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Silver Ferns coach Dame Noeline Taurua has named the 12 players and 3 reserves set to compete at the upcoming Netball World Cup. The selection process was a tough one for Taurua, who described it as 'a high standard with some extremely tight results'.  Sportstalk host D'Arcy Waldegrave explains the tough decisions Noeline Taurua had to make. LISTEN ABOVE   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy i...

Michael Wood is being subjected to more scrutiny following new information about his Auckland Airport shares. Prime Minister Chris Hipkins has revealed Wood was asked to sell his Auckland Airport shares 12 times- rather than the 6 times previously reported. Wood says he's remorseful, but plans to carry on as a Cabinet minister. ZB's senior political correspondent Barry Soper says he's asked around...

New Foodstuffs data reveals there's been a 38 percent increase in retail crime throughout the North Island. Reports collected from New World and PAK'nSAVE stores have found aggressive behaviour and shoplifting have skyrocketed between February and April 2023.  First Union President Robert Reid says the union's first concern is with the staff, who are taking the brunt of retail crime. "It is always...

Two of Auckland's biggest schools are at the centre of a first XV player eligibility debate. A teenage student made a well-being transfer from Mount Albert Grammar to King's College- but faces a two-year stand-down from first XV rugby, according to the 1A code of practice. The teen's father, Aaron Taylor, believes Mount Albert Grammar are being stubborn by not budging on the codes in place. "That'...

Environment Canterbury says ratepayers are bearing the brunt of having to put on extra public transport, to get cruise passengers from Lyttelton to Christchurch. Chairman Peter Scott says it could cost the council $500,000 to accommodate passengers next season. He says that could balloon to $1 million and they can't impose that on ratepayers. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy in...

The primary teaching union has revealed it didn't get everything it wanted from its latest collective agreement. NZEI members have approved the agreement, with pay rises, more classroom release time, and extra allowances for bilingual and cultural immersion teachers. It ends months of disruptive industrial action. Union president Mark Potter says while the agreement is good news, it probably still...

Act is joining National in demanding Michael Wood be fired from Cabinet. Wood remains on stand-down as Transport Minister, after it was revealed he was asked to sell his Auckland Airport shares twelve times, rather than the six times previously reported. It's also emerged he declined an application from the North Shore Aerodrome while he held those airport shares. ACT leader David Seymour says Woo...

The golf world was shocked by the unexpected merger between two rival ventures. Saudi Arabia backed- LIV Golf will join forces with the PGA Tour, creating a commercial operation with the Public Investment Fund and the European tour. NZ Open Tournament Director Michael Glading described this news as a complete 'about-face' for PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan. "I guess sadly, as is happening in al...

The scales have just tipped for Michael Wood, haven’t they? He cannot come back from this , his time as Transport Minister has got to be over . We've just learned in the last two hours   that the Cabinet Office didn’t ask Michael Wood half a dozen times whether he’d sold his shares yet. It was a dozen times. That’s right, 12 times. 19 November 2020 , 9 December 2020 , 14 December 2020, 24 March 20...

Prince Harry unexpectedly skipped the first day of his phone hacking trial against Mirror Group Newspapers. His lawyer later said the royal was celebrating his daughter Lilibet's second birthday. UK correspondent Enda Brady says the judge had ordered Harry to appear, as all witnesses needed to be available to provide evidence. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This evening on The Huddle, former Labour Press Secretary Kaine Thompson and David Farrar, Kiwiblog contributor and Curia pollster, joined in on a discussion about the following news of the day- and more!  Minister Michael Wood is facing backlash over his failure to disclose his Auckland Airport shares. Chris Hipkins has stood him down as Transport Minister, while he sorts out issues around the co...

Synlait Milk's shares surged by 16 percent after renewing their license to produce infant formula for the world's most populous nation. Investors regained confidence in the brand after they successfully secured the right to produce A2 Milk's infant formula for the Chinese market. HighGround Dairy global dairy consultant Stuart Davison says this unexpected jump was a result of the market not pricin...

Despite the looming threat of Clean Car penalties, Ford Rangers still lead the market. According to new data released by the Motor Industry Association, at least 983 Rangers were registered locally in May, beating out the Toyota RAV4 and the Hilux. The Country's Jamie Mackay says everyone is charging in to buy utes before July 1, when Clean Car levies drive prices up. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.c...

