The Sunday Session with Francesca Rudkin

Listen to the Sunday Session with Francesca Rudkin Full Show Podcast for Sunday 13 September.
Get the Sunday Session with Francesca Rudkin Full Show Podcast every Sunday on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts.

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Sisters Margo Flanagan and Rosa Power are the team behind Two Raw Sisters, and they've got a new recipe book out this week.

They published their first book seven years ago and they've written five earlier cookbooks - but this one promises to be different, with over 100 recipes you're gauranteed to turn into household staples.  

The pair have built the brand out of utilising healthy food that makes you feel good and that fits in with your life, but How We Cook is being pitched as the 'Two Raw Sisters bible'. 

"We wanted it to be the one that's always on your bench because you use it too much too much to put it away on your shelves...it's everything you need in one place."  

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Kiwi comedian and actor Josh Thomson is a regular presence on New Zealand's favourite comedy panel shows - and he's got a new TV project in the works.

He's also earned some international acclaim, including roles in shows like Pixar’s Win or Lose, The Office Australia, Young Rock and Time Bandits.

Good Bones is a dark comedy-mystery, and it's set to drop on ThreeNow and Neon on September 17.

"It's surreal, now, to be at this part of it - where Sky and TV3 are supporting us and trying to get it out there to as many people as we can." 

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Little Wonder by Sophie Chen Keller. Song’s son River is a musical prodigy and at the age of eleven he’s invited to study with a great master - but on the journey they become separated in the chaos of the Beijing railway station on the busiest day of the year. Over the following years, each in their own way tries to find their way back to the other as they both carve out new lives which only take them further apart. This is a really compelling story about a mother’s love, how we use our talents, and the enduring bonds of family.

The Farm by Bruce Ansley. Bruce is a Kiwi writer of real depth and charm, and this is his account of moving from an urban life to a more remote farm on the Banks Peninsula and encountering all the challenges of life in the country, especially when faced by a couple of townies. He writes with great warmth and wit and insight and this is a story to which many Kiwis could relate - either through their own living arrangements, or with a dream of life on the land, and then discovering the realities. 

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There's plenty of risky travel mistakes we can make, but over-packing is an underlooked issue.

People can risk getting back injuries by not being careful when handling their luggage, and new data from physios shows these injuries are becoming more common.

Travel expert and BloggerAtLarge writer Megan Singleton outlined the risks further - and shared her own travel tips.

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This week on the Sunday Panel, journalist and editor Jo McCarroll and Director at 818 Chris Henry joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the week - and more!

Election season is well under way - with the hoardings for various parties going up this weekend. What do we make of the campaign so far? Do the parties need to improve their strategies besides repeating slogans and attack ads?

The latest Moa Point disaster report revealed what Wellington Council could have done to stop things from getting this bad. What do we make of this? Is this a sign we need more accountability in the public sector? 

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On the Sunday Session with Francesca Rudkin Full Show Podcast for Sunday 6 September,Kiwi comedian and actor Josh Thomson has had a hot run of international roles in recent years. His latest role though is a local show and Josh joins Francesca to talk about that and the demand for him overseas.

Bestselling cookbook authors, Margo Flanagan and Rosa Power aka Two Raw Sisters, join Francesca to talk about their new cookbook and why they promote being intelligently lazy when it comes to cooking.

Francesca questions how much long MPs can stick to party messaging before they start to sound silly.

Australian Clinical Psychologist Monica Schweickle was the first in the world to legally use MDMA-assisted therapy for PTSD.  She shares with Francesca what she has learned in the three years since the treatment has been available over the ditch.

And on Father's Day we are looking out for the dads, Erin O'Hara talks self care strategies for the men in our lives.

Get the Sunday Session with Francesca Rudkin Full Show Podcast every Sunday on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts.

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There's still a stigma around men utilising self-care, with many under pressure to dedicate everything to their jobs.

Between climbing the corporate ladder or pushing themselves in their own businesses to help provide for their families, the stress can take a toll on their personal wellbeing.  

Naturopath and wellness expert Erin O'Hara unpacked the issue further - and outlined some self-care strategies. 

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Citrus roasted chicken with lentils and mint 

Cook time: 60 minutes 

Prep time: 15 minutes 

Serves: 4

6 bone-in chicken thighs 

2 tbsp sunflower oil  

3 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed  

1/2 cup fresh oregano, destalked and chopped  

2 lemons, zested and juiced  

1/2 tbsp salt  

1 x 400gm whole peeled tomatoes, crushed  

1 tbsp fennel seeds, toasted  

1/2 tbsp cumin seeds, toasted  

5 cardamon pods,  

3 cloves garlic, peeled  

1 tsp dried oregano  

1/2 tsp paprika powder  

2 cups chicken stock  

1 small onion, peeled and sliced  

2 cups le puy lentils, cooked 

2 cups pumpkins, peeled and cut into 2cm wedges  

Fresh coriander and mint

Start by marinating the chicken thighs. Mix all the marinate ingredients together and coat the chicken, place into a bowl and set aside.  

Turn the oven onto 180*c. Toss the pumpkin in a little oil and season, spread out onto a oven tray and roast until slightly colored and tender, approx 25 minutes.  

Take a heavy cast iron pan and heat over a medium high heat, place in the chickens skin side down. Turn when coloured. Then top with the tomatoes, onion, seeds, garlic, herbs and spices. Sprinkle over some salt and finally the chicken stock.  

Place over a piece of baking paper and tinfoil and bake for 30 minutes, then remove tinfoil and paper and cook for a further 30 minutes.  

Remove the chicken from the stock and skim off any excess fat, return the juices to a pot and reduce by 1/2.  

Add in the lentils and pumpkin, then spoon over the top of the chicken.  

Top with fresh coriander and mint leaves.

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David Byrne of the Talking Heads has written a song for a 'scathing' new Elon Musk documentary - reportedly comprised of the billionaire's quotes.

The new feature-length documentary, made by Alex Gibney, is out this October, and it's described as 'definitive and unvarnished examination' of the Tesla and SpaceX CEO.

Musk has been quick to criticise, labelling the documentary a 'hit piece'.

Entertainment correspondent Steve Newall explained further.

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A 'broken heart' can look just like a heart attack, and now a new blood test may tell the difference.

A broken heart isn't just an expression. Extreme emotional or physical stress can sometimes cause a genuine heart condition that looks remarkably like a heart attack. 

It's called Takotsubo syndrome, or 'broken heart syndrome', and it overwhelmingly affects women after menopause. 

Someone experiencing it may suddenly develop severe chest pain, an abnormal ECG and blood tests showing signs of heart injury. Even the heart's pumping ability can be affected. 

The problem is that these are also classic signs of a heart attack. 

The important difference is what's happening inside the heart. A typical heart attack involves a problem with blood flow through a coronary artery. With broken heart syndrome, part of the heart muscle temporarily stops contracting normally. 

Why knowing the difference matters:

Doctors can't simply look at a woman with chest pain and decide that stress caused it, and missing a genuine heart attack could be deadly. 

So currently, many patients with suspected Takotsubo undergo coronary angiography, an invasive procedure in which a catheter is passed through an artery, usually from the wrist or groin, and dye is used to look for blockages in the coronary arteries. 

It's often only after doctors find no culprit blockage that Takotsubo becomes clear. 

That matters particularly for older women as 86-91 percent of the Takotsubo patients were women over 50. 

The researchers behind this new study identified the lack of a reliable early non-invasive tests and published their study in the European Heart Journal.

They studied 3,615 patients who had either acute coronary syndrome or Takotsubo syndrome taking blood samples when patients arrived at hospital. They measured a range of substances in the blood associated with heart-muscle stress, inflammation, cholesterol, blood-vessel damage and the body's stress response. 

They then used machine learning to identify which combination was best at distinguishing Takotsubo from a conventional heart attack. 

The result was a five-part scoring system called BioTAK which combines biological sex with four blood measurements. 

One marker called sLOX-1, associated with blood-vessel changes and plaque disruption, was much higher in acute coronary syndrome. Another called PAM, involved in sympathetic nervous-system activity and anxiety regulation, was higher in Takotsubo. 

While the two conditions that can look almost identical from the outside the study showed they leave very different chemical fingerprints in the blood. 

The researchers then tested BioTAK on another 1,792 patients and found that it was able to accurately place almost 90% of patients into either a high- or low-probability group for Takotsubo before they underwent invasive angiography. 

BioTak could eventually give doctors another piece of information much earlier in the process, potentially helping some women with Takotsubo avoid an invasive procedure they didn't ultimately need. 

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Waikato distillery The Pōkeno Whisky Company has been selected for an international study into how different climates shape the maturation, chemistry and taste of whisky.

The study, titled Climate-Driven Maturation Signatures in Global Whisky: A Comparative Multi-Continental Chemical and Sensory Study, examines whiskies from The 8 Continent Series - including one matured in Antarctica. 

Pōkeno Whisky co-founder Matt Johns says the company uses New Zealand-grown ingredients - and the conditions where the barley grows are unique. 

"We get a very sweet raw material, compared to other countries. And we've got the pure spring water, our water is very rich in iron manganese - that's really going to help the fruitiness of a whisky." 

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A former party leader says political parties need to have big bold ideas - not just slogans.

Former United Future leader Peter Dunne says both National and Labour are fighting to keep their voters and trying to reach people who may be eyeing up the minor parties. 

He says that doesn't look to be working at the moment. 

Dunne says there's yet to be a standout moment from the campaign so far. 

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An Australian clinical psychologist says she's excited to see New Zealand following Australia in offering MDMA as a treatment option for PTSD. 

Medsafe has given two psychiatrists approval to prescribe the drug. 

Monica Schweickle says she's had the ability to use MDMA in treatment for the past three years. 

She says it can be a much quicker option for treatment - but it won't be given to every patient. 

"The people that we are sort of seeing - usually, they're tried a number of other things first. So MDMA's being used as a last resort."

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The All Blacks are smarting physically and mentally from the 29-24 loss to the Springboks in Soweto.

A shoulder injury to Ardie Savea means he won't be heading to Baltimore to attempt to level the series and Quinn Tupaea is also nursing a banged up knee.

