Morning Report for Tuesday 12 February 2013

8:55 AM.Two adventurers who have completed a re-creation of Sir Ernest Shackleton's epic 1916 Antarctic boat voyage and cross-country trek will head to the site of the explorer's grave. Audio

8:53 AM.Kimbra has won the Grammys for Record of the Year and Best Pop Duo/Group Performance with the Australian singer songwriter Gotye, for their single 'Somebody That I Used To Know'. Audio

8:50 AM.Confusion continues to reign in the wake of the boxing match in Brisbane between rugby star Sonny Bill Williams and the 44-year-old South African, Francois Botha. Audio

8:46 AM.The Electoral Commission has told Maori organisations tasked with spreading the word about the upcoming Maori electoral option to do so with strict impartiality; Ngati Kahu says the Waitangi Tribunal… Read more Audio

8:41 AM.Geoff Robinson asks Steven Joyce whether education cuts were ill-judged. Audio

8:38 AM.Tertiary institutions have started their new academic year smarting from cuts totalling several million dollars. For the first time, the Government has applied rules allowing it to claw-back up to 5%… Read more Audio

8:35 AM.An update from the team at RNZ Sport. Audio

8:29 AM.A brief update of movements in the financial sector. Audio

8:26 AM.Labour Party spokesperson for Housing, Annette King responds to Nick Smith. Audio

8:21 AM.The Government says advice from the Treasury backs up its claims that Opposition plans to build thousands of new houses will drive developers out of the industry and do little to improve housing… Read more Audio

8:17 AM.The mother of an Auckland girl seriously injured when the police responded to complaints about a teen party says her daughter did nothing to cause trouble. Audio

8:14 AM.News of the Pope's resignation has shocked Catholics in New Zealand. Audio

8:09 AM.Pope Benedict has announced his resignation effective at the end of February. As pontiff he insisted on moral absolutes, especially regarding contraception and the sanctity of life -- but faced harsh… Read more Audio

7:54 AM.The Prime Minister's being accused of scaremongering about the possibility of boat people arriving in New Zealand waters, in order to justify deals being struck with Australia. Audio

7:50 AM.Tensions were high in Picton at a public meeting held by the Marlborough District Council to discuss plans to move ferry services out of the town and into Clifford Bay. Audio

7:47 AM.The Prime Minister has denied the Government was bullied into keeping documents about the Hobbit dispute secret for more than two years. John Key says there is nothing embarrassing in the 18 documents… Read more Audio

7:46 AM.An update from the team at RNZ Sport. Audio

7:37 AM.The police officer who headed the 1989 murder case of Lower Hutt schoolgirl Karla Cardno says her killer, Paul Dally, should never be released from prison. Audio

7:28 AM.The Government is planning to give $30 million worth of waterfront property to Auckland Council and also transfer its seats on the board running the Eden Park stadium to it. Audio

7:26 AM.The Government says advice from the Treasury backs up its claims that Opposition plans to build thousands of new houses will drive developers out of the industry and do little to improve housing… Read more Audio

7:22 AM.The head of the Construction Industry Council says the scale of redundancies announced by the receivers for Mainzeal, may be an early sign the company will be broken up and sold off piece by piece. Audio

7:19 AM.South America has more Catholics than any other continent. Brazil has the most Catholics of any country. Freelance journalist Andrew Downie comments on the Pope's resignation. Audio

7:14 AM.The Italian Prime Minister Mario Monti said he was "greatly shaken by this unexpected news". The French President, Francois Hollande, said the Pope's decision to resign was eminently respectable. Audio

7:09 AM.Pope Benedict XVI has stunned the Roman Catholic world by announcing he will resign on 28 February, the first pope to do so in 600 years. Audio

6:48 AM.News from the business sector including a market report. Audio

6:43 AM.The union representing some of the 200 workers who are being made redundant by the receivers of building company Mainzeal says their job prospects are slim unless they're prepared to head south to… Read more Audio

6:38 AM.Pope Benedict XVI is resigning his leadership of the Roman Catholic Church. It's the first papal resignation since 1415. Audio

6:27 AM.The Electoral Commission has told Maori organisations tasked with spreading the word about the upcoming Maori electoral option to do so with strict impartiality; Ngati Kahu says the Waitangi Tribunal… Read more Audio

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

6:18 AM.The latest from the Pacific region. Audio

6:14 AM.The Prime Minister's being accused of talking up the possibility of boat people arriving in New Zealand waters, in order to justify deals being struck with Australia. Audio

6:00 AM.Pope resigns surprising 1.2 billion Catholics; Germany reacts to Pope's resignation; World's most populous Catholic nation reels from Pope news; Uncertainty over remaining Mainzeal jobs; Govt says… Read more Audio