Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive

Two more Greek islands, Evia and Corfu, are evacuating travellers as wildfires sweep the region for the sixth day. Over 19,000 people have already been evacuated from Rhodes, 16,000 by land and 3,000 by sea, with no casualties. The Greek Ministry of Climate Change and Civil Protection has described it as the largest evacuation from a wildfire in the country”. UK correspondent Gavin Grey says the breeze is fanning the flames and causing the temperature to soar above 40C. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tonight on The Huddle, current affairs commentator Josie Pagani and Trish Sherson from Sherson Willis PR joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day- and more! Former Justice Minister has quit Cabinet after being charged with careless use of a vehicle and refusing to accompany an officer last night. Ginny Andersen has picked up her portfolio this afternoon. What does this men for Labour's chances in the upcoming election? Is it well and truly over for them? The New Zealand Bar Association is warning against criticising the judiciary following last Thursday's shooting in Auckland CBD. The shooter was serving a sentence of five months' home detention for committing domestic violence. Is this a fair request? LISTEN ABOVE      See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There are growing calls for Labour to arrange a snap election following Kiri Allan's arrest and resignation. Kiri Allan is the latest Minister to depart following Stuart Nash and Michael Wood exiting after getting caught up in controversy. NZME business commentator Fran O'Sullivan believes Chris Hipkins needs to put the current Labour Government out of its misery with an early election. "It's still hard to come back, because you don't expect to have a Justice Minister remonstrating with the police. That's the bit that raises the questions." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Thousands of causal workers in Australia could be on the path to permanent employment thanks to new proposed changes. Workplace Relations Minister Tony Burke says the proposal would close a loophole allowing companies to treat casuals like permanent employees without giving them benefits of secure employment. Australian correspondent Oliver Peterson says some workers will still want the flexibility of casual employment. "They get no sick leave, no annual leave, they get no leave. But they're okay with that, because they pick and choose when they want to work or they pick and choose and have an arrangement." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Twitter's famous blue bird logo is set to fly away to be replaced with a new symbol. Owner Elon Musk confirmed he plans to change the platform's logo to a letter X, marking the latest significant rebrand for the social media company. Social media commentator Vaughn Davis says this change is terrible from a branding perspective, but it could be the start of an expanded future for the platform. "I think that's the plan for Elon Musk and X. To become that app that, like WeChat, does absolutely everything for everyone. That's the plan."  LISTEN ABOVE  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Finance Minister says he's been texting back and forth with Kiri Allan over the past day. Allan quit Cabinet this morning - after being charged with careless use of a vehicle and refusing to accompany an officer last night. The MP for East Coast has been dealing with mental health challenges in recent months. Minister Grant Robertson says Kiri has publicly recognised the need to be held accountable for this. "But I look at it from a human level. You know, she's a person I worked with for a long time, she's somebody I know pretty well and I'm devastated for her and just want to be there to support her." Ginny Anderson is picking up Allan's Justice portfolio, Kieran McAnulty gets Regional Development and Barbara Edmonds becomes Associate Minister of Finance. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the surface, Barbie and Oppenheimer may seem like opposites, but they're bringing in the crowds together. Both movies opened in theatres on the same day and filmgoers have felt inspired to purchase tickets for a 'Barbenheimer' double bill. Auckland University marketing professor Mike Lee says the 'Barbenheimer' experience has brought two different audiences together and increased the market share of both products. "When people go out now, they want to make a bigger deal out of things. And so this is a perfect opportunity to both wallow in our misery and be distracted by something light and fluffy." LISTEN ABOVE  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A suggestion the economics in ACT's latest transport policy won't stack up. The Party says it would fund roading infrastructure with toll roads and more public-private partnerships. Greater Auckland Director Matt Lowrie says today's cost of construction means there's no way tolls could pay it off. "Look at something like Transmission Gully- you'd probably be looking at a toll of around $20 per car, per trip to cover the cost of construction. That was before the cost increased by 50 percent." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A man accused of kidnapping a Christchurch real estate agent had reportedly booked a one-way flight overseas. 