Newstalk ZB rugby commentator Elliott Smith says the there's a lot of lessons the Kiwi side can take on board from this loss - including not letting the opposition surge too far ahead.

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So on Saturday morning, driving around Auckland, the sledgehammers were all go pounding election billboards into the ground. As once neat and tidy patches of grass were being transformed into a visual assault of names and faces just waiting to be vandalized by some smartarse, I thought to myself, only 9 more weeks to go.  

I love elections, I love a contest of ideas, I love watching my son be politically engaged and eager to cast a vote for the first time on November 7th.

But I’m also getting concerned that this contest of ideas is going to be frightfully dull, and short on ideas. 

Are we going to learn anything from a televised debate if a leader is constantly telling us what dreadful things their opponents will do if they get the chance, rather than selling us their own bold vision for this country? It’s politics by warning label.

The campaign so far feels defensive, reactive and relentlessly focused on the other side. Rather than asking voters to imagine a better New Zealand, the parties seem more interested in persuading us to be frightened of the alternative. Fear is a reliable political motivator.

I know - it’s a strategy and a tactic which is as old as marketing. Stick to the core message you want in people’s minds, and they will ultimately believe it. The National Party has decided that the only thing they want you to take away from any interview over the last week, and from TikTok, is that Labour is going to lump you with taxes if they come to power.

It’s already a tedious tactic as proven by National’s campaign Chair Simeon Brown on Friday afternoon talking to Heather du Plessis-Allan.

So, when does staying on message start to make you look silly? I would say on Friday afternoon, at about 7 past 5. 

For those of us who would like more than a soundbite this election, it’s going to be a long 9 weeks. But you have to hand it to National, they are controlling the conversation, and have put Labour on the backfoot as they have constantly had to defend their tax policy and account for their spending.  

The problem with sticking to the message, and telling us what other parties are planning to stick us with post-election, is that two can play that game. Labour has been pacing itself when it comes to getting into election mode, and they had a bit of a messy week, but as soon as they get a little momentum and decide on the messages they want to repeat, constantly, there is nothing stopping them doing the same.  

And with all the yapping back and forth, we’re the ones missing out on valuable conversations. There is something deeply unsatisfying about this election campaign so far.  

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Irish-born Kiwi author Nic Russell has dealt with an unrelenting amount of hardship and grief - and she's turned her experiences into a book.

She's survived breast cancer, she’s lost a child, had a heart transplant and been diagnosed with Parkinson's - all before the age of 50 - and that inspired Kenzie’s Gift, a charity that supports young people through times of grief.

She's shared her stories in a new book - Bollix.

"I'm changed, the events of my life have changed me - hopefully for the better. Hopefully I have more understanding and empathy and know what's important in life. I think that's really what life has taught me."

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Hundreds of family videos and years of research have gone into an intimate new documentary about rugby legend Jonah Lomu.

The film draws on archive footage to tell the story of the All Black, who died 11 years ago aged 40.

It follows Lomu from his time at Wesley College through his rise to the All Blacks, and the pressures that came with being in the limelight. 

Co-director Vea Mafile'o says the film captures the quiet moments the public never got to see.

"He went through a lot...and he did get a hard time from multiple different places, and so it felt really important to just put a little more context so people could have a better understanding of his life and upbringing."

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The Body and the Blood by Molly Crighton. This is a crime thriller set in and around St Paul’s Cathedral in Dunedin’s Octagon. A woman is found on the floor beneath the organ loft - initially the police assume she’d fallen, but a young police administrator senses that something more sinister was afoot and recruits a notorious journalist to help get to the bottom of it. For people who know Dunedin well, it’s a great location.

Big Little Truths by Liane Moriarty. Many readers will remember her excellent Big Little Lies some years ago which was subsequently made into a terrific TV series. This is a sequel, ten years later when the kids from the original book are now at college and their parents are navigating complex lives. There’s outrage in the community when the principal of the college receives a shocking delivery and a strange man starts hanging round the school, and eventually there has to be a reckoning. These are terrific characters, and anyone who loved the original book will also love this (though it can equally be read on its own). 

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About 8.7 million passengers were affected by a cyber attack on a group of airports in the UK last week.

Data relating to car park, lounge and fast-track security bookings at three major airports was accessed in the hack, including passengers’ email addresses, phone numbers, vehicle registrations and postcodes.

BloggerAtLarge.com writer Megan Singleton says this is a cautionary tale about the dangers of free wi-fi - and outlined how travellers can protect themselves while using the internet overseas.

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Fresh pappardelle with lemon gremolata 

Cook time: 2-3 minutes 

Prep time: 15 minutes 

Serves: 6

1 batch fresh pasta

3 lemons  

3 cloves garlic, crushed  

1 cup parsley, chopped  

2 tbsp grapeseed oil  

Sea salt  

Cracked pepper

Good parmesan

Zest the lemons and then juice into a bowl, add the oil, then add the crushed garlic and chopped parsley. Season well and set aside.  

To make the pappardelle - 

Cut the dough into 1/4 and then press down with your fingers to begin with.  

Lightly dust a bench surface and using a rolling pin roll out each 1/4 of pasta. Continue to roll until you reach a thickness of a about 2-3 mm.  

Dust with a touch more flour and cut into 1cm strips, toss over a touch more flour before continuing with the remaining pasta.  

Once all the pasta has been rolled and cut, bring a large pot of salted water to the boil. 

Drop in the pasta and allow it to come to the surface, Once the pasta is floating, continue to cook for a further 2 minutes before removing.  

In a large bowl, toss through the gremolata and finely grate over a pile of parmesan cheese. 

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This week on the Sunday Panel, Newstalk ZB Wellington Mornings host Nick Mills and host of The Prosperity Project, Nadine Higgins, joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the week - and more!

There's calls to make changes to the health system, with General Practice New Zealand outlining a 10-year plan and calling for a bipartisan approach to make changes. Do we think these changes are long overdue?

The Government has outlined their new social media bill, where teenagers under 16 would be banned from social media. But they're also indicated Kiwis of all ages could be banned from certain platforms if the major outlets don't comply. Do we think this is a step too far? 

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On the Sunday Session with Francesca Rudkin Full Show Podcast for Sunday 30 August, Jonah Lomu was a giant of the rugby world and a global superstar. A new documentary coming to cinemas this week sheds light on the life of Jonah behind the scenes.  Director Vea Mafile'o joins Francesca in studio to share what she learned about Jonah Lomu from her time working on the film.

A quote from her website best sums up the life of Irish born Kiwi, Nic Russell; “life didn’t just throw the book at Nic Russell – it dropped the whole library”.  Nic joins Francesca to talk about her life and how she's kept going through the hard times.

Francesca calls on politicians to have an honest conversation about tax, while General Practioners New Zealand has released a 100 year blue print to fix the health system. Interim Chair Justin Butcher talks to Francesca about the need for cross party support for a united health service.

And a warning this week around using the airport Wi-Fi, Megan Singleton has all the details.

Get the Sunday Session with Francesca Rudkin Full Show Podcast every Sunday on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts.

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Having one sugary drink a day probably doesn't feel like a particularly dangerous habit, but a large new study published in the journal Gastro Hep Advances suggests regularly drinking sugar-sweetened beverages could be associated with a large increase in the risk of stomach cancer. 
 
The researchers found that people consuming more than one sugary drink a day had around 2.5 times the risk of developing gastric cancer compared with people drinking them less than once a month. Among women, the association was even stronger, at around three times the risk. 
 
The study analysed two enormous long-running studies of 112,284 people where the participants regularly provided information about their health and lifestyle, while detailed food questionnaires collected every four years recorded what they ate and drank. 
 
Sugary drinks included regular fizzy drinks, fruit punch, lemonade and sports drinks. One serving was defined as 8 fluid ounces, about 237 mL. Participants were divided into five groups, from fewer than one serving a month to more than one every day.

Across more than 3.2 million person-years of observation, 278 people developed gastric cancer.

After adjusting for factors including body weight, smoking, alcohol consumption, diabetes, physical activity, calorie intake and overall diet quality, people drinking more than one sugary beverage a day had 2.45 times the risk of gastric cancer compared with people who essentially never drank them. 
 
One of the strongest known risk factors for stomach cancer is infection with Helicobacter pylori, a bacterium that can live in the stomach lining and cause long-term inflammation.

Researchers had H. pylori antibody measurements for a smaller subset of participants. Interestingly, sugary-drink consumption wasn't associated with H. pylori infection, suggesting the bacteria didn't explain the relationship they observed. 
 
They then looked at fructose, one of the major sugars in sugar-sweetened drinks.

Higher total fructose consumption was also associated with greater gastric cancer incidence overall and particularly among women. 
 
Scientists don't yet know how sugary drinks might influence cancer development. Possible mechanisms include weight gain, insulin resistance, inflammation, DNA damage and changes to the microbes living in our digestive system, but the biological mechanism remains unknown. 
 
Interestingly, the same pattern wasn't seen with artificially sweetened beverages. 
 
This was an observational study, so it can identify an association but can't prove cause and effect. Researchers couldn't randomly assign people to drink soft drinks every day for decades, so other differences between frequent and infrequent sugary-drink consumers could still contribute to the results. 

Researchers now need to reproduce the results in other populations and work out whether fructose or another aspect of sugary drinks could actually be contributing to cancer development. 
 
For now, it's another reminder that when it comes to our health, the small things we consume every day may matter more than the occasional treat. 

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Experts have noticed chronic fatigue syndrome is on the rise, and there's plenty of theories about why this is.

Between long Covid, post-viral fatigue, and chronic stress, there's a lot of factors at play and experts are trying to get a handle on it.

Naturopath and wellness expert Erin O'Hara outlined some measures that could boost recovery, including supplements, herbal medicine, exercise, and energy management. 

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Country music legend, songwriter and humanitarian Dolly Parton died last week, and tributes have been rolling in from all over the world.

Parton died in Nashville from cancer aged 80, and her music has seen a significant bump in streaming.

Entertainment correspondent Steve Newall looked back on the stories people have shared about her.

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From sheep to chic - wool has taken centre stage on the runway for another year.

Off the heels of New Zealand Fashion Week, the hugely popular annual WoolOn Gala Awards Evening has been hosted in Central Otago. 

