Morning Report for Thursday 5 December 2013

8:54 AM.The Department of Conservation is recruiting volunteers for its campgrounds in the Marlborough Sounds. Successful candidates will be able to stay for free, but will be expected to help visitors, keep… Read more Audio

8:51 AM.In the United States, the first cases involving non-humans seeking legal rights have been filed. The Nonhuman Rights Project wants a New York state court to declare Tommy, a 26-year-old chimpanzee an… Read more Audio

8:47 AM.The Kaihautu or leader of Maori at Statistics New Zealand, Luke Crawford, says he's shocked by the drop in the number of Maori who can speak Te Reo; The Kohanga Reo National Trust Board says Ministry… Read more Audio

8:43 AM.Twenty Four members of the New Zealand Defence Force returned home overnight after spending more than two weeks delivering aid in the typhoon-ravaged Philippines. The contingent touched down at the… Read more Audio

8:39 AM.Auckland councillors are attempting to put the brakes on a major roading project that locals say will destroy their communities. Auckland Transport, together with the New Zealand Transport Agency, has… Read more Audio

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

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

8:27 AM.Police are investigating a complaint the Labour Party leader, David Cunliffe, broke the law by sending a tweet urging people to vote for his party's candidate on the day of the Christchurch East… Read more Audio

8:23 AM.Opposition MPs have taken aim at the Prime Minister, saying he is ultimately to blame for the unacceptable actions taken by the David Henry inquiry. The inquiry was set up to investigate the leaking… Read more Audio

8:20 AM.The ACT Party is adamant that it can survive its latest drama and retain a presence in Parliament. But with its polling consistently at or below one percent, and its leader and sole MP, John Banks… Read more Audio

8:14 AM.The International Cricket Council has confirmed its involvement in an anti-corruption inquiry involving former New Zealand players. In a statement this morning, the ICC says it's looking into… Read more Audio

8:12 AM.Patchy and too slow is how the United Nations is describing progress for New Zealand children. The UN agency, Unicef, has published a report looking at the extent to which New Zealand is carrying out… Read more Audio

7:57 AM.Nearly 60 jobs will be lost when another landmark employer leaves Petone in Wellington. Only 18 months after the closure of the long-established Exide battery recycling plant - the Unilever factory… Read more Audio

7:54 AM.The principal of a Whangarei primary school has asked the Education Ministry to clarify his legal rights, after two parents insisted on taking their children away from the school during an Armed… Read more Audio

7:49 AM.Speculation is mounting about who will take over as leader of the ACT party following the decision by John Banks to quit politics. His decision follows a High Court ruling that he should stand trial… Read more Audio

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

7:40 AM.Israel has denied involvement in the killing of one of the Hezbollah militant group's top commanders in what appears to be a professional hit. Hassan al-Laqqis, was shot from close range by a silenced… Read more Audio

7:36 AM.British celebrity chef Nigella Lawson has told a court in the UK claims she regularly took hard drugs are false, but has admitted to taking cocaine on two occasions. The celebrity chef, has been… Read more Audio

7:28 AM.Child, Youth and Family have in the past been criticised for failing to deal well with whānau and iwi. Last year CYF hired two Māori principal advisors to help change the way the agency dealt with… Read more Audio

7:24 AM.New Zealand Cricket has confirmed that three former New Zealand players are under investigation for match fixing. Today's New Zealand Herald says an International Cricket Council unit has been in this… Read more Audio

7:20 AM.Scientists say New Zealand's poor performance in the OECD's international maths and science tests mean students are missing opportunities for high paying jobs. Audio

7:17 AM.The UNICEF findings come hard on the heels of the latest OECD education report, which showed New Zealand sliding down international rankings in maths, science and reading. So is poverty holding… Read more Audio

7:13 AM.The Unicef report is also critical of the Government response to the Children Commissioner's expert advisory group on child poverty. The Government adopted just 23 of the group's 78 recommendations… Read more Audio

7:09 AM.A United Nations agency says New Zealand is still failing some children despite the promises it made 20 years ago. New Zealand ratified the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child in 1993. But a… Read more Audio

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

6:41 AM.The ACT Party is adamant it can survive its latest drama and retain a presence in Parliament. The party's leader and sole MP, John Banks will leave Parliament next year after a High Court judge ruled… Read more Audio

6:39 AM.Scientists are worried poor performance in maths and science is costing students opportunities for high paying jobs. The Government has repeatedly said the key to securing more high paying jobs in New… Read more Audio

6:36 AM.A United Nations report published today criticises New Zealand for failing to meet its obligations to children. New Zealand ratified the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child 20 years ago but a… Read more Audio

6:27 AM.The Kaihautu or leader of Maori at Statistics New Zealand, Luke Crawford, says he's shocked by the drop in the number of Maori who can speak Te Reo; The Kohanga Reo National Trust Board says Ministry… Read more Audio

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

6:16 AM.The latest from the Pacific region. Audio

6:00 AM.Report shows NZ still not doing well enough for kids; NZ falls in international education rankings; Scientists says poor student results cause for concern; NZ cricketers under investigation by ICC -… Read more Audio