Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive

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 baby you'd ever see, she said that he was a happy, chappy baby. In her words, she said she was more than sad about what had happened." Our newsroom understands the mother was one of three staying at the Lower Hutt property at the time. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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 ABOVESee 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, but the families that are choosing to move into those homes are often immigrants- so those two are inter-connected." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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. And the reason for that is because it's been over three weeks since October 14th. The length between the election and the counting of the votes has upset many people, including Christopher Luxon. Yesterday, he spoke to Mike Hosking, today he was talking about it in his stand-up. Yesterday, he said he needs to review the electoral law to find out why it takes so long- and perhaps make some changes. That electorate law, by the way? It's had a lot of changes that have been proposed, he's going to also have to look at the independent electoral review, which suggests all sorts of other changes- like a four year term and a lowering of the electoral threshold. There's a bit of work there. Those two ideas sound good to me- but you know what? I actually don't have a problem with how long it has taken to confirm this election result. I know roughly who's going to be leading the Government, I know what their policies are, I know what they're going to have to do to make them happen, I know what they want to do within the first 100 days. Do I need to know what the exact number is today, or yesterday, or a week ago- or on Friday afternoon? Not really. I know other places are quicker, and I know we're a small country. But as we learnt from the last election in America, this is not a thing that can be done wrong or have the implication that it might be done wrong. In New Zealand, we don't do elections wrong. And I actually think we've also enjoyed the three-week break from all the sniping and belly-aching and name-calling that oppositional politics delivers. But here's the thing, in this vacuum we have had, all sorts of rumours spring up. And I think I've seen this all over social media. Some hard-lefties are positive that the half-million special votes are going to the left bloc, which will change the shape of the election. Some people's loyalties strike them blind. I've seen some people reckon that New Zealand First's vote will go up, meaning that Winston will be Luxon's right-hand man- not David Seymour. They reckon that Luxon would enjoy the easier ride with Winston, because - be sure of it - Seymour's going to be tough on Luxon's inherent centrism, which he can't hide no matter how much he protests. Whatever, we don't know. We will know, for certain, without debate- at 2pm tomorrow. Tomorrow is going to be great, we're going to start forming a Government after all. And given that Christopher Luxon, over the last two days, has been so impatient about the result of this election- I think it's obvious he must be willing to wheel and deal at pace. And then we can start working and moving forward, rather than standing still. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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 kept flip-flopping as the crisis unfolded. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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? Chris Luxon says he's had a chat with Chris Bishop after he compared the Hamas attack to the Holocaust in an email to a member of the public. Is this an example of how difficult it is to tread the line when it comes to this issue? The Labour caucus is set to vote to decide whether or not they want to keep Chris Hipkins around to lead Labour. How do we rate his chances? LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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 Financial Crisis. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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 against antisemitism have claimed Hamas' attacks on Israeli civilians saw the worst slaughter of Jews since the Holocaust- so Bishop technically isn't wrong. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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 harm to the environment. "That's not a decision for us to make, obviously, that's up to the Government. But we would support a ban on the public having access to fireworks." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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 project- aligning with the contract. Infrastructure NZ CEO Nick Leggett says problems and miscommunications were present throughout all the stages of this project. "This is the lesson from Transmission Gully- we need to build more, we've got a massive $200 billion infrastructure deficit. We've got to be better at renewing the assets we've got." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

