Midday Edition: 05 May 2026

The Midday Edition of News Fix for 05 May 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 Wendy Petrie and this is your midday Newsfix.
Four Tuesday, the fifth of May. B and Zeda's warning
of more uncertainty due to the war in Iran. The
bank has posted a thirty eight percent drop and half
year profit or a six percent drop excluding a one
off software write down. Westpax profit is up four percent,

(00:23):
but well down on the previous six months. Generate investment
specialist Greg Smith says b and Zeta is concerned the
war will cast a long shadow.

Speaker 2 (00:32):
Clearly cautious that saying rise and fuel costs are saying
the squeeze businesses of specially smaller operators and the recon
credit growth is going to slow for the next few years.

Speaker 1 (00:41):
Labour's backing the deal. New Zealand side with Singapore yesterday
to ensure trade flows in the time of crisis, securing
fuel for New Zealand and food for Singapore. Both countries
agreed to not restrict exports. Chris Hipkins says it's a
good deal and discussion started under the last government. There's
a lot of mutual interests here that can be met
for both New Zealand and Singapore, so it's good to

(01:03):
see the government bringing those to fruition. Donald Trump's administration
could be making a long term bet on the war
in Iran. Before the mid term elections, President's disapproval rating
is had to record sixty two percent in a Washington
Post ABC News EPSOS poll. Opinions have been souring on
Trump's handling of the war, the economy, and the cost

(01:24):
of living, but Republican strategist John Jordan says more than
seventy percent of Americans think Iran must be stopped from
having nuclear weapons.

Speaker 3 (01:33):
If he's able to have the soft landing here, what
the streets Warmoo's energy prices coming down. The American economy
is otherwise very very strong. There's really quite a story
there once you get energy prices down.

Speaker 1 (01:45):
Principals warn their wasting precious school resources and funding as
they feeled multiple vexatious Official Information Act requests and Auckland
University Law Students mass request sent to two and a
half thousand schools sparked action from the Secondary Princes Association.
Jordan Dunn has more.

Speaker 2 (02:02):
The association is now seeking legal advice in a bid
to exempt state schools from the OIA regime. Auckland Grammar
Headmaster Tim O'Connor says some of them are valid requests
from parents or legal advisors, but he sees some are
from vexatious individuals who use the system to push prejudiced
positions and post responses online.

Speaker 1 (02:23):
Most New Zealanders may not support live animal exports, with
sixty percent of two thousand people surveyed by SBCA not
wanting the twenty twenty three ban reversed the government's backtracked
this year on plans to reinstate the sector. SBCA Senior
Scientific Officer Marie Mackinich says animal welfare was top of mind.

(02:44):
There was quite a low level of trust that live
exports were well regulated and that the government could guarantee
a good outcome for these animal to sport and Don
Trica will return to New Zealand Rugby as the High
Performance Director from November twenty Two year old Wu Yetsu
has become the second youngest snooker World champion, beating Sean

(03:07):
Murphy eighteen seventeen and the best of thirty five frame
final at Sheffield's Crucible Theater. That's the fourth time the
decider has gone the distance and Manchester City have relinquished
their grip on the Premier League Football title race. After
a three all away draw with Everton A Fastenal win
their last three matches, they will take the crown. I'm

(03:29):
Wendy Petrie. That's your latest news fix. We'll be back
with the next update at five pm from the News
Talk as z B newsroom