The Sunday Session with Francesca Rudkin

Tourists may think twice before visiting Venice, with a new entrance fee set to be put in place.

The tax will be levied on tourists who come to the Italian city for just a day.

BloggerAtLarge writer Megan Singleton says this move has been met with scepticism from residents and critics alike.

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

Is health the best area to be making cuts in? Is there a difference between making cuts, and making cuts to bring an organisation back to budget? Are we concerned that this will have an impact on hospital care for patients?

New research shows more people than ever are retiring at 67, up from 61 two decades ago. Does this mean we need to raise the superannuation age? 

The Wiggles have released dance remixes of their greatest hits- do we see this catching on?

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There's a lot of hype around 'free-from' diets - but will they do people more harm than good?

There's been an uptick in people avoiding certain ingredients for dietary reasons, including gluten, dairy, eggs, and soy.

Naturopath and wellness expert Erin O'Hara unpacks this trend - and examines the drawbacks.

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The New Zealand International Comedy Festival begins this week - and one Kiwi comic is set to make a return to the stage.

Actress, writer and Billy T nominee Alice Snedden has been making waves overseas, having written and directed international hit series Starstruckwith Rose Matafeo.

She says it's been difficult returning to the world of stand-up after four and a half years.

"You have an expectation of how good you'll be at it - and then you have to measure up against the reality. It's like if I hadn't exercised for four and a half years and then I'm like - now I'll go run a marathon."

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Chorizo paella with green chili and coriander:

Cook time: 45 minutes

Prep time: 5 minutes

Serves: 6

2 tbsp sunflower oil

1 white onion, peeled and diced

3 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed

2 chorizo sausage, sliced

1/2 tsp smoked paprika

1/2 cup red wine

1 1/2 cups long grain rice

3 cups vegetable stock

2 tsp tomato puree

1/2 tsp salt good crack of pepper

12 cooked prawns

1 green chili (cayenne or similar)

1/2 cup fresh coriander

1 lemon, cut into 6

Start by pre-heat your oven to 180*c

Place a deep EngelElzen pan or deep cast iron pan onto a element and start by sautéing the onion and garlic in the sunflower oil until soft. Add in the chorizo and continue to sauté. Once the chorizo starts to colour up slightly, add the rice.

Reduce the heat and sauté the rice for a couple of minutes before you add in the red wine. Reduce the wine fully before adding in the vegetable stock, tomato puree and season with salt and pepper.

Place a skillet pan or lid onto the pan and fire it into the oven for 35 minutes.

After this time, remove and check the rice is just cooked through. If it is, scatter over the prawn and place back into the oven without a lid for a further 10 minutes.

After this time, remove and top with sliced green chili, coriander and lemon wedges.

Serve.

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I am not a robot.

It’s a common box that you have to tick on many websites as you log in - which apparently proves that you are a human, and not a robot.

Many people however, seem to be more robot than human as they struggle to get the correct answers - which in some cases could mean the difference between getting tickets to a sell-out show or not.

Captchas (an acronym for 'Completely Automated Public Turing Test to Tell Computers and Humans Apart') are puzzles designed to safeguard websites from spamming bots attacking networks and websites.

The captchas can be as simple as checking an 'I am not a robot' box or more difficult such as deciphering artistically drawn letters or numbers, or sometimes seemingly impossible like identifying images in a grid that contain a stoplight.

The bad news for those of us who already struggle to solve the current captchas, is that they are about to get a lot harder.

Since captchas were launched in the year 2000, bots have become much smarter, meaning that now it's the humans that need to keep up.

Researchers at the University of California, Irvine recently found that bots could consistently answer the captchas that showed distorted text with almost 100 percent accuracy.

With the advancement of artificial intelligence powered image recognition - bots can now also identify images including stoplights, bridges and the other common images that captchas ask humans to find.

Ironically, while humans still struggle with these image tests trying to decide if the tiny corner of a stoplight, or bridge within a square is enough to be selected or not, the bots have learned exactly how much is needed to pass through the system.

So what do we have to look forward to?

To try and outsmart the robots again, captchas are moving to puzzles that ask humans to solve puzzles that will seem to make no sense. As robots and AI struggle with nonsensical problems it is hoped that presenting puzzles that don’t look like real life could give humans the advantage again.

New puzzles might show you a picture of a wild animal that is dressed in human-like clothing including a vest and jacket. Rather than be in the forest, the animal might be floating around with some watermelons. The captcha request could be to click on the animal’s bowtie. Hopefully easy for a human, but perhaps more difficult for a robot with so many parts of the image being out of context.

Other puzzles might ask you to identify two objects in a photograph that are the same shape, or to click on the non-aquatic animal in a photo containing lots of different sea creatures.

So if you are just learning how to be more human than a robot in a test, get ready to redefine your humanness once again.

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Comedy, action and romance come together in The Fall Guy - now playing in theatres.

