Midday Edition: 11 March 2026

The Midday Edition of News Fix for 11 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 Malcolm Jordan, and this says your midday
NEWSFACS for Wednesday, the eleventh of March. President Trump says
the US has destroyed ten in active mind laying vessels
in the Strait of Hormuz. More than twenty percent of
the world's oil travels through the narrow waterway, with Iran
retaliating to the US Israeli bombardment by blocking the passage.

(00:24):
CNN is reporting Iran's laying dozens of mines and could
feasibly add hundreds more. Donald Trump has posted warning extreme
consequences if it's true and they're not removed. CNN's Nick
Robertson says Iran is surviving without its navy. Iran operates
from small, sort of fake fishing boats, and it's done

(00:45):
it in the past quite simply by sticking magnetic mind
to the sides of oil tankers and.

Speaker 2 (00:51):
Blowing them up.

Speaker 1 (00:52):
The former COVID response minister admits some pandemic decisions were mishandled.
The second phase of the COVID inquiry has found on
New Zealand's overall response was effective, but the government went
too far with some restrictions and moved too slowly in
some areas. It's recommending new pandemic legislation before future outbreaks
and stronger financial reporting. Chris Hipkins says he recognizes his mistakes.

Speaker 2 (01:16):
If I could go back and make decisions again on
the ead of the lockdown and Auckland, I would do
that differently. If I was going to make decisions around
the role out of retesting, where there was a conflict
between ministers and the Ministry of Health, I would have
pushed Hadder to do the faster.

Speaker 1 (01:29):
A persons critically injured and two others are hurt after
a car has plowed into a cafe on Forest Hill's
William Suiter Street on Auckland's north shore. A nearby worker
told News Talk said be she rushed out after the
loud crash, seeing a woman on the ground, possibly tossed
from the car. She says the car was inside the
cafe with a door mostly destroyed. Saint John says two

(01:52):
people are in hospital, one critical, one moderate, with a
third treated at the scene. At the Court of Appeals
back to discussed u seeing the twenty nineteen Mosk attacks,
as families seek to overturn a decision to let the
terrorists appear as a witness in the coronial in quest.
The first phase of the inquest was completed in twenty
twenty three and the second was adjourned part way through

(02:15):
in late twenty twenty four. Emily Ansel reports.

Speaker 3 (02:17):
Deputy Chief Coroner Bridget Windley okay to the terrorists being
called a decision upheld in a judicial review, but families
are challenging that today judges are reserving a decision on
the terrorists appeal last month asking permission to vacate his
guilty please.

Speaker 1 (02:33):
A warning to people still relying on three G they
can't call one one one once the three G network
shuts down in three weeks. Mobile operators are moving to
more reliable four G and five G networks, so devices
using the old network won't have Internet access or be
able to be used for text messages or phone calls.

(02:54):
Anyone unsure if they're affected can check by texting three
G to five five zero. Telecommunications Forum Chief executive Paul
Brislane says there's a number of people who still haven't
switched to a newer device.

Speaker 2 (03:07):
I really do need people to be aware that means
they won't be able to make calls after the end
of March, including two emergency services.

Speaker 1 (03:15):
The Indian men's cricket team will divvy up twenty three
million dollars from their local governing body for lifting the
T twenty World Cup a third time. The first leg
of Champions League Round of sixteen football has seen losses
for English sides Tottenham and Liverpool and a draw for Newcastle.
I'm Malcolm Jordan. That's your latest news fix. We'll be

(03:37):
back with the next update at five pm from the
news Talk zb newsroom.