Midday Edition: 18 August 2025

The Midday Edition of News Fix for 18 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 Susan Nordquist and this is your midday
news fixed for Monday, the eighteenth of August. Double convicted
murderer David Tamaherty's final chance to clear his name has
begun in the Supreme Court. He was found guilty of
murdering Swedish terrorists Urban Hoglin and Heidi Pakinen and the
Corimandal Peninsula in nineteen eighty nine. Tamaherd's longtime lawyer, Murray Gibson,

(00:27):
has told the court the issue is whether his conviction
represents a substantial miscarriage of justice. Gibson says his counsel
will advise on six breaches of fair trial grounds. The
bill for lawyers representing former ministers who led during the
COVID nineteen response will be paid by the taxpayer, as
is usual. Chris Hipkins, Danger Cinder, R Durn Grant Robertson

(00:50):
and Aischeverril sought advice from a law firm on answering
questions about the pandemic response. Prime Minister Chris Luckson says
such fees are generally paid for with public funds.

Speaker 2 (01:02):
There's a long standing convention that former ministers from previous
governments incurring legal costs for any claims like this, it's
picked up by the taxpayer.

Speaker 1 (01:09):
Meanwhile, lacks and still believes scrapping our cook straight mega
fairies was the best option. The Yondai dockyard contracted to
build the boats, had received a total of two hundred
and twenty two million dollars for the can project, which
includes a net one hundred and forty four million dollar
final settlement. Three hundred million dollars had been provisioned, like

(01:30):
Sin says, the project had blown out to three point
two billion dollars.

Speaker 2 (01:34):
We had to deal with it in the second or
third week of a new government and get it right sized. Yes,
there's some brake fees and some sunk costs that you
got to swallow and deal with, but the total investment
we're going to make is going to be a hell
of a lot less than throughout point two.

Speaker 1 (01:45):
Some cyclists believe how much laws could do with a review,
but other road issues need consideration. News Talk CB has
revealed the Regulation Ministry has advised the risks of removing
the protective requirement, which would outweigh any benefit. Regulation Minister
David Seymour asked it to look into removing them. The
Cycling Advocates Networks says the law can put people off

(02:07):
getting into cycling, but spokesperson Patrick Morgan says there are
more important things to be looking at.

Speaker 2 (02:13):
We believe that protected bike claims and safe the laws
to protect people on bikes are the top priorities.

Speaker 1 (02:20):
A variety of views on Maori wards from mayoral candidates
in our biggest cities. Forty two councils planned to hold referendum,
but not Auckland or christ Jurch, christ Church Mayor Film
major and opponent Sara Templeton say e we have indicated
they don't want them. At Auckland, Maya Wayne Brown says
MALDI representation still needs addressing. Council reporter Jacob Jones has more.

Speaker 3 (02:43):
Challenger Kieran Leone supports them. In Wellington, both Ray Chung
and Diane Colverts say they will follow what voters decide.
Andrew Little says he'll be advocating for the wards throughout
his campaign to.

Speaker 1 (02:55):
Sport Now and All Black. Patrick Tuipolotu is scept to
miss Sunday's second Rugby Championship test against Argentina after a
concussion saw him hospitalized in the opening Scottish Effler has
stormed to victory by two strokes at the penultimate event
on Golf's PGA Tour in Maryland. The world number one
started the day four shots off the lead, but carded

(03:17):
a three to under part sixty seven to finish fifteen
under Christ Churches. Hagley Oval will become the epicenter for
T twenty cricket this summer by hosting the men's and
the women's Super Smash finals on January the thirty first.
I'm Susie NORDQUIZT and that is your latest news fix.
We'll be back with a next update at five pm

(03:38):
from the News Tuxi Menues room