The Sunday Session with Francesca Rudkin

Imagine seeing a colour so vivid, so unlike anything in nature, that your brain has no reference for it. That’s exactly what happened to five people who took part in an experiment published in the journal Science Advances this week.  The newly perceived colour, which is described as a hyper-saturated blue-green shade, has been named olo, and it unlocked a visual experience that was previously...

One of the most distinctive concert films in rock history, Pink Floyd at Pompeii, has been rereleased to theatres - along with an accompanying soundtrack. Filmed in 1971 and released the following year, the film captures the band shortly before Dark Side of the Moon ushered in their most commercially successful phase. Flicks.co.nz editor Steve Newall recaps the experience - and explains whether or...

Sick of inaction from politicians around our ailing health system, two Kiwi doctors are taking matters into their own hands.  GP Dr Glenn Colquhoun and general hospital physician Dr Art Nahill yesterday launched Hīkoi for Health: A People’s Inquiry. They’ve hit the road in a bright yellow 'vanbulance' in a bid to protest the state of the health system - and collect stories from people who've...

Works toward improved public transport for northwest Auckland are a step closer after an investment case was endorsed by the Transport Agency, the Minister of Transport says. The announcement on the Northwest Rapid Transit plan - which includes public transport on State Highway 16 (SH16) from Brigham Creek to the city centre and a Northwest Busway - was made by Chris Bishop earlier in the week. NZ...

There's been an outpouring of support from all over the world as thousands gathered to pay tribute to Pope Francis. The 88-year-old pontiff has been laid to rest at the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore. At least 400,000 mourners, including hundreds of foreign dignitaries, paid their respects last night at Saint Peter's Square in the Vatican. Rome correspondent Jo McKenna says she saw flags from Cr...

A sea of mourners watched on, as the Vatican bid a final farewell to Pope Francis last night. The 88-year-old pontiff has now been laid to rest at Rome's Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore. Hundreds of thousands filled out Saint Peter's Square and surrounding areas to catch a glimpse of the funeral. New Zealand Archbishop Cardinal John Dew was among the crowd - and he said it was a 'lovely' ceremony...

In this edition of Great Chats with Francesca Rudkin, actress Rebecca Gibney opens up about her newest TV project and the importance of stepping out of your comfort zone. Richard Roxburgh and journalist Peter Gresta joined Francesca to discuss their new movie  The Correspondent - where Roxburgh portrays Gresta's 2013 arrest in Egypt. And Amanda Knox tells her story of being wrongly convicted...

While true crime might not be the obvious pick for comedy-based content, a familiar duo have leaned into the genre. In All Killa No Filla , comedians Rachel Fairburn and Kiri Pritchard-McLane explore their shared passion for serial killer cases.   Ahead of their planned stops in New Zealand for the Comedy Festival, the duo opened up about their comedic podcast. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com...

Singer-songwriter Reb Fountain is back with a new album blending folk, art-pop and rock -  How Love Bends. Released in March, Reb and her band have wasted no time getting it out there with a new nationwide tour. This is Reb's first full album since Covid-19 happened , and she's looking forward to promoting her work without the lockdowns and restrictions getting in the way. "This one - it feel...

Nobody’s Fool by Harlan Coben. A former detective turned private investigator is stunned when the woman he thought had died 22 years ago suddenly appears in the back of a lecture he’s giving, and as soon as they make eye contact, disappears. Her death has haunted him all these years but the possibility she could still be alive has never occurred to him – and now he needs to track her down and find...

The world is getting complicated and new methods to handle cash while travelling overseas are popping up - but which tools work the best? The Wise card has gotten plenty of attention within the travel community and it allows you to hold and exchange money in 40+ different currencies and spend in 170+ countries. BloggerAtLarge.com writer Megan Singleton has reviewed the card - read her thoughts her...

This week on The Sunday Panel, Newstalk ZB host Roman Travers and partner at Freebairn and Hehir lawyers, Liam Hehir, joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day - and more!  Donald Trump said he could stop the Ukraine war in 24 hours, but he's recently been threatening to abandon peace talks. Should we have seen this coming? The all-female Blue Origin flight has copped so...