44-year-old Harcourts employee Yanfei Bao was last seen in Wigram, on Wednesday. Her cellphone was found on the Southern Motorway on Friday. A 52-year-old Bryndwr man appeared in court today, understood to have been arrested at Christchurch Airport. The Herald's Sam Sherwood says Bao's husband is calling her disappearance a nightmare. "He says it's been a very dark space, but he remains hopeful for a positive outcome for his wife." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kiri Allan's arrest has raised questions about Labour's chances in the upcoming election. Ginny Andersen has taken over as Justice Minister from Kiri Allan - who was charged with careless use of a motor vehicle and refusing to accompany a police officer in Wellington last night. She's the latest Minister exiting Cabinet in recent months, following Stuart Nash and Michael Wood. Former Labour Chief of Staff Mike Munroe says Kiri Allan's departure is another sorry chapter for the party- but there's 80 days left to go. "The concerns that people have got are the concerns around law and order, crime and the cost of living. And we'll find that those issues are going to be front and centre of the political conversation over the next 80 days." LISTEN ABOVE  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kiri Allan has resigned all her portfolios after being charged with reckless driving and resisting arrest following a car crash. The Prime Minister today confirmed the former Justice Minister was taken into custody after the crash on Evans Bay Parade in Roseneath just after 9pm. She was charged with reckless driving and resisting arrest, and was released about 1am. ZB senior political correspondent Barry Soper says Kiri Allan's political career won't recover from this incident- and that Labour's done and dusted. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Swimmer Erika Fairweather welcomes the strength of her 400-metre freestyle peers in the build-up to next year's Paris Olympics. The 19-year-old's claimed bronze at the world championships in Japan, becoming the fifth woman to go under four minutes in the discipline. Sportstalk host Jason Pine explains this accomplishment further. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The New Zealand Bar Association is warning against misinformed anger at the judiciary following Thursday's Auckland shooting. The revelation that the 24-year-old shooter was serving five months' home detention following domestic violence charges has been met with questions and criticism. Bar Association Criminal Committee co-chair James Rapley KC says it's normal for offenders who commit domestic violence to serve home detention and the sentence felt appropriate at the time. "The judge started at three years imprisonment, he got a discount for pleading guilty and other factors brought it down to less than two years. And by law, the judge has to consider a sentence of home detention." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Two men who were charged alongside Mama Hooch rapists Danny and Roberto Jaz have been granted permanent name suppression, to avoid being “stigmatized” by their connection to the case. Senior Political Reporter Anna Leask told Jack Tame that one of the men was acquitted on the single charge he was facing, and the other was acquitted on all but offering to supply a class C drug. She said that the Judge granted name suppression to these men on the basis that they would face serious hardship if their names were to be known. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How fricking good? I watched the Football Ferns on my phone last night as I drove from Auckland to Rotorua. Streaming it from the passenger seat as we zipped along the Waikato expressway. I can't think of a time when I've been more anxious for the 4G reception to hold out. And talk about adding new meaning to ‘Are We There Yet'? Those last nine minutes of additional time felt like ninety. We needed that result last night. In every respect. For the tournament. For the sport. And after the events of yesterday morning, for the country.   From a football perspective, the thing I loved most was the hunger. From the word go, the Football Ferns were rabid on defence. Every time a Norwegian midfielder found the ball at her feet and lifted her head to assess the options forward, a Football Ferns' defender was rushing up, in her face, busying or badgering her for the ball and shutting down her options. It was the kind of relentless, exhaustive, extraordinary effort that makes the last twenty minutes of a game very difficult indeed. The style of New Zealand international football has historically been defined by a heavy line of brutish defenders heaving the ball up the field and hoping for the best, but on attack, the Ferns were creative, technical, skilful and fluid. It was such a joy to watch. For the second time in as many years, a women's team has stepped up in a World Cup under the pressure and hopes of the nation. The Black Ferns last year, the Football Ferns now. Isn't it amazing how sport can lift us? Two more pool games. And having recorded our first ever win at a Football World Cup, and in such glorious style, it's surely not too soon to suggest the Football Ferns of last night have the talent and desire to become the first New Zealand team to make the World Cup knockout rounds, too.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A targeted intelligence-gathering campaign by China-based hackers has resulted in the email account of Nicholas Burns, US Ambassador to China, being breached. The hackers also accessed the accounts of the assistant Secretary of State for East Asia, Daniel Kritenbrink, and Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo. US Correspondent Dan Mitchinson told Jack Tame that these attacks seem to be happening almost weekly. He said that the hackers managed to breach unclassified emails, but were not able to access anything with higher levels of security. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

