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The owner of one of Auckland's most prominent waterfront bars has described the moment armed police stormed in to arrest a pair accused of violently kidnapping a woman on Auckland's North Shore. Police descended on Headquarters Bar on Auckland's Viaduct to apprehend and handcuff the man and woman, who had just ordered drinks. Leo Molloy suspects the police were given intel- as it was a very quick...

A pioneering day for professional women's basketball in this country. Player wages in the five-team Tauihi league will double this season - meaning female players will earn more than their male counterparts. The season is also shifting from a July to an October start, with international expansion likely next year. Sky Sport head of commercialisation Justin Nelson says the league has attracted a go...

The newly implemented Aotearoa Histories Curriculum has faced some bumps in the road. A report from the Education Review Office claims not all schools have been able to fully integrate the curriculum one year on. NZ History Teachers’ Association spokesperson Craig Thornhill isn't surprised by these findings. "There are a lot of positive things in there, but teachers are busy. And I've been hearing...

A little bit of good news- The Government is restoring democracy to councils around the issue of Māori wards. The Government's made the announcement this afternoon that the rules are going back to the way they were. If a council wants to set up a Māori ward, ratepayers will again have the option to petition and force a referendum and potentially, if they want to, overturn that plan altogether. And...

The Local Government Minister says Māori wards on councils should be a decision for the public. Simeon Brown's announced the referendums will be reintroduced, which reverses the previous Government's legislation removing the requirement. It also means Māori wards established since must now hold a binding poll, or disestablish the wards. Brown says about 45 councils will have to go to referendum. "...

Referendums will soon be required in local communities to determine whether to introduce Māori wards. The coalition Government has introducing a bill to reverse Labour's removal of referendums on the matter - a commitment under both ACT and New Zealand First's agreement with National. ZB senior political correspondent Barry Soper says these changes are long overdue. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com...

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has slammed the IDF's explanation following a deadly airstrike that killed 7, including an Australian aid worker. Albanese said Israel's defence - that the World Central Kitchen aid convoy was misidentified - wasn't 'good enough'. Australian correspondent Murray Olds says Albanese has since called for a full inquiry into the matter. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/l...

The White Ferns are searching for a partnership to stick in their second ODI against England in Hamilton. Chasing 253 for the win, New Zealand was 103 for four after 29 overs - having lost regular wickets. Sportstalk host D'Arcy Waldegrave recaps the ongoing match. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Foodstuffs' North Island trial of facial recognition technology is under the microscope. An inquiry by the Privacy Commissioner will monitor the way stores are running the trial to make sure it's compliant with the Privacy Act. Commissioner Michael Webster says at the end of the six month trial, he'll make an assessment of the results. "We'll also be considering other matters in terms of our conce...

Three British aid workers killed in an Israeli airstrike in Gaza have been named following the attack. They were among the seven World Central Kitchen workers killed in Monday's airstrike- the charity has since paused operations in the region.  UK correspondent Gavin Grey explains the impact of these events. LISTEN ABOVE     See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tonight on The Huddle, Jack Tame from ZB's Saturday Mornings and Q&A and Phil O'Reilly from Iron Duke Partners joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day- and more! David Seymour aims to provide more public health advice around sending sick kids to school in order to cut down on poor attendance rates. Do we need harder limitations? Is it better to send sick kids to school,...

More bad news for Synlait Milk following their recent half-year net loss. The company's shares are down almost 70 percent in the last year. Milford Asset Management's Jeremy Hutton explains how the company can reduce debt and improve their condition. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The country's biggest banks are pushing back against measures to share their data and increase competition through open banking. The Commerce Commission wants financial technology firms to link up with the banks- and have urged the Government to crack the whip. NZ Herald Wellington business editor Jenee Tibshraeny says this issue has been going on in the background for several years. LISTEN ABOVE...

The Government has offered overseas secondary teachers a faster route to citizenship to address shortages. Secondary teachers have been moved from the Green List Work to Residence pathway to the Straight to Residence pathway- and they can now apply for residence offshore. ZB senior political correspondent Barry Soper says a recent report labelling Kiwi kids the worst behaved in the OECD won't appe...

The Hurricanes are dealing with a million dollar loss while their team rides high at the top of Super Rugby. While franchises don't make their finances public, the $1.4 million loss for 2023 has been revealed as a result of figures released by the Wellington Rugby Union. Hurricanes director Iain Potter says it was a bad year for the franchise for many reasons. "Some argy-bargy with the Australian...

Auckland's city centre has outpaced New Zealand in both GDP and employment growth for the second year in a row.  According to an Infometrics report, GDP in the city centre grew by 9.2 percent in the year to March 2023, reaching $30.4 billion. Employment was up 7.3 percent in the same period, compared to the equivalent increase of 2.5 percent for the rest of New Zealand. Patrick Reynolds, the Counc...

According to new research, there's a significant gap between the KiwiSaver contributions of men and women. Te Ara Ahunga Ora The Retirement Commission has released a report revealing that women contribute 36 percent less on average yearly than men. Commission policy lead Dr Michelle Reyers says women are more likely to stop working to fulfil care-based responsibilities- or work in part-time roles....

Rotorua locals are upset after a much loved statue was stolen. The bronze statue of a stray dog named Harawene has been cut from its base and taken. It was put up following her death in 2008. Fiona Cairns, who led the fundraising committee to build the statue, says it'll be less worth than what the thieves think. "I would say they think they're going to sell it and make a few dollars. It's a hollo...

Education Minister Erica Stanford says a shortfall of secondary teachers is chronic across the country. The Government has announced a residency fast track for overseas teachers, in a bid to plug the gaps. Stanford, also the Immigration Minister, says by the end of the year we'll be 227 teachers short. "Next year- rising to about 550 and then the year after that, 679. And when I saw those figures...

Taiwan's strongest earthquake in 25 years has killed at least four people, with dozens more injured. Video shows buildings half collapsed in the county of Hualien, near the quake's epicentre. Taiwan correspondent William Yang says while the casualties appear to largely be in that area, the disruption has been more widespread. "In the capital city here in Taipei, all metro lines have been suspended...

US President Joe Biden has rebuked Israel over an airstrike which killed seven aid workers in Gaza. Australian Zomi Frankcom was among those killed when the convoy she was travelling in was hit by an Israeli airstrike. Israel's military has apologised, saying it happened after a misidentification. US correspondent Dan Mitchinson says Biden is more than outraged. "He's accusing Israel of not doing...

There's confirmation Sam Whitelock will retire rather than add to his 153 All Black appearances after his time with French-club Pau. The 35-year-old's ended speculation of a return to New Zealand Rugby. Sportstalk host D'Arcy Waldegrave explains further. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Canterbury's regional council is putting in new procedures to manage a backlog of consent applications. In the last six months of last year, Environment Canterbury were penalised more than a million dollars due to processing delays. But since December, 75 percent of applications have been completed within the legal time frame of 20 working days. Chair Peter Scott says they're ensuring there's a cl...

I'm mostly with David Seymour in that we need to get kids back into class, I'm with him in that we need to slash truancy rates- and there needs to be a very good reason for kids to miss school. I would even go so far as to say this is right up there in top 5 things that need to be sorted in this country. But where we part company is on his call to get kids back into class even if they’re sick. He'...

Controversial author JK Rowling has challenged Scotland's new hate crime laws- and encouraged them to arrest her if need be. The new law states 'stirring up hatred' relating to age, disability, religion and sexual and gender identity can be punishable with a maximum penalty of seven years in prison. UK correspondent Enda Brady says Rowling's remarks - or a potential arrest - could create an awkwar...