Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive

Roald Dahl's children's books are being updated to remove 'controversial' language. References to characters being 'fat' or 'ugly' will be removed from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Matilda, and James and the Giant Peach, among others. Book editor and essayist Madison Hamill was initially shocked at the proposed changes, but says some of the edits are reasonable. Madison Hamill says Roald Dah...

Air New Zealand is predicted to reach $323 million in half-year profits, up 188 percent on the same period in 2022. These high earnings can be attributed to strong demand for travel and a reduction in competition. Forsyth Barr Head of Research Andy Bowley says these earnings can be attributed to Air New Zealand's divisive fare increases. Andy Bowley says these prices increases are no different to...

Air New Zealand is predicted to reach $323 million in half-year profits, up 188 percent on the same period in 2022. These high earnings can be attributed to strong demand for travel and a reduction in competition. Forsyth Barr Head of Research Andy Bowley says these earnings can be attributed to Air New Zealand's divisive fare increases. Andy Bowley says these prices increases are no different to...

ACT's David Seymour is calling for the Defence Force to help reclaim control of the Hawke's Bay streets. There have been reports of violence and looting in the region following Cyclone Gabrielle, and police have so far arrested 42 people. Road workers have also been threatened with guns in a recent incident and citizens are setting up road blockades. David Seymour says the NZDF needs to be sent to...

Auckland University is advising staff to use artificial intelligence...to fight artificial intelligence. It's recommending detector tool GPTZero, which can spot if students are using controversial AI essay writing programme ChatGPT. The university is also recommending making assignments harder for such programmes to fake essays. Commercial Law Associate Professor Alex Sims says it's possible to co...

It's unclear just how high the death toll of Cyclone Gabrielle could rise. Police have revealed a death in Puketapu near Napier that is related to flooding, bringing the official total of fatalities to eight. The Hawera Hawks Rugby League Club has also reported that a club stalwart was killed by a slip on the Napier-Taupo road. The Police Commissioner says about 4500 people are uncontactable acros...

Orchards in Hawkes Bay have been devastated by Cyclone Gabrielle. Yummy Fruit Company General Manager Paul Paynter says about 30 percent of his orchards have been destroyed, and some are under more than a metre of silt. Paynter says he expects regional revenue from fruit and wine to decrease by up to 50 percent this year. He told Heather du Plessis-Allan that a wage subsidy and other Government su...

American President Joe Biden says the balloons shot down by the US aren't likely to be related to Chinese spying. Last week three unidentified objects were downed by U.S. fighter planes. International correspondent Dan Mitchinson told Heather du Plessis-Allan that they think the balloons were used to track data such as weather or pollution. Biden has also been declared fit for duty. His doctor has...

Hopefully one of the lessons we learn from the awful destruction caused by this cyclone is that we cannot do the rebuild from this on the cheap. Too often we do things on the cheap.  Take for example what’s just happened to the electricity;  one of the biggest problems right now is a lack of power. At the worst, almost a quarter of a million people had no power, and currently it’s still in the ten...

Nicola Sturgeon has announced her decision to resign as Scotland's first minister. Sources confirm Nicola Sturgeon's resignation was abrupt, citing that she has "had enough". UK correspondent Enda Brady says that politicians everywhere have viewed this resignation as a victory for the UK. Enda Brady says that there were likely many factors that drove Nicola Sturgeon to resign, and that this could...

The fourth quarter earnings coming out of US markets leave a lot to be desired, according to experts. Credit Suisse estimates that the first and second quarter earnings for 2023 are likely to disappoint US companies in the coming months. Sam Dickie from Fisher Funds says the US is likely in an 'earnings recession', and profit growth is at -5 percent. Sam Dickie says that these fourth quarter earni...

Fonterra is gradually getting tankers to isolated dairy farms after Cyclone Gabrielle. An update from Fonterra confirms that tankers are getting to Northland and the Cormandel, but getting to Hawke's Bay is still challenging. Severe damage to the roading networks between Hastings and Wairoa has made it difficult for vehicles to move through the region.  The Country's Jamie Mackay says that the eco...

