Midday Edition: 22 September 2025

The Midday Edition of News Fix for 22 September 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, v twenty second of September. Donald
Trump believes the US lost its greatest evangelist for American
liberty when Charlie Kirk died. The US President has been
speaking to a pack to Arizona Stadium at the memorial
of the thirty one year old conservative activist. Other speakers

(00:24):
have included Kirk's wife, Erica, as well as members of
the US cabinet. Trump says Kirk became immortal when he
was assassinated almost two weeks ago. I know I speak
for everyone here today when I say that none of us.

Speaker 2 (00:38):
Will ever forget Charlie Kirk, and neither now will history.

Speaker 1 (00:43):
The Australian Prime Minister says they are in sync with
Canada and the UK in regards to Palestine. Today, all
three Commonwealth countries have formally recognized to Palestinian state. New
Zealand hasn't yet made a final decision, but expects to
make one later this week. Antony albert An Easy says
unified recognition is important mean that three of the five

(01:04):
Eyes nations are all making this decision today. New Zealand
and the United States are the other two Five Eyes members.
The Prime Minister believes it's not good enough that patients
will be disrupted because of senior doctors' strikes tomorrow and Wednesday.
It means almost thirteen thousand people will have their health
care delayed after the Association of Salaried Medical Specialists rejected

(01:28):
the latest payoffer. Christopher Luxon says he wants doctors to
get back around the bargaining table.

Speaker 2 (01:34):
That's the right place to actually close this out. It's
been going on for a year. The ministers tried to
find a way through by saying let's go to binding
arbitration and make a decision on what the offer should be.

Speaker 1 (01:44):
And Luxin's confirmed an announcement about significant reform to the
electricity sector will be made before the end of the month.
He says. Minister Simon Watts wants to address the gas
shortage and prevent a repeat of last year's electricity crisis.

Speaker 2 (01:58):
We actually should have abundant affordable electricity energy and got
heaps and natural resources to be able to do that.
He's thinking very deeply about thermal and firming capacity because
actually we need gas.

Speaker 1 (02:09):
Prosecutors are summing up their argument that Hakyong Lee intentionally
murdered her two young children, leaving them in suitcases at
an Auckland storage unit. The forty five year olds on
trial at the High Court at Auckland, charged with the
twenty eighteen deaths. She's raised an insanity defense, but Crown
lawyer Natalie Walker claims Lee's an unreliable historian, having given

(02:31):
at least five different accounts, first that she had no children,
second that she had the children but she left them
behind in an institution. Third that someone murdered her children
but it wasn't her. Authorities are struggling to keep up
with an infestation of pine trees in Southland as wilding
pine spreads rapidly in the region. Federated Farmers Richard Dawkins

(02:52):
told Kerry Woodham the issue needs more government attention. This
will be one of our key election priorities for the
next government.

Speaker 2 (02:59):
Is actually an increased resource into weed and pace control.

Speaker 1 (03:03):
To sport, New Zealand has completed a best finish at
the Athletics World Championships, registering fifth equal on the table
the medal table with two golds and a bronze. In Tokyo,
discus thrower Connor Bell placed tenth. On the final day,
a trio of stalemates in Premier League Football, Manchester City
and Arsenal drew one all, as did Aston Villa in Sunderland,

(03:26):
while the Born with Newcastle fixture finished goalless. The Black
Foils have finished eighth at the latest Sale GP Regatta
in Geneva, slipping to third overall with two rounds remaining.
I'm Malcolm Jordan. That's your latest news fix. We'll be
back with the next update at five pm from the
news Talk ZB newsroom.