Morning Report

An American sports administrator says moving away from specialisation in young athletes is pivotal to New Zealand's future success at the elite level.

President Trump called Democrats "very unpatriotic" for pursuing his impeachment while he is overseas meeting with NATO leaders.

The House Intelligence Committee is set to release a report detailing his conduct regarding Ukraine later on Tuesday.

RNZ's correspondent in Washington is Harry Horton.

New Zealand's worrying long-term decline in the international PISA tests of reading, maths and science has continued.

Overnight the OECD published the results of last year's tests of 600,000 15 year olds in 79 different countries and regions, and New Zealand's scores have reached new lows.

RNZ education correspondent John Gerritsen has been looking at the results.

Three women who say their daughters were abused by Peter Ellis say a possible Supreme Court appeal is taking them to breaking point.

The fomer Christchurch Civic Creche worker, who died in September, always maintained his innocence after being found guilty of 16 counts of sexual abuse in 1993.

The mothers, whose names and voices we've changed for legal reasons, say their daughters haven't been able to move on for nearly three decades.

Katie Todd reports.

The government is proposing to make it legal for those over 20 to buy up to 14 grams of cannabis a day.

All advertising of cannabis products would be banned. The details of the proposed law change will be put to voters in a referendum at the 2020 election.

But the National Party says there won't be enough clarity for the public to make an informed decision.

Leader of the Opposition Simon Bridges speaks to Kim Hill.

In Samoa, the government has issued a new raft of emergency orders in a desperate bid to get the deadly measles epidemic under control.

The disease has killed 55 people, mainly children, and the toll is expected to rise. Nearly all public services and offices will shut on Thursday and Friday.

All non-essential travel on the roads will be banned while vaccination units cross the country.

People are being told to stay at home and wait for those units to arrive. New Zealand's Director General of Health Ashley Bloomfield said yesterday people shouldn't be travelling to Samoa during the epidemic.

Kim Hill speaks to Alex Perrottet, who has been in Samoa for almost a week.

The government has announced the suggested bill and wording for the 2020 cannabis referendum.

Under the law Kiwis over the age of 20 would be able to grow two plants and purchase up to 14 grams a day.

All advertising of the drug would be banned.

The National Party still isn't happy though and says there will still be questions.

Justice Minister Andrew Little speaks to Corin Dann.

The haze surrounding the cannabis referendum is starting to lift - with more details revealing what a yes vote next year would mean.

The Government's released a draft bill setting out the rules which would govern the use, purchase, growth and sale of recreational cannabis if voters give it the go-ahead.

But critics say the public are still in the dark regarding some major points.

RNZ's deputy political editor Craig McCulloch has the story.

New Zealand sailor Blair Tuke was a little embarrassed by their capsize which cost them an almost perfect day to start the 49er World Championships in Auckland.

Aucklanders will have to pay up to nearly $630 million more a year for imports if its current cargo hub is moved to another city, according to a new study.

Economists at New Zealand Institute of Economic Research are presenting a grim picture for Aucklanders if its port is closed and freight had to be delivered.

It's the latest in a string of reports that has looked into moving the city's freight operations to Northport in Whangarei and it comes at a time when the government is also considering the port's fate.