Morning Report for Tuesday 15 October 2013

8:57 AM.It's hoped a new High Performance Athletic Centre which opened last night in Wanaka will give New Zealand a competitive push ahead of next year's Winter Olympics. Audio

8:54 AM.A visiting British expert on medical negligence is calling for greater openness in health to help prevent sub-standard care and patient harm. Audio

8:51 AM.An argument between Ngati Rangiwewehi of Rotorua and the Dunedin South MP, Clare Curran, has ended up before the Speaker of the House; Te Kohanga Reo National Trust Board says it's appointed an… Read more Audio

8:48 AM.The Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Authority spent more than three million dollars on communications staff and consultants in the last financial year, up by a third on the previous year. Audio

8:44 AM.A controversial telecommunications bill that would have banned some of the major international internet providers from offering services in New Zealand is back before Parliament today - but with some… Read more Audio

8:40 AM.A court in Russia has denied bail to one of the New Zealanders being held on charges of piracy over a protest at an Arctic drilling platform. 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

8:27 AM.As the deadline for the United States debt ceiling extension draws closer, an American business professor has warned New Zealand could be vulnerable if there's a default, especially its housing… Read more Audio

8:23 AM.A meeting between the American President Barack Obama and congressional leaders has been delayed as the Senate appears to make progress on the financial impasse. Audio

8:18 AM.A survey of the housing market has revealed a drop in the number of first time home buyers - but commentators are divided about whether it was caused by changes to lending rules. Audio

8:12 AM.Sharon Ward from the Canterbury town of Oxford talks about the damage wind caused in her area. Audio

8:09 AM.The worst of the wild weather has passed and the focus is now on the cleanup as roads are cleared and power restored. Audio

7:55 AM.One of the computer architects who worked on the first email system says there's no substitute for caution when it comes to protecting information. Audio

7:52 AM.The convicted murderer and rapist Teina Pora has spent 20 years in jail for crimes he says he didn't commit and now must wait a few more days to find out whether he'll be freed on parole. Audio

7:45 AM.A Trustee of Te Kohanga Reo National Trust says a external investigator has been appointed to look into claims of financial mismanagement. Audio

7:42 AM.An update from the team at RNZ Sport. Audio

7:39 AM.A hearing is due to be held at the District Court in Auckland this morning to decide whether the Act leader, John Banks should stand trial for electoral fraud. Audio

7:35 AM.Senior members of the defence force are likely to be called as witnesses today in the court martial of a top Navy officer who's accused of lying about an affair. Audio

7:25 AM.The American President Barack Obama will meet congressional leaders at the White House in half an hour to discuss the financial stand-off in Washington. Audio

7:22 AM.A coroner believes Parliament should readdress what he calls the 'vexed issue of euthanasia', saying the debate won't go away. Audio

7:19 AM.The chief executive of Harcourts Group says it is far too early to say whether new Reserve Bank lending rules are having any effect on first home buyers but what happens in the next month could be… Read more Audio

7:16 AM.There's hardly a breath of wind in Wellington today, a stark contrast to the past 24 hours of raging winds. Audio

7:14 AM.It's also been a busy night for road crews in and around Wellington and Wairarapa, clearing debris from roads and making them passable for traffic. Audio

7:12 AM.For an update on how Wairarapa emergency services have been coping, we're joined by the Carterton volunteer fire chief, Wayne Robinson. Audio

7:10 AM.For the latest on those power cuts in the lower North Island, we are joined by Power Co's operations manager, Phil Marsh. Audio

7:09 AM.It's been a busy night for fire crews and road workers in the lower North Island who have been clearing trees from roads and putting iron back on peoples roofs after gale force winds tore a path up… Read more Audio

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

6:40 AM.A coroner says Parliament needs to readdress what he calls the 'vexed issue of euthanasia,' saying the debate won't go away. Audio

6:35 AM.It's been a night of wild weather for the bottom half of the North Island and the Marlborough Sounds. Audio

6:27 AM.Te Kohanga Reo National Trust Board says it's appointed an external investigator to look into claims of financial mismanagement; An argument between Ngati Rangiwewehi of Rotorua and the Dunedin South… Read more Audio

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

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

6:12 AM.A new survey of the housing market has revealed a major drop in the number of first home buyers - but commentators are divided about whether it was caused by changes to lending rules. Audio

6:09 AM.People across central New Zealand are beginning to cleanup after yesterday's big storm left a trail of damage in its wake. Audio

6:00 AM.Powerco says 18-hundred customers in Wairarapa, Manawatu and Whanganui were without power last night. Power still out to large parts of Wairarapa. Fire crews busy overnight in Wairarapa. Busy night… Read more Audio