Morning Edition: 14 January 2026

The Morning Edition of News Fix for 14 January 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 morning. I'm Wendy Petrie and this is your morning
news fix for Wednesday, the fourteenth of January. In this update,
Donald Trump is risking further inflaming matters in Iran, urging
anti government demonstrators to keep protesting and adding help is
on its way. The US President has raised a possibility
of intervention in Iran, and as national security team meets

(00:24):
today to discuss its options. Thousands of fair dead as
the country's regime violently cracks down on anti government protests.
One Iranian security official told Reuters the death cart toll
could now be two thousand, as Trump posts on social media,
The BBC's Paul Adams believes the US may view this
as an opportunity to overthrow Iran's conservative Islamic regime. There

(00:47):
is a definite sense from his post this morning that
he believes that this could be the moment. Iran is
probably in as weak a position now as it has
been for a long time. Hitting the pause button could
be the answer to power woes. The electricity authorities launching
a new plan that would pay large firms to reduce
their power during great emergencies so the lights can stay on.

(01:09):
In Kiwi, homes. The authorities says in the worst cases,
large firms could be paid to work later in the
day when demand is lower. He says they don't need
to completely shut down, but rather avoid high demand periods.
Politicians are being asked not to use immigrants as political
footballs ahead of the next election. Race Relations Commissioner Melissa

(01:30):
Darby says discussions of immigration can be robust and also
remain respectful. She says she's met hundreds of people up
and down the country as part of her role, and
those in person chats have been really heartening. Not one
has said anything to me but that they want to
live in the United New Zealand. They want to get
to know their neighbors, they want to meet people from

(01:51):
different backgrounds. The Crown is set to spend large on
land transport over the next two decades. A briefing paper
from the Ministry of Transporters found more than two hundred
and fifty billion dollars would be divvied out if all
proposed projects were come to fruition. That would be more
than half New Zealand's current GDP. The Ministry has told
the Transport Minister he needs to prioritize all projects, not

(02:14):
just the expensive roads of national significance. In a speech
in November, Chris Bishop said the biggest challenge to the
Roads of national significance would be sorting out how to
pay for them. Tractor sales have been able to plow
through a tough economic period. There was a ten percent
increase in the number of annual tractor deliveries last year
compared to the year prior. The Tractor and Machinery Association

(02:38):
says it's a big improvement on two years before that.
General manager Phil Holden says it's a simple success story.
The primary sector itself is probably in one of the
most positive splaces that's been post COVID two. Sport Now
and Mowana PACIFICA coach Tana umang Is addressed his squad
with a cardboard cutout of Ardi Savia to highlight the

(03:00):
whole The All Black sabbatical absence will leave for Super
Rugby in twenty twenty six. Success for New Zealand on
center court at the ASB Tennis Classic, James Watt and
Finn Reynolds have won their opening doubles match via a
super tiebreak. Michael Carrick will manage the Manchester United football
team until the end of the season and Jack Dewin

(03:21):
and Reno owned alpine Formula One team have agreed to
part ways. I'm Wendy Petrie. That's your latest news fix.
We'll be back with the next update at middate from
the News Talk set by Newsroom