Morning Report

The Silver Ferns' greatest rivals, the Australian Diamonds, are seeking a new coach and New Zealand's Dame Noeline Taurua is taking an interest in the process.

A new study has found patients seeking IVF treatment are being given false hope.

That's because the success rates advertised by clinics are calculated in widely varying ways, and some choose to advertise the most favourable results.

University of Auckland Professor Cindy Farquhar is one of the authors of the study.

As stories about tourists being caught up in Covid-19 quarantines make global news, travellers are having to think carefully about their plans.

So for New Zealanders planning to go overseas this year, will travel insurance cover them for any trip disruption and medical costs caused by the virus?

Are there fish-hooks to look out for in policies?

Bruce Morrison is chief executive of the travel insurance company Cover-More.

He speaks to Susie Ferguson.

The Qualifications Authority has stopped enrolments in a Manukau Institute of Techology course after discovering tutors may have been passing students they should have failed.

The institute is re-assessing nearly 60 students in the level five business diploma because they may have been marked too leniently.

The general manager of the institute's Manukau campus, Luka Crosbie, told RNZ education correspondent, John Gerritsen, there were problems with the assignments tutors set and with their marking of those tasks.

Fire tests of cladding on multistorey buildings are being run in New Zealand for the first time in response to the Grenfell Tower disaster in London three years ago.

A purpose-built rig near Porirua will be used to set alight wall assemblies to see how they burn.

Phil Pennington has been to the site to take a look.

The uncles of a young boy with severe head injuries in Starship Hospital says his father has gone into hiding after being threatened.

Police say if the boy survives he'll be severely disabled and brain damaged for life.

Two of the his uncles say the four-year-old is making progress in hospital, and is slowly starting to talk and move.

The men say they don't know how the boy was hurt but just want the truth - which may come from the boy himself.

Jordan Bond reports.

The Serious Fraud Office has laid charges relating to two donations made to the National Party - one in 2017 and one in 2018 - both of $100,000.

Corin Dann speaks to National Party leader Simon Bridges.

Winston Peters is dodging questions about a Serious Fraud Office investigation into his party.

On Tuesday he played reporters a snippet of Queen's 'Radio Ga Ga' rather than answer questions.

RNZ political editor Jane Patterson speaks to Susie Ferguson.

Winston Peters has a track record of using music as a diversion.

Yesterday as he ducked and dived media questions over a Serious Fraud Office investigation, he once again resorted to a musical punchline he'd cued up on his mobile phone in advance.

Last year he was using the theme song from a 1970s film to mock National Party leader Simon Bridges - yesterday it was Queen who came to his rescue.

RNZ political reporter Jo Moir was there.

More than 150 Wuhan evacuees will walk out of an Auckland navy base in few hours time after two weeks in quarantine to ensure they are not infected with Covid-19.

But their rooms will soon be taken by more evacuees, this time from the Diamond Princess cruise ship, where more than 500 passengers have tested positive for the virus.

Corin Dann speaks to Director-General of Health Ashley Bloomfield.