Afternoon Edition: 02 March 2026

The Afternoon Edition of News Fix for 02 March 2026, 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 (00:02):
Good afternoon. I'm railing Ramsay. This is your afternoon news
fixed for Monday, the second of March. Turmoil in the
Middle East as countries are drawn into the US and
Israel's aggression against Iran, aiming to obliterate its nuclear program
and topple its regime. Tehran is vowed to avenge the
killing of Supreme Leader Ayatola Ali Harmony and other officials,

(00:27):
and has launched region wide retaliation. The Golf Cooperation councils
condemning Iran and weighing up a response, as tension also
flees up again between Israel and Hezbela. UK Prime Minister
Keir starm has granted the US permission to use their
military bases in Britain's best interests to prevent Iran firing

(00:48):
missiles across the region, killing innocent civilians, putting British lives
at risk, unhitting countries that have not been involved. The
Deputy Prime Minister Ceci supports the US and Israelal's attack,
but agrees debate should be had on whether it was justified.
Prime Minister Chris Luxen and Foreign Minister Winston Peters yesterday

(01:08):
released a statement strongly condemning Iran after it retaliated. Former
Prime Minister Helen Clark calls that disgraceful, saying the government
knows full well international law has been breached. David Seymour
says she raises a fear question. Who decides someone so
bad it's okay to go in guns blazing?

Speaker 2 (01:27):
Why can't a China or a Russia make the same
judgment according to their values.

Speaker 1 (01:33):
The White House that suggested the conflict could run for
four weeks and the air space is closed above UAE
and cutter and oil prices have immediately risen. Criticism of
the Bay of Plenty's opi or treatment service over a
man dying after being rapidly cut off from methodone. The
man had taken the drug for decades, but wanted to

(01:54):
reduce his dose and was asked to attend regular appointments.
Joey Dwyer reports.

Speaker 2 (02:00):
To ten months, the man was involuntarily discharged from the
program because of his lack of engagement and his methodone
cut off. He died six weeks later, with methodone in
his system, reportedly toxic because of his low tolerance. The
Health and Disability Commissioner says Health New Zealand took him
off the program at a rapidly dangerous rate without reasonable grounds.

Speaker 1 (02:21):
A think tanks arguing the government should sell or lease
assets to dig us out of our infrastructure deficit. The
New Zealand Initiative's report argues using Crown owned commercial assets
like Keyweibank and New Zealand could unlock more than twenty
four billion dollars. It points out New South Wales raised
more than fifty billion with such a so called recycling Initiative.

(02:45):
Chair Roger Partridge says it could work hand in hand
with the Infrastructure Commission.

Speaker 2 (02:50):
So that the money then can only be spent on
the menu of items that have been independently reviewed and certified.

Speaker 1 (02:58):
In sport, New Zealand Football have confirmed our preparing for
alternative arrangements if group stage opponents Iran withdraw from the
Football World Cup. Irish golf, for Shane Larry, is contemplating
how he blew a first individual win on the PGA
Tour in six and a half years. The irishman led
the latest stop in Florida by three strokes with three

(03:21):
holes left, before imploding with two t shots, finding water
as he dropped four shots. And Wayne p Vak has
been appointed the new coach of Italian club Benetton, on
a two year deal beginning in June. That is your
latest news fix. We'll have another update for you tomorrow
morning from the news Talk z B newsroom