Morning Report for Wednesday 11 May 2016

8:52 AM.A farmer and shearer who didn't have his first novel published until he was 56 has won the 50-thousand dollar prize for fiction at the revamped New Zealand Book Awards. Audio

8:49 AM.New Zealand is being urged to play a bigger role in stopping the detention of child refugees in the Asia Pacific region. Audio

8:43 AM.The kidnapped son of Pakistan's ex-Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani has been rescued, three years after his disappearance. Audio

8:39 AM.The NCEA's literacy and numeracy benchmarks are under scrutiny after research showed some teens were getting the qualification even though they were not functionally literate or numerate. Audio

8:35 AM.With Donald Trump the only candidate left standing for the Republicans, all eyes are today on Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders in West Virginia. Audio

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

8:25 AM.Aucklanders are on track for their lowest rates rise since local body amalgamation more than five years ago. Audio

8:20 AM.The man who runs the Labour-aligned website, The Standard, says he is considering taking legal action against right wing blogger Cameron Slater. Audio

8:16 AM.The Crown says the man accused of murdering his ex-girlfriend and her three-year-old daughter has told police about three other men in an effort to cast shadows of doubt. Audio

8:11 AM.National says there'll be no land tax if foreign ownership figures stay low. Data published by Land Information yesterday showed only three percent of homes have been sold to overseas buyers. Audio

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

7:57 AM.Frustration boiled over at a public meeting in Whangarei last night over log truck crashes. Audio

7:53 AM.Listening to that has been Gerry Brownlee -- he was the Earthquake Recovery Minister but is now the Minister for Greater Christchurch Regeneration. Audio

7:49 AM.The Labour Party says ongoing delays to key projects in the rebuild of central Christchurch have robbed the Canterbury economy of more than $150 million worth of investment. Audio

7:46 AM.The Government has been told the level of literacy and numeracy required of teenagers getting the NCEA should be raised. Audio

7:43 AM.The British Prime Minister, David Cameron has been caught on camera telling the Queen that some of the world's most corrupt countries are to attend an anti-corruption summit in the UK this week. Audio

7:37 AM.In little more than 90 minutes the Reserve Bank will publish its twice yearly report on the health of New Zealand's financial system. Audio

7:26 AM.The Government's move to clarify how many foreigners are buying properties in New Zealand has created even more confusion. Audio

7:22 AM.Notorious rapist Ronald Van der Plaat will be freed from prison today after serving his full sentence and move back home, with a GPS bracelet on his ankle and a host of conditions around him to… Read more Audio

7:15 AM.In Parliament yesterday, the Prime Minister John Key went on the front foot over the Panama Papers, armed with the IRD's initial analysis of the documents. Audio

7:11 AM.One of America's most wanted fugitives has been able to stay ahead of justice and tax officials by hiding some of his assets in New Zealand. Audio

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

6:58 AM.Wall Street up more than 1 percent today, finance stocks making gains. Audio

6:57 AM.The sporting goods and homewares retailer, Briscoe Group, says it's had strong first quarter sales, despite the impact of weak dairy prices, a lower exchange rate and warmer weather. Audio

6:54 AM.A former Minister of Finance from the early 1990s, Ruth Richardson, says sharper business leadership is what's required to help New Zealand lift its game when it comes to realising its full economic… Read more Audio

6:53 AM.The Inland Revenue Department says it is making the most of new laws requiring overseas buyers of New Zealand property to have a tax number. Audio

6:50 AM.Hot housing markets and weakness in the dairy sector are likely to be key themes in the Reserve Bank's latest check-in on the health of the country's financial system. Audio

6:45 AM.Two soldiers who are being tried at Linton Military Camp for taking the psychoactive drug NBOMe say their drinks might have been spiked. Audio

6:41 AM.The Government says new data shows only 3 percent of property is being bought by foreigners, despite repeated warnings from officials the figures do not show the full picture. Audio

6:38 AM.The Prime Minister's declaration that Inland Revenue has checked the Panama Papers and found only 200 New Zealand trusts linked to Mossack Fonseca has been challenged by the Labour Party. Audio

6:26 AM.News from the rural and farming sector. Audio

6:21 AM.A brief update of movements in the financial sector. Audio

6:13 AM.The NCEA's literacy and numeracy benchmarks are under scrutiny after research showed some teens were getting the qualification even though they were not functionally literate or numerate. Audio

6:10 AM.One of New Zealand's most notorious criminals, paedophile rapist Ronald van der Plaat, will return to his Auckland home today having served his full sentence. Audio

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

6:00 AM.An internet tycoon wanted by American authorities is found to be hiding assets in New Zealand. Greenpeace responds to John Key's revelation the environmental lobby group appears in the Panama papers… Read more Audio