The Sunday Session with Francesca Rudkin

This week on the Sunday Panel, e ditor and journalist Jo McCarroll and National Party member and partner at Freebairn and Hehir lawyers Liam Hehir joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the week- and more!  Between Tim van de Molen getting censured, ACT raising some eyebrows over their chosen candidates and Te Pati Maori breaking name suppression orders- it's been a messy week in...

Research shows Kiwis fear eventual mental decline as they age just as much, if not more, than cancer. Every brain changes and develops - and eventually declines as we age - but there are ways to slow deterioration and associated conditions down. Naturopath and wellness expert Erin O'Hara says a healthy diet rich in Omega-3, plenty of exercise, and an active social life can reduce the impact of cog...

Breakfast Bacon & Egg Pie: 1 pkt flaky pastry 5 sheets   10 fresh eggs   150 gm streaky bacon, cut into 1cm dice   1/2 white onion, finely sliced   1 stick rosemary   1/2 tsp flaky sea salt and cracked pepper   2 tbsp sesame seeds   Preheat your oven  to 180*c. Take a heavy 26cm cast iron or similar pan and lightly spray the inside with cooking spray.   Crack one egg into a small bowl and ligh...

Just when you think we've fixed one problem - another turns up.   Back in July, the Government banned all single-use drinking straws that contain any type of plastic to everybody other than those who have a disability or health condition that requires straw use.   The ban was put in to help the environment, as plastic straws are too small to recycle and therefore end up either at landfill or blown...

The Others Way is set to take over Auckland's Karangahape Road this December, and it's promising a variety of local and international acts. The headliners include Oakland rap group Souls Of Mischief, harp virtuoso Mary Lattimore, Puerto Rican dub sensation Pachyman, and Kiwi reggae icons Herbs- to name a few. Flicks.co.nz editor Steve Newall says more acts will be announced in the leadup to the fe...

The duo behind one of Australia's most well-known investment podcasts are back with a new guide to securing your financial future. Alec Renehan and Bryce Leske sell themselves as investment experts for millennials, and they aim to help people new to investing get ahead. Their new book, Don’t Stress, Just Invest, promises to educate readers on taking advantage of technology to automate the investin...

The All Blacks insist the panic button doesn't need to be hit in the wake of their worst-ever defeat. The 35-7 loss to the Springboks at Twickenham has left their World Cup preparations in a significantly different state than they appeared leaving home. Former All Black and rugby commentator Ant Strachan says the All Blacks will need to move forward from the loss quickly and rectify some choices b...

Acclaimed Kiwi artist Don McGlashan has scored a place in the New Zealand Music Hall of Fame, following 4 decades in the industry. He started out in the Auckland Symphonia (now the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra), and went on to play an instrumental role in several groups- Blam Blam Blam, The Front Lawn and The Muttonbirds. He'll officially be inducted into the Hall of Fame on Wednesday 4 October...

After three years of disruptions and cancellations brought on by Covid-19, NZ Fashion Week has returned. For the first time since 2019, designers will show off their projects at Auckland's Viaduct Events Centre from August 29 to September 2. NZ Fashion Week General Manager Yasmin Farry says designers have had to pivot and find new ways to reach their customer base, so the industry has undergone so...

National's Tim van de Molen was stripped of his portfolios, with Luxon claiming his behaviour didn't adhere to the party's expectations. The MP was censured by the Privileges Committee after he was found to have have threatened Labour MP Shanan Halbert at a Transport Select Committee last month.  NZ Herald deputy political editor Thomas Coughlan says these punishments are rare, with the last polit...

A huge step forward for Ukrainians looking to settle permanently in New Zealand. The Government's announced a new residence pathway for Special Ukraine Visa holders who arrive here before March 15, next year. The Visa first opened for 12 months from March 2022, and was then extended to March 2024. World Vision Head of Advocacy and Justice Rebekah Armstrong says this pathway gives Ukrainians fleein...

To panic or not to panic, that was the question I was asking myself yesterday morning after the almost two hour ‘friendly’ between the All Blacks and the Springboks at Twickenham.   There is of course no such thing as a ‘friendly’ between these two sides. Watching the game yesterday I thought of Steven Hansen’s comment from about 8 years ago when, before another match at Twickenham between these t...

The Waters  by Carl Nixon. NZ fiction - I think Carl Nixon started his writing career with short stories and the structure of this book is like a series of short stories, but all interlinked and telling the story of a family originating in Christchurch, from each of their different perspectives. There’s an alcoholic, hapless father, and three motherless children who after the death of their mother...

