Morning Report for Thursday 28 July 2016

8:56 AM.Statues of Captain Cook are being repeatedly vandalised in Gisborne. Josh Wharehinga from the Gisborne District Council explains why tensions are high. Audio

8:52 AM.Some Pacific island countries' claims to lucrative fishing and seabed mining resources could be limited by a landmark ruling on the South China Sea. Sally Round looks at the impact of a decision by… Read more Audio

8:47 AM.Christchurch home owners and businesses are struggling to pay rising rates. Ratepayers now owe 11.5 million dollars to the city council. Conan Young has more details. Audio

8:45 AM.The Crown is defending Corrections performance to the Waitangi Tribunal. At the week-long hearing in to the department's role in reducing Maori re-offending, the Crown has argued that the complex… Read more Audio

8:42 AM.The Supreme Court has ruled that the costs of getting resource consent for a project are not tax deductible. Lawyers and accountants are warning this may deter companies from embarking on big new… Read more Audio

8:36 AM.Top sports lawyer warns world sporting bodies are likely to face massive damages claims over bans on Russian Olympic athletes. Audio

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

8:26 AM.The greatest sporting show on earth or a five-ring circus? Our Sports editor Stephen Hewson looks at the outlook for the Rio Olympics. Audio

8:21 AM.Treaty of Waitangi principles and cultural impact assessments for Maori sites of significance have been removed from the Auckland Unitary Plan. Mihingarangi Forbes reports on how mana whenua fare in… Read more Audio

8:20 AM.The star of the hit New Zealand film, Boy, James Rolleston, is awake in hospital and surrounded by his whanau, after a serious car crash in Opotiki. Audio

8:15 AM.Alyssa Ketterer of Women's empowerment organisation Live Your Dream dot org discusses the significance of Hilary Clinton's nomination as the first female presidential candidate for a major political… Read more Audio

8:11 AM.We talk to a couple of Aucklanders about the city's Unitary Plan to see whether they support it and what parts of it they could do without. Audio

8:08 AM.An update from the RNZ Sports team. Audio

7:57 AM.Our Los Angeles correspondent Patrice Howard details the challenges facing California fire fighters battling wildfires that have now claimed a life. Audio

7:53 AM.Three intellectually disabled men are suing the Government over the way they were treated while they were in state care. Max Towle reports on the High Court case. Audio

7:50 AM.Under Auckland's proposed Unitary Plan, the city will need to build another 422 thousand homes between now and 2040. Is this even possible when just 10 thousand homes will be built this year? We talk… Read more Audio

7:46 AM.British child abuse prevention campaigner Peter Saunders tells Morning Report Australia's top Catholic cleric should be stood down from his top level role at the Vatican while fresh abuse claims… Read more Audio

7:35 AM.RNZ political editor Jane Patterson on Labour's calls for Todd McClay to be sacked. Audio

7:27 AM.The Labour Leader Andrew Little talks to Susie Ferguson about the Greens call for Auckland house prices to fall substantially over the next decade and why Labour wasn't told first. Audio

7:25 AM.A rape victim says she has recieved sensitive personal information about a transgender prisoner by mistake, after the Parole Board mishandled paperwork. Audio

7:22 AM.Donald Trump says thousands of Hillary Clinton's emails were missing when the FBI investigated her email system, and if the Russians can find them, they should do America a favour and publish them. Audio

7:12 AM.The Building and Housing Minister Nick Smith has welcomed Auckland Council's new unitary plan but says he needs more time to sift through the thousands of pages. He says he's giving councillors space… Read more Audio

7:10 AM.Our Auckland correspondent Todd Niall has been looking at the Unitary Plan Audio

7:06 AM.An update from the team at RNZ Sport. Audio

6:57 AM.An update on the markets. Audio

6:56 AM.Russell Investments says diversification and a willingness to embrace risk are necessary to achieve reasonable retirement income. Audio

6:55 AM.A couple of snippets from annual meetings. Audio

6:53 AM.The health services provider, Abano Healthcare, says its dental arm is crucial to its future growth. Audio

6:52 AM.The Supreme Court's ruling is expected to create some nervousness among companies involved in energy and infrastructure projects. Audio

6:50 AM.Trustpower says it's lost its Supreme Court appeal over millions of dollars in tax deductions. Audio

6:45 AM.The Parole Board is under fire for mishandling sensitive personal information. A rape victim says she has recieved paperwork on a transgender prisoner by mistake. Audio

6:37 AM.Has the Unitary Plan got the balance right? Mohamed Hassan reports on how the proposed 30-year vision for Auckland focuses heavily on increasing housing density in the city, and reducing protections… Read more Audio

6:20 AM.A brief update of movements in the financial sector. Audio

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

6:13 AM.The Islamic State has claimed responsibility for a huge bomb attack that hit the mainly Kurdish city of Qamishli ka-mee-shlee in northeastern Syria. We talk to World Vision's Response Manager for… Read more Audio

6:11 AM.The Government has given Auckland's Unitary Plan a cautious thumbs up, but is pledging to stay out of the way while the Auckland Council considers the report. Mei Heron reports. Audio

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

6:00 AM.Up and out - the new rulebook for Auckland Housing minister welcomes Auckland's Unitary Plan Trump urges Russia to hack Clinton emails Paperwork slip-up at Parole Board Labour and Greens out of sync… Read more Audio