An Oamaru school's under fire for barring students from calling their parents when a group of pupils and staff went missing on a camp. Two students and two staff from St Kevin's College went missing overnight last month at Mount Somers. Search and Rescue teams found them the next morning. Parenting commentator, Nathan Wallis says if it's school policy, it'd be okay. "If it was imposed on them and there's nowhere written down that they're allowed to do that and the parents could have a reasonable expectation that they could contact their kids at any time- then it's not acceptable." The school says it's ordered a full review. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A marketing professor thinks New World's latest pots and pans promo let customers down. Customers have been collecting stickers to claim MasterChef branded cookware. A Wellington customer claims some pans have run out across the city. Auckland University Marketing Professor Mike Lee says you would think the supermarket would have enough stock. "The customers thought they were going to get something, and that's why they spent that money at New World rather than any other retailer." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Chair of General Practice New Zealand says GP capacity issues are becoming a crisis. Te Whatu Ora Health NZ says an overloaded primary healthcare system is to blame for more children turning up at hospital. Bryan Betty says a third of GPs have closed their books, but most are trying to accommodate their base with acute on-the-day appointments, where parents of sick kids can try first. "If capacity is reached or something happens where you can't get in, then you'd need to go to an after-hours medical centre or you'd need to go to an ED if you are concerned, because the prime thing is the child." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Experts claim rising unemployment is necessary medicine to get inflation under control. Stats NZ says unemployment rose to 3.9 percent for the three months to September, up from 3.6 last quarter- and 3.2 a year ago. Infometrics Principal Economist Brad Olsen says those figures are still a lot better than they've been in recent history. "Some of the underlying figures suggest that more people coming in from migration, fewer jobs on offer and more people looking for them means there might not be as much additional pressure on prices as we head into next year." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Former UN ambassador Nikki Haley is gaining more traction in the polls, as Trump holds a steady lead. 53 percent of Republican voters overwhelmingly favour Trump, according to the latest stats- while Haley holds 22 percent of the vote, overtaking Ron DeSantis. US correspondent Dan Mitchinson says it's still anyone's race, but Donald Trump is still likely to lead ahead of February's Republican primary. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A deflated All Blacks cohort have come through the gates at Auckland Airport after returning home from the Rugby World Cup in France. The team's been away for over 70 days, having departed New Zealand back in August. Sportstalk host D'Arcy Waldegrave explains what's coming next for the All Blacks, as they work to move past last weekend's loss. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Former Prime Minister Helen Clark says she's shocked by Israel bombing a densely populated refugee camp in north Gaza. Israel has defended the strike, saying it successfully targeted a Hamas commander responsible for the October 7 attack on Israel. Gaza's Health Ministry says the attack killed at least 50 Palestinians. Clark is also a former head of the UN Development programme. She says the past three weeks have been devastating. "The main UN humanitarian agency in Gaza- 67 of their colleagues have been killed. They're among more than 8,500 dead." LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

UK Foreign Office officials suggested rescinding Benjamin Netanyahu's invitation to a hotly-anticipated AI summit in Bletchley Park. World leaders, experts and tech executives are set to gather at the famed home of World War II codebreakers to discuss safety measures for artificial intelligence. UK correspondent Enda Brady says officials warned Netanyahu's presence could overshadow Rishi Sunak and distract guests from the topics at hand. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tonight on The Huddle, Ali Jones from Red PR and Jordan Williams from the Taxpayers' Union joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day- and more! Former Act MP and Minister Heather Roy wants a ban on public reporting of polls during the voting period because it influences undecided voters. Is this true? Can polls really sway the choices of voters? New research has revealed the number of Kiwi vegans has dropped in recent months, with only three percent identifying as vegan compared to last year's five percent? Why are people making the switch? Have increased food prices driven these numbers down? LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Economists across the Tasman have noticed Australia is battling two significant economic shocks at once. Stubbornly high interest rates offset by an increased surge in inward migration are helping keep inflation up- leading to increased concerns that the RBA could hike the OCR up come November. HSBC chief economist Paul Bloxham says the increased number of migrants will boost inflation in the short term, but the shock could ease once figures stabilise. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The recent collapse of two high-profile Kiwi startups has raised questions about an incoming downturn for businesses and employment. Online grocery retailer Supie was placed into voluntary administration and craft brewer Deep Creek Brewing went into liquidation today. BusinessDesk managing editor Pattrick Smellie says increased interest rates, stubborn inflation and weak consumer confidence could lead to closures becoming more common. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A former ACT MP suggests political polls should be banned once voting opens up during an election campaign. Heather Roy argues that polls have the potential to influence undecided voters during an election period- which doesn't mesh with the strict rules against advertising on election day. She says New Zealand would have fairer and more democratic elections if polls were banned once voting began. "With this election particularly, we just had poll after poll in the two weeks while people were voting- politicians aren't quite sure if they're talking to people who have already voted or are about to vote. I think there just needs to be a rationalisation and some consistency around the rules." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Te Pati Maori is calling on the Government to expel the US ambassador for their country's role in the conflict in Gaza. The Party made the same demand about the Israeli Ambassador, accusing Israel of war crimes. The Maori Party say the US Government has poured billions of dollars into Israel's military and claims it's led to the killing of children in Gaza - not done in self-defence. ZB political editor Jason Walls says it's unlikely New Zealand would expel their US ambassador and distance themselves from their international allies. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