2023 is proving to be a big year for river cruises, as many of them are sold out ahead of the coming season. BloggerAtLarge's Megan Singleton is hosting her first sell-out river cruise in Europe come December- and she understands the appeal. She says the smaller collection of people on board is a safer alternative after Covid, and it allows travellers to explore the riverside towns and villages in...

This week on The Sunday Panel, Coast day host Lorna Riley and The Front Page podcast host Damien Venuto joined in on a discussion about the following topics- Cancer screenings- does the age range need to be lowered to 50? Research shows that early detection can save us money down the line- what do we think? The Lauren Dickason verdict has opened the doors to discuss the nature of post-natal depres...

Respiratory infections are on the rise again in New Zealand, as RSV, the flu and Covid-19 are blending together as a 'tripledemic'. The lack of restrictions this year has put people at risk of being exposed to coughs and colds again, as more freedom and opportunities to travel are putting people at risk. Naturopath and wellness expert Erin O'Hara recommends practicing hand hygiene, getting rest an...

Seeded Gluten-Free Crackers Cook time: 20 minutes   Prep time: 10 minutes   Serves: 4   50 gm linseeds   30 gm ground linseeds   20 gm rice flour   20 gm buckwheat flour   1 tsp ground cumin   1 tsp chopped rosemary   1 tbsp sunflower/pumpkin seeds   1/2 tsp fine salt   1/2 tsp flaky salt     Preheat your oven to 170*c.   Place your whole linseeds into a bowl and add 100ml of boiling water. Pop to...

New research suggests Pink Floyd's greatest hits may be the key to helping stroke victims communicate again. Published this week in the journal PLOS Biology,  the scientists took 29 patients who had electrodes placed directly on the surface of their brains as they underwent surgery for epilepsy.  They were then played 3 minutes of Pink Floyd's Another Brick in the Wall, and their brain activity wa...

Barbie's 5-week box office reign is set to draw to a close, with DC's Blue Beetle projected to overtake it. Blue Beetle is expected to earn at least $25 million for its opening weekend, overthrowing Barbie as the number one performer in US theatres. Flicks.co.nz editor Steve Newall says this hasn't stopped Barbie from breaking records- it just overtook The Dark Night as Warner Bros. biggest hit. L...

Author, entrepreneur and aviation expert Fletcher McKenzie is back with a new book. McKenzie has two flying titles to his name and shared his insight with audiences in the documentary series FlightPath TV. His latest work, From The Pilot's Seat shares stories from over 23 Kiwi pilots, who have worked around the globe during different eras. "I get to travel around the world and meet up with other p...

National's Chris Luxon yesterday unveiled his party's list of candidates for the upcoming election- and he's promised a strong offering. The top five on National's list are Luxon, Nicola Willis, Chris Bishop, Shane Reti and Paul Goldsmith. A new face is high up- Harvard Kennedy School graduate Nancy Lu is at 20 and the highest ranked new candidate. Newstalk ZB Chief Political Reporter Aaron Dahmen...

Netflix are testing the waters with their first batch of cloud-streamed video games. Subscribers in Canada and the UK are able to try out Netflix games streamed to select TVs and connected TV devices. NZGDA board member and InGame director Stephen Knightly says this is a smart business decision from Netflix, as they've been able to distribute games that fit their brand. "They're not serving up Can...

Danish explorer Torbjorn 'Thor' Pedersen has made it back from his decade-long journey across the world- without flying anywhere. 3572 days of travel, 203 countries, and 358,884 kilometres later, Pedersen has finally completed his ambitious personal mission. He says he was inspired to take on this challenge after learning that no one had ever travelled across the whole world without setting foot o...

About three weeks before the FIFA Women’s World Cup began I asked the question: “Where’s the hype?”. Where was the excitement – it didn’t feel like we were going to embrace this event.  A texter said, “they’re trying to sell us something we don’t want.” I agreed.  I’ve seldom been so thrilled to say I was wrong. Shame on me for not having more faith in us as a nation, the players and the tournamen...

It's all down to the wire, as England and Spain are set to clash in tonight's FIFA Women's World Cup final. An English Women's World Cup victory would be a first for the Lionesses, and a historic achievement- England hasn't brought it home since their World Cup win in 1966. The Athletic football writer Katie Whyatt says this final's going to be a huge challenge for the Lionesses, but they have eve...