Morning Report for Thursday 18 June 2015

8:55 AM.Bangkok University has introduced uniform guidelines for its ladyboy and tomboy students. Audio

8:52 AM.The biggest cruise liner ever to visit this country is going to have to anchor in Auckland's Waitemata Harbour, and shuttle its almost five thousand passengers ashore in boats. Audio

8:48 AM.A Rohingya refugee is calling on the Government to take in more asylum seekers forced to flee violence in their home countries. Audio

8:45 AM.New research shows many medications and treatments may not work as effectively for Māori and Pasifika as they do for people with European ancestry; A Ngati Tama spokesperson says the North Taranaki… Read more Audio

8:40 AM.Relationships Aotearoa says it categorically rejects ministerial comments the former counselling service fudged its own figures. Audio

8:37 AM.A Sikh man is mortified after being barred from lunch with colleagues at an Auckland Club. Audio

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

8:27 AM.Officials have confimed high numbers of New Zealand-bred lambs died shortly after being being born on the Government's controversial demonstration farm in the Saudi Arabian desert. Audio

8:22 AM.A confidential report on the Southern District Health Board says its financial problems are the result of poor management, not government underfunding. Audio

8:14 AM.Is the Ministry for Primary Industries' doing enough to stop swamp kauri logs being illegally exported? Audio

8:11 AM.The Government agency responsible for promoting efficiency in the electricity market wants power prices increased in some of New Zealand's poorest communities. Audio

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

7:57 AM.The United States has decided to ban artery-clogging trans fats from food, but food authorities in New Zealand say this country won't be following suit. Audio

7:53 AM.A Northland conservation group has asked the Auditor General to carry out a formal inquiry into the way the Ministry for Primary Industries has been regulating the export of swamp kauri. Audio

7:45 AM.An outspoken children's health campaigner has ousted the chair of an Auckland school and is stepping up to fix what he describes as serious safety issues. Audio

7:41 AM.And with us is the Education Minister, Hekia Parata. Audio

7:37 AM.The Education Minister's under increasing pressure to demand the resignation of the Kohanga Reo National Trust board. Audio

7:28 AM.A white tiger that ran loose from Georgia's zoo after disastrous floods at the weekend has killed a man in central Tbilisi. Audio

7:25 AM.We asked the Electricty Authority's chief executive Carl Hansen why there are such big discrepancies between the regions. Audio

7:22 AM.Some of the poorest parts of New Zealand could soon be paying 500 dollars more a year for power if a working paper on transmission prices is adopted. Audio

7:15 AM.One of two of Southern DHB's newly-appointed deputy commissioners is Richard Thomson. Audio

7:11 AM.A confidential report on the Southern District Health Board says its financial problems are the result of poor management, not government underfunding. Audio

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

6:58 AM.Wall Street has made gains after the two-day monetary policy meeting of the Federal Reserve - with a first rate rise still likely for this year. Audio

6:57 AM.Auckland Airport's revenue is expected to be hit by an anticipated reduction in what it can charge airlines in landing fees. Audio

6:56 AM.An economist says central banks in New Zealand and America are helping the dairy sector cope with falling global dairy prices. Audio

6:54 AM.The chief executive of Woolworths will step down after four years at the helm as the Australasian supermarket chain faces intense competition. Audio

6:53 AM.The Trade Minister, Tim Groser, says New Zealand has other choices, as the chance to complete a Pacific-wide trade deal this year stalls in the United States. Audio

6:52 AM.The current account deficit is expected to widen over the rest of the year, with a diminishing benefit from lower oil prices and ongoing weakness in dairy prices. Audio

6:51 AM.The Federal Reserve in the United States is still picking interest rates to rise at least once this year. Audio

6:48 AM.A free market think tank says less red tape and new ways to fund infrastructure will help ensure there's enough land for housing in growing centres. Audio

6:40 AM.The commissioner appointed to run the Southern District Health Board says getting the board back into the black will be a considerable challenge. Audio

6:27 AM.An Australian mining expert says there needs to be better regulations around how the extractive industry engages with Māori; New research shows many medications and treatments may not work as… Read more Audio

6:20 AM.News from the rural and farming sector. Audio

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

6:14 AM.Officials have confimed high numbers of New Zealand-bred lambs died shortly after being being born on the Government's controversial demonstration farm in the Saudi Arabian desert. Audio

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

6:00 AM.Claims of mismanagement are laid at the door of the sacked Southern District Health Board.. A former board member disagrees. Dire predictions if the cost of power goes up in the poorest parts of the… Read more Audio