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Novak Djokovic has claimed his 10th Australian Open championship and record-tying 22nd Grand Slam title over the weekend. This gives him the same amount of wins as Rafael Nadal and two more than Roger Federer. This has led to tennis enthusiasts debating on whether Novak Djokovic is the next GOAT, but Weekend Sport host Jason Pine isn't convinced. Jason Pine says there's more to being the GOAT than...

The State Highway network around Coromandel has taken a battering from the rain, and more is on the way within the next 48 hours. The road at the summit of State Highway 25A has completely collapsed. Workers trying to repair State Highway 25 have faced setbacks because of constant slips. Thames-Coromandel Defence Controller Garry Towler says MetService have issued a red-level heavy rain warning. "...

Nearly nine-thousand locals have signed a petition calling for a massive overhaul of forestry across Tairāwhiti. Beaches, farms, waterways, and homes have been covered in woody debris from ex-Tropical cyclone Hale this month. A boy died on Wednesday after falling from a log on Waikanae Beach and hitting his head. Petition organiser Manu Caddie says that most of the region is feeling great frustrat...

Auckland Transport has apologised to Elton John fans after a fiasco triggered by closures of the rail network. It posted on Facebook last night, recommending driving to the concerts tonight and tomorrow. The agency has now revoked the advice, saying it has a full transport plan in place, including special event buses. Metro Services group manager Darek Koper told Heather du Plessis-Allan that they...

The owner of a section that's become a makeshift camp for homeless people in Christchurch has defended letting them stay. About six homeless men have taken over the vacant plot opposite the luxurious George Hotel and iconic Hagley Park. The property is owned by renowned Christchurch surgeon Frank Frizelle, who is letting the homeless men remain. He says he didn't invite them, but he has no problem...

Multiple criminal cases against police officers in the UK are expected to go to court within the next few weeks. New information from the Metropolitan Police commissioner says that two or three cases per week for the next few months will appear in court. These charges range from sexual abuse to domestic violence. UK correspondent Enda Brady said that this will likely be a difficult time for Met po...

Stocks have risen this Monday, as investors have observed that interest rate hikes from the Federal Reserve may be slowing down. This newly released round of quarterly financial results have indicated that figures are surging, especially following China's reopening.  Sam Dickie from Fisher Funds says that these rises are linked to interest rates potentially slowing down and China reopening followi...

New Zealand's food and fibre sectors hope to find out what they can expect from new Prime Minister Chris Hipkins. Leaders from those sectors are unaware about what the new PM can offer them, with Federated Farmers president Andrew Hoggard saying that Hipkins wasn't part of the ministerial team meeting with them. The Country's Jamie Mackay says that farmers have a lot of pressing issues Chris Hipki...

New Zealand-based company Laybuy has announced they will be de-listing from the ASX. 2022 was a difficult year for the buy now, pay later company and their plummeting shares led to them removing themselves from the exchange because the costs were outweighing the benefits. NZ Shareholders Association CEO Oliver Mander said this is the right decision for them at this stage. Mander says this is impor...

Auckland Business Chamber CEO Simon Bridges is confident Prime Minister Chris Hipkins will make positive changes to our business sector. The two of them met in Auckland after Bridges organised a roundtable meeting with business leaders across the region. NZ Herald business editor Liam Dann is less confident about what Chris Hipkins can do for the economy. Liam Dann says Chris Hipkins could make ch...

On today's edition of the Huddle, Phil O'Reilly from Iron Duke Partners and Ali Jones from Red PR joined in on a discussion about the following pressing issues: Prime Minister Chris Hipkins spent his first full day on the job meeting with key members of the Auckland business community in order to address their concerns. Will anything come of this roundtable discussion, or will he walk his promises...

The Warehouse Group has announced they will be cutting 190 jobs in order to respond to challenging market conditions ahead. This comes a day after Mediaworks informed staff they would cut 90 jobs in an email. Mark Hampton, an investment adviser at Hamilton Hindin Greene says these job cuts are the start of companies preparing to tighten their belts and recession-proof themselves. "They've got to d...

