/on-air/the-sunday-session/rss 九一星空无限 THE SUNDAY SESSION WITH FRANCESCA RUDKIN9am-Noon Sink into your Sunday with the best session around. This is the show that delivers a little bit of everyth Wed, 15 Oct 2025 11:25:35 Z en /on-air/the-sunday-session/audio/peta-mathias-chef-writer-and-presenter-opens-up-on-her-new-book/ /on-air/the-sunday-session/audio/peta-mathias-chef-writer-and-presenter-opens-up-on-her-new-book/ Chef, author and broadcaster Peta Mathias lives a wonderfully full life, full of gastronomic tours of the world's top food destinations. When she's not leading foodie tours through the likes of Italy, Spain, France, Morocco and India, she's following summer - by teaching cooking classes in the South of France before returning to New Zealand in time for our summer. She's written about her life as part of her collection of essays bundled into a new book - It's Been Six Weeks Since My Last Confession. "I went from being really disheartened and being - I'll never write a book again, to, oh, okay, why don't I just take control of my life. That's how it happened." LISTEN ABOVE Sun, 12 Oct 2025 00:49:15 Z /on-air/the-sunday-session/audio/melanie-lynskey-kiwi-actress-speaks-ahead-of-the-release-of-pike-river/ /on-air/the-sunday-session/audio/melanie-lynskey-kiwi-actress-speaks-ahead-of-the-release-of-pike-river/ New Zealanders will get an insight into the Pike River tragedy that continues to be felt by relatives - and on the West Coast. A film based on the 2010 explosion that took the lives of 29 men is being released in New Zealand this week. Starring Kiwi actresses Melanie Lynskey and Robyn Malcolm, it tells the true story of Anna Osborne and Sonya Rockhouse's fight for justice. Lynskey says it was important for the men to be remembered as individuals. "Anyone who's had a loved one be a victim of something that becomes a national tragedy - I do think that the person that you loved, that was the most important person in your entire world, becomes kinda faceless." LISTEN ABOVE Sun, 12 Oct 2025 00:34:39 Z /on-air/the-sunday-session/audio/whitcoulls-recommends-the-loneliness-of-sonia-and-sunny-and-last-rites/ /on-air/the-sunday-session/audio/whitcoulls-recommends-the-loneliness-of-sonia-and-sunny-and-last-rites/ The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny by Kiran Desai. Sonia and Sunny live, study and work in America, but their families back home in India worry about the loneliness they feel in a strange country and try to bring them together. They do eventually connect, but relationships in their new world are not straightforward and there are a lot of things to navigate including finding the place where they belong - plus class, race, history, and the complicated bonds that link one generation to the next. This is huge, epic and outstanding. Last Rites by Ozzy Osbourne. Ozzy’s memoir, for which the last chapter was handed in just days before he died. He tells the story of an extraordinary life...someone who began his stage career as something of a pariah for outrageous behaviour, and ended up selling more than 100 million albums and becoming a beloved son of Birmingham, and the world. This is unfiltered rock ‘n roll. What a life!  LISTEN ABOVE   Sun, 12 Oct 2025 00:19:50 Z /on-air/the-sunday-session/audio/megan-singleton-bloggeratlarge-writer-on-her-highlights-from-rarotonga/ /on-air/the-sunday-session/audio/megan-singleton-bloggeratlarge-writer-on-her-highlights-from-rarotonga/ Megan Singleton's latest travel adventure has taken her to Rarotonga, and she's noticed more people seem to be flocking to the islands. Between the variety of accommodation options, the bars and restaurants and wildlife - including crabs, whales, friendly dogs and turtles to snorkel with - there's plenty of options for all prospective travellers.   Megan unveiled her personal highlights - read more about her travel tips here. LISTEN ABOVE Sun, 12 Oct 2025 00:15:23 Z /on-air/the-sunday-session/audio/the-sunday-panel-why-don-t-people-take-local-body-elections-seriously/ /on-air/the-sunday-session/audio/the-sunday-panel-why-don-t-people-take-local-body-elections-seriously/ This week on the Sunday Panel, Director at Capital, Ben Thomas, and NZ Herald senior writer, Simon Wilson, joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day - and more! The local body elections wrapped up this weekend and recent data is showing the voter turnout was historically low. Why don’t people take local body elections seriously? Is it a lack of decent candidates? Is it a thankless task? Do we need to change the way we vote? Both Andrew Little and Wayne Brown have mentioned working with central Government as being part of their plan - does there need to be a stronger relationship between local and central Government to get things done? LISTEN ABOVE Sun, 12 Oct 2025 00:09:09 Z /on-air/the-sunday-session/audio/erin-ohara-naturopath-and-wellness-expert-on-whether-eating-healthy-is-more-than-willpower/ /on-air/the-sunday-session/audio/erin-ohara-naturopath-and-wellness-expert-on-whether-eating-healthy-is-more-than-willpower/ New research indicates making healthy choices might require more effort than updating your grocery list. A new study claims women's eating habits are more socially sensitive, and when isolated, they're 85 percent more likely to stop eating vegetables daily and twice as likely to stop eating fruit.  The study also claims that when women's social networks shrink or become less diverse, women lose the social scaffolding that supports healthy eating patterns.  Naturopath and wellness expert Erin O'Hara explains the research further - and how you can make healthy choices. LISTEN ABOVE Sat, 11 Oct 2025 23:56:33 Z /on-air/the-sunday-session/opinion/francesca-rudkin-how-do-we-get-good-candidates-and-voters-engaged-in-local-body-elections/ /on-air/the-sunday-session/opinion/francesca-rudkin-how-do-we-get-good-candidates-and-voters-engaged-in-local-body-elections/ So, guess what - according to Local Government NZ, voter turnout around the country for the local body elections has been dismal. Surprised? On Friday afternoon, 983,466 votes had been received around the country, which represented 28.49 percent of all eligible votes. That's under 30 percent. Blimey.   As of Friday, our biggest city, and one with a multitude of issues apparently, had the lowest voting percentage of 21.8 percent, followed by Hamilton City with 22.98 percent and Porirua City with 25.11 percent. Council Governance and Engagement general manager Lou-Ann Ballantyne encouraged people to vote if they hadn’t already. She reminded us that if you don’t vote, you’re letting someone else choose who represents you. Which is true. Or as Ray Chung so eloquently put it after his defeat in the Wellington mayoralty race: “This is your decision. Live with it.” But we still don’t seem to care.   