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 Employers and Manufacturers Association boss joins us fresh from meetings at the Beehive to discuss how New Zealand might weather the economic shock triggered by war in the Middle East; We speak to a drone warfare expert who has written in foreign affairs about how Iran's low-cost drones could be a game-changer, complicating Donald Trump's push for a short, sharp end to the war.