The Sunday Session with Francesca Rudkin

There's more to cartoonist Murray Ball than his iconic creative works, as his son reveals in a new biography. The late Murray Ball was best known as the creator of Kiwi favourite Footrot Flats and other classic characters, but he also dabbled in rugby, teaching and even politics. Mason Ball explores his father's life posthumously in the first biography written about his father- Murray Ball - A Car...

Celebrated veteran film and TV producer Robin Scholes is set to be recognised for her significant contribution  to the screen production industry. Scholes has produced several acclaimed creative works, including Once Were Warriors, Broken English, Mister Pip and Crooked Earth- as well as co-founding independent TV company Communicado. She's due to receive  the SPADA/The Data Book Industry Champion...

The World Health Organisation has warned Gaza's healthcare system has been brought to its knees following attacks on local hospitals. Four hospitals in Gaza have been impacted by the fighting, including two children’s hospitals- attacks the UN has labelled 'reprehensible'. Kiwi journalist Tom Mutch, who has been covering the conflict from Israel and the West Bank, says this conflict is one of the...

Guarantees the Bird of the Century results won't be as convoluted as our own election - despite delays. The competition closes tonight at 5pm, and voters all over the world will be waiting with bated breath as the results will be revealed next Wednesday. An international push for the puteketeke led by comedian and TV host John Oliver drew in hundreds of thousands of votes, delaying the announcemen...

It’s ridiculous how long it takes to count all the votes in a general election, only to get it 'mostly right' and how long it takes for several groups of adults to get into a room and haggle out an arrangement as to how to govern, but I’m rather enjoying the country being rudderless at the moment.   Have you noticed how much less noise there is? There is something quite refreshing about not having...

Light at Lavelle  by Paullina Simons. Beloved author of  The Bronze Horseman  trilogy is back with the story of a young Ukranian refugee who makes her way to the US and meets a billionaire banker who gives her a home – but this is just before the Wall Street crash, in which he loses almost everything and they both have to find a new future. Good storytelling set against some fascinating history.  ...

Wairarapa's Wharekauhau Country Estate has garnered rave reviews from travel websites, been labelled New Zealand's number one luxury lodge- and played host to some noteworthy visitors. Celebrities who visit Wellington are drawn to this location, and it's even played host to William and Kate when the royals visited the country. BloggerAtLarge's Megan Singleton says the lodge offers spectacular view...

This week on the Sunday Panel, BusinessDesk Investments Editor and host of Cooking the Books, Frances Cook and partner at Freebairn and Hehir Lawyers, Liam Hehir joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the week- and more! The final votes are in and Luxon will need Winston Peters to form a coalition Government with ACT after all- who wo we think will cause Luxon the most grief? Will...

Firecracker chicken wings with sriracha slaw: Cook time: 10 minutes   Prep time: 30 minutes   Serves 4-6   500gm fresh chicken wings   4 garlic cloves, crushed   4 tbsp fresh ginger, grated   4 tbsp soya sauce   1 fresh chili smashed   1 tsp seasalt   Good crack of pepper   4 cups potato flour   1 tsp paprika powder    1 tsp chili powder   1/2 tsp chili flakes   Deep-frying oil   Sriracha Slaw   1...

Scientist have finally proven for the first time what many of us have been feeling for years - hearing other people use bad grammar can trigger a negative physical stress reaction! The study published in the Journal of Neurolinguistics  involved 41 English speaking adults being exposed to 160 different speech samples spoken by different voices. Each sample contained a different number of grammatic...

From Oprah Winfrey to Apple’s Tim Cook, some of the world's most successful people attribute part of their success to an early start. People everywhere are sharing their experience of waking up at 5am to jog, mediate, journal and eat healthy breakfasts- their '5 to 9' mornings before the daily grind begins. Naturopath and wellness expert Erin O'Hara says this can come with benefits, but it comes w...

Director David Fincher returns with his latest grisly theatrical thriller- The Killer is now in theatres for a limited run. Starring Michael Fassbender as an unnamed assassin, the film explores the consequences of a botched mission, and the grave consequences that follow.  Flicks.co.nz editor Steve Newall says the film is visually compelling, and advises moviegoers to check in out before it drops...

