Midday Edition: 05 August 2026

The Midday Edition of News Fix for 05 August 2026, straight from the Newstalk ZB newsroom - bringing you everything you need to know in news, politics, business, entertainment and sport.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:02):
Good afternoon. I'm Malcolm Jordan and this is your midday
news facts for Wednesday, the fifth of August. Unemployment has
risen again. Stats n Z data shows unemployment reached to
five point six percent in the June quarter. Jacob Jones
reports it's.

Speaker 2 (00:17):
Up from five point three percent in the March quarter
and higher than most economists were expecting. They were picking
between five point four and five point five percent. The
unemployment rate for men is five point seven percent and
for women it's five point five.

Speaker 1 (00:33):
Hi witnesses say a man punched a woman and stole
her car before running down a group of cyclists in
the Auckland suburb of Epsom this morning. Five people were injured,
one of them critically. A man's in custody. The drama
played out just after seven am, when emergency services were
called to Monaco Road. Kate ricard has More.

Speaker 3 (00:52):
A witness, told our newsroom he saw a man throw
punches at a woman and steal her keys before climbing
into an suv. He says he then saw the man
damage the two cars while speeding down the road, driving
into a group of cyclists and sending one flying over
the top of the car. Saint John says three people
have been taken to hospital, one in a critical condition
and another with serious injuries.

Speaker 1 (01:12):
The police ministers seeing the positives in a sharp rise
in shoplifting charges. Official Information Act data shows police laid
the highest number of charges in fifteen years across twenty
twenty four to twenty five, more than thirty six thousand.
It meant the most ever convictions handed out. Mark Mitchell
says police are taking action.

Speaker 2 (01:31):
We can't have a police officer at every retail outlet,
but we're making good progress together.

Speaker 1 (01:37):
The Electoral Commission is preparing to turn away voters who
aren't enrolled by October twenty five. Chief Electoral Officer Carl
Lacane says just under ninety percent of people are enrolled,
with lower rates for eighteen to twenty four year olds.
LeCaine says he wants these rates to rise. All of
us can play a role in this. Talk to the
young people in your lives and tell them check your

(01:58):
enrollment get enrolled before twenty five October. The Dental Association
wants to crack down on sugar as we see how
the country's oral health stacks up. Its new Oral Health
Report card shows forty three percent of adults say they're
not having their dental needs met due to costs. It
reveals around forty three percent of five year old children

(02:19):
are showing up the dentist with tooth decay. President Dave
Exl says the government needs to consider an industry levy
for sugary drinks. From February, all Jetstar passengers will be
able to have a small under seat bag such as
a handbag or laptop bag weighing up to ten kg,
but those with a traditional carry on suitcase will need

(02:41):
to pay a minimum of twenty three dollars. National grid
operator Transpower is warning power companies to prepare for heavy
energy use on Friday morning as temperatures plummet. Its notice
is aimed at power coos, not the general public, and
advises a national shortfall or low residion duaal generation is
likely from seven thirty to eight thirty am. To sport,

(03:05):
FIFA president Gianni Infantino has summoned leaders of football's world
governing body to a meeting in Morocco tonight. Former England
Test cricket captain Ben Stokes hopes he'll have another chapter
with the national side as a coach rather than a player.
Five boxes from Uganda and Pakistan have slipped through the
immigration ropes in pursuit of asylum after the Commonwealth Games,

(03:28):
and Arow has busted out at the Tour de France
FAM following claims some competitors exaggerated their brass size to
gain an aerodynamic advantage at the time trial. I'm Malcolm Jordan.
That's your latest news fix. We'll be back with the
next update at five pm from the news Talk ZB Newsroup.