Morning Report for Monday 17 January 2022

8:58 AM.Warmer sea temperatures and a changing climate could be what's causing more ocean-borne bites, stings and rashes.

Swimmers across the North Island have been sharing their itchy experiences on social… Read more Audio

8:54 AM.The Silver Ferns look to be in a bit of trouble, after losing their second game in a row in netball's Quad Series, going down 49-46 to home side England this morning.

It's the second consecutive… Read more Audio

8:50 AM.An experienced ACC lawyer is urging the corporation to urgently review the way it assesses claims for people with work-related terminal cancer.

The call from Auckland lawyer Philip Schmidt comes… Read more Audio

8:45 AM.Māori health providers are getting ready to hit the ground running with child vaccinations, which start today.

At the end of last year, Māori were fast becoming the most affected by Delta, though… Read more Audio

8:41 AM.Auckland's Fibre network will be used to monitor earthquakes and better understand the city's volcanoes.

There are 53 recognised volcanoes in the Auckland Volcanic Field, and they pose a substantial… Read more Audio

8:35 AM.It is game, set and match for the reigning Australian Open tennis champion - Novak Djokovic - who has been deported.

The unvaccinated player is returning to Serbia after three judges upheld the… Read more Audio

8:26 AM.Fire and Emergency New Zealand is yet to confirm if it has met the deadline to get all workers fully vaccinated by Friday last week.

Figures provided to RNZ on Friday show almost 95 percent of paid… Read more Audio

8:24 AM.Almost half a million children aged from 5 to 11 can now get their Covid vaccine, with bookings available and walk-ins accepted from today.

But some pharmacies won't be able to administer the jabs… Read more Audio

8:22 AM.From today, children between 5 to 11 years old are eligible for the Covid-19 vaccine. 

We know there can be some anxiety around getting vaccinated - and needles.

So Sarah Robson asked Michelle… Read more Audio

8:15 AM.Some Northland boat owners are furious there were no tsunami siren warnings or texts before large waves smashed into the Tūtūkākā marina, sinking a number of boats on Saturday evening.

But there are… Read more Audio

8:09 AM.NZ's Defence Force is expected to leave for Tonga this morning to assess damage from the weekend's volcanic eruption and tsunami.

A P3 Orion will leave as soon as it's believed to be safe, with ash… Read more Audio

7:56 AM.An anti-Covid-vaccination GP has lashed out at a trainee doctor who raised concerns about misinformation in patient notes.

Last week, RNZ revealed Covid-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins had… Read more Audio

7:52 AM.Public health experts say the country's teetering dangerously close to an Omicron outbreak, with the variant detected in an Auckland MIQ worker.

The new community Omicron case, confirmed over the… Read more Audio

7:46 AM.An Australian court has dealt the final serve in the Novak Djokovic saga.

The world tennis number one has been deported, without being able to defend his title at the Australian Open, which begins… Read more Audio

7:43 AM.The tense wait for information from Tonga's islands continues, following the volcanic eruption and tsunami at the weekend.

The Labour MP for Panmure-Otahuhu, Jenny Salesa, joined a zoom call with… Read more Audio

7:39 AM.Doctors and nurses are stocked up, schooled-up and bracing for an influx as close to half a million primary school children get ready for a special paediatric dose of the Covid-19 vaccine.

From today… Read more Audio

7:36 AM.Doctors and nurses are stocked up, schooled-up and bracing for an influx as close to half a million primary school children get ready for a special paediatric dose of the Covid-19 vaccine.

From today… Read more Audio

7:28 AM.An expert says the volcanic eruption in Tonga is so rare and unusual the global geo-science community is intrigued.

The sonic boom of Saturday's explosion reverberated around the world.

To explain… Read more Audio

7:25 AM.One of the closest villages to the volcano in Tonga is on the isolated island of Nomuka.

The Sheen family run a whale-watching business there, but they have been in New Zealand over the past month… Read more Audio

7:20 AM.Red Cross teams in Tonga are distributing relief supplies.

There are currently enough supplies in the country to support 1200 homes.

Max Towle is joined live from Suva in Fiji by the Pacific head of… Read more Audio

7:15 AM.Communication lines with Tonga are still down, following a volcanic eruption and tsunami on Saturday.

Tonga's underwater volcano Hunga Tonga Hunga Ha'apai has been erupting intermittently since… Read more Audio

7:09 AM.A Defence Force plane is due to depart Whenuapai air base in Auckland for Tonga this morning, to assess the damage from Saturday's eruption and tsunami.

There are no reports of injury or death - but… Read more Audio