Morning Edition: 29 August 2025

The Morning Edition of News Fix for 29 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 (00:07):
Good morning. I'm never ready, Manu, and this is your
morning news fix for Friday, twenty ninth of August. In
this update, the boss of Air New Zealand says he's
proud that made even two cents of a dollar this
year as profits drop thirteen point seven percent, the airlines
being hit hard by a sluggish domestic economy, with costs

(00:27):
like landing charges wages in engineering material rising much faster
than inflation. Outgoing CEO Greg Foran says he appreciates it's
been a difficult six years. Quantus has seen profits rise
twenty seven percent thanks to strong domestic and international earnings.
Celebration from the alcohol industry body as the government proposes

(00:48):
major changes. Reform being put forward by Associate Justice Minister
Nicole McKee loosens regulations and allows for businesses to respond
to objections for them having a license. It requires more
zero and low alcohol options and allows breweries and wineries
to have both an on and off license. Alcohol Beverages
Council spokesperson Virginia Nichols thinks it will make a big difference.

(01:12):
I think it will help to reduce red tape and
make it easier for those businesses to actually operate in
a much more flexible way. New findings from Auckland University
could change the way we treat obesity. Eight years ago,
researchers gave a group of overweight teenagers capsules of good
gut bacteria taken from healthy stalls. This single treatment led

(01:35):
to a reduction of metabolic syndrome. After four years, the
teens were an average of eleven kilo's lighter than the
placebo group. Professor Wayne Cutfield says this discovery is a
world first and it's scalable. He says they've demonstrated the
swallowed gut bacteria continued to thrive for years after a
single treatment. Insurance premiums are continuing to rise faster than inflation,

(01:58):
particularly in Canterbury. Premiums have risen about six percent in
the past year. Statcene Zed figures show house premiums are
up nine point one percent, while contents are up ten
point three The Insurance Council says, while insurers are trying
to keep costs down, rising repair costs of pushing prices up.
Time will tell how new tariffs will impact New Zealand

(02:19):
deliveries bound for the US. NZ Post is resuming commercial
shipments to the US after putting a blanket suspension on
other operations. It says traditional services to the US and
its territories should be back to normal in the coming weeks.
Otago University Economics professor morat Ongore says that tariffs are
mixing up normal procedures. New Zealand Post Service is working

(02:42):
with the United States counterpart and they are trying to
understand what is needed in terms of information. In sport,
Hamish kerr has won the high jump crown at the
Diamond League Athletic season finale and Zerich British cyclist Chris
Froome has been airlifted to hospital after a major crash
in southern France. The four time Tour de France winner

(03:03):
is in a stable condition and avoided any head injuries.
Scans have showed he suffered five broken ribs, a collapsed
lung and a lumbar vertebrae fracture. The Bulldogs have locked
in a top four NRL spot with a twenty eight
to four win over a depleted Penrith Panthers side in Sydney.
I'm never retty MANU that your latest news fix will
be back with the next update at midday from the

(03:26):
newsdalk Zbie newsroom