National says the Government needs to scrap its 30-percent inmate reduction target. A 24-year-old on home detention for domestic violence fatally shot two workmates at an Auckland building site yesterday. He was permitted to work at the site, wearing a monitoring anklet. He died after a police shootout. National's Paul Goldsmith told Jack Tame that people convicted of violent crimes are ending up not going to prison. He says that the priority should be on reducing the number of victims as opposed to reducing imprisonment rates. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

History was made at Eden Park on Thursday night. New Zealand scored its first victory at a Fifa World Cup — beating Norway 1-nil. Striker Hannah Wilkinson scored in the second half, snatching the victory for the Ferns. She said they just knew it was going to happen, that the belief that they had to put one away and that was the moment to do so. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Over in the UK, polls have opened in three parliamentary seats where byelections are being held- and Rishi Sunak is less than enthusiastic.  In the leadup, Sunak was downcast about his party's electoral prospects, following low polling data and earlier revelations in the Partygate report. UK correspondent Enda Brady says the shadow of Boris Johnson still hangs over Sunak's party. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tonight on The Huddle, Tim Wilson from Maxim Institute and Infrastructure NZ Chief Executive Nick Leggett joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day- and more! Health Minister Ayesha Verrall is under fire for admitting her office withheld information from being announced because it may have interfered with other Government announcements. Is this a sign of a bigger issue? A 24-year-old opened fire in Auckland Central, killing two and injuring several more people in the Deloitte construction site. How concerning is this? Is New Zealand still safe, on top of all the other crimes? The highly anticipated Barbie movie opens today, alongside Oppenheimer. Which one are you seeing? LISTEN ABOVE  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Wheat prices soared by 8 percent overnight after Ukrainian ports were hit by Russian missiles. Rabobank senior grains analyst Dennis Voznesenski says this rise in overseas wheat prices will likely have a direct impact on local New Zealand wheat import prices. The Country's Jamie Mackay says New Zealand relies on imported wheat to make bread, and this will add extra strain during an important period. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Meta's launch of Threads has left analysts and experts wondering what this new platform will do for the company's bottom line. Threads has generated over 100 million sign ups in less than a week and made Meta's shares jump by 6 percent. Fisher Funds senior portfolio manager Sam Dickie says Threads generated plenty of excitement in the early days, and will likely boost earnings down the line. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Cheese prices still remain high- and they may be responsible for inflation being stubbornly high. Stats NZ singled cheese prices out as being one of the culprits responsible for a 6 per cent increase in the Consumers Price Index for the June year. NZ Herald business editor at large Liam Dann says cheese prices are still high despite a fall in GDT auction prices- and demand is clearly high. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Prime Minister Chris Hipkins struck a sombre tone when addressing this morning's deadly shooting in Auckland CBD. Two people were killed and multiple people injured when a gunman opened fire in building that was being renovated on lower Queen Street. ZB Political Editor Jason Walls says Hipkins was clearly emotional, but made it clear that the situation was contained and there was no threat to New Zealand's security threat level. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Australia's Commonwealth Games chief is questioning the sums that led to Victoria Premier Daniel Andrews backing out of hosting the event. Daniel Andrews made this announcement yesterday, claiming the ballooning costs of hosting were too much. Australian correspondent Murray Olds says Daniel Andrews  is refusing to elaborate on how the costs blew up into over $6 billion. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Farmers are delighted to see a taxpayer top up towards more ambitious Fonterra climate goals. Fonterra is putting up to $790 million towards halving manufacturing emissions by 2030, and the Government's adding an extra $90 million. Federated Farmers President Wayne Langford says most Kiwis should appreciate these moves to reduce emissions. "I think it'll be a huge step forward. I think Fonterra are already heading in that direction, and obviously they've already got $790 million planned for this." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