The Quad Series final between the Silver Ferns and Australia was tarnished by a bizarre moment from the umpires. Silver Ferns captain Ameliaranne Ekenasio scored a goal, but both umpires were distracted by separate events on the court and missed it. The umpires then conferred and said the goal couldn't be counted. Netball commentator Jenny Woods was "lost for words" as she watched the events unfol...

A Waikato wetland sanctuary is reintroducing rats to try to stop birds pooing in a prized lake. It's a last resort to try to scare off half a million sparrows and starlings roosting at Lake Rotopiko. The birds defecate so much, it's changing the ecosystem and affecting the water quality. National Wetlands Trust spokesperson, John Innes says they've released 30 rats to try and deter the birds in a...

A twist in the case of the young boy tasered by police in Rotorua. Police say the 10-year-old came at an officer with a knife as they attempted to arrest another person during a family harm incident. Police Association President Chris Cahill says officers have to do a risk assessment in these situations. "When officers are confronted with these situations, they've got to go through a full risk ass...

Immigration was the hot topic at a meeting between Auckland business leaders and the new Prime Minister today. Chris Hipkins sat down with Auckland Business Chamber CEO Simon Bridges and key members of the Auckland business community for a roundtable talk this morning. Simon Bridges says immigration and the labour shortage were front of mind for most there. He says New Zealand needs to be attracti...

Prime Minister Chris Hipkins began his first full day on the job by meeting with members of the Auckland business community. Hipkins attended a gathering in Auckland Central, where he spoke to a set of business leaders to address their current concerns. Barry Soper, ZB's senior political correspondent says that business owners were primarily concerned with the labour shortage, with restaurants and...

Thousands of Australians attended 'Invasion Day' protests today to support Indigenous Australians during the controversial public holiday. Australia Day has a controversial history among the Indigenous community, and many people and establishments boycott the holiday. Australian correspondent Murray Olds says the biggest protest of the day happened in Sydney, with thousands of people gathering in...

The Silver Ferns ended up losing the Quad Series final to Australia. There was a controversial incident in which captain Ameliaranne Ekenasio scored a goal, but neither umpire saw it because they were distracted by a tussle between Grace Nweke and Courtney Bruce. Because neither umpire saw the goal and there was no VAR replay system available, they said they couldn't count it, leading to a toss-up...

A Nelson family is considering selling their home as they struggle to cope with mortgage interest rate rises. They bought their home for $1.2 million in 2021, with a loan topping $1 million. They were initially paying $4,000 a month, but that's set to become more than $6,000 a month in March, on the bank's new 6.49 percent fixed term. Homeowner Aaron Rubin says the rising interest rates will drain...

There are growing concerns that a number of UK-based companies may be forced to collapse in the coming months. The current cost of living crisis has led to an increase in companies getting closer to shutting their doors, with that number having gone up since the end of 2022. UK correspondent Kay Oliver describes the predicted shutdown of these businesses will have a snowball effect on the economy,...

New Zealand's annual Consumer Price Index (CPI) has remained steady this December quarter, leading banks to believe inflation may have peaked. ANZ, Kiwibank, and Westpac have rethought their OCR outlooks ahead of February's OCR movement, according to NZ Herald Wellington business editor Jenee Tibshraeney. Jenee Tibshraeney says that economists from these leading banks now believe the Reserve Bank...

Wellington startup Fussy Catering is designed to offer workplace events more choices in the 'new normal'. Fussy is a digital platform that allows all registered attendees at an event to pre-select a meal from a range of participating eateries.  Co-founder Bobby Lloyd explained that Fussy is designed to make workplace catering an easier process for event organisers and attendees.  Lloyd says that a...

Today on The Huddle, Tim Wilson from Maxim Institute and Mike Munroe, former Labour chief of staff and current director at Mike Munroe Communications joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day: Prime Minister Chris Hipkins delivered his first post-Cabinet address today- what did we think of it? Should there have been more announcements attached to it?  Did Jacinda Ardern make...

Kiwifruit marketer Zespri has shocked growers with an announcement that they won't be paying them out for February.  Zespri stated that fruit quality issues from the 2022 season created additional costs for them to factor in. Zespri Chief Grower Carol Ward says that 2022 has been a challenging season for kiwifruit and other produce, and the fruit quality issues impacted on their returns. Carol say...