Midday Edition: 29 October 2025

The Midday Edition of News Fix for 29 October 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 the Sishore at Midday
Newsfax for Wednesday, the twenty ninth of October. Arriving travelers
could soon pay a higher price for failing to declare
goods at the border. Biosecurity Minister Andrew Hoggard is announcing
law changes aiming to protect our sixty million dollar food
and fiber export industry. Courtney Winter reports.

Speaker 2 (00:25):
The fine for people who don't declare fresh fruit and
meat will double to eight hundred dollars. There will be
new penalties and fines of up to five hundred thousand
dollars for breaches of controlled area notices. The government also
wants import rules to become more efficient by making the
development of health standards more flexible.

Speaker 1 (00:45):
Police are investigating a New Zealand insurer over allegations that
provided insurance for tankers transporting Iranian and Russian oil. An
investigation by Reuters alleged to Auckland headquartered Maritime Mutual help
provide vestas skirting Western sanctions with the insurance they need
to enterport. He's business reporter Michael Sergle.

Speaker 3 (01:06):
Police have told the Held they've searched the offices of
maritime mutual in Auckland and christ Church and a home
in Auckland. As part of its investigation into alleged breaches
of Russian sanctions, records and documents have been seized. Three
people have been detained and spoken to, but no criminal
charges have so far been filed.

Speaker 1 (01:25):
Rural communities have banded together to weather the effects of
last week severe storms. States of emergency continue in Southland
and Kluther and expire today in Caikoda after the dropping
by ferocious winds affected power, water and waste management. PowerNet
says three thousand, nine hundred homes are still without power
in Southland and seventeen hundred in Otago West Otago. Farmer

(01:49):
Bruceed says he lost supply for one hundred and thirty
five hours, the most widespread outage he's seen.

Speaker 4 (01:55):
There's just so many stories of people sharing generators. There
was a couple of tractors out here and wester Targo
that at a generator on the back go from one
shed to another. The help your fellow man. Mantle was
still alive and well in the rural heartland.

Speaker 1 (02:07):
Meanwhile, Hurricane Melissa has been downgraded to a Category four
storm in Jamaica, official warnings of catastrophic winds, flash flooding
and a dangerous storm surge haven't changed more than two
hours after it made landfall. Nearly a third of the
country is already without power. The Jamaica in Managing Director
Kyle Mice told the BBC they are starting to experience

(02:29):
strong winds, very noisy, a lot of branches now being
blown around. When you can hear, you can hear the
stream on the trees. Five years after the failed cannabis
legislation referendum, the Greens are renewing their call for a form.
The parties launched an online survey asking people to give
their take on how the law should look. Co leader

(02:52):
Chloe Swarbrick points out the referendum only failed by a
small margin in twenty twenty, so clearly indicated the status
quo was tenable.

Speaker 2 (03:00):
Just to spell that out, if we have thirty four
thousand Newszealanders, smaller than any electra in this countrys which
their votes from not to yes, then we would have
a legal cannabis framework.

Speaker 1 (03:08):
To sport, Saint Andrew's Old Course is receiving a golfing makeover.
The changes affect eleven holes and extend the yardage to
seven four hundred and forty five ahead of the Open
Major in twenty twenty seven, A sporting experience to treasure
for the All Blacks ahead of their Grand Slam Tour
opener against Island in Chicago. A group were guests of
the balls at yesterday's NBA basketball game against the Atlanta Hawks,

(03:33):
and punters can be forgiven for pouring over their form
guides to sift out the best mudlarks. At Tuesday's Melbourne Cup,
a sodden track is forecast. I'm Malcolm Jordan. That's your
latest news fix. We'll be back with the next update
at five pm from the News Talk ZB newsroom