Midday Edition: 27 August 2025

The Midday Edition of News Fix for 27 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 Nordquist. This is your midday news
fix for Wednesday, the twenty seventh of August. A one
one one call made by a resident trapped on the
roof of Wellington's Loafer's Lodge as it went up in
flames has been played in court. Residents have been giving
evidence as the trial of a fifty year old man
accused of five counts of murder and two of arson continues.

(00:27):
Glenn Craft moved into the building in twenty nineteen and
lived on the fourth floor. He asked emergency services if
those stuck on the roof would be okay as the
building became engulfed in flames. Him of lawn on the
number of people coming into New Zealand on the government's

(00:48):
new business investor visa could be limited. It will fast
track residency for any foreign investors who put two million
dollars or more into a Kiwi business. If a business
is worth two million dollars, the applicant will have to
buy it and they'll have to invest at least a
quarter of its total value if it's worth more than that.
Emmigration Minister Erica Stanford says she thinks about one hundred

(01:10):
of these visas will be granted in the first year.
We're not talking huge numbers. This is not like an
Oprah style everyone gets a visa. Spca's long fought battle
for more restrictions on dog tethering has finally paid off.
The government's new regulations ban owners from tying up a
dog with rope, line or chain for extended periods where
they suffer harm. Puppies and pregnant dogs can't be tethered

(01:34):
except in certain exceptional cases. Scientific Officer Alison Vaughan says
there's been a strong push for these changes for almost
a decade since the rules were first drafted. We do
get some aspects of tothing included around injury cost by
Corus and Teathers, but this issue of prolonged teathering where
animals are living a whole lif Funa Chaine wasn't addressed.
The mother of a baby found dead in Auckland's Albert

(01:56):
Park on Sunday has pleaded not guilty. She is charged
with concealing the body of a child and was asked
to surrender her passport to police. She will now face
a jury trial. The Zellen politicians of Waden as the
US Democratic Party faces calls to ditch woke words US
Center Left, a think tank Third Way is suggesting Democrat

(02:18):
should avoid terms like triggering, microaggression and norms ACT. MP
Nicole McKee says she comes from a generation where woke
words didn't exist. I use real words. They work very,
very well, and I think there are words that people
can understand. Green Party co leader Chloe Sawbrick says she's
guilty of using this language, but in powerful ways. We're

(02:39):
talking about people's ability to have a house, people's access
to schooling and to education, to the infrastructure that should work.
There is praise for National Port Safety Standards, but recognition
that more needs to be done. The standards, introduced last
year create a set of rules for loading and unloading cargo.
Maritime Union National secretary Carl Findlay says the stats are

(03:00):
going in the right direction, but more workers needed, especially
around fatigue to sport Now and the All Blacks have
released sixteen players from their extended Rugby Championship squad to
play in the MPC this round. Wellington and Waikatu are
the chief beneficiaries, getting four each. The main draw wild
cards for New Zealand ASP Classic hopefuls will now go

(03:22):
to the highest point scoring male and female based on
their top eight atp and WTA events across the season,
rather than atr no qualifying tournament. I'm Susane Nordquist and
that is your latest news fix. We will be back
with the next update at five pm from the News
Talks their Venues room,