Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive

US President Trump and Russian President Putin have been deadlocked in negotiations around the war in Ukraine, leaving space for China to benefit from this pause. 

Asian Correspondent Peter Lewis says that China stands to gain two things from this situation. 

Firstly, China can continue important oil and other products from Russia, as no final deal with the USA has been reached. 

Secondly, the delay in trade negotiat...

SkyTV is set to broadcast every All Blacks’ game for the next 5 years, and TVNZ will broadcast all 93 of the National Provincial Championship (NPC) matches. 

Chair of NZ Rugby David Kirk told Heather duPlessis-Allan that reaching this deal has been a ‘long, long journey.’ 

‘Both parties have worked hard, and I think we've got to a place which works for both of us.'

LISTEN ABOVE 

See omnystudio.com/listener for ...

Australia's introducing stricter measures across its childcare centres in efforts to better protect young children. 

CCTV cameras will be trialled at more than 300 centres - with work also commencing to develop a national register of childcare workers.

It follows child sexual abuse allegations surfacing against one Victoria worker.

Australia correspondent Oli Peterson told Heather du Plessis-Allan that some states have already...

Benjamin Netanyahu has called a number of western nations – including New Zealand – ‘shameful’ for their support of Palestine. 

These comments come as the NZ Government moves closer towards recognising a Palestinian state. 

Senior political correspondent Barry Soper says a statement about recognising Palestine will likely happen soon. 

“We probably will do; I would imagine at the General Assembly in New York next mon...

Parliament's finance and expenditure committee released the findings of its banking inquiry today, making 19 recommendations - 14 of which have cross-party support. 

It concluded there is no silver bullet for more competition in the sector. 

Committee member Todd Stephenson saysthe first step is reducing barriers to entry. 

He says a large part of that is capital requirements for new players. 

LISTEN ABOVE

See om...

Erik Menendez has been denied parole 36 years after he confessed to killing his parents. 

He and his brother Lyle were sentenced to life in prison in 1996 for murdering their parents Jose and Kitty Menendez. 

Since then, further details around abuse from their father have surfaced, leading to public debate over their sentencing.  

US Correspondent Jonathan Kearsley told Heather duPlessis-Allan that Eric Menendez will...

Fonterra is confident farmers will vote to sell major brands like Anchor and Mainland.  

It's reached a deal to sell its consumer and associated businesses to French dairy giant Lactalis for $3.845billion. 

The deal still needs the approval of shareholders. 

Fonterra Chief Executive Miles Hurrell told Heather du Plessis-Allan that the offer is above expectation, and there will be a $2 capital return per share.  

Fonterra has increased its farmgate milk price forecast for the 2024/25 season to $10.15 per kg of milksolids from $10.00/kg, and has narrowed its forecast range for the current season.

The forecast range for 2024/25 has narrowed from $9.70-$10.30 per kilo of milk solids (kgMS) to $10.10-$10.20/kgMS, with the final price to be released alongside the co-op’s final result, due in September.

The Country's Jamie Mackay explains further...

Tonight on The Huddle, Kiwiblog's David Farrar and Ali Jones from Red PR joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day - and more!

David Seymour says the coalition isn't saving as much money as ACT would have. What do we make of this? 

Police Commissioner Richard Chambers gave an interview to the NZ Herald saying we should feel lucky to live in New Zealand. What do we make of this? 

A Wellington restaura...

On the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast for Thursday, 21 August 2025, no more embarrassing plane-breakdowns! Defence Minister Judith Collins tells Heather she's gone shopping for new helicopters and planes with a total bill of $2.7 billion.

You're now allowed to tell everyone what you're being paid.. but is that a good thing?

Stacey Penn lost her job after she was injured while struggling with a pit bull that had ch...

I'm gonna say thank you to the Police Commissioner, Richard Chambers, for maybe reminding us to be grateful for what we have.

He gave an interview to the Herald today and he said he thinks there is a fair bit of punching down on New Zealand going on at the moment. And he thinks that's unfair.

He says: "With the world going a little crazy, I count us lucky that we are where we are."

Now, given how much doom and gloom there is at the...

SkyCity is pushing forward with a new capital raise, after confirming a significant drop in profit.

Underlying profit's plummeted 42 percent, according to new reports.

Costs have also been rising, particularly for regulatory compliance, online gaming, and the soon-to-open Auckland convention centre.

SkyCity CEO Jason Walbridge says he believes they're acting in the best interests of the company - despite the concerns.

LISTEN ABOVE

S...

The ACT leader has promised less spending and fewer public servants.

It comes after numerous redundancies in the public sector, following calls for efficient spending as the coalition's budgets were being delivered.

David Seymour says the Government is not cutting costs as much as ACT would.

"We said that we wanted to reduce the number of public servants back to pre-Labour levels, and we also said that we wanted to reduce spending ...

The Defence Minister says it's important for New Zealand to have the right equipment as the Government unveils its newest defence spend.

The Government is set to invest $2.7 billion into two new Airbus A321 planes and five new MH-60R Seahawk helicopters to replace the Air Force’s Boeing 757s and the Navy's older Seasprite helicopters.

Judith Collins explained that it was important to get the right equipment at the right price range...

There's belief the job losses at the Eves Valley Sawmill will have a significant impact on the area. 

Manufacturing company Carter Holt Harvey is proposing to close the mill, which would result in 142 jobs lost.

It's wanting to consolidate its structural timber manufacturing to one site - in Bay of Plenty's Kawerau.

Tasman mayor Tim King, lives next door to the mill and says there's no chance to change the company's mind. ...

Workers are now able to speak freely about their salaries, and it's got experts speculating about what this means for Kiwis.

The House passed a new law last night preventing employers from taking legal action against workers talking about their pay. 

The bill, introduced by Labour's Camilla Belich, essentially renders pay secrecy clauses unenforceable. 

Employment lawyer Jordan Boyle says New Zealand already has a culture...