Midday Edition: 16 June 2025

The Midday Edition of News Fix for 16 June 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 sixteenth of June. The Prime
Minister is working to boost New Zealand's profile in China.
Chris Luxen's due to leave for Shanghai with a business
dellegation before making his way to Beijing to meet with
President Shijingping. From November, the government will trial visa waiver

(00:24):
status for Chinese passport holders traveling from Australia if they
have a valid Australian visitor, work, student or family visa.
Luxon told My Costing this is the first of about
twelve announcements to strengthen the country's relationship with China. There's
a hell of a lot of Chinese visitors that come
from Australia. They knew both countries at the same time.
Why would we put them through a whole process again.

(00:46):
A christ Church detective is under investigation over allegations of
an intimate relationship with a rape complainant. Luke Vazakili met
the then twenty two year old while investigating her complaint
two years ago. E Leishman has more.

Speaker 2 (01:01):
The woman told our newsroom. The pair expressed their feelings
for each other and their relationship turned sexual. She claims
he sent her images of the police in Code of
Conduct confirming their talking was a breach. She's reported his
conduct to the New Zealand Police, the Independent Police Conduct
Authority and the Queensland Police Service, where for Zakali was
due to start working later this year.

Speaker 1 (01:21):
Meanwhile, the Queensland Police Service has withdrawn his job offer
while the situation's investigated. A Kiwi living in Tel Aviv
says the city feels like it's in a bad movie.
As airstrikes continue between Israel and Iran. It's day three
of the latest conflict, as the two countries exchange deadly
attacks following Israel's initial assault on Friday. Israeli strikes have

(01:45):
killed an intelligence chief in Iran's armed forces, while more
than ten Israelis are reported to have been injured in
Iranian attacks. Eleanor Sweary told Herald Now any second there
could be a siren urging locals to run to a
bomb shelter, and you don't know what awaits once you
get out. Some day that it does make you want
to go home for other days. I live here, I

(02:07):
work here, and my husband's Israeli. My daughter goes to
nursery here, so it's tricky. The presence of a previously
unknown radioactive storage facility in Munowatu is being called abhorrent
by local EWE. The facility near Palmerston North holds a
low to intermediate level of waste, including depleted uranium from hospitals,

(02:29):
and locals say they weren't included in the decision making process.
The Health Ministry says it didn't tell the public due
to national security concerns. Landowner of a neighboring property, Mary
says there's no way of saying it's completely safe. They
do not know what is going to happen over the
near fifty years. They can't guarantee it safety. It should

(02:50):
be put somewhere where if there is a disaster people
are not affected by it. To sport, Shane van Gisbergen
has avoided carnage on a slippery track to win from
pole at NASCAR's latest event in Mexico City. George Russell
has secured his maiden win of the Formula One season
with victory at the Canadian Grand Prix. Winter Olympics. Gold

(03:12):
medalist at Nico Portius is ending his game's career at
the age of twenty three without defending his free ski
halfpipe title next February, and number eight Gregory Aldretz is
a prominent name missing from the first edition of the
French Rugby Squad to two in New Zealand next month.
I'm Malcolm Jordan. That's your latest news fix. We'll be

(03:34):
back with the next update at five pm from the
Newstalk ZB newsroom.