National's health spokesperson is suspicious of Ayesha Verrall's requested delay in publishing correct clinical performance data. The Health Minister had corrected an answer to Parliament, admitting her office stopped data being released because of the timing of other Government announcements. Shane Reti says there's something murky surrounding Ayesha Verrall's request, comparing it to Jan Tinetti's earlier actions. "I think there is something uncomfortable with the minister so deeply interfering in operational events for the purpose of making one set of announcements look good." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hundreds of moviegoers are flocking to theatres to catch the highly anticipated Barbie movie. Starring Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling, Kiwi fans are excited enough to dress on theme, with Afterpay data showing sales for pink clothes and shoes are skyrocketing. Auckland's Silky Otter Cinemas is among the solidly booked movie theatres across the country, and manager Tyson Pula is pleased with the news. He says the film directly appeals to nostalgic Barbie fans, but casual viewers have enjoyed the film too. LISTEN ABOVE  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The FIFA Women's World Cup opening ceremony is kicking off at Auckland's Eden Park shortly. A moment of silence will be held to mark today's shooting, and the FIFA Fan Festival at Auckland's waterfront will open tomorrow at noon instead The opening game of the tournament is between New Zealand and Norway at 7pm. Sportstalk host D'Arcy Waldegrave explains further. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Police are continuing to work hard following the shooting in downtown Auckland. Two people were killed and 10 were injured when a gunman opened fire in a building that was being renovated on lower Queen Street this morning. Police Commissioner Andrew Coster says there's still a lot to do. "We're working to identify victims and notifying next of kin for our two people who were shot. So that's all still very much work in progress and lots of witnesses for our team to interview." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Police Minister says it is far too early to know if any Government agencies could have stopped today's shooting. Ginny Andersen says the police, justice and corrections ministries will be looking into the situation. "Today, all those organisations will be undertaking a full review of exactly what happened here to particularly understand if there were any flags that were missed." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Where to start? It's just awful, it's hideous, it is traumatic and I think deeply unsettling for all of us to see an event like this morning's play out in New Zealand. For the most part, we are very fortunate to live in a country where these active shooter events are relatively uncommon. I think most of us feel sick for the families of those who have been killed or injured today. Those people who left for work this morning and aren't coming home. Personally, I think it's judicious to wait until we have a bit more information before drawing too many conclusions, but there's a few things we can say with certainty. First of all, it seems very likely from what we know right now that this was not an especially sophisticated or politically motivated attack. That doesn't make the result any less awful, but there is some comfort in knowing that there's no greater risk to national security. It's safe for us to head out; it was one obviously very troubled young man acting alone. Secondly, we know police were on the scene very quickly. Same too with the ambulance staff who were the first responders. Police were inside the building very quickly. I just cannot fathom the kind of courage it must take to rush into a complex, unfamiliar environment like a multi-story building site while an unfamiliar shooter- with who knows what weapon- is firing at people. Holy smokes, that's brave. That's incredibly courageous, isn't it? There are a couple of key questions I think will need to be answered in the coming days and weeks. These are the pressing questions. Number one- How did this guy get the weapon? Where did it come from? He didn't have a license, he wasn't supposed to have this weapon- so how did he get his hands on it? Number two- Were his home detention and electronic monitoring conditions appropriate for the crimes he was convicted of committing and the threat that he could reasonably be expected to pose to public safety? And that's before today's event. I don't think anyone is suggesting that someone who credibly showed risk of committing today's appalling act would be allowed out in public. But you do have to ask whether or not electronic monitoring was appropriate in this circumstance. For now though, I think given the information we have, all we can really do is hope that those who have been injured have a speedy and full recovery and that the friends and colleagues and loved ones of those who've been killed are surrounded by support. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Two civilians are dead and ten are injured after a shooting attack in downtown Auckland CBD. The 24-year-old gunman stormed a Britomart building under construction just before 7:30 this morning. Auckland mayor Wayne Brown says this is something that we're not used to. "It is safe to be here, it's a shock to Aucklanders. We all feel terribly upset and sad for the people whose families and lives have been wrecked. Also for the workers, whose normal day at work became a terrifying experience."  