Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive

Warner Bros. Discovery's Asia Pacific president reckons shutting down Newshub at the end of June is the best way forward. Staff were shocked as the company announced they would close down Newshub's newsroom and website- blaming financial headwinds and a tough advertising market. President James Gibbons says he's come to the conclusion this is the right approach. "We've certainly come to the conclu...

Uncertainty over the future for hundreds of Newshub workers, following the shock announcement its newsroom will close. Warner Brothers Discovery executives told staff today they're shutting the newsroom and website, from the end of June. The former-Mediaworks news company says it's battled financial headwinds and plans to focus on streaming service, ThreeNow, not news. Media commentator Bill Ralst...

Over in the UK, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak says he's 'living proof' the country isn't racist. This is off the back of a recent controversy involving newly-suspended MP Lee Anderson making some Islamophobic comments during an interview. UK correspondent Enda Brady says Rishi Sunak is trying to save face during the 'dying embers' of his tenure. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy in...

Tonight on The Huddle, Matt Heath from Radio Hauraki and Jordan Williams from the Taxpayers' Union joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day- and more! Former Cabinet Minister Stuart Nash went on a verbal bender today to prove how committed he was to being tough on crime as Police Minister. Leader Chris Hipkins has accused him of breaching confidentiality terms- is this fair?...

As several trade ministers come together for this week's WTO meeting in Abu Dhabi, some experts are less hopeful. Stephen Jacobi, the executive director of the International Business Forum, says there's no chance of an agreement for further cuts to agricultural subsidies and tariffs. The Country's Jamie Mackay explains why he's less than optimistic about this gathering. LISTEN ABOVE   See omnystud...

Immigration NZ have found themselves in hot water for failing to do enough risk analysis for migrant workers. A review of the Accredited Employer Work Visa Scheme has found the department had insufficient checks and balances for preventing migrant exploitation. BusinessDesk's Pattrick Smellie says this feedback could send the wrong signal for the future of immigration.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio...

The Aggregate and Quarry Association says urgent intervention is needed to avoid delays in construction projects in the Upper North Island. Auckland reportedly ran out of sand fit for construction purposes, and the quarry industry head says an interim fix is needed to get projects back on track. CEO Wayne Scott says they've been on the cusp of a major shortage for 12 months before the end of 2023....

Sir John Key believes the time was right to step down as chair of the country's biggest bank. Key has been working with ANZ's Australian and New Zealand boards since 2017, and became chair in 2018. He says the bank is in good shape and they had an obvious replacement in mind- so he knew he was ready to retire. "The timing seemed about right for me, and it's a pretty good time for the bank as well....

A nursing recruiter says programmes for overseas trained nurses aren't enough for them to develop the necessary skills to work in New Zealand. Canterbury nursing jobs have been listed stating overseas nurses who have just recently completed the competency assessment programme won't be accepted. Gore Hospital recently had 80 international nurses apply for a job, but none had the needed experience....

Countdown Dunedin South's intense pest management days may be behind them. The store's been closed since February 10 after multiple continued rat sightings. If none are spotted overnight, MPI have given them the all clear for opening tomorrow. Consumer NZ's Jon Duffy says rats have a bad name - but people need to have faith the pests are being properly dealt with. "You've got to trust that MPI are...

Virgin Voyages won't be having a second season down under. Next summer's sailings of the Resilient Lady are cancelled in New Zealand and Australia to avoid growing tensions in the Red Sea. New Zealand Cruise Association CEO Jacqui Lloyd says they'll be monitoring this situation closely. "We do have vessels that travel down from Alaska, they come from Asia, they might be based over in Australia for...

Immigration New Zealand's boss says it's unacceptable staff concerns were ignored. The Public Service Commission's released its report on the Accredited Employer Work Visa scheme, which began after a whistle-blower alerted the Minister to a lack of checks and balances. The review has found Immigration New Zealand should have done more to minimise migrant exploitation risk, when regulations loosene...