69 designers showcased their work, each meeting the challenge of their garment containing at least 75 percent wool. 

Award-winning Kiwi fashion designer Liz Mitchell says it's wonderful to see people's creativity on the catwalk, especially with younger designers getting involved. 

"The future for wool should be be really strong...in the creative sector." 

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The Government has unveiled a proposed bill designed to ban under-16s from social media - and it could stop all Kiwis from accessing certain platforms if the companies don't comply.

Section 38 of the bill lays out 'access restriction orders' which gives the High Court power to require access service providers to stop providing access to these platforms. 

Newstalk ZB political reporter Ethan Griffiths says Meta could be faced with giving up 10 percent of its annual revenue if it doesn't comply with the bill - with Minister Erica Stanford saying 'meaningful' consequences are needed. 

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General Practice New Zealand's pitching its 10-year blue print for healing our health system.

Measures include long term workforce planning, a shared electronic care record, funding model reviews and sustained GP investment. 

Interim chair Justin Butcher says the country's health sector has been through challenging times and will likely go through more - and a unified approach is needed. 

"We've had Covid, and we'd be very naïve if we thought this would be the last one. So we do need to start to think and plan a little bit differently if we want to address the issues."

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The Springboks empire has struck back in Cape Town, levelling the Greatest Rivalry Series against the All Blacks at one-all.

South Africa claimed a 33-26 win, outscored four tries to three by the All Blacks but the difference was the superb goal-kicking of wing Cheslin Kolbe.

Newstalk ZB rugby commentator Elliott Smith says the All Blacks were left chasing their tails - leaving South Africa 'fully deserving' of their win.

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This week’s political noise was all about tax. It’s perhaps the key battleground heading into the election, even if the main parties seem determined to make their tax policies as uninspiring as possible.  

And that's not an accident. 

Our politicians know something very important about New Zealand voters, we don't like paying more tax. In fact, we tend to regard a tax increase as a personal insult.  

But here's the catch. We also expect good hospitals, decent schools, functioning roads, reliable infrastructure, police, welfare, superannuation and all the other things governments provide. 

We want Scandi-level public services at bargain basement tax rates.  

And that’s the challenge the main parties face with their tax policies and managing the public debate ahead of the election. When the public won’t make a real choice between services and cost, or accept any significant trade-offs, how do you pretend you’ve got a solution?

National's answer - after a couple of weeks of torturous wordplay - has landed on ‘no new taxes’. This doesn’t mean existing taxes won’t be increased, and we’re all wondering about the planned 12c-a-litre fuel tax hike due in January.  

Labour is offering a capital gains tax on investment property, expected to raise about $700 million a year once it’s up and running, and have confirmed they too would not introduce new taxes. However, Chris Hipkins wouldn’t confirm whether Labour would restore interest deductibility restrictions for landlords, a move that would have the effect of increasing the amount of tax landlords have to pay. 

The minor parties appeal to narrower constituencies so speak more freely and are considerably more ambitious. 

ACT is about retrenchment, controlled spending and shrinking the state. 

The Greens want to tax wealth, big companies, banks and large inheritances. Te Pāti Māori wants a $30,000 tax-free threshold and wealth taxes reaching 2.5 percent at the top. New Zealand First wants the first $14,000 tax-free and tax brackets indexed to inflation. 

And the Opportunity Party wants to blow up the traditional tax model altogether, replacing much of it with a land tax to fund a universal citizen's income. 

You can argue about whether these are good ideas. But at least they're ideas. 

The real question is though, under MMP what policy survives coalition negotiations? While many of these ideas are destined for the political equivalent of the recycling bin, they do give us an idea of how a party may negotiate a coalition agreement if they get the chance. For example, the Opportunity Party may drop their land tax policy in return for Labour to broaden their CGT.  

And then there’s the question of whether any of these ideas will raise enough money.

A capital gains tax on investment property which delivers $700 million sounds like a lot, until you remember the Government is spending $155 billion a year. It’ would be a slim contributor to the gap between Labour’s plan to maintain core Crown spending around 33 percent of GDP while revenue sits near 31 percent.  

To sum up - Labour's proposal isn't remotely big enough to transform the tax base, National's promise of no new taxes isn't an economic strategy, and proposing cuts in spending should mean being prepared to tell voters exactly what you won't be doing. 

Perhaps we're being offered exactly what the parties think we want. Small tax changes. No nasty surprises.  

But is it really? This week the results of a survey of 1600 people funded by the Cancer Society and published in the New Zealand Medical Journal found 62 percent of respondents supported the idea of paying more tax for increased healthcare funding. 29 percent were opposed.  

So maybe, instead of promising what they won’t do, we need politicians willing to have honest conversations rather than engage in verbal gymnastics and word-salad.  

Because if the choice at this election is simply tax a little more, tax a little less, or don't change anything, then frankly, we’re just voting for more of the same, and we know where that gets us.  

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Famed Kiwi outdoorsman Sam Gibson's found some more stories in the bush - and he's turned his findings into a new book.

Sam is deeply passionate about hunting, foraging, trapping, fishing and conservation, and even spent some time working for the Department of Conservation. 

A Bushman's Book of Yarns aims to teach readers about New Zealand's unique ecosystems and wildlife. 

"Now that I'm a Gisborne District Councillor, I do speaking gigs around the country, I've got young kids - like, a bit of time in the bush just by myself would be amazing." 

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This week, Lyttleton singer-songwriter Mel Parsons has landed a big milestone - after seven albums, she’s hit the top spot on the Kiwi charts.

Castle Hill has debuted at number one on not only the Top 20 Aotearoa Albums Chart, but the Top 40 Albums chart.

She says she's happy to see people enjoying it - and her kids appreciate how high it got on the charts. 

"The kids all think that we're rich now, that's their kind of marker. They're like - you're bigger than Olivia Dean! And I'm like - well, this week we are." 

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The Unselected Journals of Emma M.Lion by Beth Brower. This is a series of journals published by a writer purporting to be a 20 year old woman, in 1883 London, writing about her family, her housing situation and the events of her days. They’re charming and whimsical and become quickly very moreish with two books in the series just published and many more apparently to follow. Emma’s father has left her his London house in his will but her cousin Archibald is entitled to live there until she comes of age and he’s not best pleased at her inheritance. The books have a touch of An Unfortunate Series of Events, along with Anne of Green Gables and the Victorian era of Georgette Heyer. Once you start it’s hard to stop. 

Agrippaby Robert Harris – who is one of the finest contemporary writers, known also for his trilogy of Roman novels about Cicero. This new one is subtitled A Novel of Ancient Rome’s Descent into Dictatorship. Julius Caesar is dead, and the lives of two teenaged boys are about to be changed forever. One is Caesar's 17-year-old nephew, Octavius, whom he has made his heir; the other is Octavius's closest friend, Agrippa. Now aged 50, Agrippa presents this novel as his memoir remembering their eventful lives which were so intertwined, for better or worse, with fascinating history and insight. 

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During Megan Singleton's big group holiday in Fiji, she visited a local school in order to give them some much-needed supplies.

She'd contacted the head teacher prior, and her group brought over reams of coloured paper, pens, pencils, learning posters, books, stickers, paints, scissors and more. 

She revealed her tips for carrying out a similar exercise, including how to find a school, how to reach out, what types of things they want - and how to get a free extra suitcase on the plane to take the gifts over.

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Listen to the Sunday Session with Francesca Rudkin Full Show Podcast for Sunday 23 August.
Get the Sunday Session with Francesca Rudkin Full Show Podcast every Sunday on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts.

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This week on The Sunday Panel, TV producer, journalist and commentator Irene Gardiner and Front Page podcast host Chelsea Daniels joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day - and more!

ACT has expanded on their proposed cancer centre concept after Paul Henry spoke of the idea last month. Do we think this is a good idea? Does New Zealand have enough donors to get this through?

The Mount Maunganui landslide review came out last week, and it found the geotechnical risk had been noted by experts for decades - but local officials had failed to take any action. Are we appalled by this? Does Tauranga City Council need more accountability? 

Meta is on trial in California over claims it deliberately designed its platforms to be addictive to young people. Do we see any change coming from this? 

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Thanks to social media and similar online platforms, quick health fixes are more available than ever, and people are often drawn to solutions that feel simple and immediate.

Quick fixes offer instant gratification, provide a sense of control, and help us avoid the hard work and discomfort of making long-term lifestyle changes.

Naturopath and wellness expert Erin O'Hara explained further.

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Hot beef jerky

Cook time: 6 hours 

Prep time: 20 minutes

1kg beef silverside or blade steak  

Marinade  

1 cup sweet apple cider (or unsweetened apple juice)  

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar  

2 tbsp fish sauce  

¼ cup Dijon mustard  

¼ cup honey  

2 tbsp freshly cracked black pepper  

2 tbsp smoked paprika  

3 tbsp garlic powder  

1 tbsp onion powder  

1 tbsp sea salt  

2 tbsp crushed chili pepper

Remove all traces of visible fat from your piece of meat. Place the meat in the freezer for about 30 minutes, which will make it easier to slice thinly.  

Slice the meat in long thin strips, going with the grain. Place your meat in a re-sealable plastic bag along with the marinate ingredients. Place into the fridge to marinate overnight. 

Before you go any further, cover the bottom of your oven with aluminium foil. Things are going to get messy! 

Remove the strips of meat from the marinade and place them directly on your oven racks. No need to pat them dry just let the strips drip a little bit as you remove them. Place your racks back in the oven and set the temperature to 140*c. Keep the oven door slightly open by sticking a wooden spoon. This will allow moisture to escape so the meat has a chance to dry without cooking.  

Let the meat cook for about 3 hours, then flip it over and give it another 3 hours or so. Total cooking time depends on the size and thickness of your strips. Your jerky will be done when it’s dry enough that you can rip off a piece easily but not so dry that it’ll snap if you bend it.

Leave the jerky out to cool for a couple of hours then pop it into an airtight container or sealed plastic bag where it will keep unrefrigerated for up to 2 months.

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The headline sounds like something from a science fiction movie, but the reality is both less alarming and far more scientifically interesting.

