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International rugby's most experienced referee Wayne Barnes has announced his retirement after 111 tests. His retirement comes just days after the Rugby World Cup final, where he cited online abuse, including death threats, in his reasoning for stepping down. A must-win game for the Black Caps in Bengaluru against Pakistan. The Black Caps have lost their last three in a row, and need a win to all...

David Seymour says he's confident he will be able to work alongside Winston Peters.   The final Special Votes count has confirmed National and ACT will need NZ First to form a government.   He says he has reached out to the New Zealand First leader but hasn't heard back yet.   Seymour told Andrew Dickens they will need to put aside their differences.   “This is a relationship that’s gonna work bas...

Last Monday when I was hosting afternoon talkback I got a pithy little text that said "We've got rid of the clownshow and here comes the 3-ring circus."   It's pretty funny because it's pretty true and it's happened.   The counting of the special votes has confirmed that Luxon and Seymour need Winston and as we all know Seymour and Peters are not BEST friends. Critics warn of a conservative coalit...

After years in the making, the Beatles are set to release their musical farewell to the world. 'Now and Then' features all four members on the track, and will be the last song credited to Lennon, McCartney, Harrison and Starr. The song is being released Friday and the video debuts on Saturday. UK correspondent Enda Brady says this song has been 45 years in the making, with AI enhancing the final p...

Tonight on The Huddle- Sam Johnson, Projects Director at Still and Capital director Neale Jones joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day- and more! MPI has ordered 'brain drink' creators Ārepa to publish a notice saying some of its claimed health and performance benefits are unsubstantiated. Is this marketing misleading- or should consumers have known better? A search is und...

The economic outlook in the United States is looking up. GDP in America has increased at an annual rate of 4.9 percent in the third quarter in 2023, according to recent data. Their inflation is currently at 3.7 percent and consumer spending is surging. Sam Dickie from Fisher Funds recaps the less-than-stellar market reaction to the ongoing US quarterly result season. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.co...

Shareholder confidence in New Zealand's primary sector listed companies has fallen to an eight-year low and dropped 22 percent on the 10 months since January. The S&P/NZX Primary Sector Index dropped to 10,000, a low not seen since January 2016. The Country's Jamie Mackay says only the Fonterra Shareholders Fund has managed to stay positive all year. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener fo...

The incoming National-led Government will soon have to make headway on their plans for the economy. The sector has already reported increased confidence, with data from Auckland's Business Chamber showing confidence levels are up 11 percentage points from before the election. NZ Herald business editor at large Liam Dann says the incoming Government will want to begin by clearing up the short-term...

The nervous wait is almost over for a number of MPs on the cusp of losing their spot in Parliament. The much-anticipated final results - including special votes - will be released tomorrow at 2pm. ZB political editor Jason Walls says a lot's riding on the last 570,000 votes to be counted. "On current numbers, National and ACT can form a slim majority. But it's likely the centre-right bloc will los...

Homes have been destroyed and tens of thousands of hectares of pasture have been burned up, as wildfires tear through Queensland. Conditions have eased today, but dozens of bushfire warnings are in place as firefighters struggle to bring the disasters back under control. Australian correspondent Murray Olds says firefighters are working to build containment lines around dangerous areas, as it's on...

A New York Times piece explored the age-old conundrum- should children be excluded from dinner parties? A child-free couple were eager to spend time with friends, but weren't keen on including their kids on the guest list, sparking debate as to what the most ethical solution could be. NZ Listener food columnist Lauraine Jacobs is in favour of leaving kids out of the equation. "If my son and his wi...

A wave of business failings is expected on the horizon. BWA Insolvency's latest report shows 20 percent more business fell in the third quarter of 2023, than in the same time last year. Their managing director says more are inevitable, with the central Government attempting to drive down discretionary spending. Bryan Williams says there are also an increase in costs and labour shortages. "And ther...

A New Zealand-made drink company has been forced to publish a notice saying it's made some 'unsubstantiated' claims. Ārepa calls its product a 'brain drink', but the scientific community has questioned the assertion it boosts mental and athletic performance. The Ministry for Primary Industries has confirmed the notice the company had put online was compulsory, after an investigation into its label...