Jumping has been found to have plenty of health benefits - and it may even reduce the risk of osteoporosis. New research has revealed jump training is highly beneficial for osteoporosis and improving bone density, particularly in the femoral neck, a part of the hip. Naturopath and wellness expert Erin O'Hara reveals how we can utilise jumping to stay healthy. LISTEN ABOVE  See omnystudio.com/...

Hot cross bread, butter & custard pudding 6 hot cross buns 4 eggs 500 ml cream 1/2 cup soft brown sugar 1 tsp vanilla paste 1 tbsp butter 1 tbsp icing sugar Vanilla custard 500 ml cream 500 ml milk 1 vanilla pod 200 gm sugar 5 egg yolks 80 gm cornflour Start by preheating your oven to 160*c Make up the custard by heating the cream and milk along with the vanilla bean which has been cut in half...

Have you ever found yourself nodding along in a noisy bar, pretending to understand your friend’s story, but truthfully, you’re just hoping for a quieter moment to catch the plot?   You’re not alone. Hearing conversation in loud environments is something many of us struggle with. But thanks to a new study published in the journal Proceedings Of The Royal Society B - science might have a simpl...

Fyre Festival 2 has officially been postponed - less than two months before the event was said to be taking place. The organisers have reportedly postponed the event that was set for May 30 to June 2, and no new dates have been revealed. Flicks.co.nz editor Steve Newall speculates about the event's future following this latest update. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy informatio...

Blake Schimanski has taken on the challenge of running the length of New Zealand - from Bluff to Cape Reinga - within the month of April. Through his campaign ‘Run Aotearoa’, he aims to raise $100,000 for youth mental health efforts, with the goal of creating 'positive change. With 10 days left to go, he says he's been averaging out 80 kilometres a day. "There's a lot of stuff you don't really kno...

A stadium sized balloon has successfully launched from Wānaka Airport - after several cancellations. The super-pressure NASA balloon will travel the Southern Hemisphere’s mid-latitudes for planned missions of 100 days or more.  It's the sixth balloon operation in New Zealand since 2015, with two balloons successfully launched from Wānaka in 2023. NASA's Debbie Fairbrother says safety was a ke...

The Prime Minister departs today for the United Kingdom, before travelling to Gallipoli in time for ANZAC Day.  Trade, security and the current geopolitical climate are on the agenda, when Chris Luxon meets with Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer.  Luxon says he'll discuss what more the pair can do to support the rules-based trading system, a chat coming off the back of phone calls to world...

World-first video footage of the elusive colossal squid has been captured by US researchers. It lives in the deep Antarctic waters, can reach up to seven metres in length, and weighs up to 500 kilograms. Schmidt Ocean Institute’s remote drone filmed a baby colossal squid alive 600 metres down in its environment for the first time. AUT Associate Professor and squid expert Dr Kat Bolstad says this i...

Limited Easter trading hours are bringing extra financial burdens for businesses according to retailers. The Retail Radar survey shows almost 70 percent of retailers are concerned about the cost of living - with merchant fees also top of mind.  The law says local council have the final say on when businesses are allowed to open.  Retail NZ Chief Executive Carolyn Young says these restric...

If you live in a city, there is something quite special about waking up on Good Friday - to the sound of silence. There are no cars on the road, no hum of traffic in the distance, no sound of people going about their day-to-day routines. My first thought on Friday was - it’s like Christmas Day. My second thought wasn’t as pleasant - it’s like lockdown. But the feeling was the same - how nice the w...

The final season of The Handmaid's Tale  started airing on Neon last week, and actress Yvonne Strahovski is looking back on her creative journey after six seasons.  Strahovski co-stars as Serena Joy Waterford - an architect and prisoner of the show's dystopian regime.  She says it's been an 'extraordinary' journey taking on the role of Serena. "This has been such an amazing opportun...

In December 2013, Australian journalist Peter Greste was arrested in Egypt and charged with aiding a terrorist organisation. What followed was 400 days of incarceration, solitary confinement, interrogations, a politically motivated trial and complete uncertainty in a corrupt legal system. Peter’s story and fight for freedom has been turned into a film, The Correspondent , staring veteran Australia...

The Death of Us by Abigail Dean. Isabel is a lead protagonist in this story, who throughout much of the book directly addresses the intruder who perpetrated a home invasion on her and her husband Edward when they were 30 years old and happily married, but those days are long gone. More than 20 years later, they reunite to attend the trial of a man finally charged with the crime, trying to reconcil...