Today on The Huddle, Trish Sherson from Sherson Willis PR and Ali Jones from Red PR joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day: How do we feel about the Government's response to Cyclone Gabrielle? Is today the day the nation comes to terms with the deaths involved with the disaster? Should the OCR decision be delayed after Cyclone Gabrielle? Would this lead to inflation going...

The Commonwealth Bank of Australia has reported record half-year cash profits. The CBA's inflated earnings are believed to have been generated by a rise in interest rate hikes, causing their shares to plummet. Australian correspondent Murray Olds says the Commonwealth Bank of Australia has since acknowledged that inflationary pressure is hitting people hard, and it's poised to get worse. Murray Ol...

Act has been calling for forestry companies to 'take accountability' for slash following Cyclone Gabrielle.  As part of their proposed replacement to the RMA, Act MP Simon Court stated that the forestry companies need to bear responsibility for the property damage slash incurred in the floods. ZB's senior political correspondent says Act has been going hard on this policy for ages, and the event o...

England dominated in their test match against the Black Caps at Mount Manganui's Bay Oval. Despite New Zealand scoring an extra three wickets, England's Harry Brook has been keeping England ahead. Sports reporter Andrew Alderson explained how Brook has been able to ensure England stays in the lead. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Finance Minister Grant Robertson is due to speak tomorrow with the Auckland Chamber of Commerce. Grant Robertson has been saying that the Government's books are in good shape to handle the financial costs brought about by Cyclone Gabrielle. NZ Herald business editor Liam Dann says the Treasury will be assessing the economic and fiscal costs of the recent extreme weather, and this will likely be di...

Employees have been leaving in droves during the 'Great Resignation', but many may be regretting their choice. A new report from Employment Hero says that 45 percent of employees who have been in their current job for less than a year are looking to move on. Jarrod Haar, a professor of Human Resource Management at Massey University, says that too many people had have the opportunity to job-hop rec...

Napier has been hit hard by Cyclone Gabrielle, with the region expected to face two weeks of no power. Hundreds of desperate, isolated and power-less residents lining up for hours to access gas and petrol. Napier MP Stuart Nash says that the Government is doing everything they possibly can to get these key services back up and running. "We've become sort of addicted to our cellphones and power. We...

The Black Caps are up against England in the first match of a two-test series starting at Bay Oval. England is leading with 134 for 2 after 23 overs in the first session in a disappointing start for the Black Caps. Sportstalk host D'Arcy Waldegrave explained how the Black Caps can turn their luck around. LISTEN ABOVE   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There are fears cyclone-related costs will cripple businesses without Government intervention. Transporting New Zealand's Nick Leggett says the disaster has caused significant damage, including wiping out entire fleets in his sector. He says there should be a Covid-style wage subsidy, for companies that will now struggle to cover wages and costs. "If you've had damage to your property, you've lost...

Calls for the Reserve Bank to delay next week's Official Cash Rate increase. The Monetary Policy Committee is expected to raise interest rates by at least 50 basis points on Wednesday. The OCR already sits at a high 4.25 percent, in a bid to cool New Zealand's stubborn 7.2 percent inflation rate. But Kiwibank chief economist Jarrod Kerr says in the middle of a national emergency, now is not the ti...

In Hawke's Bay, many communities face another night without power, with 37,000 homes out across the region, more than three quarters of them in Napier. Essential supplies are getting to isolated parts of Hawke's Bay and Tairawhiti. NZ Herald reporter Adam Pearse visited rural Hawke's Bay town Puketapu today. He says the village looks like a bomb site, with roads covered in mud and water and homes...

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The damage to the Hawke's Bay region is being described as complete and utter destruction. 37,000 homes still don't have power, more than the 31,000 in Napier, with Redclyffe substation still out of action. Essential supplies are getting to isolated parts of Hawke's Bay and Tairawhiti. Rotorforce Helicopters chief pilot Joe Faram has seen the destruction in Esk Valley at first-hand while carrying...