The Government is taking the first steps towards dismantling the Māori Health Authority. A Bill to bring about its end will pass under urgency tonight, with the Authority being scrapped for good by June 30. ZB senior political correspondent Barry Soper says Minister Shane Reti has claimed axing the Authority will improve healthcare for all New Zealanders. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener f...

New South Wales police are still searching for missing Sydney couple, Jesse Baird and Luke Davies. They've accused 28-year-old constable, Beau Lamarre-Condon, of murdering them in Baird's home. Detectives are again scouring a rural property visited by Lamarre-Condon, after finding nothing yesterday. Australian correspondent Murray Olds says the accused constable is refusing to co-operate with the...

Black Caps paceman Neil Wagner has called time on his international cricket career. The 37-year-old left-arm pace bowler will bow out after two-match series against Australia, but appears unlikely to play them. Sportstalk host D'Arcy Waldegrave explains his impact within the sport. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New data has revealed a sharp spike in people using their phones behind the wheel. The latest figures show over 42,210 offences by phone-distracted drivers had been recorded in the first nine months of 2023. Prime Minister Chris Luxon has also claimed he's willing to increase the $150 fine for distracted drivers. Brake NZ Development Director Caroline Perry says it's 'disappointing' that so many p...

The UK Government has announced £4.7 billion will be used to fund transport projects outside big cities in the Midlands and northern England. It’s a redirection of funds from the scrapped northern legs of the HS2 rail line. UK correspondent Gavin Grey says this announcement has been met with mixed reactions from the Opposition and prospective voters. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for pr...

Tonight on The Huddle, Child Fund Chief Executive Josie Pagani and Trish Sherson from Sherson Willis PR joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day- and more! Hundreds of people, including fellow politicians Chloe Swarbrick, Carmel Sepuloni and Chris Hipkins, came to Auckland to pay tribute to deceased MP Efeso Collins. What will people remember about Efeso's legacy- or politic...

Several trade ministers from the World Trade Organisation are expected to gather over the next few days. The MC13 gathering, held in Abu Dhabi, will be co-chaired by New Zealand's own Trade Minister- Todd McClay. NZME business commentator Fran O'Sullivan says New Zealand has a lot to gain over this timeframe, if McClay does well. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hundreds of school building project plans may need changing. The Government is launching a Ministerial Inquiry into cost overruns, with up to 350 projects possibly in peril. Already, the Education Ministry has frozen major projects at 20 schools. ZB senior political correspondent Barry Soper says the Government's message about 'wasteful spending' sets the tone for the upcoming budget. LISTEN ABOVE...

Michael Hill is boosting its presence in Australia as New Zealand sales drop amid ongoing thefts. Overall half-year earnings were down by 55 percent on last year, with New Zealand being marked as a 'laggard' for the company. CEO Daniel Bracken says Australian consumers are feeling more positive about the state of their economy than New Zealanders. "There's been a number of things at play in the Ne...

The Finance Minister is committed to ensuring the fees-free policy is shifted to the final year of tertiary education, rather than the first. Questions have been raised about the effectiveness of the scheme, after data revealed there was no discernible evidence it helped low decile school students into university. Minister Nicola Willis says fees-free for first year students has failed in its stat...

Wellington Water has again failed to meet fluoridation targets. The water provider says there's been a drop in fluoride levels across the region over the past four months, so it has been unable to meet targets 95 percent of the time. It's blaming equipment issues, treatment plant outages and workplace health and safety improvements. Chief Executive Tonia Haskell says there's been maintenance issue...

After 27 years, a new rival has overtaken Tauranga as New Zealand's fastest growing city. New data shows that in the year to June 2023, Hamilton grew by 3.4 percent while Tauranga only grew by 2.5 percent. Hamilton mayor Paula Southgate says a new uptick in migration and high birth rates have contributed to this population boom. "We're a very young city, our median age is 33. So families are choos...

An Australian crime expert says a ban on gang patches across the ditch has had benefits. In New Zealand, legislation will soon be introduced to Parliament banning gang insignia in public places, letting police issue dispersal notices, and courts issue non-consorting orders. It'll be in force later this year. Queensland University of Technology's Mark Lauchs says a similar law in Queensland had a c...