Midday Edition: 31 October 2024

The Midday Edition of News Fix for 31 October 2024, 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 Thursday, the thirty first of October. Mike
King is standing by his controversial comments about mental health
and alcohol. During an interview with news Talks EDB yesterday,
the mental health advocate said alcohol can stop negative thoughts
and could be a solution for mental health. King told

(00:25):
our newsroom this morning he stands by that. He says
medical research linking suicide and alcohol is a matter of opinion.
Health Minister Matt Doocey says he respects King's work but disagrees.
He says substance use should be treated as a health
issue and any anxiety reducing qualities of alcohol quickly. Whereof

(00:46):
callers to news Talks edb's Canterbury Mornings were disappointed by
King's comments, Outraged he's so influential Mike King, I think
has an absolute obligation as an advocate too about this responsibly.
A survivor's advocate says people have waited a very long
time for redress. The Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse

(01:10):
and Care formally acknowledged that children were tortured at Lake
Alice's Children's Psychiatric unit. Survivors who reached a settlement with
the Crown in two thousand and one lost more than
two and a half million dollars in legal fees. They
can apply to be reimbursed. Survivor and advocate Keith Whiffin
says compensation never fully brings closure. Another account of a

(01:33):
suspicious vehicle near where the remains were discovered of Yanfei
Bao ting Jun Chao is on trial for christ Church
the christ Church realtor's murder. The Crown argues he buried
her in a shallow grave on private farmland in July
twenty twenty three, where her body was found more than
a year later. Owner Craig Eggleston says he saw a

(01:55):
silver sedan driving off their farm just after five pm
on the day that Bao disappeared. He says it was
an unusual vehicle to see there. I was ringing a
wife to say that there was a funny vehicle going
through a yard and while still watching it sort of
disparing up their own and that's point as well. The
death toll is rising in southeastern Spain, with ninety five

(02:17):
people fared dead as a result of the historic rain
event flash floodings caused carnage, wiping out vehicles, roads and
rail lines. Authorities are still searching for missing people, and
heavy rain warnings remain active across most of the country.
CNN's Spain correspondent Artika Schubert says the downpours follow severe

(02:38):
droughts for Spain. According to meteorologist, a year's worth of
rain about twenty inches or five hundred millimeters was dropped
here in an eight hour period. Auckland's Mass says he'll
need help to reform council controlled organizations. One of Wayne
Brown's key promises in his merial campaign was getting control.

(03:00):
Still trying to bring counselors around to his view, Brown
told The Herald's Front Page podcast he needs central government
if he's to get in front of Auckland. Transport simeon Brown.
He's doing a good job. It's not easy for him
because he's surrounded by a ministry of transport people who
don't really like to do anything much, just keep their job.
In Willington to sport, Manchester United have made a winning

(03:21):
start under interim manager rud Van Nisseleroy, thrashing Leicester five
to two in English Football's League Cup and two new
York fans who tried to prize a ball out of
the glove of Dodger's outfielder Mookie Betts have been banned
from attending today's fifth game of baseball's World Series. I'm
Malcolm Jordan. That's your latest news fix. We'll be back

(03:43):
with the next update at five pm from the News
Talk zb newsroom.