Larry Williams Drive

All Blacks coach Scott Robertson has made some line-up changes ahead of this weekend's Bledisloe Cup opener in Sydney. Beauden Barrett returns to fullback, Will Jordan moves to the right wing, and Ethan de Groot and Caleb Clarke make their return after recovering from injuries.  All Blacks prop Tyrel Lomax hopes the team can turn their luck around after the two recent defeats in Cape Town. He expressed his disappointment with how the last couple of games went for the team - especially towards the end. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

One expert says today's GDP figures paint a bleak picture of the economy - but there's light at the end of the tunnel. Stats NZ revealed this morning a 0.2 percent contraction for the three months to June, following 0.1 percent growth in the March quarter. Kiwibank economist Jarrod Kerr says it's likely the economy won't start growing again until late 2025. "The Reserve Bank's put a stake in the ground - they started cutting in August - and I think that'll mark the turning point." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Philip Polkinghorne must wait at least three more days before a jury rules him innocent or guilty of killing Pauline Hanna. The jury has gone home after telling the judge they couldn't reach a decision today - having deliberated since 11am. They won't sit tomorrow because of a juror's prior commitment and will recommence 11am on Monday. The Herald's Michael Morrah has been in court. He says Polkinghorne reacted emotionally this morning as the 111 call after Hanna died was replayed for the jury. "He was so upset that the judge has to call for the proceedings to be put on hold, essentially." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Government's new bill banning gang patches in public and giving police more power to disperse gangs and bring in non-consorting court orders has passed. Last-minute changes extended the insignia ban to being visible in cars - and inside homes of repeat ban offenders. ZB senior political correspondent Barry Soper says critics of the bill have labelled it a violation of free speech. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Australia's national unemployment rate held steady at 4.2 percent in August. The number of employed people grew by 47,500, and the number of unemployed people declined by 10,500, according to reports. Australian correspondent Murray Olds says this will encourage the Reserve Bank to hold off on cutting interest rates when they next meet. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The All Blacks want to show New Zealand they can bounce back from adversity in Saturday's Bledisloe Cup opener in Sydney. Coach Scott Robertson has made four changes to his 23 from the side that lost in Cape Town, in the second of two defeats to the Springboks. Sportstalk host D'Arcy Waldegrave sums up the selection - and weighs up New Zealand's chances of winning. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Government is proposing lifting the threshold for allowing defendants to elect a jury trial in an effort to reduce the number going through the courts. Currently, defendants can choose between a jury or judge-only trial in cases where their maximum sentence is two or more years in jail. Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith is proposing options of three, five, or seven years - and is seeking feedback on all three. He says the current process has been too slow for too long - and he's aiming to speed it up. "My main concern is too many people having their lives put on hold for years waiting for an outcome of a court case - or if it's a civil case, waiting for a resolution to their problems." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Norway, one of the world's largest exporters of oil, now has more electric cars on its roads than petrol-powered models. Out of the 2.8 million private cars registered there, 754,303 are now all-electric - according to new reports from the Norwegian Road Federation. UK correspondent Gavin Grey says the country aims to be the first to end the sale of new petrol and diesel cars by 2025. LISTEN ABOVE  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New reports confirm at least 68 percent of small and medium Kiwi businesses currently have no plans to use AI. Data from NZIER's Quarterly Survey of Business Opinion says many of these businesses cited a lack of understanding and perceived absence of value as the barriers to AI adoption. Spark Head of Data Matt Bain says the required training to properly use AI has put plenty of companies off.  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Synlait's two biggest shareholders have brought it back from the brink. Shareholders today approved a $218 million capital injection from Bright Dairy and A2 Milk. NZ Shareholders Association CEO Oliver Mander says some shareholders were reluctant ahead of this vote - but plenty were on board. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tonight on The Huddle, Jack Tame from ZB's Saturday Mornings and Q&A and broadcaster Mark Sainsbury joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day - and more! Are the Commonwealth Games done for good? Glasgow has offered to step in and host a scaled-down version of the games after Victoria pulled out of hosting. Is this a sign of the end?  