Published in the journal Science, researchers designed viruses called bacteriophages, which infect only bacteria with the hope to use them as living medicines to fight infections that no longer respond to antibiotics. 

Scientists have used artificial intelligence to predict proteins and analyse DNA before, but designing an entire working genome with every gene, every control sequence and every interaction needed to build a functioning virus is vastly more difficult. 

The researchers started by training an AI model called Evo on millions of DNA sequences from a tiny bacteriophage called ΦX174, one of the best-studied viruses in biology, which infects only Escherichia coli (E. coli) bacteria. 

The goal was to teach the AI the rules of building similar viruses and it worked - the AI generated around 700,000 completely new viral genomes. 

From these, the scientists selected 285 promising genomes and the DNA was chemically synthesised in the laboratory. 

The synthetic genomes were then inserted into E. coli bacteria and 16 of them successfully produced functional viruses which contained new combinations of genes and DNA sequences that hadn't previously been seen in nature, yet they still managed to infect bacteria successfully. 

The team then tested if these AI-designed phages could solve bacterial resistance. 

They first allowed E. coli bacteria to evolve resistance against the natural ΦX174 virus. 

Normally, once resistance develops, treatment becomes ineffective. 

Instead of using one virus, the researchers mixed all 16 AI-generated phages into a cocktail. 

The bacteria that resisted the natural virus were rapidly overcome by the AI-designed mixture, while a comparable cocktail made from naturally occurring relatives of ΦX174 performed much less effectively. 

Each virus attacked the bacteria in slightly different ways. 

A mutation that protects bacteria from one virus doesn't necessarily protect it from all of them. 

Antibiotic resistance is one of the biggest challenges facing modern medicine and some infections, including tuberculosis and MRSA, are becoming increasingly difficult to treat because bacteria evolve resistance to our existing drugs. 

Phage therapy offers one possible alternative. 

This study suggests that, rather than searching nature for suitable phages, we may one day be able to design entirely new ones on demand, tailored to attack specific bacterial infections. 

That could dramatically speed up the development of future antimicrobial treatments. 

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The End of Oak Street is currently in theatres, and entertainment correspondent Steve Newall reveals whether it's worth a watch.

Starring Anne Hathaway, Ewan McGregor, Maisy Stella and Christian Convery, the film is about a family whose suburban neighbourhood has been transported from 1982 into the age of dinosaurs.

Steve Newall says it's 'punchy' and doesn't shy away from the 'menacing' details.

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There's hopes an unprecedented lawsuit against Meta will change social media as we know it.

The Facebook and Instagram owner is on trial in California over claims it deliberately designed its platforms to be addictive to young people.

More than half of US states have joined the lawsuit, seeking billions of dollars and changes to the platforms. 

Laura Marquez-Garrett, Counsel of Record in a successful case against Meta in March, says the platforms are designed to be digital nicotine - and it's not ok. 

"If we can change social media as we know it by taking out the digital nicotine and making it something that is safer, it's a great step forward - and I do think these outcomes could change social media for the better."

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ACT is hoping big-money backers will support its cancer hospital plan, paired with some Crown funding.

The party wants to build a $2-billion-dollar world-class cancer clinic in New Zealand - with campuses in both Auckland and Christchurch. 

It's an idea Paul Henry shared when he was announced as a candidate last month, and has been fleshed out by the party since. 

Henry says it's important to get as many people on board as they can, in order to get it all done.

"If you're waiting to get a complete consensus over something like this, it will never happen. There are so many plans that just sort of tick away in the background - people come and go and you spend money researching things and it never gets done."

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A gritty All Blacks performance has delivered a statement 33-16 win over South Africa at Ellis Park, scoring five tries to one.

But the ABs battled to get their scrum going, with several penalties either side of halftime before it stabilised.

Newstalk ZB rugby commentator Elliott Smith says the Kiwi side's victory didn't come easy, with the 55th minute scrum penalty against South Africa as the turning point.

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There’s something appealing about Harry and Meghan returning home. 

Sure, Harry once said he couldn’t imagine bringing his wife and children back to Britain. Given everything that happened you could hardly blame him. But people change, circumstances change, and children change everything. 

Archie and Lilibet are now seven and five, and Harry has spoken previously about how sad it was that he couldn’t show them his and their homeland. Now they’re apparently heading to British schools.  

You can understand why. America may have provided some respite, but Harry has also said that Britain will always be home. His royal lineage connects him to Britain in a unique way, and it must be hard for his children to understand this without experiencing it. There is something lovely about wanting your children to know the place, people and family you came from.

So far, the British reaction has been a mixture of curiosity, scepticism and the sort of weary fascination usually reserved for a long running family argument. Probably the most shocking thing about this announcement is that it was a surprise - it’s hard to keep a secret these days. 

Some newspapers have treated the prospect of Harry and Meghan spending more time in Britain as a possible thaw in family relations, while others remain convinced their return will bring continued drama. Either way, the British media will be waiting for them like a Labrador at a barbecue. The same press Harry has fought in court and accused of intrusion will happily make a healthy living from following his family around. There is no doubt the relationship will remain tense.  

The public mood seems less dramatic. Many people, like me, are happy to see them come back, provided they don’t expect the country to blithely ignore everything that’s led to this. There is room for a family reconciliation, but it will not be achieved through press releases, carefully timed television appearances, or long-form interviews.

And that’s why it also makes sense for Meghan to return to her roots. She’s in discussions to join the third season of Guy Ritchie’s Netflix’s hit series The Gentlemen. It’s welcome news, not because there’s anything wrong with making jam, but because Meghan has always had a career beyond being Harry’s wife. Getting back in front of a camera, in a properly scripted role and under someone else’s direction, could give her a stronger sense of purpose than yet another product launch. It may also help separate her public identity from the endless royal arguments.  

If Harry is finding a way back to Britain and Meghan is finding her way back to acting, perhaps both are finally moving towards lives that are less about explaining the past and more about doing something in the present. 

And yes, I know many can’t forgive Harry for being remarkably open about his family. Some call it disloyal. I’m not so sure. There’s something admirable about telling the truth, however uncomfortable, rather than pretending everything is fine while serious scandals swirl around family members like Andrew and Sarah Ferguson. At least Harry and Meghan were prepared to go it alone, and not entitled enough to think the firm would support them. 

Perhaps even Harry and Meghan can bring something useful to a modern monarchy; a touch of honesty, informality and a willingness to challenge the institution.  

The question is whether Charles can welcome that, and whether William can tolerate it. The King may see a son coming home. The future King may see a rival court arriving. 

Either way, this could be less a royal disaster than a second chance. 

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Former NZSAS soldier Mark Law became a national hero on December 9 2019, following the Whakaari-White Island eruption.

After learning of the eruption, Mark, alongside his colleagues, flew to the island, comforted the injured and flew 12 stranded survivors home.

Mark's actions ultimately saved lives, and he was awarded New Zealand's second highest bravery honour, the Bravery Star, for his actions - however his company, Kahu NZ, was charged and fined by WorkSafe for past tours on the island.

He wrote about the experience in his new memoir - Lucky You're Tough. 

"The rest of the recovery, the rest of the day are pretty clear, so I've been able to recall that easily." 

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Knitting is seeing a resurgence, largely thanks to five-time Olympic diver Tom Daley going viral for knitting in the stands between events.

After the Tokyo Olympics wrapped up, Tom now owns a knitting brand and has even been known to knit creations for celebrities - and he's now hosting Game of Wool: Britain's Best Knitter.

He says he taught himself to knit, and it eventually became his 'superpower.'

"It became my mindfulness, it became my mediation, and it became my way of switching off from the world around me, and taught me to slow down and be present, be in the moment." 

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The Governorby Lynda la Plante. The creator of the Jane Tennison series of books, Prime Suspect, has another story about a woman working in what was typically a male dominated industry - as governor of an English prison. Helen Hewitt is in her early 30’s and appointed to the top job where she goes up against unruly prisoners, staff who don’t want her in the job, and the politics of the prison service which undermine her from the start. Her time in the job changes her perspective on the role of prisons in society and the best way to manage punishment and rehabilitation. First published in 1995 it was made into a TV series and has recently been reissued by her publisher.

The Four Wives of Windsor by Simon Vigar - a royal watcher and journalist for many years. This is a look at the four women who have had the greatest profile and, to a greater or lesser degree, influence, in the modern UK monarchy. Diana, Camilla, Catherine and Meghan each of whom came from the outside, but ended up performing pivotal roles in the evolution of the House of Windsor. For monarchists, these women are endlessly fascinating. 

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There's a new travel trend gaining popularity among older people, and it can be affordable if you do the sums.

People are spending their first years of retirement living on cruise ships before downsizing to retirement villages - or buying a residence on one of the new residential cruise ships.

BloggerAtLarge.com writer Megan Singleton explained further.

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On the Sunday Session with Francesca Rudkin Full Show Podcast for Sunday 16 August, British Olympian Tom Daley went viral at the Tokyo Olympics as he sat in the stands knitting between events.  Now he's somewhat of a celebrity knitter and joins Francesca to talk about his new show Game of Wool and why the show, and knitting, are appealing to younger generations.

The day Whakaari White Island erupted, helicopter pilot Mark Law led an unofficial rescue mission to the island that ultimately saved lives. He shares his story of that day and his life with Francesca. 

In recent weeks, big tech companies have reported multiple cases of their AI systems going rogue during routine testing.  It raises the question, how much is AI capable? Kiwi scientist Matthew Egbert is involved in international research to answer just that and talks to Francesca about the importance of understanding AI.

And scientists have just taught lettuce to grow it's own meat protein. Dr Michelle Dickinson shares the details.

Get the Sunday Session with Francesca Rudkin Full Show Podcast every Sunday on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts.

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This week on the Sunday Panel, broadcaster and journalist Wilhelmina O'Keefe and Resident Economist at Opes Partners, Ed McKnight, joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day - and more! 

Luxon managed to survive another leadership challenge last week. But what could this saga mean for the National Party 12 weeks ahead of the election? Will this hurt their chances at getting another term?

The Meta glasses have sparked concerns about the privacy levels we can expect when we're out in public.  How do we feel about the potential of these glasses and people unknowingly being recorded? To what extent do we expect your privacy to be protected?

