Morning Report for Wednesday 17 July 2013

8:55 AM.The race is on among top rugby sides in Australia and New Zealand to sign the rugby league super star Benji Marshall. Audio

8:53 AM.The Ministry of Education is developing a maths strategy to raise poor performance by primary school children. Audio

8:52 AM.Some employers say opportunities to boost the national economy are being lost, because there are not enough workers skilled in Information and Communications Technology. Audio

8:48 AM.A Ngapuhi woman wants Wellington to lobby Canberra for equal rights for all New Zealand migrants living in Australia; Tainui Whanau Ora collective says funding decisions for the social service scheme… Read more Audio

8:48 AM.A group opposed to oil drilling in Hawke's Bay says landowners are worried about oil and gas exploration permits granted in the area. Audio

8:41 AM.Hong Kong's Consumer Council says that seven New Zealand manuka honeys have tested positive for added sugars. Audio

8:37 AM.The Council of Trade Unions is launching a nationwide campaign challenging proposed changes to employment law which it describes as a radical attack on workers. Audio

8:36 AM.An update from the team at RNZ Sport. Audio

8:28 AM.A brief update of movements in the financial sector. Audio

8:24 AM.The primary teachers union says the government needs to put more resources into fixing the ongoing problems with Novopay. Audio

8:20 AM.It is still some weeks before the Reserve Bank is expected to announce whether it will introduce restrictions on how much trading banks can lend to home buyers. Audio

8:15 AM.The minister for Whanau Ora, Tariana Turia, says community groups will do a better job of meeting the needs of Maori and Pacific Island families than government agencies. Audio

8:09 AM.Countries that regulate fishing in the Antarctic have failed to break an impasse over a joint US-New Zealand plan to protect 2.3 million square kilometres of the Ross Sea, for a second time. Audio

7:56 AM.The Mexican military has captured the notorious drug lord Miguel Angel Trevino Morales. Audio

7:48 AM.The Department of Conservation has admitted it failed to inform UNESCO about the impacts a proposed tunnel might have on the Te Wahipounamu World Heritage area. Audio

7:45 AM.An update from the team at RNZ Sport. Audio

7:34 AM.A Norwegian heavy metal musician with links to the killer Anders Breivik has been arrested in France on suspicion he was planning a violent attack. Audio

7:26 AM.Despite inflation being at its lowest level in 14 years, unions say the cost of living is still hitting low income families hard. Audio

7:25 AM.The chief of the Defence Force says after hearing a journalist give evidence, he now accepts the man was able to get onto a Crisis Response Unit base in Afghanistan and probably interviewed a… Read more Audio

7:20 AM.Labour and New Zealand First are worried about a lack of accountability in plans unveiled for Whanau Ora. Audio

7:17 AM.The teachers union, the New Zealand Educational Institute, says the Government is still not putting enough resources into fixing the flawed Novopay payroll system. Audio

7:13 AM.After three weeks hiding out in a Moscow Airport, the whistleblower Edward Snowden has applied for temporary asylum in Russia. Audio

7:09 AM.Russia has scuttled New Zealand's attempt to turn Antarctica's Ross Sea into the world's largest protected marine area. Audio

6:47 AM.News from the business sector including a market report. Audio

6:39 AM.Just a day after the government announced Whanau Ora contracts are to be awarded by private commissioning agencies, the Labour Party says, if elected to Government, it would pull it back under the… Read more Audio

6:36 AM.The primary teachers' union has called on the Government to put more resources into fixing the ongoing problems with the payroll system Novopay. The minister responsible for Novopay, Steven Joyce… Read more Audio

6:27 AM.Tainui Whanau Ora collective says funding decisions for the social service scheme should have stayed with the lead Maori Government department; A Ngapuhi woman wants Wellington to lobby Canberra for… Read more Audio

6:21 AM.News from the rural and farming sector Audio

6:17 AM.The latest from the Pacific region. Audio

6:14 AM.The United States has Edward Snowden and now Zimbabwe has its very own whistleblower. The Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe is so put out by the leaker, known only as Baba Jukwa, that he has offered… Read more Audio

6:13 AM.The newly re-instated Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd is doing away with the contentious carbon tax and instead adopting an emissions trading scheme similar to the one in place here. Audio

6:10 AM.The Council of Trade Unions says the cost of living is hitting low-income families hard, despite inflation falling to its lowest level in 14 years. Audio

6:00 AM.Russia blocks Antarctic sanctuary plan; Whistleblower seeks Asylum in Russia after weeks in airport; NZEI wants more resources for fixing Novopay; Worries about a lack of accountability in Whanau Ora… Read more Audio