Midday Edition: 25 August 2025

The Midday Edition of News Fix for 25 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 Monday, the twenty fifth of August. The Prime
Minister says he's happy to delay the government's target to
recruit five hundred extra police officers to ensure that standards
are met. Senior officers criticize the quality of new recruits
in a Police College survey, with more than half of

(00:25):
respondent stating new staff for barely or not at all
well equipped with procedures around making an arrest. Chris Likes
says well trained cops are a priority.

Speaker 2 (00:35):
We're happy to miss the target. We're not going to
sacrifice quality of police officers. We've been very clear about
this months ago, which is to say, look, it might
take us a couple months later than what we had
anticipated to get the five hundred in place.

Speaker 1 (00:46):
A man who was critically injured after a sand june
collapsed on him in Auckland has died in hospital. The
twenty eight year old man was airlifted to Auckland City
Hospital from middy Y Beach on Saturday. Police will now
carry out inquiries on behalf of the coroner. A woman
has died in police custody in christ Church this morning.
The woman was found unresponsive in who sail just before seven.

(01:09):
A m. Saint John was notified and officers also provided
medical assistance, but attempts to revive the women were unsuccessful.
The trial of a man accused of murdering five people
by starting a fire at a Wellington hostel begins in
the High Court today. Loafer's Lodge broke out in flames
and made twenty twenty three just after midnight. The defendant

(01:30):
is accused of starting two fires at the hostel, one
of which did not fully develop. Herald reporter Melissa Nightingale
says the trial was delayed by a year and is
set to take five weeks. This man, who has interim
named Suppression at least until the end of trial. We
understand that he's going to be pursuing a defense of insanity.
The Prime Minister is assuring there are plans to increase

(01:53):
visitor numbers to New Zealand. A new report shows strong
demand for hotels and the likes of Queenstown, but occupancy
is down for Auckland and Wellington. Tourism set to heavy
hitters like Sadema. Hotels believe more events mean more hotel rooms.
Being booked. Chris Luxin says he wants a constant flow
of events to draw in international guests.

Speaker 2 (02:15):
We've got a number of things happening. We've got the
Convention Center coming on streams, some massive conferences coming that
are associated with that. That's a good thing.

Speaker 1 (02:21):
The whose who are fashion are coming together for New
Zealand Fashion Week, kicking off today in Auckland. The annual
event on the city's waterfront showcases the country's established and
up and coming creative talents to local and international audiences.
Big names like Zambezi and Karen Walker will feature again
this year. Zambezi founder Elizabeth Finlay says it's all about teamwork.

(02:44):
It's great for the industry because it brings in your stylists,
your hair maker, music to sport Now and Golford. Tommy
Fleetwood has his maiden PGA Tour win from a one
hundred and sixty fourth start on the American base circuit,
taking out the season, ending to a championship by three
shots after carding eighteen under palm lu Luson has advanced

(03:08):
to the second round of the US Tennis Open in
three sets, ringing Dame Lisa Carrington has missed out on
a medal at the Canoe Sprint World Championships in Milan,
finishing with two fourths. New Silver Ferns goalkey Bikaris Stithe
has re signed with the Steel in netball's A n
Z Premiership. I'm Susane Nordquist and that is your latest

(03:28):
news fix. We will be back with the next update
at five pm from the News talksibnues room.