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If you have ever felt constantly 'on edge,' emotionally exhausted or stuck in survival mode, you might be dealing with a dysregulated nervous system.

Extra stresses can dysregulate the nervous system, leading to feeling stuck in fight-or-flight mode.

Naturopath and wellness expert Erin O'Hara reveals how to get ahead of it. 

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Hot apple cobbler with soft cream 

Cook time: 5 minutes 

Prep time: 25 minutes 

Serves: 6

6 braeburn apples  

1/4 cup water  

1 tbsp honey  

1 teaspoon vanilla extract  

1/2 tsp cinnamon  

1 tbsp raw sugar  

3 tbsp lemon curd (optional)  

Cobbler topping  

1/2 cup milk  

1 egg  

250 gm plain flour  

1/2 cup raw sugar  

120 gm butter, cubed and chilled  

1 tsp baking powder  

1 tsp vanilla extract  

Pinch of salt  

250 ml cream, whipped to soft peaks

To prepare the cobbler topping, whisk together the milk and egg. Place the flour and sugar in a bowl and add the butter. Rub them between your fingers until the mixture starts to resemble breadcrumbs. Add in the baking powder, vanilla and salt and then slowly stir in the milk mixture until well combined - the mix will be a bit runny.  

Pre-heat a oven to 180*c fan-bake.  

To make the filling, peel and core the apples. Cut into large wedges and place into a medium pot with the water, honey, vanilla and cinnamon. Cook over a medium heat until all the liquid has evaporated.  

To assemble the cobbler, spoon the apple filling into a 22 cm round oven proof dish. Top with lemon curd if using and then the cobbler topping, leaving some gaps for the apple to rise up during the cooking. Sprinkle the extra tablespoon of sugar over the top.  

Bake for 40 minutes, then serve hot with soft cream. 

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The world of meat alternatives could be about to change after new research published in the journal Frontiers in Plant Science came out this week. 

Instead of trying to make plants taste more like meat using flavourings, they've taught plants to manufacture myoglobin, the same protein that gives meat its distinctive colour, flavour and nutritional value.

Myoglobin stores oxygen inside muscle cells, but it also gives meat many of its defining characteristics. It contains iron-rich heme molecules that contribute to meat's red colour, metallic taste and savoury "umami" flavour.  

In plants, chloroplasts are the structures where photosynthesis happens, converting sunlight into energy. 

Chloroplasts are also excellent protein factories which carry multiple copies of its own DNA. 

That means if you insert a useful gene into the chloroplast genome, the plant can produce very large amounts of the corresponding protein.  

The researchers used a gene gun where tiny gold particles were coated with DNA containing the pig myoglobin gene and fired into the leaves of young tobacco and lettuce plants. 

Some of those microscopic DNA-coated particles entered the chloroplasts, where the new gene became incorporated into the chloroplast's own circular DNA.  

The transformed plants were then grown to maturity where they flowered, produced seeds and their offspring inherited the new gene 

The scientists crushed leaf tissue from the mature plants, separated all the proteins using gel electrophoresis, and then used an antibody test called a Western blot to specifically detect myoglobin which showed up in both the tobacco and lettuce plants. 

Myoglobin only works properly when it contains a heme group, an iron-containing molecule that sits in the middle of the protein. 

The researchers found that only around 35 percnet of the plant-produced myoglobin contained heme, compared with around 80 percent for myoglobin produced in bacteria. 

The plants were making the protein successfully, but many of the molecules were still missing their iron-containing centre. 

That tells scientists where the next engineering challenge lies and future versions will likely focus on helping plants load more heme into the protein.  

Despite producing large amounts of myoglobin, the plants grew normally, flowered, produced seeds and remained fertile which is an encouraging sign if this technology is ever scaled up. 

We could have a future where large quantities of leafy crops could be grown in fields and the myoglobin extracted and purified before being added as an ingredient to plant-based meat products, improving their colour, flavour and nutritional value. 

The researchers also speculate that one day, if regulators approve it, specially engineered lettuce could even become a source of heme iron itself.  

So does it taste like meat? We don't know yet. The researchers didn't cook burgers or run taste tests. This study was about proving that plants can manufacture the protein in the first place. The next challenge is increasing the amount of fully functional, heme-containing myoglobin before testing whether it really improves the flavour of plant-based meat. 

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Last week, millions of people flocked to Spain to watch a rare total eclipse of the sun.

Around 91 percent of the sun was obscured by the moon, and it inspired people to listen to listen to some songs that matched the moment.

Bonnie Tyler's Total Eclipse Of The Heart, Chris Staples Dark Side Of The Moon, and Pink Floyd's Eclipse all saw significant bumps in streaming. 

Entertainment correspondent Steve Newall explained further.

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Another New Zealand Fashion Week is set to get under way, and it aims to be one of the biggest events of the year.

The event will return to Shed 10 from August 17 to 22, and Caitlin Crisp, Twenty Seven Names and the Kāhui Collective are among the names set to appear.

New Zealand Fashion Week owner Feroz Ali says the industry needs to adapt to a changing market - and they're aiming to boost international co-operation. 

"The decisions we took post-Covid...have led us to be where we are today. And we're extremely grateful for both the local Government, Tātaki Auckland, etc - for giving us continued support." 

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It was a big week in Parliament, with Luxon facing another leadership challenge ahead of the election.

The Prime Minister held on to his leadership role, Minister Chris Penk was stripped of his portfolios - but speculation's growing about what this means for National. 

Political commentator Brigitte Morton says it's a 'messy' look for the Government, and it's likely there will be some damage as a result of this.

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The All Blacks will take a three-from-three record into the opening test match of their tour of South Africa.

They've just wrapped up a 50 to 19 victory over the Bulls in Pretoria, backing up wins over the Sharks and Stormers.

The first test against the Springboks is in Johannesburg next Sunday.

Newstalk ZB rugby commentator Elliott Smith recapped the action, and explained what fans could expect next week.

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There's been plenty of incidents of AI going rogue, with  OpenAI, Anthropic, and Meta seeing issues during security testing.

As AI technology develops, researchers are taking steps to understand how it could all grow and change, as well as what separates AI from humans.

Multiple AI labs around the world are part of the study, including University of Auckland computer scientist, Dr Matthew Egbert.

"We've got lots of examples of technology that's not done what we've expected it to - and I think that the AI technology that's emerging is just giving us yet another example of this. It's hard to predict what technology it's going to do, and how society's going to interact with the technology."

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As you may have heard, this time a week ago ZB turned one hundred years old, and on Friday night we threw a little party to celebrate.  

The Prime Minister came, and made a speech, and he was brilliant. He was smart, very funny, relaxed - he roasted us respectfully and took the mickey out of himself beautifully. It was a great speech, well-delivered and it had everyone in the room asking - so where has this guy been?  

But here’s the thing about being human - we’re just not always ‘on’. It’s hard to always say the right thing, articulate ourselves well and be relatable. Even if you are a politician who is expected to do it every day. 

And that’s why I like Luxon. He hasn’t completely turned into a political talking point robot. I know politics should be about policy and not personality, but personality has always mattered. As I’ve said before - whether it was John Key's easy-going style, Jacinda Ardern's empathy, or Winston Peters' theatre - how politicians communicate is just as important as what they say.

And on Friday night, Luxon was probably the best communicator in a room packed full with communicators.  

I said it last week, the MMP referendum debacle had blown out of proportion. Then there was the Prime Minister’s message to Rotorua businesses, true to the National Party view but poorly articulated. A more succinct, less patronising version eventually followed.  

With less than 90 days to the election, these hardly seemed meaty enough incidences to trigger a coup and destabilise the party.  It seems enough National caucus members agree. For now.  

Luxon was able to stare down his detractors, but having to defend his leadership for the second time in four months is not good for the party. It implies internal division, and with no one believing Chris Penk went into the caucus meeting as a lone wolf it’s clear not everyone believes Luxon is the best person for the job.  

So what does he do now?

First, shut the door on the leadership question. Completely. No more speculation, no more caucus drama, no more leaks to journalists. If National is going to win on November 7, Luxon needs every MP looking outward, not over their shoulder at the person sitting next to them.

Then he needs to simplify the campaign. 

Don't make it a referendum on Christopher Luxon. Make it a referendum on what National has delivered and what it intends to do next. Focus on the economy, cost of living, jobs, law and order, health and getting Government spending under control. These are the bread-and-butter issues that determine how people feel about their lives. 

And Luxon needs to rediscover the version of himself voters elected in 2023: competent, optimistic, focused and practical. Less political noise. Fewer unnecessary fights. More evidence that the Government is getting things done. Most importantly, National needs to look united. Not pretend to be united. Actually be united.

Because right now voters need a reason to trust this team to run the country.

Luxon has won the battle inside National.

Now he has 12 weeks to win the one that matters. 

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Australian actress Melissa George has been on our screens for years, and she's taking on a new Kiwi comedy-crime drama.

She started out as Angel Parrish on Home and Away, and she's made a name for herself in other international projects like Mulholland Drive, Grey’s Anatomy, Friends, The Slap, among others.

She's now starring in Ms. X, which is available on ThreeNow, and she's revealed she was into the show from the first script reading.

"It was the first time I had to adapt, to change who I was in order to get along with the person in front of me. And that was the sign that I knew I'd found my match." 

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Back in 2023, former Labour Minister Kiri Allan hit a low point - and had to step down from politics.

After crashing her car while over the alcohol limit, she resigned from Labour and her political career came to an end.

She's shared her story and opened up about what happened that night in Wellington in her new memoir, Go Hard or Go Home.

"I carried a lot of shame, guilt...as the book says, my world shattered down and it's all my fault. So I carried that for quite a long time, and it was very hard to come out of the cave, knowing that you'd let so many people down. So it was a long period of healing." 

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The Correspondentby Virginia Evans. This was actually released last year, but has had huge word of mouth enthusiasm for many, many readers and was voted onto the new Whitcoulls Top 100 last month. It’s now out in a second format and is the story of a woman’s life told through letters which she writes to a number of people important to her - some of whom are well known writers with whom she has an affinity, such as Ann Patchett, Joan Didion and Larry McMurtry - but also letters to her friends, her son, her brother and many others. It’s warm, illuminating of a life well lived and I adored it. 

