Jonathan Frewin looks at the events making headlines internationally, including Sweden's bid to join NATO, a World Trade Organisation conference in Abu Dhabi, and elections in both Iran and Mexico.

Suzanne McFadden recaps the highs and lows of the Rugby Sevens finals in Vancouver, and a groundbreaking duo of Kiwi speed climbers set for the Paris Olympics.

During World War II, Paekākāriki village was home to 500 locals and about 15,000 US Marines. A new website shares their history.

Deb Beazley is one of more than 300,000 New Zealanders living with what is called a 'rare disorder'.

Documentary-maker Kereama Wright's chosen whakataukī means 'respond to evil with kindness'.

Nights' resident film critic, Dan Slevin, reviews Oscar nominee The Zone of Interest (2024) and new Ethan Coen lesbian crime comedy Drive Away Dolls (2024).

A year after the Richmond Rovers RLSC was hit by the Auckland Anniversary Weekend floods, the refurbished club is holding a community day with kai and music.

Anyone can sponsor a duck for the race down Taranaki's Huatoki stream, with the money going to a local mental health charity.

More than half of the countries in Asia saw their democracy scores go down, with concerns about the erosion of civil liberties and political pluralism.

Drag trio Les Femmes are currently staging their comedy cabaret drag extravaganza at Auckland's Q Theatre.

A customer was able to secure a cheap flight when a Canadian airline's AI chatbot incorrectly offered him a discount.

When Australian cricketer David Warner took to the pitch last night, he was greeted with resounding boos from the crowd. Is it part of the culture, or just plain bad manners?

Back then he was a member of the Gay Task Force, but just a few years ago, Bill Logan also lobbied to expunge the convictions for homosexuality under that old law.

New York-based comedian and sex worker advocate Kaytlin Bailey is in Wellington with a one-woman show about the world's oldest profession.

February 22 marks 13 years since Christchurch's devastating 6.3 magnitude earthquake, and the urban recovery is still in progress.

Samoan creative Hana Schmidt says Fa'anānā Efeso Collins always supported her work and was there as a soundboard for her ideas.

Hayden Donnell joins Emile Donovan to debrief the week in media, including a recent flurry of political polling and National's benefit system reset.

Noisy roosters and smelly pigs in Waikato's urban area are up for discussion with the drafting of a new Keeping of Animals Bylaw.

What gets included in - and excluded from - the basket of goods and services that make up the CPI? 

Kicking off in late February, Samuel R. Saffery will walk over 300 kilometres with his guitar, playing as many shows as he can.

The $28 billion Tren Maya will cover 1500 kilometres and funnel cash into struggling Mexican villages. But protesters say the project is exploitative and environmentally destructive.

Hazing rituals ranging from being pelted with eggs, given creative buzzcuts and vomiting on each other are a Dunedin tradition dating back decades.

A disease-resistant Cavendish banana will soon be grown in Queensland, with the hope that this will open the door to more future-proofing of the banana industry.

Ella in Queenstown asks: with all the power of modern technology, why don't phone calls sound much better than they did 30 years ago?

The Netherlands challenge Israel at the International Court of Justice and the world reacts to the sudden death of Alexei Nalvany, one of Russian president Vladimir Putin's greatest domestic critics.

Recapping the biggest moments in sport, including Kane Williamson's record-breaking century, and the triumphant return of NRL star Roger Tuivasa-Sheck.

Statistics released this morning showed there were 19,071 more births than deaths in 2023. Back in 1943, there were 17,562 more births than death.

A new UN report highlights unique challenges the bird faces along its famous 13,000 kilometre migration path.

Alternative radio station RDU had its transmission tower on Marley's Hill burnt to a crisp in the 650-hectare fire.

"A man who has only one plan may not succeed" is part of legendary journalist Moana Maniapoto's chosen whakataukī.

Featuring new music from Dunedin-based singer-songwriter Maxine Funke, Japanese folklore-pop fusion Chiyomi Yamada, and a classic from heavy metal band Danzig.

With university kicking off for the year, parents are bound to have complex feelings about their children taking their first steps into independence, psychologist Gloria Fraser tells Nights.

RNZ reporter Anna Sargent updates Emile Donovan with the latest on the fire in Christchurch's Port Hills.

Dan Slevin, Nights' resident movie buff picks out a fully-restored release of the complete series of Monty Python's Flying Circus, and two free-to-view superhero movies for weekend viewing.

The manager of the tournament Annie Henry describes the sport as "chess on grass".

Nights crosses to the Melbourne Cricket Club Reserve where 86,000 people, including thousands of Kiwis, await the biggest popstar on the planet.

A New Zealand researcher found that the desire to show off one's moral beliefs explains why people engage in cancel culture online.

Five senior programmers have left the New Zealand International Film Festival, as it was announced the 2024 festival would shrink to playing in only four cities.

RNZ's Anna Sargent joins Nights to bring us the latest developments on the fire in the Port Hills.

Award-winning country singer-songwriter Jenny Mitchell has produced a film covering five decades of Gore's country music scene, including interviews with iconic musicians such as Lynda and Donna Topp.

Murray Cammick, then editor of music mag Rip It Up, was there when the very first Big Day Out exploded into Mt Smart Stadium in 1994.

A nurse who called a colleague an offensive name in a private group chat lost their job after their comments made their way back to the person being talked about. 

After nearly 17,000 votes, the kahukura beat out stiff competition from the giant wētā and black cockroach-hunter wasp.

Murray Washington gives Nights a recap of the day's developments and says firefighting efforts will continue into the night.

Colin Peacock recaps New Zealand supermarkets' rodent problems, Tucker Carlson's Vladimir Putin interview, and some controversial Waitangi Day interviews.

RNZ reporter Anna Sargent gives Nights the latest from the Halswell Community Centre.

Nights resident classics educator and enthusiast Ben Jackson takes us on a Valentines Day jaunt through myths and legends.

MetService forecaster Heath Gullery gives Nights an update on the weather over the next few days.

Stu Oldham talks to Nights with helicopters flying above his Port Hills home.

Deon Swiggs updates Nights on the fire and reflects on the last big fire almost exactly seven years ago.

Scion wildfire scientist Shana Gross updates Nights on the conditions in the Port Hills.

Georgia Waddington says these days, beauty pageants are about more than just looks.

After the private message log from a group of Jewish Australians was published online, prime minister Anthony Albanese made the call for stronger criminal consequences for doxxing.

Gareth Hughes is the owner of Victory Knives, some of the most sought-after knives in the country.

New Zealand's own 'time lord', Adam Dunford, joins Nights to explain how human civilisation agreed upon one universal system of timekeeping.

Pete Ross joins Emile Donovan to talk Keir Starmer's green policy u-turn, the big Indonesian elections, and Turkish President Erdogan's trip to Egypt.

RNZ sport reporter Jamie Wall joins Emile Donovan in-studio to talk all things sport, including that record-breaking Super Bowl.

Two supermarkets have hit the headlines in the past week for footage showing mice and rats in amongst the food. 

Over 20 percent of New Zealanders have Irish ancestry. But how many can speak the language?

Creativity is a human faculty that generates novel solutions to challenges, says researcher Juyong Park. What if we could map the way creativity works?

'The thrust of a spear can be avoided, but not the thrust of words' is a whakataukī the broadcasting legend finds very relevant in the current climate.

Finn Johansson plays new finds from Japanese punk artist Milk, New Zealand band E.U.G., and American punk stars Paramore covering a Talking Heads classic.

Nathan Joe is the creative director of Auckland Pride, which is putting on another month-long programme of events to empower, celebrate and serve the queer community.

Nights' resident film buff covers off Force of Nature (2023), Cher and Nicholas Cage's cult classic rom-com Moonstruck (1987), and post-Hiroshima anime epic In This Corner of the World (2016).

It's the biggest motorcycle rally in the Southern Hemisphere, and this year it's drawing thousands of competitors and spectators to Southland.

Self-confessed music nerd Jeremy McLean takes Nights through the influence video games has on music - and vice-versa.

This year, thanks to the fans of pop megastar Taylor Swift, the biggest game in American football may reach even more than its 113 million-strong viewership in 2023.

Hunters in helicopters were able to wipe out 18 wallabies in Canterbury last week with a secret weapon: the wallabies themselves.

The Independent Hearing Panel in charge of the city's Plan have been accused of conservative, regressive decision-making that will make new housing even tougher to get built.

Splore boasts international and local musical acts, as well as a full range of artistic and spiritual experiences.

When Rebecca K Reilly wanted to get her novel published overseas, editors raised questions around the relatability of some of the book's New Zealand quirks.

New Zealand writer Henry Cooke touches base with Nights on the Waitangi Day pub crawl and the upcoming UK general election.

After years of cancellations due to Covid and Cyclone Gabrielle, the festival is back and more fashionable than ever.

New research from the University of Queensland suggests online anonymity gives 'keyboard warriors' the opportunity to exhibit sadistic behaviour.

Hayden Donnell joins Emile Donovan in-studio to discuss the prime minister's Waitangi Day speech snafu, political point-scoring over police numbers, and how media talk about the housing market.

One listener asks: My partner and I are travelling for a friend's lavish European wedding, but I've been left off the guest list. What do I do?

BBC reporter Pete Ross takes us through the Chinese Lunar New Year and what's happening in the world's second largest economy, farming protests spreading across Europe and wide-ranging changes to Mexico's constitution.

Suzanne McFadden covers Rachin Ravindra's double century against South Africa, what is the future for Dame Noeline Taurua and the Silver Ferns, and who is likely to take out the top prizes at next week's Halberg Awards.

A new exhibition showcases relics found underneath Christchurch's Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament, which was badly damaged in the Christchurch earthquakes.

A project from the Auckland Bioengineering Institute has partnered with the creatives behind James Cameron's Avatar to develop a new way of monitoring health conditions digitally.

Kingi Snelgar counts himself among the kōhanga reo generation, and he's excited to see where te reo will be in ten or twenty years time.

Featuring tracks from Carly Rae Jepsen, Brittany Howard and Problems.

Designed to be accessed by bike, scooter or on foot, Future Future includes four stages of music, as well as kai, markets, and workshops.

The Australian art world is aflutter with the announcement that the Brisbane Portrait Prize will accept entries that were "whole or in part by artificial intelligence".

This week's picks include new Sofia Coppola film Priscilla, and two movies about life in freezing conditions: Society of the Snow and Mads Mikkelsen's classic Arctic.

Lunar New Year is celebrated by billions of people all over the planet, including in Tāmaki Makaurau.

It's one of the biggest online repositories of information in the world, but a court case brought by a group of book publishers in America has called its future into question.

Clad in hi-vis, volunteers around the Hibiscus Coast are getting to work to protect the dotterel after a tough breeding season.

Asteroid 2008 OS7 is expected to come within 2.8 million kilometres of Earth.

New Zealand greats Catherine Chidgey, Damon Salesa and Tusiata Avia have all made the cut - with some exciting newcomers in the mix, too.

Don Reynolds was an executive at South Pacific Pictures when the idea of making a New Zealand soap opera first popped up.

Otago was singled out as one of the top 10 destinations in the world for hospitality, service and accommodation.

Made of over one kilometre of rope and more than 600 LED lights, giant puppet Leor is coming to Auckland's Aotea Square in February.

General Practice New Zealand chair Dr Bryan Betty says a new report is warning that the sector's funding and staffing model is near crisis.

Colin Peacock talks to Emile Donovan about changes to the RNZ national schedule coming up next month - and an RNZ news story last weekend which promoted complaints. Also - an ex-MP opening up in emotional interviews,- and what links Jacinda Ardern to Liverpool Football Club?

Adopting an Australian twang when over the ditch, or making more rounded vowels when speaking to a Brit. Many of us do it without even noticing.

New Zealand produced close to 120,000 litres of olive oil in 2022. In 2023, that fell to 76,000.

Matteo D'Elia says it's been tough for restaurants in the Italian town of Badalucco to keep up with the rising price of the region's most treasured delicacy.

Newspapers from 100 years ago predicted what the year 2024 would look like. Many of the predictions were wrong. But some were right.

Indecent, AI-generated photos of the global popstar have prompted US lawmakers to call for action on the burgeoning new technology.

Barbara Brinsley holds the esteemed title of aesthetics coordinator for the Dunedin Hospital and tells Nights about the benefits of having art on ward walls.

Just before 11pm we will be crossing over to our friends at the BBC to take a look at some of the events making headlines internationally Tonight we're joined by Rob Hugh-Jones.

Big wins in test cricket, the Phoenix's continued success in the A League table, and Lydia Ko's second-place finish at the LPGA Tour.

While Aucklanders rub their extra day off in other centres' faces, Lewis Holden reckons provincial holidays should be written off altogether.

Peter Tremain is developing a probe-style device which can be sent into the gut through our mouths to measure electrical signals.

Hospitality operator and te reo Maōri advocate Anton Matthews says his favourite whakataukī is about valuing people who work in the public eye just as much as those who work behind the scenes.

Finn's back for 2024, and no doubt ready to inform, educate and entertain us with an array of eclectic music. Featuring tracks from Lily Seabird, Faye Webster and Nia Archives.

Last year, five friends saved a Waikaka pub from closing down by going in on the purchase together. Tomorrow, the Waikaka Royal Hotel has its grand reopening.

Nights' resident film reviewer picks up new cinematic release Perfect Days, A Thousand and One, and Christopher Nolan classic The Prestige.

An all-star cast of drag performers will take to the stage tomorrow to pay tribute to a lesser-worshipped diva: pop singer-songwriter Lana Del Rey.

Do you know your stuff? Come on the air and be grilled by Emile Donovan as he dons his quizmaster hat. If you get an answer right, you move on to the next question. If you get it wrong, your time in the chair is up, and the next caller will be put through. The person with the most correct answers at the end of the run goes in the draw for a weekly prize. The quiz is themed - find out more about tonight's theme on Nights' Facebook page.

Dumping on the newest workforce generation is nothing new. And now, says writer Josie Adams, it's millennials' turn to dump on Gen Z. But it doesn't have to be this way.

The site of international intervention is a crucial shipping channel in the global economy.

In the Tuatapere bush, a hunter thought they saw "a large grey bird" making a "distinct sound" on New Year's Day.

Tram 24 was used as a Sunday School and even a haybarn after it was taken off the tracks in 1954. With 12 years of hard work, a group have brought it back to life.

Toitū Otago Settlers Museum history curator Seán Brosnahan joins Nights to pay homage to Scotland's national poet, and perform the address to haggis.

Emile Donovan speaks to a TVNZ cameraman who was there on June 14 1984 when the prime minister drunkenly held a press conference to call a snap election.

A blobfish catching the bus. A goat and a possum arguing on the moon. A worm detective solving a ghost mystery. These are all possibilities in a new local game.

Not every movie ever made has made it to streaming services. What happens to the off-beat, lesser-known or straight-up-bad films of yester-year?

For Kyiv resident Iryna Zhygalyuk, the war with Russia is both a constant struggle and the background noise to daily life.

Hayden Donnell is in the Auckland studio for the first Midweek Mediawatch for 2024. Together Hayden and Emile Donovan will take a closer look at how the media covered some of the big events and stories over the past month, including the national hui at Ngaruawaahia, the Golriz Gharaman's shoplifting allegations and more legacy media outlets going out of business.

Though often overlooked because of their gender, women botanists have made huge contributions to our knowledge of the natural world over the last 300 years.

Auckland Shakespeare in the Park is back for another summer, staging two of the bard's plays outdoors for the public. This is Auckland Shakespeare in the Park's 28th year running, with the goal of making Shakespeare's works engaging and accessible to audiences of all stripes. Grae Burton is the director of A Midsummer Night's Dream and joins Nights to talk about taking Shakespeare outdoors

The former prime minister warned that New Zealand needs to "keep its head" when it comes to signing international statements they've had little input into when it comes to conflict.

It's not the rarest, brightest or most practical metal yet for millennia humans have dug and dug and dug in search of this precious resource.

The BBC's Rich Preston joins Nights with a wrap of the news making headlines around the world, including the New Hampshire primaries in the unfolding US presidential election, prime minister Narendra Modi's controversial temple-opening in India, and a major court case out of South Korea that could impact tech giant Samsung.

Jamie Wall joins Emile Donovan to reflect on the Black Caps' all-star ratings on free-to-air television and Joseph Parker's forthcoming heavyweight match in Saudi Arabia.

Why do flies want to get inside our houses so bad? Why do mosquitoes bite some people and not others? And why oh why is New Zealand home to so many creepy crawlies?

Why can New Zealanders recall more lines from Shakespeare or Shel Silverstein than whakataukī - Māori proverbs?

When Bob Innes bought the web domain 'Hire A Hitman' for his IT support business in 2005, he didn't expect emails from people looking to murder their friends and family.

It's an end of year special, with Dan Slevin sharing his festive season picks and forecasting what people should watch out for in 2024.

Exactly 30 years ago, the company then-known as Telecom sent out some corporate Christmas cards. If you looked closely enough at the illustration on these cards, you could make out the words 'Telecom Sucks'. And if you looked even closer, you could spot the logo of Telecom's big competitor, Clear, subtly integrated into the image. Being the pre-internet sleuthing days, the story eventually faded into the ether. But now, 30 years on, Kiwis Craig Major and Luke Watkinson took it upon themselves to get to the bottom of what went on here. They've turned their investigation into a podcast series called the Prank of the Year, the final episode of which dropped this morning. They join Mark Leishman to share the fruits of their investigation.

With just over two days to go until Christmas Day, we've all got one eye on the weather. MetService Meterorologist Rob Kerr joins Mark Leishman to share the forecast.

A new book written about the life of a remarkable Southland doctor has proven to be so popular it's already sold out of its initial print run. Southland historian and author Lloyd Esler self-published the book called 'Dr Eric Elder of Tuatapere'. It outlines the life of Dr Elder, a doctor in the small Southland town from for 49 years, from 1938 to 1987. It's Esler's 12th book, and he joins Mark Leishman from Invercargill to share his secret to the book's success.

Data has been called 'the new currency of knowledge' and 'the world's most valuable resource'. Data is only becoming more valuable in the digital age, and the Royal Society of New Zealand has just released a new report looking at questions like: who owns your data? Who has a right to use it? Can someone change your data? Where is it kept? And what if you want that data to be forgotten? The report is called Mana Raraunga, or Data Sovereignty. Tahu Kukutai is a professor at Waikato University. a data sovereignty expert, and a contributor to the Royal Society report, and she joins Mark Leishman to break down concepts like Big Data and Maori data sovereignty.

Waikato rugby league player Evaan Reihana - the son of Waikato rugby legend Bruce Reihana - has copped a 3-month ban for taking cocaine. Drug Free Sport NZ acknowledged Reihana used the drug recreationally and wasn't seeking a competitive advantage, but because the drug is on the prohibited substances list, its hands were tied. Jamie Wall is a sports reporter with RNZ and he joins Mark Leishman.

Plant-based meals don't have to be just side dishes, they can be main events too. Now, they themselves are not vegetarian or vegan, but Margo and Rosa Flanagan are big believers in plant-based eating - putting vegetables at the centrepiece of every plate - including at Christmastime. They are the duo behind Two Raw Sisters, two Christchurch-based and internationally celebrated cookbook authors and foodies, and they join Mark Leishman to share three cracker Christmas dishes.

Born in Christchurch, television juggernaut Phil Keoghan spent his early years in Antigua, returning to boarding school in his home city before embarking on his career. He began on New Zealand screens as a presenter on Spot On in the mid-1980s. Then there was That's Fairly Interesting, 3:45 Live, Adventure Crazy and Keoghan's Heroes, before Keoghan and his wife Louise headed to the US. After years of trying, he finally broke through onto American screens, winning the role of host of The Amazing Race, the show that sees teams race around the world in quest of the $1 million prize. The Amazing Race is about to enter its 36th season and has won ten Emmy Awards. Keoghan joins Mark Leishman.

Hayden Donnell and Colin Peacock joined Mark Leishman to hand out Mediawatch's annual awards - including worst media cliche, most shameless ripoff, best media drama and media over-reaction of the year.

RNZ's Leonard Powell joins Mark Leishman from the Auckland Town Hall to give an update on student radio station 95bFM's all-star fundraising concert.

For most families, turkey is wheeled out once a year on Christmas Day - an American tradition we've adopted. But where do New Zealand turkeys even come from? How do you pick a good bird? And how do you avoid a dry turkey? Canter Valley farm is a poultry producer and supplier and has been raising turkeys in North Canterbury for years. Kathy Guard co-owns Canter Valley with her husband Lachlan Dick and she joins Mark Leishman to talk turkey.

WIth summer's arrival, tens of thousands of teenagers are itching to descend on holiday locations up and down the country. While it's no doubt a time of excitement for those young people, it's also a busy time for our emergency services and can be nerve-wracking for parents. But there is a group of people who will be out and about making sure everyone is keeping safe while they're out partying. The Red Frogs are a voluntary outfit who play a role in looking after young people in alcohol-fuelled environments. Red Frogs Central Otago and Queenstown Coordinator and spokesperson Shannon Thomson joins Mark Leishman.

Pope Francis has approved a major shift in Vatican policy allowing priests to administer blessings to same-sex couples as 'a sign that God welcomes all'. However, it stops short of the Church allowing priests to perform marriage rites for same-sex couples. This is the latest in a series of moves that indicate the Church may be moving in a more liberal direction, which has caused some conflict between the liberal and conservative adherents of Catholicism. Catholicism remains the single largest religious group in New Zealand, with nearly 500,000 people identifying as Catholic in the 2018 Census. Mark Leishman discusses the development with Peter Lineham, a retired professor of history who specialises in religion.

A new enclosure at Hamilton Zoo has opened - but it isn't for tigers, elephants or crocodiles. The Zoo will be home to three wild ferrets, categorised as an introduced pest in New Zealand, which will be used to underline the importance of managing pests to protect native species. Hamilton Zoo director Dr Baird Fleming joins Mark Leishman.

Many of us will be gearing up to spend quality time with family and friends over the Christmas period. But there are those who find this time of year clouded by loneliness and grief after losing their loved ones. Christchurch grief coach Sarah Robb knows that the holiday season can be challenging: when she was 20, her father died in a sudden accident. Six years later, her mother died from a brain aneurysm. Robb is the founder of Christmas Connection, an initiative that helps people remember their deceased loved ones around the holiday season. She joins Mark Leishman.

The BBC's Sarika Unadkat joins Nights with a wrap of news making the headlines around the world.

It was a big week last week in the world of E-Sport That's because it was the week of the 2023 Microsoft Excel World Championships - the World Cup of Spreadsheets Nick Boberg is a financial modeller by day - but in his spare time he's also a spreadsheet enthusiast, one of New Zealand's top-ranked Excel Athletes, and a commentator on Spreadsheet Battles. He talks to Mark Leishman about what makes his chosen sport so enthralling for it's many fans.

A Dunedin baker is being called up to Paris in January to judge at the Bakery World Cup. Founded in 1992, the The Coupe du Monde de la Boulangerie is a high octane event, flour flying left right and centre, as 12 teams compete to be named the best bakers in the world. Kevin Gilbert of Gilbert's Fine Food in Dunedin will be the first New Zealander ever to judge the competition and he speaks to Nights about what he's expecting

One week till Christmas now, and the big question is whether Christmas lunch will be inside or outside - how the weather will fare. To give us an idea of this week leading up to Christmas across the country, Mark Leishman is joined by MetService forecaster Gerard Bellam.

Usually 50 years is a reason to celebrate - but for Women's Refuge New Zealand it means domestic violence is still a major issue. Ang Jury is the chief executive of Women's Refuge and she speaks to Mark Leishman about the organisation and why it's still as relevant today as it was half a century ago.

For his final appearance of 2023, Nights' sports correspondent Bryan Waddle talks about his sporting highlights of the year.

Resident muso Finn Johannson joins Mark Leishman with an electic mix of new tracks, including Adrienne Lenker, Sevy, Carpet Dust, Badieh, and Stress Positions.

Tis the season to be jolly, and for some closing out the year, that can mean running the risk of hazardous drinking. But the most recent New Zealand Health Survey, released earlier this week, shows that fewer of us are choosing to overindulge in alcohol. The rate of hazardous drinking reported in the survey dropped to an all-time low of just 16 percent of the adult population, with a marked decrease among younger people in particular. Mark Leishman speaks to the executive director of the NZ Alcohol Beverages Council Virginia Nicholls.

Nights' resident screen critic Dan Slevin joins Mark Leishman to discuss the Roald Dahl reimagining 'Wonka', the 2022 film 'Confess, Fletch' following the deloved rogue journalist created by Gregory McDonald, and a new documentary about Hipgnosis, the most influential design studio in the music business, responsible for iconic record covers from the likes of Pink Floyd and Led Zeppelin.

It's just 10 sleeps until Christmas and the staff at Wellington charity Age Concern are taking it upon themselves to bring some festive cheer to isolated seniors in the area. On Tuesday 19, the Age Concern Wellington staff will become Santa's elves for the day, hand-delivering special Christmas gift bags to 50 seniors who might not otherwise get visitors or presents, to show them they are not forgotten. Mark Leishman catches up with Stephen Opie, the CEO of Age Concern Wellington.

With summer upon us, it's worth reflecting on one of beachgoers' favourite items. The bikini may be small, but it has a fairly large and radical history dating back to the anti-nuclear movement in the 1940s. And deciding to put it on today, for some, can still be radical, too. Angela Barnett, a writer and body-positivity campaigner based in Auckland, tells Mark Leishman about what she calls "a protest in three small triangles".

Kiwi aerospace company Rocket Lab has successfully launched a small Earth-imaging satellite for Japanese company iQPS at 5:05pm today. The launch was performed using the company's pioneering Electron rocket, with the mission called "The Moon God Awakens", an homage to a Japanese god. This is a big day for the company, founded by New Zealander Peter Beck, with Rocket Lab's last mission in September of this year suffering a launch failure. With today's launch, that raises a total of 10 launches for Rocket Lab this year, beating its previous annual record of nine. Rocket Lab spokesperson Morgan Bailey tells Mark Leishman about the mission.

It's taken pride of place towering above Avondale's main street for more than 20 years. But it seems time is up for Dale the Avondale Spider, the Auckland suburb's beloved mascot. The five-metre-wide, eight-legged sculpture will have to be moved to make way for a new community centre and library. Where exactly Dale will go is still up in the air. I Love Avondale board chair Dayne Smith joins Mark Leishman to get a sense of what the sculpture means to people in the suburb and where the community would like it to go.

For the first time, Australia and New Zealand's food safety regulator has deemed that meat grown from quail cells is safe for humans to eat. Sydney company Vow has passed the first stage of assessment from Food Standards Australia New Zealand with its lab-grown or 'cell-cultivated' meat product, who said the food presented no health or nutrition risks. Only two countries in the world have approved lab-cultured meat for sale, Singapore and the United States, but it looks like Australasia could be next. Mark Leishman speaks to cultivated meat expert Olivia Ogilvie, a University of Canterbury biochemist and co-founder and CEO of Opo Bio, a company that develops animal cells for the cultivated meat industry.

Antarctica and cricket don't usually go hand in hand. But the two will come together at Christchurch's Hagley Oval this summer with a special brass bell from Canterbury Museum's collection signalling the start of international cricket matches. The historic bell is from the SY Morning steam yacht, which was used as a relief vessel on Scott's British National Antarctic Expedition between 1903 and 1904. The ringing of the bell five minutes before the start of play is inspired by a similar tradition at Lord's Cricket Ground in England, where a bell from a ship used in Robert Falcon Scott's first expedition to the Antarctic in the 1900s The curator of human history at Canterbury Museum Adele Jackson joins Mark Leishman to explain how the collaboration came together.

The stars of the New Zealand music scene are coming out next Wednesday night in a fundraising concert to save beloved student radio station 95bFM. Shihad, Marlon Williams, Voom, Tiny Ruins and more will be performing at Auckland Town Hall for 'Save the B'. Auckland's 95bFM has been a champion of alternative and independent music in Aotearoa since 1969, but the station says it has struggled to keep up with operating costs and with the nation switching more and more to digital media. All proceeds from Wednesday's concert will go to keeping the station up and running. Mark Leishman talks to 95bFM general manager Tom Tremewan.

Former Superintendent of the Mt John Observatory above Lake Tekapo in the Mackenzie Country, Alan Gilmore joins us for his regular astronomy chat. Tonight, he's talking about the meteor shower earlier this week (which may or may not have been a bit of a fizzer) as well as a recently-discovered six-planet system which has scientists scratching their heads.

The annual Meat the Need charity telethon The Big Feed, which aims to help over one million families in need, has just wrapped its 14-hour broadcast. Host and founder Wayne Langford re-joins Mark Leishman to share how the big show went.

Hayden Donnell joins Mark Leishman to dissect the latest media news, including the existence of a video of Wellington mayor Tory Whanau on a drunken night out, the new AUT media ownership report, leaked documents showing RNZ's new youth strategy, and Ryan Bridge's new home on Newshub's revamped 7pm offering.

'Up the Wahs', a bird advocate sassing British comedian John Oliver, and Nicola Willis asking of Grant Roberston 'how big is his hole?' are all quips that have been deemed defining of the year that was 2023 in Aotearoa New Zealand. These and more have been nominated for the annual Quote of the Year competition run by Massey University. To review this year's contenders and tell us what makes a good quote, Mark Leishman is joined by Massey University speech writing specialist Dr Heather Kavan.

A team of University of Auckland researchers have transformed an abandoned bowling green in Waharoa, a rural community in Waikato, into a 'public edible landscape' - a big greenhouse full of crops and fresh foods. The community are free to come and go as they please, pick the fruits and vegetables, enjoy the greenery, and the researchers say spaces like this just scratch the surface of what is possible with putting food into our public spaces. Mark Leishman speaks to the lead researcher Dr Barbara Ribeiro.

If you're in Tauranga this Saturday and looking for a bargain, you might make a beeline to Papamoa - more specifically, Butterworth Crescent and Coutts Street. More than 25 neighbours from the area and their children have banded together for a monster garage sale to sell hundreds of household goods, toys, jewellery and even a ute in the lead-up to Christmas. The brains behind the Garage Sale Extravaganza are residents Ben and Stephanie Brock and they join Mark Leishman.

The Big Feed Telethon will be on air and on the phones tomorrow with the aim of raising over one million meals for families in need. Running from 6am until 8pm, the telethon is run by Meat the Need, a rural group who donates milk and mince to food banks around the country. Last year's event raised 1.2 million meals. This year's hosts are Matt Chisholm and Meat the Need co-founder Wayne Langford. Langford joins Mark Leishman to tell him what's planned for the big show.

A North Canterbury community's bid to become one of the premiere stargazing areas in New Zealand is a step closer. The Oxford Dark Sky Group has submitted its application for dark sky park status for the 11,350ha Oxford Forest Conservation Area. The decision will ultimately lie with the International Dark-Sky Association to determine whether Oxford fits the criteria. Raul Elias-Drago from the Oxford Dark Sky Group tells Mark Leishman about the work that's gone into the bid.

If you're struggling to find the right Christmas present for your gardening friend, look no further than the Soil & Health Association of New Zealand's first-ever calendar. It features everything you might expect: lovely photos of flowers, vegetables, and healthy, rich soil. But amongst the foliage and bright colours are people gardening au-naturel. Jenny Lux, an organic market gardener from Rotorua and the co-chair of Soil & Health, tells Mark Leishman about why the group decided to get closer to nature for its calendar.

A severe thunderstorm battered the Wellington and Wairarapa regions today with winds, hail, heavy rain and lightning strikes. The thunderstorm initially hit Canterbury this morning before moving north, and is expected to continue to move up the East Coast of the North Island this evening. More than 2000 people lost power in Wellington, residential streets were flooded, and eye witnesses have described a 'mini tornado' hitting buildings in the Hutt Valley, with shop windows shattered and roofs coming loose. Just after 5pm, it was announced two people had been taken to Hutt Hospital, one in a serious condition and one in a moderate condition. MetService meteorologist John Crouch tells Mark Leishman the latest.

Despite the severe weather, tonight, behind the clouds, a rare meteor shower is taking place over Aotearoa. The comet 46-P Wirtanen orbits Earth every five and a half years, and for the first time ever, it's looking like a trail of dust from the comet's tail will be visible on the ground in the form of a meteor shower. Earlier predictions had the North Island's East Coast singled out as the most likely spot to get a clear view of the show. Today's thunderstorm might have other plans, but the region is home to a clutch of dedicated stargazers. Mark Leishman dials in to Gary Sparks of the Hawke's Bay Astronomical Society and Holt Planetarium.

Pop culture heavyweights Barbie and Oppenheimer have swept many of the categories in the nominations for the 81st annual Golden Globes. Nominees for the awards celebrating excellence in film and television were announced today, with winners set to be announced on January 7, 2024. TV drama heavy-hitter Succession features for its fourth and final season too, as well as more recent TV favourites The Last of Us and The Bear. Stuff film and TV reviewer James Croot takes Mark Leishman through this year's snubs, surprises and success stories.

Many of Aotearoa New Zealand's iconic tree species are threatened with extinction and a new study says the traditional ways of preserving seeds might not work for all of them. The research has found about 1 in 5 native species, including forest giants like kauri, totara and rimu, can't be reliably preserved using conventional seedbanking techniques. Currently, little is known about how to perfect more complicated techniqes, such as cryopreservation, among these taonga species. Lead researcher Dr Sarah Wyse from the School of Forestry at Te Whare Wananga o Waitaha - University of Canterbury joins the programme.

We all know dogs are man's best friend - but if we were to disapear overnight, what would happen to the estimated one billion canines around the world? Dr Bradley Smith. a senior lecturer at CQ University in Australia studying animal behaviour, has been pondering this very question. He says without people, the 20 percent of the global dog population that are currently domesticated would swiftly come to experience the forces of natural selection. He joins Mark Leishman.

The BBC's Pete Ross with the stories making headlines around the world.

Scottish golf enthusist David Jones has played and reviewed courses all over the globe, from the United Kingdom and the United States to Dubai and Australia, and many places in between. Known as 'The Golf Guy', for the past 10 days, Jones has been getting the lay of the land in Aotearoa New Zealand. He joins Mark Leishman to share his opinions on New Zealand's golf courses.

December 11 has been identified as the most-likely day for people to call it quits on their relationship. The date, falling just two weeks ahead of Christmas and the busy holiday season, is singled out as the point at which couples' issues can reach boiling point, without being seen as too close to the festive period. Mark Leishman is joined by Auckland-based divorce mediator and relationship coach Bridgette Jackson, who explains the most common reasons relationships don't work out.

This week in sport, the Black Caps' against-the-odds test win in Dhaka, both of New Zealand's Sevens teams scraping short of the Cape Town final, and Japanese baseballer Shohei Ohtani's record-breaking $700 million deal with the LA Dodgers. Bryan Waddle joins Mark Leishman.

For those familiar with the topography of Dunedin, Mt Cargill stands high above the Southern city. A group of hardy souls took off from Bethunes Gully at the bottom of the peak on Friday in a new race called the Crush the Cargill 100 Miler. The aim is to complete 19 laps, which is 100 miles or 161km, up and down summit in 36 hours. Not to be out-done another group will set off at 10am tomorrow morning for the 24-hour challenge, aiming to complete as many laps as possible. And who is the brain behind this madness - that would be Steve Tripp, Dunedin ultra-runner extortioner, who chatted to Nights.

Night's resident screen critic Dan Slevin is back. This week he's got three watches for us, including a surprise final film from the Japanese Studio Ghibli master, A animated batman Christmas special and a new comedy series from the creator of Community.

On Sunday what is possibly the Southern Hemisphere's largest playground will be officially unveiled. And no it's not in Sydney or Melbourne and not even Auckland - - It will take pride of place in Timaru's Caroline Bay. It's been a long time coming but the $3 million new state-of-the-art, CPlay will be celebrated by the community with a community family fun day. So to take us on the journey from brainstorm to completion, Todd Zaner talks to the project chair Owen Jackson.

For one last time with her podcast picks on nights, here's Lynn Freeman. She's put together a bumper list for her final review of the year.

Picture this: it's 5 o'clock, Friday evening, you've just finished work for the day. You head outside to where you parked your bike up. But... there's nothing there. Nothing except the 10-dollar lock you picked up at KMart, SLICED IN TWO Anyone who's been through anything resembling this knows that having your bike stolen is one of the MOST frustrating experiences a person can have. This happens quite a bit in New Zealand - more than 400 times a year, and that's just those that are actually reported to police - the real number might well be much higher. But there ARE ways to help cyclists keep their precious vehicles safe. Gabriel Gati, a board member for Bike Auckland joins us...

Golf's governing bodies have announced a change to the rules that govern golf ball design. The new rules are designed to combat the games ever increasing hitting distance. To find out how the changes are going to impact the game, and what they might mean for you Mark is joined by former professional golfer and superstar coach Marcus Wheelhouse...

Most people have a family heirloom they've been trusted to look after for future generation. Very few heirlooms will be 150 year-old submarines. But that's the exact situation Pete Sparrow has found himself in. Pete has been involved in the restoration of a 10m-long, iron-plate Platypus submarine, which was built by his great-grandfather Joseph Sparrow in 1873. The partially restored sub will be unveiled in its new enclosure in Middlemarch, about an hour from Dunedin, this weekend. Pete joins Mark Leishman on Nights.

Former MetService Severe Weather Meteorologist, Erick Brenstrum, joins us from the RNZ Wellington Studio to talk about what the weather events making an impact across the word.

Why do we remember certain aspects of the over others, and why does it matter? Those are the central questions behind a new book from historian, lecturer, and curator of the Auckland War museum Dr Rowan Light. "Why Memory Matters: Remembered histories and the politics of the past" is available now. Rowan Light joins us on Nights.

A search is on in Southland after a Great White Shark parted ways from it's monitoring tag somewhere of the coast of the Catlins. And the public is being asked to keep an eye out for the valuable piece of kit which provides scientists with valuable insights into the free roaming animal. Nikki Ladd from Shark Exeperience in Bluff talks to Mark Leishman about how the search is going and how "friendly" they are with the sharks down there.

Great news for fans of music journalism 13 years' worth of editions of Rip It Up - spanning 1986 to 1998 - are now available to read in full, thanks to a project from AudioCulture and Papers Past. Murray Cammick is one of the creators of the magazine, and was editor for much of this period - He joins Nights to reminisce about the history of the publication.

Subscribers to Sky Sport Now and Neon got a bit of a shock this morning when they found out their price for those streaming services was increasing. But it's not just the New Zealand services upping their prices, with the big players Netflix and Disney Plus also increasing their prices in the past year. Coupled with the rapid rise in the cost of living, could there be a mass exodous away from paid streaming services? Dan Slevin is Nights' resident tv and film critic and he talks to Mark Leishman about what this all might mean.

A study from the University of Auckland has found only about 2% of New Zealanders exclude all meat from their diets. Vegans make up only about .5% Previous estiamates have been as high as 20% Mark Leishman talks to the study's lead author Dr Kathryn Bradbury about why it's important we have an accuarate idea on the number of people who eat a strict plant based diet.

A new study from the University of Otago has highlighted the links between deforestation and the loss of biodiversity in New Zealand's rivers and streams. Comparing over 100 different freshwater sites in Otago and Southland, the study found key differences in the insect life in areas that had been deforested. Mark Leishman talks to the lead researcher Professor Jon Waters from the department of zoology at the University of Otago.

A Dunedin motorcycle mechanic is set to take on some of the best bike building enthusiasts in the world. Andy Martin and his custom built chopper have made the final of the Biltwell's People's Champ The annual competition is the show for up-and-comers, independent builders around the world. So to find out what went into creating the chopper Andy talks to Nights.

Together, the Grand Theft Auto games have raked in nearly 20-billion New Zealand dollars since 1997. The next instalment, GTA 6, is likely to be one of the most financially successful entertainment products of all time. It's so hotly anticipated it's trailer was leaked today. Oskar Howell is a video games and technology journalist and he talks to Mark Leishman about the hotly anticipated instalment.

Here's four words for you to ponder: Hallucinate; Authentic; A I and Rizz These four words have each been named the 2023 word of the year by different English dictionaries. So what do the words 'authentic' and 'hallucinate' tell us about where society is at in 2023? Joining Nights to find some meaning is University of Waikato linguist Andreea Calude.

From Rotorua's natural hot springs to the fresh mountain air of the Southern Alps, the health benefits of New Zealand's natural environment have often been part of our tourism attractions. Well with its picturesque golden beaches, enchanting hills, and lush green valleys the Coromandel is promoting itself as a region that's good for your health and soul. And they can back it up, with a research trial finding those who visited the region reported a decrease in stress and anxiety as well as an increase in relaxation and happiness. To find out about the Coromandel Cure and how the region is faring, Nights is joined by Destination Hauraki Coromandel general manager Hadley Dryden.

Christmas is around the corner, and Christmas trees are about to become some of the hottest properties in town ... But for a certain segment of the population, this can lead to a very uncomfortable time indeed ... people who suffer from Christmas Tree Syndrome Mark Leishman talks to Dr Amy Chan - a pharmacist and spokesperson for Sensitive Choice New Zealand.

The BBC'S Jonathan Frewin joins us to discuss the latest world news. Including: the election in Egypt, Kenya's Facebook lawsuit, and Argentina's new president.

From Rotorua's natural hot springs to the fresh mountain air of the Southern Alps, the health benefits of New Zealand's natural environment have often been part of our tourism attractions. Well with its picturesque golden beaches, enchanting hills, and lush green valleys the Coromandel is promoting itself as a region that's good for your health and soul. And they can back it up, with a research trial conducted by the University of Auckland Business School's Dr Karen V. Fernandez finding those who visited the region reported a decrease in stress and anxiety as well as an increase in relaxation and happiness. It's no surprise the region's businesses and promotional arm is hoping bring much needed tourism to the area, which is still feeling some of the affects of Cyclone Gabrielle. So to chat about the Coromandel Cure and how the region is faring, we're joined by Destination Hauraki Coromandel general manager Hadley Dryden.

Have you heard of the Auckland Curry Movement? They're a shadowy cabal of curry connoisseurs with zero online presence... Except every year they give out their "Best Indian Restaurant award" - along with one, short accompanying article. This years award went to "Taste Of India" in Mt Eden. We called the winning restaurant - they didn't know who was behind the curry movement. We called last years winner - same story. But the 2020 champion, Birkenhead's "The Curry Master" gave us a number. A number that was engraved on the bottom of the trophy... Disappointingly it wasn't the number for the curry movement, but for the trophy maker. But someone had to have ordered the trophy.... And it turns out that person was Adrian.

Bryan Waddle and Mark Leishman discuss the weeks sporting news. Including: What's going wrong with the blackcaps, The Phoenix, and a kiwi Squash star who's back at his best.

Christmas is coming early for thousands lovers of the mullet hairstyle, as they come together for Mulletfest 2023. Since 2018 the annual festival has been celebrating the hairstyle that's all business at the front and party at the back in the small town of Kurri Kurri in regional New South Wales . Contestants of all ages and genders compete in categories that include "grubby", "vintage", "ginger", "everyday", "extreme" and "rookie" Mulletfest founder Laura Johnson joins us...

It's time for Short-Cut with our resident screen critic Dan Slevin. This week he's got 3 movies for us including the new film from a legendary British director, the new Alan Partridge and a film that brings a beloved children's book to life.

Today Tesla announced the final specifications - and price - for their controversial Cybertruck. Almost five years since they announced, and started taking pre-orders, for the car! In the USA it starts from almost $100k New Zealand dollars. The local price hasn't been announced yet, but I bet you it will be even more... The first 10 have been delivered - all to Tesla staff. But there is no news on when New Zealaders who have already put down deposits might receive theirs. Clive Matthew-Wilson is the founder of Car buyers guide website "The Dog & Lemon Report". Joins Mark Leishman on Nights

XYZZY is an immersive film, designed for planetariums by New Zealand artists Jess Johnson and Simon Ward. It premiered at the Otago museum, sold out 14 shows in Melbourne and now it's back in Aotearoa for a short stint at the Stardome. It starts its run tomorrow and goes through until the 10th of December. To tell us more about the project artist Jess Johnson talks to Mark.

Since 2016 the Prison Correspondents Network has run a Holiday Card Drive. The aim is to spread some holiday joy, by enabling member of the public to write christmas cards to incarcerated people. This year they are aiming to send over 2,500 cards. Project co-ordinator Ti Lamusse joins Mark.

The American diplomat and politician Henry Kissinger has died at the age of 100. The former secretary of state and national security advisor to Richard Nixon leaves behind a polarizing legacy. He had a hand in many significant events in the 20th century - from helping cool tensions during the Cold War, to integrating China into the international diplomatic community. He - controversially - shared the 1973 Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts negotiating a ceasefire in the Vietnam War - though it didn't last. But he was also derided as a warmonger, and criticised for interfering in other countries' domestic affairs. The writer Christopher Hitchens, a fierce critic of Kissinger, once called for him to be prosecuted 'for war crimes, crimes against humanity, and offences against international law'. To discuss his legacy Stephen Hoadley an associate professor at Auckland University joins Mark Leishman.

When it comes to motorsports, as a nation we're punching way above our weight. We're just really good at it... Hailing from Auckland, Mitch Evens is a Formula E driver... That's E for electric. Last season he finished third... With the 2024 season fast approaching he's taking a break from practice to join us...

Last year 184 Kiwis had their lives saved by organ donations. Today is Organ Donation NZ is celebrating Thank You Day day that gives recipients the opportunity to show their appreciation to the generous donors and their families who gifted them with a second chance at life. Someone who knows first hand life-saving impact an organ donation has is Amy Ng-Thomson. After a long illness Amy was the recipient of a lung transplant in 2018. She joins Mark Leishman on Nights...

Julia Gately is Senior Lecturer at the University of Auckland school of architecture where she leads the built heritage conservation programme. She's also the co-author of a new book Architectural Conservation in Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific Islands, which comes out in December.

Hayden Donnell and Mark Leishman talk Kim Hill's last show, Winston Peters objections to the Public Interest Journalism Fund. and the New beginnings court.

A kiwi mum has battled her way through adversity to smash a world record in her chosen sport. At the weekend powerlifter Ashleigh Hoeta set a new world record for the bench-press Ashleigh bench-pressed 317.5kg, 20kg more than the previous world record, to take her place as the No 1 equipped female bencher in the world Winning and breaking records is nothing new for the 27-year old from Taranaki, she's also a champion arm wrestler and former gymnast.

Tom O'Connor is a former Maori affairs journalist turned author of historical fiction. His latest series the "Irish Convict" was released earlier today. The five books explore the history of pre-colonial irish settlers in Aotearoa. To explain exactly what historical fiction is, and fill us in on this relatively unknown part of our history Tom joins me now...

Whole pigs roasted in an earth oven have been a Chinese tradition since they first arrived to work the goldfields, over 100 year ago. In Palmerston North Rodney Wong rules the roast... Or at least he used to. In recent times the tradition has been dying out. Currently Rodney, who holds the title of Palmerston North's "Last Grand Pig Master" hasn't got an oven. There used to be over a dozen in the region, now there are just three, all inaccessible on private land... Rodney joins Mark Leishman to share the tradition, and his hopes for the future.

If there's one thing New Zealand seemingly loves ... it's a hotly-contested public vote for our favourite native species. Of course, this year's Bird of the Century competition was in the spotlight given the involvement and possible voter fraud committed by US talk show host John Oliver. But, over the next couple of weeks, a similarly bitter competition is unfolding online to decide our favourite native PLANT The Favourite Native Plant competition, is run by the New Zealand Plant Conservation Network. The orgenisations president Jesse Bythell joins Mark.

Dr Eric Crampton is the chief economist at free-market think-tank the New Zealand Initiative, and a regular economic pundit on Nights. Tonight he joins Mark Leishman to explore some of the less-well cavassed aspects of the new Government's coalition agreements.

The Booker Prize was announced earlier this week - it went to Irish writer Paul Lynch for his dystopian novel "Prophet Song" - but Paul Lynch wasn't the only Irish writer shortlisted for the award. In fact, he wasn't even the only Irish writer named Paul to make the shortlist - The Bee Sting, by Paul Murray, was also on there. Two other Irish writers made the Booker LONG-list. And that's quite apart from other writers like Sally Rooney, who's pulling up trees wherever she goes Of course, Ireland has an incredibly rich literary tradition - from George Bernard Shaw to James Joyce, to Oscar Wilde, Samuel Beckett and WB Yeats, to name but a few. So what is it about this little island nation north-west of Europe that allows it to produce such lyrical, erudite authors? Matthew Ryan is an expert in Irish Literature at the Australian Catholic University in Melbourne.

There are, I'd venture to say, two types of people in the mornings: those who snooze through alarms, and those who don't. And it's probably fair to say that society is a bit rough on snoozers. They are often characterised as lazy and undisciplined - bad sleep hygiene, if you will. But is that UNFAIR? Could hitting the snooze button on your alarm clock in fact be beneficial? A new study published in the Journal of Sleep Research suggests just that - the study's lead author is Tina Sundelin, a sleep researcher from Stockholm University.

What should you do if you find an abandoned turtle? No, don't name it after a renaissance painter and throw it down the sewer with a slice of pizza.... I promise you it won't turn into a crime fighting ninja... Instead call the SPCA who are likely to send it to Turtle Rescue. Turtle Rescue is run and funded by just one woman - Donna Moot. She operates it out of her Christchurch home. Donna explains to explain why we're about to hit peak season for abandoned turtles, and how you can get your hands on one.

The BBC's Rob Hugh-Jones runs through the latest world news, including: COP28, Green Aviation, Flight MH370 compensation, Ukraine & Sudan.

Teo Reo Maori has become a normal part of our everyday interactions here in Aotearoa/New Zealand. But one of our native languages, Ta re Moriori, has no native speakers and could face possible extinction without an effort to revive it. A project between the University of Auckland and the Hokeotehi Moriori Trust hopes to be part of that effort. Linguist John Middleton is part of the project to revitalise the language, both on the Chatham Islands and here on the mainland.

Invercargill cyclist Hannah Pascoe has become the first blind woman to cycle the length of the country. The 19 day trip started at Cape Reinga on November the 8th, and wound up yesterday afternoon in Bluff. Along the way Hannah also raised a huge $25,000 which is going to support other blind athletes. She joins Mark Leishman on Nights...

While most of the major tournaments New Zealand were competing in have come and gone there's still plenty of sport around. Bryan Waddle joins Mark Leishman to discuss the young driver making a splash this Supercar season, transfer moves at the Warriors, the Blackcaps, and the Olympic climbing squad.

Finn Johansson has four records for us from: Francisca Griffin and the Bus Shelter Boys, Pink Pantheress, Memory Foam, Andre 3000.

It's been a huge 2023 for Trade Aid. They celebrate their 50th birthday, and last night they won the 'Good Food' category at the Sustainable Business Awards. You probably know their distinctive red shops... But that's a relatively small part of their business.... Almost a side hustle! Like the rest of us their mostly powered by caffeine... Over the last 20 years they've grown from a tiny importer of green coffee beans, to dominating over 20% of the market. All while remaining committed to the principals of Fair Trade There's a good chance you've drunk their beans today... Chief Executive Geoff White joins Mark...

This week Dan's got 3 movies for us including a dystopian future comedy, a focused on the biggest star on television in the 1970s and the the original documentary that inspired Taika Waititi's new feature comedy.

Aotearoa's first Mental Health Film Festival is currently touring the country. It's had stops in Auckland & Christchurch, with events in Wellington, Hamilton, Napier & Tauranga still to come. The event is put on by the Mental Health foundation with the aim to "shift perspectives one frame at a time". The screenings consist of nine short films including 'Fred Is Cold' - an animated epic about a lonely fridge. Co-writer and director Ben Wilson joins Mark Leishman...

Lynn Freeman joins Mark Leishman to review the pick of the podcasts. This week she's sharing her pick of science podcasts. Featuring: Ologies, The Naked Scientists, Inside Science & NASAs Curious Universe.

A new play set to premiere this Saturday at Wellington's Circa Theatre tackles a subject tackles that often bothers many people: "Is life worth living after 90?" That's the core question at the centre of playwright Rachel's McAlpine's new play The Secret Lives of Extremely Old People. One of the stars of the show will be familiar to many RNZ listeners. Former overnight host and actor, the magnanimous Lloyd Scott is returning to the stage. And our Wellington studio... He joins us fresh from rehearsal.

At this point it's almost impossible to avoid the Black Friday advertising with plastered across our screens. Instead of getting caught up in the hype one Wellington business has decided to give it's staff a day off instead. Tomorrow will be "Slack Friday" for Bicycle Junction and instead of sales and consumerism instead of celebrating consumerism staff will be enjoying a day of riding bikes, camping and enjoying nature. So to explain his thought process owner Dan Mikkelsen talks to Mark Leishman. 

Would you rather be known as a criminal, or go to Jail for a year but be respected as innocent? Those are the kinds of questions University Of Canterbury Researcher Andy Vonasch set out to answer with his latest research... The surprising results, and the way Andy has set about mindfully managing his own reputation, have culminated in him winning this years "Emerging Researcher Award" this year.

Angelman syndrome is a rare genetic condition that affects the nervous system and causes severe physical and learning disabilities. The Chairperson for The Angelman Network Ursula Christel's adult son has the syndrome. Ursula joins us...

Mark and Colin discuss coalition government talks, WeetBix, Rugby and the closure of Southland's best known store 'H and J Smith'.

Unless you've been living up a tree you'll know that the decadent Puteketeke was recently crowned bird of the century. This years vote has already helped Forest & Bird raise $600,000... Metal Birds - an auckland based company is helping them push that even higher. They make... you guessed it, metal bird silhouettes. For the last few years they've released a Bird Of The Year model, with 30% of the sale going to Forest & Bird. This year it comes with a little extra - a bonus John Oliver silhouette... And as with everything the John Oliver effect touches, this years sales have been the biggest yet... Metal Birds founder Phil Walters joins us.

Until seven or eight years ago Black Friday was a sales day in America, that few of us outside of the country had heard of. Since then it's grown into a global shopping phenomenon. A report released today by the website PriceSpy predicts that 1 in 3 of us plan to spend over $500 in the sale. Despite officially being this Friday, Instagram, Facebook and all the other platforms have been overrun with Black Friday ads for weeks. So what is it? Were did it come from? And are there good deals to be had or is it just manipulative marketing? To unpick all that Mark's joined by Bodo Lang - Professor of Marketing Analytics at Massey Business School.

In 2014 Pera Barrett set up a shoebox christmas appeal for 80 children at a local Porirua school. Now nine years on it's spread to over 16,000 tamariki nationwide. The programme invites people who want to donate a christmas gift to fill a box, and drop it off at a local school or community hub. The goal is to ensure no one misses out this Christmas. The project's grown soo huge this year, that to manage it all Pera has also launched a new, dedicated website "Koha Tree". Pera joins Mark to tell us more...

Football fans in Auckland will be rejoicing, with the news breaking this afternoon that a new Auckland-based A-League team will be established soon in our biggest city. The team's being bankrolled by an American billionaire, Bill Foley, who has fingers in a LOT of sporting pies all around the world. So how big a deal is this for the beautiful game in Aotearoa? Football journalist Riccardo Ball joins us.

Football fans in Auckland will be rejoicing, with the news breaking this afternoon that a new Auckland-based A-League team will be established soon in our biggest city. The team's being bankrolled by an American billionaire, Bill Foley, who has fingers in a LOT of sporting pies all around the world. So how big a deal is this for the beautiful game in Aotearoa? Football journalist Riccardo Ball joins us.

This Thursday is the release day for Ridley Scott's epic-sounding new film Napoleon, all about the life and times of the French general and emperor Napoleon Bonaparte ... But early screenings of the film around the world have kicked up a BIT of consternation from historians who feel Scott has played a bit fast and loose with the historical record in the film ... One scene in particular which is part of the film's trailer shows Napoleon ordering cannons to fire at the Pyramids in Egypt ... which didn't actually happen. But, of course, directors have been taking liberties with historical events for the sake of narrative since the advent of film itself: so, when is it OK, and when is it not? Giacomo Lichtner an associate professor of history and film at Victoria University speaks to Mark.

Good news for comedy fans across the country - with the news that the very funny comedian and podcaster and larrakin Guy Montgomery will be jesting across the country for a series of shows mid-year. Guy won the 2023 Fred Award, New Zealand's highest comedy honour, AND the Best of the Fest award at the 2023 Sydney Comedy Festival... As well as his stand-up he's known for his TV show, Guy Montgomery's Guy Mont-Spelling Bee. Guy joins us on Nights.

When was the last time you hugged a mate? Or talked to them about how they're doing or even how you were feeling? Well November or shall we say Movember is the time to do it. Its that time of year when Men's health both physical and mental, is in the spotlight. So joining us to talk about what we can all to to make sure men are living to their full potential, is the Country Manager for Movember in New Zealand Rob Dunne.

It's time to look at the issues making the headlines internationally with our friends at the BBC Tonight we're joined by Rich Preston.

It's been a big few days for Southland steak producer Alliance Group - which last week had its Pure South 55 Day Aged Beef voted the BEST ribeye steak in the entire world at the World Steak Challenge in London. The beef category director at Alliance Group, Darren Drury joins us...

Since the 1970s explosive debate has raged about the origin of some holes. The holes in question are in a pair of pillars at Newports Westgate Hotel. Some say they're bullet holes from a Chartist uprising, others that they're just from old railings... Finally after decades of uncertainty Oliver Blackmore - collections manager at the local museum believes he has the answer...

Earlier this month Palmy boy Brendan Hartley zoomed to a record fourth World Endurance Championship title. It came down to the wire but he sealed the deal with victory in the final race of the season - "8 Hours Of Bahrain" He is without doubt one of the best sports car drivers on the planet. He joins us on the phone...

Bryan and Mark talk the Cricket World Cup, Formula 1, Australian Rugby and the Football Ferns.

Musician Finn Johansson brings you some fresh cuts for the weekend, featuring: Megan Thee Stallion, Milk Talk, Lower Plenty and Brandn Shiraz.

Dan reviews 3 movies for us, including the new Hunger Games film, a documentary series looking at the role of female filmmaker and another documentary about "The Happiest Place On Earth"

The search for social media perfection seems to be luring unsuspecting victims to their deaths. That's according to new research published in Australia's in the first comprehensive study into selfie-related deaths. The University of New South Wale's Samuel Cornell was the lead author on the study he joins Mark.

Should you shelter in place of break out the BBQ this weekend? MetService meteorologist Mads Naeraa joins Mark to breakdown the weekends weather.

A new app being trailed with a handful of New Zealand trucking companies could be a game changer for the industry, according to one operator. Three firms across the country are trailing the alternative fatigue management system with support from New Zealand Land Transport, Transporting NZ, the police and WorkSafe. One of those is Stephenson Transport from the Hawkes Bay and the chief executive Todd Stephenson joins us.

Learning to swim is a right of passage for many kiwi kids. A new report reveals that nearly two in four New Zealand kids don't attend swimming lessons, with a third of parents surveyed believing their child is too young to learn to swim. It also found only 30% of New Zealand parents are confident their child has the skills to help themselves in a water emergency. So how can we make sure all New Zealanders are safe in the water? Daniel Fulton, President of Swim Coaches and Teachers of New Zealand speaks to Nights.

Christchurch based video games developer, Black Salt Games was set up during COVID. Their first game Dredge was released earlier this year. The four person team were hoping it would sell enough to cover their costs... Instead it's become a dazzling success, selling over a million copies world wide. On monday it was even nominated for the video game equivalent of an Oscar... Co-founder and CEO Nadia Thorne joins Mark for a chat.

What would you do if your local pub was at risk of closing down? For Jason Cleland and five mates in the South Island town of Waikaka the answer's simple - you buy it. The sextuple aren't motivated by profit. They not gunning to become entertainment impresarios. They just want to keep their local operating. The deposit has been paid, but for their bid to be successful they need to come up with the balance by December 15th. We're joined by Jason to fine out us how they intend to do that...

It's two years since the "Drug & Substance Checking Act 2021" was passed by parliament. That act made us one of the first countries in the world to make drug testing explicitly legal. It's no longer a crime to hand over - or receive - a sample at a testing centre. The goal: harm reduction in an unregulated and often unpredictable market. Casey Spearin is the general manager of the countries most well known testing organisation Know Your Stuff. She joins Mark to unpick the impact of the law change, what harm reduction actually means, and how they're preparing for a busy summer season.

With the end of the year fast approaching and with all the temptations that come with the silly season we thought it was time to chat to someone who knows a thing or two about making better choices. Nutritionist Claire Turnbull shares some tips on how to make healthy choices easier!

Four years ago Ranfurly local Michael Johnston was walking his dog by the Kyeburn river, when he spied something in the water. Closer investigation revealed a set of fossilied Moa footprints. The first prints discovered on the South Island. Questions abounded - what kind of Moa was it? what did it look like? And just how long ago, did it leave its now famous footprints? The answers can finally be found in a new reasearch paper published this afternoon in the "Journal of the Royal Society of New Zealand". Author of that paper and curatio of natural science at Tuhura Otago Museum Kane Fleury joins Mark.

A spot of technological chaos befell Australia last week, when Optus - the second-largest telco operator in the country - experienced a catastrophic, 14-hour outage, preventing people from making calls or using the internet, and forcing shops to go cash-only for the period More than 10-million Australians and some 400-thousand businesses were affected, and Optus was heavily criticised for its … unforthcoming … response. It's now been revealed the outage was caused by a routine software update gone awry - but does that explanation stack up, and what does it say about the solidity of telco services that something so routine could lead to such calamity? We're joined by technology commentator Bill Bennett.

The Black Caps are looking to pull off one of the great cricketing upsets over the next few hours, as they take on hot favourites India in their World Cup semi-final in Mumbai ... The match should be starting RIGHT about now and we're lucky enough to have someone on the ground, it's Michael Appleton, Michael is New Zealand's high commissioner to Sri Lanka and Maldives, he's also a mega-cricket-fan ... he joins us now from inside Wankhede Stadium.

A Whanganui musican is hoping to inspire the next generation of New Zealand's music talent. James Paul has launched a charity called Community Music Aotrearoa, with the aim of offering music recording and tuition in small rural schools across the country.

An unlikely collaboration between a sound and video artist and a mechanical engineer has resulted in an exhibition exploring the cross roads of science, art and technology. Depth of Field is video and sound artwork, created by Auckland University of Technology's Dr Clinton Watkins and Dr Yuan Tao.

It's been a tough year for Wellington based Catherine O'Mara. After losing her mum to cancer she faced spending Christmas day alone for the first time. Friends and colleges stepped in, inviting the twenty-two year old to their parties... But Catherine couldn't stop thinking about the other people facing a lonely christmas. She's decided to channel the Christmas spirit, and host her own party. Taking to the Vic Deals Facebook page Catherine's invited anyone who'll be alone this year to lunch at hers.

Stop what you're doing and take a look out your window... What catches your eye? Maybe the neighbours house, or if your lucky some of our spectacular scenery... For NMIT research scientist Dr. Ellen Cieraad the answer is Street lights. For the last decade councils across the country have been transitioning to LED bulbs. They last longer and use less electricity - significantly reducing their carbon footprint. Does that mean they're better for the environment? Well, according to Ellen that depends on what you mean by "environment". She joins us to discuss the new lights unintended consequences on our native wildlife.

Saturn, as we all know, is the coolest planet. And much of its coolness stems from its very sleek, elegant rings. So it was with much alarm that we read a hypothesis: that in 2025, just 13 or so months from now... Saturn's rings may simply... disappear. Imagine that. It'd be like Rome without the Colosseum, or Ohakune without its giant carrot. Unthinkable. So what's going on here, are the rumours true, is this the manifestation of some kind of cosmic climate change writ large? To find out we welcome Ian Griffin. Astronomer and director of Otago museum.

Dr Julia de Bres is a sociolinguist and senior lecturer at Massey. She joins Mark Leishman to tell us how cats use their body language to subtly manipulate us into doing their bidding.

It's time to look at the issues making the headlines internationally with our friends at the BBC Tonight we're joined by Rich Preston.

There are some rumblings around Iceland at the moment as volcanologists fear a large-scale eruption in the south-west of the island nation ... The town of Grindavik has been evacuated after a series of earthquakes over the past couple of weeks raised fears that a river of magma underneath the Reykjanes Peninsula could be getting ready to blow. Benjamin Hennig is a geographer and an associate professor of geography at the University of Iceland.

The small town of Awanui in the far north of the country is in celebration mood after it was named "Most Beautiful Tiny Town" at the Keep New Zealand Beautiful Awards. With a population of less than 400 people, the small town came out on top following a huge community effort to revitalise itself. To find out how they did it, we're joined now by resident, business owner and unofficial mayor Bill Subritzky.

What happens when two different types of environmentalism collide? Balmoral Station, near Lake Tekapo - is owned by the Simpson Family, headed up by Andrew and Karen Simpson. They had the idea to convert a slice of this station - 113 hectares of Crown lease land - into a solar farm. The Simpsons applied for this to happen last year, but last week their application was denied - because of the potential effects on the ecology of the area. Andrew Simpson joins us.

Bryan Waddle joins mark to discuss the latest sports news. The Blackcaps are just two steps away from world cup victory, but their toughest challenges are still to come. Can the Phoenix women continue their amazing form in the A League? Will super Rugby have a brand new look next year? And what's behind netballs rising popularity? Plus, we celebrate Samoan teenager Faith Vui, who this week became the first person of Samoan heritage to win the New Zealand amateur championship.

DJ K-SWIZZ is a master of beat juggling, scratching and mixing. The twenty-one-year-old turntablist has just retained his DMC World Championship title in San Francisco - adding to the array of titles he has won since he started DJing aged 14. DJ K-SWIZZ joins Nights.

Today is a big day for many from the Indian subcontinent as it marks the beginning of this year's five-day Diwali festivities. The Hindu celebration is a festival of lights with roots in an ancient literary parable which sheds light on the human condition. Wellington novelist Rajorshi Chakraborti joins Nights.

Podcast fan and former RNZ presenter Lynn Freeman joins Nights with her podcast suggestions.

Right now there are myriad telescopes searching for any sign of life among estimated 100 billion galaxies. But if we did manage to contact Alien life forms, how would we communicate with them? Dr Ian Roberts is a professor of linguistics at the University of Cambridge who also serves on the Advisory Council of METI (Messaging Extra-terrestrial Intelligence). Dr Roberts joins Nights.

Nicola Gaston is a Professor at Auckland University's school of physics and a leading voice in criticising sexism within the scientific world. This week she was awarded the Thomson Medal by the Royal Society Te Aparangi for her 'transformative leadership' in physics and science more broadly. Professor Gaston joins Nights for a catch-up.

The New Zealand Geographic Board is proposing a correction to a centuries old place name typo, with the West Coast tourist hotspot of Franz Josef under the microscope. Named 'Joseph' after Austrian Emperor of the time Kaiser Franz Joseph by Julius von Haast, somewhere along the line the name became 'Josef' - both completely disregarding the Te Reo Maori name Waiau. Westland District Council Mayor Helen Lash joins Nights to discuss the news.

This weekend, Wellington's Verb Festival hosts its annual worst poet wins event which rewards aspiring writers for indulging their most cliched, cringeworthy tendencies. Harry Ricketts is a poet, essayist and a supervisor at Victoria University's International Institute of Modern Letters - with a fondness for terrible poetry, even writing an ode to the topic for Newsroom earlier this week. Harry speaks to Nights.

How much do we know about bridges? Somebody who understands plenty about the topic is Moustafa Al-Ani. As lead structure advisor at Waka Kotahi and chair of the Auckland Bridge Group, he is well versed in the engineering of these structures we might not usually think much about. Moustafa joins Nights.

Colin Peacock is in the studio for a look at the media landscape.

Woven flax wahakura and pepi pods have been promoted for safe sleeping practices for newborns since the early 2000s. Riwa Wawatai, a Levin-based weaver is calling for more kairaranga - or weavers - to meet growing demand. Riwa speaks to Nights.

How many of us take the time to enjoy roadside rest areas when we're on a road trip? Pokeno man Greg Wilson is one man who has - he drove between Bluff and Auckland stopping at every rest area along State Highway 1 to find out how many are left. Greg talks to Nights.

Earlier this year, a team of Australian herpetologists were told to head into the Queensland desert to look for three types of skink. One of those, the elusive Lyon's Grassland Striped Skink, hasn't been seen in more than 40 years. Andrew Amey, Queensland Museum's herpetology collection manager, led the expedition. Andrew joins Nights.

Split Enz founding member Mike Chunn is not only a mean bassist - he's also a successful author and respected music mentor. Twenty years ago, he founded Play It Strange to help nurture up-and-coming musicians. Through the programme, he has helped a range of talents, including Liz Stokes from The Beths, Kimbra, Annah Mac and Wellington's Louis Baker. Mike chats to Nights about his plans to step away from Play It Strange.

Researchers from the University of Essex studied the dialects of a group of 18 to 33-year-olds from South East England and found there has been a change in dialects among younger people.  They've found Cockney and another distinctive British accents are disappearing. Project leader Dr Amanda Cole joins Nights.

Dillon Mayhew is Associate Professor at the School of Mathematics and Statistics at Te Heranga Waka/Victoria University of Wellington. Dillon joins Nights to talk numbers for what might be the final time.

Digital Future Aotearoa runs digital literacy and kids' coding workshops across the country. The charity just picked up an award at the Australia and New Zealand 2023 IDC Future Enterprise Awards. Digital Future Aotearoa CEO Bronwyn Scott joins Nights.

Predator Free Wellington is on a mission to rid our capital city of pests and restore native birdlife populations. The group held a gathering over the weekend to celebrate the elimination of rats, stoats and weasels from the Miramar Peninsula. James Willcocks from Predator Free Wellington speaks to Nights.

When accomplished illustrator Hilary Jean Tapper was offered the chance to work on a children's book written by New Zealand author Joy Cowley, it was an opportunity she couldn't refuse. At the Bach explores the magic of Kiwi summer holidays. Hilary joins Nights for a chat.

The BBC's Pete Ross joins us for a wrap of news making global headlines.

Professor Olaf Diegel from the University of Auckland is using 3D technology to preserve taonga puoro - or traditional Maori instruments. Professor Deigal speak to Nights.

The winners of a competition held by Mamaku Point Conservation Trust will see one lucky group visit Stewart Island/Rakiura to experience the regenerated forests and see the animals living in the reserve. Trust funding manager Roy Thompson joins Nights.

There is a growing movement to restore the name of National Park to Waimairno, with local iwi saying Waimarino Pa was once located on what is now National Park Village. Former Ruapehu District councillor Pita Pehi supports the restoration. He joins Nights.

Nights regular Fergus Barrowman joins the show with some of his jazz favourites.

Are the Blackcaps under pressure at the Cricket World Cup? Will the men's and women's Wellington Phoenix teams both mount table-topping challenges this season? Bryan Waddle joins the show for a look at the weekend's sport.

Out Lately with Finn Johansson

At the 2020 Summer Olympics, Dylan Schmidt became New Zealand's first Olympic medallist in any gymnastics discipline. Last year, the Southlander was crowned world champion at the 2022 Trampoline Gymnastics World Championships and he defends his world title in Birmingham next week. Dylan joins Nights for a training update.

Nights' regular TV and film critic Dan Slevin is in for another chat about what he's been watching this week.

The debate around rugby officiating, particularly the involvement of the TMO, has taken on a life of its own - with calls to let the man or women on the park do the officiating. Dr Nick Agar is a philosopher at the University of Waikato who specialises in ethics In a recently published opinion piece, he put forward an argument for robot referees. Dr Agar joins Nights.

A new dental subscription model claims it will help Kiwis unable to afford oral healthcare. There are clinics in seven cities offering the EasyDental scheme and company spokesperson Maykon Dias said doctors like the programme because it keeps people coming back. Maykon speaks to Nights.

Digital preservation is not something many of us spend a lot of time thinking about - but digital archivists do it every day. Archives New Zealand senior digital archivist Valerie Love and preservation policy and outreach specialist Martin Gengenbach join Nights.

Two British musicians have taken sustainable touring to the next level by walking 1,400 km around Wales with their instruments strapped to their backs. Formed in Birmingham, Filkin's Drift combine fiddle and guitar with vocal harmonies to make gentle folk music. Bandmates Chris Roberts and Seth Bye join Nights.

22-year-old Alena Kamper from Sacred Hill in Hawke's Bay has won the young winemaker of the year prize. As well as winning $1000 in cash, she will get the chance to visit to the Tonnellerie de Mercury in Burgundy. Alena joins Nights.

New research from Lincoln University looks at how crops with low flammability can stop the spread of wildfires across our agricultural landscapes. Dr Tim Curran is the Associate Professor of Ecology at Lincoln University. He joins Nights.

Charlie Cuff joins Nights to talk about the humble timepiece.

There have been incredible leaps in telescope technology over the past 100 years, letting us see deeper into space and further back into time. The technology has not been accessible to everyone - meaning large parts of the night sky have been left unexplored. Dr Tim Molteno from the University of Otago has just returned from Africa where he taught people how to build and use low-cost radio telescopes. Tim joins us Nights.

Hayden Donnell joins Mark for a look at the latest media landscape.

Hayden Donnell joins Mark for a look at the latest media landscape.

Deep Creek Brewing the third high-profile New Zealand craft brewery to close this year. Michael Donaldson is the publisher and editor of Pursuit of Hoppiness, an online news site for all things beer related. Michael joins Nights.

Deep Creek Brewing the third high-profile New Zealand craft brewery to close this year. Michael Donaldson is the publisher and editor of Pursuit of Hoppiness, an online news site for all things beer related. Michael joins Nights.

Writers living in Aotearoa New Zealand have come together to celebrate what would have been Italian author Italo Calvino's 100th birthday. Marco Sonzogni collated and edited Visible Cities - Lockdown to liberation, stress to sustainability: Aotearoa fiction inspired by Italo Calvino. Marco joins Nights to talk about the book.

Writers living in Aotearoa New Zealand have come together to celebrate what would have been Italian author Italo Calvino's 100th birthday. Marco Sonzogni collated and edited Visible Cities - Lockdown to liberation, stress to sustainability: Aotearoa fiction inspired by Italo Calvino. Marco joins Nights to talk about the book.

Applications are open for the inaugural Z Manu World Championships, where the iconic Kiwi pastime of jumping off cliffs and wharfs into water takes centre stage. 

We all know stories which have passed down through the generations. But how far back do they go? Research out of Australia shows traditional stories from Tasmania have been passed down for more than 12,000 years. Associate Professor Duane Hamacher from the University of Melbourne joins Nights.

Last year the New Zealand gaming industry generated more income than its Australian counterpart, with Wellington-based PikPok making a name for itself amongst local video game developers. The studio has just announced Into the Dead: Our Darkest - its post-apocalyptic zombie PC survival game. PikPok CEO Mario Wynands joins Nights.

Research from the University of Auckland has found the more online accommodation services like Airbnb there are in an area, the more property-related crime there is likely to be. As well as the uptick in crime, the study found those neighbourhoods had lower house prices. Dr William Cheung from the University of Auckland's Business School speaks to Nights.

An Auckland transport service is looking for up to 70 drivers to help assist children and young people with safety or mobility needs to and from school. Cross Country Rentals already transports 2500 students across the country daily and has now been awarded another contract in East Auckland. Cross Country Rentals project manager Tony Dickason joins Nights.

New Zealand household food spending now averages around $238 per household per week - up nine per cent on a year ago, Research by Rabobank and Kiwiharvest has found. Households are also making minor changes to try to keep their weekly food bills down, even being more willing to buy 'imperfect' fruit and veg. Rabobank Head of Sustainable Business Development Blake Holgate joins Nights.

Malia Johnstone and guest dancer and peformer Rodney Bell speak to Nights. Malia and Rodney are embarking on a new project called IMPRINT commisioned by New Zealand Dance Company.

Nights regular Louise Richards, Vice President of the New Zealand Geographical Society, and Salene Schloffel-Armstrong, a Teaching Fellow in the School of Environment at the University of Auckland, speak to Mark.

After losing the prestigious Wayleggo Cup to the Australians last year, the New Zealand Sheep Dog Trial team claimed it back in Ashburton over the weekend. New Zealand Sheep Dog Trial Association president Pat Coogan was at the competition. Pat joins Nights.

Anyone who has spent much time in a hospital knows they are typically sterile, clinical environments. But one group wants to change that. The Well Foundation's GIVE A BIT OF GREEN campaign wants to fill North Shore Hospital with 500 plants and create restorative indoor green spaces. Well Foundation CEO Tim Edmonds joins us.

Far North Mayor Moko Tepania joins us from Kaikhoe for an update on how the region has been affected by ex-tropical cyclone Lola.

The remnants of ex-tropical cyclone Lola has caused power outages and flooding across the Upper North Island. Metservice meteorologist Miroslav Malivuk joins us for an update.

Do dogs or cats receive more love from us humans? It's an age-old question. A team of scientists led by Dr Peter Sandøe from the University of Copenhagen has investigated which animal pet owners were most emotionally attached to. Dr Peter Sandøe speaks to Mark from Copenhagen.

The fallout from the All Black's Rugby World Cup final defeat to South Africa continues, What now for Ian Foster and Sam Cane? We discuss the going's on from the world of sport including the Black Ferns victory over Wales, Wellington Phoenix's steady start to the the A-League season, and Lydia Ko's strong finish in Malaysia. Bryan Waddle joins Mark.

Finn Johansson joins us with an array of eclectic music.

A Massey University student's re-engineered athlete drug testing kit has gained him well-deserved recognition. Nick Holland is already the UK winner of the James Dyson Award and will now go up against global competition with a chance to win $57,000. Nick Holland joins us.

We discuss the Terror-Film Festival which is already happening in Wellington and will soon thrill audiences in Auckland and Christchurch. Simone: Woman of the Century is biopic of French stateswoman and politician Simone Veil. SISU is a Finnish WWII movie about a gold prospector who takes on the German army. Our resident film expert Dan Slevin talks to Mark.

On Sunday, the All Blacks take on the Springbok for a chance to win their fourth Rugby World Cup. Defending champions South Africa stand in their way. RNZ's Joe Porter is in France.

We discuss episodes from four podcasts, including award-winning investigative podcast Bed of Lies presented by Carla McGoogan, and Spirituality, which delves into new-age cults. There's a look at The Climate Change Deniers Podcast, while our reviewer Lynn Freeman delves into an episode of James Acaster and Ed Gamble's Off Menu podcast which has Florence Pugh as a guest.

Archaeologists in Scotland have uncovered a 5,000-year-old Neolithic tomb on the isle of Orkney. The site was thought to be lost forever - but once located archaeologists found 14 carefully laid out skeletons of men, women and children. Excavation leader Dr Anderson-Whymark from National Museums Scotland talks to Mark Leishman about the "incredible excitement" as the team removed the topsoil.

Invercargill has long been home to a group of tuatara, ranging from juveniles to perhaps Invercargill's most famous resident of all, Henry - aged somewhere between 100 and 150 years old. And this week they've been their six-monthly health checks - known around the council offices as their 'Plunket checks. Mark Leishman talks to Caroline Rain and Kate Gough about what goes into a tuatara health checkup.

Across the world the Right to Repair movement is gaining movement with several countries and jurisdiction establishing the right to repair, albeit to varying degrees, damaged consumer goods. However here in New Zealand similar legislation does not yet exist or has even been proposed. Trish O'Sullivan from Massey University has looked into why that is and talks to Mark Leishman about what steps could be taken to introduced right to repair legislation here.

Now to a Southland farmer in the midst of it all. The polar blast is set to make things tricker - with freezing temperatures and snow expected. Wyndham Farmer Ben Dooley joins Night with how he and region are preparing.

Heavy Metal and History aren't usually associated with each other but on Armistice Day the Whanganui Regional Museum will be part of the global premiere of the animated film The War to End All Wars - The Movie. The film vividly tells stories from World War 1 based on the Swedish Heavy Metal rock band Sabaton's most recent studio album, of the same name. Museum archivist and self-confessed metal head Sandi Black talks to Mark about how the museum came to be hosting the film and what people can expect.

Poetry film is a fast-growing art form combining poetry, moving images, sound and music. The Aotearoa Poetry Film Festival takes place in Wellington during November. Festival director and Victoria University of Wellington Film Programme Associate Professor Alfio Leotta joins Mark.

We're going bush with our Forest Correspondent, Dean Baigent-Mercer. Tonight he's talking about what's happening with kahikatea trees, the impact of the wet summer on our native trees and the good news story about the milk tree or turepo

Colin Peacock is in the studio to discuss the big stories in the media.

Five teams have claimed prizes in this year's Velocity $100k Challenge which encourages students to develop their entrepreneurial mindset. The winners include a venture for reducing construction waste and another designed to solve gender challenges on building sites. To discuss, the Director of the University of Auckland Business School's Centre for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (CIE) Darsel Keane joins us.

WOMAD organisers have added 18 new acts to next year's festival with Morcheeba, Gilberto Gil and Nitin Sawhney set to appear. Programme director Emere Wano speaks to Mark.

Six months ago Southlander Simon Patton could hardly manage a 5km without stopping. But those days are long gone. At the weekend he completed five of New Zealand's great walks in just five days - nonnop. Simon joins us now to tell the tale.

Ryan Bodman has spent the past few years researching, writing and thinking about Rugby League's impact on social movements and working class culture. His book Rugby League in New Zealand: A People's History has just been released. Ryan joins Nights to discuss his book.

It's been a popular destination for locals and visitors alike in the small McKenzie town of Twizel for the past six years. The Twizel Bookshop is one of the country's smallest bookshops but is now facing an uncertain future. To find out more, Nights is joined by owner Renee Rowland.

Low-dose cannabis products could soon be avaliable over the counter from New Zealand pharmacies. Usually coming in drop or capsule format - the substance can be used to treat pain, stress and anxiety. Massey University senior researcher Dr Marta Rychert runs the Annual annual Alcohol and Drug Use Survey and talks to Mark Leishman about what is happening.

A Maori health science collaboration which has just been granted New Zealands's first licence to cultivate an indigenous fungi containing psilocybin. Rangiwaho Marae, based south of Gisborne, is leading the collaboration and the license was granted to Rua Bioscience, a biopharmaceutical business also based in Tairawhiti. The licence is only for cultivation research at this stage but it aims to unlock therapeutic potential of psilocybin found in indigenous varieties of 'magic mushrooms' To find out more Nights is joined joined by project advisor Manu Caddie

Metservice Meteorologist Miroslav Malivuk provides us with an update on the strength of Cyclone Lola. As well the mixed bag of weather expected here over the next 7 days.

It's time to take a deep dive into the philosophical side of life. Joining us again is Zach Weber Associate Professor of Philosophy at the University of Otago. Tonight he's talking to us about the work of renowned New Zealand Philosopher Richard Sylvan.

After massive weekend of sport get our regular Sporting expert is back on the show to help digest it all for us. Bryan Waddle talks to Mark Leishman about the upcoming world cup final and whether India has dented the Black Caps hopes at the cricket world cup.

He's back, and no doubt ready to inform, educate and entertain us with an array of eclectic music. It's Finn Johansson.

The small township of Mangaweka, nestled somewhere between Whanganui and Taupo, will come alive this weekend with art and music as well as fakes and forgeries It's the return of the now legendary, two-yearly, Fakes & Forgeries ART Competition & Exhibition which is opening tomorrow. Organiser of the competition Richard Aslett talks to Todd Zaner about the event.

Christchurch based carbon reduction start-up Aspiring Materials has been accepted onto a Bill Gates-backed sustainable energy programme. Aspiring Materials is one of 13 companies chosen from 2500 global applicants for the Breakthrough Energy initiative. CEO Mark Chadderton joins Nights.

We check in with our resident film and tv expert Dan Slevin. He's got a few selections to talk about this week ahead of the long weekend.

The All Blacks and familiar foe Argentina do battle in the first World Cup semi-final in Paris on Saturday morning. RNZ sports reporter Joe Porter is on the ground in Paris and speaks to Todd Zaner.

Legendary aviator, deer hunter and businessman Sir Tim Wallis died this week at the age of 85. Whilst he's well known for establishing the air show, War Birds Over Wanaka, Sir Tim first made his mark in the venison industry. Sir Tim's story is part of RNZ 's latest podcast - Deer Wars, and documentary maker and friend, Paul Roy joins Nights to discuss those heady and exciting times.

The country's oldest operating steam locomotive is celebrating 150 years of service this Labour Weekend. Owned by the Canterbury Railway Society and based at the Ferrymead Heritage park in Christchurch, the locomotive, known to many as 'Peveril' entered service in December 1873. President of the Canterbury Railway Society, David Maciulaitis talks to Nights about the loco and the celebrations this weekend.

The country's oldest operating steam locomotive is celebrating 150 years of service this Labour Weekend. Owned by the Canterbury Railway Society and based at the Ferrymead Heritage park in Christchurch, the locomotive, known to many as 'Peveril' entered service in December 1873. President of the Canterbury Railway Society, David Maciulaitis talks to Nights about the loco and the celebrations this weekend.

If you've ever wondered why people want lovely long eyelashes and hair - but are not so keen on the monobrow or the dreaded sign of salt and pepper ageing - we might just have the podcast for you. Broadcasters and award-winning podcasters Petra Bagust and RNZ's own Charlotte Cook have become accidental advocates of embracing both body hair and grey hair. Charlotte talks to Nights about the podcast how the relationship with her body hair has changed since the podcast came out last year.

If you've ever wondered why people want lovely long eyelashes and hair - but are not so keen on the monobrow or the dreaded sign of salt and pepper ageing - we might just have the podcast for you. Broadcasters and award-winning podcasters Petra Bagust and RNZ's own Charlotte Cook have become accidental advocates of embracing both body hair and grey hair. Charlotte talks to Nights about the podcast how the relationship with her body hair has changed since the podcast came out last year.

The Cotter Medical History Museum has not had a proper home for years after it was moved to unused wards at Hillmorton following the 2011 earthquake. It might now only have six months left before it has to move again - and so far all attempts for find a permanent home have come to nothing. Paddy Cotter took over the collection when his father Pat died and he talks to Nights about the museum and the struggle to find a suitable location.

An increasing number of parents worry about what their children see online. The First Phones programme has been with the backing and input of online safety organisation, Netsafe. Sean Lyons is Netsafe's Chief Online Safety Officer, talks to Nights about the programme and what parents can do to make sure their kids are phone safe.

A group of five locals have completed what they say is the first source-to-sea kayaking expedition of the Taieri River - taking in its entire 288km path. Group member Blake Hornblow said the expedition highlighted the river's beauty and shed light on the river's environmental challenges. He talks to Nights about the adventure as well as why it's so important to protect these incredible places.

Former Superintendent of the Mt John Observatory above Lake Tekapo in the Mackenzie Country, Alan Gilmore joins us for his regular astronomy chat. Tonight, he's talking astroid samples, where all earth's water came from, sunspots and the possible detection of life on an exoplanet.

Former Superintendent of the Mt John Observatory above Lake Tekapo in the Mackenzie Country, Alan Gilmore joins us for his regular astronomy chat. Tonight, he's talking astroid samples, where all earth's water came from, sunspots and the possible detection of life on an exoplanet.

Hayden Donnell is in the studio to discuss the big stories in the media.

There's been some worrying news for late night fast-food lovers in Auckland. An on-going potato shortage is threatening the chip supply at the The White Lady food truck, and if a solution is not found soon, they could be all out of hot chips by the end of Labour Weekend. The White Lady manager, Max Washer joins Mark Leishman.

A family of peregrine falcons who are capturing the world's attention from a watertower standing above the small city of Orange in New South Wales. The falcon's nest box was set up on the tower on the Charles Sturt University campus in 2007 and since then cameras have been set up to watch the family's every move - both triumphant and tragic. Charles Sturt University adjunct lecturer in wildlife management and biodiversity conservation Cilla Kinross joins Nights to discuss her research on the family.

University professor and comics buff Neal Curtis tells Nights how 'graphic medicine' can be used to convey important health information.

An Auckland teenager has again been honoured alongside some of the best wildlife photographers in the world for the second year running. A photo of a reef-star fish taken by 16-year-old photographer D'Artagnan Sprengel has been chosen by the Natural History Museum to be exhibited in its wildlife photographer of the year competition. D'Artagan's photo was selected out of nearly 50,000 entries and is the second year in a row he's been included in the exhibition. He talks to Mark Leishman about what inspires his photography.

Among the new sports being included at the 2028 Olympics in Los Angles one might have some here in New Zealand scratching their heads. Flag Football, a non-contact form of American Football, has been included in the line-up for 2028. New Zealand American Football Federation chair Steph Murray explains the ins and outs of the sport and what it means for flag football here.

A determined parrot has provided some unique insights for those working in the area of kakapo conservation. Four-year-old Tautahi is among a group of kakapo at Sanctuary Mountain Maungatautari, a fenced sanctuary in Waikato. DOC Science Advisor Kakapo/Takahe Dr Andrew Digby talks to Mark Leishman about the great escape and what can be learnt from it.

Is it possible to use the data to determine the outcome of a rugby game? Dr Niven Winchester from the Auckland University of Technology might have a pretty good idea. He joins Nights to talk about his statistical model, Rugby Vision, which predicts the outcomes of rugby matches, including the world cup.

Earlier this month it was revelled Police are using powerful new AI to help them assess the risk posed by offenders when officers are called out to emergencies. But the use of AI programmes has raised questions about the invasive nature of the technology, inherent biases and whether our legal framework will be able to protect the rights of everyone. Associate Professor in Commercial Law at University of Auckland Alex Sims talks to Mark Leishman about why more needs to be done to ensure police use of the technology doesn't cause more problems than it solves.

The BBC's Jonathan Frewin joins us now for the latest world news making the headlines.

Throughout his career New Zealand pop artist Lester Hall has often pushed boundaries with his art but his latest work is a bit closer to home. Sid and Becky, the title of his latest work, is a homage to his parents which has gone up on a billboard on Wellington's Cuba Street.  

For over 100 years the Ranfurly cemetery in Central has had impeccable record keeping. Details for each of the 700 plots and nearly 1600 people interned there, have been confirmed during a recent digitisation process - except one for which no records can be found.

Volatile Spring weather saw gale force winds cause havoc in Canterbury over the weekend, lifting roofs, and downing power lines and trees. As the new week kicks off, the Met Service is predicting a smorgasbord of weather ahead. Met Service forecaster Tuporo Marsters talks to Mark Leishman about what's on the menu over the coming days.

Electronic music enthusiast Paul Berrington joins us now to talk about Danish record label Janushoved, and he's got a selection of songs he wants to play for us.

It's time to look at all the sporting news from the weekend with out regular sporting commentator Bryan Waddle. He's looking at the big weekend of actions at the Rugby World cup as well as the Black Caps impressive start to their cup campaign.

An election day in Dunedin event is set to combine politics, poetry and pubs. Seven poets will feature at the event at the bar Woof! as part of the Dunedin Writers and Readers Festival, which kicks off tonight. One of those poets is David Eggleton, a former Poet Laureate, who talks to Nights about the event.

Nights regular tv and film critic Dan Slevin is in for another chat about what he's been watching this week.

It's business time in France as the Rugby World Cup hit the quarter final stage this weekend. RNZ sports reporter is on the ground in Paris and talks to Nights about how all the teams are shaping up.

Our podcast reviewer Lynn Freeman is coming to us from Otepoti/Dunedin this evening. Tonight she's reviewing book related podcasts. Backlisted: The Shamless Book Club: Velshi Banned Book Club: The Book Club: Sara & Cariad's Weirdos Book Club:

While the focus of most rugby fans here in New Zealand will be on the All Blacks quarterfinal match-up against Ireland, our Pacific cousins are also playing their most important game in more than a decade. Fiji will take on England in their first World Cup Quarter final game since 2011. RNZ Pacific's senior sports journalist, Iliesa Tora talks to Mark Leishman from France.

By 2028, one in four New Zealand drivers will be 65 years and that trend is likely to keep increasing. With that in mind the AA commissioned WSP Research to investigate the implications of having more older drivers on our roads. Dylan Thomsen from delves a bit deeper into the findings and talks to Mark Leishman about what it all means for drivers.

The annual Poverty Bay A&P Spring Show is the highlight of the year for many on the East Coast, and this year is looking like a bumper. So to tell us all about it, Mark Leishman is joined by General Manager Erica McNeill.

The small French town of Le Quesnoy has been packed with New Zealanders for the opening of the New Zealand Liberation Museum - Te Arawhata. Dignitaries, descendants of Kiwi soldiers involved in the liberation of the French village of Le Quesnoy during World War One, donors who have supported the project, and members of the public, gathered to acknowledge a friendship that began more than 100 years ago. TV Producer Jude Dobson, is in France for the opening and has followed the journey of the development of the $15 million museum. She talks to Nights about the moment and why it's so important to honour the sacrifice of those men.

In 2009 a group of Wellington artists and creatives started what would be a seven-year programme of projects committed to economic and environmental concerns. Letting Space as it was called, was a response to the political climate at the time, and just in time for the election on Saturday a book titled urgent moments was released today, documenting those years and the art and artists involved. Sophie Jerram was one of those behind whole project and co edited the book - She talks to Mark Leishman about the history behind Letting Space and why art is an important political force.

Nights regular and toxicologist Dr Leo Schep joins the show again. Tonight he takes a look at workplace drug testing as well as the dangers of opioid overdoses.

Colin Peacock is in the studio to discuss the big stories in the media. This week the sudden and shocking violence across the Gaza-Israel border and more election debates.

Just before 10am this morning more than 60 Canterbury school children slid and spun their way down Hanmer's new million-dollar attraction. The $3.2 million slides, the Violet Vortex and Waiau Winder, are part of a new look Hanmer Springs Thermal Pools & Spa. General manager Graeme Abbot talks to Mark Leishman about how opening day went.

A new book showcases 20 of the country's best road trips, from onboard a motorbike. The author of the book, Kim Johnstone has motorcycles in her veins and she talks to Mark Leishman about what drives her passion.

Earlier this year Ed Sheeran convinced a jury that he didn't rip off Marvin Gaye's `Let's Get It On.' By way of contrast, Pharrell Williams and Robin Thicke earlier failed to establish that `Blurred Lines' wasn't a copy of Gaye's `Got to Give It Up.' But could automated algorithms bring a new objectivity to music copyright infringement decisions, limiting the number, scale and expense of court cases? Nights talks to Musicologist Dr Patrick Savage of the University of Auckland about a new study.

Elite athletes come in all different shapes and sizes. They have very different skillsets. The one thing they share in common is the unquenchable, single-minded drive that propels them to reach for the stars. And nobody knows that better than Jasmine Tetley who talks to Nights about what it takes to be the world's top conkerer.

Meat The Need facilitates donations of meat and milk from farmers to food banks across the country. Shrimpton's Hill Herefords from Cave is among farmers supporting the initiative and has donated the proceeds of one bull in their annual bull sale since the charity was established in 2020. Mark Leishman talks to Shrimpton's Hill Herefords' Liz McKerchar.

In the past couple of months our drivers have had success after success - from 21-year-old Liam Lawson making his Formula One debut to IndyCar drivers Scott Dixon and Scott McLaughlin achieving a one-two finish in a big race at Monterey in the USA What's going on? Is there something in the water in Aotearoa? Motorsport journalist Sandy Myhre joins Nights to discuss.

Some interesting stories this week looking at that question, after a piece in the Otago Daily Times revealed some students were being forced to perform revolting hazing rituals Do things need to be reined in? How much power does the university have? And where does the drive to do these initiations come from? Mark Leishman puts these questions to Professor of Psychology at Victoria University in Wellington, Marc Wilson.

Assistant Professor in International Relations at Johns Hopkins University Nina Hall joins us once again. On the agenda is migration and its impact on Italy and the wider European Union.

Rare Disorders New Zealand is tasked with advocating for those with one of over 7000 known rare disorders. This month they are carrying out a survey hoping to collect information that will help improve the lives of those living with these conditions. Chief Executive Chris Higgins talks to Nights about the project.

The BBC's Rob Hugh-Jones joins us Nights for the latest world news making the headlines.

For 48 years straight Tony has been putting in the hard yards competing against some of the best shearers in New Zealand. And despite three heart attacks he was right in the thick of it at the Waimate Shears New Zealand Spring Shearing Competition on Saturday. He talks to Nights about what keeps him going.

Allergy and Asthma suffers are being warned to brace themselves for the upcoming hay fever season, as El Niño favour a windier, warmer, and drier than usual summer. Asthma and Respiratory Foundation NZ Chief Executive Letitia Harding speaks to Mark Leishman about what people can do to prepare.

Debates around cycle lane can often be heated but once Wellington cycling advocate says someone has taken it too far. Cycle Wellington spokesman Patrick Morgan says thumbtacks have been found strewn along cycle lanes in Newtown. He joins Nights to speak to Mark Leishman about what might drive someone to do this and how it mirrors similar incidents from 2016.

Sports commentator Bryan Waddle joins us again for a wrap of the latest sport news from the weekend as well as looking ahead for the coming week. Including the latest from the rugby and cricket world cups .

He's back, and no doubt ready to inform, educate and entertain us with an array of eclectic music. It's Finn Johansson.

An Auckland startup which upcycles surplus and leftover food has been showcasing its products at an international food conference. 'Rescued' was invited to attend the Future Food-Tech Summit in London, which included global food leaders, entrepreneurs and investors. Nights talks to by Rescued founder, Diane Stanbra.

Nights regular film and tv critic Dan Slevin joins us once again to review what has caught his eye this week.

Once upon a time, back in the halcyon days of the late-90s, breakfast cereal companies used to give out free copies of video games in their cereal boxes. Now, more than 20 years on, that game is being reappropriated by Australian biosecurity experts ... who think it could help to save native Australian ants from other, invasive species. Dr Samuel Lymbery is a Postdoctoral Fellow in Biosecurity at Murdoch University in Perth and discusses his research with Todd Zaner.

Years spent researching the race to control the space just outside earth's atmosphere has led to international recognition for a University of Otago professor. Professor Hugh Slotten has been awarded the 2022 Eugene M. Emme Award from the American Astronautical Society for his book Beyond Sputnik and the Space Race. He joins Todd Zaner on Nights.

Iconic Kiwi musician Don McGlashan was this week officially inducted into the NZ Music Hall of Fame as part of the APRA Silver Scroll Awards. A signed limited-edition Don McGlashan / NZ Music Hall of Fame tea-towel will be commemoratively framed and auctioned off for the charity MusicHelps Aotearoa. MusicHelps Trustee Damian Vaughan talks to Nights about the charity auction and the work the organisation does.

Dunedin science communicator is on top of the world after winning entry in a prestigious global science engagement competition. Andrew Mills from Tuhura Otago Museum will be presenting his space science showcase Tuhura Tuarangi - Aotearoa in Space at the Science Summit in Berlin next month. Andrew speaks to Nights To find out more about what he will be presenting in Germany next month we're joined by Andrew now.

The Rugby World cup in France rumbles on, with the final pool games taking place this weekend. After last weekends emphatic win over Italy The All Blacks will be looking to keep the momentum going as they match up against Uruguay. RNZ's Joe Porter talks to Mark Leishman from France ahead of tomorrow morning's game.

National leader Christopher Luxon has promised that, if elected, his government will commission a brand-new minister for space. But what would a minister for space do, for example? What sort of clout does New Zealand have in international extraterrestrial matters? What happens if you fart in a rocket ship? Dr Anna-Marie Brennan - a senior lecturer in law at the University of Waikato, talks to Nights about the complex nature of space law and governance.

Sir Miles Warren and Maurice Mahoney were architectural revolutionaries who built a legendary partnership spanning 37 years. A new film currently in production aims to celebrate their incredible legacy and document the bitter fight to save their most iconic building - the Christchurch Town Hall - from demolition after the 2011 earthquake. Co-director and Maurice's daughter Jane Mahoney talks to Mark Leisham about the pairs legacy and the process of making the film.

Former MetService Severe Weather Meteorologist, Erick Brenstrum, joins Nights to talk about what the weather events making an impact across the word.

It's the music industry's big night tonight with the prestigious Silver Scroll Awards being handed out in Auckland. The country's music glitterati are gathered at Spark Arena including RNZ's very own Tony Stamp. He joins Mark live to tell him who the big winners are.

Hayden Donnell is in the studio to discuss the big stories in the media. This week the Ranfurly Shield was making headlines for all the wrong reasons and a brusing pre-election encounter involving New Zealand First leader Winston Peters.

A new podcast series is shedding light on a previously overlooked chapter of New Zealand history. The Keystrokes Per Minute podcast is a celebration of the lives of women of the New Zealand Public Service Typing Pools from 1945 till the present day. Producer Meg Melvin speaks to Nights about making the podcast and the stories of some of the women featured.

Aotearoa's first ever food rescue organisation is celebrating 15 years of getting good food to people in need, and cutting down on food waste. Wellington's Kaibosh Food Rescue has rescued and re-distributed a whopping 3.5 million kilograms of surplus food - or over 10 million meals. Its CEO Susie Robertson talks to Mark Leishman about Kaibosh's past and its future.

An Otago researcher and lecturer is taking 3D printing to a whole new level, preparing to print nipples with a 3D printer. Research Associate Professor Jaydee Cabral is going to be working on making customised nipple implants for breast cancer patients. She joins Nights to share more about this mind-boggling project.

The country's best olive oil producers have been celebrated at the annual New Zealand Olive Oil Awards, with South Island growers shining this year. One of the top awards went Akaroa's Robinsons Bay Olives, who once again took out the coveted 'Best in Show' prize. The boutique grove is owned by Chris and Annette Moore, and Chris joins Nights to talk about the secret to good olive oil.

While the investigation continues into the latest controversy surrounding Hawke's Bay Ranfurly Shield celebration, it's reminded one woman of the day she ended up baby-sitting the trophy at her house. To tell us about her Shield story, Nights is joined by Emma Helleur.

This year there will not be stickers for people who vote. No more Mr Orange Man adorning the lapels and shirtfronts of the nation. The Electoral Commission by way of explanation says the decision came about because fewer people seemed to be wanting stickers after they've voted But has the commission got it wrong? Professor in Marketing at Massey University Bodo Lang talks to Mark Leishman about whether merchandise like those stickers actually positively contribute to democracy.

Auckland's growing dog population is causing issues for the city's council owned shelters and staff. A report presented to councillors today shows a huge increase in reports of dog aggression, roaming and attacks. Auckland Council manager of animal management Elly Waitoa talks to Mark Leishman about what's causing the increase and what plans are being put in place.

Nights regular and chief economist at The New Zealand Initiative Eric Crampton joins the show once again. Tonight he's casting his eye over media funding and regulation.

Following a terrible few years it has been a bumper year for skiing on Mount Ruapehu. But despite the good year there is still uncertainty surrounding the future of the North Island's only public ski field open. Former competitive snowboarder and professor of sport Holly Thorpe talks to Nights about why she believes we need to use this opportunity to reimagine the future of our relationship with the maunga.

The BBC's Sarika Unadkat joins Nights with a wrap of world news making the headlines.

Many writers have used isolation to mine the inner reaches of the creative subconscious. Gus Hellen is following in those footsteps, The 29-year-old, has published his first book of poetry after spending a Taranaki Winter living out of a yurt. He talks to Mark Leishman about how the isolation helped his writing.

James Dwan is a silversmith who works in Waikanae, he's the man who does trophy repairs and restoration for NZ Rugby - He oversaw a major restoration of the shield earlier this year and is gutted his work has been broken in half. James talks to Mark Leishman about the shield, how it will be fixed and why he's "100%" sure the white powder is a case of mistaken identity.

Wild weather is once again causing chaos across the country, with severe winds cutting power, disrupting travel and sending trampolines flying. Along with the winds, there is also heavy rain and snow for some areas. MetService lead forecaster Amy Loots talks to Mark Leishman about the latest forecast.

Ben James from Herb's Mobile Record Store joins us once again to pick some tracks from the crates. Tonight, he's got a selection of tracks from across the ditch.

Sports commentator Bryan Waddle joins us again for a wrap of the latest sport news from the weekend as well as looking ahead for the coming week.

He's back, and no doubt ready to inform, educate and entertain us with an array of eclectic music. It's Finn Johansson.

Thousands of Kiwis will be casting off across the country this weekend with the opening of the new fishing season on Sunday morning. It's a long-held tradition for many New Zealanders and big numbers are expected wih the opening this year falling on a weekend this year, and coinciding with the school holidays. Fish & Game Officer Richie Cosgrove talks to Mark Leishman about the upcoming season.

Dan Slevin joins us for his weekly chat on brand new films, both in cinemas and on streaming services.

Sadly for many people they don't live near or no longer have grandparents to spend time with. That's where our next guest can help. Founder of Grandfriends Joy Hays talks about the service which matches families with older people in their communities to help them make new connections and foster new relationships.

Nights podcast reviewer Lynn Freeman is bringing a real mix of shows with her this week.

A Maori theatre and circus collaboration is set to wow an international audience, with its World Premiere in Canada next month. The spectacle - Te Tangi a te Tui - will then open in Aotearoa in 2024.

If you've ever dreamed of driving a digger, Taranaki could be the place to head for - with the region's first 'digger park' opening it gates. Self-confessed digger enthusiast Stan Chesswas talks to Nights about his brainchild and his love heavy duty earthmoving equipment.

More wild spring weather is on the way and its looking like a like a soggy few days ahead, with most parts of the country likely to see some wet weather. Snow levels are forecast to lower to 500 metres in Southland tonight, dropping further early Saturday morning. MetService Expert Meteorologist Allister Gorman talks to Nights about what's behind the unsettled weather, and when we might see some blue skies and sunshine?

One Auckland restaurant is on top of the world after been named one of the best fine dining establishments in 2023. The Grove in St Patricks Square has been ranked at 11 on TripAdvisor's 2023 Best Restaurants list, based on traveller customers ratings and reviews. Owner Michael Dearth talks to Mark Leishman about the secret behind the restaurant's success.

A new proposal could save the much-loved and internationally renowned Taieri Gorge Railway in Otago. It's hoped the new community-based model will secure the future of the attraction so it can operate successfully in a post-pandemic world. Otago Excursion Train Trust chair Murray Schofield talks to Nights about the new venture.

As our lives get busier and busier activities like hobbies are often left to go by the wayside, so we can focus on work or our families. But Rob Donovan from the University of Western Australia says a hobby can keep us active "mentally, spiritually and socially" and also have a positive impact on our overall well-being. He talks to Mark Leishman about how to find space for hobbies and why they're so beneficial.

Colin Peacock discusses the big stories of the week, with politics taking centrestage once again. Colin gives us his take on the second leaders debate and looks at the launch of a new news service for subscribers.

Chris Hipkins and Christopher Luxon faced off in the second leaders debate in Auckland tonight. RNZ's Political Editor Jane Patterson was there and joins Mark Leishman for her analysis.

Otepoti Dunedin is set to roll out the red carpet this weekend for the gala screening of New Zealand feature film Uproar. The event this Sunday at the Regent Theatre will be attended by VIP guests including producers, the film's directors, as well as some leading cast members. Nights talks to Uproar co-director and co-writer Hamish Bennett about the new film and why it was so important to base it in Dunedin.

From the deep south to the Far North, Hato Hone St John is embarking on a nationwide mission to empower thousands of New Zealanders with essential lifesaving skills. As part the organisation's annual Shocktober campaign, it aims to tackle one of the leading causes of death in this country - cardiac arrest. Jacci Tatnell is Hato Hone St John Head of Community Education and talks to Nights about the campaign.

A global experiment has tested whether music is understood in the same way across cultures. The study was led by Yale University and the University of Auckland and played song snippets to over 5,000 participants from 49 countries - asking people to classify each as a dance, lullaby, healing, or love song. Nights talks to the authors of the study about the findings and to see how New Zealanders fared.

Are you a details person? A Canterbury University researcher is keen to find naturally gifted people with the “super abilities” required to match complex visual patterns without any training – and she’s developed an online test to assess them.

In just a few weeks' time 22 young explorers will depart on a three-week expedition to the remote South Georgia Island. One of those young explorers will be aviation meteorologist with Kelly Davenport who speaks to Nights about the adventure ahead of her.

New Zealand crowdfunding platform PledgeMe is celebrating a milestone, having just crossed the 70 million dollar-through-their-platform mark. It was reached thanks to a little help from an ethical underwear company - the latest to benefit from a crowdfunding campaign. PledgeMe co-founder Anna Guenther talks to Mark Leishman about the platform's success.

Seals have become regular visitors to Wellington of late, with one even forcing the cancellation of a train service in the Capital today after it found a resting spot on the tracks. DOC Ranger Tony Milner talks to Nights about what's behind the increase in sightings and what's the best thing to do if you come across one of the marine mammals.

It's been a best-seller in New Zealand and Australia, and a video of a Scottish granny reading it to her grandchildren went viral attracting more than 100 million views on YouTube. It's the much-loved Wonky Donkey series of books about a donkey with three legs. Now a fifth book is being released, The Stinky Wonky Donkey - author Craig Smith talks to Nights about what keeps him going and why people love his stories.

It may seem like a never-ending challenge but maintaining a tidy home can go a long way to helping a person's mental well-being. But what are the best strategies for creating and maintaining order and how can you make sure it doesn't tip over into an obsession? To help us answer those questions Mark Leishman talks to researcher and senior lecturer at the Auckland University of Technology Dr Taghreed Hikmet.

The BBC's Rich Preston is with us now with the news making the headlines around the world.

It's a board game that's been played for more than 1500 years but chess is on the rise in Taranaki. Chess is getting so popular in the region the New Plymouth Chess Club has added extra weekly playing sessions to keep up with a 25 percent growth in member. Now, the club is set to host its first national tournament in 31 years. To find out what's driving this chess boom, New Plymouth Chess Club president John Ansell speaks to Nights.

An Auckland bungy fanatic is hoping to restore national pride and recapture the world record he lost just last year. In 2022 Mike Heard set the world record for the most bungy jumps in a day with 430, which was beaten last year by Frenchman François-Marie Dibon who made 765 jumps. But in just over two weeks time Mike is aiming to take it back, aiming for 800 jumps off the Auckland Harbour Bridge in 24 hours. Mike speaks to Mark Leishman about his preparation and motivation for the jumping,

Once again the regions of Bay of Plenty and Tairawhiti have been hammered by heavy rain. While the rain was expected to ease tonight, other parts of the North Island are now in for a drenching, while strong winds are set to buffet other areas. So for the latest on what we can expect, and when the worst of the weather will be over, Nights speaks to MetService Lead Meteorologist, Bill Singh.

Nights regular sports correspondent, Bryan Waddle. talks to Mark Leishman about the Australian's all but out of the Rugby World cup, how the All Blacks are shaping up, what is happening with the Silver Ferns and Liam Lawson continues to impress in Formula 1.

A Rotorua woman has proved that age is no barrier, becoming the oldest person to compete in the Miss Rotorua beauty pageant. Tiana Hodge, who is 77, made history at the event which started in back in 1947. She speaks to Anna Thomas about the experience and why age isn't a barrier

It's that time of the week when we check in with our resident film and tv expert Dan Slevin. Tonight he's got his eye on something to keep both the kids, and adults, entertained over the school holidays.

From the Springbok tour, to the Nuclear Free Movement political posters have been used as a call to arms. As part of Auckland's Heritage Festival Toby will be hosting a workshop exploring the history of protest posters in Aotearoa as well as teaching others how to draw their own. He speaks to Anna Thomas about what fascinates him about political posters and how they have helped shaped our history.

Aotearoa New Zealand springs forward this weekend, as Daylight Saving time begins. Clocks will go forward by one hour at 2 o'clock on Sunday morning. Sleep expert Dr Alex Bartle speaks to Nights about the effect losing an hour has on the body and our sleep patterns.

Small, spiky and elusive, researchers are hoping a citizen science project might help shed some more light on the Echidna. University of Adelaide professor Frank Grutzner leads the project and talks to Mark Leishman about why the egg laying marsupial is so mysterious.

A small piece of New Zealand is on its way to every member of the New Zealand Defence Force that will be deployed overseas this Christmas, thanks to the Royal New Zealand Returned and Services Association. The parcels were packed near Trentham Military Camp today by a busy production line of `elves' including senior defence personnel, staff from the RNZRSA's National Office and volunteers from the New Zealand Defence Force. Chief Executive of the RNZRSA Marty Donoghue talks to Nights about the initiative.

It's not looking like a great start to the school holidays with heavy snow, strong winds, heavy rain, and thunderstorms forecast over the coming days. To find out the latest Nights is joined by MetService Meteorologist Philippa Murdoch.

A region-wide state of emergency has been declared for Southland as the area copes with flooding from heavy rain. Emergency Management Southland group controller Simon Mapp talks to Mark Leishman about the latest on the situation.

On the same day New Zealand will be voting to decide its next government, Australians will be voting on a proposed change to their constitution. The Indigenous voice to government would enshrine a permanent representation and recognition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. Constitutional expert and a professor of law at the University of Canberra Kim Rubenstien explains how Australia ended up with a constitution and what changes the Voice will make.

Learning about the relationship between food and mood has been a very personal journey for nutritionist Claire Turnbull. She explains why sleeping and eating better are the keys to good mental and physical health.  

Hayden Donnell talked to Mark Leishman about coverage of the election ramping up. They looked at political reporters doggedly pursuing the National Party for the details of its tax plans - and party leaders picking and choosing interview opportunities. But first they talked about the first head-to-head live TV debate between Chris Hipkins and Christopher Luxon.

Preparations are well underway for the biggest Cook Island festival in the world - Te Maeva Nui Festival. The three day festival is the highlight in the calendar for the Cook Islands community and this year it will be held at the Trusts Arena in West Auckland. Joining Mark to talk about why it's such a special event is community podcaster and media talent Ernestina Poukia-Bonsu Maro.

Stewart Island Rakiura recorded a new high temperature for September today reaching 23.5°C, but it's not going to last long. Mark Leishman speaks to the island's grocer store operator Sam Jekinson.

In November British adventurer Sam Cox will begin his attempt to set a record-breaking Antarctica solo crossing of over 2000 kilometres. That's 500km further than the current record. He talks to Mark Leishman about what motivates someone to take on such an arduous and potentially dangerous journey.

Anorexia is often called the most fatal mental illness. But a therapy based on the healing power of horses can offer fresh hope. Dawn Marron a counsellor and eating disorder therapy coach talks to Mark Leishman about her equine facilitated therapy at a farm at Hira near Nelson.

A Rotorua woman has spent the past seven months tackling what she says is the city's "massive" litter problem. But despite her efforts she says the city's rubbish problem is getting worse. Tracey McLeod talks to Nights about why she's so motivated to tidy her hometown.

One of the first ever breed of sheep introduced to New Zealand is facing a very uncertain future. Arapawa sheep are thought to have been introduced to Arapaoa Island (formerly Arapawa Island) in the late 18th century, when two of the animals were gifted to resident Maori by Captain James Cook. Rare Breed society member and founder of Christchurch's Willowbank Wildlife Reserve Mike Willis talks to Mark Leishman about his concerns following a recent count of the sheep.

This year's annual Blossom Festival in Hastings being held over this Saturday and Sunday will be special for a couple of reasons. Not only is it being held as part of the city's 150 year anniversary celebrations, it's likely to be the last parade for one of it's biggest supporters. Kevin Watkins has been building floats for the annual parade since the 1950's but this year is likely to be the last time. He talks to Mark Leishman about why its time to sit back and enjoy the parade.

For the past 18 months staff and students at one Christchurch school have been battling foul-smelling air from a nearby waste processing plant. The ongoing air quality issues has led to students with existing health issues such as asthma staying at home. To help The Asthma and Respiratory Foundation NZ has donated forty air purifiers to give to family of those children with existing asthma and breathing issues. Principal Scot Kinely talks to Nights about the impact of the issue on the school's community.

Mark Leishman is joined by RNZ's political editor Jane Patterson to discuss the first leaders debate between Prime Minister Chris Hipkins and National Leader Christopher Luxon.

Protest in New Zealand has moved well beyond a march up the main street. Restore Passenger Rail protesters have cemented their hands to State Highway 1, and seriously defaced a car dealership in Wellington last week. Professor of Law at the University of Waikato Al Gillespie talks to Mark Leishman about how we should approach this form of protest.

The War of the Chimeras is the work of Ukrainian mother and daughter Mariia and Anastasiia Starozhytska. Released in 2017 it's a love story in real time, highlighting the human toll of the Russian occupation in eastern Ukraine. Mariia and Anastasiia speak to Nights about their experience of making the film as the occupation happened around them. https://docedge.nz/film-of-the-month/the-war-of-chimeras/

In a world where it's often difficult to talk about how we're feeling, or find someone to talk to - how easy is it to connect with others? Emily Turnbull is the founder of Chatterbox. She's come up with a simple tool to get us talking, and she wants to see one in every town in Aotearoa. She talks to Mark Leishman about her mission of helping New Zealanders to get better at talking about the 'big things'.

It was certainly a wild and windy weekend for many parts of the country with gusts in some gusts being recorded close to 200 kilometres per hour. And while there was a lull in those strong winds today conditions are expected to get worse over the rest of the week. To give us a full rundown of what to expect Nights speaks to MetService meteorologist Karl Loots.

It's Monday night so it's time for our sports round up. Sports broadcaster John McBeth has jumped in to give us a wrap of the latest sport news from the weekend and looking ahead over the next week or so.

Finn Johansson is back with an array of eclectic new music.

Neil Whiteman has spent 45 years as sexton at the Akatarawa Cemetery in Upper Hutt - digging graves and generally looking after things. He took over the job from his father in 1978 but has decided it's time to hang up his shovel. Neil is a popular local figure and he speaks to Mark ahead of a special community function being held in his honour tomorrow.

It's that time of the week when we check in with our resident film and TV expert Dan Slevin. Tonight he's got his eye on Agatha Christie-inspired stories.

Up the Wahs is a phrase we've been hearing all over the place in the past month or so. Tomorrow it all comes to a head when the Warriors take on the Newcastle Knights in a must win semi-final match at Go Media Stadium in Auckland. It's been a dream run for a team which finished second to last in 2022 and spent most of the previous two years based in Australia. Rugby league writer, podcaster and huge Warriors fan Will Evans will be at the match and joins Mark to talk all things Wahs.

If you're struggling to make a decision on which way to vote or even to work up an appetite to vote in next month's election, Lynn has a podcast selection which might just help. She joins Mark to talk about a range of podcasts with and about politicians and policies.

For the past five years Brendon Smale has been providing the new born sheep a new home on his Taranaki sanctuary. But the land he's been using up for sale and he needs to find a new home for the sanctuary and the sheep. He talks to Mark Leishman about how he got started and what needs to happen for it to continue.

A 108-year-old heritage kiosk on Auckland's waterfront has started a new life as a cultural and marine education space. Auckland Councillor Kerrin Leoni talks to Mark Leishman about the project.

Heading into the weekend parts of the country look set to be batted with some pretty strong winds with several Strong Wind Warnings and Watches in place in the South Island and lower North Island. To give us the latest on the blustery weather and little bit of a run down on what we can expect over the weekend Metservice forecaster Gerard Belam talks to Nights.

It's been all go at the new Southland Charity Hospital this week with around 14 thousand charity bricks being laid at the Invercargill site. The bricks, with personalised messages, have been one of the fundraisers for the new hospital, which was the dream of Winton man Blair Vining who died of bowel cancer in 2019. Blair's wife Melissa has been spearheading the project and talks to Mark Leishman about how close it is to completion.

Everything from duct tape, microwaves to electric razors and even the internet which were all invented for or by militaries - sometimes by accident. But in modern times we've seen the reverse where consumer technology is being used in warfare. Teen tech correspondent Charlie Cuff talks to Nights about how technology available to the public is being used on the frontlines of the Ukraine war.

There are only a handful of people living with Prune-Belly Syndrome in New Zealand and one of them is two-year James Kalisch. His mum Heather talks to Mark Leishman about what the disorder is, how Charlie's first two years have been and why she went to America to seek a better understanding of the syndrome.

Colin Peacock is in for Midweek Mediawatch Colin Peacock talks to Mark Leishman about the coverage of two huge disasters in North Africa; political party leaders under heavy scrutiny on TV. Also: a much-hyped weekend of sport which didn't go well for our national teams - and whether pets on planes, trains and buses is really a good idea.

On Sunday more than 350 people gathered in the small Taranaki town of Waverly to celebrate one of New Zealand's most iconic sports star. They were there for the unveiling of a life sized tribute to the racehorse Kiwi, who famously came from behind to win the 1983 Melbourne Cup. Brian Rook, who was the chair of the statue committee and is a South Taranaki District councillor talks to Nights about the journey to get there.

Next month Palmerston North will play host to New Zealand's largest drag show. What started as a small show in the city's Globe Theatre has blossomed into Palmy Drag Fest, a three day celebration of drag culture and the LGBTIQ+ community. Organiser Henrique Beirao speaks to Mark Leishman about the success of the festival and his ambitions to make Palmerston North the capital of drag in New Zealand.

Today marks a significant milestone in both our women's and political history. On this day 90 years ago our first female MP was elected into parliament. Labour's Elizabeth McCombs won a by-election in the seat of Lyttelton after the death of her husband James McCombs who'd held the seat since 1913. Former Prime Minister Helen Clark talks to Mark Leishman about McCombs' legacy and how being a woman in parliament has changed over the past 90 years.

A new exhibition at the New Zealand Maritime Museum celebrates our connection to Moana Oceania also known as the Pacific Ocean. Always Song in the Water features works from over 40 accomplished artists, delving into unresolved oceanic concerns, themes that are very timely as the world navigates climate change and ocean health. Co-curator and authour of the book the exhibition is based on Greg O'Brien talks to Mark Leishman about his connection to the ocean and where he finds his inspiration.

With warmer weather quickly approaching - fingers crossed - many of us will be flocking to rivers, lakes, and beaches around the country. To help combat the number of drowning deaths and injuries researchers from the University of Otago have been looking at the best way to teach children water safety skills, with a focus on how well skills can be transferred to different environments. Co-authour Kane Cocker talks to Nights about what the study found.

A Hangi master Rewi Spraggon has joined forces with Asian bakery owner Amy Seva to celebrate Maori language week with Hangi Dumplings. Rewi talks to Mark Leishman about the inspiration behind the coming together of different cuisines and why he loves Hāngī.

A home test to detect HPV - the human papilloma virus - is being rolled out this week in New Zealand. Researcher Dr Kendall Stevenson, from Te Tatai hauora o Hine - the National Centre for Women's Helath Research Aotearoa talks to Mark Leishman about why she is hopeful the HPV screening will be a powerful preventative tool.

Nights resident mathematician Dillon Mayhew is back and tonight he's talking about a controversy that has erupted in the world of mathematics around something called the abc-conjecture - which if you don't know what that is you're not alone.

Noise-cancelling headphones are everywhere but can too much silence have unintended side effects? Professor David McAlpine the Academic Director of Hearing at Macquarie University talks to Mark Leishman about what headphone and earplug use is doing to our brains and health

The BBC's Pete Ross with the stories making headlines around the world.

If you've ever been on a surfing safari along the spectacular Kaikōura coast - the local museum is keen to get in touch. A new exhibition - First Waves - is set to showcase the region's surfing history. Museum manager Stephanie Lange joins Susana Lei'ataua on Nights.

Every year the humble burger reaches new mouth-watering heights as part of the fiercely fought Burger Wellington competition. This year's winner was a spicy Goan Chicken Ros Pao Burger, and its creator Chetan Pangam joins Susana Lei'ataua to talk winning flavour combinations.

Pet owners in Auckland will welcome the news that their fur babies are now permanently welcome on public transport. Pets will be riding on Auckland's busses, trains and ferries, under a few conditions. Councillor Josephine Bartley, proud owner of a shih tzu called Milo, joins Susana Lei'ataua with news of today's announcement.

Sports commentator Bryan Waddle talks RWC, the newly named cricket squad, Kiwi Erin Routliffe's achievements in the US Open Tennis Champs plus more.

Muso Finn Johansson steps out of his makeshift recording studio to bring us his favourite tracks of the week.

Consumer NZ has revealed the expected lifespan of some household appliances. Over 15,000 people have signed Consumer's petition calling for mandatory repairability labelling, which would tell you how easy it is to repair a product before you buy it. Andrew Wadsworth runs Wellington Appliance Servicing in the Hutt Valley.

It's that time of the week where we check in with our resident film and TV expert Dan Slevin. Tonight, he's got his eye on My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3 and season one of crime thriller Dark Winds.

Let's face it: Finding a way to get comfortable on an airplane feels impossible, let alone sleep on one... especially on a long-haul flight... Long-haul flights can feel never-ending, particularly if you don't get any sleep. Leigh Signal is a Professor in Fatigue Management and Sleep Health/Associate Dean, Research, Massey University.

Every year, millions of tonnes of electronic waste including old laptops, mobile phones and televisions are thrown away and end up in landfill. Britain's Royal Mint - whose job it is to make coins for the UK - has found a new way to extract the precious metals from e-waste, into something valuable. It's a pioneering and state-of-the-art technology. Mark Loveridge, commercial director at the UK Royal Mint. joins Nights to talk about the innovation.

A wooden door in an 11th-century English cathedral is thought to feature the world's oldest documented cat flap.The feline-sized portal was crafted more than 400 years ago so that a resident cat could police rodents, says Exeter Cathedral historian Diane Walker.

When you think of kumara, you don't really think of gelato. But one patisserie engineer has developed a frozen dessert with toka toka, gold kumara, and is using kilos of produce that could otherwise be chucked out. Island Gelato Company's patisserie engineer Hannah Clarke.

The inaugural National Sheep and Beef Cattle Veterinarian of the Year award was recently given to a Hawke's Bay vet following her work during cyclone recovery. Anyika Scotland is a Production Animal Vet at Hawke's Bay Vet Services. She's been in the sheep and beef industry her whole life, and is encouraging farmers to "go off farm" for a break from the slog.

An international team of astronomers has discovered a giant 'bubble' of galaxies in the nearby universe. They hope the discovery can fill in some blanks about our understanding of the universe. Team member Dr Cullan Howlett from The University of Queensland's School of Mathematics and Physics talks to Mark Leishman.

An undercover UK police officer used his fake identity to deceive a woman into a 19-year relationship in which they became partners and had a child together, according to British media. Mark van Leewarden is a former undercover cop in New Zealand, and was a member of Auckland's criminal underbelly for a year, gathering intelligence and trying not to get found out. Mark joins Nights to talk about the UK case, his former life as an undercover cop, and how he became New Zealand's most successful international fraud investigator.

We use our voices to communicate with every single day. But little do we realise that there's another part of our anatomy that have a lot to say about ourselves and our bodies - our hands. Adam Taylor is Professor and Director of the Clinical Anatomy Learning Centre at Lancaster University in the UK.

What is a base isolation system in the context of building construction? Joining Nights to discuss base isolation and its application in a New Zealand context is structural engineer and director of Dunning Thornton Consultants, Alistair Cattanach.

Hayden Donnell hosts this week's Midweek Mediawatch and shares the latest news and happenings in New Zealand's media.

A new e-portal collating decades of Rainbow research is being launched by Auckland University of Technology (AUT) - the first collection of its type in the world. The portal, called Ia, will initially house more than 100 Rainbow-specific dissertations and theses, reports, books and queer themed published research journal articles. Rainbow Initiative spokesperson Professor Welby Ings talks to Mark Leishman about the ground-breaking research portal.

Researchers have sequenced the genomes of a large proportion of the kākāpō population, providing new tools to help the critically endangered bird survive. Biologists at the University of Otago have looked at specific traits to support conservation efforts. The approach can also be used to help other threatened species. To explain how it works, Nights is joined by Professor Peter Deardon, Director of Genomics Aotearoa at the University of Otago.

It's a cold case that's sparked great mystery and intrigue for decades. Way back in 1991, hikers found a mummified body trapped in the ice of the Italian Alps - they had found Ötzi the Iceman, who lived over 5,300 years ago. A new study of ancient DNA extracted from Ötzi's pelvis suggests he still has some secrets to give up. Caroline Smith is Assistant Head, School of Life Sciences at the University of Westminster, London.

We all read the bizarre headlines last week, and they were the stuff of nightmares... When a 64-year-old Australian woman was sent to hospital for brain surgery, neurosurgeons were definitely not prepared for what they found - a three-inch red worm was living inside her brain. A rare event, according to scientists. Vincent Ho is Associate Professor and clinical academic gastroenterologist at Western Sydney University.

A rare turtle found stranded on a beach in North Wales has been flown home - all the way to Texas. The Kemp's ridley turtle named Tally was noticed by a dog walker 6,000 [six-thousand] kilometres from her tropical habitat. Gem Simmons is the North Wales Rescue Coordinator at British Divers Marine Life Resuce.

Annette Howey and her partner Steve sold their home and business in Timaru last year. They moved into a campervan to live life on the open road. We last spoke to them in April, and they were on the South Island. It's time for an update from the intrepid travellers.

In its heyday, it was a hidden gem of the Waitakere Ranges. The Rainforest Express was a miniature railway that ran 6km through the ranges and transported passengers through beautiful bush to the Upper Nihotupu Dam. Since 2014, the rainforest express and its tramlines have been sitting dormant. But a group of rail enthusiasts are trying to bring the tourist train back... Waitakere ward councillor Ken Turner joins Nights.

Work to replace cyclone damaged infrastructe is well underway. A wiped out bridge on Coromandel's SH25A has caused significant disruption for locals on the peninsula. But things are looking up. Manufacturers are halfway through producing the parts needed for the new bridge. Jayden Mellsop is the General Manager of Eastbridge, a steel fabrication company in Napier.

Here we are in an election campaign and if there's one thing politicians like to do, is talking. One goal they have with all that talking is to get us to like them, so we will be more inclined to give them our vote. How you do get someone to like you linguistically? Dr Julia de Bres is a sociolinguist and senior lecturer at Massey University.

Insects: We live on and share a planet with them. They make up around 70 percent of all known species on Earth, and they're an incredibly diverse group of organisms. But scientists say many are struggling. Why are insects so crucial to life on Earth, and should we be taking better care of them? Dave Goulson is Professor of Biology at University of Sussex, and author of the book, 'Silent Earth: Averting the Insect Apocalypse'.

The BBC's Sarika Unadkat is with us now with a wrap of world news making the headlines.

The first day of spring on Friday signalled the start of the whitebaiting season. The season runs from September 1 to October 30, with Government regulations seeing all of New Zealand's whitebait season now aligned following the phasing of changes over the last few years. Department of Conservation freshwater species manager Emily Funnell joins Nights.

Five years ago, community members stepped in to help a whānau stay in their rented Paekākāriki home when in was put up for sale. The Paekākāriki Trust was formed, and are now working on homegrown housing solutions for others in the area. Trust co-founder Tina Pope talk to Mark Leishman.

Tax is high on the political agenda, but one expert is interested in a kind of tax that political parties won't touch. With New Zealand about to see its largest ever transfer of wealth as baby boomers age, Jonathan Barrett says an inheritance tax could level the playing field. Jonathan is an associate professor at Victoria University of Wellington.

Nights culture regular Malia Johnston is joined by choreographer Kayla Paige. Malia is directing the upcoming World of WearableArt (WOW) Show, and Kayla is returning to choreograph the show for a second time.

Sports commentator Bryan Waddle joins us again for a wrap of the latest sport news from the weekend and looking ahead over the next week or so. Tonight, he's got his eye on the All Blacks.

It's time for Out Lately with Finn Johansson. Finn is back in the studio with a selection of tracks from artists Amaarae, Kleener and This Is Lorelei. Auckland studio.

It's wrestling, but not as you know it... Wrestlers wore fancy dress and grappled in a gravy-filled pool for the 15th annual World Gravy Wrestling Championship in a small English village earlier this week. Wrestler Tommy Jupiter wasn't competing at the event, but he did an exhibition match at half time.

A Christchurch scam-buster is breathing a little easier after the American cryptocurrency entrepreneur who was suing him for defamation dropped the case. American-based Stephen Andrew McCullah was suing Christchurch YouTuber Danny de Hek, for nearly four million dollars over videos and posted about McCullah and his schemes.

It's that time of the week where we check in with our resident film and tv expert Dan Slevin. Dan talks to Nights about two films starring Denzel Washington and a crime thriller set on the Navajo reservation in 1971.

Steven Ricks from Hertfordshire in the United Kingdom is a massive Doctor Who fan. He joins Mark Leishman on Nights to talk about how he turned his hobby of making replica costumes into a film industry career.

One of the most popular podcasts genres is advice on how to sleep better, and ones designed to help you drift off. Insomniac and podcast reviewer Lynn Freeman has been testing them out.

What did you do in lockdown? Actor and writer Peter Feeney wrote and directed a four-part series starring a wealth of recognisable New Zealand actors - and his own family. Blind Bitter Happiness is screening now on RNZ.

If you happened to be looking up at the night sky on Monday night over the top of the South Island you may have witnessed the final voyage of a 4 billion-year-old space rock crashing into the earth. According to Fireballs Aotearoa the meteorite fell through the sky above the country before landing somewhere near the Waitaki River in Otago. Only Nine confirmed meteorites have been found in New Zealand in the past 160 years. University of Otago professor of geology and founder of Fireballs Aotearoa James Scot talks to Mark Leishman about the probability of the rock being recovered and if we're seeing more of these fireballs in our night sky.

Hawke's Bay dentist Dr Kris Sweetapple says oral healthcare is too important to be inaccessible to many Kiwis.

Tomorrow is the first day of Spring. Can we finally put our raincoats away and look forward to a bit of sun? MetService meteorologist David Miller joins Nights with the weather forecast for the weekend ahead.

It's not often Southland primary school children get to play a part of a fully-fledged movie - but for Winton Primary pupils it's part of their school year. Since the start of the year, the school's 275 pupils having been acting or helping behind the camera filming The Great Sword of Ithsgul inspired by the great works of JRR Tolkien. The creative force who is bringing Middle Earth to Central Southland is the school's principal Steve Wadsworth. He talks to Mark Leishman about the driving force behind the unique project.

It was the year 2014, and the news making the headlines of British newspapers wasn't about crime or politics - it was the possibility that a crocodile was on the loose in the River Avon in the heart of the city of Bristol. A bus driver alerted the police when he saw what he was convinced was a crocodile swimming in the water. The story is now the subject of a short documentary. But driver Jolyon Rea is adamant he saw a crocodile, and he shares his story with Nights.

A week ago, India set down a robotic probe on the Moon, becoming the first country to land near the lunar south pole. Chandrayaan-3's Vikram lander - carrying a rover in its belly - touched down on the lunar soil after a 20-minute, nail-biting finale watched by millions of people across the world. Future missions to this region are planned by the US, China and Russia. So what makes it so fascinating? Astrophysicist and cosmologist Dr Brad Tucker talks to Mark Leishman about all things lunar.

A group of New Zealand scientists hope the work they have done mapping a Wellington aquifer will help others around the world find new sources of drinking water. Instead of resorting to expensive drilling, the group from NIWA used video footage and acoustic soundings of freshwater flowing out from the Waiwhetu Aquifer under Wellington harbour. The project designer Joshu Mountjoy joins Nights to talk about the research and its potential.

This week Colin Peacock talked to Mark Leishman about broadcasters revealing their election coverage plans - and the problem posed by politically motivated hecklers at campaign events. The reaction to the All Blacks record-breaking beating - and claims that Wellington's golden mile is on the decline.

A historic riverboat is set to sail down the Whanganui river once more, after 25 years away. The M.V. Waireka was built especially for New Zealand waters in early 1900s Scotland. Part of a fleet of 12, only four vessels remain. Volunteer project lead Steve McClune is fixing her up, and knows the secrets of this rare riverboat.

It's one of the worst degenerative diseases in existence, and scientist say early detection is paramount to effective treatment. Eye scans powered by artificial intelligence (AI) could detect Parkinson's disease before people have symptoms, a study has suggested. Pearse Keane, is a professor of artificial medical intelligence at University College London and Moorfields eye hospital.

Hunger: It's part and parcel of the human experience. Research reveals that being hungry can also negatively affect our emotions to our cognition and judgement. Dr John Parkinson, Senior Lecturer at Bangor University's School of Psychology, has studied hunger extensively, and talks to Mark about his research.

Young people are uncertain and worried about their next steps after school, according to research from Monash's University in Melbourne. Forty per cent of the students surveyed said they had "no career direction". Professor Lucas Walsh, Director of the Centre for Youth Policy and Education Practice at Monash University, discusses his research with Mark Leishman.

A South Auckland community organisation is helping save derelict homes from the top and at the same time giving young people skills for life. The Ara Education Charitable Trust has been running since 2016. At the moment the moment they're working on nine houses. Ara Trust's carpentry tutor William Malakai joins Nights.

Today, for the first time, parliament debated whether 16-year-old should be allowed to vote in local government elections and be elected as councillors. The government introduced the bill to lower the age for local elections following a decision by the Supreme Court that the voting age of 18 was inconsistent with the Bill of Rights Act. Sage Garrett, Co-director of Make It 16, talks with Mark Leishman.

Researchers at the University of Oxford in the UK and the University of Copenhagen in Denmark have extracted ancient DNA from a 2,900-year-old clay brick. What did they discover? Dr Sophie Lund Rasmussen and husband Dr Troels Pank Arbøll were involved with the DNA extraction and study of the brick.

If you've been to the movies of late, chances are you'll have spotted a costume supplied by Angels Costumes. It's a family firm that has been responsible for providing costumes for some of the most famous films and television shows including Lawrence of Arabia, Star Wars, Dr Who and Downton Abbey. Jeremy Angel is the production director at Angels Costumes in Hendon, north-west London.

It's the talk of social media and health and wellbeing circles, but most of us have probably never heard of it. The vagus nerve. What is the vagus nerve, and what does it do? In broad terms, it's the communication line between the brain and a whole bunch of other organs, structures and processes. Theresa Larkin is Associate professor of Medical Sciences at the University of Wollongong, Australia.

It's fascinated generations of curious minds, but to date, the mysterious Loch Ness monster is keeping its secrets well and truly hidden under water. Armed with drones, cameras, notepads and binoculars, hundreds of volunteers descended on the Scottish Highlands over the weekend for the biggest search for the Loch Ness monster in 50 years. So did they find the elusive creature? Paul Nixon, general manager of the Loch Ness Centre, reveals all.

The Dannevirke Spinners and Weavers Club celebrated 50 years of Craft Cottage over the weekend. The club meets every Friday to spin, knit and crochet. Anne Willis is the club secretary, and she's been a member since 1986.

Canterbury farming couple Dan and Mandy Shands are ditching the paddock and heading off on an epic adventure around the world - on a catamaran.

A "masterpiece" by late Christchurch artist Bill Hammond could become one of the most expensive paintings ever sold in New Zealand when it goes to auction tonight. Charles Ninow, director of art at Webb's auction house, talks to Mark Leishman about the artwork.

Sports commentator Bryan Waddle joins us again for a wrap of the latest sport news from the weekend and looking ahead over the next week or so. Tonight, he's got his eye on the All Blacks.

It's time for Out Lately with Finn Johansson. Finn is back in the studio with a selection of tracks from Dunedin's Robert Scott, the American free jazz collective Irreversible Entanglements, M J Lenderman and Pale Jay.

The Big Sing Finale showcases over 800 talented young singers across three days of competitive recitals in a vibrant celebration of youth and song. Christine Argyle, Chief Executive of the New Zealand Choral Federation, joins Nights to talk about the iconic event.

It's the picture that's been the talk of the world today - that's of course the mug shot of former United States president Donald Trump. But it got us thinking here at Nights: Where did the mugshot come from and what is its history here in New Zealand? Curator of the New Zealand Police Museum, Rowan Carroll talks to Mark Leishman.

According to the somewhat hackneyed old saying, life begins at forty. Not for Joy France. For Joy , life took on a whole new meaning when she turned 60. Joy set herself a challenge and pledged to try sixty new things. One of those things was rap battling. She's now the world's oldest battle rapper.

Any parent will tell you it can be a battle to get the kids off the devices and into the outdoors. But for one Wellington family, turning the outdoors into a playful challenge has become something of a past-time. Over the past six months a group of young adventurers have bagged all of Wellington's playgrounds - over 100 in total. And not only that - but reviewed and ranked their features.

Australia's Albanese government is pouring millions of dollars into a new body charged with making the nation a 'music powerhouse' It's a lofty goal, but can 'Music Australia' really turn our neighbours into the next commercial hit-making capital? Our next guest David Ridler, who has intimate knowledge of our own music industry - and how it's funded - is sceptical. He joins Nights to discuss.

The huntaway holds a special place in not only in our hearts and minds, but also, in our economy. Now, close to $2 million is being invested into better understanding this somewhat mysterious breed - with a deep dive into the dog's DNA. Researchers at Massey University are embarking on a project to sequence its genome and finally answer that age-old question … where does it come from?

A proposal to restrict international drivers from a popular tourism highway in the South Island has been causing a bit of a stir. The Milford Opportunities project and the The Department of Conservation are looking for someone to carry out an assessment of the transport systems at Milford Sound. One of those options includes installing a permit system where New Zealanders can self-drive but international visitors must use a park and ride transport system. Joining Nights is the Fiordland community board chair Diane Holmes.

On October 10, 2013, Torbjørn "Thor" Pedersen left his job, girlfriend, and family behind in Denmark to embark on an incredible journey. His goal? To visit every country in the world in an unbroken journey without flying. Thor talks to Nights about his remarkable global journey.

A highly contagious and deadly bird flu is currently sweeping the world - so does New Zealand need to be better prepared for its potential arrival? While New Zealand is seen as being at a low risk of having bird flu arrive on our shores there is a concern the thousands of migratory birds which arrive here each year might bring it with them. Nigel French professor of infectious disease epidemiology and public health at Massey University joins Nights to explain what we can do to be better prepared.

Hayden Donnell hosts this week's Midweek Mediawatch and shares the latest news and happenings in New Zealand's media.

At the iconic fringe festival in Edinburgh the gong for funniest joke of 2023 has been handed out. This year's winner was comedian Lorna Rose Treen, whose gag was voted best by nearly half those responding. She joins Nights to tell us where she got the inspiration for the joke from.

A war is being waged in the back blocks of rural New Zealand - on wilding pines. Despite the valiant effort of many, many of our famous landscapes are at risk of disappearing. If left unchecked, over the next fifty years, 1.8 million hectares of the country could be covered in pine. But with funding dwindling, those on the frontline fear they're already losing hard-fought for ground to the invasive weed. Pete Oswald project manager of the Central Otago Wilding Control Group joins Nights to discuss.

Swimming in it was banned for a century, but Paris has announced it will reopen the River Seine for swimming competition during the 2024 Summer Olympic and Paralympic games, and then allow public swimming. Pierre Rabadan, deputy mayor of Paris in charge of sports, talks to Mark about the costly and complex cleanup of one of the world's most romantic rivers.

Aotearoa New Zealand's first pandemic lockdown was a catalyst for change for many. It certainly was for PhD student Nimeesha Odedra - whose family recipes became an internet sensation. She and her mother's 'how to' videos for their authentic Indian curries jumped from 70 followers to almost 10,000 by the time lockdown lifted. A business was born - Sobhna's, which left Nimeesha juggling a start-up while also researching an issue close to home.

As humans we're highly attuned to the cacophony of sounds we make and hear in the world around us, but little do we realise that there's a whole symphony of sounds to be heard in the ocean, too. Scientists say listening to the sounds of the ocean can help unravel the mysteries of the deep and paint a complex picture of what life is like beneath the waves. Steve Simpson is professor of marine biology and global change at the University of Bristol in the UK.

A kitten has been discovered stuck behind the grille of a taxi following a whopping 500-mile round trip. The intrepid kitten was spotted by long-distance taxi driver, Tom Hutchings, from South Wales.

For almost 200 years, we've been missing a key ingredient from our native forests - the wetapunga, the largest of New Zealand's 11 species of giant weta. For the past decade Auckland Zoo has been breeding wetapunga, and just last week released over 300 juveniles onto two predator-free islands in the Bay of Islands. Auckland Zoo ectotherm curator, Don McFarlane, says the importance of weta for a healthy ecosystem can't be overstated.

After an anxious wait, the snow is finally on the ground at Mt Hutt and skiers and snowboarders are flocking to the slopes, and with them a film crew. After its successful debut earlier this year, filming is once again underway for Mt Hutt Rescue - an unflinching look at the thrills and spills on the mountain - and the team that swings into action when things go south ... The Canterbury skifield is also celebrating its 50th year of operation this week, and with its state-of-the-art technology and new facilities, its fair to say its come a long way in a half-century. Mt Hutt's ski field manager James Mckenzie joins Mark.

They're our closest neighbours and we share a history and culture going back more than 250 years. So should New Zealand formally become part of Australia? That was a suggestion put forward by parting Labour MP Jamie Strange during his valedictory speech last week. Professor of political science at Charles Sturt University in Australia Dominic O'Sullivan, who is also a New Zealander, thinks we should at least think about before rejecting it out right.

Director Paul Oremland describes his most recent film as a 'labour of love'. And no wonder. His second feature 'Mysterious Ways' has been on the road to the silver screen for more than a decade. At it's core, it's a love story about a gay Pakeha vicar and his young Pasifika lover, and what's unleashed when they want to be married in the church. Set in Auckland and shot on a shoestring budget, it could have tipped over at any moment were it not for Paul's passion, and the cast's belief in the project. He speaks to Mark.

It's a disease that causes progressive decline in memory and thinking skills, and behavior. Alzheimer's is a type of dementia, and although exact cause of the disease is not yet fully understood, scientists are striving to find an answer. Researchers in Scotland hope they're one step closer. Professor Craig Ritchie, founder and CEO of Scottish Brain Sciences, talks to Mark Leishman about a deal with a major pharmaceutical company to develop blood tests which could detect Alzheimer's disease in the very earliest stages.

The BBC's Rich Preston joins Nights with a wrap of international news.

Duncan Blakley is used to turning heads, or at least he is when out in his 1965 Ford Falcon - a beautiful white car with pristine red leather seats and chrome detailing. He's less accustomed, however, to being part of an internet sensation. It's been a few days since a social media post blew up and Duncan learned the Falcon was the subject of a nation-wide search.

Suddenly coming into money isn’t all it’s cracked up to be, according to a financial expert who helps people cope with unexpected windfalls of cash.

Sports commentator Bryan Waddle joins us again for a wrap of the latest sport news from the weekend and looking ahead over the next week or so.

Paper tickets on the capital city's rail network came to an end when Snapper travel cards were launched at the end of last year. But that history won't be lost after the Greater Regional Wellington Regional Council gave many of the items to the New Zealand Railway and Locomotive Society. The society's director Bill Prebble joins Nights.

Just when parts of the country were getting used to some fine weather, the forecast for the weekend is looking decidedly dreary. MetService meteorologist David Miller shares the latest forecast.

It stood for 257 years and became affectionately known as Britain's "wonkiest pub", but the historic Crooked House pub in England's West Midlands has been reduced to a mound of rubble. The 18th-century building was last weekend gutted by fire. Two days later what remained was demolished. Ian Sandall, of the Save the Crooked House campaign, talks to Mark Leishman about the historic pub.

Film fanatic Ryan Howard built a fully-functioning replica of the robot from the 1986 film Short Circuit He built the 200kg robot during lockdown, and says it helped him through the Covid-19 pandemic.

Across the Tasman in Australia two new mammal species been discovered in the Pilbara region of northwest Western Australia. The discovery of the orange-headed and the cracking-clay planigales means there are now six species of the tiny marsupials found in Australia. To help unpack the discovery and explain where the the marsupials have been hiding I'm joined Nights is joined by Dr Linette Umbrello from the Queensland University of Technology.

Right now in Singapore hundreds of Wikipedians, the site's volunteer editors, have gathered for the annual Wikimania conference. It's chance to celebrate the project, discuss important issues, and geek out with other wiki lovers - including a strong kiwi contingent.. Among the New Zealanders attending is Siobhan Leachman from Wellington who was awarded this year's Wikimedia Laureate. She talks to Nights about the award and what motivates her to volunteer her time editing the online encyclopaedia.

When you think of clams, you generally think seafood or perhaps thoughts of a nice chunky chowder but there are clams and there are clams and the freshwater gold clam is not one to cherish and it is starting to cause huge issues in the Waikato. The clams are officially deemed an "unwanted organism" and can damage native species and clog water intakes. And at the weekend the size of the problem became much clearer after the levels at Lake Karapiro lowered. Mighty River Domain manager and Waipa's deputy mayor Liz Stolwyk was there and joins Nights to explain the scale of the problem.

Why is heartbreak so painful? Dr Freddy van der Veen, Associate Professor of Psychology at Erasmus University in Rotterdam, has some answers.

Imagine opening a chest - a storage box in this case - and discovering treasure. That's exactly what's happened in the village of Upper Broughton, Nottinghamshire, England. Vilagers have uncovered 16th Century secrets contained in a chest hidden for hundreds of years. And the contents of the chest also have a New Zealand connection. Rosemary Russell, co-chair of Upper Broughton History Group, talks to Mark Leishman about the discovery.

Former Superintendent of the Mt John Observatory above Lake Tekapo in the Mackenzie Country, Alan Gilmore joins Nights for his regular astronomy chat. Tonight, he's talking about black holes orbiting each other, solar activity which has been making a splash down here on earth and how the images coming back from the James Webb Space Telescope continues to surprise.

This week Colin Peacock talks to Mark Leishman while Australia's Matildas play England's Lionesses in Sydney and break TV viewing records. Also: election fever building in the media here; a frenzy over fruit and vegetables; public media funding changes - and overwrought claims of collusion over the reporting of racial issues.

A pub crawl of a slightly different kind is proving to be quite popular in Whanganui. History buffs who have been lucky enough to secure a spot will be taken around the city's historic pubs and hotels. Whanganui District Council heritage adviser Scott Flutey explains why people in Whanganui are so interested in their pubs of years past.

Yesterday marked ten thousand days left to successfully make New Zealand free of possums, rats, and stoats by the end of 2050. Clever new traps using Artificial Intelligence can instantly tell a kea from a possum are being added to New Zealand's bold campaign to be predator-free. Nights is joined by project lead Dr Helen Blackie.

Pain - it's one of the most important and basic subjective experiences a person can have. But what is pain, why do we experience it, and why is it so hard to measure? Elia Valentini is a Senior Lecturer in Psychology at the University of Essex, and he joins Nights to talk about his research into understanding and measuring pain.

It's part of the human condition, and there's no running away from it... we're all ageing, but some of us might feel we're ageing at a more accelerated rate than others. Why do some people appear to be more resilient to ageing, while others seem to be much older than their years? Regius Professor, Rose Anne Kenny, author of ''Age Proof'' and Head of the ageing research programme at Trinity College Dublin talks to Mark Leishman on Nights.

The famous windmill which featured in the 1968 film, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, is up for sale for the first time in 36 years. It can be yours, for a cool £9 million (NZ$ 19 million).

Bad sideline behaviour and the abuse of both referees and players continues to be a massive problem around New Zealand But a new initiative led by Central Bay of Plenty junior which encourages good behaviour using lollipops and Sideline Sheriffs is already paying dividends. Nights is joined by the association's referee co-ordinator Rees Ureata and junior rugby secretary Nita Asaeli.