Starring Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt, the film explores the world of stunts and movie-making it between romantic drama and brewing conspiracies.

Flicks.co.nz editor Steve Newall examines whether or not this film is worth a watch. 

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Irish author Marian Keyes is back with her 16th book - My Favourite Mistake.

She's already sold 35 million books over the course of her career, and even has a Netflix adaptation in the pipeline.

Keyes says she felt inspired to write about relationships, friendships romances and community during a turbulent time in the world.

"I've subsequently discovered that people are craving love stories. Because what we read goes through phases - I still read a lot of crime because everything gets sorted out in a crime novel. And the same with love stories, things get fixed."

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Kiwi kids will return to school tomorrow - but the cellphones won't be part of the experience.

The Government's ban on phones in schools kicks in from term two, meaning students won't be able to use them during the day, including lunch time and breaks.

NZ Secondary Principals' Council chair Kate Gainsford says schools across the country already have measures in place - but these changes will make it easier to stop distractions.

"Parents have really appreciated the support, because they're often having the same kind of conversations in their own family home about the harmful effects and about limiting screentime, so having the adults working together is helpful."

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Prime Minister Chris Luxon has pulled no punches in his first Cabinet reshuffle during his tenure.

Media Minister Melissa Lee and Disabilities Minister Penny Simmonds have both been dropped from their portfolios, after a string of controversies surrounding them.

ZB political editor Jason Walls says Luxon has acted on the number one rule in politics to remove all distractions.

But he says he has a bit more sympathy for Lee, where the Government was hamstrung on what they could do amid the media's woes.

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It was amazing to see so many people out commemorating ANZAC Day at Dawn Services and parades around the country this week.

We may move chronologically further away from the horrors of World War I, but it’s heart-warming to see so many people continue to honour the sacrifices made by our servicemen and women at any point in history, and currently.

Our Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Affairs Minister was in Turkey and delivered a moving tribute at the dawn ceremony in Gallipoli, which was quickly identified as having a few passages that closely resembled the sentiments of a famous speech by a former US President. Abraham Lincoln, no less!

The minister’s speech went from being praised to being questioned. Was it inspiring or embarrassing?

The answer is, both. It was a good speech. It fitted the occasion. It followed the structure you’d expect, commemorating the lives of those lost in war, and reflecting on how that sacrifice can guide us today.

Regardless of whether the passages would have benefited from referencing Lincoln or quoting him directly and attributing them to the rightful author - and so avoiding the embarrassing taint of plagiarism - the importance of the message itself shouldn’t be lost in this little controversy.

Let’s be honest, unless you have a robust knowledge of political speeches throughout history you’re not going to have recognised the references, and even now, when we understand the origins, it doesn’t change the meaning and purpose of the speech the minister gave.

There are plenty of more embarrassing situations when politicians have been caught using other people’s words.

After being re-elected as a UK Labour MP, Kate Osamor’s speech to her constituency was borrowed from one of Barack Obama’s post-victory speeches in Chicago. The changes were minor – she removed “American” and replaced it with “Edmonton”, her constituency.

American politicians have borrowed from the UK as well. In 1987, Joe Biden copied several passages from a speech by former UK Labour Leader Neil Kinnock without attribution. It ended his campaign for president, and Kellyanne Conway was all too happy to bring up again in the 2020 election campaign. Kinnock came out in support of Joe, so that backfired.

Some plagiarism has you scratching your head, such as in 2016 when Melania Trump was accused of plagiarising a speech by Michelle Obama. How anyone thought that was a good idea, I just don’t know.

And then we have our own Prime Minister, taking things to his own unique level, by referencing himself at his Waitangi Day speech earlier this year. Turns out, some people are so good they only need to quote themselves.

Hope you had a good ANZAC Day. Let’s keep focused on what’s important. We will remember them.

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WARNING: This interview mentions suicide and may be distressing.

Reports of online 'sextortion' are on the rise, according to experts.

Recently, police have issued a warning claiming reports of online child exploitation have quadrupled in the last five years. 

Bloomberg investigative journalist Olivia Carville says the FBI has labelled this issue a 'hidden pandemic' for users.

"This crime has exploded in recent years- as the New Zealand police have pointed out as well. It's not just happening in New Zealand and America, this is a global issue."

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Broadcaster and Podcaster Brodie Kane joins Director at Capital and political commentator Ben Thomas on The Panel.

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Ava DuVernay is a critically acclaimed, Hollywood film-maker who's not afraid to push the boundaries. 

She's behind films such as Oscar nominated Selma, and documentary 13th. 

Her latest film has been labelled rebellious and radical - based on the book Caste by Pulitzer Prize winning author Isabel Wilkerson, the film is called Origin.

Ava joined Francesca to discuss her newest film. 

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Studies show about a third of people wake throughout the night, with various reasons for sleep disruptions. 

