Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive

High praise for South Africa's president after being confronted by Donald Trump at the White House.

There was a tense exchange this morning between the US President and South Africa's Cyril Ramaphosa.

Trump alleged white farmers are fleeing South Africa en masse, with thousands being massacred there.

He demanded video be played that he claimed backed up his allegations.

South Africa's High Commissioner to New Zealand, Johhny Sexwal...

The Government's bid to bring hope back to New Zealand's gas sector has been met with approval from industry experts.

In the Budget, the Government said it would set aside $200 million over four years for co‑investment in new gas fields.

Former CEO and president of Methanex, Bruce Aitken, says this is a good idea.

"Anything that encourages exploration for natural gas is great - it's a real pity that the Government has to do it, but...

Nearly 9000 young people will no longer be eligible for the unemployment benefit when the Government brings in stricter rules in 2027.

Budget 2025 includes a change which places the responsibility for financially supporting 18- and 19-year-olds back on parents, rather than the state.

Former Work and Income Boss Christine Rankin says she loves the Government plan to kick young people off the benefit. 

"The benefit is the road t...

The infamous Runit Championship League made its debut in Auckland this week and one former NRL star is defending the event.

The sport involves rival participants running straight at each other at full force - and many leading neuroscience experts have condemned it and outlined the risks.

George Burgess says the competitors know what they're doing and they're not aiming to hurt each other.

"Every sport that we have in our society is...

The Finance Minister says refusing unemployment benefits to teenagers is about helping parents. 

This Budget makes 18 and 19-year-olds ineligible for JobSeeker, if their parents can support them. 

Nicola Willis says the Government has the same expectations as most parents. 

"I have met parents who say - look, I've got a 19-year-old who spends all day on the couch playing PlayStation and it's pretty difficult because ...

The 2025 Budget has been unveiled and it's been met with divided responses across Parliament.

Cost-cutting measures have pulled back $4.8 billion per year - a large portion from the recent rushed overhaul of pay equity claims. 

Savings have also come from halving its KiwiSaver contribution, slashing family Best Start payments and restricting 18 and 19 year olds' access to welfare - moving the load to parents.

Newstalk ZB polit...

Thousands have been left stranded by flooding overnight in New South Wales.

NSW State Emergency Services personnel have rescued hundreds of people from floodwaters and rooftops in the Mid North Coast and Hunter region - while thousands have lost power or been isolated by inundated roads. 

One person has died and five have been reported missing.

Australian correspondent Murray Olds says multiple small towns have been cut off - ...

I don’t want to start on a bum note, but if you share my view that this country is in a hot mess financially, then this Budget is underwhelming, disappointing - you pick your epithet.

It’s called the growth Budget, but there's no growth in it. The only growth is a result of a tax incentive scheme which is a good idea - but doesn’t go far enough.

It lifts GDP by, get this, 1 percent over 20 years. What is that? Is tha...

More than 65,000 Airbnb listings in Spain are set to be shut down amid a row over runaway house prices in the country.

The Government has come under increasing pressure to tame a surge in house prices and rents, which have doubled in less than a decade in some tourism hotspots.

Airbnb listings have been partly blamed for swallowing up the housing stock in cities such as Madrid, Barcelona and Valencia - and mass protests have starte...

Budget 2025 is set to be revealed to the nation tomorrow - and Finance Minister Nicola Willis has promised it will be a “No BS Budget” with “some surprises”.

Willis will take a step towards unwinding the expansion of Government that accompanied (and followed) the pandemic - while growing the economy.

NZ Herald Wellington business editor Jenee Tibshraeny outlines some questions she hopes to see resolved.

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Tonight on The Huddle, Conor English from Government relations firm Silvereye and broadcaster Mark Sainsbury joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day - and more! 

Should Tonkin + Taylor sack the staffer who was caught heckling Winston Peters? 

Waitakere Hospital ED raised some eyebrows when they started handing out vouchers for patients to go to urgent care clinics. What do we make of this?

It's Bud...

Mastercard has recently released a survey showing a significant amount of Kiwis want credit card surcharges banned.

The data shows 61 percent of respondents would support a ban and 75 percent don't believe surcharges are fair - and 44 percent feel retailers should absorb the costs.

Consumer NZ's Acting Head of Research and Advocacy, Jessica Walker, says the surcharge debate is a complicated topic.

"Businesses are charged a fee for ...

A record number of businesses have sought advice about redundancies in the first three months of the year, according to new Employers and Manufacturers Association data.

EMA’s AdviceLine received 403 queries from businesses on the topic of restructuring and redundancies last quarter - almost double that in the same period two years ago (204).

EMA’s head of advocacy and strategy Alan McDonald says this reflects many years of tough e...

On the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast for Wednesday, 21 May 2025, is international pressure on Israel having an effect? Sky News Middle East correspondent Alistair Bunkall tells Heather so far no aid has got through to starving people in Gaza. 

The Revenue Minister explains why the Government will no longer try to make big tech companies like Google and Meta pay more tax. 

Sad news as iconic Auckland ret...

Free speech advocates says Tonkin + Taylor doesn't need to apologise for an employee allegedly heckling the Deputy Prime Minister. 

A man appearing to be wearing a company lanyard yelled and swore at Winston Peters after an announcement on rail funding at Wellington's train station.

The engineering firm has since apologised and says it'll investigate.

The Free Speech Union's Nick Hanne says there's a line between work and...

A strong primary sector performance has produced a billion-dollar monthly trade surplus - for the first time in five years.

Stats NZ data reveals it sat on $1.4 billion dollars in April, compared with a $12 million dollar deficit for the same time last year.

Export NZ Executive Director, Joshua Tan, says it's a team effort across the food and fibre sector.

He says dairy, red meat, fruit and wood exports have all risen by millions o...

There's a shifting international view of Israel as its war on Gaza shows little sign of relenting. 

After global pressure, including from the US, Israel has relented on a months-long blockade and let in limited aid - but none's been distributed so far. 

It's also continued firing on Gaza, where more than 53,000 people have died to date. 

Sky News' Alistair Bunkall says there's a strong sense - even among Isarelis - t...