Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive

There's no shortage of research on the dangers of not sleeping enough, but sleeping too much has been found to be worse for your health than expected. New research has revealed that people who sleep over nine hours per night are 34 percent more likely to live shorter lives than those who sleep the ideal 8-9 hours a night. Dr Alex Bartle from the Sleep Well Clinic says if you frequently sleep longer than the ideal timeframe, you'll need to consult your GP. "If that's not sufficient - particularly if you're a snorer for example - then you need to check for sleep apnoea." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Government's scrapping card surcharges at the till, which collectively cost Kiwis $150 million each year. Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Scott Simpson confirmed they'll ban in-store credit and debit card surcharges, like paywave fees.  He says it's important for consumers to have transparency when it comes to pricing.  "In a competitive world, businesses understand the price-competitive nature of the businesses that they operate and the goods and services they provide. Surcharges are annoying, they're pesky and most customers don't actually know whether they're paying the full price."  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A frosty reception for the Prime Minister at the ANZ Premiership grand final in Auckland yesterday - with booing from the crowd. Chris Luxon is brushing it off, and says he was well-looked after at the event. Newstalk ZB senior political correspondent Barry Soper says Luxon's taken the backlash in his stride, and acknowledged the backlash that comes with politics.   LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Anthony Albanese recently claimed Israel is 'quite clearly' breaching international law by withholding aid from civilians in Gaza. He added that he would respect formal processes for determining any breaches - but said the actions were a 'breach of decent humanity and morality.' Australian correspondent Oliver Peterson says there's been pressure on Albanese to join France in recognising a Palestinian state. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Warriors' bid for a bounce back NRL season will come against a Dolphins side likely to have a returning pair of veteran props. Both Felise Kaufusi and Mark Nicholls are set to be nack in the mix for Friday night's game at Mt Smart.  Sportstalk host Jason Pine explains whether the Warriors can turn their luck around. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Government's aiming to strike a balance between cutting red tape and keeping people safe on work sites. Officials are consulting with the construction sector on changing rules on scaffolding. Workplace Relations and Safety Minister, Brooke van Velden, says over-compliance makes jobs cost more - and take more time. Building Industry Federation chief executive Julien Leys says health and safety is important to the sector, and a balance needs to be struck. "Everyone hates scaffolding as much as they hate road cones, but we shouldn't forget that that scaffolding is there for a reason and any height can be dangerous." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Listen to the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast for Friday 25 July. Get the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast every weekday evening on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

First up, we need to talk about Gaza.  I'm not gonna be graphic, and, and I'm not gonna talk about what it is hap what's happening there in detail. You already know, you can choose to read about it yourself, and I recommend that you do just to the point that you can kind of handle it.    Credit, today, to Anthony Albanese, the Prime Minister of Australia.   He has stopped pussyfooting around what's going on here. He's just put out a strongly worded statement this afternoon. He's demanding that Israel stop starving children to death and let in more aid.   He says, we call on Israel to comply immediately with its obligations under international law. Now that is a shed load better than the waffly joint statement we signed up earlier this week.    We need to get a spine on this, don't we?    I mean, our joint statement didn't even mention the word starvation or starving, or any variation on that word. It is watered down to the point of having absolutely no impact, and that is what it had, no impact.  Now I am not naive enough to think that New Zealand telling Israel off is going to change anything, but we've got to do something.   And if all we've got is words, then we're gonna have to use them.  Because maybe I am naive enough to believe that if enough world leaders call out Israel, name what is going on, don't pussyfoot around it, call the deliberate starvation for what it is.  If enough world leaders say, ‘you have got to stop this now’, and if enough leaders then enact sanctions on Israel, then surely Trump cannot ignore it anymore.   And Trump is the key here. He's the one we have to convince.  Now, I know that Israel still has hostages in those tunnels, and as I said earlier this week, Hamas must release them for this war to end.   But let me put this to you in very, very stark numbers.   10 hostages is not worth even one of those children's lives.   You do not starve a child to death to get 10 hostages out.   They are children.   I cannot believe that we are watching this happen and that we are letting this happen.  LISTEN ABOVE      See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ghislaine Maxwell, a key former associate to Jeffery Epstein, is due to meet with the Deputy Attorney General of the US for a second day in a row tomorrow.  These meetings come as the controversy surrounding the release of the Epstein files continues to grow.  US Defence Attorney Randy Zelin told Heather duPlessis-Allan that 'there are two paths for Ms. Maxwell to get home.’  ‘One way is if she assists the United States Government...the other way she gets home is if she gets a pardon from President Trump’    LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There are doubts that high-strength beers are causing as much harm as critics say.   The products are sold as singles in supermarkets and liquor stores and are stronger than RTDs, ranging from seven to 16 percent.   'Communities Against Alcohol Harm' has been raising the issue at a number of public hearings - calling for a ban.   But Brewers Association Executive Director Dylan Firth says a blanket ban would be an overreach.   He says, if there are specific problems, they can be imposed on the licenses of each product.  LISTEN ABOVE   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.