The Wizard says he will run for Christchurch mayor in next year’s local body elections.The decision comes after he lost his $16,000 annual Christchurch City Council honorarium in October.When announcing his intention on Tuesday…

A rust-coloured 1875 almanac, a cloth envelope and a silver coin were found on Wednesday in a time capsule that sat beneath a towering statue of Confederate General Robert E Lee in the US state of Virginia for more than 130 years.

Another book, tattered with a pink cover, appeared to be an edition of "The Huguenot Lovers: A Tale of the Old Dominion" by Collinson Pierrepont Edwards Burgwyn. There also appeared to a pamphlet of some kind.

There were three books total, all of which appeared to be water damaged. Governor Ralph Northam said the books, once dry, will shed light on what people were thinking here in the late 19th century.

READ MORE: Health expert slams 'fear mongering' after leaked virus modelling

"It's an important day for the history of Richmond and Virginia," Mr Northam said, just minutes after lifting open the capsule.

The time capsule was embedded in the pedestal of the Lee statue in Richmond.

But it's not what many here were expecting after state conservators spent five hours gingerly prying it open.

READ MORE: New image shows what man who assaulted girl in 1979 may look like

A newspaper article from 1887 suggested that the capsule contains Civil War memorabilia and a "picture of Lincoln lying in his coffin".

Records from the Library of Virginia also suggested that 37 Richmond residents, organisations and businesses contributed about 60 objects to the capsule, many of which are believed to be related to the Confederacy.

Besides there being far fewer objects, the capsules' dimensions were smaller than expected. The capsule, which is about the size of a large shoe box, was also made of lead, not the copper that state officials believed it would be.

The time capsule had sat under the massive bronze equestrian statue of Lee, which was erected in 1890, for more than 130 years.

READ MORE: Showers return for some as heat builds for Christmas Day

The time capsule was found on Friday by crews working to remove the pedestal where the Lee statue had stood.

The capsule was embedded in a 680-kilogram granite block.

The Lee statue was long seen as a symbol or racial injustice.

Its removal in September came more than a year after Mr Northam ordered that it be taken down following protests that erupted after the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis.

The day after the statue was removed, work crews spent more than 12 hours searching for the time capsule in the 12-metre-tall pedestal but were unable to locate it.

READ MORE: UK records 100,000 COVID-19 cases in one day for the first time

The Lee statue was one of five Confederate tributes along Richmond's Monument Avenue and the only one that belonged to the state.

The four city-owned statues were taken down in 2020, but the Lee statue removal was blocked by two lawsuits until a ruling from the Supreme Court of Virginia in September cleared the way for it to be taken down.

Mr Northam, a Democrat, announced earlier this month that the enormous pedestal would be removed, a reversal from September, when the governor said the pedestal would stay in place so its future could be determined by a community-driven effort to reimagine Monument Avenue.

After Mr Floyd's killing in 2020, the Lee statue became a focal point of the racial justice movement in Richmond.

Since then, the pedestal has been covered in graffiti, some of it profane and much of it denouncing the police.

Some activists wanted to see it remain in place as a work of protest art.

Parts of Queensland will cop a battering today as dangerous thunderstorms expected to bring heavy rain, strong winds and large hail sweep across the state.

The Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) said that residents living in the Maranoa and Warrego Forecast District, including parts of Bollon, will be the worst affected today.

"A moist, unstable airmass with a weak trough across the interior has developed thunderstorms this morning," the BoM said.

LIVE UPDATES: Testing lines already long as row escalates

https://twitter.com/BOM_Qld/status/1473765580842881025?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

"Severe thunderstorms are likely to produce damaging winds, large hailstones and heavy rainfall that may lead to flash flooding in the warning area over the next several hours."

A major flood warning is currently in place for the Balonne River as well as general warnings for the Weir, Thomson and Warrego Rivers.

Residents are advised to seek shelter, avoid deluge and remove cars parked under trees while conditions remain treacherous throughout the day.

Meanwhile, showers will return in other parts of the nation today, ahead of a sweltering Christmas Day for many.

Sydney in particular will see rain move in this morning, after several consecutive days of sunshine.

And while showers will clear for December 25 in Sydney, Brisbane will see showers for the big day – though it'll be a warm 28C.

READ MORE: Health expert slams 'fear mongering' after leaked virus modelling

Clouds are expected to clear in Melbourne today, with temperatures set to reach 21C

Hobart will see a top of 19C today, and will also stay dry for Christmas.

Adelaide will get a cloudy Christmas.

However, as well as a sunny and hot 35C today, Perth is in line for the hottest Christmas Day on record on Saturday.

A top of 42C is expected, with similar heat due on Boxing Day.