Erin O'Hara is a naturopath and joined Francesca Rudkin to discuss ways to get better sleep.

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Bacon and Egg Pie 

Cook time: 40 minutes 

Prep time: 10 minutes 

1 packet of flaky puff pastry, 5 sheets 

10 fresh eggs 

150g streaky bacon, cut into 1 cm dice 

½ white onion 

1 stick of rosemary (optional) 

½ tsp flaky sea salt and cracked pepper 

2 T sesame seeds 

Preheat your oven to 180 degrees 

Take a heavy 26cm EngelElzen cast-iron or similar pan and lightly spray the inside with cooking spray. 

Crack one egg into a small bowl and lightly beat with a fork. 

Start by laying one sheet of flaky pastry on side of the pan then another 1/3 of the way around, brushing with eggwash where the pasty touches. Then the third sheet to cover the remaining pan. The whole inside of the pan should now be covered. 

Spread the bacon out across the bottom, the crack in the remaining eggs. Sprinkle across the sliced white onion, seasalt and a good crack of pepper. 

Lay the remaining 2 sheets of pastry across the top, again using egg wash to bind the 2 sheets. Fold over the outside edge and roll to seal. Sprinkle over the sesame seeds and leaves of the rosemary. 

Heat the pan on the stove top for 4 minutes before placing into the oven on a lower rack. 

Cook for 40 minutes or until golden brown. 

Serve the next morning with some spicy tomato jam. 

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Scientists off the coast of south-east Alaska used an underwater speaker to play a recording of a humpback whale greeting call. 

A humpback whale broke away from its group and approached the vessel, in which is thought to be the first time humans and whales have communicated with each other in the humpback language. 

Nanogirl Dr Michelle Dickinson discussed this and more with Francesca Rudkin.

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Steve Newall from flicks.co.nz joined Francesca to chat nominations for the Aotearoa Music Awards, as well as Zendaya's new film Challengers. 

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Last weekend in the aftermath of the Bondi Mall stabbings, we saw a prime example of how badly wrong the internet can go. 

For 14 hours, Sydney student Ben Cohen was widely named and wrongly identified as the killer - and it spread like wildfire internationally.

By Sunday morning, his name had made its way into the mainstream media - with Australia's 7News misidentifying Ben as the attacker. 

Barrister Chris Patterson joined Francesca to discuss how this happened. 

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In 1944, Phyllis 'Pippa' Latour parachuted into Nazi occupied Normandy as an undercover agent. 

Had she been discovered, she would have been shot instantly - however Pippa made it out. In fact, she was one of the last female special operations agents to get out of France Alive. 

After the war, Pippa ended up here in New Zealand, but never told a soul, not even her husband or children, about her mission during the war. 

Before she died last year, she told her fill story to Jude Dobson.

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Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has had a busy week in Southeast Asia. 

ZB Political Editor Jason Walls discussed with Francesca Rudkin what came out of this trip, as well as further AUKUS Pillar 2 talks. 

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I’m not sure the government thought through the timing of this week’s release of guidelines around kids’ illness and school attendance. 

Half way through the school holidays, I can assure Associate Education Minister David Seymour that after another week most parents will be happily marching their children off to school, snotty nose or not. 

Which isn’t to say we don’t love our children. They’re the most important things in our lives, we’d do anything for them, and we love spending time with them.  

But let’s be honest, we prefer it when they’re at school for a number of reasons. It’s where they need to be to get an education. We also want them out of the house. We like routine. The juggle of childcare and looking after sick children for two working parents is a nightmare if you can't work from home. And finally, those who parented through lockdowns understand the academic, social and health impacts on our children when they aren’t in school regularly.  

So while the coalition government’s intentions are good and we want kids in school as much as possible, acting like a nanny state and telling us how to parent isn’t the way to do it. 

We’ve moved on since Covid’s restrictions and most parents are making sensible decisions about when they should or shouldn’t send their kids to school. A decision that 's best for their own child, and the rest of the classroom. For the most part I think parents do their best to get that balance right.  

I understand this is part of the Minister’s plan to lift school attendance rates and make the stats look better with short-term illness or medical reasons the biggest cause of justified absences.  

Don’t forget a child only needs to be away from school for a week a term to be categories as not regularly attending. That’s a high bar.   

But let’s not focus too much on short term illness. We know children and teens can catch up after a few days off battling a cold. Longer term medical reasons are more of a concern.  

Talk to the amazing team at the Northern Health School, who help children carry on with their education when they’re assessed as too medically unwell to attend school. They’ll tell you their students used to be mostly being treated for cancer or recovering from an operation. Now, they’re overwhelmed with children dealing with serious mental health issues. 

I can say from experience that the work they do is vital to getting students back into school without having fallen behind academically. They are some of the unsung heroes of our education system.  