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tonight on The Huddle, Trish Sherson from Sherson Willis PR and Ben Thomas from Ben Thomas PR joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day- and more! Prime Minister Chris Hipkins says the Government's creating a new offence targeting ram raid offending and allowing 12 and 13 year olds to be charged in the youth court. Is there any merit to these changes?  The Consumers Price Index has dropped from 6.7 percent to 6, leading the Government to claim victory over the nation's fight with inflation. Are these figures a sign of a positive shift- or are grocery prices still putting a damper on things? Wellington mayor Tory Whanau is under fire for bringing her dog into work and breaching the council's tenancy agreement. Councillors have labelled it unfair- what do we think? LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

UK inflation has cooled more than economists predicted and dropped to 7.9 percent. Experts had forecasted a drop to 8.2 percent, following a higher than expected 8.7 percent in May. UK correspondent Gavin Grey says declining fuel prices contributed to the decrease, but supermarket prices remain stubbornly high. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The US earnings season for the June quarter is officially underway. Economists warned of a recession risk in the lead up, but those concerns have since moderated. Milford Asset Management Portfolio Manager Felix Fok says the US economy is facing similar issues to other developed economies- interest rates and moderating cost pressures are on the rise. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The inflation rate is headed in the right direction, but the Reserve bank won't be cutting interest rates anytime soon. New figures out today show the annual inflation rate has fallen to 6 per cent for the year to June, from 6.7 per cent in the year to March. NZ Herald Wellington business editor Jenee Tibshraeny says inflation rates are on par with what the RBNZ is expecting- but the battle to rebalance the economy is far from over. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New Microsoft Teams data reveals 4pm til 6pm is the new workday 'dead zone' for employees. The data shows that employees have maintained their lockdown-era flexibility to control their own hours and more leave the office early to fulfil outside obligations. Massey university Human Resource Management professor says employers stand to benefit from these changes, as some employees return in the evenings to increase productivity. "This is very much a hangover from Covid, and it just means that workers are actually being more productive. They're realising 4 til 6 is a bit dull." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A new offence for young people is the latest announcement in the Government's retail crime crackdown. Prime Minister Chris Hipkins says the Government's creating a new offence targeting ram raider and allowing 12 and 13 year olds to be charged in the youth court. ZB political editor Jason Walls says this announcement is long overdue, as ram raids have been a problem for two years too long. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Christchurch trial of a woman accused of murdering her young children in Timaru in 2021 has concluded its third day. Lauren Dickason admits killing her daughters, but denies it was murder, by reason of insanity and infanticide. Husband Graham Dickason has been cross examined in the High Court about her relationship with the girls. The Herald's Anna Leask says the jury also heard details about the couple's fertility battles. "We've heard some pretty harrowing evidence from him about the couple's fertility struggles in their journey to have children, which included a really sad loss of a wee baby at just 18 weeks gestation." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Government promised their modified investor visa scheme would draw high-value investors into New Zealand's economy. Nine months later, only one visa has been approved under the scheme- to a person who was already in the country. Immigration Minister Andrew Little says the new Active Investor Plus Visa is designed to encourage wealthy foreigners to use their investments to benefit New Zealand. "What we didn't want was what was happening under the previous scheme, which was a lot of people turning up, putting a lot of money in Government bonds and bank accounts, generating interest and going back home." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Wellington mayor Tory Whanau is under fire for breaching the council's tenancy agreement by bringing her dog to work. Reports claim Whanau has been bringing her staffordshire bull terrier, Teddy, into her Central Wellington office, despite the lease agreement forbidding animals on the premises. Wellington City Councillor Nicola Young says other councillors who own dogs feel like there shouldn't be separate rules for everyone else. "It's about the principle. It's not really about the dog. It's that there should be two rules, one for the mayor and one for the other councillors and other people in the building." LISTEN ABOVE  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.