Midday Report Podcast Options

12:10 PM.It's looking likely a longer lockdown looms for Aotearoa New Zealand, with health professionals confirming to RNZ there are now three cases of Covid-19 in the Wellington region. Māni Dunlop asks Otago… Read more Audio

12:00 PM.Health sources confirm to RNZ the Delta strain has reached Wellington. We discuss what that means with epidemiologist Michael Baker. And former Deputy Prime Minister Sir Michael Cullen has died. Audio

12:49 PM.Ramin Rahman is someone who somehow managed to escape Kabul this week. He's a photojournalist from Kabul who was in the city when Taliban forces invaded earlier this week. He spoke to Worldwatch's Max… Read more Audio

12:44 PM.Etahi o nga manu tioriori o te ao puoro have been named finalists in the APRA Maioha Music awards. Māni Dunlop and Music 101's Yadana Saw check out the shortlist. Read more Audio

12:42 PM.We have broken new Internet use records, as we try to keep working, learning, and entertaining. Māni Dunlop speaks to Chorus network manager Kurt Rodgers. Read more Audio

12:35 PM.A Pukekohe vegetable grower says with independent fruit and vege stores unable to open - his crops will be left in the ground to rot. Audio

12:28 PM.The Silver Ferns captain Ameliaranne Ekenasio has signed with the Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic for next year's ANZ premiership. Audio

12:20 PM.Auckland Airport has made its first-ever operating loss as earnings were battered by Covid travel disruptions. Audio

12:18 PM.From today masks are compulsory for staff and customers at supermarkets, petrol stations, dairies, pharmacies and other essential service businesses open at lockdown level 4. Māni Dunlop speaks to… Read more Audio

12:16 PM.Just moments before we came on air, SkyCity said it has identified around 1000 patrons and 240 staff who were in the casino when a Covid-positive case visited the gaming floor. Māni Dunlop speaks to… Read more Audio

12:14 PM.The window for people needing to get home is rapidly closing -- there're less than 12 hours left. Air New Zealand is asking for more time, with many people still stranded. RNZ's Tess Brunton speaks to… Read more Audio

12:12 PM.There are long queues at Covid-19 testing centres across the motu today; with warnings to Auckland motorists to be wary of the congestion. Meanwhile, academics and modellers think Auckland's lockdown… Read more Audio

12:00 PM.Sky City casino says more than 12-hundred people were there when a Covid-positve case visited. As the outbreak source remains a mystery, we're told to hunker down. And concerns not everyone will get… Read more Audio

12:45 PM.Teddy bears around the country will no doubt be coming out of hibernation if they haven't already. During last year's lockdown, thousands of toy bears appeared in windows and doors and driveways of… Read more Video, Audio, Gallery

12:42 PM.Lockdowns are not easy, and in some households they're terribly difficult. Clinical Psychologist Jacqui Maguire has written a children's book with effective tools for helping children through scary… Read more Audio

12:35 PM.Primary industry leaders met online this morning to discuss the national lockdown, as the majority of businesses in the primary industries are allowed to keep operating during Alert Level Four. Audio

12:28 PM.All rugby games in New Zealand this weekend, both professional and amateur, have been cancelled. Rugby reporter Joe Porter has more. Audio

12:20 PM.A house building boom, demand for building products, and tight control of its finances have delivered a solid full year profit for Fletcher Building. Audio

12:18 PM.In Ōtepoti/Dunedin RNZ's Tim Brown reports locals are not panic buying to the extent seen further north.  Audio

12:18 PM.One of the five positive cases is a fully vaccinated nurse at Auckland City Hospital. RNZ's health correspondent Rowan Quinn has been looking into this and speaks to Māni Dunlop. Audio

12:17 PM.Tai Tokerau Border Control coordinator Reuben Taipari was disappointed to see hundreds of vehicles pour into Northland yesterday evening. Audio

12:14 PM.With the shift to Alert Level 4, people have 36 hours left to get home. Māni Dunlop checks in with RNZ reporters Jake McKee at Wellington Airport and Rachel Graham at Christchurch Airport. Audio

12:11 PM.Aotearoa is locked down for the second time. There are now five cases of Covid-19's delta variant detected in the Auckland community. One of them is a fully vaccinated nurse at Auckland City… Read more Audio

12:00 PM.Aotearoa is in lockdown. As cases grow to 5, confirmation it's the more transmissible delta variant. Audio

12:46 PM.An Afghani refugee who has been trying to get his family to New Zealand says it is a matter of life of death - and they are fearing for their lives. Many of those who helped in peacekeeping missions… Read more Audio