So instead of patronising parents about colds and snotty noses, I’d like to see the government focus on addressing a much more important issue, how do they better support the educational needs of children dealing with much more serious life challenges that keeps them out of school for longer periods of time. And if they haven't already, I'd suggest they start by having a chat with those making a difference in this area daily. 

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On Friday, Mike McRoberts announced his news presenting journey would come to an end. 

The final 6pm NewsHub bulletin on July 5th will also be Mike's last... after a 40 year career in the media, half of which was spent in the prime-time news slot.

Mike McRoberts joined Francesca Rudkin to discuss his decision to step away. 

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The Borrowed Hillsby Scott Preston. Set amidst the foot and mouth scare in Cumbria in 2001, this is the story of two men, William and Steve, who have neighbouring sheep farms and are forced to destroy all their stock. They attempt to hide the remnants of one of their flocks from the authorities, and then when Williamfalls in with a criminal shyster, Steve is roped into their plans to travel south to rustle a pedigree flock from a faraway farm to give them something to go on with. William’s new friend brings chaos and destruction close to home. Whilst this is set against a somewhat brutal background. the author’s craft lifts it to another level entirely. 

A Calamity of Soulsby David Baldacci. In southern Virginia in 1968, a black man and his wife are charged with the murder of an elderly white couple. Jack Lee takes on their case and is joined by a young black lawyer who’s a crusader for justice and civil rights. Everything is stacked against them and the relentless march towards Death Row for their defendants looks inevitable. This took David Baldacci ten years to write and is his most deeply personal story yet – and even for those of us who have read a lot of legal thrillers set in similar circumstances, the degree to which racism was entrenched in the State at that time is truly shocking and makes for a highly charged novel. 

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If you're about to embark on a first cruise or you're carrying out a post-Covid bucket list adventure, there's plenty you should be aware of before you set sail.

BloggerAtLarge's Megan Singleton recommends returning to the ship on time during planned excursions, and taking advantage of the dining room- among more travel tips.

Read more of Megan's advice for what not to do on cruises here.

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This week on the Sunday Panel, Coast's Lorna Riley and senior PR consultant at One Plus One Communications, Damien Venuto, joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the week- and more! 

There's growing concern locally produced Kiwi content could be facing more difficulties. On top of the Newshub and TVNZ cuts, there's fears TV shows like Shortland Street could be scrapped. Should we do more to save Kiwi content? 

World Athletics recently confirmed it plans to offer gold medallists a cash prize in the upcoming Paris Olympics. Is this the right decision?

Rage rooms- would you pay to go somewhere to work out your anger?

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Dietary fibre supplements are enjoying a resurgence in the world of wellness.

Research shows fibre has plenty of benefits- it helps with regulating bowel movements and gut health, weight management and blood sugar regulation.

Naturopath and wellness expert explains the benefits of fibre, and other ways we can get it besides supplements.

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Beer battered fish with creamy tartare sauce

Cook time: 5 minutes

Prep time: 20 minutes

Serves: 6

4 sides white fish like, gurnard, snapper, or similar

2 bottles beer

1 cup flour

salt

oil for frying

Creamy Tartare

2 egg yolks

1 Tbsp white wine vinegar

1 tsp Dijon mustard

300ml grapeseed oil

3 Tbsp crème fraiche

2 Tbsp chopped capers

2 Tbsp chopped gherkins

2 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley

juice and zest of 1 lemon

salt

freshly ground black pepper

Start by making the the tartare.

Place egg yolks, vinegar and mustard in a food processor and blitz to combine. With the motor running, gradually add the oil until the mayonnaise is thick and smooth. Now add all of the other ingredients and stir to combine.

Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Pour the beer into a bowl and sift over the flour and whisk in until a smooth thin batter forms. Season with salt.

Heat enough oil in a pot to 180*c, you can test a small drop of batter to check temperature. It should float to the surface and not colour up too quickly.

One by one run the fish through the batter and then slowly lower into the hot oil. Moving the fish round until fully submerged. This will stop the fish from quickly dropping to the bottom of the pot and sticking.

Once golden keep hot in an oven until all the fish is finished.

Serve alongside the tartare and some greens.

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If you are feeling angry, you might be tempted to vent, but science has a much better, evidence based solution for you.

Research published this week in the journal Scientific Reports involved scientists asking 100 volunteers to write an opinion piece about important social issues such as whether smoking in public should be banned. They were told that their writing would be evaluated and feedback would be provided to them.

The volunteers spent time writing their pieces, and no matter how good they were, every volunteer received insulting and negative feedback about their work and were scored low on intelligence, interest, friendliness, logic and rationality.

They also received insulting feedback that included statements like 'I cannot believe that an educated person would think like this'.

Immediately after receiving the insulting feedback, all of the volunteers showed an increase in their subjective rating of anger.

The volunteers were then given a piece of paper and asked to write down their immediate thoughts and feelings about the situation.

One group was asked to either throw away the piece of paper or to place it in a paper shredder and watch it be shredded. A second group was told to keep the paper either in a clear plastic box or a clear folder on their desk.

