The Sunday Session with Francesca Rudkin

Many experts are saying the age of eligibility for New Zealand's bowel screening programme should be lowered. New Zealand has one of the highest rates of bowel cancer in the world, and it kills over 1200 Kiwis each year. A new study says cases picked up through the screening programme are 50 percent less likely to become fatal. Co-author and Waikato Hospital colorectal surgeon Dr Jesse Fischer say...

The List by Yomi Adegoke. Ola is a high profile journalist at a feminist magazine, who’s about to marry the love of her life. Young, beautiful and successful, she and her fiancé Michael seem to have it all. That is, until one morning they both wake up to the same message. A crowdsourced collection of names has morphed into an anonymous account posting Me Too type allegations on social media, and u...

BloggerAtLarge's Megan Singleton recently spoke to t ourism teams from Washington DC, Philadelphia and Boston and crafted an itinerary for the US's East Coast. Megan Singleton says the area is easy to get around, and you won't need a car- all three cities are walkable and include direct train lines. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week on the Sunday Panel, Director of Capital and political commentator, Ben Thomas and BusinessDesk Investments Editor and host of Cooking the Books, Frances Cook joined in on a discussion about the following:  How big of a headache will ACT and NZ First be for National? Winston Peters is back in the fray- should Luxon clarify if NZ First will be a potential coalition partner? How close do y...

Diabetes medication-turned-weight loss drugs Ozempic and Wegovy have raised alarms as users start reporting side effects. Nausea, constipation, diarrhoea, heart palpitations and thyroid cancer are among the risks linked to popular weight loss drugs. Naturopath and wellness expert Erin O'Hara says there's a place for weight loss drugs as a short-term solution- but users need to consider the effects...

Monkfish Dhal   Prep time: 30 minutes   Serves: 6   600gm monkfish, cut into large pieces   1 tsp chilli powder   1 tsp turmeric   1 Tbsp vegetable oil   Salt   2 cups orange lentils, rinsed   2 cups yellow lentils, rinsed    3-4 cups water (enough to cover lentils)   2 tsp turmeric   2 whole fresh green chillies, sliced lengthways, seeds in   1 tbsp butter or ghee   1 tsp cumin   1 bunch spinach,...

Last week, three people died and one is still in a critical condition in a Melbourne hospital after eating a beef wellington pie – while the official cause of death has not been confirmed, their deaths are suspected to be from mushroom poisoning.  The mushroom in question – known as the ‘death cap’ mushroom, doesn’t have the typical red and yellow colours of other toxic items found in nature, inst...

There's two Kiwi twists on popular game shows battling it out on our screens. Taskmaster has returned for another season and New Zealand's version of The Traitors has debuted- allowing viewers to witness two sets of entertainers go through challenges. Flicks.co.nz editor Steve Newall says the sheer unpredictability of both shows creates a unique take on 'reality' television. LISTEN ABOVE See omnys...

Doctor, food writer and Great Kiwi Bakeoff winner has expanded his signature expertise into some new projects. Before his successful run on reality TV, he wrote the cookbook 'Scarfie Kitchen', a collection of simple and affordable student meals. He has since expanded into creating a cake business- Beau Cakes- and written another cookbook, 'Good Vibes.' "Food is powerful in bringing us together and...

NZSki seeks to expand Coronet Peak's mountain biking operation to utilise skiing infrastructure all year round. The organisation has a 'master plan' to construct, operate and repair 14 trails to eventually make Queenstown into a world-class mountain biking destination. Coronet Peak ski area manager Nigel Kerr says people want choices and challenges when it comes to activities, and mountain biking...

Tomorrow marks six months since the national state of emergency was declared for Cyclone Gabrielle. 11 people died as a result of the extreme weather and thousands of homes were affected. The Hastings district was the hardest hit by the Cyclone. Hastings mayor Sandra Hazlehurst growers have replanted trees and bridges in the region are getting replaced. "It's small steps, every day we celebrate so...

Kiwi all-woman supergroup When The Cat's Away are reuniting to pay tribute to friend and fellow bandmate, Margaret Urlich. The one-off performance is set for October 1 in Auckland, where the group will honour Urlich and celebrate her life following her death last year. Founding member Debbie Harwood says she'd hoped for a reunion for the last 33 years, and Margaret Urlich's passing inspired them t...