One meat supplier is offering a lifeline to Supie's displaced former employees. The grocery start-up was placed into voluntary administration, leaving 120 workers and thousands of customers out of pocket. Neat Meat managing director Simon Eriksen says the company has already reached out and interviewed several former Supie employees. "As we approach summer, naturally a business like ours is growing- the needs are probably a group of 10 to 15, maybe more staff over that period, maybe half will be permanent. We need good staff." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

After weeks of rumours and speculation, Eddie Jones has finally walked away from coaching the Wallabies. Rugby Australia announced his resignation earlier today- less than a month after Jones denied he was on the move. Rugby writer and former Wallaby Peter FitzSimons says he saw 'disaster' coming, but predicted this move happening years from now. "I saw it ending in tears 4 or 5 years from now. Eddie's a human cattle prod. He takes over teams, he completely exhausts people, he wears out assistant coaches, he wears out players." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hospitalisations of young children that could have been prevented with better primary care have dramatically risen. Te Whatu Ora data shows such preventable hospitalisations for children up to four years old jumped 35 percent in the year ending June. That's nationally - and it's even higher for Auckland alone, at 66 percent. Interim chief clinical officer, Dr Richard Sullivan, says more young people are turning up with pneumonia and gastro illnesses. "So we're really focusing on how we support our communities, our primary care colleagues- to really turn that dial around." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Warehouse says the Grocery Commissioner needs to chop-chop on reform. The retailer claimed an investigation into Sanitarium briefly stopping its supply of Weet-Bix isn't happening quick enough. Sanitarium kept up supply to supermarkets. Warehouse Chief Product Officer Tania Benyon says combined with online grocery startup Supie failing - it's reason for prompt action from the Commissioner. "He should really use the powers that he has to stop that. We want a fair and level playing field, and he is the person able to do that." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Whakaari Management Limited has been found guilty of health and safety failings ahead of the island's 2019 eruption. 47 people were on Whakaari- 22 died and dozens were seriously injured. Newstalk ZB's Chelsea Daniels says the company was found guilty of one charge, but not the other under the Health and Safety Work Act. "What I took away from the verdict was that WML (Whakaari Management Limited) didn't ensure adequate risk assessments were done relating to those tours happening on the island." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

No relief yet from devastating bushfires in rural Queensland. More than 50 homes have been burnt down in Tara, about 300 kilometres west of Brisbane- and two people have died. Conditions are expected to worsen tomorrow, with gusty winds and temperatures topping 40 degrees. Australian correspondent Murray Olds says they don't have exact numbers on how many homes have been destroyed. "Because they haven't been able to send assessment teams out to other parts of the fire ground, there could be dozens more. We simply don't know at this point." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The drawn out saga of Eddie Jones' exit as Wallabies coach is officially over. Rugby Australia have confirmed they've accepted Jones' resignation - just 10 months into his five-year deal. It comes less than a fortnight after the 63-year-old declared his commitment to the role. Sportstalk host D'Arcy Waldegrave explains further. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Oranga Tamariki's chief social worker says it's a complete tragedy every time a child dies. An agency source has told Stuff at least 57 children have been killed since the child protection agency was established in 2017, and almost half had a record with the ministry before their death. Peter Whitcombe says it's important every time a child dies through homicide - that the agency works to understand its role, and what can be learned. "Family situations change, often there can be new relationships, there can be things that become really significant stressors. We can only act on what we know." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