An Australian media contingent's waiting outside a police station in a small Victorian town - hoping a woman at the centre of a fatal mushroom lunch will emerge. Erin Patterson's being questioned and her Leongatha home is being searched after her arrest this morning. Three people died in July after eating a meal she prepared in July. Australian correspondent Andrew McFarlane says Patterson's previ...

The mother of baby Ruthless-Empire - whose death is being investigated by police - has spoken out. Storm Angel Wall has told our newsroom after being told the toddler was choking, she rushed him to hospital, where he died. Police are treating the death as a homicide. Herald reporter Sam Sherwood, says Wall told him she denies being involved in the death. "She described him as the happiest little b...

The Black Caps deny their fielding standards are slipping after slumping to a third straight defeat at the Cricket World Cup. They've been trounced by 190 runs by South Africa in Pune - New Zealand was rolled for 167 after allowing the Proteas to reach 357 for four. Sportstalk host D'Arcy Waldegrave explains further. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Extra students are pressuring the roll, resources and planning at New Zealand's biggest school. Education Ministry data shows student rolls grew by nearly 16,000 pupils in the past year, and it says immigration is largely the reason. Rangitoto College Principal Patrick Gale says the school zone has had a lot of infill housing in the past few years. "And that's leading to higher population density,...

This time tomorrow, we will know exactly what we voted for on the 14th of October. The release of the final voting figures will indicate exactly how many seats each party has, and how they can then be part of a coalition, and what the proportion is- and whether they can govern the country or not. To be honest, I had to ask my co-workers what date the election was on, because it felt so long ago. A...

The ongoing inquiry into the UK's response to the Covid-19 pandemic is still underway, and damning allegations have surfaced. Records kept by former chief scientific adviser Sir Patrick Vallance state that former Prime Minister Boris Johnson believed Covid was 'nature's way of dealing with old people'. UK correspondent Gavin Grey says Johnson's pandemic response has been wildly criticised, as he k...

Tonight on The Huddle, Nick Mills from ZB's Wellington Mornings and Trish Sherson from Sherson Willis PR joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day- and more! A school in Ōamaru is under fire after students were banned from contacting their parents on a school camp when a group of pupils and staff went missing. Do you think the kids should have been allowed their phones back?...

New Zealand's sharemarket is in a steady decline, having dropped 20 percent from its January 2021 peak. The selloffs are accelerated, with a reported 10 percent fall over the past 3 months. Milford Asset Management's Mark Riggall explains why the market is in decline- and the role geopolitics has played in these figures. LISTEN ABOVE   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Reserve Bank warns that mortgage stress is set to increase, with more households expected to default on payments. The banking regulator forecasts the portion of banks’ housing lending deemed “non-performing” will almost double by early 2025. NZ Herald Wellington business editor Jenee Tibshraeny says portions are predicted to increase- but it won't reach the figures from the 2009 Global Financi...

Chris Luxon's attempted to rein in a top MP, after the leak of an email Chris Bishop sent a to a constituent, likening Hamas's attacks on Israel to the Holocaust. In the email leaked to social media, Bishop was critical of the murders of woman and children at the hands of Hamas. He said such barbarity has not been seen since the Holocaust. ZB political editor Jason Walls says activist groups again...

As fireworks go up for sale ahead of Guy Fawkes Day, a survey has revealed a majority of Kiwis support a ban on their use. According to data released by AA Insurance, 53 percent of those surveyed supported a ban on recreational use and a further 20 percent wanted fireworks banned outright. Adrian Nacey from FENZ agrees with a potential ban, saying fireworks can cause property damage, injuries and...

The construction companies behind Transmission Gully are suing Waka Kotahi over the roading project, which remains unfinished. While the road is open, the project is still incomplete after missing multiple opening dates and has exceeded its initial $850 million budget.  Waka Kotahi claimed there's a clear disagreement about the outstanding work and standards that need to be met to complete the pro...