Nine To Noon

Dr Kat Littlewood, a veterinary specialist and Massey University lecturer in animal welfare talks with Kathryn about what cats and dogs like at Christmas time.

BusinessDesk senior correspondent, Dileepa Fonseka.

Lynn Freeman reviews Shelter from the Storm by Shaun Barnett, Rob Brown and Geoff Spearpoint published by Potton & Burton

Ron talks about US President Joe Biden's decision to pardon his own son, who he says was unfairly prosecuted.

Anthonie Tonnon is a man of many hats - from music to transport and an interest in New Zealand's rustbelt.

John talks to Kathryn about the reopening of the Cathedral Cove walking track, Hauraki Coromandel Post (NZME) will be the next local news outlet to close in the region.

Dr Rod Carr retires as chair of the Climate Change Commission later this week after five years in the role.

After years of pleading for change, rural GPs are eagerly awaiting new rules later this month which will allow them to hire paramedics to help handle after-hours emergency calls.

Granny flats - not just for grannies. Last week the government released feedback on the consultation to liberalise granny flat rules, and no surprise, there were a huge number of submissions.

Tasman Bay Herbs was founded in 1996 - and purchased by husband and wife duo Gavin and Emma Visser in 2021.

Gareth Hughes and Tim Hurdle discuss recent political events.

Environment Canterbury votes to delay notifying the Canterbury Regional Policy Statement, Kaikoura considers world heritage status bid, Amberley's proposed new cricket ground is approved, despite opposition, and we have updates on school building projects in North Canterbury.

Harry Broad reviews Kahurangi by Dave Hansford published by Potton & Burton

While we hear many horror stories about life in emergency housing this story reminds us that community and compassion are all around us.

Matheson Brown doesn't mind discomfort. The 28-year-old from New Plymouth just smashed a world record, becoming the fastest person to climb the highest peak in every US state.

Notre Dame in Paris is set to reopen following the devastating 2019 fire that destroyed its roof and spire.

Psychologists are increasingly being asked to fudge diagnosis for clients with post-traumatic stress disorder and other mental injuries, so that ACC can be claimed.

SolarZero had one of the largest private equity firms in the world as its owner but the country's biggest domestic player in rooftop solar - is now in liquidation.

Comedians Pinky Agnew and Elisabeth Easther look back at the crackup stories of the week.

Summer's here and so is cricket season, Sam Ackerman talks us through the start of the Black Caps first test against England, the dwindling impact of drug bans in sport and history being made by Auckland sporting franchises

Jimmy Ellingham is a RNZ Checkpoint reporter based in Palmerston North with news from Manawatu.

Louise Ward of Wardini Books reviews The Chthonic Cycle by Una Cruickshank published by Te Herenga Waka University Press.

Korean New Zealand pianist turned author Dami Jung on confronting her demons and learning to love music again.

RNZ Pacific Editor Koroi Hawkins discusses Taiwan's bid to strengthen ties with Pacific allies and the wait is almost over for rugby sevens fans as the Dubai 7s kicks off on Saturday.

New cycle trails open around the country in time for summer. We take a tour with New Zealand Cycle Trails general manager Janet Purdey.

Scientist and entrepreneur Dr Michelle Dickinson speaks about the difficult decision to put Nanogirl Labs into liquidation.

Bank scams are estimated to cost customers $200 million a year and from today, all New Zealand's main banks are rolling out a confirmation of payee service to help stop scams.

Film and TV correspondent Tamar Munch joins Kathryn to talk about Joy (Netflix), a film which looks at the core team behind the development of IVF and stars Bill Nighy, James Norton and Kiwi Thomasin McKenzie.

Neuroscience educator and parenting coach Nathan Wallis says if your teenager seems self-obsessed, defiant and unmotivated, you're not alone.

Tech commentator Tony Grasso looks at how AI is being harnessed to monitor access patterns and identify anomalies that could signal a potential security breach.

Libby updates us on the latest in Waikato including Kinleith Mill proposed job losses, Te Awamutu paper may close after more than 100 years, and more.

Jenna Todd of Time Out Bookstore reviews Gliff by Ali Smith published by Hamish Hamilton.

Sandra Corbett (Te Arawa, Ngāti Pikiao) has been on the front line of public health for the last 30 years - much of it in cervical screening and immunisation.

