Nine To Noon for Wednesday 11 March 2026

09:05 Trump's conflicting Iran position explained

The US remains adamant it is going to win a war in Iran swiftly, even as it refuses to rule out any options, including boots on the ground. Israel has launched a wave of strikes in the Iranian capital of Tehran overnight. More than 1,700 people have died in the Middle East since the conflict started. US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth says today will be the most intense day of strikes on Iran. But, questions remain over what the end to the conflict looks like, following a media conference by US President Donald Trump yesterday. Oil prices have come down, after the President indicated the war may end sooner than the original time frame of four to five weeks. But as New York Times national security correspondent David Sanger explains, President Trump's statements were at times contradictory.

09:25 One in five counsellors eye exit or scale-back

A just released survey indicates more than one in five professional counsellors are planning to retire, scale back their work, or leave the profession in the next two years. The Workforce Report from the  New Zealand Association of Counsellors,  also says long waiting lists for funded counselling mean many people are missing out. But the Association's President Huhana Pene, says there is spare capacity , with nearly half of those responding saying they could take on more clients. However cost is a barrier. Kathryn speaks to the President of the New Zealand Association of Counsellor's Huhana Pene

09:35 Tackling the estimated  90% of New Zealand homes needing maintenance

The Building Research Levy is backing a project that aims to help tackle the 90% of homes estimated to need. And the cost of that work is thought to be an eye-watering  $27 billion. Money for the research comes from the 1 per cent that is collected from building consents for work over $20,000. The project run by the Centre for Research, Evaluation and Social Assessment, CRESA,  plans to deliver guidance to help New Zealanders keep their homes well cared for, in an affordable way. Cresa's Research Director is Kay Saville-Smith, who talks to Kathryn about what they hope the project will deliver.

09:45 Australia: Aid for Gulf states, seven Iranian football players defect

Australia correspondent Chris Niesche details the country's commitment of an aircraft and personnel to the Gulf states that have been attacked by Iran, as another two members of the Iranian women's football team seek asylum. And two Nigerian men who tricked a teenage boy into sending a nude picture and who later killed himself have been jailed.

10:05 Thirty Kiwis share their take on climate solutions

When Tessa Vincent set out to collate a book on climate change she was repeatedly told 'don't make it too political'. So in editing Kiwis in Climate, she's brought thirty voices from a variety of specialties to share their views on how to cope with the climate emergency. Scientists like Jim Salinger, farmers exploring alternatives to traditional industrial farming and politicians on localising climate action and how New Zealand's creative climate ideas can be influential on the world stage. Tessa Vincent, who works as a policy adviser and climate campaigner, is in the Wellington studio. While in Auckland, one of the contributors to the book, David Hall. He's co-founder and executive director at Toha Network, he's a researcher with a focus on climate economics.

10:25  The West Coast's annual celebration of wild foods 

Snails, huhu grubs, and crickets - for the 36th year, the West Coast town of Hokitika is preparing to host thousands of visitors at the Wildfoods Festival this weekend. The town will roughly double in size as people arrive to camp, eat, dance and enjoy the spectacle. But it's not all wild food, there's plenty for everyone. Festival co-ordinator Cary Lancaster says punters usually travel from far and wide.

10:35 Book review: Wings by Paul McCartney

Sonja de Friez reviews Wings by Paul McCartney, published by Penguin Random House.

10:45 Around the motu: Jonathan McKenzie,  Editor of the Waikato Times

Jonathan talks to Kathryn about how toxic algae is affecting  riverside towns, the road repairs to slow Waikato  Expressway, the local town with the highest rate of driver licence passes and bakery raves hit Hamilton.

11:05 Music with Maggie Tweedie

Maggie Tweedie dips into three of her favourite new soulful releases, including the cinematic album In Search of a Revival from the retro Brooklyn instrumental collective The Olympians.

11:20 New Auckland tattoo convention hopes to leave a mark

Nearly a quarter of Kiwis are believed to be inked - that is, have a tattoo - and a convention in Auckland this weekend is set to celebrate the artform. The Roots Auckland Tattoo Convention will take place at The Cloud, with over 180 national and international tattoo artists taking part. It's been created by  husband-and-wife co-founders, tattoo artist Ben Kaye and operations manager Madeline Kaye. They join Kathryn to talk about what the convention will involve - and what's driving the growth of tattooing more generally.

11:45 Science: Malaria development, fluid physics and fighting cockroaches

Science commentator Allan Blackman joins Kathryn with some new science studies. One that's found a protein that malaria parasites need that has the potential to be switched off. Can't get the last drop of a fluid out of a container? Physicists have run the math on fluid flows and one that's a bit icky - mating cockroaches chew off each other's wings to signal they're ready to settle down.

Allan Blackman is a Professor of Chemistry, School of Science, Auckland University of Technology