Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive

Former Qantas staff will be chasing compensation, after Australia's High Court has upheld a decision against the airline.

It's agreed the airline illegally sacked more than 1700 workers during Covid.

It breached the Fair Work Act by outsourcing baggage handlers, cleaners and ground staff.

The Australian Transport Workers' Union's Nick McIntosh says the next step is going back to the federal court.

"These workers will have their compensation hearing held and then after that, there will be a penalty hearing about exactly how much money Qantas has to pay."

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ACT thinks more people should be in jail.

The party's law and order policy would invest $1 billion into 500 more prison beds, and toughen sentences for offending against vulnerable workers.

Leader David Seymour says the Government has tried letting criminals out of prison.

He says a Ministry of Justice survey shows the result.

"Victimisations are up by about 30 percent in 5 years, but the human price of that is that people feel it's not safe to run a dairy- and for some people, it's been absolutely tragic."

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Labour's pledging to lift medical school places by 95 a year from 2025, in New Zealand's largest boost ever.

Chris Hipkins says if re-elected, they'll lift training 62 percent over the coming decade.

Labour's extra places amount to 874 doctors trained each year by 2027- beating out National's promised 759 by 2030.

ZB senior political correspondent Barry Soper says this scheme is the latest strategy Labour's borrowed from National, following on from their roading outline and pledge cards.

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Division among Republicans, over a push to impeach democratic President Joe Biden.

Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy's asking for a formal investigation, calling the President's dealings corruption.

He alleges Biden used his power to facilitate his son's business deals - and benefited.

US correspondent Dan Mitchinson says Kevin McCarthy's under pressure from fellow Republicans to push this investigation forward- but it's unlikely anything will be brought forward.

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Questions over divisions within New Zealand.

An Essential Research poll shows 77 percent of Kiwis believe the country is either a little more - or much more - divided, depending on their political stance.

Labour and Green voters think there's less division, and National and ACT supporters say we are more so.

Those aged 55-plus are the most concerned.

Victoria University's Max Rashbrooke says he's unsure he agrees.

He says the poll doesn't clarify what people mean by division.

"But particularly with older people- they may just be expressing concern about the pace of change, about social change, about things they find destabilising." 

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Almost one third of female NHS surgeons have been sexually assaulted at work, according to a new survey.

A study published in the British Journal of Surgery found 30 percent of female surgeons had been sexually assaulted, and 29 percent had experienced unwanted physical advances in the workplace.

UK correspondent Enda Brady says the first-person stories shared exposed a pattern of senior consultants and surgeons taking advantage of younger graduates and trainees.

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Tonight on The Huddle, Trish Sherson from Sherson Willis PR and current affairs commentator Josie Pagani joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day- and more!

This year's deficit is expected to be $10 billion, next year's expected to go up to $11.4 billion - Treasury reckons we've come out of recession but the next Government will have a tough battle on its hands to pay down debt and return to a surplus. Is this a nail in the coffin for Labour or is there an inkling of good news in there that's enough to calm some nerves?

Is it game over for Labour? Last night's Newshub-Reid Research poll had Labour down to 26.8 percent support, while National is up to 40.9 percent. Will the gap only get bigger?

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Experts are warning of a potential power shortage risk ahead of winter 2024.

The closure of one of Contact Energy's 100 megawatt peaking plants after a turbine blade broke and caused extensive internal damage to the machine has sparked concerns for future power supply.

BusinessDesk managing editor Pattrick Smellie explains the extent of the damage- and why the plant won't be up and running until 2025.

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Troubling news for our national carrier, with a global engine problem affecting hundreds of planes worldwide.

Engine maker Pratt and Whitney says up to 700 engines will be impacted over the next three years.

It'll affect 16 A320 and 321 NEO aircraft in Air New Zealand's fleet - mostly serving Australia and the Pacific Islands.

Aviation commentator Geoff Thomas says this disruption has been caused by parts of the engine prematurely wearing out.

"Over about 20 years, you'll replace every part of an engine. They all have different design lives within the engine, all different parts. What they've found is one particular area wearing a bit sooner than they thought."

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Rumours are circulating about a new famer-led movement set to challenge the current drive for taxing on-farm emissions.

Rural News claims this campaign will promote a a 'methane accord', designed to fight against 'unscientific' emissions taxes.

The Country's Jamie Mackay says farmers are growing sick of 'political games' being played with their livelihood- even by their own industry organisations.

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