Midday Edition: 13 January 2025

The Midday Edition of News Fix for 13 January 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
NEWSFACS for Monday, the thirteenth of January. California's governor wants
to avoid and exodus from Los Angeles as the devastating
fires continue to burn. Multiple blazers have scorched more than
fifteen thousand hectares over nearly a week, destroying thousands of structures.

(00:24):
Officials have confirmed at least sixteen deaths, and more than
one hundred thousand people are still under evacuation orders. Governor
Gavin Newsom has signed an executive order suspending some environmental
building laws. He told NBC the rebuild needs to start
as soon as possible.

Speaker 2 (00:41):
We've got to let people know we have their back.
We're going to be back.

Speaker 1 (00:44):
We're going to do it efficiently and effectively. Don't turn
your back, don't walk away. And among the dead is
thirty two year old Australian Rory Sykes, who was born
blind with cerebral palsy and starred a nineties TV show
Kiddie Kapers. His mother, Shelley, spoke to the It's just
sad because I don't think he would have died if
we had hard water, no life should be forgotten and

(01:07):
his was definitely a special one back home. If it's
continued today to contain a vegetation fire that's burning north
of Fitty Younger on the Coromental Peninsula since Saturday afternoon.
Three helicopters are attacking the steep and inaccessible western flank
of the fire. Four ground crews are working to mop
up hotspots on the eastern and southern fronts. Met Service

(01:29):
forecast to Mark Todd told Tim Beveridge there will be
some light southerly winds with westerlies coming in from the
west coast during the day. I should have pretty average
temperatures today. The Prime Minister's confident New Zealand's building stronger
trade relationships with the rest of the world. Chris Luxon's
off to the United Arab Emirates today for the signing

(01:51):
of a deal that'll see duties slashed on ninety eight
point five percent of Kiwi exports. Two way trade between
the countries is valued at one point three billion dollars annually.
Luxon says the agreement will come into play from day one.

Speaker 2 (02:06):
All of those things that face tariffs today, which are
costs that are added on by those countries to basically
reflect on higher consumer prices that had been removed essentially
and that's fantastic for us.

Speaker 1 (02:16):
And Luxen will be on the ground for just to
one day before he returns for the funeral of Nelson
police officer Lynn Fleming on Thursday. Consultation starts today on
a proposed rewrite of the Arms Act, forty years after
it was first enacted. Senior political reporter Sophie trigger has More.

Speaker 2 (02:34):
Minister in charge of the reforms, Nicole McKee, says the
government wants a fit for purpose regime that protects public
safety and simplifies rules to improve compliance, saying most firearms
users are responsible. McKee says previous changes following tragic events
were made quickly and without reviewing the overall Act. She
says submissions will feed into policy development with a view

(02:54):
to introduce legislation this year.

Speaker 1 (02:57):
The Desert Road between Turangi and way Uru in the
central North Island is now closed for crucial repairs. The
key stretch of State Highway one shut at five am
today and won't reopen for about two months. To sport,
international Olympic chiefs have opted to provide replica medals to
American swimming great Gary Hall Junior, who lost his home

(03:18):
in the Los Angeles wildfires. Last year's winners, Manchester United,
will play twenty twenty one champions Leicester in the fourth
round of Football's FA Cup. United dispatch to Arsenal five
to three on penalties after the scores were locked at
one all following extra time, and Buffalo have secured a
place in the NFL's American Conference Divisional round for a

(03:41):
fifth straight year after beating Denver thirty one seven. 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.