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All Blacks wing Mark Telea has been dropped for the weekend's quarterfinal with Ireland, after being stood down for disciplinary reasons. It's understood the Blues winger - who's scored three tries in two matches this World Cup - breached team curfew rules, and will be replaced by Leicester Fainga'anuku. Other quarterfinals this weekend are South Africa vs France, England vs Fiji and Wales vs Arge...

Wellington Mayor Tory Whanau has issued five of her councillors with a code of conduct complaint, alleging they breached confidentiality. Whanau confirmed she received a complaint about the conduct of five councillors from Deputy Mayor Laurie Foon and, after seeking advice, decided to proceed with issuing the complaint. “To assist me in my consideration of these allegations, I have initiated an in...

Anti-Semitic incidents have surged in Britain in the three days since Hamas attacked Israel. The Community Security Trust, a charity focused on protecting the UK's Jewish community has reported 89 anti-Semitic incidents in the region- a 320 percent increase. UK correspondent Enda Brady says property has been vandalised, flags have been taken down and security has been amplified. LISTEN ABOVE See o...

Tonight on The Huddle, Curia pollster and Kiwiblog editor David Farrar and Neale Jones from Capital PR joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day- and more!  What did we think of last night's political polls? Do we think the election result will be different from what they show? Will NZ First still be the kingmaker party? Are we surprised more New Zealanders are calling for a...

An expert warns the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict comes with ramifications for investors. The death toll on both Palestinian and Israeli sides has reached nearly 2500 in total, with 338,000 in Gaza displaced. Sam Dickie from Fisher Funds says the impact of this tragedy can be weighed against the economic complications surrounding the Russia-Ukraine war. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for...

Sheep and beef farm profit margins are expected to fall a further 30 percent, according to Beef + Lamb NZ's Season Outlook. This lower profitability comes at a time where farmers are already struggling to rebuild from Cyclone Gabrielle and prepare for dry conditions ahead of El Niño, painting a grim picture in experts' eyes. The Country's Jamie Mackay says there's further downsides to this negativ...

Signs food price inflation may be turning a corner and cooling down. Stats NZ data shows food prices are 8 percent higher for the year to September- but it's also the lowest since July 2022. NZ Herald business editor at large Liam Dann says this inflation cooldown is to be expected after months of increased food prices. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Pressure is mounting as Fletcher Building tries to work their way through an ongoing trading halt. The building company is trying to work out a possible solution in relation to plumbing failures occurring in Western Australia. Australian firm BGC says these issues with Fletcher subsidiary Iplex will cost the company over $1.8 billion to fix. BusinessDesk's Victoria Young says Fletcher has maintain...

Hipkins has claimed a National-led Government will set key Maori initiatives back extensively. The Prime Minister has hit out at the opposition, declaring National's Chris Luxon will reverse all 'By Maori for Maori' progress Labour has made. Hipkins also compared Luxon's approach to Don Brash's 'divisive' 2005 campaign. ZB political editor Jason Walls says Hipkins' allegations don't match National...

TOP leader Raf Manji says Labour and National have 'pulled back' from the Christchurch seat of Ilam, paving the way for him to get into Parliament. Labour's Ilam candidate Sarah Pallett has dismissed Manji's claims as 'rubbish', and claims Labour is still in it to win it. "We've been campaigning so hard, and it's a tiny bit insulting to my volunteers, who've really put in the hard yards and contin...

German sandal company Birkenstock experienced a disappointing debut after landing on the New York Stock exchange. The brand experienced a meteoric rise in popularity over the past decade, selling over 30 million pairs in 2022 alone. Birkenstock priced its initial public offering at $46 a share- but the share prices quickly fell 12.6 percent and closed at $40.20. Stake Chief Marketing Officer Bryan...

No emotion from a Christchurch man after he was convicted of murdering his childhood friend. David Benbow has been found guilty of murdering Michael McGrath in 2017. The murder charge was proven with no body, no murder weapon and no forensic evidence. The jury delivered its verdict, after deliberating for 18 hours over three days. The Herald's Sam Sherwood was in court and says McGrath's supporter...