Former Canterbury player and coach Rob Penney is set to take over as coach of the Crusaders by 2024. The 59-year-old is 'excited and honoured' to immerse himself within his new team as incumbent Scott Robertson departs to lead the All Blacks. Sportstalk host D'Arcy Waldegrave says Rob Penney has plenty of experience and understands the culture of Crusaders rugby. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/li...

A sweeping review into the country's electoral system recommends a shake-up of MMP is needed to create a fairer and more accessible democracy. This draft report has recommended the 5 percent threshold to get into Parliament be lowered to 3.5 percent, the voting age to be lowered to 16 and a public referendum on a longer Parliamentary term. The Opportunities Party leader Raf Manji thinks the thresh...

Teachers and parents are concerned about the impact Andrew Tate may have on a generation of young men. The controversial influencer has described himself as 'the king of toxic masculinity', and education officials are worried about his content radicalising students. Educator and activist Richie Hardcore shares their concerns, claiming that young listeners have been taken in by his explicitly sexis...

Apple has unveiled one of its most ambitious new hardware products in years. It has released the mixed reality headset, officially named Vision Pro, at its Worldwide Developers Conference. The headset looks like a hi-tech ski mask and is powered by a battery pack worn on the body. It's controlled by tracking users' hands, voice and eyes. BusinessDesk's Peter Griffin says it's meant to create a bet...

If there was one King’s Birthday honour I that was really pleased to see handed out this past weekend, it was the one given to Nicky Hager. I realise Nicky is a controversial figure, because Nicky- quite deliberately it would seem- inserts himself and his reporting into election campaigns  Which means he often becomes the villain to the group of voters supporting the target of his investigation. W...

The Health Minister denies the Government is going soft on vaping. From August, all stores can no longer sell disposable vapes and all devices must have removable batteries. New retailers can't set up within 300 metres of schools and marae. Flavours with childlike names appealing to the young - such as candy floss - will be dumped. Ayesha Verrall says they didn't consult on making vapes prescripti...

National are criticising Minister Michael Wood over his failure to declare his Auckland Airport shares. The Prime Minister has stood him down as Transport Minister while he sorts out issues around the conflict of interest. In the House, it was revealed Wood met airport executives on at least eight occasions. National's Auckland spokesperson Paul Goldsmith says Michael Wood is in an 'untenable' pos...

Transport Minister Michael Wood is facing widespread criticism over failing to declare his shares in Auckland Airport. Prime Minitser Chris Hipkins has stood Michael Wood down effective immediately, while any conflict of interest over his Auckland Airport shares is resolved.  ZB's senior political correspondent Barry Soper says Michael Wood has taken decisions that could amount to a conflict of in...

Australian homeowners will be feeling the pinch as the RBA lifts the OCR by a further 25 basis points. The Reserve Bank's decision to hike the OCR puts the cash rate at 4.1 percent, the highest it's been in 11 years. Australian correspondent Oliver Peterson says over 47 percent of homeowners have asked their banks to decrease or defer payments, and this increase will be another blow to them. "How...

Schools across the country have scrapped NCEA Level One- but one Auckland school is bringing it back. Auckland's Whangaparāoa College is reintroducing the full program next year for Year 10 and 11 students. Principal Steve McCracken says community and stakeholder voices indicate the time is right to bring back these academic standards, after discontinuing them in 2020. "After a consultation in our...

Police will be trialling electric vehicles as motorway patrol units as part of a 1.7 million dollar operation. Police Fleet Manager Brian Yanko told Jack Tame that the fleet is currently responsible for 51% of the Police’s carbon footprint, so they are under a lot of pressure to start mitigating that as fast as they can. The five vehicles will be deployed for testing in five different areas around...

Consumer NZ is calling for the Commerce Commission to investigate New Zealand businesses under claims of greenwashing. They used Air New Zealand as an example, saying that most of their compostable cups wind up in landfill. GoodSense Managing Director Kath Dewar told Jack Tame that although businesses mean well, they tend to be loose in what they say. She says companies need to be more frank with...