The results showed that the volunteers who kept their paper thoughts stayed angry, however the volunteers who threw away or who shredded their written thoughts returned to their initial calm state very quickly.

The researchers themselves were surprised at how effective destroying or disposing the paper was in immediately reducing feelings of anger, and seem to have found a cheap and easy way to help people to feel calm.

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Three's new local psychological thriller series is set to follow two best friends- and a surrogacy pact that falls through.

Set in a post-quake Kaikōura, the series explores the town's recovery following the disaster, as the friendship between the leads turns toxic.

Series creator Sarah-Kate Lynch and lead actress Morgana O’Reilly say the earthquake provided a solid backdrop for the series, as it impacted people differently.

"For some people, the earthquake wasn't the end of anything, it was the beginning of things. If you were working on the roads, for example, your business might have done better. But if you had a little motel, you might have done worse."

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Some of cinema's biggest names are expected to go head to head at the 77th Cannes Film Festival.

Paul Schrader, David Cronenberg and Francis Ford Coppola have films ready to go for the May event, with the latter's $120 million Megalopolis attracting plenty of pre-festival buzz.

Flicks.co.nz editor Steve Newall explains what film fans can look forward to ahead of the festival.

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Foreign Minister Winston Peters has been busy over the last few days.

Peters even got to catch the eclipse in New York, on the last leg of his diplomatic journey through the Middle East, Europe and the United States.

ZB political editor Jason Walls says Peters has also pushed New Zealand a step closer to joining up with the AUKUS agreement.

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Dame Susan Devoy seems to have done it all.

She's been a four-time world squash number-one champion, former Race Relations Commissioner, chairwoman of The Halberg Trust- and even a contestant on Celebrity Treasure Island.

She says her original vision for the book was a 'tell-all, name-and-shame' look-back at everyone who'd gotten under her skin- and it turned out quite different.

"It's easy to write about your failings and the things you're not good at and your negative aspects- it's very hard to talk about your success and your achievements in a book."

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In 1954, Pauline Parker and Juliet Hulmewere convicted of one of the most infamous and high-profile murders in the history of New Zealand.

The brutal beating of Honora Rieper made headlines all over the world, and got more exposure in the 1990s following the release of Sir Peter Jackson's Heavenly Creatures.

Seventy years on, the brother of one of the teen murderesses, Jonathan Hulme, appeared on Anna Leask's A Moment In Crimeto discuss the aftermath of the case.

Podcast host and senior journalist Anna Leask says Jonathan Hulme wanted to tell the world what his sister was really like- as our collective understanding of mental health has evolved over the years.

"After she died, he just had this growing compulsion to speak out and let people know what she was really like, what her life as really like, he just wanted people to have a better understanding of her."

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There's growing concern that the cuts across TVNZ and Newshub won't be the last for locally produced content.

As the nation's biggest broadcasting companies struggle with falling advertising revenue, the fate of Kiwi favourites such as Shortland Street remains uncertain.

NZ Screen Producers’ Guild President Irene Gardiner says local content plays an important role in keeping audiences together.

"It's our identity, it's our humour, it's what we are - and I think local content, both the more serious news and current affairs kind and the more entertaining kind, is very important."

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Forensic teams in Sydney have begun a scene examination into yesterday's fatal stabbing at a shopping mall.

Six people - five women and one man - were killed and eight injured by a knife-wielding assailant, who was shot dead by a police officer on site.

Australian correspondent Sam Emery says several other people have been hospitalised following the attack.

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So World Athletics made an announcement this week that will no doubt send ripples throughout other global sporting organisations - and give ammunition to those who claim the Olympics aren’t worth the bother anymore - by announcing they would pay track and field gold medallists at the Paris Olympics $50,000 (USD).

Understandably, the first question asked was if this move violated the Olympic spirit? This is, after all, the first time in the 128 years of the modern Olympics that athletes will receive prize money for topping the podium.

Now, once upon a time when sport was truly amateur, I may have agreed prize money was not in the Olympic spirit. But in 2024, when many professional sports people perform at the Olympics - think golf, tennis and basketball - I’m more inclined to say, why not? Why shouldn’t the athletes take a share of the revenue the International Olympic Committee (IOC) distributes to World Athletics?

Track and field is a massive drawcard. Surely those who provide the entertainment should benefit from it?

They‘re not being paid to train for four years, so nothing changes in the lead up to the Olympics. While it’s no doubt nice to get, I doubt it will be the overwhelming motivation for athletes. I’m making an assumption here - I’m no Olympian - but the work and sacrifice it takes to compete against the best at the Olympics is likely enough in itself for most.

If you asked New Zealand track and field athletes if they do it for money I’m guessing the answer would be no. If they were about the money they’d do better to get other jobs; one’s with a salary.

