World Politics
Midday Report Essentials for Thursday 12 March 2026
Oil shocks hit the economy as Air New Zealand cancels flights and Heinz shuts factories, so what happens next?; We speak to a Heinz factory worker whose job with the company is now uncertain; The… Audio
Latest news from the United States
The latest news from the United States with correspondent Laura Taglianetti in New York. Audio
UN Security Council demands Iran halt attacks on Gulf states
It didn't mention US or Israeli strikes on Iran, prompting Tehran's ambassador to decry a "blatant misuse" of the international body.
Targeting mistake led to US missile strike on Iranian school - report
![This image grab taken from Iranian state television broadcasted on February 28, 2026, show what it says is the site of deadly US and Israeli strikes that hit a girls' elementary school in Minab, in the southern Iranian province of Hormozgan near the strategic sea route of the Strait of Hormuz. The United States and Israel launched strikes against Iran on February 28, sparking fears of regional war with explosions reported across the Middle East as the Islamic republic retaliated with barrages of missiles. (Photo by IRIB TV / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE - MANDATORY CREDIT "AFP PHOTO / IRIB / HANDOUT" - NO MARKETING NO ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS - DISTRIBUTED AS A SERVICE TO CLIENTS / “The erroneous mention[s] appearing in the metadata of this photo been modified in AFP systems in the following manner: [BYLINE: -]. Please immediately remove the erroneous mention[s] from all your online services and delete it (them) from your servers. If you have been authorized by AFP to distribute it (them) to third...](https://media.rnztools.nz/rnz/image/upload/s--25LV6qpB--/ar_16:10,c_fill,f_auto,g_auto,q_auto,w_288/v1772321593/4JSG98P_AFP__20260228__99BG3T3__v3__HighRes__CorrectionIranIsraelUsConflict_jpg?_a=BACCd2AD)
Investigators are still looking at why outdated information was used in planning the strike which killed at least 165 people, including children, Iran says.
Iran's new supreme leader injured, officials say
Mojtaba Khamenei has not spoken or been seen in public since his appointment at the weekend.
Think Big
As our government tries to fix NZ's energy crisis, and tensions in the Middle East rattle global energy markets, we look back at the oil shocks of the 1970s and how they reshaped New Zealand’s energy… Video, Audio
Reimagining of the moral world order
As the US-Israeli conflict with Iran rages on, moral leadership from the Western world's biggest powers players, like the US, has been drawn into question. Professor Robert Patman joins Emile to… Audio
Iran begins laying mines in Strait of Hormuz, sources say
Iran still retains upward of 80 percent to 90 percent of its small boats and mine layers, so could lay hundreds of mines.
Midday Report Essentials for Wednesday 11 March 2026
US media report Iran is laying mines in the Strait of Hormuz, and despite Donald Trump saying the vessels were destroyed we ask Trade Minister Todd McClay what it could mean for global trade; An expat… Audio
Does Donald Trump even know what’s happening in Iran?
Analysis: There are no signs that the US President's decisions on the war will be grounded in reality any time soon.
Australia pledges to send military assets to Middle East
Australia correspondent Nick Grimm spoke to Lisa Owen about the country finding itself drawn increasingly into the conflict in the Middle East, with the Albanese Government offering sanctuary to… Audio
War 'pretty much' complete but US hasn't 'won enough' - Trump
The US President says the war on Iran is "pretty much" complete but America hasn't "won enough, as the conflict in the Middle East enters its eleventh day. The US military says it has struck more than… Audio
Midday Report Essentials for Tuesday 10 March 2026
Markets lurch back following Trump comments on Iran; Psychologist Dougal Sutherland on Covid's social 'long tail'; What impact does Iran war have on China and its relationships? Audio
What impact does Iran war have on China and its relationships?
What is the impact of the war on China and what strategies are they deploying in the crisis? Until recently Anna Fifield was The Washington Post's Asia-Pacific editor and before that the newspaper's… Audio
Latest news from the United States
The latest news from America with correspondent Laura Taglianetti in New York. Audio
Trump disapproves new Supreme Leader
As the US remains embroiled in war with Iran, President Trump has voiced disapproval of the new hardline Supreme Leader. Audio
Iranian football players offered asylum by Australia
There were fears the team would be targeted by the Iranian regime upon their return, after they were labelled "traitors" on Iranian TV for not singing the national anthem.
Improvised explosive devices thrown near NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani's home
The New York Police Department said it was investigating the incident as ISIS-inspired terrorism.
Iran's hardliners pledge fealty to new leader Mojtaba Khamenei
Khamenei, 56, a Shi'ite cleric with a power base among the security forces and their vast business empire, has been declared unacceptable by US President Donald Trump.
Iran's new Supreme Leader named
Mojtaba Khamenei was chosen by Iran's Assembly of Experts to succeed his father who was killed at the beginning of the latest conflict. It comes as the conflict in the middle east enters its tenth… Audio
