Midday Edition: 20 October 2025

The Midday Edition of News Fix for 20 October 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 Monday, the twentieth of October. Inflation has
risen even further. Stats and Z figures show inflation reached
three percent in the year to September. Business reporter Michael
Segel has.

Speaker 2 (00:18):
More economists had been expecting inflation to reach or surpass
the three percent up a limit of the Reserve Bank's
target band. The Central Banks expected to look past this
current spike when it reviews the ocr next month. Drikin's
economy has been weak enough to start pushing inflation down.

Speaker 1 (00:34):
Aid has been blocked into Gaza, and Israeli strikes have
killed dozens of Palestinians. Its Defense Force claims Hamas allegedly
violated the ceasefire by firing on troops, killing two. It
says that will let aid delivery resume tomorrow. Un Relief
Agency manager Jonathan Fowler says Gaza desperately needs unrestricted supplies.

Speaker 2 (00:57):
The kind of aid, for example, that my agency is
able to in is zero because we've not been allowed
to bring anything in by the Israeli authorities, and yet
we have enough food for three months. Sitting outside the Gaza.

Speaker 1 (01:06):
Strip more hurdles for job seekers drawing income support with
two new sanctions from today. The Government's requiring beneficiaries breaking
job search rules to report at least three search activities
a week and do four week training courses. The Child
Poverty Action Groups Isaac Gunson says sanctions don't solve poverty,

(01:27):
they just make it harder for families to afford food
and rent. He says the real issues are the economy
is shrinking, unemployments up and there are fewer jobs available when.

Speaker 2 (01:37):
There are n't enough jobs. Punishment like this simply doesn't
solve the problem of creation work.

Speaker 1 (01:43):
The prospect of an election next year isn't stopping the
mining sector pushing full steam ahead. Resource Minister Shane Jones
is heading to the International Mining and Resources Conference in
Sydney to talk up our supply of rare earth minerals.
Oceana Gold Senior Vice president Alison Paul says the risk
of a new government moving against mining after the election

(02:06):
is an issue, but also isn't.

Speaker 2 (02:08):
Even the oil and gas ban involves retaining existing permits,
so I think the focus in the industry at the
moment is looking to get those permits at hand.

Speaker 1 (02:17):
The prime Minister says there is no justification for the
Secondary Teachers Union to put GAZA at the top of
a strike meeting agenda. Tens of thousands of workers across
health and education are planning to stop work on Thursday.
The Public Services Minister has accused the PPTA of not
prioritizing members, while its presidents says they wanted to raise

(02:38):
their concerns alongside others. But Prime Minister Chris Luxeon told
Mike Cosking members aren't being well represented.

Speaker 2 (02:45):
If you're a parent or a or a patients that
are seeing what the action is, I think people understand
it's politically motivated and we just want them to get
around the negotiating table.

Speaker 1 (02:53):
New Zealand's first charter sports school will open in up
A Hut next year. The New Zealand Performance Academy, in
partnership with Wellington Phoenix and Dolphin watchers in Karah Harbor
have spotted a rare blue whale at least twice the
size of their fifteen meter catamaran to sport red bulls.
Max Verstappen has dominated Formula one's United States Grand Prix

(03:15):
with McLaren's Lando Norris second and Ferrari's charlel Leclure third.
Liam Lawson came eleventh out of the points. Manchester United's
broken a nine year football drought at Anfield, beating Liverpool
two to one in the Premier League. 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.