Morning Report for Wednesday 8 November 2017

6:09 AM.Ferocious weather lashed parts of the country overnight. Huge gusts of wind caused power cuts on much of the West Coast and around the top and east of the South Island. There are power lines down… Read more Audio

6:16 AM.US President Donald Trump says it's time to act with urgency and great determination toward North Korea. But speaking in Seoul last night, something was missing. It was the name-calling that he's… Read more Audio

6:40 AM.It's been a wild night of weather for the South Island. Huge gusts of wind have caused power cuts on much of the West Coast, across Marlborough and parts of north Canterbury. Roads are blocked by… Read more Audio

6:42 AM.The Government will be hoping today's formal State Opening of Parliament will run more smoothly than yesterday's shambles. MPs were sworn in yesterday morning without a hitch, but when it came time… Read more Audio

6:44 AM.Refugees detained on Papua New Guinea's Manus Island say they are not surprised the PNG supreme court refused to order the restoration of vital services to the detention centre. About 600 refugees are… Read more Audio

7:13 AM.The West Coast is the worst hit by Tuesday night's wild weather. Roads are blocked by fallen trees and power lines, and power is being restored on Wednesday morning. West Coast Emergency Management… Read more Audio

7:15 AM.As rain and wind has battered the West Coast, inland Otago has had a return to winter with snow falling overnight. RNZ reporter Ian Telfer is in Dunedin, and describes the scenes across the region. Audio

7:16 AM.Labour admits yesterday's election of the Speaker of the House became a farce, but says it's now on notice that the National party intends to be a 'disruptive opposition'. A hasty deal was struck on… Read more Audio

7:16 AM.It's been a wild night of weather for the South Island. Huge gusts of wind caused power cuts on much of the West Coast, the top of the South Island and the east coast down into north Canterbury. Some… Read more Audio

7:23 AM.The owner of a helicopter that was shot at while dropping hunters into a Taupo forest says he's frustrated the police have taken no action taken against the perpetrators. Audio

7:30 AM.One person is dead after a garage sleepout caught fire in South Auckland. It was one of two properties affected by fire in Mangere overnight. RNZ reporter Gill Bonnett has been speaking to… Read more Audio

7:32 AM.In the wake of the Texas church massacre, RNZ news has been given official figures showing there are more than 13 thousand military-style semi-automatic weapons in this country. Gun users say they're… Read more Audio

7:36 AM.As we have been reporting this morning Winston Peters has launched legal action over the leaking of his superannuation over-payments during the election campaign. Mr Peters is seeking a disclosure of… Read more Audio

7:44 AM.Manus Island refugees say they are determined to stay on the island's detention centre - even if it means dying there. Papua New Guinea's Supreme Court yesterday rejected an application to restore… Read more Audio

7:49 AM.Pukekohe commuters have been looking forward to a hi-tech, nonstop train service to Auckland starting in two to three years. But a promise made late in the election campaign by the National Party to… Read more Audio

7:53 AM.Agricultural experts think an unusual problem lies over the horizon for New Zealand: too many native birds. They acknowledge it sounds like a pleasant problem to have. But they warn it could have a… Read more Audio

8:10 AM.Asia experts are warning that thousands of preschoolers growing up speaking Asian languages need more support to ensure their valuable skills are not lost. A new report from the Asia New Zealand… Read more Audio

8:14 AM.Businesses across the country have been stung with hundreds of thousands of dollars of fines for exploiting staff and failing to keep proper employment records. The Labour Inspectorate says most of… Read more Audio

8:19 AM.Today's drop of stories from the Paradise Papers reveal how top Republican and Democratic political donors in the US make use of offshore financial structures. The International Consortium of… Read more Audio

8:27 AM.A professor of peace studies in Dunedin wants a weapon amnesty for the owners of military-style semi-automatic guns. New figures show 13,000 of these weapons are registered to owners in New Zealand… Read more Audio

8:45 AM.The lawyer for refugees and asylum seekers in Papua New Guinea will file an appeal after the Supreme Court rejected an application to restore power and water to the Manus Island detention centre. The… Read more Audio

8:50 AM.Conservationists in the Far North are sounding the alarm over the expansion of the avocado industry - and its demands for water. Seventeen companies have applied to pump up to 2 million cubic metres a… Read more Audio