The IOC was blindsided by the announcement and quick to issue a statement reminding us it’s up to each sport’s governing body to decide how to spend their share of Olympic revenue. Apparently, up to 90 percent of all the IOC’s income is redistributed to help athletes and the development of sport. If World Athletics believe they can support their sport and rewards gold medallists, good on them.

Many gold medallists are already renumerated for their performances – by either their country, their Olympic and Paralympic Committees, or sponsorships. The US Olympic Committee paid gold, silver and bronze medallists between $37,500 (USD) and $15,000 (USD) at the last games. Some countries offer more. Hong Kong offered roughly $638,000 (USD). Here in NZ, High Performance NZ hands out $60,000 to gold medallists, which is pretty good, and you may also get to help flog some lamb. Some countries offer nothing.

So why not share the profits with those who reach the top, as long as the sport in general is also being supported?

While there is a list of criticisms about the Olympics, such as how they manage drug cheats, which sports are added or removed, and whether triathletes should have to swim in dodgy waters - I just can’t wait for the games to begin on the 26th July.

It’s almost impossible not to get drawn into the drama that will unfold over the roughly 16 Olympic days. We’ll get to share the highest of highs and the lowest of lows, heart-warming underdog stories and heart-breaking missed opportunities.

It will give us a wonderful distraction in the heart of winter.

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Day One by Abigail Dean. Set in the Lake District of England, this is about a school shooting and its aftermath. A local school is putting on an annual performance by the older kids, designed to make the four year olds who will start school in the autumn feel comfortable and keen to begin their education – but it all goes horribly wrong, and the way it plays out afterwards is a real sign of the times. A young man with connections to the town becomes convinced that it never happened, while the daughter of one of the teachers killed in the tragedy has a version of events that seems at odds with some of the evidence. It’s a sobering premise which I think is probably drawn from recent world events such as the Sandy Hook massacre in the States, after which a denier called Alex Jones claimed it was all made up and peddled gross misinformation. 

Run for Your Life by Sue Williams. Nick Stride is an Englishman who moved to Russia in 1998 to work on the construction of a new British Embassy in Moscow, and then later on a palatial new home for one of Putin’s sidekicks, a guy named Shuvalov. He fell afoul of them and he and his family (wife, two kids) increasingly feared for their lives and moved half way around the world to Australia where they went completely off the grid, staying on illegally after their visas expired and spending years in the remote Kimberley which must be one of the most inhospitable places on earth. They eventually decided to hand themselves in but the callous indifference of the Australian immigration authorities made reintegration to mainstream society extremely difficult. Nick and his children ended up here in New Zealand where I believe they still live, and feel it’s the right time to tell their incredible story. 

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The Port of Oakland authority have launched a plan to change their "Metropolitan Oakland International Airport" to "San Francisco Bay Oakland International Airport".

Despite speculation, this change isn't to end decades of mix-ups with Auckland Airport, as the locations were once famously mixed up by an unfortunate traveller in 1985.

BloggerAtLarge.com writer Megan Singleton says this name change is actually for marketing reasons- the inclusion of 'San Francisco' will hopefully being more travellers in.

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This week on the Sunday Panel, ZB Wellington Mornings host Nick Mills and partner at Freebairn and Hehir, Liam Hehir,joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the week- and more!

An opinion piece from Jason Walls claimed the Prime Minister, his Ministers and every other MP in parliament is underpaid. Do we agree with this claim? Do politicians deserve more money? 

Prime Minister Chris Luxon has been on the receiving end of some backlash amid claims he's running New Zealand like a business. His list of 36 action points came with a lot of business jargon- can we look past that? What does his business background mean for his leadership skills? 

Are children's birthday parties out of control? A new article says middle class parents spend anywhere between NZ$629 and NZ$2098 – or far more – on their child’s special day. Is this getting ridiculous? 

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Research shows gut health is critical to one's overall health- so how can we spot the warning signs of an unhealthy gut?

Bloating, constipation, or painful digestion are the obvious symptoms, but an unhealthy gut can lead to obesity, mental health challenges, food sensitivities, skin problems and energy loss, among other conditions.

Naturopath and wellness expert Erin O'Hara outlines the steps you can take to spot an unhealthy gut- and reduce the impact of harmful symptoms.

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Australian author Liam Pieper's has his work all over bookstores across the Tasman- but they've typically never featured his name.

Pieper's been behind several bestselling celebrity memoirs, but as a ghost-writerhis name doesn’t appear on the cover and he gets absolutely no public credit for the book’s success. 

His new novel dissecting Australian celebrity culture and the fear of getting 'cancelled' bucks this trend.

"I've drawn on the mechanics of ghost-writing and what it's like to sit with a celebrity - usually someone who's pretty famous, certainly much more famous than me - and plum their mind and insecurities and doubts and hopes and dreams and try and make a story out of that."

