Nine To Noon for Friday 14 April 2023

 

09:05 Auckland Airport redevelopment: Will fliers foot the bill?

It's the main gateway to the country and it's in for a big overhaul - but who's going to pay? And how long might Aucklanders' own a stake in it? Last month Auckland Airport unveiled plans to overhaul its 57-year-old domestic terminal to the tune of $3.9b. It would see an integrated domestic and international terminal, 12 new domestic aircraft gates, with electric charging to cater for future aircraft, a smart baggage system and additional retail areas. But after 12 years of consultation and 21 concept designs that have come and gone, the announcement reportedly left airlines "flabbergasted". The redevelopment comes as Auckland Council mulls whether to peddle some of its 18 percent share in the Airport - mayor Wayne Brown recently writing in the New Zealand Herald that continued ownership was "stupid" and a sale is necessary to plug the city's $295m budget hole. Susie discusses the situation with a possible sale of shares in Auckland Airport with Auckland Councillor Alf Filipaina and deputy mayor Desley Simpson, while Cath O'Brien, head of the Board of Airline Representatives outlines the concerns of airlines.

09:30 Koh-i-Noor: The controversial diamond and the Royal Family

The issue of what to do with the infamous and expensive Koh-i-Noor diamond during King Charles' coronation in five weeks had been causing the Royal Family a colonial-sized headache. The 105.6 carat diamond was fought over for centuries before it was brought from India and gifted to Queen Victoria. It went on to be worn by female members of the royal family - including being set into the Queen Mother's state crown in 1937. Following the death of Queen Elizabeth last year, there were calls by India for it to be repatriated. Buckingham Palace announced last month it would not be part of the coronation, and will instead go on display as a "symbol of conquest" in a new exhibition at the Tower of London. Will that quell the controversy? Susie is joined by Anita Anand - she's a BBC radio and TV presenter and co-authored a book called Koh-i-Noor: The History of the World's Most Infamous Diamond.

09:45 Asia correspondent Ed White

Ed White is a correspondent with the Financial Times. He talks to Susie about the latest news around Asia; a growing debt crisis in Pakistan, a deadly military airstrike on a village in Myanmar, Japan under fire for its climate response ahead of a G7 meeting, rising tensions between Taiwan and China, and criticism at European leaders for meeting Xi Jinping in China.

10:05 Pegasus: The spyware in your pocket and the journalists that exposed it

It's an extraordinary story: spyware that spread through as little as a missed WhatsApp call and was used to keep tabs on high-profile targets - from Princesses to Presidents. The Pegasus cybersurveillance tool was created by Israeli company NSO Group and - once on a phone - could read text messages, collect passwords, record calls and turn on your camera. But perhaps even more extraordinary is how its use was exposed by an international consortium of journalists who worked in secret for months on the story. It began with the leak of 50,000 cellphone numbers to French non-profit group Forbidden Stories, who drew in 17 media organisations to help work on the investigation which came to be known as 'The Pegasus Project.' Susie speaks with Sandrine Rigaud, editor-in-chief of Forbidden Stories and co-author of a book called 'Pegasus: The Story of the World's Most Dangerous Spyware'. She details the methodical search for infected phones and who they belonged to and the paranoia that stemmed from trying not to be caught.

10:35 Book review: The Shards by Bret Easton Ellis

Olly Clifton of Unity Books Auckland reviews The Shards by Bret Easton Ellis, published by Penguin Random House

10:45 Around the motu : Logan Savory in Invercargill

The Invercargill Central Development Project has been a huge undertaking, Logan has an update. Plans are underway for a civic tribute to former mayor Sir Tim Shadbolt, meanwhile the Gore District Council has some trouble in the ranks with CEO Stephen Parry and Mayor Ben Bell not speaking, And Invercargill will host the New Zealand-Australia netball test later this year.
Southland Tribune editor Logan Savory

11:05 New music with Jeremy Taylor

The first new music from Feist in 6 years, female supergroup Boygenius's debut long player, and a funky soul reissue from session drummer extraordinaire Bernard Purdie

11:30 Sports commentator Dana Johanssen

As organisers marked 100 days until the FIFA World Cup this week, alarm bells are ringing in the Football Ferns camp, Brendon McCullum lands himself in hot water, and the resurgence of one of netball’s most perplexing talents.

Dana Johannsen is Stuff's National Correspondent specialising in sport. 

11:45 The week that was 

Comedians Pinky Agnew and Donna Brookbanks bring a few laughs.

 

 

Music played in this show

Track: Ain't That A Shame
Artist: Fats Domino
Time Played: 10:36

Track: Peaches
Artist: The Stranglers
Time Played: 10:40

Track: Please Don't Leave me Now
Artist: Madison McFerrin
Time Played: 10:48

Track: Offering
Artist: Gabriels
Time Played: 11:45