NZ First managed to earn themselves an important slot in Parliament after National and ACT lost their majority. National dropped two seats from 50 on election night to 48, while ACT remained on 11 after the special votes were counted- meaning another 3 seats will be needed to form a Government. NZ Herald political editor Claire Trevett says the three parties will likely clash on several key areas...

Anika Moa is a ubiquitous presence in the New Zealand media and entertainment industry.   A singer-songwriter, former radio host, and television presenter, she’s been involved in the industry for over two decades.   Moa began working as a radio host for NZME in August of 2019, starting at the Hits and later moving over to Flava’s Breakfast show which she hosted alongside Stacey Morrison and Mike P...

Bonnie Garmus' debut novel has enjoyed seemingly-instant success one year on from publication. After a decades-long career as a copywriter, she fulfilled her lifelong dream of being an author by tirelessly working to get 'Lessons in Chemistry' out in front of readers  The book went on to sell millions of copies and inspire an Apple TV+ miniseries, starring Brie Larson. Garmus says she never imagin...

Charitable trust Play It Strange is going in a new direction after two decades of supporting young Kiwi songwriters. Play It Strange celebrated its' 20th anniversary this week- and CEO Mike Chunn plans to step down after this milestone. Chunn says the program has produced 'beautiful' songs and given a platform to upcoming young talent. "There's a healing process too, there's all sorts of things- w...

The economy was a significant talking point this election- and remains one of the biggest issues the incoming Government is expected to sort out. The special votes have been counted, meaning National and ACT will need NZ First to form a Government after National lost two seats. Infometrics Principal Economist Brad Olsen says the three parties have a shared goal to bring down public spending, but t...

On Tuesday, the latest performance measures were released from Te Whatu Ora. They show mounting pressure on our health system.   This release is for the 3 months from 1st April to 30th June this year. They show preventable hospital admissions for babies and pre-schoolers up by 35 percent compared with the same time last year, an increase of around 5 percent in patients seeking treatment at emergen...

Prima Facie by Suzie Miller. This book is based on a one-woman stage play of the same name which has run in Sydney, on the West End and on Broadway and recently in Auckland, and was so powerful that it prompted judges at the Old Bailey to completely rethink how they issue directions to juries in sexual assault cases- and it has become mandatory in Dublin for judges to watch the video of it. The au...

With France banning short-haul domestic flights in the name of sustainability, more travellers are turning to public transport to get around Europe. BloggerAtLarge.com writer Megan Singleton says there are advantages to travelling by train- it's gotten cheaper and faster than air travel. "The brilliant thing is, train stations are usually right in the city. When we got to Florence - by train - we...

This week on The Sunday Panel, journalist and broadcaster Lavina Good and Wellington Mornings host Nick Mills joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day- and more! What we think of this morning's Rugby World Cup final? The All Blacks suffered a brutal defeat to South Africa- was this surprising? What are our highlights from the match? How will Ian Foster be remembered now?  Th...

Desert rock veterans Queens of the Stone Age will return to New Zealand for the first time since 2018. Following the release of their latest album, 'In Times New Roman...', the band have confirmed they'll bring their tour to Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch. Frontman Josh Homme is 'excited' to bring the band back to New Zealand shores for the first time in years. "I've always looked at going...

Disappointment for Kiwi rugby fans, as the All Blacks suffered an 11-12 defeat to South Africa at the World Cup final. The All Blacks battled adversity and controversy, as Shannon Frizell was hit with a yellow card- and Sam Cane's red card, reducing the team to 14 members before halftime. They were also hampered by the TMO at important junctures, including having a try to Aaron Smith ruled out. Fo...

Lola in the Mirror by Trent Dalton. He’s the author of Boy Swallows Universe which has made a big impact on the literary scene, and this new one is simply wonderful. He writes brilliantly about the dark underbelly of Australia – especially Queensland which is his home state, and this is the story of a woman and her unnamed daughter who’ve spent the girl’s entire life on the run and are currently l...

BloggerAtLarge's Megan Singleton managed to check out Dubai on her travels- and she says the region has more to offer than sand dunes and fast cars. She highlighted the fine dining, impressive architecture and retail scene- and revealed some affordable ways to get around one of the most expensive cities in the world. Read more about Megan's Dubai experience here . LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/l...