Midday Edition: 02 August 2026

The Midday Edition of News Fix for 02 August 2026, straight from the Newstalk ZB newsroom - bringing you everything you need to know in news, politics, business, entertainment and sport.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:02):
From the News Talk Zebby newsroom.

Speaker 2 (00:04):
This is newsfex In this update, political tensions are rising
across Europe over the mass migrant crossing into Spain. The
majority of the sixty thousand migrants who crossed into the
tiny enclave of Sweater in North Africa have reportedly returned
to Morocco. BBC correspondent Sarah Rainsford says Spain has lashed

(00:25):
out at some EU countries, accusing them of a selfish
response to the crisis.

Speaker 3 (00:30):
The Italian government, of course, has moved to suspend its
free movement of people between Spain and Italy as a result,
and it is talking tough now itself, saying that wants
a meeting to discuss what it's calling a security crisis
in Europe.

Speaker 2 (00:43):
Acts vowing to give teachers legal power to crack down
on disruptive students. If elected, the party will back educators
who reasonably remove persistently disruptive kids from the classroom. Jacob
Jones reports.

Speaker 1 (00:55):
Candidate Paul Henry says bad behaviours driving good tear each
is out of the profession, with almost half facing daily disruption.
He says physical intervention must be lawful and would not
be a return of corporal punishment. The policy would also
suspend violent students and hold parents responsible for the property

(01:16):
their child damages.

Speaker 2 (01:18):
Concerns rodents could become the bridge hosts for bird flu.
New Zealand has two confirmed cases of the H five
N one strain, while South Australian officials are investigating a
mass mortality event involving eighty birds. Peace Management Association says
the strain has been investigated in Wild Rodent Population's Council

(01:38):
member Paul Krata says it could put pest managers on
the front line of risk.

Speaker 3 (01:43):
Now, I haven't been proven, but it's a concern because
this made then be another mechanism that bird flu could
spread around, particular into poultry farms or in the other
areas for example gairy kettle.

Speaker 2 (01:53):
Near certainty from employers at AI proficiency will drive salary
growth for the next two years. New research from specialized
recruiter Robert Haff shows it's rapidly becoming one of the
most valuable skills in the job market. Director ron Neil
Singh says employee of views have shifted on AI. Probably
two years ago AI was present, but it probably hadn't

(02:14):
taken a shape or form that is taken now, that's news.
In sport, Kiwi fighter Navajo Sterling is celebrating a stunning
win in the biggest UFC fight of his career, beating
former UFC Light Heavyweight champion Jan Blahovich at UFC Belgrade.
Sterling's first round TKO means he's now unbeaten in eleven

(02:37):
UFC bounce. Winning a silver medal wasn't a breeze for
Kiwi javelin thrower Tory Morby at the Commonwealth Games. Morby's
told Sky Sport a strong wind made for difficult conditions.

Speaker 4 (02:50):
Managed to get one low enough, which has when what
we're working on a lot in training, so it was
actually nice to get one away on a decent line
and you see it at the sixty mark. So yeah,
I seen on enough of the gold, but rap rap
to bring home a middle full stop.

Speaker 2 (03:03):
Sam Tana has finished ninth in the mile final. The
Wellington Saints are into basketball's NBL Grand Final after smashing
table topping to Atara by forty three points in Auckland.
That sport. I'm Sandy Hodge. For more news, listen to
news Talks at b on the free iHeart app.