Midday Edition: 29 August 2025

The Midday Edition of News Fix for 29 August 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 Susie Nordquist. This is your midday news
fix for Friday, the twenty ninth of August. Later as
CCTV footage believed to be Muttercopper fugitive Tom Phillips and
one of his children has left police considering what it means.
The footage from two am on Wednesday shows are shop
burglary and the King Country town of Peel. Peel police

(00:26):
are investigating any connection to Phillips, but the store is
one he's believed to have targeted unsuccessfully in twenty twenty three.
Detective Senior Sergeant Andy Saunders says they're wondering whether Phillips
has fallen out with whoever is helping him, or is
he just that brazen and confident that he's quite happy
to come out at night and commit a burglary. More
information is coming to light about the gunman involved in

(00:49):
a shooting that left two children dead at a Minneapolis school,
seeing and reports the gunman posted videos on YouTube showing
words written on his rifles the name of the christ
Church Mosque gunman. Police Chief Brian O'Hara says the man
had a fascination with previous mass shootings. And very disturbing
writings that demonstrate hatred towards many different individuals and different

(01:13):
groups of people. Firearms heading for the black market have
been targeted by police in an operation in Bay of
Plenty and Gisbon. Three licensed gun holders have been charged
and a firearms dealer's license suspended after search warrants were
carried out at five properties. Detective Inspector albe Alexander says
the men, aged in their twenties and thirties, purchased fifty

(01:36):
firearms over four months in twenty twenty two. He says
none of the guns have been recovered and believes they
are now on the black market. Calls for long term
consistency in Chinese investments in New Zealand. The New Zealand
China Council's annual report shows Chinese investment has flatlined since
twenty nineteen. China provides less than one percent of total

(01:59):
foreign investment, ranking twelve overall. NZIER Principal economist Chris Nixon
says there are more opportunities for China to invest in
this country and vice versa. Because it's a long term business.
We want consistency as governments change. In New Zealand, so
our bipartisan approach is really important. New Zealanders have racked

(02:20):
up more than a billion dollars in green loans for
energy efficient items like EV's solar panels and heat pumps.
Bnz ASB and an Z all end up to eighty
thousand dollars on a one percent interest rate over three years.
Massy University banking expert Clear Matthews says these are small loans,
meaning the banks are pumping them out will not actually

(02:42):
lending a huge amount. She says customers still have to
go through the same process as they do with higher
interest rate loans. The fact that these are concessional interest
rates does not absolve the banks of the need to
the normal affordability checks. Do Sport Now All Blacks loose
head prop to Mighty Williams has recommitted to the franchise
and nz are through until twenty twenty nine. All Black

(03:05):
squad member Kyle Preston has been withdrawn from the Wellington
side to face Auckland at Pottydoor Park on Sunday in
the NPC. Preston was released by All Blacks coach Scott
Robertson head of the Rugby Championship Test against South Africa
next Saturday at Eden Park. World Men's number one Yannick
Sinner has dispatched Ozzie Alexei Poverin to move into the

(03:27):
third round at the US Tennis Open. I'm Susie Nordquist
and that is your latest news fix. We'll be back
with the next update at five pm from the News
talksi BNUS room.