Oji Fibre Solutions is set to close its doors the week before Christmas - cutting 75 jobs. Is this a sign the economy's changing? Amazon is the latest corporate giant to call its staff back to the office for full five-day work weeks again. Is it time we made this a rule for public servants as well? Why doesn't Prime Minister Chris Luxon want to come on Q&A? ACT has also refused to front up on Morning Report and Te Pati Māori won't talk to NZME - is this the right move? LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Consumer confidence has picked up in recent months - but there's still concerns about the future from some. The Westpac McDermott Miller Consumer Confidence survey for the September quarter rose 9 points to 90.8 points. Westpac senior economist says households will be in a better mood as interest rates come down for 2025 - but it'll take a while before Kiwis see the increase in their back pockets. "I think they're going to start to feel a bit more optimistic going into 2025 - some of those headwinds have been pretty tough for the last few years and there's a big relief coming through." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast for Wednesday, 18 September 2024, 9 people have been killed and almost 3000 killed after pagers made for Hezbollah were manipulated and exploded in Lebanon. Terrorism expert Greg Barton says it's almost certain Israel is behind the attack. Where will all our paper be recycled now that the Oji paper mill is set to shut? Nicki Nicol from the NZ Olympic Committee tells Heather she's sure we're not seeing the end of the Commonwealth Games, with Glasgow confirmed to host the games in 2026. Plus the Huddle debates whether we need to stop public servants working from home and make them return to the office five days a week.Get the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast every weekday evening on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Scotland's come to the rescue and offered to host a scaled-down version of the 2026 Commonwealth Games. The event has been adrift after the Victorian Government pulled out of hosting, citing spiralling costs that blew the budget out to $6.6 billion. NZ Olympic Committee CEO Nicki Nicol says cutting down the Commonwealth Games will be a big change - but this is unprecedented territory.  "On the back of that very disappointing decision from our friends across the ditch - we have had to pivot. I have huge gratitude and support for what Scotland have done." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Instagram has made some widespread platform changes to make things safer for teen users. Accounts made by under-18s will be made private by default and notifications won't appear from 10pm to 7am. Instagram is also introducing more adult supervision tools - including letting parents see accounts their teen has recently messaged. Netsafe Chief Online Safety officer Sean Lyons says it's a good step. "It doesn't fix all the problems, but what I think we're starting to see is movement towards giving more protection by default to young people." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There's concerns about how the closure of a South Auckland paper mill will affect kerbside recycling. Oji Fibre Solutions will shut up just a week before Christmas - with the loss of 75 jobs. It's the latest manufacturing firm challenged by high electricity costs, following Winstone Pulp International closing two mills. Auckland Council waste solutions general manager Parul Sood says paper and cardboard collected from homes hasn't been going to the Penrose mill. "It goes to various markets in Asia, because they sell paper and cardboard as a commodity in the markets - and we get a good price for it." LISTEN ABOVE  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There's suggestions a sabotage of a delivery from Taiwan lead to exploding pagers injuring thousands in Lebanon. At least nine people are dead - including a child - and close to 3000 injured after Hezbollah-owned pagers blew up simultaneously. Hezbollah is blaming Israel. Deakin University terrorism expert Greg Barton says Hezbollah ordered 5000 pagers from Taiwan about five months ago to avoid Israeli surveillance. "Presumably, there was circuitry added with explosives, coded so when a wireless message went out with a certain code, it triggered the devices."  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New Zealand First leader Winston Peters has claimed Parliament is in a 'state of decay', taking issue with what he believes is a sharp decline in standards. Peters and his colleague Shane Jones took issue with Te Pāti Māori MP Takuta Ferris after he alleged some in the House are 'masters' of lying. ZB senior political correspondent Barry Soper unpacked the controversy further. LISTEN ABOVE  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Music mogul Sean 'Diddy' Combs has been denied bail after pleading not guilty to sex trafficking. The 54-year-old was arrested in Manhattan yesterday, with several lawsuits accusing him of physical and sexual abuse. US correspondent Dan Mitchinson says Combs was also charged with narcotics offences, kidnapping, arson and bribery - and there's enough evidence to have him put away.  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New Zealand has struck early after Sri Lanka won the toss and elected to bat in the first test against New Zealand at Galle. Will O'Rourke winning the race to partner captain Tim Southee as the side's two seamers, with New Zealand including four spinners. The Black Caps - who have never won in four attempts at the venue - currently have Sri Lanka 29 for one. Sportstalk host D'Arcy Waldegrave unpacks the match further. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.