Morning Report for Wednesday 22 December 2021

8:57 AM.Scientists say they have discovered the largest-ever fossil of a giant millipede on a beach in Northumberland in England, totally by chance.

The millipede, known as Arthropleura, is thought to have… Read more Audio

8:55 AM.It's been over half a century of haircuts for an Oamaru barber, who has now laid down his scissors.

He's seen it all, from Beatles-esque bowl cuts to new age fades.

After 52 years and countless… Read more Audio

8:49 AM.Pacific-focused health provider The Fono is putting together packages for 120 struggling Auckland families.

They include vouchers for a hair dresser, family passes for the Zoo, even barbecues and… Read more Audio

8:46 AM.Wednesday is the longest day of the year in the Southern Hemisphere, or the shortest night if you're a contrarian.

The summer solstice officially took place at 4.59am, marking the beginning of the… Read more Audio

8:43 AM.Wānaka Yacht Club says collisions on the lake are inevitable in the absence of decent water safety oversight.

This comes as Wānaka's harbourmaster Jeff Donaldson resigned after his concerns about… Read more Audio

8:39 AM.The missing pail from Wellington's famous bucket fountain has been brought home just in time for Christmas, albeit with an odd paint job.

Its disappearance sparked a city-wide hunt and after two… Read more Audio

8:26 AM.New Zealanders are about to eat several million Christmas mince pies and thousands of litres of cream.

They are among the top items food stores are selling ahead of Christmas Day.

Also on the menu… Read more Audio

8:22 AM.An investment fund manager has been sentenced to more than eight years in prison, after cooking his investment fund's books by hiding a large but fictitious sum using a white font on a white… Read more Audio

8:16 AM.President Joe Biden will make an announcement on further Covid-19 measures for Americans on Wednesday, and he's expected to announce free home-Covid testing kits to help fight Omicron's spread.

… Read more Audio

8:10 AM.A leading epidemiologist believes New Zealand is in a prime position against Omicron before winter settles - if we get our booster shots ASAP.

The gap between the second Pfizer dose and the booster… Read more Audio

7:49 AM.Fire and Emergency says all going well, residents evacuated from a large blaze near Kaimaumau in the Far North will be able to return home today.

The 2000-hectare blaze tore through DoC wetland north… Read more Audio

7:44 AM.A leading paediatrician says Māori and other vulnerable tamariki need to be prioritised when their turn comes to get the Covid-19 vaccine.

From January 17, children aged five to 11 will be able to… Read more Audio

7:40 AM.The decision to delay re-opening the borders has dealt another blow to New Zealanders stuck overseas and desperate to return home.

The threat of Omicron has prompted the government to push back the… Read more Audio

7:27 AM.A jury in New York has resumed its deliberations in the sex trafficking and perjury trial of Ghislaine Maxwell, after weeks of testimony.

The 59-year-old has denied grooming underage girls for abuse… Read more Audio

7:23 AM.The police say they have fixed how they investigate fatal road crashes to make sure the fraught experience of two families in Otago is not repeated.

The families of Wayne Brenssell and Toby Waitokia… Read more Audio

7:16 AM.A recent study by Imperial College London says there is no clear evidence Omicron is milder than Delta.

The news comes as the UK fights off a major outbreak of the variant.

London Metropolitan… Read more Audio

7:13 AM.In a race to beat Omicron to winter, the government has brought forward vaccinations for Covid-19 booster shots and announced the date children can be immunised.

Come mid-January, another three… Read more Audio

7:09 AM.A public health expert is warning managed isolation and quarantine hotels will be swamped with Omicron cases unless there are tougher rules to keep more people out.

There are 22 confirmed cases of… Read more Audio