Summer Report for Friday 5 January 2018

8:57 AM.Summer report speaks to Commonwealth Games hopefuls who are spending their summer holiday training. First Sally Murphy went to meet boxer Alexis Pritchard. Audio

8:48 AM.Despite not bordering the Pacific or being anywhere near it, there are reports Britain is exploring the option of joining the Trans Pacific Partnership or TPP. Audio

8:43 AM.The coal industry is clawing its way back from the doldrums after the collapse of Solid Energy. Gold mining is prospering in the North Island at least - and could expand further. Undersea mining is… Read more Audio

8:38 AM.A group of Christchurch inmates are running their very first marathon today. Corrections officer Gary Smallridge says they're looking "fresh as daisies". He spoke to Summer Report just as he was… Read more Audio

8:35 AM.Some retailers are opting to get rid of straws or offering biodegradable ones after their plastic counterparts pollute coastlines and take up to 200 years to break down, Nita Blake-Persen reports. Audio

8:30 AM.New Zealand cricket selector Gavin Larsen speaks to Alex Perrottet about the Black Caps' performance against the West Indies and what might come against the series with Pakistan. Audio

8:16 AM.Thirty cavers have set off on a 17-day expedition in hope of extending the country's longest cave to make it the longest in the Southern Hempishere. Cave diver Kieran Mackay discusses exactly what it… Read more Audio

8:13 AM.Following scathing reports both at home and by the United Nations, New Zealand is vowing to elimate the use of seclusion rooms in mental health care. The work is scheduled to start in March and the… Read more Audio

8:10 AM.Thousands are without power across the top of the North Island. Reporter Liz Garton explains debri has been cleared from roads and trampolines have been flying. Audio