He's only been in the job for a few weeks, but already the new Grocery Commissioner Pierre van Heerden is dealing with the brutal, entrenched reality of the sector that he's been charged with holding to account. It was pretty extraordinary, really. Just amazing timing that on the very same day as online retailer Supie was put into voluntary administration, van Heerden published his top priorities for the Grocery Commissioner role. I think there's one word that would probably summarise all those priorities- competition. The focus of the Grocery Commissioner has to be fostering a properly competitive environment across the grocery sector. And an environment where he or she cannot be afraid of calling out any flicker, any scintilla of anti-competitive behaviour by the supermarket duopoly. I get it, I get that it's complex, I get that there are land covenants, wholesale supply setups- there are all sorts of contractual bits and pieces, all manner of different advantageous rules, systems and get-ups that help the main two players. It's easy to be cynical about the effectiveness of our various Government Commissioners when the Grocery Commissioner role was established. I, like many others, felt like it was a bit of cop-out. We questioned how effective that person could actually be. But here's the thing- there was a huge weight, a massive weight of public support behind the Grocery Commissioner's mission. Kiwis don't need any more Commerce Commission studies to tell us we are getting a crappy deal in aisle 3. Pierre van Heerden, rest assured in the eyes of the public, cannot be more assertive. He cannot be too aggressive or too outspoken. But there's one measure, one measure alone by which he and his role will be judged. And that measure is competition. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Boris Johnson's breaking into the broadcasting industry following his stint in politics. The former Prime Minister has signed on with right-wing channel GB News as a presenter, programme maker and commentator. Johnson promises to deliver his 'unvarnished' views on a range of topics, and will play a key role in the channel's coverage of the US and UK elections. UK correspondent Gavin Grey says Johnson plans to 'showcase the power of Britain around the world'. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tonight on The Huddle, current affairs commentator Josie Pagani and Kiwiblog founder and Curia pollster David Farrar joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day- and more! The Rugby World Cup has finally come to an end- with South Africa narrowly beating out New Zealand to take home the title. What did we think of the result? Was this a fair victory? Have TMOs gone too far? Online grocery startup Supie has gone into voluntary administration after two years of operation. Are we sad to see this development? Does the supermarket duopoly need competition- or regulation? Winston Peters has spoken out and given his first post-election interview. He won't give much away, but expressed interest in getting negotiations wrapped up quickly. What's his goal here? LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The incoming National-led Government is expected to step up for two key international summits. The Pacific Islands Forum and APEC are set to happen within the next few weeks- and it's likely Luxon will attend to represent New Zealand on a wider scale. NZME business commentator Fran O'Sullivan explains what to expect in the coming weeks. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Noted historian and former Former UK Supreme Court Justice Lord Sumption is adamant free speech is under threat in liberal democracies. The Free Speech Union has brought Lord Sumption to New Zealand as the keynote speaker for their AGM and conference- and as part of a wider speaking tour. Lord Sumption says people are no longer inclined to accept dissent or opposing opinions on various issues. "The willingness to accept dissent, to accept the possibility that most people may think that you're wrong, that you may not succeed in getting your own ideas accepted by democratic Governments and parliaments- the inclination to accept these things is diminishing." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Seven rising female-led New Zealand businesses are set to receive funding, resources and mentorship from Coralus. Coralus, formerly known as SheEO, has announced its 2023 Ventures today- expanding their outreach by two more businesses than in previous years. Among this selection is Kiwi Launch Pad, an employer-funded digital platform for new migrants designed to help them successfully settle in Aotearoa. Founder Bridget Romanes says this service has attracted several major employers, from Deloitte, KPMG, TVNZ and KiwiRail. "There's 100,000 migrants who've come to New Zealand since the borders opened, roughly, in July last year. The demand is certainly out there." LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

National's deputy leader won't put a timeframe on how quickly a new Government will form after the final results are in. The party holds the slimmest of majorities if it partners with ACT - but there's still some half-a-million-special ballots to be counted. The official election figures are due out on Friday, and could see the pair needing New Zealand First. Nicola Willis says she knows New Zealanders want them to get on with it. "There's a big job ahead of us to turn the economy around and get things back on track, so we'll be trying to do that in a responsible way- as efficiently as possible." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A World Cup final full of controversial calls ended in disappointment for New Zealand and elation for South Africa. The game saw four yellow cards during the contest - two to each team - with the most prominent being All Blacks captain Sam Cane's card being upgraded to red for direct contact to the head when making a tackle. Newstalk ZB rugby commentator Paul Allison says fans were quick to unload their criticisms onto the officials- which he argues isn't fair. "I don't think we should be blaming the referees or the officials for the end result, I think the All Blacks had their opportunity and they weren't able to take them- the South Africans were." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A senior architecture lecturer says the future of Wellington's Town Hall should be considered - along with its heritage. Mayor Tory Whanau wants to consider changing heritage laws, now the building's earthquake rebuild has blown out to a potential cost of $330 million. Dr Elizabeth Aitken-Rose says sometimes buildings are saved that shouldn't be. But she says New Zealand also tends to knock everything down and start again. "If you think about the Wellington Town Hall, it's not just what it is or what it was- but the purpose it actually serves in the community going on." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Friends cast-mates haven't yet spoken publicly about the death of Matthew Perry, known to millions as Chandler Bing. The 54 year old was found dead yesterday in the hot tub at his LA home. LA entertainment correspondent Sean Mandell says the only reactions reported so far come from sources close to Lisa Kudrow. "Sources close to Kudrow have expressed that Kudrow is allegedly confused and baffled, believing that Perry was in good health recently, that certainly he had been sober." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A promising challenger to the supermarket duopoly has dropped out of the race. Online grocer Supie has entered voluntary administration- owing an estimated $3 million. Analyst Nick Hogendijk says the start-up battled from day one. "The big pressure point will be the significant amount of investment in resources she was going to need to have from day one- it was always going to be difficult against a duopoly that was so well set up, so well-geared." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Australia's free trade deal with the EU has collapsed. Australian correspondent Oliver Petersen says negotiations had been going on for five years, but the final deal wasn't good enough for either side. He says it's to do with access - or lack thereof - that Australian beef producers can get to the EU. "They didn't even get to the table to say- let's sign this off. What's going to happen here- we're going to just look at New Zealand's model and ask if we can do the same thing. But at this stage, no deal." New Zealand signed its own Free Trade Agreement with the EU last year. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Winston Peters has accused the media of having warped priorities. Speaking to The Platform this morning, he took aim at the coverage New Zealand First received on the campaign trail. He says it seemed sausage rolls were more important than public meetings, and standing on the side of the road waving banners was a substitute for policies. ZB political editor Jason Walls says Winston Peters is concerned about establishing a Government as soon as possible. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A hotly-anticipated final ended in disappointment for New Zealand, after the Springboks won the World Cup. The Springboks went scoreless in the second half but managed to hold out a 14-man New Zealand 12-11. Sportstalk host Jason Pine weighs in on the nation's reaction- as some fans are taking the loss out on referee Wayne Barnes. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Lucrative pay and enticing housing packages are luring a number of Kiwi police officers across the ditch. Australian police figures show 77 officers are leaving to work in Queensland, and close to 20 are heading off to the Northern Territory. Constables starting out in the region start out on $100,000 a year, and experienced officers could expect a $118,000 base salary- with $20,000 on offer to cover relocation costs. Police Association president Chris Cahill is concerned these numbers could snowball if officers who leave are open about these incentives. "The real concern is- if they get over there and what they see is as good as they've been told. They'll start telling their mates, one tells one etc. It's a real concern." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sixty years after the onset of Beatlemania and with two of the quartet now dead, artificial intelligence has enabled the release next week of what is promised to be the last “new” Beatles song. The track, called “Now And Then,” will be available Thursday, Nov. 2, as part of a single paired with “Love Me Do,” the very first Beatles single that came out in 1962 in England, it was announced Thursday. “Now And Then” comes from the same batch of unreleased demos written by the late John Lennon, which were taken by his former bandmates to construct the songs “Free As a Bird” and “Real Love,” released in the mid-1990s. Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr and George Harrison worked on “Now And Then” in the same sessions, but technological limitations stood in the way. With the help of artificial intelligence, director Peter Jackson cleared those problems up by “separating” Lennon's original vocals from a piano used in the late 1970s. The much clearer vocals allowed McCartney and Starr to complete the track last year. The survivors packed plenty into it. The new single contains guitar that Harrison had recorded nearly three decades ago, a new drum part by Starr, with McCartney's bass, piano and a slide guitar solo he added as a tribute to Harrison, who died in 2001. McCartney and Starr sang backup. McCartney also added a string arrangement written with the help of Giles Martin, son of the late Beatles producer George Martin. As if that wasn't enough, they weaved in backing vocals from the original Beatles recordings of “Here, There and Everywhere,” “Eleanor Rigby” and “Because.” “There it was, John's voice, crystal clear,” McCartney said in the announcement. “It's quite emotional. And we all play on it, it's a genuine Beatles recording. In 2023 to still be working on Beatles music, and about to release a new song the public haven't heard, I think it's quite an exciting thing.” Harrison's widow, Olivia, said he felt in the 1990s that the technical problems made it impossible to release a song that met the band's standards. With the improvements, “he would have wholeheartedly” joined