AM.Three bomb explosions have killed at least thirty people in the Belgian capital, Brussels. Joining us from Brussels is VRT journalist Lukas De Vos. Audio

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

6:00 AM.ISIS terror attack rocks Brussels, Should parties be consulted during Gov General appointment? More evidence of faulty construction steel, Brussels attacks linked to Paris terror suspect's arrest, and… Read more Audio