The wildfires plaguing Maui are officially the state's deadliest natural disaster in history. The death toll in Hawaii has risen to 80. Firefighters are continuing to extinguish flare-ups and contain blazes in Lahaina, Pulehu and Upcountry Maui. Campbell Farrell, an ex-pat Kiwi involved in the aid efforts, says many locals are 'in shock' as the extreme situation rages on- and more are reported mis...

Labour are dangling a pre-election carrot in the hope it will win votes. If re-elected in October, the party will remove GST from fresh and frozen fruit and vegetables. It won't apply to processed or canned items like juice and frozen chips. NZ Herald Political reporter Claire Trevett says internal polling from Labour has found strong support for it. "About two-thirds of voters thought it was very...

The question of mountain etiquette hit the headlines again this week. First, there was a reminder to close the windows when you leave a back country hut so the next visitor doesn’t arrive to find their accommodation filled with snow. The second was more serious, with climbers on K2 accusing a group led by Kristin Harila  - who is on a mission to climb all the world’s peaks above 8,000 metres in th...

Tom Lake  by Ann Patchett  - always exciting to have a new one from her.  Lara, Joe and their three daughters come together during a COVID lockdown when there are no workers to help them pick their cherry crop, so the family is mobilised to help. As they work, the girls egg their mother on to tell them about her own youth, during a time when she was part of a theatre company called Tom Lake and ha...

The 2023 Rugby World Cup is set to kick off in France in September- and 600,000 supporters from around the world will be catching it live. The Kiwis crossing the ditch will need to be prepared, and travellers are strongly encouraged to plan ahead, have comprehensive travel insurance and obtain an international driving permit. BloggerAtLarge writer Megan Singleton also recommends that New Zealander...

This week on the Sunday Panel, c ommentator and TV producer Irene Gardiner and Ask Me Anything podcast host Paula Bennett joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the week- Labour has announced an alternative Waitemata Harbour crossing in Auckland. This outline includes two multi-lane road tunnels, and a Light Rail tunnel which will stretch 21 kilometres between Albany and the CBD....

The untimely death of a vegan influencer from malnutrition has sparked discussion about malnutrition and undernutrition. Social media fad diets often leave a lot to be desired, as they can restrict vital nutrients and potentially lead to future health issues Naturopath and wellness expert Erin O'Hara says insufficient calorie consumption can lead to lack of energy and rapid weight loss- a balanced...

Director Christoffer Guldbrandsen exposes the turbulent legacy of former Trump adviser Roger Stone. 'A Storm Foretold' depicts three years of Roger Stone's partnership with the former president, including the fallout from the 2020 election and subsequent events on January 6, 2021. Flicks.co.nz editor Steve Newall says this documentary is a 'fascinating' political piece aided by the ongoing case ag...

Gardening expert and social media star Leah Evans has an unexpected solution to rising food prices. For the last several years, Evans and her family (including two sons) have been living off the homegrown food in the family's expansive garden. Passionate about gardening and food security, she is also a volunteer teaching food growing in schools and has a background in health science.   Her new boo...

Braised beef shin taco with avocado smash   Cook time: 11 hours  Prep time: 40 minutes  Serves: 12  1kg cubed beef shin, from your local butcher   2 x100gm cans chipotle peppers in adobo sauce   1 litre beef stock   2 tbsp tomato paste   1 tbsp flaky salt   Smashed avocado   2 ripe avocadoes   juice of 1 lemon   pinch salt   pinch black pepper   1 pkt masa soft taco   Fresh coriander   Grated chee...

Many older adults are worried about the sharpness of their memory as they get older. New research out this week shows how one simple change while you are sleeping can significantly improve your memory.  The research published in the journal  Frontiers in Neuroscience took 46 volunteers aged between 60-85 and subjected half of them to various aromatherapy natural oil fragrances for two hours each n...

Registered psychologist Dr Alia Bojilova has confronted all sorts of situations- making her an expert in resilience. After immigrating to New Zealand from Eastern Europe, she began her career with the NZDF, serving with the NZSAS and the Counter Terrorist Tactics Group. Her time in the military included negotiating the release of her team from a hostage situation in Syria, which won her the NZDF M...

The Silver Ferns have crashed out of the Netball World Cup in the semifinal stage. New Zealand went blow-for-blow with England until two late intercepts saw the Ferns slump to a 46-40 defeat. ZB sports reporter Nathan Limm says the team capitulated in the 4th quarter of the match- leading to this 'devastating' outcome. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.