Nine To Noon

09:05 Médecins Sans Frontières and other aid organisations fighting to stay in Gaza

Médecins Sans Frontières, along with a group of other charities, is hanging on in Gaza after a court temporary blocked a decision by the Israeli ban 37 aid organisations at the start of this month. The NGO's had failed to co-operate with Israeli rules, introduced last year, that required aid groups to register the names and contact information of employees as well as providing details about their funding and operations. MSF says it will remain and continue providing medical assistance for as long as possible under its registration with the Palestinian Authority. But all its international staff were forced to leave just over a week ago and it has been unable to get any supplies or people into Gaza since the start of the year. The organisation says there need to be a massive upscaling of lifesaving help in the face of major restrictions on aid, and escalating violence in both Gaza and the West Bank. Tom Roth is the MSF Executive Director for Australia and New Zealand.

09:20 Oxford professor's AI disaster warning 

A leading Oxford University scholar is warning that intense commercial pressure could lead to a major AI disaster, potentially derailing the industry’s future. In his recent Royal Society lecture, 'This Is Not the AI We Were Promised,' Professor Michael Wooldridge makes the case that high-stakes failures, such as a lethal software update for autonomous vehicles or an AI-driven breach of airline systems, could permanently damage public trust and stifle interest in the technology. And it's his prediction one of these is going to happen, because of the commercial rush to get AI products to market. He says while AI has proven remarkable in its growth, its learning from probabilities makes it prone to swinging from highly accurate to completely fabricated in its answers.

09:35 Bunker builders help communities prepare for disaster

A business in Papamoa is setting up emergency management bunkers, and other equipment for communities in the lead up to and following a major disaster. Hamish Coulter started Crisis Bunker after Cyclone Gabrielle in 2023 when he saw the lack of key infrastructure like communications in the wake of that disaster. His business installs a hub - typically for the likes of schools or iwi - as a way of quickly having key equipment like shelter, food rations, cooking and water supplies. They also provide ready bags for households. 

09:45 Trump disapproves of Iran's new Supreme Leader

As the US remains embroiled in war with Iran, President Trump has voiced disapproval of the new hardline Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei. Domestic pressure is mounting as oil prices surge to $120 a barrel and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth warns of further American casualties. Meanwhile, amid cabinet reshuffles and the firing of DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, Hollywood prepares for an Oscar night where politically charged front-runners like Sinners and One Battle After Another may force stars to choose between activism and silence.

Washington bureau chief for The Guardian, David Smith.

10:05 Death scholar on whether you can really turn into a tree when you die

Uncomfortable as it may be, death is coming for us all. For many countries, the couple of decades will bring a period of "peak death"  - or Dr Hannah Gould calls it 'Boomergeddon'. She's a cultural anthropologist who lectures in Buddhist Studies at the University of Melbourne and has, through her research, become an expert in death and dying.  She says as wellness culture and advances in life-extending technology have grown, there's not been a corresponding focus on, or investment, in deathcare.  And while people may be seeking "greener" ways to die - people often say to her they'd like to be buried in meadow or turned into a tree - that's not particularly practical or environmentally friendly. And what of grief? Can AI chatbots really help people deal with the loss of a loved one, or postponing a very necessary human emotion? Hannah's folded all of these issues into a new book called How to Die in the 21st Century - it's philosophical, practical and perhaps crucially, told with a bit of humour.

10:35 Book review: The Old Fire by Elisa Shua Dusapin

Kiran Dass reviews The Old Fire by Elisa Shua Dusapin, published by Daunt.

10:45 Around the motu: David Hill, Local Democracy Reporter with North Canterbury News

David talks to Kathryn about planned regional rates rises at Canterbury Regional Council, the Kaikōura District Council seeking feedback on proposals for the town’s future development, Kaikōura's Suburban School celebrates 150 years next month, and the memorials getting an upgrade in Cheviot.

11:05 Air NZ lead market volatility

The latest on financial market volatility on the back of spiking oil prices as Air New Zealand suspends its earning guidance. Business commentator, NBR journalist Nicholas Pointon, also discusses Forsyth Barr's commentary it is the best reporting season since 2022. 

11:25 The kiwi journalist on covering the fall of Marcos

For a decade, Australian reporter Keith Dalton was a freelance foreign radio and newspaper correspondent stationed in the Philippines. This was during the 1970s and 1980s, when Keith was in his mid-20s. He sent back reports on military killings, human rights abuses and communist revolt. Dalton also witnessed dictator Ferdinand Marcos at the height of his powers. Then saw his repressive regime end in days - in February 1986 - after 21 brutal years in power. Keith Dalton has written two books about his experiences overseas. Both are a nod to journalism before computers, the internet and cell phones. Keith speaks to Kathryn. 

11:45 Black Caps beaten, Crusaders' shaky

Glen Larmer reflects on the Black Caps' T20 final loss to India, the Crusaders' shaky start to the new Super Rugby season, and The Warriors who started their campaign in style on Friday night. 

Glen Larmer is a sports commentator and broadcaster.