Morning Edition: 20 April 2026

The Morning Edition of News Fix for 20 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 (00:03):
Good morning. I'm Nevarettimanu and this is your Morning News
Fox for Monday, twentieth of April. In this update, thunderstorms
and flooding have hit Wellington City this morning. There have
been reports of flooding in homes and on streets. The
Kai Quartera Coast remains under a heavy rain warning and
local states of emergency remain in effect in Wanganui district

(00:25):
and or Hood Award in the rue Pehu district, where
people were forced to evacuate due to severe weather yesterday.
New Zealand and India will sign a long awaited free
trade agreement next week. Trade Minister Todd McLay says the
deal will be signed a New Delhi on April twenty seven,
opening access to India's fast growing economy and population of

(00:48):
one point four billion. It will cut or remove tariffs
on ninety five percent of New Zealand exports, with more
than half becoming duty free immediately, including lamb, wool and forestry.
McLay says the deal could deliver tens of millions of
dollars in additional exports. Iran has reportedly rejected a second

(01:09):
round of talks with the US with a ceasefire set
to expire on Wednesday. US President Donald Trump says his
representatives will return to Pakistan for peace talks. However, Iranian
state media reports Iran will not take part in another
round of talks, labeling the US's demands as excessive. A
political commentator says the latest poll shows the National Party

(01:32):
has its work cut out for it. The latest one
used variant poll has Labour climbing five points to thirty
seven percent and National dropping four points to thirty percent.
The results show the coalition government would be knocked out
of power when it comes to preferred prime minister. Labour's
Chris Hipkins is on nineteen percent, while National's Chris Luxen

(01:54):
is on sixteen percent. Pr consultant Ben Thomas says despite
rumors in past weeks, Luxon is still likely to remain
party leader. He says there's no natural successor, with Chris
Bishop at only two percent in the preferred prime minister
Ranting a shop for hastings after the death of three
people early yesterday morning. One person was found dead at

(02:16):
the scene on Avenue Road East, two people died later
in hospital, and a fourth person remains in a serious condition.
A homicide investigation is now underway at Meyor. Wendy Sholom
says the best thing they can do is come together
and support one another. The cost of school uniforms is
keeping some secondary students out of the classroom. A University

(02:38):
of Otago study analyzed three Wellington schools and found one
in five families struggle to afford uniforms, with some forced
to rely on loans. It found some students of missed
school due to not having the full uniform. Study lead
Johanna Reedy says uniforms is still supported, but their purpose

(02:59):
is being weakened by rising costs. In sport, the New
Zealand Women have won the first of three stops on
the Championship seven series, beating Australia nineteen fourteen in the
decider at Hong Kong. Hosts Manchester City have defeated Arsenal
two to one in a match which could go some
way to deciding the Premier League football season. Brock Feene

(03:22):
has jumped to the top of the Supercars Ladder and
lifted the Jason Richards Trophy after two weekends of racing
in New Zealand, and the Tactics have beaten the Pulse
fifty three forty eight in Netball's A and Z Premiership.
I'm Nevaretti, Manu their the latest newswiks. We'll be back
with the next update at midday from the news Talk
zb news room