Morning Report for Wednesday 22 June 2022

8:55 AM.A very hairy crab that wears a sponge as a hat has been discovered off the coast of Western Australia.

The new species, Lamarckdromia beagle has been named after Charles Darwin's ship.

Marine… Read more Audio

8:52 AM.As Aotearoa prepares to mark its first Matariki long weekend, tourism operators are hoping it's a sign of more prosperity to come.

This year, a new multi-day festival is being launched in the… Read more Audio

8:47 AM.The government says greater powers for police to tackle violent crime could be on the cards.

Police Minister Chris Hipkins says he has been studying some of the new laws aimed at gangs in Australia… Read more Audio

8:44 AM.The government is pushing ahead with its three waters reforms that will see the management of drinking, waste and storm water moving from 67 local councils to four big body corporates.

It argues… Read more Audio

8:38 AM.The number of New Zealanders who perceive China as a threat has climbed.

A new Asia New Zealand Foundation survey says 58 percent see the superpower as a threat, a big jump from last year's figure of… Read more Audio

8:29 AM.To Omarama where it is tino makariri - very cold - this morning.

MetService says the Canterbury High Country town was, as of 8am on Wednesday, -10.9C and will reach a high of just 5C today.

Local… Read more Audio

8:26 AM.World Athletics and FIFA are the latest governing bodies considering a ban on transgender women from competing in female events.

World swimming's governing body FINA has barred transgender athletes… Read more Audio

8:22 AM.Medical students are speaking out about the pressure on them to bypass patient consent before carrying out examinations.

One student also told RNZ she was pressured to submit to a supervisor doing a… Read more Audio

8:18 AM.Former Covid-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins has apologised to Charlotte Bellis for comments made regarding her MIQ application.

The journalist went public with her struggle to secure an MIQ spot… Read more Audio

8:10 AM.Police caught 5000 drivers breaking their restricted licence by carrying passengers when they shouldn't last year - and prosecuted one of them.

They issued written warnings to 10 of them.

Students… Read more Audio

7:58 AM.The story of Matariki is being shared every evening in Auckland this week, by coloured spotlights shining into the central Auckland sky.

Stardome Observatory and Planetarium is putting on the show as… Read more Video, Audio

7:54 AM.A hearing into the deadly school shooting in Uvalde, Texas last month has heard police arrived earlier and with more firepower than previously reported.

Police were outside the school building for a… Read more Audio

7:46 AM.Emergency departments around the country are under strain, and staff shortages mean some health authorities are delaying planned surgeries for weeks.

The National Party says Health Minister Andrew… Read more Audio

7:42 AM.Dining out could cost a few extra bucks as the cost of living hits a sector on the rebound from a string of covid-related lockdowns.

In a survey just out, restaurateurs say they are worried customers… Read more Audio

7:38 AM.The Department of Internal affairs is facing a surge of passport applications, with wait times now reaching more than a month.

There are more than 48,000 people who are waiting for a new passport.

… Read more Audio

7:33 AM.Immigration officials say they have discovered an asylum fraud in which more than 150 people claimed to be in danger from loan sharks.

An interpreter is facing immigration charges and all but two of… Read more Audio

7:19 AM.A ministerial taskforce will meet next week to address plasterboard shortages.

The group - set up by Minister for Building and Construction Megan Woods - includes key construction, building consent… Read more Audio

7:14 AM.Middlemore Hospital is dealing with four times the number of people presenting with the flu this winter, compared to pre-pandemic in 2019.

Clinical director Vanessa Thornton told Morning Report it… Read more Audio

7:09 AM.Police caught 5000 drivers breaking their restricted licences by carrying passengers when they shouldn't last year - and prosecuted just one of them.

They issued written warnings to just 10 of them.

6:44 AM.A leading epidemiologist says Aotearoa is leaving it late to roll out a second Covid-19 booster shot.

The government has passed legislation that allows New Zealanders to get a fourth dose of the… Read more Audio