The T20 World Cup is coming up soon, and New Zealand has been put out in the back paddock with no games in the United States. The Super Rugby quarterfinals have been set after a tense weekend of matches. The Blues are on top of the board, and the final looks to be between them, the Hurricanes, or the Chiefs. Andrew Alderson wrapped the long weekend…

FIRST WITH YESTERDAY'S NEWS (highlights from Tuesday on Newstalk ZB) And We Need to Stop That/Is National Now Pro-Cancer?/Who Would Want These Dregs?/How Long Should Appliances Last?/DIY Cola See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.Newstalk ZB

Police Minister Mark Mitchell says there’s been a drop in respect for police over the past six to seven years and they have become “punching bags” - and he wants to fix it. Speaking to Newstalk ZB’s Mike Hosking about a large boy racer event in Levin on the weekend - in which two police officers were hurt - Mitchell said police had been overwhelmed…

The Prime Minister will be doing what he can to steer clear of Fiji's domestic political issues while there. Christopher Luxon's visiting Fiji and Niue this week, his first visit to the region as PM. The Fiji trip will have a significant trade and economic focus and includes a meeting with the country's Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka. Otago Univers…

FIRST WITH YESTERDAY'S NEWS (highlights from the weekend on Newstalk ZB) Trump: Convicted Felon/Sorry About the Cancer/Crusaders Done/Sir Rocket Man See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.Newstalk ZB

The Finance Minister is defending the time it's going to take to get the Government's books back in the black. Nicola Willis says a surplus is expected in 2027-28. Labour's Finance Spokesperson, Barbara Edmonds, told Mike Hosking that Willis isn't delivering the direction she promised. She said that they’re borrowing way more than Labour would’ve a…

The Cancer Society says some patients won't have a year to wait for National to make good on their promise. Over the next four years the government is spending $6.5 billion to boost hospital and primary care. Finance Minister Nicola Willis says she's disappointed it couldn't include funding for 13 new cancer drugs, despite promising it pre-election…

A civil war has been sparked after a vote at NZ Rugby’s headquarters saw Proposal Two passed. It passed with a majority, 69 votes for and 21 against. New Zealand Rugby Players’ Association CEO Rob Nichols claims the game could now be in an even worse position than before. He said that Proposal One, which adopted more of the recommendations from the…

FIRST WITH YESTERDAY'S NEWS (highlights from Thursday on Newstalk ZB) Everything Comes Around Eventually/You'll Get Your Refund... Eventually/Economy Still Stuffed/How Do Other People Do Their Census?/It's All About the Food Court See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.Newstalk ZB

Today sees a crucial vote take place for New Zealand Rugby. A Special General Meeting is taking place, in which the union will vote on the new governance structure. The proposed changes follow the review last year that found the current model not fit for purpose. ZB’s Rugby Commentator Elliott Smith told Mike Hosking that he doesn’t think they’ll r…

There are concerns that another rise in power bills could be the straw that breaks the camel's back. The Commerce Commission is proposing increased revenue limits for Transpower and 16 local lines companies to help cover rising demands of the national grid. Electric bills would increase by an average $15 a month from April and $5 a month over the f…

Finance Minister Nicola Willis will unveil the final shape of the tax cuts promised to New Zealanders in the Budget today as well as how the Government will pay for them. The contents of the Budget will be revealed by Willis in Parliament at 2pm. Deloitte Tax Partner Robyn Walker says there won't be any major tax shocks in today's Budget. She told …

Donald Trump's hush money trial is nearing its end, with jurors retiring to deliberate. The former US president is facing 34 felony charges of falsifying business records relating to a hush money payment to an adult film star before the 2016 election. US correspondent Dan Mitchinson says it's a win-win situation for Trump. He told Mike Hosking that…

FIRST WITH YESTERDAY'S NEWS (highlights from Wednesday on Newstalk ZB) Can You Handle a Discussion About Debt to Income Ratios?/Have You Ever Actually Bought Anything from Smith & Caughey's?/Carkoi Rage See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.Newstalk ZB

Interest rate sentiment might have turned, but people are uncertain about the future of house prices and whether it's a good time to buy. A new ASB survey's found more people expect interest rates to fall rather than lift in the coming year. Senior Economist Kim Mundy says uncertainty is still high, and the economic outlook isn't very strong. She s…

Pope Francis has apologised after he was quoted using a derogatory term about gay men. It's alleged the Pope made the remark during a closed-door meeting with bishops in Rome last week. They were reportedly discussing whether gay men should be admitted to Catholic seminaries, where priests are trained. Europe correspondent Gavin Grey told Mike Hosk…

David Seymour is urging students to stay in school tomorrow and not join protests across the country. Toitu Te Tiriti is urging Māori to strike countrywide across the New Zealand on Budget Day as a demonstration against a Government assault on Tangata Whenua and Te Tiriti. Multiple hikoi are planned, including rolling road blockages in Auckland and…

