Morning Report for Tuesday 27 January 2015

8:57 AM.Maria Sharapova and Rafael Nadal headline the action in today's Australian tennis Open quarter-finals. Audio

8:51 AM.Tony Abbott's decision to award Prince Philip an Australian knighthood has erupted into a storm on social media, with most commentators saying he's just done a huge favour for the republican movement.

8:47 AM.Ten applicants have fallen at the first hurdle in their attempts to gain customary marine title to stretches of coastline; Auckland's Mayor Len Brown says the council has asked iwi around the region… Read more Audio

8:42 AM.The career criminal Arthur Taylor will take his case to end a ban on prisoners voting to the High Court in Auckland today. Audio

8:39 AM.A surge in the number of Indians studying in New Zealand is expected to continue this year, adding millions of dollars to the economy. Audio

8:36 AM.Today marks 70 years since the liberation of Auschwitz, where 1.1 million people were murdered by the German Nazi regime. Audio

8:31 AM.A brief update of movements in the financial sector. Audio

8:26 AM.As he prepares to set Labour's course for a political rebuild, party leader, Andrew Little is unconcerned about a low poll rating and says his immediate focus will be to confront the Government on… Read more Audio

8:21 AM.An investigation into the avalanche in the French alps which killed six skiers including a New Zealander is now underway. Audio

8:20 AM.A greek jet fighter has crashed on landing at an airforce base in Spain. Audio

8:17 AM.The head of Greece's left wing Syriza party, Alexis Tsipras, has been sworn in as prime minister and is set to lead an anti-austerity coalition government. Audio

8:14 AM.Joining us is the Acting National Rural Fire Officer, Gary Lockyear. Audio

8:11 AM.As we have been reporting this morning a large fire near Arthur's Pass has tripled in size overnight and it's now burning over three to four hundred hectares Audio

8:07 AM.An update from the team at RNZ Sport. Audio

7:54 AM.The opening day of the Karaka national yearling sales yesterday brought with it a mix of emotions for veteran thoroughbred breeder Sir Patrick Hogan. Audio

7:49 AM.Farmers are rejecting calls for a quad bike licensing system. Audio

7:44 AM.A controversial audit aimed at weeding out state house tenants who can afford their own homes has so far moved just 32 families out of their state houses. Audio

7:40 AM.The New Zealand dollar is now at a three year low against the US. It is now trading at 74.06 US cents but went as low as 73.67 US in the morning. Audio

7:37 AM.A monster blizzard which is beginning to batter the United States is expected to cause major disruptions. Audio

7:28 AM.The Greek left-wing leader Alexis Tsipras, has agreed to team up with a right-wing party to form a new hardline, anti-bailout government. Audio

7:20 AM.It's a families worst nightmare - losing your children. Both the Wakelin family's sons died at the weekend at Makarori Beach north of Gisborne. Audio

7:15 AM.A fire technical support officer for the Department of Conservation, Craig Alexander, is helping to coordinate efforts to bring the fire under control. Audio

7:11 AM.A large fire in Arthur's Pass has tripled in size overnight and it's now burning over three to four hundred hectares. Audio

7:07 AM.An update from the team at RNZ Sport. Audio

6:58 AM.The Dow Jones Index is down 8 points to 17 664. Audio

6:56 AM.Steens New Zealand started life as a pollination company in Bay of Plenty, but moved into the high-end honey market after developing a process for tracking manuka honey. Audio

6:55 AM.An analyst at Forsyth Barr has raised her target price for shares in Ebos and raised her investment recommendation from neutral to outperform. Audio

6:51 AM.The Electricity Authority says there's a fundamental shift taking place in how consumers manage their power bills, with a steady take-up in smart energy meters. Audio

6:49 AM.The New Zealand dollar's immediate fortunes hang on a couple of central bank statements on Thursday, local time. Audio

6:46 AM.The Bank of New Zealand says leading indicators suggest the housing market is heating up yet again. Audio

6:36 AM.Firefighters expect they will spend all day trying to bring a fire near Arthur's Pass under control. Audio

6:26 AM.Auckland's Mayor Len Brown says the council has asked iwi around the region to provide a list of what is critical to sustain the survival of their marae; Ten applicants have fallen at the first hurdle… Read more Audio

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

6:19 AM.Commemorations are being held around the world today to mark the 70th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz. Audio

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

6:06 AM.An update from the team at RNZ Sport. Audio

6:00 AM.A large fire near Arthur's Pass gets bigger overnight, it's now burning over three to four hundred hectares. A Gisborne father mourns his two sons who drowned at the weekend and the head of Greece's… Read more Audio