Morning Report for Monday 3 February 2014

8:54 AM.We chat to our Melbourne correspondent Phil Kafcaloudes. Audio

8:51 AM.The author of the Harry Potter books says she now regrets how she ended the series. Audio

8:48 AM.A consultant says a charge that's hung over the Treaty solicitor, Donna Hall, has damaged her reputation and business; A nurses' group says the colonial process is coming down like a big hammer on… Read more Audio

8:45 AM.The biggest sporting event in the United States - the Super Bowl - kicks off this afternoon in New Jersey. Audio

8:42 AM.A shark scientist says the decision not to include blue sharks in a ban on shark finning until 2016 is a death sentence for the species. Audio

8:39 AM.Rural residents north of Wellington who've with met the Transport Agency, say they've been told the preferred plan for a new road is through the untouched Takapu valley. 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

8:23 AM.Auckland is in for another unusually high tide this morning after a king tide yesterday which allowed kayakers to paddle alongside Auckland's North Western motorway. Audio

8:20 AM.Younger drivers who rack up unpaid traffic fines have prompted a new policy to strip motorists of their licences if they don't pay up. Audio

8:16 AM.More than 80 people have been killed during air raids in the Syrian city of Aleppo, just two days after the first round of peace talks between the Syrian government and opposition came to an end. Audio

8:14 AM.American newspapers are reporting the 46-year-old Oscar winner was found dead in his New York apartment. Audio

8:09 AM.The Act party has selected Jamie Whyte as its new leader, and David Seymour as its candidate for Epsom. Audio

7:56 AM.A Spanish-speaking man who claims he drifted at sea for the last 13 months is due to arrive in the Marshall Islands capital today where officials are expected to try to corroborate his story. Audio

7:53 AM.Anti-government protesters in Thailand have successfully disrupted voting in the general election in some parts of the country. Audio

7:52 AM.The award-winning actor Philip Seymour Hoffman has been found dead in his apartment in New York City on Sunday, the Wall Street Journal has reported, citing a law-enforcement official. Audio

7:48 AM.The police will today formally identify the body of a man who was swept over a waterfall near Murchison. Audio

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

7:40 AM.Ash clouds from Mount Sinabung in Sumatra have killed at least 16 people. Audio

7:38 AM.A China Southern Airlines Boeing Dreamliner has just touched down at Christchurch International Airport in what tourism insider's hope will be the beginning of regular direct flights between the South… Read more Audio

7:28 AM.We're joined now by the spokesperson for Japan's whaling body, the Institute for Cetacean Research, Glenn Inwood. Audio

7:22 AM.The New Zealand and Australian governments are urging Sea Shepherd and Japan's whalers to show more restraint after reported clashes in the Southern Ocean. Audio

7:17 AM.The first public opinion poll of the year has confirmed the National Party's worst fear that it will win the election but struggle to form a government. Audio

7:13 AM.Jamie Whyte and David Seymour joined me in the studio earlier this morning, and I put it to the new leader that the latest TV3 poll putting Act at zero support shows that his party is a lost cause. Audio

7:09 AM.The two men who've been chosen as the new faces for ACT this election, acknowledge it's a risky strategy to split the roles of leader and Epsom candidate. Audio

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

6:36 AM.The party's board has appointed Jamie Whyte leader-elect and David Seymour the candidate for Epsom, the seat currently held by John Banks, who is stepping down as leader and MP. Audio

6:27 AM.A nurses' group says the colonial process is coming down like a big hammer on Maori health providers; A consultant says a charge that's hung over the Treaty solicitor, Donna Hall, has damaged her… Read more Audio

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

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

6:00 AM.ACT acknowledges having separate leader and Epsom candidate risky strategy, Act's new double Act on reviving the party's fortunes, Year's first political poll suggests National will struggle, Sea… Read more Audio