Across the Ditch: NZ Labour Has New Dep Leader + Lorde’s New Album Released Friday

Across the Ditch: Australian radio FiveAA.com.au’s Peter Godfrey and EveningReport.nz’s Selwyn Manning deliver their weekly bulletin, Across the Ditch. This week: Weather + Headlines + NZ Labour Has New Dep Leader + Lorde’s New Album Released Friday + Cricket! New Zealand and South Africa set for a decider on Saturday in the five match one day international series. ITEM ONE – Labour signals a generational shift promoting Jacinda Ardern to deputy leader one week after her significant and defining win in Auckland’s Mt Albert by-election last weekend. ITEM TWO – New Zealand’s international singing sensation LORDE has announced her second album will be officially released 8am NZ time this Friday. But the singer kept true to her Auckland fan-base on Wednesday night, dropping hints that a sneak preview may be had at several locations around the city. It was like a treasure hunt of sorts after Lorde, Ella Yelich O’Connor, tweeted to her 4.5 million followers locations on a map graphic. Within minutes images appeared of an eery green glow emitting from a car, another saw a green script depicting a lyric projected onto a wall and the first sound of a yet-to-be released single, Green Light, played on a loop. Overseas she is quite a big deal too. Elton John referred to her as the future of pop music. And last year she was chosen to perform in honour of the late David Bowie at the Brit Awards where she sang a haunting rendition of Bowie’s Space Oddity. ITEM THREE – It a nail biter of a one day international series against South Africa who are touring here at the moment. The Blackcaps have played four matches so far, and both sides have won two matches each. NZ had a big win Wednesday night with Martin Guptil driving the side to a strong win with his 180 runs. Now it is to the deciding fifth match in a five game series to be played at Eden Park in Auckland on Saturday!. Across the Ditch broadcasts live on Australia’s FiveAA.com.au and webcasts on EveningReport.nz and Livenews.co.nz and ForeignAffairs.co.nz.]]>