The News Publishers Association remains optimistic the Fair Digital News Bargaining Bill will go through. A Select Committee's recommended the bill not be passed in its current form. The bill would force social media giants to pay for using news media. Media and Communications Minister Paul Goldsmith says they've not made a decision and it's still …

FIRST WITH YESTERDAY'S NEWS (highlights from Tuesday on Newstalk ZB) Now Show Me the Money/Rate Fixation Continues/Why Should Kids Fly Free?/This Stadium Is Never Happening/I Hate That Sound See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.Newstalk ZB

Nelson-based fuel company NPD has remained 100% Kiwi owned. The company left the hands of the founding family, selling a majority of the shares. One Kiwi in particular now owns the company, current CEO and longtime employee, Barry Sheridan. Sheridan told Mike Hosking that their goal is to bring the most competitive fuel prices they can as they expa…

A public transport advocate believes we're paying the price for a lack of investment in trains. Only 22.5% of Wairarapa trains arrived within five minutes of being on schedule in April. It's a slight improvement from February, which had only around 5% of trains within target. Jon Reeves from the Public Transport Users Association told Mike Hosking …

A struggle to staff the country's radiation oncology services is turning more cancer patients to private care. RNZ is reporting that a service caring for patients in five regions across the North Island is not allowed to recruit the staff it needs, despite recommendations from Te Whatu Ora. Cancer Society Co-Director Kate Gregory told Mike Hosking …

FIRST WITH YESTERDAY'S NEWS (highlights from Monday on Newstalk ZB) Part I Probably Won't Save Us/If Tax Is Theft, Who Pays the Teachers?/We Need More Teachers/Don't Scare the Tourists/Immaculate Chicken See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.Newstalk ZB

- Charles Leclerc’s first win since July 2022 - Max Verstappen started and finished the race sixth for Red Bull - Early crash took out Sergio Perez, Kevin Magnussen and Nico Hulkenberg Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc won the restarted Monaco Grand Prix from pole position today for his first Formula 1 victory in nearly two years. Leclerc was on pole …

The secondary teachers union says the Government's pre-Budget teacher recruitment announcement is a good start but it needs to ramp up. Education Minister Erica Stanford's announced a 53-million dollar package to train and recruit 1500 teachers over four years. It includes establishing 1200 places for aspiring teachers to learn on the job. PPTA Pre…

The UK Prime Minister has made a big pre-election promise - ahead of July's general election. The Conservative party wants to bring back 12 months of national mandatory military service. Eighteen year olds could choose between a fulltime military placement or one weekend a month of community service. Rishi Sunak's party has not stated the planned p…

This week marks the conclusion to the Donald Trump Hush Money Trial in New York. The first criminal trial of former President Donald J Trump will have its closing arguments on Tuesday before Jurors have to decide to convict him. Mr Trump is accused of falsifying business records to cover up a hush money payment to porn star Stormy Daniels. Anthony …

FIRST WITH YESTERDAY'S NEWS (highlights from the weekend on Newstalk ZB) This Could Be One for All the Stupids Out There/Crusaders Turn the Tables/Unconcious Kids Can't Be Good/Defining Synthony Pride See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.Newstalk ZB

The state of New Zealand’s economy is a disappointment. In a pre-Budget speech to the Employers and Manufacturers Association, Finance Minister Nicola Willis confirmed the Government had found savings to pay for tax cuts. However, she warned that the books are still in a structural deficit, with spending outpacing tax revenue. EMA CEO Brett O’Riley…

Rishi Sunak and Keir Starmer have hit the ground running in the UK. The leaders of the Conservative and Labour parties, respectively, are out and about ahead of the July 4 election. But Newstalk ZB UK correspondent Vincent McAviney told Mike Hosking that it hasn't been a smooth start for the Conservative leader. He says Sunak had an embarrassing fa…

It’s little surprise a large number of Kiwi teachers didn't pass some high-school subjects. New research has found a quarter of new primary school teachers failed maths and more than half failed science at NCEA Level One. More than half who pursued Level Two maths also failed. The Teaching Council's calling for more investment and widespread change…

A mining lobby group thinks the Resources Minister's decade-long vision for mining is achievable. Shane Jones has announced a draft strategy which would see a critical minerals list for New Zealand produced, and a detailed stock-take made of the country's known mineral potential. He wants to double export values in 10 years, from one billion to two…

FIRST WITH YESTERDAY'S NEWS (highlights from Thursday on Newstalk ZB) So Don't Panic/Focus On the News, Not the Fluff/Focus on the News, Not the Language/Why Marcus Is King See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.Newstalk ZB