The Girl with the Seven Livesby Vikas Swarup. He was the author of Q and A which was made into the wildly successful movie Slumdog Millionaire, and he’s back with a similarly quirky story about Devi, a young woman being held at ransom by a masked man who insists that over the course of a single day she recounts the seven very different episodes in her life for which he holds her to blame, whilst threatening to sell her off to the highest bidder as people affected by her various actions over the course of her life seek revenge. It’s cleverly constructed and tells a very Indian story of the many lives lived by one woman.

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Megan Singleton's just returned from a multi-generational holiday in Fiji and she's outlined how to plan a similar big trip - without everything blowing apart.

They stayed at the Shangri La Resort on the Coral Coast, because it was important to find a location that appealed to a group aged 4 to 80, with a good beach, activities and a wide range of dining options.

She outlined her experience further here. 

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This week on the Sunday Panel, Newstalk ZB host Kerre Woodham and Trish Sherson from Sherson Willis PR joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day - and more! 

Newstalk ZB celebrates 100 years today. What are our favourite memories of the station? What stories do we remember? What role does radio serve in a changing market.

So Chris Luxon hasn't been having a good week - with new polls and the MMP announcement raising some concerns. There's growing calls for some new leadership in the National Party - do we see Luxon bouncing back? 

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On the Sunday Session with Francesca Rudkin Full Show Podcast for Sunday 9 August, in July 2023 Kiri Allan hit rock bottom.  She joins Francesca today to share her story of the burnout and the car crash that ultimately ended her political career.

Melissa George first appeared on our screens 33 years ago as 16 year old Angel on Home and Away. Melissa tells Francesca what brought her back down under for local Kiwi series Ms X, after many years living overseas.

Today marks 100 years of ZB.  Long time station manager Bill Francis shares his memories with Francesca and talks of some of the more memorable moments that make ZB what it is today.

And what was everyone eating back in 1926 when ZB first appeared? Mike Van de Elzen has been looking back through the archives and shares a recipe that is as good today, as it was back in 1926.

Get the Sunday Session with Francesca Rudkin Full Show Podcast every Sunday on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts.

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The winter season brings colds and seasonal illnesses, and they can slow you down and get spread to other people.

Colds are usually caused by viruses and symptoms typically last about a week, but the most severe symptoms only occur for two to three days

Naturopath and wellness expert Erin O'Hara reveals how to ease symptoms for a quick recovery - and which remedies work the best.

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Classic bombe Alaska

Cook time: 10 minutes 

Prep time: 30 minutes 

Serves: 6

Start by scooping 6 balls of ice-cream and place them into the freezer to harden.

Now, make up the sponge by sifting flour and baking powder together. Fold lightly into egg mixture, sugar, salt, & vanilla. Then fold in the butter. Pour into greased 20cm tray.

Bake at 200 for 8-10 minutes or until lightly browned. 

Allow to cool before cutting into small discs slightly bigger than the ice-cream scoop. You will have heaps leftover. 

Now make up the Italian meringue, one cooled place into a pipping bag. 

It's now time to make up the bombe -

Place the scoop of ice-cream onto of one sponge disc. Pipe the meringue mixture around the ice-cream, starting from the bottom and layering up around the ice-cream to the top. Try to ensure all theres no gaps exposing the ice-cream 

Take a blow torch and burn the outside of the meringue until well colored. If you don't have a blow torch crank up your oven on grill and quickly cook the bombes until till dark 

Just before you serve pour over some brandy and light at the table! Be careful!

Italian meringue 

Cook time: 12 minutes 

Prep time: 30 minutes 

Serves: 12

350gm sugar 

80ml water 

6 egg whites

In a pot, bring the sugar and water to a boil, turn down the heat to medium and continue to cook till the sugar reaches 110*c. Throughout this time use a pastry in cold water to keep the inside sides of the pot clean.  

Once you reach 110*c, start whisking whites in a bench top mixer. 

You want the whites to be just foaming, if this is reached before sugar is ready, turn mixer down to low speed to stabilize the whites until sugar is ready. 

When sugar reaches 120*c take off the heat and slowly pour into whipping whites at a medium speed,  

Turn mixer up faster as the sugar blends in. (take care not to pour sugar onto beater as it will spin it around bowl and not into the whites) 

When all sugar is in, turn mixer to high and beat until cool and glossy. 

The end product should be extremely glossy and quite dense to touch. Place into a piping bag ready to be used. 

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If you love dogs but can’t own one because of allergies, scientists may have a solution.

In a new study, published inThe CRISPR Journal, researchers used CRISPR gene editing to remove the gene responsible for producing the major protein called Can f 1 that triggers dog allergies in many people. 

Using CRISPR-Cas9, the scientists edited skin cells taken from the beagles. CRISPR acts a bit like molecular scissors, cutting DNA at a precise location. In this case, they introduced a tiny one-letter insertion into the Can f 1 gene that disrupted its instructions, preventing the protein from being made. 

Those edited cells were then used in somatic cell nuclear transfer, the same cloning technique used to create Dolly the sheep. The DNA from an edited cell was placed into a donor egg, creating an embryo carrying the genetic change. 

The team produced 25 embryos and implanted them into a surrogate beagle. 

Two embryos developed successfully and became puppies called Bailey and Alfie. 

The researchers then sequenced the puppies' DNA to confirm that the intended genetic change was present and checked if any other parts of the genome were accidentally edited. 

Next the scientists collected saliva, hair and dander from the edited beagles. 

They also collected samples from a normal beagle, a standard poodle and a goldendoodle. 

Using a laboratory technique called a Western blot, which detects specific proteins, they searched for Can f 1. 
The results showed the normal beagle, poodle and goldendoodle all produced the allergen but the gene-edited dogs didn’t. 

This also reinforced something many allergy specialists have said for years: poodles and doodles still produce the major dog allergen despite often being described as hypoallergenic. 

Finally the experiment involved testing these new Beagles on humans with known dog allergies using a classic skin prick test. 

Tiny drops containing extracts from different dogs were placed on the volunteer's arm before gently pricking the skin. If the immune system recognised the allergen, a raised itchy bump called a wheal would appear within about 20 minutes. 

The normal beagle, poodle and goldendoodle produced the expected allergic reaction, but extracts from Bailey and Alfie produced no detectable skin reaction at all. 

So far, Bailey and Alfie appear to be developing normally with no obvious health problems linked to the missing gene. 

For decades we've treated allergies by trying to change the person, using medications or immunotherapy to calm the immune system. 

Instead of changing the immune system, the researchers changed the source of the allergen. 

Whether gene-edited allergy-friendly dogs eventually become widely available remains to be seen. There are still ethical, regulatory and practical questions to answer. 

But scientifically, it's an elegant demonstration of what modern gene editing can achieve.

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The 2026 New Zealand International Film Festival has gotten under way, and there's still a chance to check out something new this weekend.

It’s a packed programme with screenings running all over the nation, but there's plenty of unconventional pieces made by directors from New Zealand and beyond.

Entertainment correspondent Steve Newall outlined his picks.

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There's growing calls for another look at solar power and renewable energy following a chilly week for the nation.

The recent cold snap has brought a power warning across the country, with Transpower expecting record electricity demand.

The current Government, Labour and the Greens are all considering changes when it comes to solar power in our country, but is solar the answer to our energy issues and rising power bills? 

Rewiring Aotearoa research and development lead Josh Ellison says power bills have been on the rise over the last few years - and they're outpacing inflation. 

"It's been increasing a lot faster than inflation and a lot faster than it should be increasing, and so I think the shock gets bigger every year."

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National's electoral vote success will be on the minds of its newly ranked MPs, with a fight for list positions potentially on for election night. 

The party's 2026 list sees no adjustment to its top eight, while James Meager jumps to 18 and Melissa Lee falls to 30.

Former Minister and commentator Peter Dunne says this list was reasonably predictable, with a lack of notable changes.

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The man who stood at the helm of Newstalk ZB for 17 years has weighed in on its 100-year anniversary. 

Today marks a century since the radio station's first broadcast. 

Bill Francis joined ZB in the early 80's and became station manager in 1993. 

He says it was a tough start, with the station dropping from number one in the market to number six - forcing it to change its format.

"Once it got back in front, you know it's just never really stopped, it continues to be Auckland's radio station - a first choice. Which is wonderful. So yeah, I'm delighted that ZB rolls on."

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Today marks 100 years of ZB. There have been numerous different versions of the station over that time, different station names, frequencies, and formats. There have been many memorable hosts, a change in accents from British to casual modern Kiwi and, of course, an almost incomprehensible amount of coverage of all the major - and minor - domestic and global events of the last 100 years.  

Given the media has always been a challenging, competitive and changeable industry, that ZB is still here, healthier and stronger than ever, 100 years after its first broadcast, tells us that the community, comfort, entertainment, discussion and analysis it works hard to provide means something to our listeners.  

And the listeners are the point of it all. We’re only here because of our wonderfully diverse, interested and curious listeners from all around the country who text and call to agree or disagree agreeably with us, our interviewees, or each other.  

You will all have your own memories or moments of ZB - and I would love to hear them throughout the show today. You can text on 9292.  

I started listening to Newstalk ZB properly when I had my two children. I was working part time - mostly nights and weekends, and was fortunate enough to spend my days with the kids. As amazing as it was being in a bubble with my baby and a toddler, by 4pm I was pretty desperate for some adult company, so I’d listen to Larry Williams’ drive show.  

Unknown to Larry, I chatted to him, nodded furiously in agreement, and probably blew raspberries when I begged to differ. He made me feel connected to the world and reminded me there were more things to think about than toilet training, mushed up food and the chaotic state of my house. Larry helped get me through those pre-school years, and I will always be grateful.

And that’s where I think, in my humble opinion, Newstalk ZB really gets it right.  

For thousands of New Zealanders, the voice coming through the speakers isn't just information. It's company on a sleepless night, a familiar voice during the morning commute, or someone to share a joke or raspberry with while making dinner.  

In a world increasingly shaped by personalised algorithms and endless scrolling tailored just for us, radio brings people together. It lets us share our stories with each other, learn more by debating issues together, and connects us with others who feel the same way.  

