Midday Edition: 20 August 2025

The Midday Edition of News Fix for 20 August 2025, 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 (00:04):
Good afternoon. I'm Susie Nordquitzt and this is your midday
news fix for Wednesday, the twentieth of August. High school
teachers say they're walking off the job today for their students.
About twenty thousand PPTA members are striking after the government
offered a three percent rise over the next three years,
and Auckland teachers gathered at schools like Westlake Girls and

(00:26):
Calston Girls. Green Bay teacher hosts A Torres says children's
needs are increasing and that's not being reflected in pay.

Speaker 2 (00:34):
So we need more help at the end of the day,
whether it's help from families, whether it's help in school,
or whether it's help.

Speaker 3 (00:40):
From the community.

Speaker 4 (00:41):
At the end of the day, we just need help
and we're just trying to achieve that.

Speaker 1 (00:44):
And teachers also brave the cold and christ Church this morning.
Hagley College teacher Rosie Hughes Curry says the government needs
an education about what teachers actually make.

Speaker 4 (00:54):
Judith Collins comments about one hundred and forty seven thousand dollars.

Speaker 2 (00:56):
I mean, that'd be great if they want to offer
us that pay rise, we'd be so open that and
accept it.

Speaker 1 (01:01):
Tomorrow, Opposition leader Chris Hipkins says teachers deserve more than
the government is offering.

Speaker 3 (01:06):
If they accept this offer from the government, they'll be
going back, so their player will effectively be cupped because
it's below the rate of inflation, but at least deserve
to have a pay increase that kind of keeps them
where they are now.

Speaker 1 (01:17):
Hopes a new digital writing tool will make a difference
to a forgotten generation of intermediate age children. Last year,
three quarters of year eight students were below their writing
curriculum level. The government has suggested its new digital acceleration
tool will turn this around. Lifting literacy altero a che
Jenny Wants says, for decades we've ignored evidence about how

(01:40):
the brain acquires written language, sailing many of our children.

Speaker 2 (01:44):
These are children who are not going to perhaps feel
the effects of the major investment instructured literacy at the
primary level, but before they leave school, we have really
an obligation to support them.

Speaker 1 (01:55):
Clocking appliance retailer Kitchen Things has been placed into receivership,
with all twelve stores nationwide temporarily closed. The directors say.
Over the past two years, the group have seen weak
at consumer demand and increased competition on pricing. The Prime
Minister has attended a late night meeting on Ukraine after

(02:15):
skipping the previous one. His political reporter Azariah Hill.

Speaker 4 (02:19):
The Defense Minister Judith Collins and PM Chris Lusen joined
a virtual coalition of the willing meeting on Ukraine overnight
following meetings between the American President and Ukraine's leader. Collins
says New Zealand stands with Ukraine and the rules based order.
Luxan did not appear at the previous meeting, saying it
was at one in the morning. He was instead represented

(02:39):
by officials.

Speaker 1 (02:41):
One Enzed says connections have been restored after a widespread
broadband outage in Auckland and Northland this morning. At the
peak the software issue impacted ten thousand customers, with service
back on before nine am. Two Sport Now and the
Women's Rugby World Cup in England looks set to draw
previous attendance records. Three hundred and seventy five thousand of

(03:04):
the four hundred and seventy thousand available tickets have already
been sold three times as many as New Zealand's At
twenty twenty two edition to the US Tennis opens mixed
doubles semi finals, Jessica Pagoula and Jack Draper meet Igga
Shwontek and Kaspar Rude, while Andre Vavasori and Sarah Rani

(03:25):
play Christian Harrison and Danielle Collins. I'm Susie Nordquist and
that is your latest news fix. We'll be back with
the next update at five pm from the News talksi
BNUS room.