Major tornados hit Iowa, leaving towns devastated and people injured or dead. Greenfield was struck by the deadliest tornado of the storm, leaving homes and businesses destroyed, and while police confirmed fatalities at a news briefing, they were unable to say how many. The town’s hospital was among the buildings damaged, forcing the injured to fin…

The Reserve Bank had a few surprises in its monetary policy update yesterday. While the OCR remaining at 5.5% was expected, Governer Adrian Orr’s signal that the cash rate may remain “restrictive” for longer, was not. Domestic inflation is proving more stubborn than expected, and the Bank is also considering hiking rates if it must. Malcolm Knight,…

French President Emmanuel Macron's imminent arrival in New Caledonia is being viewed as a show of defiance. Six have died in the unrest sparked by government electoral reforms. A further 49 New Zealanders have been rescued from Noumea following the initial 50 people evacuated on Tuesday night. They arrived in Auckland early this morning aboard a De…

FIRST WITH YESTERDAY'S NEWS (highlights from Wednesday on Newstalk ZB) Maybe Just Let Us Decide What to Do with Our Money?/Let's Move Forward with Schools/Do You Smell Smoke?/People Are Funny About Trains See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.Newstalk ZB

The OCR is expected to remain steady. It’s expected to remain unchanged at 5.5% when the bank releases its quarterly Monetary Policy Statement this afternoon. It's signalled a rate cut may not come for another year. Infometrics' Brad Olsen says the central bank is having to focus on inflation, over other negative economic indicators like rising une…

New Zealand’s rugby provinces have been warned by the professional players to brace for a civil war if they vote to approve their own governance change proposal at next week’s special general meeting. In an explosive move that shows how distressed the New Zealand Rugby Players’ Association (NZRPA) is with the current governance system and the possi…

Electoral paperwork is landing two MPs in hot water. The Greens have referred suspended MP Darleen Tana to the Electoral Commission for failing to put a promoter statement on a magazine advertorial. The party itself is investigating what she knew about allegations of migrant exploitation relating to her husband's business. At the same time, Nationa…

Passengers have described their terror when a Singapore Airlines flight from London to Singapore dropped suddenly. A 73-year-old British man has died of a suspected heart attack and dozens of others were injured. A statement from the airline says 23 of the 211 passengers were from New Zealand. Flight SQ321 was diverted to Bangkok. UK correspondent …

FIRST WITH YESTERDAY'S NEWS (highlights from Tuesday on Newstalk ZB) It's Quite a Big Bill/Good Drugs and Bad Drugs/Remember Covid?/What Happened to Fish?/It's Okay Not to Clap See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.Newstalk ZB

Police response times in Australia’s Northern Territory have gotten worse. A domestic violence inquest has heard that police response times have increased in the past year, more than doubling over the previous five. NT Police Commissioner Michael Murphy revealed that between 2022 and 2023, the number of hours spent on domestic violence cases increa…

Local councils want a new approach to move decision making away from central government and back into communities. Local Government New Zealand is proposing city and regional deals, a system which would see councils team up with the government on specific projects. Whanganui Mayor Andrew Tripe told Mike Hosking that it will give more control to loc…

The death of Iran's President isn't expected to have immediate impacts internationally. President Ebrahim Raisi and the foreign minister have been confirmed dead by state media after a helicopter crash near the Azerbaijan border. Iran has announced five days of public mourning. Otago University international relations professor Robert Patman told M…

Immediate changes are in store for Kainga Ora, in light of a critical independent review. It found the public housing agency needs significant savings to become financially viable. Housing Minister Chris Bishop's indicated a total refresh of the board but rules out a mass sell-off of state houses. Community Housing Aotearoa Deputy CEO, Chris Glaude…

FIRST WITH YESTERDAY'S NEWS (highlights from Monday on Newstalk ZB) Rent Is Not a Dirty Word/Why Are We Paying for Such a Sad Train?/We Can Love Both Codes Equally/There Goes the Neighborhood/What's a Phonebook? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.Newstalk ZB

FIRST WITH YESTERDAY'S NEWS (highlights from the weekend on Newstalk ZB) At Least it Went Long/Focus on Your Own Idiots/Pruner's Regret/Another Hard Story to Swallow/How 'Bout Those Supermarkets, Eh? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.Newstalk ZB

A sellout crowd is certain as it's just one day til Wellington Phoenix chants ring out across the city. The nix are playing the Melbourne Victory at a packed Cake Tin. Excitement's been building up in the capital about the A-League semifinal clash, as the team goes into the second leg on a nil-all aggregate score, at home. Weekend Sport host Jason …

King Charles has been attending garden parties as he returns to public duties. The monarch returned to work in late April, about two months after it was announced he was being treated for cancer. UK correspondent Vincent McAviney told Mike Hosking that he appeared in good spirits at the garden parties this past week. He says hundreds of people are …