Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive

An opinion piece in the Herald reckons Wellington's Cuba St has a rival for the title of the region's coolest strip. Lifestyle writer Joanna Wane says Petone's Jackson St has Cuba St beaten out for restaurants, cafes, pubs and boutiques. Hill's Hats owner Simon Smuts-Kennedy says there's plenty available for visitors - and there's something for everyone. "There's virtually everything available, and it's pumping. It's great...there's plenty for you." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Blenheim residents say AA Insurance has stopped offering new home insurance policies in their town, following similar decisions in Westport and parts of greater Christchurch.  The insurer would not confirm that Blenheim and the neighbouring settlements of Renwick and Seddon were subject to its temporary halt. Insurance Council CEO Kris Faafoi says the insurer is still supporting their current customers, and it's important for people to shop around. "They all make their own business decisions about how much exposure they want to have on their books." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A warning we've been burnt by high hopes for economic recovery.  Stats NZ data out today puts unemployment at 5.4 percent in the December quarter.  The numbers were less severe than forecasts from Treasury, but still reflect a 10 year unemployment high.  Infometrics Principal Economist Brad Olsen says the talk about getting momentum back last year fell short. "For businesses, they need to see stronger business sales coming through their front door before they commit to hiring more workers."  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Senior Labour MP Peeni Henare announced he was leaving politics yesterday, but some speculate there's more to the story than that. New Zealand First's Shane Jones has claimed that that's not the full story and it's 'important the whole story comes out'. Newstalk ZB senior political correspondent Barry Soper unpacks these claims. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

US President Donald Trump is urging Republicans to 'nationalise' elections and repeated his false claims of 2020 election fraud. He said Republicans should take over the voting in at least '15 places', but did not specify which places in the interview.  US correspondent Dan Mitchinson says this has prompted concerns about Trump's Government getting too involved in people's voting rights. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Former All Black Dane Coles will sit on the panel charged with finding the coach to replace Scott Robertson. New Zealand Rugby has confirmed the 90-test veteran will join a five-man panel which also includes fellow former All Blacks hooker Keven Mealamu and NZR chair David Kirk. Sportstalk host D'Arcy Waldegrave explained further. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Repairs at Wellington's Moa Point treatment plant could take months, as raw sewage flows into the region's southern coastline. An equipment failure caused the outfall pipe to become backed up with water - with last night's heavy rain flooding the building's lower floors. Wellington Water says electrical equipment's submerged and some areas are inaccessible. Chief executive Pat Dougherty says it's likely something bigger is wrong with the outflow pipe, but investigations are still ongoing. "The real problem is the damage the water has done, it's huge amounts of wastewater poured through the plant. We've got control panels underwater, we've got electrical equipment underwater...and we've got no power." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Fresh allegations have emerged linking former UK-US Ambassador Lord Mandelson to Jeffrey Epstein. Newly released files suggest Mandelson shared internal Government information with the convicted sex offender.  UK correspondent Enda Brady says Met Police are investigating these claims and Prime Minister Starmer is calling for Lord Mandelson to leave the House of Lords. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Reserve Bank of Australia started the year off with an increase set to impact mortgage holders. The RBA increased the official cash rate by 25 basis points to 3.85 percent, citing increased concerns about inflation. HSBC chief economist Paul Bloxham explained the increase further. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Further lifts at the South Island wool auction in Christchurch indicate things are going well for New Zealand's wool sector. Wool has seen some notable increases this year, indicating wool is on the up as opposed to just seeing a short-term spike. The Country's Jamie Mackay explained further. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.