5 Feb 2015

Top Stories for Thursday 5 February 2015

From Morning Report, 6:00 am on 5 February 2015

Sixty firefighters backed by helicopters and planes are battling a fire that's threatening homes near Renwick in the Wairau Valley near Blenheim. The father of the Jordanian pilot burned to death by Islamic State wants the terrorists deeply punished for killing his son and he says the hanging of two Iraqi terrorists is not enough. New Zealand is currently considering whether to send troops to help train the Iraqi army. The New Zealand High Court judge Dame Lowell Goddard has been appointed to head the inquiry into historical child sex abuse in England and Wales. The Waitangi elder Kingi Taurua says he'll be asking the Prime Minister to apologise today for his dismissive remarks on Maori sovereignty. Our political reporter, Demelza Leslie, is in Waitangi and joins us. Winston Peters is among the politicians who have been visiting Paihia and surrounding towns over the past few days.