Morning Edition: 16 April 2026

The Morning Edition of News Fix for 16 April 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 (00:03):
Good morning. I'm never ready, Manu. And this is your
morning news fix for Thursday, sixteenth of April. And this update,
Iran's military is warning it will start carrying out attacks
if the US naval blockade continues. The Trump administration is
claiming Iran sea trade has ground to a halt, but
new BBC analysis shows more than a dozen vessels have

(00:24):
passed through this strait of for moose in the past
two days. Teharan is now ramping up its threats, despite
both sides showing a willingness to return to the negotiating table.
Donald Trump says the war is now very close to
being over. New Zealand's fuel supplies are continuing to drop,
but Prime Minister Christopher Luxen says that the government sees

(00:45):
no risk of future fuel disruption. The later stocks show
fifty six point three days of petrol, forty five point
four days of diesel, and forty seven days of jet
fuel either landed or on the water en route. A
positive response to funding pharmacist treatment provided there's compensation. Health
New Zealand's proposing an annual five million dollar fund allowing

(01:08):
pharmacists to dispense treatments for common conditions The move's being
welcomed by the Pharmaceutical Society, which says it will make
already available services more affordable and therefore accessible. Pharmacist and
christ Church Pharmacy owner Annabelle Turley says it's a good move,
but pharmacists would need to be paid appropriately. A tax

(01:30):
expert says any changes to GST would need to be
weighed carefully. An inland revenue report says that the rate
could be hiked from fifteen percent if the government needs
more revenue. It proposes cash transfers to poor people to
soften the blow of the increased tax. Deloitte GST partner
Alan Buloh says there's probably room for an increase, but

(01:52):
it needs to be done with a scalpel. He says
rates can hit the mid twenties in parts of Europe.
New calculations confirm the cost of flying around the world
is taking off. Forsythe Bar tracked thirty five of their
New Zealand's most used routes each week, finding fares are
up about twenty five percent for long haul flights compared
to last year. It says prices have increased significantly recently

(02:16):
and airlines are desperately trying to recover some of those
costs through airfares. Tasman Pacific flights are also up by
twenty percent, while domestic fares are up by ten More
than six hundred properties will be impacted by the Airport
to Botany busway project, and many may be purchased by
compulsory acquisition residential, commercial cuting or order. Auckland Council and

(02:40):
Crown Land properties are included. People will have notifications added
to their property reports, which some fear will affect their
resale value. Auckland Transport says full and fear compensation will
be given to those whose land is required. The eighteen
kilometer busway is still years away and expected to cost
billion dollars. In sport, the Football Ferns will attend a

(03:04):
seventh Women's World Cup next year in Brazil after beating
Papua New Guinea one nil in the Oceania qualifying final.
Former All Black Lemma Soopowanga is concerned by the impact
on a younger generation as Mwana Pasifica prepares to fold
after this Super rugby season, a call to bring test
cricket back to Auckland. The last international red ball match

(03:26):
in the city was at Eden Park in twenty eighteen,
but the bush has been sparked by commitments to a
ten million dollar revamp of Colin Maiden Park for domestic matches.
I'm never ready, man who annual Latest News Fix will
be back with the next update at midday from the
newstalk ZB newsroom