1 00:00:00,200 --> 00:00:04,880 Speaker 1: And we're joined now by Wisley Smith, Hella, Whisley Mornige, Andrew, 2 00:00:04,920 --> 00:00:06,760 Speaker 1: how are you very good? The big story right around 3 00:00:06,760 --> 00:00:09,080 Speaker 1: the world is seeing that Kirstama wants to spit more 4 00:00:09,080 --> 00:00:09,640 Speaker 1: on defense. 5 00:00:10,640 --> 00:00:12,800 Speaker 2: Yeah. You know, if his intention was to make the 6 00:00:12,880 --> 00:00:16,640 Speaker 2: nation sit up and listen, he certainly succeeded today. This speech, 7 00:00:16,680 --> 00:00:18,919 Speaker 2: which I listened to live, sounded to say that the 8 00:00:19,040 --> 00:00:22,120 Speaker 2: UK's on a war footing. He described Russia as a 9 00:00:22,160 --> 00:00:25,680 Speaker 2: menace and said the UK needs a sharper focus on defense, 10 00:00:25,920 --> 00:00:30,080 Speaker 2: enhancing intelligence budgets too. Probably no coincidence of cause Andrew 11 00:00:30,120 --> 00:00:32,280 Speaker 2: that all this comes just ahead of his trip to 12 00:00:32,400 --> 00:00:34,839 Speaker 2: Washington to meet President Trump, who has raised more than 13 00:00:34,840 --> 00:00:37,640 Speaker 2: a few eyebrows with his recent comments on the Ukraine war, 14 00:00:37,920 --> 00:00:40,360 Speaker 2: appearing somewhat warmer, should we say in his approach to 15 00:00:40,440 --> 00:00:44,040 Speaker 2: Vladimir Putin. Well, Starmer spoke of his visits to Ukraine 16 00:00:44,240 --> 00:00:46,880 Speaker 2: and how he felt personally affected by what he'd seen 17 00:00:46,920 --> 00:00:49,800 Speaker 2: and said we must stand by its people. So he 18 00:00:49,840 --> 00:00:52,440 Speaker 2: needs to show now he means business in Washington, but 19 00:00:52,520 --> 00:00:56,120 Speaker 2: has a huge diplomatic to achieve. So he made a 20 00:00:56,120 --> 00:00:59,960 Speaker 2: point of underlining the UK's decades long mutually supportive relationship 21 00:01:00,120 --> 00:01:02,320 Speaker 2: with the US and said it must continue to go 22 00:01:02,360 --> 00:01:05,080 Speaker 2: from strength to strength. So in the comments he pledged 23 00:01:05,120 --> 00:01:08,119 Speaker 2: what he calls the biggest increase in defense spending since 24 00:01:08,120 --> 00:01:11,440 Speaker 2: the end of the Cold War, thirteen point four billion 25 00:01:11,480 --> 00:01:14,080 Speaker 2: pounds a year I guess around thirty billion New Zealand 26 00:01:14,120 --> 00:01:16,959 Speaker 2: dollars from twenty to twenty seven. But on the day 27 00:01:17,000 --> 00:01:20,640 Speaker 2: householders here had energy prices will rise again from April secure, 28 00:01:20,680 --> 00:01:22,840 Speaker 2: Starmer said we all have to shoulder some of the 29 00:01:22,840 --> 00:01:25,920 Speaker 2: burden through hard choices. Much of the funding will come 30 00:01:25,959 --> 00:01:29,360 Speaker 2: at the cost of international aid, although that's a budget 31 00:01:29,400 --> 00:01:32,319 Speaker 2: cut to almost half that very much to the disquiet 32 00:01:32,319 --> 00:01:35,280 Speaker 2: of some who fear it will dentiur global reputation. He 33 00:01:35,360 --> 00:01:37,880 Speaker 2: did say, however, he hoped it could eventually be restored. 