By the end of Saturday, the overall percentage of voting around the country was 32.65 percent of eligible voters. Rural communities were much more engaged with 43.6 percent voting, provincial came in next at 38.3 percent, followed by metro results of 28.8 percent. We don't have final data yet, but the stats tell us voting turnout in Auckland is on track to be the lowest in the city's history.  So, what’s wrong with us? I thought most home owners cared about the increase in rates, our rubbish collections, the cost of consents, the state of speed limits on our local roads, the water prices. People always seem to have an opinion on their council and how well or how badly they’re performing. Apparently we’ve never been more disappointed in our councils.   So why don’t people tick a couple of boxes, let democracy do the talking, and tell our councils what we want?   Maybe it’s because people complain about council but also appreciate many of the services they offer communities. They cancel each other out. The status quo is ok. Apathy rules.   But there’s also a lack of key challenges. Where was another strong candidate to challenge Wayne Brown, or Andrew Little?   There’s also a lack of candidates. Two mayors will be elected unopposed and around 200 candidates were elected by default. And then there’s the lack of easily accessible information on candidates - their values, and more importantly their vision. Not everyone has the time to get to a candidate meeting. Why is it so hard to find out how a current councillor or mayor has voted on issues throughout a term? Too many people are making decisions based on terrible photos in lacklustre voting booklets.   And then there’s the reality that it’s all just a bit boring. Candidates generally campaign on the same things - keeping rates low, reducing excessive spending, maintaining infrastructure and making their city or region an affordable place to live. It’s all well-worn and hardly gripping stuff, and it’s difficult to differentiate between candidates, unless they’re wearing a silly hat.   Which is all a terrible shame. Decisions councils make affect our lives daily in many ways. We need to change the voting system, postal voting isn't working,  and attract better leadership to these thankless roles. We need to stomp out abuse and harassment, pay more - and then hopefully more smart, reasonable people will step up.   Perhaps then we will get off our butts and vote.  LISTEN ABOVE Sat, 11 Oct 2025 23:46:50 Z /on-air/the-sunday-session/audio/mike-van-de-elzen-onion-tart-tatin-with-asparagus-and-fried-haloumi/ /on-air/the-sunday-session/audio/mike-van-de-elzen-onion-tart-tatin-with-asparagus-and-fried-haloumi/ Onion tart-tatin with asparagus and fried haloumi Cook time: 30 minutes Prep time: 30 minutes Serves: 6  1 batch short crust   2 small red onions, peeled and sliced into 1cm rings   2 tbsp grapeseed oil   1 tsp flaky salt freshly   Ground black pepper   4 tbsp caster sugar   1 big hand asparagus   8 servings haloumi   1 cup flour   2 tbsp oil   10 sage leaves   1 fresh lemon   Handful rocket leaves, to serve Preheat a oven to 180*C   Place sugar in a small heavy-based frypan over high heat. Cook until sugar dissolves, then bring to the boil, stirring continuously.   Let sugar bubble until it turns a light caramel colour, place the onions into a large circle leaving a 2-3cm gap around the edge. Cut the pastry sheet to the same size as the pan. Lay the pastry over the onion and press edges down so they touch the bottom of the pan. Place in oven and bake for 25 minutes.   Bring a large pot of water to the boil and season heavily with salt, drop in the asparagus and count to 10. Remove from the water and drop into iced water. Remove when cold and drain. Set aside ready to serve.   Clean and reheat a cast iron pan, add in the 2 tbsp of oil and then run the haloumi through the flour and then carefully lower into the pan, fry on a gentle heat until golden, then flip. Refresh with a good squeeze of lemon and add in the sage leaves before serving.   Remove the tarts from the oven and quickly turn over onto a plate, garnish with the asparagus, haloumi and rocket leaves.  LISTEN ABOVE Sat, 11 Oct 2025 23:33:25 Z /on-air/the-sunday-session/audio/dr-michelle-dickinson-nanotechnologist-on-the-new-phenomenon-that-took-over-the-mid-life-crisis/ /on-air/the-sunday-session/audio/dr-michelle-dickinson-nanotechnologist-on-the-new-phenomenon-that-took-over-the-mid-life-crisis/ For decades, researchers have documented a curious pattern in happiness, where people tend to start adult life feeling relatively positive, dip into unhappiness during middle age, and then rebound later in life.   Psychologists called it the 'unhappiness hump' and the rest of us called it a mid-life crisis, referring to a midlife peak in stress, worry, and dissatisfaction that eventually faded as people aged.  But new research suggests that this once-universal feature of human psychology (and men buying sports cars) has all but disappeared. And the reason isn’t that middle-aged people have found new ways to thrive, sadly - it’s that younger generations are suffering more than ever before.  A new study published in PLOS ONE has found that the classic U-shaped curve of happiness and its mirror-image hump of unhappiness has flattened.   The researchers analysed decades of mental health data, including 10 million adults in the United States from 1993-2024, 40,000 households in the United Kingdom, as well as 2 million people from 44 other countries, uncovering a dramatic shift in global well-being trends.  Their analysis revealed that the familiar midlife rise in unhappiness, once a psychological constant, has vanished.   Instead, mental ill-being now tends to decline with age, meaning that young people today report the worst mental health, and things generally improve as people get older.  Older adults’ mental health has stayed roughly the same, and middle-aged adults show little change. What’s new is the sharp drop in well-being among younger generations.  The causes of this reversal are complex and still being explored, but the study highlights several interlocking factors.  The Great Recession’s ripple effects: Economic instability and uncertain job prospects may have left “scarring effects” on younger cohorts entering the workforce after 2008.  Underfunded mental health services: In both the U.S. and U.K., access to timely mental health care has lagged behind need, allowing problems to worsen over time.  The COVID-19 pandemic: While the downward trend in youth well-being began before 2020, the pandemic accelerated feelings of isolation, anxiety, and hopelessness  particularly among younger people.  The rise of smartphones and social media: The study notes growing evidence linking heavy social media use with poorer mental health, driven by constant comparison, fear of missing out, and distorted self-perception. Some researchers have even suggested limiting smartphone access for teens as a possible intervention, though debate continues.  Housing and financial pressures: Younger generations face tougher labour markets, skyrocketing housing costs, and rising living expenses  all of which may erode a sense of security and optimism about the future.  Sat, 11 Oct 2025 23:22:02 Z /on-air/the-sunday-session/audio/full-show-podcast-12-october-2025/ /on-air/the-sunday-session/audio/full-show-podcast-12-october-2025/ On the Sunday Session with Francesca Rudkin Full Show Podcast for Sunday 12 October 2025, Kiwi Emmy nominee Melanie Lynskey is back in New Zealand for the premiere of her new film Pike River.  She tells Francesca the sense of responsibility she felt portraying Anna Osborne. Chef, broadcaster, author Peta Mathias lives a full life, she shares her tips on being fabulous and living life in a big way. Local Body Election results are in - elected Mayors of the major centres share their visions for the next three years. And Dr Michelle Dickinson shares new research showing the midlife crisis is over, but what has taken its place? Get the Sunday Session with Francesca Rudkin Full Show Podcast every Sunday on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts. LISTEN ABOVE Sat, 11 Oct 2025 23:12:41 Z /on-air/the-sunday-session/audio/steve-newall-flicksconz-editor-on-the-death-of-diane-keaton/ /on-air/the-sunday-session/audio/steve-newall-flicksconz-editor-on-the-death-of-diane-keaton/ Hollywood superstar Diane Keaton is being remembered for a legendary career spanning decades. A family spokesperson told People magazine the 79-year-old has died in California. Keaton is best known for her Oscar-winning performance in 1977’s Annie Hall and her role in The Godfather films. Flicks.co.nz editor Steve Newall says her career just kept on going. "There's a whole bunch of movies she made with Nancy Meyers, the Father of the Bride films, Something's Gotta Give, the Book Club franchise, The First Wives Club." LISTEN ABOVE Sat, 11 Oct 2025 23:11:58 Z /on-air/the-sunday-session/audio/michael-sergel-newstalk-zb-local-election-reporter-on-the-results-still-rolling-in/ /on-air/the-sunday-session/audio/michael-sergel-newstalk-zb-local-election-reporter-on-the-results-still-rolling-in/ Results from this weekend's local elections are still rolling in, with some races still too close to call. But Auckland's Wayne Brown and Christchurch's Phil Mauger have definitely won second terms with decisive victories. Andrew Little's the new mayor in Wellington, and Tim Macindoe's won in Hamilton. Voters in just 17 council areas have opted to keep Māori wards, with voters in 25 opting to scrap them. 九一星空无限talk ZB election reporter Michael Sergel says Sophie Barker is leading Dunedin's mayoral race, but this outcome could change on final results. LISTEN ABOVE Sat, 11 Oct 2025 22:47:49 Z /on-air/the-sunday-session/audio/tim-macindoe-hamiltons-new-mayor-outlines-the-significant-changes-he-plans-to-make/ /on-air/the-sunday-session/audio/tim-macindoe-hamiltons-new-mayor-outlines-the-significant-changes-he-plans-to-make/ Former Hamilton West MP and current Hamilton city councillor Tim Macindoe's won the mayoral race in Hamilton. He's committed to bringing down wasteful spending and improving resources for the city.  Macindoe says Hamilton ratepayers have faced some of the highest rates rises in the country - a fact that's not set to change. "They are really feeling the pain - and unfortunately, there are no easy options for us to take that can suddenly get things down in a hurry. But we have to eliminate wasteful spending." LISTEN ABOVE Sat, 11 Oct 2025 22:38:33 Z /on-air/the-sunday-session/audio/phil-mauger-christchurch-mayor-outlines-priorities-after-winning-second-term/ /on-air/the-sunday-session/audio/phil-mauger-christchurch-mayor-outlines-priorities-after-winning-second-term/ Re-elected mayor Christchurch mayor Phil Mauger is calling for a rethink to local election voting systems. Mauger says he's humbled by the margin of his victory over rival Sara Templeton, but admits the country needs better engagement. "And our general elections are very well-subscribed, because we're going down and voting and the postal system's just not working. We need to do something different." LISTEN ABOVE Sat, 11 Oct 2025 22:06:45 Z /on-air/the-sunday-session/audio/andrew-little-wellington-mayor-outlines-his-priorities-for-the-city/ /on-air/the-sunday-session/audio/andrew-little-wellington-mayor-outlines-his-priorities-for-the-city/ Andrew Little is laying out his priorities as he takes the Wellington mayoral chains.  He won a landslide in the capital, getting more than 34,000 votes.  His nearest competition was Karl Tiefenbacher on 8807 votes.  He's acknowledged leading Wellington is a big job, but he's determined to take the necessary steps. "I'm serious about a council where everybody has a role, has a place and a stake in what we do - and then sort of knitting that together." LISTEN ABOVE Sat, 11 Oct 2025 21:32:55 Z /on-air/the-sunday-session/audio/wayne-brown-auckland-mayor-on-winning-a-second-term-in-the-role/ /on-air/the-sunday-session/audio/wayne-brown-auckland-mayor-on-winning-a-second-term-in-the-role/ Wayne Brown says his second term will see the continuation of cutting wasteful spending.  He surged to victory, scoring 90,000 more votes than nearest opponent Kerrin Leoni.  He says he's committed to making a city-wide deal with the central Government - so both entities can work as equal partners. "We don't fit into the role of other small councils, and so we want to be negotiating as equal partners with the Government over things. No more secret bridge crossings and stuff like that." LISTEN ABOVE Sat, 11 Oct 2025 21:05:11 Z /on-air/the-sunday-session/audio/suzanne-lynch-famed-kiwi-singer-looks-back-on-long-running-career-in-new-memoir/ /on-air/the-sunday-session/audio/suzanne-lynch-famed-kiwi-singer-looks-back-on-long-running-career-in-new-memoir/ Kiwi pop icon Suzanne Lynch's had a long-running music career, and she's looking back on her legacy in a new memoir. Lynch got her start at 14 after a chance encounter with guitarist Peter Posa, which led to the creation of The Chicks, often considered New Zealand’s first successful girl group. Since then, she's worked with many well-known artists - and even toured the world with Cat Stevens twice. "I was just doing something I loved, and I'm still doing something I loved. Until I started writing that book, I didn't realise just how much I'd done and I kept thinking - oh, I must mention this and I must mention that." LISTEN ABOVE Sun, 05 Oct 2025 00:45:32 Z /on-air/the-sunday-session/audio/richard-osman-author-and-television-presenter-on-the-release-of-his-new-book-the-impossible-fortune/ /on-air/the-sunday-session/audio/richard-osman-author-and-television-presenter-on-the-release-of-his-new-book-the-impossible-fortune/ TV personality and author Richard Osman recently took a brief