Paul and Ringo in completing the song now if he were still alive, she said. Next Wednesday, the day before the song's release, a 12-minute film that tells the story of the new recording will be made public. Later in the month, expanded versions of the Beatles' compilations “1962-1966” and “1967-1970” will be released. “Now And Then,” despite coming much later than 1970, will be added to the latter collection. The surviving Beatles have skillfully released new projects, like remixes of their old albums that include studio outtakes and Jackson's “Get Back” film, usually timed to appeal to nostalgic fans around the holiday season. This year, it's the grand finale of new music. “This is the last track, ever, that you’ll get the four Beatles on the track. John, Paul, George, and Ringo,” Starr said in a recent interview with The Associated Press. - by David Bauder, APSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Former Chinese Premier Li Keqiang, once seen as a reform-minded contender to the country’s top leadership role, died of a sudden heart attack early Friday in Shanghai, state media reported. He was 68 years old. Li, who was nominally China’s No. 2 leader until late last year, served as the country’s premier – traditionally in charge of the economy – for a decade from 2013 to March this year under strongman leader Xi Jinping. During his time in the role, Li navigated the world’s second-largest economy through a challenging period of rising technology and trade tensions with the United States, mounting government debt and unemployment, and the Covid-19 pandemic. In his final year in power, the economist by training had been a strong voice warning of challenges to China’s economy amid widespread Covid-19 lockdowns. He backed efforts to boost employment and maintain economic stability. As the news of Li’s death broke Friday morning, social media users circulated a line from Li’s annual address to China’s rubber stamp parliament in 2022, where he pledged that, “No matter how the international environment may change, China will keep the course of wider openness.” Li, known to use his English language skills on occasion in appearances outside the mainland, was seen as representing a different approach to China’s ties with the world, at a time when the country’s relations with the West have grown increasingly strained. “China and the United States have common interests,” Li said in response to CNN’s question at his annual press conference in March 2021. “The two countries need to put more energy on their common ground and expand converging interests.” Li is also remembered for his focus on addressing societal ills – with social media users on Friday also pointing to his 2020 comments noting that China still had 600 million people with a monthly income of 1,000 yuan ($137). Those remarks came at a time when China was touting its success in lifting millions out of poverty as a point of national pride. Li, a highly educated technocrat with degrees in law and economics, was considered friendly to the private sector. He was seen to have an increasingly diverging economic policy stance from Xi, who tightened party control over the economy. A reform-minded leader Li is widely seen as a protege of Xi’s predecessor, Hu Jintao, who presided over an era of rapid growth in China from 2002 to 2012. The men shared economic sensibilities and rose to power through the Communist Party’s Youth League, once seen as a training ground for future leaders. The faction was known for producing reform-minded leaders hailing from humble family backgrounds, but its influence is believed to have been crushed by Xi since he came to power. The relationship between Li and Hu was in the spotlight last year when the former top leader was unexpectedly led out of the closing ceremony of the October 2022 Communist Party Congress, where Xi further consolidated power. In a moment of drama during a usually highly choreographed event, Hu was escorted from the room, pausing on his way out to pat a stony-faced Li on the shoulder, who nodded and turned to watch the former leader depart. State media later suggested Hu left due to health issues. Under Hu, Li was named to the party’s top leadership body, the Politburo Standing Committee, in 2007. He previously held key roles as party chief in industrial Liaoning province and was provincial leader of Henan, an agricultural base. Born in Anhui, Li spent his late teens doing manual labor with the Dongling Production Brigade in the eastern province during the Cultural Revolution, a decade-long social and political upheaval launched by late Chinese leader Mao Zedong. Li was among the first batch of students to sit the college entrance exam after it was reinstated following the end of the Cultural Revolution. In 1978, he enrolled at the prestigious Peking University, where he studied law and later obtained a doctorate in economics. Unlike Xi, Li is not considered one of China’s princelings hailing from a prominent party family. He held positions in the Communist Youth League Central Committee during the 1980s and 90s. His time in the top echelons of China’s Communist Party came to a close last October, when he was not named to the party’s Central Committee during a twice-a-decade leadership reshuffle that saw Xi surround himself with key allies. Then 67, Li was one year short of the unofficial retirement age for senior Chinese Communist Party leaders. He was succeeded as premier earlier this year by former Shanghai party chief and Xi loyalist Li Qiang. - by Simone McCarthy and Steven Jiang, CNNSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

All eyes were on Fletcher Building and how shareholders would react at their AGM. Among the issues it’s dealt with recently include the Iplex pipes, directors’ fees and the poor annual results. Business commentator Rod Oram joined Jack Tame. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.