Midday Edition: 05 November 2025

The Midday Edition of News Fix for 05 November 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 Malcolm Jordan and this is your midday
news fix for Wednesday, the fifth of November. Unemployments officially
risen again. Later stats en Zen data shows the rate
reach to five point three percent in the three months
to September. That's up from five point two percent in
the three months to June. Unemployment has been steadily rising
from a low of three point two percent in late

(00:26):
twenty twenty one. Meanwhile, the Reserve Bank says the economy
isn't out of the woods, but our banks remain well
placed to whether what comes next. The Central Banks just
released its latest financial stability report. Business reporter Michael Sergele
runs through the key points.

Speaker 2 (00:42):
New Zealand remains exposed to international uncertainty, fragmented global trade,
surging tech stocks, and Western governments taking on more debt.
Our retail and hospo sectors are also still doing it tough. However,
Loan defaults remain well below the global financial crisis, interest
rates are falling, and meat prices remain relatively high.

Speaker 1 (01:03):
The governments putting another sixty two million dollars towards mental
health crisis response. Mental Health Minister Matt Doocy has announced
the funding at the Mental Health and Well Being Commissioned
Conference in Auckland, Jordan, done is there.

Speaker 3 (01:15):
Ducey says the funding will cover forty additional frontline clinical
staff for crisis assessment and treatment across the country. There
will also be an extra twenty bids for acute alternative
services and three more eds will receive peer support workers.
Deucey says the number of crisis recovery cafes across the
country will also increase from six to eight.

Speaker 1 (01:36):
Concerns millions of dollars of New Zealand savings go to
governments implicated in human rights violations. More to research has
released to paper revealing more than half a billion dollars
in kiwisaver and other investments was last year lent to
countries with high alert labels for human rights violations. Bank
run funds accounted for three quarters of that lending. Paper

(01:59):
authorfer Ann Marie Brooks says the money's going to countries
ranking in the bottom ten percent for human rights. We
identified four of these worst performing countries that Keemi Saber
Funds are currently investing in and our China, Israel.

Speaker 2 (02:12):
Katta in Saudi Arabia.

Speaker 1 (02:15):
Fears a ban on homelessness in city centers will simply
move the problem elsewhere. During question time in Parliament yesterday,
Labour suggested the government's planning to ban homeless people from
city centers. Auckland's Central City Business Association is backing the move,
but christ Church Central City Business Association chair Annabel Turley

(02:35):
says her area already has an approach that works.

Speaker 2 (02:38):
The businesses in the Central City pay for a safety
team and our safety.

Speaker 1 (02:42):
Team do a really good job of connecting those people
who are homeless with the right agencies. Parliament's passed the
first reading for a Treaty Settlement Bill for Hodaki Ewe
Nazi Rahiri Tumudtumu. It includes a Crown apology, the return
of seventeen sites of cultural significance, and financial redress to sport.

(03:04):
All Blacks midfielder Jordi Barrett has been ruled out of
the team's Grand Slam rugby tour due to a high
ankle injury and minor knee strade. In the win over
Island in Chicago, a statement win for the previously struggling
Liverpool in football's Champions League. Dev Pepper the Real Madrid
goal throughout a one mill home victory at Anfield, and

(03:26):
England Test cricket captain Ben Stokes has extended his Central
contract by a year through to the end of the
next home Ashes series in twenty twenty seven, aligning his
deal with that of coach Brendan McCullum. I'm Malcolm Jordan.
That's your latest news fix. We'll be back with the
next update at five pm from the newstalk ZB newsroom.