writing hiatus, but he's returned with the latest instalment in the Thursday Murder Club book series. The series focuses on  a group of retirement village residents who investigate unsolved murders, and it's gotten so popular, it's received a Netflix adaptation starring Pierce Brosnan and Helen Mirren. Osman says he's enjoyed returning to the series and he's promised this next instalment will be a 'treat' for readers. "It's always difficult, but I hope at the end it looks and feels effortless." LISTEN ABOVE Sun, 05 Oct 2025 00:29:07 Z /on-air/the-sunday-session/audio/whitcoulls-recommends-gravity-let-me-go-and-boleyn-traitor/ /on-air/the-sunday-session/audio/whitcoulls-recommends-gravity-let-me-go-and-boleyn-traitor/ Gravity Let Me Go by Trent Dalton. Noah Cork should be on top of the world. His new true crime book is a bestseller, but strange things happening around him are deeply unsettling. As a major storm threatens Brisbane he’s caught up in one of his own, failing to see what’s right under his nose in this brilliant story about murder and marriage and one man desperate to do the best by his family, with no idea how to go about it. Boleyn Traitor by Philippa Gregory. Jane Boleyn was the sister of Anne Boleyn and a senior lady in waiting to five of Henry V111’s wives. The book is written from her perspective, about their lives in his court. The story of these women as they lived through a volatile and dangerous period in service of a petulant and unreliable king is compassionate, insightful and utterly riveting, and bears some comparisons with modern days. I adored it.  LISTEN ABOVE Sun, 05 Oct 2025 00:11:30 Z /on-air/the-sunday-session/audio/megan-singleton-bloggeratlargecom-writer-on-the-scented-alarm-clocks-being-offered-by-hotels/ /on-air/the-sunday-session/audio/megan-singleton-bloggeratlargecom-writer-on-the-scented-alarm-clocks-being-offered-by-hotels/ The Holiday Inn Express recently unveiled a new morning alarm system that's designed to be more pleasant than a blaring clock. The Holiday Inn Express Breakfast Alarm Clock is designed to wake guests up with the smell of bacon, coffee or muffins. BloggerAtLarge's Megan Singleton got the chance to try it out to find out if this technology's worth the hype. LISTEN ABOVE Sun, 05 Oct 2025 00:06:29 Z /on-air/the-sunday-session/opinion/francesca-rudkin-i-was-reminded-just-how-much-i-take-for-granted/ /on-air/the-sunday-session/opinion/francesca-rudkin-i-was-reminded-just-how-much-i-take-for-granted/ I had an interesting experience this week, one that reminded me that sometimes even the obvious needs to be pointed out.   For a very brief moment I got a small taste of what it’s like to have low vision. Blind Low Vision New Zealand hosted a breakfast - during which I was given glasses to wear which mimicked glaucoma, and then I was guided into a café where I tried to read a menu. This all required a level of concentration and effort I don’t often call on. Thankfully, I was able to remove the glasses before I drank my tea and ate my breakfast as, I can tell you, it would have been a very messy affair.   I’ve had my head firmly in the disability camp for the last few years - getting to grips with the challenges neurodivergent people have fitting into a world that isn’t designed for them. So, I was embarrassed at how little I have thought about how difficult life is if you’re not able-bodied in an able-bodied designed world. Obviously being blind or having low vision is exhausting. Obviously it makes everything you do in your day much more challenging. Obviously it limits your job prospects and what you can do. But it only took about another 10 minutes at home wearing my newly acquired glaucoma glasses for this to really sink in.   I did a few basic things around the house. I put the washing on - which went well until I tried to read the buttons on the washing machine. I then stood on the cat. I ate a kiwifruit. I was a bit nervous about the knife - but then couldn’t find my mouth. I filled the kettle and made a cuppa, which took longer than usual. I stood on our clingy cat again, and then went outside and tripped over my partner’s gumboots. At this point my daughter suggested it would be safer if I ended the experiment.   It was very clear how much I take for granted as I rush through life. I treasure my independence. I don’t think twice about how I’m going to get from A to B and enjoy the interactions I have with work colleagues and others throughout the day.   But those who are blind or have low vision deal with huge inequities every day - which take a functional, financial and emotional toll. 58 percent of disabled New Zealanders earn $30,000 or less a year, compared with 33 percent of the non-disabled people. 51 percent of working age Blind Low Vision NZ members are without a job, and 74 percent of youth clients have never had a part time or summer job. We’re all impacted by the rising cost of living, but this community is really struggling.   I’d passively assumed that by 2025 we’d have removed more of the barriers that make the simplest of things - like getting groceries - difficult. But from the conversations and stories I heard this week, that’s clearly that’s not the case.   As we go about our day today, maybe we should pause for a second each time we do something and imagine doing it like one of the 183,000 Kiwis who are blind, deaf blind or low vision. This month is Blind Low Vision Month - if you have a moment head to blindlowvision.org.nz and see the work they do. And at the very least, next time you pass an e-scooter lying across the footpath, pick it up and move it to the side.  LISTEN ABOVE Sat, 04 Oct 2025 23:46:57 Z /on-air/the-sunday-session/audio/the-sunday-panel-could-the-government-have-done-more-with-bowel-cancer-screenings/ /on-air/the-sunday-session/audio/the-sunday-panel-could-the-government-have-done-more-with-bowel-cancer-screenings/ This week on the Sunday Panel, Chelsea Daniels from the Front Page podcast and TV producer, journalist and commentator, Irene Gardiner, joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day - and more!  From Monday, the starting age for bowel cancer screenings will be lowered from 60 to 58 in Northland, Auckland, and the South Island. The rest of the North Island will follow in March 2026. Do we think the Government could have done more with this? Do we need to loosen up royal traditions? LISTEN ABOVE Sat, 04 Oct 2025 23:38:35 Z /on-air/the-sunday-session/audio/mike-van-de-elzen-beef-and-black-bean-empanadas/ /on-air/the-sunday-session/audio/mike-van-de-elzen-beef-and-black-bean-empanadas/ Beef and black bean empanadas  Cook time: 15 minutes  Prep time: 30 minutes  Serves: 6-8  300gm beef mince   2 whites onions, peeled and diced   1 can cooked black beans, drained   1 can whole peeled tomatoes, crushed   4 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed   2 tbsp cumin seeds   1/2 tsp nutmeg powder   1/2 tsp chili powder   1 tsp salt   2 tbsp sunflower oil   1 egg, beaten   Optional  1 cup frozen peas  Grated cheese   8 x 150mm circles of short crust pastry Pre-heat oven to 180*c  In a heavy based or cast iron fry pan, dry fry of your cumin seeds until they become fragrant. Remove and pound into a dust in a mortar and pestle. Set aside. Reheat the pan and add the oil. Over a medium heat fry you mince, turning for a couple of minutes before adding in the garlic, onions, spices and salt. Continue to cook until all the liquid has cooked out. Add the crushed whole peeled tomatoes and beans, simmer for a further 15 minutes.   