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Rosti with poached eggs and creamed spinach 

Cook time: 30 minutes 

Prep time: 30 minutes 

Serves: 6 

5 large potatoes 

100gm butter, melted 

3 Tbsp sunflower oil 

Good amount of salt freshly ground black pepper 

300gm black pudding, grilled or fried (optional) 

6 eggs, poached 

Creamed spinach: 

1 Tbsp sunflower oil 

1 onion, finely chopped 

1 bag spinach 

1/2 cup white wine 

1 cup cream 

1 tbsp dijion mustard (optional) 

salt 

Preheat oven to 180*C. 

Peel the potatoes, place into a pot and cover with cold water with a good pinch of salt. 

Bring to the boil and simmer for 8 minutes. Check by pressing a knife into the potato, they should still hard in the centre (firm enough to grate). 

Drain and cool the potatoes. Once cool, grate the potatoes and combine with the melted butter, salt and pepper. 

Heat the sunflower oil in a large cast iron or non stick frying pan. Start by pressing in the potato mix. Ensure the bottom of the rosti is kept moving to avoid burning. Once all the potato has been pressed into the pan, cook on a medium heat for a couple of minutes. Drizzle the remaining oil around the edge of the rosti and allow it to flow down to the bottom. Place the pan into the oven. and bake for 30 minutes. 

After this time, remove the pan and flip the rosti out onto a board to segment into wedges to serve, Serve with poached eggs, black pudding and creamed spinach. 

For the creamed spinach: 

Heat the oil in a sauce pan, add the chopped onion and sauté for 1 minute. Add the white wine and reduce slightly. Pour in the cream, return to the boil, then reduce the heat. Simmer for 10 minutes. Drop the spinach in, bring it back to the boil, then remove from the heat. Season with salt and white pepper to taste. 

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Exciting news this week, as a nuclear fusion reactor in South Korea breaks all records by running an experiment at 100 million degrees C for 48 seconds.

Just for context, that’s around 7x hotter than the centre of the sun. 

Nuclear fusion is the process of heating and forcing tiny particles particles together under high pressure and high temperature to make a heavier particle - which releases energy. It is the same process by which stars burn and results in the generation of huge amounts of energy without producing greenhouse gases or long-term radioactive waste. 

Scientists have been trying to harness this power because - in theory, if the process is done efficiently, the amount of energy released will be way more than the amount of energy put in and voila the world will have a new way of producing renewable energy for the planet and its ever-increasing need for electricity. 

The experiment involves the superheating of plasma and trapping it inside a donut-shaped reactor surrounded by powerful magnetic fields. 

The plasma cooking part is easy - however containing the super hot result in a way that doesn’t melt the container the experiment is held in is a whole different challenge. Scientists have also not yet been able to carry out the experiment in a way that creates more energy than has been put in, and it is likely to take at least a decade if not decades before nuclear fusion is seen as a feasible way to produce sustainable energy for the planet. 

There has been huge interest and investment in nuclear fusion recently, especially as newer technologies like artificial intelligence and blockchain require growing amounts of energy. Sam Altman, head of ChatGPT creator OpenAI has personally invested hundreds of millions of dollars into fusion research - and science always moves faster when investors support them with cash. 

The future of fusion may still be a long way off, but that future could potentially be led by Kiwis with Wellington based OpenStar Technologies being one of the companies working to develop a nuclear fusion reactor. 

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The filmmaker behind indie hit 'Ex Machina' is offering viewers a look into a war-torn America ahead of a contentious election season. 

Director Alex Garland's 'Civil War' depicts a war-torn futuristic version of America, where states are at war with themselves.

Flicks.co.nz editor Steve Newall examines this contemporary thriller- and unpacks the idea that this could be a warning for the months ahead.

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Enormous frustration among aid agencies six months into the war on Gaza.

More than 30,000 Palestinian people, including 13,000 children, have been killed since the war began.

Save the Children's Joseph Kay says aid agencies still face heavy restrictions from Israel.

He says the numerous deaths of aid workers, including seven World Central Kitchen staff this week, has taken a toll.

"This terrible tragedy does highlight that nowhere is safe in Gaza."

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It's been almost 20 years since former newsreader Judy Bailey read her last bulletin- and she's been taking part in several causes and campaigns since.

The former 'Mother of the Nation' has recently been busy helping people to embrace aging through her new book Evolving: Finding Health and Happiness As We Age.

Judy Bailey says reaching an older age can be an 'uncomfortable' experience if you let it happen- so it's important to prepare and plan.

"When you turn 65, people tend to treat you as though you might be a bit vulnerable and frail and a bit doddery, maybe. We tend to be be the target of either retirement village ads or ads for incontinence pads... and we have at least three good decades ahead of us."

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One of ZB's leading policitcal commentators has claimed the Prime Minister, his Ministers and every other MP in parliament is underpaid.

Jason Walls outlined this concept in a premium opinion piece for ZB Plus, after The Business Herald's Executive Pay Survey revealed CEOs had received an average pay of just under $2.3 million.