Negotiations are underway for a humanitarian corridor in Gaza, ahead of Israel's ground offensive. The death toll on both Palestinian and Israeli sides is nearing 2500, with 338,000 in Gaza displaced. The UN is working with the US, Egypt and Israel on establishing a humanitarian corridor on Gaza's border with Egypt. Newshub Europe Correspondent Lisette Reymer says all sides are being forced to mak...

Eddie Jones is reportedly ditching the Wallabies to return to Japan. According to a Japanese sports newspaper, the former England coach and two-time Wallabies coach is heading back to the Brave Blossoms- eight years after leaving the same job. Australian correspondent Murray Olds says these claims are mostly speculation- and Eddie Jones hasn't confirmed anything. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/li...

The New Zealand Breakers have voiced their support for Israel on social media. In a post on the team's Instagram account, the Breakers claimed they were 'deeply saddened' by the attacks in Israel by Hamas and that they stood with the people of Israel. This post has inspired discussion and sparked backlash- and Sportstalk's D'Arcy Waldegrave weighed in on the public reaction. LISTEN ABOVE     See o...

The question is being asked- should salaries be made public? Kiwi start-up company Tracksuit is doing just that, introducing pay transparency across its entire 51-person staff. People lead Christine van Hoffen says while it can be uncomfortable at first, it's had positive effects on the team. Employment expert Max Whitehead says pay transparency allows room for trouble. "It becomes this resentment...

The EU has warned Elon Musk that X is being used to spread 'disinformation' about Hamas' attack on Israel. EU industry chief Thierry Breton says Musk's platform has been used to disseminate illegal content and disinformation within the European Union. Musk responded by claiming X's company policy was that everything is open source and transparent. UK correspondent Gavin Grey says the Digital Servi...

Tonight on The Huddle, Jordan Williams from the Taxpayers' Union and Jack Tame from ZB's Saturday Mornings and Q&A joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day- and more! Recent polls indicate National's popularity may have peaked and the gap between left and right blocs is narrowing. Both the new Newshub-Reid Research and One News Verian polls show National and ACT will nee...

Net migration has reached a new record high. Stats NZ says in the year to August, 110,000 more people moved to New Zealand than left. Arrivals reached an all-time high of 225,000, and migrant departures got to 115,000. Milford Asset Management's Frances Sweetman explains why this new wave of migrant workers are drawn to New Zealand. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Taxes - and tax cuts - have turned into a political football this election. Changing income tax rates is high on the agendas of most political parties, with National and ACT promising adjustments and the Greens, Te Pāti Māori and TOP calling for progress. What would this mean for voters? NZ Herald Wellington business editor Jenee Tibshraeny breaks down these proposed policies. LISTEN ABOVE   See o...

Roadworkers in Rotorua have been shot at with a BB gun, verbally abused and left traumatised in Rotorua, Waka Kotahi claims. Police have since issued a formal warning to one person after the incident, which took place at a detour point near the Utuhina Stream Bridge. Waka Kotahi's David Speirs says the bridge repairs have caused a spike in traffic delays during peak times, but there's no excuse fo...

The election is on a knife-edge, with the gap between the left and right blocs narrowing in tonight's latest political polls. Both the Newshub-Reid Research One News Verian polls show National and ACT need New Zealand First to govern. National has fallen more than four points according to Newshub - down to 34.5 percent - while Labour gains in both surveys, but remains in the 20s. National's financ...

The Police Association is sounding the alarm over a spike in mental health-related callouts. The reported figures are up 55 percent in the last 5 years, with 77,000 callouts per year connected to mental health issues. Police Association President Chris Cahill says police are unable to keep up with this level of demand- especially with cases that aren't linked to criminal offending. "Police are get...

A company is moving marketing to a new level by trying to use the power of everyday Kiwis. Social media business TheSalt is entering the New Zealand market by paying users to post about specific brands, including McDonald's and Netflix- paying a starting $50 per post. Co-Founder in New Zealand, Shayne Moore , says using genuine locals is a good marketing technique. "It's all about community and co...

Provincial areas in New Zealand are feeling the impacts as growing numbers of Kiwis jet off overseas. Stats NZ says in the year to August, 110,000 more people moved to New Zealand than left. Arrivals reached an all-time high of 225,000, with 115,000 migrant departures. Infometrics Principal Economist Brad Olsen says migrants often move to the main cities- but New Zealanders are leaving from all ov...