Morning Report for Tuesday 29 March 2016

8:55 AM.Time to chat to our Melbourne correspondent Phil Kafcaloudes. Audio

8:53 AM.Hundreds of Maori gathered in Whanganui over Easter, marking 70 years of their catholic hui. Audio

8:49 AM.Rising numbers of marine pests on boat hulls are threatening mussel farms and marine environments. Audio

8:43 AM.As dairy farmers come to terms with a devastating downturn in incomes, kiwifruit growers are looking ahead to a bumper season. Audio

8:39 AM.The sudden closure of Hamilton's major performance centre has caught the local arts community off-guard and people aren't happy. Audio

8:36 AM.Almost 25 thousand gun-toting Republicans have rallied against a firearms ban at the party's presidential nomination convention in Ohio. Audio

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

8:25 AM.A Nigerian father of two has been deported after he was jailed for using false passports. Audio

8:21 AM.The number of offenders ditching their electronic monitoring devices is a huge concern for a victims' rights advocate. Audio

8:16 AM.The Finance Minister Bill English says the Government is yet to decide whether to help pay to keep Franz Josef safe from future flooding. Audio

8:14 AM.The Council says it's the ninth death at the Falls since 1980. Andrew Baker is an ex-policeman and Chair of the Franklin Local Board. Audio

8:12 AM.The US Capitol Complex is in lockdown after shots were reportedly fired at the Capitol Visitors Center. Audio

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

7:56 AM.Frank Torley who fronted New Zealand's longest running programme, Country Calendar, has died after a short battle with cancer. Audio

7:51 AM.Labour's Future of Work Conference last week generated headlines mainly because of a suggestion every adult New Zealander should be paid a universal basic income. Audio

7:46 AM.Suppliers of raw milk fear new regulations could drive half of them out of business Audio

7:41 AM.New Zealand farming analysts say all is not gloomy in the agricultural community even though collapsing dairy prices have left a hole at the heart of the sector. Audio

7:38 AM.Pakistani authorities are continuing their search for the Taliban militants who claimed responsibility for a Lahore bomb attack that killed 70 people including many children. Audio

7:29 AM.US Republican presidential front runner Donald Trump has blasted Nato calling it obsolete and he's called for a complete overhaul. Audio

7:26 AM.The Prime Minister says developments like the Iran deal have made a difference to the international nuclear landscape, as John Key travels to Washington for the fourth and final Nuclear Security… Read more Audio

7:25 AM.Police have annouced that the body of a 13-year-old boy who disappeared at a popular swimming hole in Southeast of Auckland yesterday has been recovered. Audio

7:23 AM.I asked the Finance Minister and acting Prime Minister Bill English what they are planning to do to help. Audio

7:20 AM.Westland's mayor and civil defence say people could be killed the next time the Waiho River near Franz Josef roars through its stopbank. Audio

7:16 AM.Police divers will today continue their search for a 13-year-old boy who disappeared at a popular swimming hole in Southeast of Auckland yesterday. Audio

7:12 AM.Between 20 and 47 offenders are missing at any one time around the country, having cut off their electronic monitoring bracelets. Audio

7:07 AM.An update from the team at RNZ Sport. Audio

6:58 AM.Japan's NTT Data is buying Dell's technology services business for more than 3 billion US dollars as it pushes ahead to expand its business in North America. Audio

6:57 AM.A short business week -- is suitably light on events. Audio

6:57 AM.Wall Street is tracking slightly higher this morning after data showed consumer spending rose a touch in February. Audio

6:55 AM.The Turnbull Government is flagging the possibility of a cut in company tax in the upcoming budget to spur jobs' growth. Audio

6:53 AM.The French fruit processing company, Andros, says it plans to take the Barker's brand global through its international distribution network in Asia, the United States and Europe. Audio

6:51 AM.The recent comments from the director of a United States tennis tournament about the relative commercial value of the men's and women's games has renewed debate about the disparity between genders in… Read more Audio

6:49 AM.A banking expert is casting doubt on whether cutting interest rates further will inflame the housing market. Audio

6:44 AM.Raw milk producers say new regulations introduced this month are over-the-top and will force some farmers out of business. Audio

6:38 AM.RNZ has learned that between 20 and 47 offenders are missing at any one time around the country, having cut off their electronic monitoring devices. Audio

6:25 AM.News from the rural and farming sectors. Audio

6:22 AM.A brief update of movements in the financial sector. Audio

6:19 AM.Figures from the agriculture and farming industry are remembering veteran broadcaster Frank Torley as a man who bridged the gap between the rural and the urban. Audio

6:16 AM.The Government is making a multimillion investment in a new research programme to improve aid spending and economic development in the Pacific. Audio

6:12 AM.Belgium's Federal Prosecutor's Office has released the only person charged with direct involvement in the bombings in Brussels last week. Audio

6:09 AM.Local government and civil defence officials on the West Coast say lives could be lost the next time the Waiho River near Franz Josef bursts its banks. Audio

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

6:00 AM.We have disturbing new figures showing how many offenders are missing at any one time having cut off their electronic bracelets. We ask if the Government will step in to protect Franz Josef from the… Read more Audio