Morning Report for Friday 7 August 2015

8:55 AM.Let's have a chat to our Canberra correspondent Kerry-Anne Walsh. Audio

8:50 AM.It's Cook Islands Language week this week in New Zealand Audio

8:47 AM.That was Canterbury University engineering student Brad Meredith with his speech about the New Zealand five dollar note. Audio

8:45 AM.An 8.5 billion dollar expansion of the world's busiest shipping canal, the Suez, has been officially opened in Egypt. Audio

8:41 AM.The Freshwater Iwi Leaders Group has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Local Government New Zealand which it says will make local and central government more accountable to Maori; Treaty… Read more Audio

8:38 AM.Hundreds of volunteer firearm instructors are reeling at the sudden shake up of the country's main gun safety programme - with some already quitting their roles. Audio

8:35 AM.Many gay and transgender people say they are still facing huge barriers and discrimination, nearly two years on from the first same-sex weddings. Audio

8:29 AM.A brief update of movements in the financial sector. Audio

8:26 AM.The Netball World Cup gets underway in Sydney today. Audio

8:23 AM.More than six hundred people showed up for a meeting on the Ruataniwha Dam in Napier last night to hear people from both sides of the debate present their arguments. Audio

8:18 AM.Dairy farmers are anxiously waiting to find out how much Fonterra expects to pay them for their milk. Audio

8:12 AM.Serious questions are being raised around the security of GPS ankle braclets as Wellington police continue to hunt for the dangerous sex offender Daniel Livingstone. Audio

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

7:56 AM.England dismissed Australia for just 60 runs on the opening day of the fourth Ashes cricket test in Nottingham last night. Audio

7:52 AM.Education groups are predicting shortages of early childhood spaces in Auckland's new housing developments. Audio

7:45 AM.If you think that flu is hitting harder this winter than last, you'd be right. The latest statistics on the flu this year shows flu this season is far worse than for the past two winters. And… Read more Audio

7:40 AM.Chunuk Bair - the name conjures up great heroism, success and ultimate defeat on the battlefield that was Gallipoli. Audio

7:37 AM.With just two tests left before the Rugby World Cup, the All Blacks' game against the Wallabies in Sydney tomorrow will take on extra significance. Audio

7:35 AM.The body of a young child has been found after police were called to an Onehunga property early this morning. Our reporter Anusha Bradley is there. Audio

7:27 AM.Many of the families of those onboard the airliner, including that of New Zealander Paul Weeks, are unhappy that once again yesterday they learned of key developments only through the media. Paul… Read more Audio

7:24 AM.More airplane debris has been found off the island of Reunion including window panes and seat cushions. Audio

7:20 AM.Dairy Farmers are bracing for more bad news later today with Fonterra set to announce a sharp fall in what it expects to pay farmers for their milk. Audio

7:11 AM.People in the Hutt Valley are on edge as police continue to search for a convicted child rapist who has been on the run for more than 24 hours. Audio

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

6:58 AM.On Wall Street, stocks have fallen due to a spate of poor earnings reports from media companies such as Walt Disney and Viacom. Audio

6:56 AM.The New Zealand Superannuation Fund will remain heavily invested in shares, saying that provides the best bet to achieve strong returns to help meet the country's future pension bill. Audio

6:54 AM.A new set of guidelines to lift corporate governance has caught listed companies by surprise. Audio

6:52 AM.Meanwhile, Jean Jones is the latest clothing chain to hit trouble. Audio

6:52 AM.Genesis Energy says it'll save up to 25 million dollars a year shutting down its last two coal-burning electricity generators at the Huntly power station in three years time. Audio

6:51 AM.In response, Briscoe has questioned Kathmandu's forecasts, saying it feels high on rhetoric and low on substance. Audio

6:48 AM.Kathmandu has rejected a takeover offer from Briscoe Group's, calling it opportunistic. Audio

6:40 AM.A law expert says revelations a convicted child rapist is on the run after cutting off his electronic bracelet - on the same day as Blessie Gotingco's killer was sentenced - suggests the monitoring… Read more Audio

6:27 AM.The Freshwater Iwi Leaders Group has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Local Government New Zealand which it says will make local and central government more accountable to Maori; Treaty… Read more Audio

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

6:20 AM.The latest from the Pacific region. Audio

6:11 AM.An Auckland group that helps improve education for disadvantaged children says the government and Auckland Council must do more to ensure there is early childhood eduation in new housing developments.

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

6:00 AM.A convicted child rapist remains on the run, 24 hours after cutting off his monitoring bracelet. Dairy farmers brace for more bad news from Fonterra today and more debris thought to be from Flight… Read more Audio