Remove and place mix into a tray and then into a fridge to chill. Once the mixture has fully chilled add your peas (if you want). Place 2-3 tbsp of mixture into the centre of the short crust, top with a touch of cheese, brush the outside edge of pastry with egg wash and fold over the pastry. Crimp the edges to seal and place onto a baking. Brush with egg wash before pacing into the oven for 15 minutes.   Serve hot with tomato chili jam. LISTEN ABOVE Sat, 04 Oct 2025 23:22:52 Z /on-air/the-sunday-session/audio/full-show-podcast-05-october-2025/ /on-air/the-sunday-session/audio/full-show-podcast-05-october-2025/ Listen to the Sunday Session with Francesca Rudkin Full Show Podcast for Sunday 5 October. Get the Sunday Session with Francesca Rudkin Full Show Podcast every Sunday on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts. Sat, 04 Oct 2025 23:12:47 Z /on-air/the-sunday-session/audio/erin-ohara-naturopath-and-wellness-expert-on-why-walking-after-eating-is-beneficial/ /on-air/the-sunday-session/audio/erin-ohara-naturopath-and-wellness-expert-on-why-walking-after-eating-is-beneficial/ The start of daylight savings means longer days - and the extra light can help motivate people to get outside and get some exercise. Walking after meals offers numerous health benefits, including improved digestion, regulated blood sugar levels, improved heart health and it can elevate your mood by releasing positive hormones. Naturopath and wellness expert Erin O'Hara reveals how to incorporate more walks into your day-to-day life. LISTEN ABOVE Sat, 04 Oct 2025 23:09:04 Z /on-air/the-sunday-session/audio/dr-michelle-dickinson-nanotechnologist-on-what-one-covid-case-taught-experts-about-virus-evolution/ /on-air/the-sunday-session/audio/dr-michelle-dickinson-nanotechnologist-on-what-one-covid-case-taught-experts-about-virus-evolution/ Most of us have had to take a few days off work or school because of the flu or Covid-19. But imagine being sick with Covid, not for a week or two, but for 750 days!  That’s exactly what happened to one patient described in a recent paper published in the Lancet (Characterisation of a persistent SARS-CoV-2 infection lasting more than 750 days in a person living with HIV: a genomic analysis - The Lancet Microbe).  The patient, a 41-year-old man living with HIV, continuously tested positive for Covid-19 for 26 months. Because his HIV was poorly controlled, his immune system was compromised. He had also not been vaccinated against Covid-19 and never received antiviral treatment during his illness.  While this was an incredibly tough experience for him personally, it offered researchers a rare chance to watch in real time how a virus can evolve inside a single human body.  Over the course of 750 days, scientists collected eight samples from the patient. From these, they extracted viral RNA and sequenced the virus’s genome.  They found that:  68 new viral mutations appeared over time.  10 of these mutations were in the spike protein, the part of the virus that helps it enter human cells.  Some of these matched the exact changes later seen in the highly transmissible Omicron variant.  Even more concerning, one alteration made the virus better at evading immune responses.  The important part of this study in that these mutations showed up in the patient months before they were detected spreading widely in the community.  This suggests that long-term infections in immunocompromised people can act like mutation incubators, where the virus experiments with new tricks before releasing them into the wider population.  This case highlights several important lessons:  Persistent infections matter: They aren’t just unusual cases. They can directly influence how viruses evolve and have a consequence on the rest of the world.  High-risk patients need better support: Improved access to antiretroviral therapy for HIV, vaccination, and Covid-19 treatments can reduce the chances of these prolonged infections.  Stopping variant incubation is key: By treating persistent infections early, we may be able to slow down or even prevent the emergence of dangerous new variants.  This story is a sobering reminder that pandemics don’t just happen on a global stage, they can begin quietly, inside the body of a single individual. For scientists, these unusual cases are windows into viral evolution. For the rest of us, they underscore why protecting vulnerable groups isn’t just compassionate, it’s critical for everyone’s health.  LISTEN ABOVE Sat, 04 Oct 2025 22:56:47 Z /on-air/the-sunday-session/audio/steve-newall-flicksconz-editor-on-the-release-of-taylor-swifts-the-life-of-a-showgirl/ /on-air/the-sunday-session/audio/steve-newall-flicksconz-editor-on-the-release-of-taylor-swifts-the-life-of-a-showgirl/ Taylor Swift's much-anticipated 12th studio album, The Life of a Showgirl, dropped on Friday after weeks of hype and speculation. For this album, the 35-year-old artist reunited with Swedish hitmakers Max Martin and Shellback to deliver a more upbeat project with some light introspection.  Flicks.co.nz editor Steve Newall says the album's prompted mixed responses - but it's already broken several key records.  LISTEN ABOVE Sat, 04 Oct 2025 22:42:11 Z /on-air/the-sunday-session/audio/frank-frizelle-colorectal-surgeon-on-the-government-lowering-the-bowel-cancer-screening-age/ /on-air/the-sunday-session/audio/frank-frizelle-colorectal-surgeon-on-the-government-lowering-the-bowel-cancer-screening-age/ Experts say better staffing numbers will be key to improving bowel-cancer screening. The screening age is set to lower to 58 for Northland, Auckland and the South Island today, with the rest of the North Island to follow in March. More than 120,000 people will qualify for screening in the first year of this change, and the Government aims to boost colonoscopy capacity to lower the age screening age further. But colorectal surgeon Frank Frizelle says there's plenty of capacity to expand it, but more resources are needed. "The Government is walking very cautiously in this line, because it's worried that its resources won't be able to deliver. To me, it doesn't seem to match up." LISTEN ABOVE Sat, 04 Oct 2025 22:22:36 Z /on-air/the-sunday-session/audio/ethan-griffiths-newstalk-zb-political-reporter-on-the-internal-conflicts-impacting-te-p%C4%81ti-m%C4%81ori/ /on-air/the-sunday-session/audio/ethan-griffiths-newstalk-zb-political-reporter-on-the-internal-conflicts-impacting-te-p%C4%81ti-m%C4%81ori/ The past few weeks have been chaotic for Te Pāti Māori following Takuta Ferris’ social media posts and the decision to remove Mariameno Kapa-Kingi as party whip. These events have raised concerns about instability within the party and there's plans to announce a reset in the coming days. 