Coming from a television background, I was a bit snobby about radio -TV people tend to believe television is the superior format. But all it took was one show back in 2018 and I was hooked on the immediacy of radio. What I’ve learnt over the last 9 years is that while radio might be one of the oldest forms of media it is still one of the most human.

Here’s to another hundy! However that looks.  

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Last year, social media personality Louis Davis was named New Zealand TikTok Creator of the Year - off the back of his family life as a stay at home dad to three girls.

He has a global following of over 3 million, and last year alone his content racked up 3 billion views.

He says his goal is to tell stories while avoiding stereotypes about his background. 

"If this is all you're going to see about Māori men and you live on the other side of the world, in the UK or you live in Africa or you live in the Bahamas and this is the only thing you see about my people, you're going to know that we're a people of goodness." 

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Dying Daysby Anthony Byrt. Set in May, 1945, near the end of the Second World War, Tito’s Yugoslav army and the Allies are in a tense standoff in the city of Trieste. When a group of Kiwi soldiers go missing, tensions escalate and the unlikely pairing of a British MI6 officer and a New Zealand intelligence officer is flung together to locate them.

The Queen and Her Presidentsby Susan Page. During Queen Elizabeth the Second’s time on the throne, 13 US Presidents came and went, from Harry S. Truman to Donald Trump. This is a fascinating and charming account of those relationships, full of anecdotes and history and reinforcing her reputation as a masterful diplomat and a woman of enormous influence. 

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New York is an infamously expensive city, especially when it comes to accommodation, but there are many things you can see and do if you're on a budget.

Despite the city being 'frightfully' expensive - Megan Singleton has outlined her affordable hotspots, including the Brooklyn Bridge, the Staten Island Ferry, the 9/11 Memorial and Museum - and of course, the pizza slices! 

For more of Megan's travel tips and advice, check here.

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This week on the Sunday Panel, Coast Day host Lorna Riley and Newstalk ZB host Roman Travers joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day - and more! 

A new MSD report has confirmed that child poverty has gotten worse over the last few years. How can we fix these alarming statistics? What can we do? 

Winston Peters has prompted backlash over his controversial comments targeting a Green MP. Does there need to be more accountability? Particularly given Winston is Foreign Minister and this made global headlines?

Phone etiquette - do we need a warning every time someone tries to call us?  

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Millions turn to social media every day for entertainment, advice and information - including health advice from artificially generated sources.

Some of the videos appearing online were not created by real health experts, with plenty of content designed more around selling products over helping people answer their health questions.

Misleading AI-generated health influencers are fake online personalities and computer-generated medical videos using deepfakes, fabricated doctor personas, and false product endorsements to sell unproven supplements.

Naturopath and wellness expert Erin O'Hara explained further.

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On the Sunday Session with Francesca Rudkin Full Show Podcast for Sunday 2 August, Richard E Grant has been on the acting scene for almost 40 years but his latest role but be his maddest yet.  He tells Francesca what drew him to the raucous period drama Savage House and the unusual wrap present co-star Claire Foy bought him.

NZ TikTok Creator of the Year Louis Davis is an internet sensation with over 3 million followers globally.His wholesome content centres around family life as a stay at home dad, he joins Francesca to share how that has inspired his new book.

Dr Claire Achmad ended her tenure as Children's Commissioner on Friday, she shares what still needs to be addressed when it comes to the wellbeing of children in New Zealand.

And New Yorkcan be an expensive place to visit but our travel contributor Megan Singleton has all the tips for free and cheap things to do in the big apple.

Get the Sunday Session with Francesca Rudkin Full Show Podcast every Sunday on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts.

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Richard E Grant's been taking on unusual roles in his acting career, and his latest project, Savage House, is no exception.

Over the last few decades, he's made a name for himself with roles like Dracula, The Age of Innocence, Star Wars and Can You Ever Forgive Me.

He's playing Sir Chauncey in the new raucous period drama, and it promises to give audiences a memorable experience.

"In this case, I wanted to know what happened to this character, from the beginning, middle, all the way to the end."

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Beef, pumpkin and bean burrito 

Cook time: 25 minutes 

Prep time: 25 minutes 

Serves: 6

300gm beef mince  

3 tbsp sunflower oil  

1 onion, peeled & diced  

4 cloves garlic, peeled & crushed  

1 can whole-peeled tomatoes  

2 tbsp Mike's house rub  

1/2 pumpkin, peeled & diced  

3 carrots, peeled & diced  

1 can black beans, drained  

3 cups cooked rice  

1 cup grated tasty cheese  

salt and pepper  

6 flour wraps

Pre-heat your oven to 180*c. Toss the pumpkin and carrots in oil and season. Spread out onto a tray and bake for 25 minutes, remove and cool.  

Heat a medium sized pan and add in the onions and garlic.  

Sauté for few minutes before adding the beef mince and house rub. Continue to sauté before adding in the whole-peeled tomatoes. Cook for a further 10 minutes before turning off, allowing to cool.  

To make up the burritos, carefully combine the mince, pumpkin, carrot, beans, rice and seasoning. Place 4-5 tbsp of beef onto each wrap and top with cheese. Wrap up tight and then wrap in tin-foil.  

Place into the oven for 25 minutes before serving.

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You probably think of a sauna as somewhere to relax, recover after exercise, or simply warm up on a cold day. 

However, scientists have discovered that just 30 minutes in a sauna may temporarily change the way your immune system behaves. 

New research published in the journal Temperaturefound that just one single sauna session caused every major type of white blood cell to increase in the bloodstream. These are the cells that help defend you against infections, clear away damaged cells and coordinate your body's immune response. 

Most of the time, many of these cells aren't constantly travelling around your body. Instead, they wait in places like your bone marrow, spleen and lymph nodes until they're needed. 

You can think of them like emergency services. You don't keep every police officer, firefighter and ambulance driving around every street all day. Most are stationed at their bases, ready to respond when something happens. 

But every now and then, it can be useful to have more of them out on patrol. 

That's essentially what the researchers think happened during the sauna. The heat appeared to temporarily send more immune cells into circulation, giving them the opportunity to move through the body looking for signs of infection, damaged tissue or anything else that doesn't belong.  

Scientists call this immune surveillance. 

In the experiments the researchers recruited 51 adults with an average age of 50. Each volunteer spent 15 minutes in a traditional Finnish sauna heated to around 73°C, cooled off with a two-minute shower, then returned to the sauna for another 15 minutes. Blood samples were taken before the sauna, immediately afterwards and again 30 minutes later, allowing the researchers to watch how the immune system responded in real time. 

Blood tests revealed that every major type of white blood cell increased immediately after the sauna. Neutrophils, the body's first responders to infection, and lymphocytes, which help recognise and destroy infected cells, both surged into the bloodstream before returning to their usual levels about 30 minutes later.    

That suggests these cells weren't being created from scratch. Instead, they were temporarily moving out of their storage sites and into circulation before returning home again. 

The scientists also measured 37 different cytokines, the chemical messenger molecules that immune cells use to communicate with one another. Surprisingly, despite the dramatic movement of white blood cells, very few of these signalling molecules changed. The researchers think this means the immediate response to a sauna is driven more by moving immune cells around the body than by switching the immune system into a highly inflammatory state. 

While the study didn't go on to look at whether people who regularly took saunas had a stronger immune system, it does show that your immune system isn't sitting still while you're relaxing, but instead is working harder than ever. 

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The flash mob dancer who stole the show at the Commonwealth Games says they wanted to entertain the crowd with something flashy - but not too serious. 

Scotland's CJ Miller, known as 'Mop Man', has delighted audiences with half-time performances using household appliances as props, often coming out as a cleaner before breaking into dance.

The 25-year-old says the props were not their idea.

"I was instructed - here is your vacuum, here is your mop, have fun. And I was like - what about me makes you think that I would find this fun? But you know what, I was proven wrong." 

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Universal Studios is launching two Ozzy Osbourne-inspired haunted houses designed to take guests on a 'Crazy Train' trip through his life and career.

The two new developments are coming to Universal Orlando Resort and Universal Studios Hollywood, and will cover the decades of his life and his creative output.

Entertainment correspondent Steve Newall explained further. 

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They say you're never too old to learn something new, and one Kiwi entrepreneur is using this as the basis for her new education initiative.

Frances Valintine recently launched the Love Heart Social Learning programme, and it's designed to educate Kiwis over 60 and encourage connection.

She says she's been working in education for years and seen Kiwis in their late 40s and beyond return for masters degrees and she felt inspired to use this for a social enterprise.

"It's extraordinarily important, all the studies have come out around cognitive decline, Alzheimer's', dementia, etc - a lot of it comes through loneliness and lack of connection to people, but also the lack of keeping your mind busy. So people often take up reading or they go into book clubs, they might do other things that they haven't done before."

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A Rotorua business leader told Prime Minister Christopher Luxon about the city’s struggling economy at a function, prompting the PM to tell business owners to 'be adult'.

Luxon was in Rotorua last week with appointments including the recent Business Chamber Westpac Smarts Breakfast.

Newstalk ZB political reporter Ethan Griffiths says Luxon's comments have prompted outrage, with Labour condemning him for 'lecturing' business owners about the state of the economy.

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There's been more setbacks in reducing the number of New Zealand children living in poverty.

A recent Ministry of Social Development report shows almost 169,000 children were living in material hardship last year, up from 160,000 the year before.

The report says rising expenses have significantly lifted hardship since 2023.

Children's Commissioner Dr Claire Achmad, who's set to finish up in the role, says children in poverty haven't been made a priority since 2022. 

"After the Child Poverty Reduction Act was passed in 2018, actually, we did see a measurable decrease in child material hardship, for example. But then from 2022, what we have been seeing is that over that time is that there has been a measurable increase in child poverty."

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There are about 97 days until we vote in the general election. I hope most of those days are better spent than with this week’s spite and showboating.  

Winston Peters has spent decades proving he can bluster his way through most controversies, but his performance in the house has brought his role as Foreign Minister under scrutiny.  

Let’s be clear, neither Peters nor the Green MP Lawrence Xu-Nan covered themselves in glory in the House this week. Their exchange during a public debate where Peters told Xu-Nan to "go back to your own country" was attention seeking and designed to generate headlines as these days viral clips are valued more in modern politics than persuasive arguments and debate. Xu-Nan interjections about Peter’s vaccine status were provocative but, considering his position, Peter’s response was worse.  

