Good afternoon. I'm Malcolm Jordan and this is your midday news fix for Wednesday, the twenty second of January. Inflation has remained unchanged. Later stats n z figure show the inflation rate for the year to December was two point two percent, compared to September's two point two percent. With more business reporter Michael Sergel.
Inflation is well down on the once in a generation high of seven point three percent we were seeing just two and a half years ago, but it's still higher than the one point five percent recorded less than three years ago. Inflation is expected to rise a bit this year due to rising all prices and the fall and Kiwi dollar.
And Prime Minister Chris Luxen has spoken from the National Party's Hamilton caucus retreat. He says reduced to government spending is helping get inflation under control.
Whening inflation under control, interest rates come down, and now we're in a place.
Where we've got good levels of confidence.
But it's now got to translate into growth and it's got to translate into jobs.
Publisher in z ME is propos osing to cut almost forty news roles. Newsroom teams from The Herald and Newstalk SEDB were this morning presented a proposed restructure impacting thirty eight jobs. It includes a net loss of about fourteen reporting and content generation roles and twenty four jobs in editorial production. Newstalk s edb's Lachlan Rennie has more.
Some proposed job cuts were kick in by mid March and others by late April. NZME chief executive Michael Boggs has emailed staff saying the media market continues to be challenging. He says the company will continue to invest in potential growth areas such as video.
House prices are continuing to fall. Real Estate Institute figures show the house price INDECKS dropped one point one percent in the past year. It's now sitting more than fifteen percent below its twenty twenty one peak. The national median house price is now seven hundred and seventy five thousand dollars. That's down zero point six percent on a year ago. Auckland's median has fallen to a million dollars and Wellington's to seven hundred and sixty five thousand dollars. Meanwhile, canterbury'ze median has risen six point three percent to seven hundred and seven thousand dollars. Euthanasia is being considered for a pod of ten pilot whales that have restranded in Golden Bay for the third day in a row. Ecology staff are doing welfare checks for the animals before trying another refloat this afternoon. A UK drinking trend could help improve Kiwi's health and well being, so called zebra striping socializing is alternating between glasses of alcohol and a low or non alcohol drink. Consumer research research shows fifty five percent of Kiwi respondents drank low alcohol beverages in the past year, arise from forty percent four years ago. Alcohol Beverages Council head Virginia Nichols says people are prioritizing balance.
Like you know, because you're driving, tracking beverage consumption, health, wealth, then reasons and for a lower calorie.
Drink to sport. Controversial former football Ferns coach at Yitka klem Kova has been named the new head coach of the Czech national team. Liverpool have remained on course for top spot in the Champions League group stage with a two to one win over Leel at Anfield. Elsewhere, second place to Barcelona have come from a four to two down to beat Benfica five to four. Kiwi tennis doubles specialists Aaron Rutliffe and Michael Venus have their mixed double semi final at the Australian Open late this afternoon. They meet all Ossie Combo, Olivia Gadeki and John Piers. 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.