Heavily choreographed proceedings are now in motion, following the death of the Pope. 

The leader of the Catholic Church has died overnight at the age of 88 following a battle with double pneumonia. 

Later this week, the Pope will lie in state in St Peters Basilica for several days for the public to pay their respects. 

Italy Correspondent Jo McKenna is at St Peters' Square, and told Francesca Rudkin another ritual will be held in the coming hours, inside his apartment. 

Heavily choreographed proceedings are now in motion, following the death of the Pope.&nbsp;
The leader of the Catholic Church has died overnight at the age of 88 following a battle with double pneumonia.&nbsp;
Later this week, the Pope will lie in state in St Peters Basilica for several days for the public to pay their respects.&nbsp;
Italy Correspondent Jo McKenna is at St Peters' Square, and told Francesca Rudkin another ritual will be held in the coming hours, inside his apartment.&nbsp;

A fresh and intelligent start to your day - catch the very latest international and domestic news developments, sport, entertainment and business on Early Edition with Ryan Bridge, on Newstalk ZB.

A fresh and intelligent start to your day - catch the very latest international and domestic news developments, sport, entertainment and business on Early Edition with Ryan Bridge, on Newstalk ZB.

Early Edition with Ryan Bridge

Jo McKenna: Italy Correspondent on the death of Pope Francis

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/7784f840-c291-422a-924b-ad9000bbad71/clips/89aaea36-4c23-4e0f-a574-b2c6012d9ceb/transcript

In a post on Truth Social, Donald Trump called on the UK, China, France, Japan, South Korea and others to send ships to help keep the Strait of Hormuz open - but his request has been met with little response. 

Washington Bureau Chief for the Guardian, David Smith, told Ryan Bridge, "there's been some reporting suggesting that Donald Trump was warned this is a possibility by his military planners, and his response was it'll be okay."

LISTEN ABOVE 

In a post on Truth Social, Donald Trump called on the UK, China, France, Japan, South Korea and others to send ships to help keep the Strait of Hormuz open - but his request has been met with little response.&nbsp;
Washington Bureau Chief for the Guardian, David Smith, told Ryan Bridge, "there's been some reporting suggesting that Donald Trump was warned this is a possibility by his military planners, and his response was it'll be okay."
LISTEN ABOVE&nbsp;

David Smith: Guardian Washington Bureau Chief says Trump wants help opening the Strait of Hormuz

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/7784f840-c291-422a-924b-ad9000bbad71/clips/2de68bad-1f7e-48f1-9ea3-b40e013d9168/transcript

On the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast for Monday 16th of March 2025, we get the latest on the Iran War as it enters its third week.

Donald Trump has requested allies help open the Strait of Hormuz - UK Correspondent Gavin Grey tells Ryan whether Europe is likely to help. 

Ryan has some advice for the Labour Party - don't automatically agree with the unions. 

And Andrew Alderson celebrates Liam Lawson's brilliant weekend at the Chinese Grand Prix.

Get the Early Edition Full Show Podcast every weekday on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts.          

LISTEN ABOVE  

On the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast for Monday 16th of March 2025, we get the latest on the Iran War as it enters its third week.
Donald Trump has requested allies help open the Strait of Hormuz - UK Correspondent Gavin Grey tells Ryan whether Europe is likely to help.&nbsp;
Ryan has some advice for the Labour Party - don't automatically agree with the unions.&nbsp;
And Andrew Alderson celebrates Liam Lawson's brilliant weekend at the Chinese Grand Prix.
Get the Early Edition Full Show Podcast every weekday on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts. &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;
LISTEN ABOVE &nbsp;

Full Show Podcast: 16 March 2026 

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/7784f840-c291-422a-924b-ad9000bbad71/clips/05ef7900-f4fa-4319-b8ac-b40e011a8735/transcript

Last week ended with a bizarre situation where Labour effectively came out against a pay rise for teachers.

They did this because that’s what the unions wanted. And what the unions want, the unions usually get.

Union strategy 101 is getting everyone who’s not a member to become one.

The tactic is peer pressure.

If you can deprive non‑union members of a pay rise while dragging out pay negotiations, that’s leverage.

Labour last week got rid of Willow‑Jean Prime, who scored an F in the portfolio.

Ginny Anderson has been lumped with it at a time when National is seen, across a bunch of polls this term, to be either better or at least as good as Labour on education.

Which is saying something. Like health, it’s usually the purview of the left.

But something’s shifted, and Ginny probably needs to take a good, hard look at which battles she blindly follows her comrades into.

Charter schools are another example.

I was reading at the weekend about the breadth of subjects and students these schools cater to: seven Māori schools, a Pasifika girls’ school (which we’ve featured on the show), autism‑focused schools, French, sport, Cambridge.

Last week the principals’ union said all those schools — there are 19 applicants so far — should be closed.
The money, they said, should be put back into the mainstream system.

They don’t believe schools are failing certain cohorts of young people, which is the very reason charter schools exist.

To an average parent, an average person, but most importantly, an average voter, this looks political, not practical.
I think most Kiwis accept that mainstream schooling doesn’t work for everyone.

Most also accept that teaching needs to be better paid, regardless of union affiliation.

To rail against these things just because your union mates demand you do so is hardly going to win back public support in an area where ground has clearly been lost.

Last week ended with a bizarre situation where Labour effectively came out against a pay rise for teachers.
They did this because that’s what the unions wanted. And what the unions want, the unions usually get.
Union strategy 101 is getting everyone who’s not a member to become one.
The tactic is peer pressure.
If you can deprive non‑union members of a pay rise while dragging out pay negotiations, that’s leverage.
Labour last week got rid of Willow‑Jean Prime, who scored an F in the portfolio.
Ginny Anderson has been lumped with it at a time when National is seen, across a bunch of polls this term, to be either better or at least as good as Labour on education.
Which is saying something. Like health, it’s usually the purview of the left.
But something’s shifted, and Ginny probably needs to take a good, hard look at which battles she blindly follows her comrades into.
Charter schools are another example.
I was reading at the weekend about the breadth of subjects and students these schools cater to: seven Māori schools, a Pasifika girls’ school (which we’ve featured on the show), autism‑focused schools, French, sport, Cambridge.
Last week the principals’ union said all those schools — there are 19 applicants so far — should be closed. The money, they said, should be put back into the mainstream system.
They don’t believe schools are failing certain cohorts of young people, which is the very reason charter schools exist.
To an average parent, an average person, but most importantly, an average voter, this looks political, not practical. I think most Kiwis accept that mainstream schooling doesn’t work for everyone.
Most also accept that teaching needs to be better paid, regardless of union affiliation.
To rail against these things just because your union mates demand you do so is hardly going to win back public support in an area where ground has clearly been lost.

Ryan Bridge: Labour shouldn't automatically back the Unions

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/7784f840-c291-422a-924b-ad9000bbad71/clips/169d1638-59a7-4260-89a0-b40e011ac1ae/transcript

Jo McKenna: Italy Correspondent on the death of Pope Francis

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