UK correspondent Dan Bloom looks at how plans to ban smoking for anyone born from 2009 onwards are moving full steam ahead.

An adventure tourism business set high in the air has found great success in conservation efforts down on the ground.

The demise of the country's largest provider of childbirth and parenting classes has left some expectant parents worried.

Local councils fear public transport fare rises will see patronage plummet after a directive to pick up a greater share of the cost of buses and trains.

The latest census figures show that around a quarter of people over 65 don't live in a home they own, or partly own.

Historian Jock Phillips talks about the controversial opening of the country's first abortion clinic in Auckland in 1974.

As the Broadway hit Wicked makes the leap to the big screen, music correspondent Dave Wilson looks at what makes great Act I finales in musicals.

Social service Birthright Whanganui closes after 65 years and others are fighting for survival.

Solar power company SolarZero has been put into liquidation, leaving some customers worried about the contracts they have signed with the company.

Joanna Ludbrook from Chicken and Frog Bookshop in Featherston reviews Charlie Tangaroa and the God of War by T K Roxborogh published by Huia Publishers.

Surf photographer Rambo Estrada has published his first photographic collection, Unbound: Vol 1 An Aotearoa Road Trip.

Australia correspondent Karen Middleton looks at the poisoning deaths of two Australians in Laos, along with four other backpackers, which is concerning parents seeing off their 'schoolies' on overseas trips.

Wellington City Councillors met yesterday to find hundreds of millions of savings in the city's long term plan, required after the council decided not to sell its stake in Wellington Airport.

A school principal who has spent months trying to secure support for a high needs student says he has been bogged down by bureaucracy, and will retire before it is in place.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says his cabinet is set to approve a ceasefire agreement to suspend fighting with Hezbollah in Lebanon.

RNZ sports reporter Joe Porter on the All Blacks final game of the season - a win against Italy.

Demographer and Distinguished Professor Emeritus Paul Spoonley discusses how immigration and emigration have changed in the past two years.

Business commentator Rebecca Stevenson discusses Jaguar's rebrand - where it ditched the presence of any cars in an advert posted on X.

Jonathan discusses Ashburton's road to repair, the mayor backs Christmas spend, and counting the cost to keep score in Ashburton.

Jane Westaway reviews The Season by Helen Garner published by Text Publishing

Wendy Parkins had just hit a career milestone when she lost control, gripped by depression and a debilitating phobia and OCD which convinced her everything she touched was contaminated.

Former National Party Minister Nikki Kaye has died. She was 44 years old.

Incoming President Donald Trump continues to announce appointments for his administration, including several to lead health and food administration policies. Meanwhile Trump's criminal trial is officially put on hold as his plan to deport undocumented immigrants is already having an effect.

New Zealand is one of the few countries in the world with access to a resource that could become a major new provider of reliable, low emissions energy.

Physiotherapists say too many patients are quitting treatment before they've recovered from injury because ACC funding is 20 per cent too low.

50 new senior doctors and extra specialist nurses are to be employed by Health New Zealand at a cost of $30 million.

With Christmas just around the corner, Kennedy reflects on the Sami people, from whom we get the idea of Santa and his reindeer.

Don't panic - but it's just a month today until Christmas. If that has stress levels rising a little, Kiwi chef Mark Gregory has a new book out that's full of festive inspiration. Mark has spent decades in kitchens around the world - he's cooked for celebrities, royalty - he was the first Kiwi to be awarded a Master of Culinary Arts by the Royal Academy - he's appeared on TV shows Ready Steady Cook and the BBC's Good Food Show. He's also a massive fan of Christmas....which is why he's created his Christmas at the Castle Cookbook and YouTube series. While the traditional festive fare is included in the book, there's some Kiwi twists on the Christmas faves - and an emphasis on making things simple. It's not just recipes - Mark's also included ideas for gifts and for family fun on the big day itself.

Kathryn talks politics with Dale Husband and Liam Hehir

An often-toxic artificial lake receives a collective shrug, charity hospitals and private healthcare fill the gaps, and council and KiwiRail clash over rail crossings.

Dean Bedford reviews The Enemy Within by Maire Leadbeater published by Potton and Burton

The University of Auckland is today opening a new $320 million dollar recreation and wellbeing centre.

Language has always changed over time, but the internet has created layers of slang that can feel impossible to keep up with.