READ MORE: What the weather will be like on Christmas Day

An updated COMFIT image of an alleged sexual predator has been released as police continue to investigate the assault of a young girl in Sydney more than 40 years ago.

The girl, then aged nine, was playing with friends in bushland off Randal Crescent and Richard Close in North Rocks, in The Hills district, on the afternoon of Sunday, July 1, 1979, when she was approached by a man claiming to be a council ranger.

The man – described as being aged between 25 and 30 years old – took the girl away from her friends and further into the bush, where he allegedly sexually assaulted her.

LIVE UPDATES: Testing lines already long before opening as row escalates

READ MORE: Showers return for some as heat builds for Christmas Day

Police were notified at the time, but nobody has ever been charged in relation to the incident.

Police have now released an COMFIT image showing what the man may look like now, based on the girl's description of him at the time.

It is understood the man may have lived in the North Rocks area at the time of the incident but could have moved away since.

Anybody with information, or who recognises the man, is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

Tauranga City Council will pay nearly $30 million after an out-of-court agreement to settle historical defective building claims at an apartment building in Mount Maunganui. The Pacific Apartments building at 8 Maunganui Rd was…

Iwi in Taranaki are getting whānau ready for the spread of Covid-19 as local cases grow and the Omicron variant looms at the border.There are now 33 active cases in Taranaki, with the bulk of them making up the Eltham outbreak.Ngāruahine…

An island home off the Gold Coast could soon beat Queensland price records with an expected $50 million sale.

The property, located at 26 Knightsbridge Parade East, Sovereign Islands, features seven bedrooms, nine bathrooms, four lounge rooms, two dining rooms, a 12-car garage and a 25m lap pool.

"This residence is 3000sq m — in the old terms three quarters of an acre — so certainly you can do 10,000 steps just to get through this home just once," agent Alex Caraco from Raine and Horne Elite said.

READ MORE: Omicron is now the dominant version of COVID-19 in the US, health officials say

"Maids quarters at the rear, fully contained, lounge kitchen all beautiful so anybody living here servicing the home they're really living in absolute luxury."

A Bentley Continental and a multimillion-dollar Princess Yacht is included in the eye-watering price.

"You could accommodate 200 people here, you wouldn't even know they were here so any playgirl or playboy who'd love to buy this house, it's available for a cool $50 million," Mr Caraco said.

READ MORE: Omicron or FOMO? What's likely to infect Aussie property buyers more in 2022

Despite the eye-watering figure, he said in a world of prestige real estate, the mansion was selling for a bargain price.

"In Sydney you'd certainly get a house and it wouldn't be on the water for 50 million," he said.

By RNZ Those heading camping over the New Year are being advised to keep a close eye on weather updates, with the possibility of tropical storms causing problems.Today, much of the east coast of New Zealand sweltered in high…

South Australia has reduced PCR testing requirements with those coming from NSW, Victoria and ACT no longer needing one on arrival "if no symptoms are present".

Travellers are still required to have a PCR test 72 hours before departure. Anyone in the state with symptoms is urged to get tested and isolated.

Those seeking PCR tests don't have to sit in cars for "hours and hours", Mr Marshall said. 

READ MORE: State by state guide to Australia's latest vaccination rates and COVID-19 case numbers

Instead, he's urged residents to book in for an appointment to eliminate the long wait times currently being experienced.

"What we do want to avoid is having these lengthy line ups, which could potentially discourage people from doing the right thing," he said, before explaining anxiety around Christmas is fuelling high test rates.

"We've gone from 2000 tests a day to around 20,000 tests a day…Get online and make that booking," Mr Marshall said.

Mr Marshall also apologised for testing delays, which he said are being seen around the country.

He said he's in favour of moving booster vaccines forward to four months from five, but this was not approved at an emergency National Cabinet meeting today.

READ MORE: Western Australia reinstates hard border with Tasmania, NT from Boxing Day

COVID-19 cases

South Australia recorded 198 new COVID-19 cases.

Mr Marshall said it's inevitable COVID-19 cases will increase in the state with borders open.

He pointed to NSW, which today recorded 3057 cases but is seeing a lower level of hospitalisations when compared to the Delta wave.

"We're inevitably going to follow a similar trajectory but at a lower level (to NSW). That is a higher level of infection but hopefully a much lower level of hospitalisations," Mr Marshall said.

In the lead-up to borders opening, hospital bed capacity was "flexed up" to around 400 beds across the state, he added.

A search is underway in Canterbury following reports a swimmer disappeared in the Waimakariri River earlier this evening. It is the second emergency water incident in Canterbury today after a young child died in a suspected drowning…