Morning Edition: 09 April 2026

The Morning Edition of News Fix for 09 April 2026, straight from the Newstalk ZB newsroom - bringing you everything you need to know in news, politics, business, entertainment and sport.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:02):
Good morning. I'm never ready, Manu, and this is your
morning news fix for Thursday, ninth of April. In this update,
Israel's making it clear the ceasefire in the Middle East
does not include the conflict in Lebanon as it carries
out its largest wave of air strikes on the country.
Israel says it was targeting more than one hundred of

(00:22):
what it calls Hezbola command centers and military sites. Iranian
officials say it will deliver a regret inducing response if
the Israeli strikes don't stop immediately. State media reports Iran's
closed the Strait of Homus in response to Israel's attacks,
despite the ceasefire, which included a provision for its temporary reopening. However,

(00:44):
the straits effectively remained closed anyway, as traffic hadn't immediately
increased since the agreement. The Finance minister says the government
will step in if fuel companies failed to provide for
rural New Zealand. The government says it could take a
week or long for fuel prices to drop here after
the announcement of a ceasefire. Nicola Willis says that there

(01:05):
have been reports of fuel companies reducing their frequencies of
deliveries to the regents, leading to stockouts, but she says
they know the companies have enough in stock. Households aren't
seeing the full benefits of the hold on the official
cash rate. The Reserve Banks again opted to keep the
OCR on two point two five percent, unchanged since November,

(01:27):
but it says its OCR cuts haven't stimulated the economy
as much as expected, with banks lifting interest rates, particularly mortgages.
Assistant Governor Karen Silk says banks are passing on a
rise in wholesale interest rates. Drug seizures at our border
have more than quadrupled in recent years. Customs Minister Casey

(01:47):
Costello says we're fighting a big enemy and agencies are
sharing information and intelligence to get on top of it.
A Cabinet paper obtained under the Official Information Act shows
the volume of drugs seized customs has gone from one
point five tons in twenty eighteen to six and a
half tons in twenty twenty four. More drugs were seized

(02:09):
at Auckland Airport in the first four months of last
year than at all Kiwi airports the entire year before.
There's concerns Apolo Projects Stadium could sit empty when the
new one Enzed Stadium opens later this month, as there's
no clear plan for its future. The venue hosts its
final major event on April eighteen, the Wellington Phoenix clash

(02:32):
with Western Sydney Wanderers, before the council takes back control
on April twenty. News Doork ZB can reveal an options
report on what comes next is still being drafted by
council after being delayed at least five times since November
and in the meantime, the Council says that the site
may be used for community sport if it's safe, as
temporary stands in buildings are decommissioned in sport. Jane Watson

(02:56):
is expected to miss the next six to eight weeks
of her debut Super Netball season with left knee and
right calf damage. Augusta National Cheirfred Ridley has maintained the
club's position, demanding a halt to the advance of golf
ball technology is driving distances regularly extend beyond three hundred
and fifty yards. Marteo Brettini has dispatched Danil Medvedev six love,

(03:20):
six love in their round of thirty two tennis match
at the Monte Carlo Masters, Medvedev's racket has got the
brunt of his disappointment. I'm never reaty Marni with that
your latest newsfaks. We'll be back with the next update
at midday from the News Talks Zenb newsroom.