Morning Edition: 18 February 2025

The Morning Edition of News Fix for 18 February 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 morning. I'm Neva ready Manu, and this is your
morning news fix for Tuesday, eighteenth of February. In the
South date, European nations in Ukraine have been excluded from
the first stage of peace talks between Russia and the US.
US and Russian officials are en route to Saudi Arabia
for talks. Russia says Europe will have no role in

(00:25):
these discussions. Franc Is hosting an emergency summit with European
and NATO leaders to discuss the situation. EU Observer Foreign
editor Andrew Retman told Andrew Dickens the meeting appears to
be a last minute scramble. Europe has been taken by
surprise at the speed with which the Trump administration has
moved to its Russia plans. Low net migration figures being

(00:47):
attributed to a sluggish economy. New Zealand had a net
migration gain of twenty seven thousand migrants in twenty twenty four,
much lower than the one hundred and twenty eight thousand
gained in twenty twenty three. ASBC Senior economist Mark Smith says,
in economic terms, New Zealand is not an attractive destination.
Issues with New Zealand's regional connectivity are in the spotlight.

(01:09):
In New Zealand, cancel nearly eleven percent of flights between
Timodoo and Wellington last year, far above its national average
of one to two percent. It blames whether labor shortages,
engineering requirements and supply chain issues. South End of Minister
James Megha says it's a concern because.

Speaker 2 (01:25):
It's a barrier to growth in those regions. So if
you think the ability to do business and get people
in and out of towns, that is a real challenge,
especially connecting to places like Wellington that act as a
hub to other places.

Speaker 1 (01:37):
Anger Indonedin as a local conservation group, slams those harassing
sea lions for social media content. The New Zealand Sea
Lions Trust says issues are on the rise as both
tourists and locals engage in poor behavior with the animals.
Spokesperson Hannah Raven says people are openly and brazenly breaching
the Mammal Marine Mammal Protection Act, so.

Speaker 2 (01:59):
They'll be fine and rocks. We've had people find apples
at sea lions and it seems really to get specific
footage that they can use for photos and videos.

Speaker 1 (02:08):
Genesis Energy says it's doing what it can to ensure
Huntley Power Station helps the country avoid another generation shortfall
this winter. More than five hundred thousand tons of coal
was restocked earlier this month, with another five hundred thousand
tons on the way before September an anticipation of demand.
Genesis Chief executive Malcolm john Stold Andrew Dickens Huntley's units

(02:30):
ran at full capacity last winter.

Speaker 3 (02:32):
We worked our way through about eight hundred thousand tons
of coal, so a million tons of coal is about
appropriate for what we believe we can genuinely put through
the machines.

Speaker 1 (02:43):
The Vatican says Pope Francis respiratory tract infection is presenting
a complex clinical picture. Results of tests conducted in recent
days indicate the eighty eight year old is suffering from
a polymicrobial respiratory tract infection. In Sport, Kin Williamson will
join Middlesex for the English cricket season after opting out
of a central contract at home. He set to play

(03:05):
in the County Championship and ten twenty tournaments from May
until September. Former Tour de France cycling champion Gerriant Thomas
has announced This will be his final year as a professional.
He's thirty eight. The Wellington Phoenix will be without defender
Sam Sutton for Saturday's A League Football derby against Auckland
FC at Mount Smart due to a mandatory one match

(03:27):
band for a fifth yellow card of the season. I'm
never ready, Manu Vache Latest news Fix and we'll be
back with the next update of midday from the newstalk
Zbee newsroom.