Morning Report Podcast Options

8:15 AM.The Cook Islands has reopened its borders to fully vaccinated New Zealanders - but with less fanfare and more trepidation than last year.

The quarantine-free travel bubble lasted just three months in… Read more Audio

8:10 AM.The Queen's second son, Prince Andrew, has been stripped of his military affiliations and royal patronages, after a US court yesterday ruled a civil sexual assault case against him could continue.

… Read more Audio

8:56 AM.Keep your ears out for a "flutey" and melancholic birdcall if you're heading for the Heaphy Track this summer. A bird recorded by three trampers on 29 December may have been made by the possibly… Read more Video, Audio

8:51 AM.Buyer beware - "heavy duty" batteries are being outlasted by similar products.

Consumer NZ tested fifteen products and found alkaline and lithium models performed three to five times better.

The… Read more Audio

8:48 AM.Pure, clean and boutique - those are all words used to describe bottled water sold in New Zealand.

It's usually perceived as free of contaminants compared to tap water - but University of Otago… Read more Audio

8:44 AM.The annual Summer Concert Tour has been cancelled for the first time in 12 years due to Covid-19.

The shows at the Taupo Amphitheatre, Whitianga Waterways, and Gibbston Valley Winery in Queenstown… Read more Audio

8:40 AM.New Zealanders living overseas say Covid-19 is now part of everyday life as cases of the highly-infectious Omicron variant steadily grow around the globe.

More than 307 million Covid cases have been… Read more Audio

8:27 AM.Protests and religious gatherings in a central Christchurch park by Brian Tamaki's Destiny Church and the Freedom and Rights Coalition, have left residents fed-up with the noise, and forced ratepayers… Read more Audio

8:24 AM.A health workers union says burnout is some of the worst it has ever seen, and members are leaving the profession, or heading overseas for better pay.

This comes as almost all District Health Boards… Read more Audio

8:17 AM.The National Party says it's no wonder many in the health workforce are burnt out with most District Health Boards missing the agreed deadline to improve safe staffing levels.

In 2018 the DHBs… Read more Audio

8:10 AM.Prince Andrew has failed in his attempt to have a civil sexual assault case against him thrown out by a US judge.

Virginia Giuffre is suing the prince, claiming he abused her when she was 17.

Prince… Read more Audio

8:54 AM.A badger in northern Spain has struck gold - literally.

The curious critter helped uncover more than 200 Roman coins, dating back to the third century.

Archaeologist Alfonso Fanjul, told Morning… Read more Audio

8:51 AM.One of New Zealand cricket's finest batsmen, Ross Taylor, has signed off from his Test career - and he's done so by claiming the final wicket in the Black Caps' commanding win over Bangladesh in… Read more Audio

8:47 AM.The title for the sunniest place in New Zealand is usually won by Whakatane or Nelson, but New Plymouth has taken the top spot for 2021.

The Taranaki town outshone Hawke's Bay by about 30 hours to… Read more Audio

8:43 AM.Zane Wedding lay awake for three nights, troubled by an ear that seemed to be blocked with water. It was actually a cockroach. Read more Audio

8:40 AM.In the latest twist in the Novak Djokovic visa scandal, Australian border officials are now investigating whether the men's world tennis number one incorrectly filled out his travel declaration.

… Read more Audio

8:35 AM.Paediatricians are concerned about the impact of any more disruptions to schooling as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.

University of Otago epidemiologist Amanda Kvalsvig has called for a delayed… Read more Audio

8:25 AM.Yesterday there were just fourteen new community cases of Covid-19 - raising hopes Delta has been sent packing.

With 92 percent of the eligible population double-vaccinated, has New Zealand claimed… Read more Audio

8:20 AM.The UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson is once again facing questions about a social event for Downing Street staff which took place while the country was in a strict lockdown in May 2020.

As many as… Read more Audio

8:20 AM.The police have launched a homicide investigation after an incident in the Auckland suburb of Albany in the early hours of this morning.

Officers were called to Vinewood Drive at around half past one… Read more Audio

8:14 AM.The Police are assuring the public new tightened rules for officers photographing young people will not lead to more rangatahi Maori being arrested.

They are being commended for the changes, which… Read more Audio

8:10 AM.The police are being commended for tightening the rules on officers photographing young people, but there are concerns it could lead to the perverse outcome of more Māori being arrested.

The changes… Read more Audio

8:55 AM.Hamilton Zoo's Sumatran tiger Mencari is turning 22 - becoming the second oldest captive tiger of its breed in the world.

The zoo's curator Mark Turner spoke to Morning Report. Read more Audio

8:51 AM.'Charlotte' and 'Oliver' remain the most popular baby names in New Zealand for the ninth year in a row.

The Department of Internal Affairs has released annual list, and Registrar General Jeff… Read more Audio