Midday Edition: 24 February 2025

The Midday Edition of News Fix for 24 February 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 twenty fourth of February. The
Defense Minister is hining our defense spend will ramp up
in the near future, coinciding with geopolitical escalations off the coast.
Three Chinese military vessels have been conducting live firing drills
in the Tasman and are now about two hundred and

(00:25):
eighty nautical miles east of Tasmania. Judith Colins says this
is the first time military exercises have affected commercial flights,
she told My Costing. Without national security, there is no
economic security.

Speaker 2 (00:38):
We're talking about a substantial increase for defense and a
plan to actually say this is what we're doing in
here is the money for it.

Speaker 1 (00:47):
And the Chinese warships are likely to be a talking
point for Christopher Luxen when he heads to Vietnam this week.
Asia New Zealand Foundation Chief Executive Susannah Jessop told My
Costing both New Zealand and Vietnam are concerned about the
militarization of the region.

Speaker 2 (01:02):
We would look to work together for the exercises together
human and disaster relief assistance and.

Speaker 1 (01:09):
Peacekeeping Meanwhile, Otiger University international relations expert Robert Patman says
we need to rethink our foreign policy strategy, particularly in
the wake of China's new seabed mining agreement with the
Cook Islands. He says we're sending the wrong signal in
the strategic competition with other states.

Speaker 2 (01:28):
Despite warnings about the need to increase museums to fans budget,
this government, led by Christopher Luxeen, has actually cut it.

Speaker 1 (01:36):
More than three thousand charges have been filed against gang
members in the three months since new patch bands launched.
Police have seized seventy six gang patches and sixty seven
guns in that time. He's political reporter Azaria.

Speaker 2 (01:51):
How Police Minister Mark Mitchell says firearms seizures have risen
fifty two percent compared to the same period last year.
Three hundred and sixteen gang items have been taken other
than patches between November twenty one and February nineteen. Police
Commissioner Richard Chambers promises that pressure on gang members will

(02:11):
not go away.

Speaker 1 (02:13):
New figures showing police didn't meet ten to five call
wait time targets has led to the goals being dumped.
Calls to the non emergency line were meant to be
answered within ninety seconds for seventy percent of calls, but
it was only happening for seventeen percent of calls. Director
of Service Superintendent Blair McDonald says they've now got rid

(02:35):
of the targets to instead focus on how happy callers
feel about the service as if you understood, listen to
and most importantly that we've given them a really clear
expectation about what police will do with that next that
drives our customer satisfaction. Pope Francis is spending another night
in a critical condition in hospital. News Talks edb's Joe

(02:55):
McKenna is in Rome and says there's a general feeling
that the Pope isn't going to make it.

Speaker 2 (03:00):
Not looking very good because he's been in there for
ten days and all these different parts of his body
seem to be reacting.

Speaker 1 (03:06):
To sport All Black Caleb Clark has admitted driving dangerously
and failing to stop for police. He's seeking a discharge
without conviction, but could face up to three months jail
along with a four and a half thousand dollar fine.
The Blacksticks women have come out on top in a
nine goal seesaw contest to open their Nations Cup hockey

(03:28):
tournament in Chile, New Zealand's beat in Korea five four
twice coming back from two goal deficits, and Max vers
Stappins threatened to boycott Formula one's season launch event next
year after he was booed in England at this edition.
I'm Malcolm Jordan. That's your latest news fix. We'll be
back with the next update at five pm from the

(03:49):
newstalk ZB newsroom