Larry Williams Drive

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.

As the debate over a second Auckland harbour crossing continues, one architect has proposed an alternative solution.  Reset co-director Garth Falconer has proposed a new six-lane ‘Waitematā Bridge’ positioned 500m from the Auckland Harbour Bridge, costing under $2.5 billion. Falconer says he's discussed this idea with Auckland mayor Wayne Brown - and he's open to additional crossings.  "We've had a good discussion and he's interested in looking at multiple crossings and looking at opportunities for urban regeneration."  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Former BBC news anchor Huw Edwards has avoided jail after admitting to charges of making indecent images of children. Edwards has been handed a six month prison sentence suspended for two years, meaning he won't see jail as long as he doesn't re-offend. UK correspondent Enda Brady says his career and reputation are in tatters - as it's clear no one will ever hire him again. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Farmer confidence has risen and bounced back to net positive levels for the first time since 2021. Following a small dip in the June quarter, the latest Rabobank survey found it had increased to a net reading of +3% from -25%. The Country's Jamie Mackay unpacks these results further. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The soon-to-be-released GDP figures for Q2 will give experts an outline of the state of the economy. Economists predict the economy will have contracted again, as interest rates took their toll on consumer spending. Infometrics Principal Economist Brad Olsen outlines his picks for the quarter. LISTEN ABOVE  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The weight-loss industry is on track to bring in billions by 2030 - and one Kiwi company is taking advantage of the craze. Calocurb was developed with the help of Plant and Food Research and it's selling itself as a natural appetite suppressant. CEO Sarah Kennedy the company is growing every quarter - and has attracted significant interest in the US. "The biggest thing for us in the US is not only word of mouth, it's advertising. One company spent a billion dollars, but we're not going to do that - we don't have to."  LISTEN ABOVE  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tonight on The Huddle, Phil O'Reilly from Iron Duke Partners and AUT Chancellor Rob Campbell joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day - and more! Teachers are concerned about implementing the new maths and literacy curriculum and have urged the Government to delay the changes. Is this a fair thing to ask? According to documents seen by Newstalk ZB, AUT's point-based system of determining who can go on international trips comes with an equity consideration - with Pacific and Maori staff members getting extra points added. Is this worth a review? Wellington mayor Tory Whanau revealed she had to sell her car to make ends meet. Do we have any sympathy? LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast for Thursday, 17 September 2024, a massive win in the fight against gangs took place today. Detective Superintendent Greg Williams told Heather nearly every single member of the Comancheros gang has been hit with criminal charges. Three quarters of teachers and principals want the Government to delay the introduction of the new maths and English curriculum, saying they don't have enough time to prepare delivering the new content. On the Huddle, AUT chancellor Rob Campbell defends the university's policy to help Māori and Pacifica staff with the travel costs to overseas conferences. Plus, Heather is wondering if her 2.5 year old Iggy is special because he can count to three! 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.

New research claims the costs of adding improved insulation onto Kiwi homes is far lower than initially reported.  Earlier in the year, Minister Chris Penk wanted to roll back insulation standards, citing reports of overheating issues and standards adding extra costs to new homes. New Zealand Certified Builders Chief Executive Malcolm Fleming says the cost of improved insulation for Kiwi homes is significantly less $40,000 - $50,000 cited by some. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Health New Zealand says some vape stores are putting profit over the health of our children. In July, the agency sent underage volunteers to 600 stores to attempt to buy vape and cigarette products. 63 retailers were caught - and will face infringement fines. National Public Health Service Compliance Manager Jo Pugh says it's very disappointing. "As a result, we sent out more infringement fines of $500 in this month than we have ever before." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Philip Polkinghorne's defence team says the Crown's accusations against him have been an insult. The Auckland eye surgeon is accused of killing his wife, Pauline Hanna, in 2021. In his closing remarks Ron Mansfield KC says a lack of injuries on Hanna's body must mean she took her own life. Herald reporter George Block says Mansfield also gave an explanation for Polkinghorne deleting his messages with sex worker Madison Ashton. "Mansfield says that was just because he didn't want that to become public - if it was going to be this big investigation, he didn't want his extramarital liaisons to become public fodder." Ron Mansfield will continue his remarks in the morning before the judge sums up the case, then the jury's expected to start deliberating tomorrow afternoon. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A major police crackdown on the Comancheros motorcycle gang has landed nearly all its members with criminal charges. A total of 137 charges have been laid and police allege the group has been involved in money laundering, drug trafficking and military-style training. Detective Superintendent Greg Williams says the police operation focused heavily on those higher up the ranks. "That's all the leadership of the gang, past patched members - so 41 members out of a total of 92." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Chris Hipkins says there's lessons New Zealand's Labour party can learn from its British counterpart. He's attending the UK Labour Party's annual conference in Liverpool this week to meet with members of the recently elected Government. ZB senior political correspondent Barry Soper says this comes off the back of an underwhelming poll result for Labour - and Hipkins is getting philosophical about the loss. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.