34 00:01:38,319 --> 00:01:41,400 Speaker 1: Yes, yes, the squealing from aid agencies has you can 35 00:01:41,440 --> 00:01:43,000 Speaker 1: hear it over here in New Zealand. That's for sure. 36 00:01:43,000 --> 00:01:45,040 Speaker 1: They're really complaining about the whole thing. But at the 37 00:01:45,080 --> 00:01:47,160 Speaker 1: same time, it has been a very long time when 38 00:01:48,080 --> 00:01:51,040 Speaker 1: that any country has been on what you call war footing, 39 00:01:51,640 --> 00:01:54,160 Speaker 1: and that war footing all through the ages has always 40 00:01:54,160 --> 00:01:57,640 Speaker 1: meant hardship. So what interesting times we live in such 41 00:01:57,720 --> 00:02:01,760 Speaker 1: interesting times had apparently there is a solid gold toilet 42 00:02:01,840 --> 00:02:04,640 Speaker 1: seat worth what six million New Zealand dollars and it's 43 00:02:04,680 --> 00:02:07,120 Speaker 1: now been stolen it. 44 00:02:07,120 --> 00:02:11,080 Speaker 2: It was an art installation, fully functioning eighteen carrot solid 45 00:02:11,120 --> 00:02:14,160 Speaker 2: gold toilet called America Make of that what you will 46 00:02:14,320 --> 00:02:17,080 Speaker 2: by the artist Barizio Catalan. It was on display at 47 00:02:17,080 --> 00:02:20,280 Speaker 2: the Blenham Palace, one of England's most lavish stately homes, 48 00:02:20,280 --> 00:02:23,359 Speaker 2: birthplace of the wartime leader Sir Winston Churchill. Now that 49 00:02:23,360 --> 00:02:25,120 Speaker 2: it's taken a while for this case to come to 50 00:02:25,200 --> 00:02:29,480 Speaker 2: Oxford Crown Court, as the said gold's toilet seat disappeared 51 00:02:29,520 --> 00:02:33,919 Speaker 2: back in September twenty nineteen, when ninety eight kilograms the 52 00:02:33,960 --> 00:02:36,519 Speaker 2: gold alone was valued at two point eight million pounds. 53 00:02:36,600 --> 00:02:39,080 Speaker 2: It's never been recovered. The court heard, it had most 54 00:02:39,160 --> 00:02:41,839 Speaker 2: likely been split up into smaller amounts of gold. It's 55 00:02:41,840 --> 00:02:44,600 Speaker 2: only been on display for a day when the overnight 56 00:02:44,680 --> 00:02:47,760 Speaker 2: raid happened. Whoever removed it used sledge hammers which were 57 00:02:47,800 --> 00:02:50,120 Speaker 2: left at the sea with water pouring out of the pipes. 58 00:02:50,639 --> 00:02:54,080 Speaker 2: The entire operation, Andrew only took about five minutes well, 59 00:02:54,120 --> 00:02:56,520 Speaker 2: the prosecution claimed. In a couple of days contact was 60 00:02:56,520 --> 00:03:00,480 Speaker 2: made with a jeweler in London's famous Hatton Garden, and 61 00:03:00,520 --> 00:03:02,640 Speaker 2: the court heard a lot of preparation must have happened 62 00:03:02,639 --> 00:03:04,840 Speaker 2: before the raid and claimed one of the men accused 63 00:03:04,840 --> 00:03:06,880 Speaker 2: of the theft had visited the exhibit and taken a 64 00:03:06,880 --> 00:03:10,080 Speaker 2: photo just hours before that raid. What three men are 65 00:03:10,160 --> 00:03:11,679 Speaker 2: up in court and the trial continues. 66 00:03:11,840 --> 00:03:13,880 Speaker 1: Fantastic. When you have to go, you really have to go, 67 00:03:13,919 --> 00:03:16,000 Speaker 1: and it seems and I thank you. That is Weizley Smith. 68 00:03:16,800 --> 00:03:19,040 Speaker 1: For more from Early Edition with Ryan Bridge. 69 00:03:19,120 --> 00:03:22,560 Speaker 2: Listen live to News Talks it Be from five am weekdays, 70 00:03:22,840 --> 00:03:24,880 Speaker 2: or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio.