Morning Edition: 08 August 2025

The Morning Edition of News Fix for 08 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 (00:06):
Good morning, I'm never ready, Manu, and this is your
morning news books for Friday, eighth of August. In this update,
the government tried to reach out to labor on NCEEA changes,
but the party seemingly wasn't interested in talking in its
early stages. Emails released under the Official Information Act show

(00:26):
Education Minister Erica Stanford tried on numerous occasions to meet
with Labour's education spokesperson. Herald reporter Jamie Ensour says offers
to discuss NCEEA reform were ignored by Willow Jen Prime
until late last month, when she declined a meeting. Erica
Stamford told us that it was disappointing to see the
refusal from Willow Jen Prime, but she's pleased the MP

(00:50):
is now engaged. More than ten and a half thousand
students left school last year with no educational qualifications. Ministry
of Education data veal sixteen percent did not achieve NCEA
level one or above, six percent more than in twenty seventeen.
The results show an ethnic disparity, with twenty eight percent

(01:12):
of Mardi school leavers having achieved no qualifications, compared to
nineteen percent of Pacific levers and fourteen percent of Pakihar levers.
Finance Minister Nicola Willis says a Treasury report shining light
on the previous government spending is damning. The reports calculated
the total cost of the COVID nineteen pandemic at sixty

(01:34):
six billion dollars. It puts New Zealand among the highest
spenders as a proportion of GDP on the COVID response
in advanced economies. Doubts already forming over whether an upcoming
meeting between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin will go ahead.
The Kremlin says the US president and his Russian counterpart
have agreed to meet in the coming days, but the

(01:56):
Trump administration has indicated for the pair to meet must
meet with Ukrainian President Voladi Muzolenski. It's understood certain conditions
have not been met, bringing the Trump meeting into question.
A coroner is stressing the importance of police body cameras
after video footage became the difference in the outcome of

(02:17):
Shargan Stephens in quest. The findings of coroner Michael Robb
harshly criticized police actions over the twenty sixteen fatal shooting
of the thirty five year old by Rotzidoor probationary officer.
He says CCTV and tasercam footage highlighted the limits of
solely relying on police accounts, which he says were inaccurate.

(02:38):
Mandatory body cameras for frontline officers is among rob's thirty recommendations,
which also include risk assessment process and bail check reviews.
Central Otago businesses have been checked to ensure their meeting
employment standards during the busy ski season. A joint MB
and Labor Inspectorate operation has focused on ensuring both implays

(03:00):
and employees are aware of their rights and responsibilities. Head
of the Labour Inspectorate, Joanne Hacking, says they're focusing on
businesses that are busiest during the ski season, likes of
hospitality and retail, where they tend to hire additional staff,
many of whom are young people or migras, to meet
the increased amount during the season. In sport, the black

(03:20):
Caps are already on their way to a big lead
in the second and final cricket Test again Zimbabwe. The
tourists skittled the hosts for one hundred and twenty five
and a one hundred and seventy four for one, it
stumps a lead of forty nine. Matt Henry took five wickets.
The Tall Blacks have gone two from two at basketball's
Asia Cup in Saudi Arabia, hanging on for a ninety

(03:42):
four eighty six win over the Philippines. The Melbourne Storm
have stumped the Broncos twenty two to two at Amy
Park to move provisionally top of the NRL Ladder. I'm
never ready, Manu, and that your latest news fix. We'll
be back with the next update at midday from the
newstalk ZB News Roup.