Larry Williams Drive

An expert's outlined how a head of state's actions could be considered war crimes. Photos and video have appeared showing bodies shot at close range in Ukraine's Bucha, left after Russian troops retreated.  US President Joe Biden wants Russian President Vladimir Putin put on trial. Otago University senior law lecturer Stephen Smith told Andrew Dickens direct orders could qualify as proof ... but other principles could also apply. “If the leader of the country should have been controlling his military more closely, I guess you could say, but sort of was neglecting that duty, that could qualify as well.” LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The controversial Fair Pay Agreement Legislation gets its first airing in Parliament. The Defence Minister wanted to send military hardware to the Ukraine but Cabinet refused. The Crown accounts, Robertson says show the resilience of the economy, but does it? Political editor Barry Soper joined Andrew Dickens. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tiger Woods' practice round at Augusta draws massive crowds. Crusaders hooker Shilo Klein is suspended for three weeks. Ross Taylor finishes his career with the last catch of the game. Sportstalk host D’Arcy Waldegrave joined Andrew Dickens. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Warnings hospitals will remain as overwhelmed as ever ... after the Omicron peak.  Australia's College of Emergency Medicine says overcrowded emergency departments have been a problem since well before the pandemic. The New Zealand Medical Association's deputy chair is calling for a comprehensive support plan for after this outbreak.  Vanessa Weenink told Andrew Dickens hospitals have had to keep people away to manage the overload of infectious disease. “We have to shut down elective surgeries, for example, which is happening in hospitals and that then just adds to the backload of things like cancer care and all sorts of other things.” LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

So, the fight against Covid continues just when we thought that maybe we were getting closer to an end. Maybe it's a case of an abundance of caution or maybe they were just looking at what's happening across the Tasman, where hospitalisations doubled over the second half of March as a second wave came through. Or maybe that second wave is just the first wave given a chance to build up again as Victoria and New South Wales over-loosened. Maybe that's something we shouldn't do. And maybe there is another variant waiting just around the corner for us. I receive emails daily from people railing against the blindness of our commentators about the arrival of new variants around the world. They chastise me for daring to hope that the acute stage of this pandemic is coming to an end. But I'm not going to let the prospect of something that may or may not happen in the future get in the way of my thinking. If the unthinkable happens and another deadly variant emerges, I'm confident we can adapt and adapt well, because

Hungary's nationalist Prime Minister Viktor Orban Thorn has won a fourth term in a landslide. A 60-year-old man allegedly had himself vaccinated against Covid-19 up to 90 times in Germany in order to sell vaccination cards to people who did not want to get the jab themselves. More than 50 people have been arrested as protests at a UK oil terminal enter a third day. UK correspondent Gavin Grey joined Andrew Dickens. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Australia and India have signed an ambitious interim free trade deal over the weekend. It's being called a significant step in diversifying export markets and reducing Australia's reliance on China.  Australia and New Zealand both began trade deal talks with India around 2010, but both got suspended in 2015. Suzannah Jessep, director of research and engagement at the Asia NZ Foundation and our former Deputy High Commissioner to India, joined Andrew Dickens. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hospitality and the events sectors are gutted that we continue to stay in red. Were you surprised by the Government's move to keep us in red? Do you think it's the right decision? Should the Govt do more to support the affected sectors?  NZME business commentator Fran O’Sullivan joined Andrew Dickens. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New Zealand is staying in the red light setting with a review scheduled for Thursday 14 April. Deputy Prime Minister Grant Robertson told Andrew Dickens red doesn't mean stop. “We have to keep doing this on the basis of what’s best for New Zealand overall, and as I say, people are out there enjoying their lives under red they can keep doing that, there is a few restrictions.” LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A series by Jehan Casinader is covering the issue of our police recruits and whether they're badly prepared for the job they jump into. If the real job is so different from Police College, are we getting it wrong? The Traffic Lights Announcement – fingers crossed for orange – what difference will it make to you? Do you still keep up with the rules? There are calls for tougher action against Russia after the killings and by the looks of things torture of unarmed civilians on the outskirts of Kyiv. The world has gone pretty hard with its sanctions already... are you worried there's not much left in the war chest? The PM says she had to walk to Parliament in muddy gumboots today because of daylight saving. Funny or cringe? Trish Sherson, Sherson Willis PR, and Matthew Tukaki, Māori Authority, joined Andrew Dickens for The Huddle. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Police college graduates say they're hitting the frontline underprepared, undertrained and under pressure. Four recent graduates say they felt bullied and unsupported once they completed the sixteen-week training course and two of them left the force not long after. Police have also revealed that they've launched two reviews into the quality of training for recruits and are now making major changes to police college. Police Association president Chris Cahill joined Andrew Dickens. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