If Peters was simply the leader of New Zealand First this week, the temptation would be to shrug, roll your eyes and file the skirmish away under “classic Winston”. Political theatre has always been part of his brand, and he probably calculated the exchange would resonate with his base. Election campaigns reward sharp elbows.  

But Peters is also NZ’s Foreign Affairs Minister and spends his time, we would hope, nurturing our relationships with other nations.  

When your words prompt a formal diplomatic protest from China and make headlines around the world, they stop being just domestic political theatre. China is New Zealand’s biggest trading parter, and the Foreign Minister’s job is to advance New Zealand’s interests, not create diplomatic fires.  

Ministers often survive offensive remarks, but Foreign Ministers should be held to a different standard because every word can have a diplomatic consequence. Peters knows this better than anyone. Decades of experience don’t excuse the lapse, they make it harder to defend.  

Christopher Luxon’s response - 5 out of 10. He deserves some credit for calling the comments “outrageous”, “very offensive and completely inappropriate", and racist, but stopped short of imposing any consequences, and expressed confidence in Peters as Foreign Minister.  

So, strong diagnosis, weak prescription from the Prime Minister. As you would expect the opposition has called for Peter’s sacking, a position backed by former leaders Helen Clark and Don Brash.

Everyone is using this spat as a means to campaign. Luxon’s told a public meeting on Friday that the answer was "pretty simple." "Party vote National," he said.  

With three months until the election we can unfortunately expect more provocation, more culture war politics and more headline chasing.

This may energise parts of New Zealand First’s base, but it risks alienating other voters who are sick of the drama and desperately looking for rational, thoughtful conversations about issues and what matters.

There is a reason the Opportunity Party is doing well in the polls. It’s not necessarily about their policies - the party also appeals to people who are fed up with the status quo and the same politicians playing the same tiresome games. 

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Former Goldenhorse lead singer Kirsten Morrell denies her new solo project has been a long time coming - but it kind of was.

Over 20 years ago, iconic Kiwi pop band Goldenhorse was putting out music - but since the group broke up, Morrell stayed involved in the scene.

She released her first solo album in 2010 and her second album, Morrelium, recently came out last Friday.

"I'd been pent-up creatively for years, I didn't feel permission because of the Goldenhorse hiatus thing - I didn't feel a permission to be me or to be free creatively."

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Kiwi actor Karl Urban's managed to find significant success overseas, but he's returned to New Zealand for his new role in an upcoming local film.

Between The Boys, Lord of the Rings, Star Trek, and Thor: Ragnarok, his credit list of big international hits is extensive.

He returned to star in Andrew Nicol’s new film I, Object back in 2024 and he says it's great to be filming near where he grew up.

"I was actually shooting over in Australia and I was approached to do the voice of one of the objects in the movie, and then I promptly got another callback saying - 'would you consider the role of Frank?' And it seemed to me I've had a lot of fun doing that and I really wanted to work with Andrew."

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No Prisoners by Ellis Blake. Hannah Lyon is a brilliant physicist whose husband disappears and when the police don’t take much interest, takes matters into her own hands, uncovering not only the truth of what happened to him, but also another dark secret from her family’s past. Set in New Mexico, this is actually written by a Kiwi author.

Getting Away with Murderby Shari Lapena. Jill and Ted live the good life in Manhattan, but when their extravagance and poor investments catch up with them they come up with a deadly plan to secure their future. 

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Megan Singleton's journey's continue - and she's currently seeing what Fiji has to offer.

She's on a 'multi-generational' holiday, and she's observed there seems to be a lot to offer for young families, from pools, to beaches to dining.

She joined Francesca to explain further.

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This week on the Sunday panel, director at 818 Chris Henry andpartner at Freebairn and Hehir Liam Hehir joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day - and more!

Stuart Nash has stepped away from NZ First after accusing Napier MP Katie Nimon of being lazy - and copping backlash from all sides of the political aisle. Are we surprised about this? Do we think this is the right call? 

National recently announced that if they got re-elected, they'd gradually extend paid parental leave to 30 weeks by 2029, with a longer-term goal of reaching 40 weeks. Do we think this is a good idea? Is National taking advantage of the Stuart Nash controversy? 

There's a new trend - dopamine apps let you fill out a food delivery order or an online shopping cart without delivering anything. But do we think this is a good idea? 

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On the Sunday Session with Francesca Rudkin Full Show Podcast for Sunday 26 July, one of our most successful acting imports has returned home to film a rate local film.  Karl Urban talks his new kiwi film I, Object and pays tribute to the late Sam Neill and talks of his impact on the local film industry.

Goldenhorse lead singerKirsten Morrell is back with her first solo album in a few years. Kirsten tells Francesca why she returned to writing music after a long break.

Could New Zealand have its first comprehensive cancer centre within the next decade? Head of University of Auckland's new Department of Cancer Sciences, Dr Ben Lawrence, has a grand new vision and joins Francesca to talk about how he plans to make it reality.

And Erin O'Hara tells what really happens to your body when you skip meals

Get the Sunday Session with Francesca Rudkin Full Show Podcast every Sunday on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts.

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Whether you are intermittent fasting, working through lunch or skipping breakfast, going too long between meals can have some serious consequences on your health and metabolism.

Food helps to power every system in our bodies, so pretty much every part of your body is impacted when you skip a meal or fast.

Naturopath and wellness expert Erin O'Hara explained further - and how we can create healthy routines to support our metabolism.

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Dutch style pancakes with lemon curd 

Cook time: 20 minutes 

Prep time: 5 minutes 

Serves: 6-8

6 lemons  

4 medium eggs, lightly beaten 

350 gm caster sugar 

120 gm unsalted butter, cubed

Pancakes 

1 cup plain flour 

1 tsp caster sugar 

Pinch of salt 

1 egg 

3/4 cup trim milk 

2 tbsp oil for frying

Using a microplane, zest the lemons and squeeze the juice of all.  

Place juice and zest into a heat proof bowl, along with the lightly beaten eggs, then stir in the sugar.  

Bring a pot of water to the boil and place the bowl over the top. Whisk whilst cooking out the egg, continue to cook till the mixture reaches 76*c or starts to thicken like a runny custard.  

Remove from the water.

Add in the cubed butter, one at a time. Continuing to whisk until all the butter is added.  

For the pancakes  

Sift flour and combine with the sugar and salt. Add egg and gradually whisk in the milk. Stand in the fridge for at least an hour. 

Heat a little oil in a large frying pan, pour in the pancake mix in batches (1/4 cup of mix makes one pancake), tip the pan to spread out the batter across the pan. After 2 minutes turn and cook for a further 2 minutes.

Place the pancake onto a pan and spread over some curd and roll up.  

Serve hot! 

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If you reach for a caffeine-filled drink first thing every morning, you've probably heard conflicting advice over the years. 

Caffeine is good for you, caffeine is bad for you. 

So which is it? 

A new scientific review published in the journal Circulationsuggests we've been asking the wrong question. 

Instead of asking whether caffeine is healthy, we should be asking what the caffeine comes packaged with. 

Your morning coffee and an energy drink might contain similar amounts of caffeine, but they are not the same when it comes to your heart. 

Studying caffeine sounds simple, give people caffeine and see what happens. 

The problem is that researchers usually aren't studying caffeine in isolation, they're studying coffee. 

And coffee isn't simply a caffeine delivery system, it's a remarkably complex drink containing hundreds of biologically active compounds, including antioxidants and anti-inflammatory molecules that appear to have health effects of their own. 

Rather than conducting one new experiment, researchers reviewed decades of evidence, bringing together large population studies involving hundreds of thousands of people, randomised controlled trials, genetic research and laboratory experiments to build the clearest picture yet of caffeine and heart health. 

The findings were reassuring for coffee drinkers. 

For most healthy adults, consuming up to 400 milligrams of caffeine a day (3-4 cups of regular coffee) appears to be safe. 

Surprisingly people who drank moderate amounts of coffee (even decaf) consistently showed lower risks of heart disease, stroke, heart failure and Type 2 diabetes. 

Scientists think those benefits may have less to do with caffeine itself and more to do with the antioxidants in coffee which appear to improve blood vessel function, increase insulin sensitivity and even influence the bacteria living inside our gut. 

Coffee isn't just delivering caffeine; it's delivering an entire chemical cocktail that may help offset some of caffeine's effects.

Energy drinks contain similar amounts of caffeine to coffee, but they also contain ingredients such as taurine that may increase how quickly caffeine is absorbed. 

Unlike coffee, these highly concentrated caffeine drinks were associated with: 

The caffeine molecule may be identical, but the delivery system isn't. 

Ever wondered why one person can drink an espresso after dinner and sleep perfectly, while someone else lies awake after a lunchtime coffee? 

Researchers estimate that 30–50 percent of the differences in how people tolerate caffeine are inherited. 

Much of that comes down to variations in a liver enzyme called CYP1A2, which controls how quickly caffeine is broken down. 

Fast metabolisers clear caffeine quickly, slow metabolisers can experience stronger and longer-lasting effects, even after drinking exactly the same cup of coffee. 

That's why there is no universal "safe" amount that works for everyone. 

Finally, how you brew your coffee matters.

Unfiltered coffee, including French press, Turkish coffee and some espresso preparations contains higher amounts of a compound called cafestol, which can raise LDL ("bad") cholesterol. 

Paper filters remove most of it meaning your brewing method may influence your heart health just as much as the amount of coffee you drink. 

This study doesn't suggest everyone should start drinking coffee, but instead, highlights that foods are more than the sum of their ingredients. 

Coffee delivers caffeine alongside hundreds of naturally occurring compounds that may work together to produce health benefits. 

Energy drinks often deliver concentrated caffeine alongside ingredients that appear to amplify cardiovascular stress. 

The stimulant may be the same, but the biology isn't. 

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It's looking likely that System of a Down and Faith No More will be announcing a new tour very soon.

Teaser images have been spotted around Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane - as well as Wellington.

Entertainment correspondent Steve Newall reveals what we know so far. 

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