九一星空无限talk ZB political reporter Ethan Griffiths says it's unclear what this reset will look like, or how the Labour Party will respond. LISTEN ABOVE Sat, 04 Oct 2025 22:09:59 Z /on-air/the-sunday-session/audio/ant-strachan-former-all-black-on-the-all-blacks-beating-the-wallabies-28-14-in-perth/ /on-air/the-sunday-session/audio/ant-strachan-former-all-black-on-the-all-blacks-beating-the-wallabies-28-14-in-perth/ The All Blacks have picked up a bonus-point 28-14 win over the Wallabies in Perth, but it hasn't been enough to win the Rugby Championship. South Africa's landed the title after winning a tight contest against Argentina 29-27 in London, just edging out the ABs on points differential. Former All Black Ant Strachan says this result will come as a relief for the All Blacks, but there's room for improvement ahead of the four-match grand slam tour in November. LISTEN ABOVE Sat, 04 Oct 2025 21:55:30 Z /on-air/the-sunday-session/audio/dr-andrew-lensen-ai-expert-addresses-calls-that-new-zealand-needs-more-ai-regulations/ /on-air/the-sunday-session/audio/dr-andrew-lensen-ai-expert-addresses-calls-that-new-zealand-needs-more-ai-regulations/ There's growing calls for New Zealand to regulate AI, amid concerns that the nation is falling behind on this matter. It's been revealed that Meta has been data scraping the accounts of users in New Zealand and Australia due to the lack of regulations - in order to train AI. AI expert Dr Andrew Lensen says the EU is leading the way with its AI Act - and it's something other countries should be looking into. "It has its own issues or criticisms, but it's still a really good piece to sort of start looking at as a starting point." LISTEN ABOVE Sat, 04 Oct 2025 21:38:01 Z /on-air/the-sunday-session/audio/astrid-jorgensen-pub-choir-founder-on-her-new-book-average-at-best/ /on-air/the-sunday-session/audio/astrid-jorgensen-pub-choir-founder-on-her-new-book-average-at-best/ Astrid Jorgensen used her love of communal singing to build Pub Choir - a concept she took all the way to America's Got Talent. The idea involves turning a theatre of regular people into a choir and with Jorgensen's tuition and a PowerPoint, any group can sing a three-part harmony. She used her experience to craft a memoir - Average At Best. "Can everyone learn to sing and win a Grammy Award? Absolutely not. But can everyone physically sing? Yes! If you can talk, it's the exact same mechanisms that help you to sing."  LISTEN ABOVE Sun, 28 Sept 2025 01:05:38 Z /on-air/the-sunday-session/audio/ken-follett-author-on-his-new-book-circle-of-days/ /on-air/the-sunday-session/audio/ken-follett-author-on-his-new-book-circle-of-days/ Ken Follett's made a name for himself as an author of historical epic novels - and he's got a new one out. After starting his career as a thriller writer in the 70s, Ken’s decision to write The Pillars of the Earth in 1989 set his career on a different trajectory, and it paid off. Pillars has sold over 27 million copies and to date remains his most famous novel - and his total book sales now sits around 198 million copies globally. Ken’s latest book, Circle of Days, is another historical epic built around the mysteries of Stonehenge. "They didn't leave anything written, they didn't do many cave paintings and so all we've really got is what the archaeologists dig up out of the ground. My policy is - I find out what's known, what the historians feel confident about. And what isn't known, I'm entitled to make up." LISTEN ABOVE Sun, 28 Sept 2025 00:44:30 Z /on-air/the-sunday-session/audio/whitcoulls-recommends-culpability-and-mother-mary-comes-to-me/ /on-air/the-sunday-session/audio/whitcoulls-recommends-culpability-and-mother-mary-comes-to-me/ Culpability by Bruce Holsinger. When a self driving car crashes, a family’s lives are thrown into chaos. In the aftermath, questions are raised about responsibility for the accident and where the ethical line between human culpability and the technology is drawn. The people in this family are all keeping secrets from one another, and as these are thrown into the spotlight this book just gets more and more compelling. I couldn’t put it down. Mother Mary Comes to Me by Arundhati Roy. She won the Booker Prize in 1997 with The God of Small Things which was fiction – this new one is a memoir, about her life, and specifically about her relationship with her mother who was a singular, difficult woman who is referred to throughout the book as Mrs Roy. They had a challenging relationship – Arundhati said her mother was her shelter and her storm – and there are loads of fascinating and entertaining stories and anecdotes in the book. It’s a terrific memoir. LISTEN ABOVE Sun, 28 Sept 2025 00:06:59 Z /on-air/the-sunday-session/audio/megan-singleton-bloggeratlargecom-writer-on-how-to-properly-pre-book-flights-and-accommodation/ /on-air/the-sunday-session/audio/megan-singleton-bloggeratlargecom-writer-on-how-to-properly-pre-book-flights-and-accommodation/ It's common for people to want to build a trip around a big event, but waiting for the flights and hotels to line up can be tricky. Booking things at the last minute can add on a bunch of extra costs, so BloggerAtLarge writer Megan Singleton revealed how you can get ahead and make a booking. She also revealed how to make the most out of a cancellation policy - read more about her travel tips here.  LISTEN ABOVE Sun, 28 Sept 2025 00:03:07 Z /on-air/the-sunday-session/audio/the-sunday-panel-did-winston-peters-make-the-right-call/ /on-air/the-sunday-session/audio/the-sunday-panel-did-winston-peters-make-the-right-call/ This week on the Sunday Panel, resident economist at Opes Partners, Ed McKnight, and 九一星空无限talk ZB host Roman Travers joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day - and more!  Foreign Minister Winston Peters confirmed New Zealand wouldn't recognise a Palestinian state at this point in time. Are we surprised by this?  The All Blacks managed to turn their luck around and beat the Wallabies 33-24 at Eden Park - and claim the Bledisloe Cup. But would it mean more if we won it over three matches?  