If you've got a mortgage, you may have breathed in sharply reading this headline today: Kiwibank has lifted its standard 5-year home loan rate to 6.79 percent, the highest rate in eight years.  Home loan rates have been rising for months... But the reserve banks only just started lifting the official cash rate. So, how much higher should you prepare for them to go? Economist and property commentator Tony Alexander joined Andrew Dickens. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New Zealand tenor Simon O'Neill has won a Grammy for Best Choral Performance.  The award is for his work on the LA Philharmonic rendition of Mahler's Symphony Number Eight.   O'Neill told Andrew Dickens there were more than 370 people performing.  “I’m just fortunate to be one of the ones who gets named at the top of the list, I’m over the moon that the recording has been successful.” LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

NZ Events Association General Manager Ségolène de Fontenay told Andrew Dickens the traffic light decision is frustrating. “Disappointing, particularly for Auckland and, I guess, Wellington. There was a bit of a hint last week that there might be a regional approach, and that would have certainly been very welcome for Auckland.” LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Recap of the Traffic light announcement. Labour is worried about National's fund-raising ability, and with good reason. Act's not buying into Mallard's wish to appoint a behavioural commissioner at Parliament. Political editor Barry Soper joined Andrew Dickens. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Election date is to be announced this week as Morrison closes gap with Albanese. Rollout of the fourth Covid jab starts today. Could the bin chicken be the mascot of the Brisbane Olympics? Australian correspondent Oliver Peterson joined Andrew Dickens. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ross Taylor's final match ever is underway right now in Hamilton. Paul Coll wins the British Squash Open and retains his world number one status. Phil Gifford joined Andrew Dickens. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ross Taylor is currently playing his last match for the Black Caps. 16 years is an awfully good run. Particularly for a Samoan big hitter from Masterton who excelled as a kid swatting the ball to boundaries. But to master the red ball game and end out our highest scorer at the highest level is a feat-and-a-half. 7683 runs, including 19 centuries from 112 matches between 2007 and 2022, with a batting average of 44.66 runs. His record in One Day Internationals is similar. But all that's for the nerds. I love Ross for his grit. Frankly, I find him a beautiful man, but an ugly batsman. Watching Williamson or Conway or Guptill is far more aesthetic. Ross has always overbalanced. His big head seeming to fall forward under the weight of his massive tongue which he is far too fond of sticking out. There always appears to be a massive hole between his bat and pad, which he then shuts down by dramatically collapsing his knees and squatting on the ball. Every season he's come out batting ugly, and then Martin Crowe woul

Air New Zealand has announced its long awaited recapitalisation strategy.The strategy is a $2.2 billion equity and debt package.The aim is to repay its existing Crown loan, strengthen its balance sheet, improve liquidity and help position the airline for recovery post-Covid. Business commentator Rod Oram joined Andrew Dickens.LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

China and the Solomon Islands have signed a draft version of a security pact that could see Chinese police and other forces take up duties in the Pacific Island nation, drawing concerns from traditional partners New Zealand, Australia and the United States.The Solomon Islands government on Thursday said the draft agreement had been initialled by representatives of the two sides and will now “be cleaned up and await signatures of the two countries' foreign ministers.”The agreement aims to “respond to Solomon Islands’ soft and hard domestic threats. Solomon Islands will continue to roll out the implementation of its national security strategy and uphold its foreign policy of ‘Friends to all and enemies to none,’” a government news release said.Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare on Tuesday rejected concerns that regional safety would be jeopardized by the treaty. Sogavare called such concerns "utter nonsense,” adding that “I find it very insulting ... to be branded as unfit to manage our sovereign