Morning Report

US President Donald Trump's legal team has issued its first response to the impeachment charges - describing them as a "dangerous attack" on democracy.

The document said the impeachment articles failed to allege any crime and were a "brazen" attempt to interfere with the 2020 presidential elections.

The response came as the Democrats filed their brief for the proceedings.

RNZ's correspondent is Simon Marks in Washington DC.

Sirens at fire stations between Te Puke and Waihi Beach went off around 9:15 last night.

No one is clear why the sirens went off, but local civil defence says there was no tsunami threat.

Fire and Emergency's chief executive Rhys Jones speaks to Philippa Tolley.

It's the first time the two teams have met since the Silver Ferns knocked England out of July's World Cup in the semi-finals. 

Four of the top five-ranked teams in the world are taking part in the inaugural Netball Nations Cup in England. England, Jamaica, New Zealand and South Africa play each other in a round robin tournament before a finals day at the end of the week.

RNZ Sports Bridget Tunnicliffe joins us to discuss the match.

The Serious Fraud Office is expected to make a much-anticipated announcement about its inquiry into National Party donations in the coming weeks.

The agency's probe into an alleged $100,000 donation has been going for more than ten months - but it's now signalled the end may be near.

Here's RNZ deputy political editor Craig McCulloch.

The ACT party is turning to US President Donald Trump for political positioning.

Leader David Seymour has announced a "Make Aotearoa Great Again" event for Waitangi Day - a clear reference to President Trump's campaign slogan of "Make America Great Again".

David Seymour speaks to Philippa Tolley.

Nurses, teachers and other middle class professionals are increasingly unable to buy homes in the cities where they work, with every housing market in the country now rated "severely unaffordable".

According to the 16th annual Demographia International Housing Affordability Survey published today, Tauranga is now the sixth least affordable place in the world to buy a house.

Ruth Hill reports.

Emergency agencies have questions to answer this morning after a false alarm was heard along a 50-kilometre stretch of coastal Bay of Plenty last night.

About 9:15pm, sirens sounded from Tauranga to Waihi - and some reports came in of them sounding further afield.

There was a report of an alarm sounding in Te Puke.

Many members of the public took the sirens to be a tsunami warning.

But the sirens were sounded in error - no one is clear why - and there was no tsunami threat.

The director of emergency management for Bay of Plenty, Clinton Naude speaks to Morning Report.

More disruption's expected for travellers using Wellington Airport this morning as fog continues to hang over the city.

The fog set in early yesterday afternoon with dozens of arrivals and departures affected.

Our reporter Hamish Cardwell is at Wellington Airport.

A forestry company with close links to New Zealand First says it made a presentation to Shane Jones about the project it was seeking a $15 million government loan for, months before Mr Jones says he first heard of it.

Mr Jones has said he first heard about a bid by New Zealand Future Forest Products for Provincial Growth Fund money in October and immediately wrote to the Prime Minister declaring a conflict of interests because directors at the company have close ties to his party.

But the company's PGF application form says the project was discussed with Mr Jones in a presentation before the bid was submitted on April the 8th.

Mr Jones has issued a statement to RNZ saying the presentation never happened.

But NZFFP director David Henry says the presentation was a meeting he personally had with Mr Jones in Wellington.

Here's Investigative Journalist Guyon Espiner.

The man accused of the Christchurch mosque shootings will be one of the first to see draft sections of the report compiled by the Royal Commission investigating the attacks.

As well as reading parts of the draft report, Brenton Tarrant will also have the opportunity to respond before the final copy is handed to the Governor-General at the end of April.

The Royal Commission says it's a legal obligation but a Muslim community leader says it gives him too much power.

Katie Scotcher reports.