LISTEN ABOVE Sat, 27 Sept 2025 23:55:00 Z /on-air/the-sunday-session/audio/erin-ohara-naturopath-and-wellness-expert-reveals-how-menopause-and-hormone-changes-impact-inflammation/ /on-air/the-sunday-session/audio/erin-ohara-naturopath-and-wellness-expert-reveals-how-menopause-and-hormone-changes-impact-inflammation/ Inflammation can be caused by a number of factors, but new research has found there's a link between the condition and hormone changes in women. Loss of oestrogen can affect joints and the connective tissue that 'glues' your skeleton together, and the changes in hormones can result in general muscle aches, pains and stiffness.  Naturopath and wellness expert Erin O'Hara explains further. LISTEN ABOVE Sat, 27 Sept 2025 23:40:44 Z /on-air/the-sunday-session/audio/mike-van-de-elzen-throw-out-roasted-vegetable-salad/ /on-air/the-sunday-session/audio/mike-van-de-elzen-throw-out-roasted-vegetable-salad/ Throw-out roasted vegetable salad Prep time: 10 minutes  Cooking time: 20 minutes  6 parsnips, carrots, courgette or buttercup & cut into long wedges  2 tbsp cooking oil  Heat oven to 180 degrees. Place the vegetables into a large bowl and toss through oil and spiced salt. Then into a roasting tray ensuring all the veggies are single layer. Bake for 20 minutes before tossing and cooking for a further 5 minutes while you make the chickpea salsa.  Once the veggies are cooked and whilst they are still hot, toss through the chickpea salsa, garnish and serve.  Spiced salt: 1/2 tsp smoked paprika powder  1 tsp sea salt  Warm chickpea salsa: 1x 330 ml can chickpeas, washed, rinsed and dried  2 tomatoes, finely diced  ½ cup parsley, roughly chopped (reserve some for garnish)  3 cloves garlic, crushed  5 tbsp sunflower oil  1 lemon, juiced & zested  Salt and pepper  Heat a frypan and add a touch of oil, quickly sauté chickpeas until they are golden and crunchy. Place into a bowl and combine all the rest of the ingredients and mix well.  LISTEN ABOVE Sat, 27 Sept 2025 23:25:35 Z /on-air/the-sunday-session/audio/dr-michelle-dickinson-nanotechnologist-on-her-top-three-ig-nobel-award-nominees/ /on-air/the-sunday-session/audio/dr-michelle-dickinson-nanotechnologist-on-her-top-three-ig-nobel-award-nominees/ The 2025 Ig Nobel awards have been revealed, with drunk bats, pizza-eating lizards and painted-up zebra cows among this year's nominees. Dr Michelle Dickinson's gone through the nominees - and outlined her top three. Does painting a cow to look like a zebra mean it's bitten less by flies?    Scientists have long wondered why zebras are not bitten by flies as much as other animals. Researchers who were looking into how to prevent cows from being bitten by flies decided to test if had something to do with the stripes, so they painted cows with black and white stripes and measured how many bites they had, and lo and behold the striped cows had half the number of bites than the non-painted cows did! Does eating garlic when breastfeeding change the smell of your breastmilk?  Garlic is known to have a very potent odour - but it's also delicious, and so scientists wanted to know if the odour could be passed on to breastmilk and if it bothered the babies who were drinking the milk. Breastfeeding mothers were either given garlic capsules or asked to eat a sulphurous-free diet (emitting garlic, onion and asparagus) and their breastmilk was then sniffed by adults to see if they could detect any difference between them. The milk from the garlic consuming mothers was reported to have a much more intense odour which peaked at 2 hours after ingestion. Interestingly, it seems that the garlicky-smelling milk was actually more desirable and babies who were fed after their mothers ate garlic not only breastfed for longer, but consumed more milk!  Are you more fluent in a second language if you are drunk?  Alcohol is known to have detrimental effects on memory and inhibitory control, but there has been a belief among bilingual people that their foreign language fluency improves after a few drinks. To test this, 50 native German speakers who also spoke Dutch were tested with one group receiving a vodka and bitter lemon drink and the other group just water.  After they were asked to rate their own self-perception of their skill in Dutch and the Dutch speakers they were talking to were also asked to rate them.   The results showed that intoxication did actually improve the Dutch fluency of the participants according to the sober Dutch speakers.  LISTEN ABOVE Sat, 27 Sept 2025 23:16:55 Z /on-air/the-sunday-session/audio/full-show-podcast-28-september-2025/ /on-air/the-sunday-session/audio/full-show-podcast-28-september-2025/ On the Sunday Session with Francesca Rudkin Full Show Podcast for Sunday 28 September 2025, Ken Follett is the master of the historical epic, this week he tells Francesca why he turned to Stonehenge for his new novel Circle of Days. Pub Choir has become a global phenomenon, it's founder Astrid Jorgensen talks about why she's so passionate about getting people singing and why being able to sing, isn't important. The Government has announced it's position on Palestinian statehood, Geopolitical analyst Geoffrey Miller on why our stance surprised him. Heard of Fat  Bear Week?  It's appointment viewing in Francesca's household so we cross to Alaska to see how bears preparing for hibernation became appointment viewing around the world. And Dr Michelle Dickinson brings us some of the wackiest science studies of the year. Get the Sunday Session with Francesca Rudkin Full Show Podcast every Sunday on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts. LISTEN ABOVE Sat, 27 Sept 2025 23:12:43 Z /on-air/the-sunday-session/audio/steve-newall-flicksconz-editor-on-bird-of-the-year-2025/ /on-air/the-sunday-session/audio/steve-newall-flicksconz-editor-on-bird-of-the-year-2025/ The highly-anticipated Bird of the Year vote is set to close tonight - with the champion bird due to be announced tomorrow. The annual contest has grown into a cultural phenomenon, and it's produced plenty of memes, international headlines, a bit of vote-rigging scandal, and even controversy when Last Week Tonight got involved. Flicks.co.nz editor Steve Newall weighed in on the most popular birds - ahead of voting closing at 5pm tonight. LISTEN ABOVE Sat, 27 Sept 2025 23:07:02 Z /on-air/the-sunday-session/audio/naomi-boak-former-park-ranger-on-the-start-of-fat-bear-week-2025/ /on-air/the-sunday-session/audio/naomi-boak-former-park-ranger-on-the-start-of-fat-bear-week-2025/ Fat Bear Week 2025 is under way - and people can now cast their votes for their favourite chunky bear ahead of the winter season. Fat Bear Week is an annual competition between brown bears in Alaska, and the bears are all up against each other as they try to eat as much as they can to prepare for hibernation. Former park ranger and long-time worker on Fat Bear Week, Naomi Boak, says the event's seen plenty of growth over the last few years. "Lat year, there were over a million votes from over 100 countries - so a little bit of growth." LISTEN ABOVE Sat, 27 Sept 2025 22:44:22 Z /on-air/the-sunday-session/audio/adam-pearse-nz-herald-political-reporter-on-luxon-and-willis-underperforming-in-the-annual-mood-of-the-boardroom-survey/ /on-air/the-sunday-session/audio/adam-pearse-nz-herald-political-reporter-on-luxon-and-willis-underperforming-in-the-annual-mood-of-the-boardroom-survey/ Questions have been raised as to how the Government can bounce back after the recent Mood of the Boardroom survey result. The annual survey of New Zealand business leaders showed Luxon slipping in the rankings of ministers - from 6th to 15th. NZ Herald political reporter Adam Pearse says the economy isn't improving the way the Government needs and people still aren't feeling hopeful. LISTEN ABOVE Sat, 27 Sept 2025 22:27:47 Z /on-air/the-sunday-session/audio/elliott-smith-newstalk-zb-rugby-commentator-on-the-all-blacks-beating-out-the-wallabies-33-24/ /on-air/the-sunday-session/audio/elliott-smith-newstalk-zb-rugby-commentator-on-the-all-blacks-beating-out-the-wallabies-33-24/ The All Blacks have set their eyes on consistency after snaring the Bledisloe Cup for another year. The 33-24 win over the Wallabies keeps the trophy at NZR headquarters - the 23rd consecutive summer it will spend there. 九一星空无限talk ZB rugby commentator Elliott Smith says the All Blacks didn't fold like they did in Wellington last time, but there's still room for improvement. LISTEN ABOVE Sat, 27 Sept 2025 22:14:25 Z /on-air/the-sunday-session/audio/geoffrey-miller-geopolitical-analyst-on-winston-peters-claiming-new-zealand-wont-recognise-a-palestinian-state/ /on-air/the-sunday-session/audio/geoffrey-miller-geopolitical-analyst-on-winston-peters-claiming-new-zealand-wont-recognise-a-palestinian-state/ An international relations expert is deeming New Zealand's decision on Palestinian statehood as 'surprising'. Winston Peters confirmed at the UN General Assembly that we won't recognise a Palestinian state right now - as the conditions aren't right. Geopolitical analyst Geoffrey Miller says this decision is out of synch with our international allies, including Australia, the UK and Canada. "And these are states with which New Zealand is quite close with, when it comes to positions on the war in Gaza since October 7th. New Zealand has signed a number of joint statements with Australia and Canada, for example...it's worked very closely with those three." LISTEN ABOVE Sat, 27 Sept 2025 21:59:02 Z /on-air/the-sunday-session/audio/soenke-iwersen-german-investigative-journalist-on-the-new-expose-unveiling-the-inner-workings-of-tesla/ /on-air/the-sunday-session/audio/soenke-iwersen-german-investigative-journalist-on-the-new-expose-unveiling-the-inner-workings-of-tesla/ Back in 2022, investigative reporter Sönke Iwersen received 100 gigabytes of confidential leaked data from a whistle-blower inside Tesla.  The files detailed dangerous autopilot software errors, a high number of workplace accidents in Tesla’s factories and a culture of fear within the company.  Iwersen's investigation is now a book called The Tesla Files: Inside Elon Musk's Empire of Power and Deception. "We found, actually, that there had been warnings inside Tesla about this mistake, the level of insecurity - and later, the guy who had warned us about it was later fired for it."  LISTEN ABOVE Sun, 21 Sept 2025 01:52:37 Z /on-air/the-sunday-session/audio/clarke-gayford-cinematographer-and-producer-of-prime-minister-on-the-new-documentary-on-jacinda-arderns-life/ /on-air/the-sunday-session/audio/clarke-gayford-cinematographer-and-producer-of-prime-minister-on-the-new-documentary-on-jacinda-arderns-life/ The Clarke Gayford-produced documentary chronicling the premiership of his wife and former Prime Minister Dame Jacinda Ardern promises an intimate look at the former leader. Besides interviews and archival footage, it also includes home footage shot by Gayford and is described as a look into both Ardern’s administration and private life Clarke Gayford says he wanted the documentary to reveal the honest bits of Ardern's tumultuous political life. "Just trying to put a human face on what it means to be a politician, because the world we live in is getting crazier and spinning faster and faster - and so that was sort of the drive that made me want to pull this all together." Prime Minister is set to arrive in cinemas on Thursday September 25th. LISTEN ABOVE Sun, 21 Sept 2025 01:08:51 Z /on-air/the-sunday-session/audio/whitcoulls-recommends-clown-town-and-fly-wild-swans/ /on-air/the-sunday-session/audio/whitcoulls-recommends-clown-town-and-fly-wild-swans/ Clown Town by Mick Herron. This is the latest novel in his Slow Horses series, about Jackson Lamb and the cast of MI5 misfits and rejects that he manages in Slough House. They are brilliant books and this one is no exception. There are several seasons of an Apple TV series based on the books which is wonderful television, but as always, the books are even better. Highly recommended for anyone who likes spy stories, and eccentric, interesting and deeply flawed characters. Fly, Wild Swans by Jung Chang. In 1991, Jung Chang’s memoir about three generations of women in her family in China was on everyone’s reading list - and it was wonderful. This is a follow up, updating things since the impact that success had on her life, change in China and its place in the world over the years and what’s happened to her during that period - it’s really a personal and global memoir, and much of it is a love letter to her mother. Her books are all banned in China, but luckily we have them here.  LISTEN ABOVE Sun, 21 Sept 2025 00:50:57 Z /on-air/the-sunday-session/audio/megan-singleton-bloggeratlargecom-writer-on-the-best-ways-to-utilise-air-nz-flexichange/ /on-air/the-sunday-session/audio/megan-singleton-bloggeratlargecom-writer-on-the-best-ways-to-utilise-air-nz-flexichange/ Turns out you can get more out of Air New Zealand's flexichange service than previously expected. BloggerAtLarge writer Megan Singleton recently revealed you can change the destination and date as part of the flexichange package on domestic flights - which can come in handy for unexpected events. Megan revealed how you can take advantage of this travel hack - read more here. LISTEN ABOVE Sun, 21 Sept 2025 00:46:40 Z /on-air/the-sunday-session/audio/the-sunday-panel-should-labour-rule-out-te-pati-m%C4%81ori/ /on-air/the-sunday-session/audio/the-sunday-panel-should-labour-rule-out-te-pati-m%C4%81ori/ This week on the Sunday Panel, Wellington Mornings host Nick Mills and broadcaster and journalist Wilhelmina Shrimpton joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day - and more!  Late-show host Jimmy Kimmel was unexpectedly pulled off the air after after he made controversial comments in the wake of Charlie Kirk's death. What do we make of this? Is this concerning for the future of free speech? Te Pati Māori's recent scandals have prompted discussion about whether Labour should make a statement about ruling them out. Do we think they need to say anything? LISTEN ABOVE Sun, 21 Sept 2025 00:36:28 Z