Germany prepares for an early election, Russia denies cutting Baltic Sea cables as tensions rise, and Angela Merkel's long awaited memoir to be published next week. Thomas Sparrow discusses with Kathryn Ryan.

Following his feat of climbing Everest with Sherpa Tenzing Norgay in 1953, Sir Edmund Hillary returned to the Himalayas to repay the locals for their help - and one his first tasks, was building a school.

A national child palliative care service is desperately needed and will save millions, according to a new report.

Higher airline prices, crowded terminals and fewer upgrades could all be a result of a new codeshare deal signed off by Australian and New Zealand authorities.

Our comedians look back on some of the funnier stories of the past week, including the case of the man who wrote his will on the back of a frozen fish packet, deemed valid by a UK court.

RNZ sports journalist Joe Porter discusses the All Blacks team named to play Italy this weekend

Georgina updates us on the latest events in Te Whanganui a Tara

Carole Beu of the Women's Bookshop in Auckland reviews Molly by Rosalie Ham published by Macmillan

Lech Blaine grew up in Queensland, the youngest in a busy family of seven, his parents: working class publicans in small country towns.

Ed White is a correspondent with the Financial Times based in Shanghai.

Top New Zealand rally driver Emma Gilmour has come back from a bad accident in Europe to take an overall third place in this year's New Zealand Rally Championship.

An Australian law firm is preparing a class action against major cruise lines on behalf of thousands of passengers including New Zealanders, over lax onboard gambling rules.

Film and TV correspondent Chris Schulz joins Susie to talk about Say Nothing, which is a mini-series based on four decades of The Troubles in Northern Ireland, based on the book by Patrick Radden Keefe. He'll also look at new movie Gladiator II, and National Geographic's Endurance details the incredible work that was done to locate Ernest Shackleton's ship from his ill-fated 1915 expedition to Antarctica.

Wellington speech and language therapist Christian Wright talks with Susie about developing comprehension in toddlers and when to be concerned.

Technology commentator Bill Bennett looks at Australia's proposed 'duty of care' laws that would force online giants to take preventative action on mental health harms. Roblox is to give more controls to parents over their child's activity, after the gaming platform was accused of making it easy for its young users to be groomed. Two undersea cables in the Baltic have been cut - how, and how dependent are we on such infrastructure? And a Polish radio station has replaced human presenters with AI.

Che Baker discusses recent updates in Southland including the $2.2 million government loan to boost acquaculture in the region.

Quentin Johnson reviews Fifty Ships that Changed the Course of History by Ian Graham published by Exisle Publishing.

Achieving a flow state at work is rare, temporary and unclear as to how to achieve it, according to American psychologist and author Daniel Goleman.

Correspondent Matthew Parris shares the latest news from the UK.

From stunning auroras and the brightest comet seen from Earth in decades, we look back at a year in space.

Research by the outdoor pursuits programme Outward Bound has found most teenagers and young people want to spend less time online.

Cocaine use is up, the price of meth is down and for the first time, more people vape nicotine than smoke tobacco, according to an annual Drug Trends Survey.

Science correspondent Allan Blackman looks at a new analysis of Uranus and its five biggest moons that's found it might not be as sterile as first thought.

From the mid-50s to early 1960s parts of Australia played host to the UK's nuclear ambitions. It had a major impact on Aboriginal communities close by.

Peter discusses the latest events in Northland including the first ever "State of the Far North" address.

Stella Chrysostomou of Volume Books reviews Orbital by Samantha Harvey published by Vintage.

Around 230 workers will lose ther jobs when the Kinleith Mill discontinues paper production next year.

Michael Deagler didn't want to add to the growing stack of memoirs about sobriety - so instead, his debut novel Early Sobrieties follow a young man's journey with it instead.

Australia correspondent Bernard Keane joins Kathryn to talk about more charges being laid against former radio host Alan Jones.

Mortgage brokers are unhappy with the time it is taking banks to turn around home loan applications, stressing buyers.

It's been described as a silent pandemic: anti-microbial resistance or AMR. But could the next generation of antibiotics offer some hope?

Sports commentator Sam Ackerman discusses the inquest into the death of Olivia Podmore after an emotional first day.

Anapela Polata'ivao has recently returned from South Korea, having directed Tusiata Avia's The Savage Coloniser Show for the Seoul Performing Arts Festival.