He says Luxon and his Ministers have to face more public scrutiny and media attention- and have more people reporting to them in comparison.

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More public sector roles face the chopping block, following recent announcements.

The Ministry of Health is the latest to propose slashing jobs in order to meet the Government's cost-cutting targets- of an average of 6.5 percent.

Former United Future leader Peter Dunne says there needs to be a purpose for restructuring the sector beyond cutting jobs.

"It's pretty easy to say- let's just cut numbers. But you've got to have a purpose for doing so other than saving money."

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I rolled my eyes on Friday as New Zealand youth became the latest punching bag of politicians getting some air time.

School was ditched for another Climate Strike around the country, that not only called for action on climate change, but also featured calls for Māori rights and a free Palestine.

Associate Education Minister David Seymour said it was 'unacceptable' for students to protest during school hours and they should be marked absent by schools.

He’s right on both accounts. Ideally our children would be in school, and they will be marked as absent - unjustified absent even. Not that that means much.

But here’s why I don’t like using youth as political point scoring:

We want our youth to be curious, and engaged with the world. We want them to have their own opinions, a vision for the future, and hope. But when they express this we seem to get miffed. We talk about the need for civics to be taught in school - but when young people taking an interest in Government policy and global events we demean them.

Just because they have views that may be different to other generations doesn’t make them any less valid. Listening to other people’s points of view and understanding their perspective is as important in a civil society as knowing how to voice your own views. We are not teaching youth this by gaslighting them.

Sure, there are teenagers who aren’t really engaged with the issues who likely took the day off school to attend, but that’s only a problem if they aren’t attending school regularly - and that’s where our focus should be.

If your kid does attend school most of the time and just went along to check it out - clock it up as a valuable life experience. They’re not ram-raiding a dairy for vapes in a stolen car. Or swanning around on an international family holiday in term time. There are lots of reasons why teenagers aren’t in school. Is this reason so bad?

And remember, as annoying as the disruption is for teachers when teenagers don’t turn up to school, it’s actually not hard to catch up on a day’s work. As one of my children (who didn’t attend the protest said), the Minister for Education keeps telling us the curriculum is poked. That’s not much of an incentive to go to school.

Many claim a student-led climate protest is a waste of time, and won’t achieve anything. The same could be said about various other protests we’ve seen over the last 4 years - but what I would say to politicians who dismiss these protesters as just kids who should be at school, do so at their own peril. Many of those expressing their concerns at this Government’s climate policies, or lack of them, will be voting in a couple of years, and becoming young leaders in their own right.

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Rachel Ward's latest ventures have taken her in a different - and unexpected - direction.

She's gone from Hollywood actress and Vogue cover model to becoming a farming expert in rural Australia, alongside her husband Bryan Brown.

After her farm was taken out by the devastating 2019/2020 Australian bushfires, Ward decided to change her focus towards regenerative farming- a journey she's documented in her film Rachel's Farm.

She says the transition to regenerative farming was a long journey, but creating the documentary taught her a lot.

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This week on the Sunday Panel, journalist Wilhelmina Shrimpton and editor and commentator, Jo McCarroll joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the week- and more!

Another year, another debate about the state of Easter trading hours. Is it time to move past shutting the shops during the holiday? Do we need clearer rules this weekend? Do workers need the guaranteed time off? 

 Have we got our heads in the sand about AI? The International Monetary Fund has released a survey that revealed AI will impact nearly half of all jobs around the world. Experts here warn we should start preparing for a future where humans are no longer necessary. Should we start preparing for a different world?

We're a quarter of the way through 2024- how are we getting on with our New Year's Resolutions.

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After this weekend's inevitable binge on chocolate and carbs, many will want to get back on the 'straight and narrow' after Easter.

The annual excuse to indulge in sugar can spark a lot of guilt by the end of the holiday, and one expert recommends balancing out the intake.

Naturopath and wellness expert Erin O'Hara says exercise and moderation are helpful steps to take to cancel out the harm of over-indulging.

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Mike Van de Elzen: Getting smoky flavour into food

Hot Smoking  

- Food is smoked inside the same unit as a fire source.

- In the Engel fire, you can move the fire basket closer or further away from the food being smoked, controlling the temperature.

-Making a hot smoker can be as easy as finding a steel cabinet with shelves, drilling a number of holes into the bottom and top. Then creating a small fire in the bottom of the cabinet and closing the box.  Or using your gas stove and a heavy steel tray. 

- Always brine your meats first and ensure you have a certain amount of ventilation in the top of the box to allow moisture out. 

Cold smoking 

-Food is smoked in an adjoining unit to the fire source.

-Here at the school we use a UFO - a small metal cylinder filled with wood chips, connected on one side to a fish pump and the other, an adjoining chamber. 

- The product you are smoking must be as dry as possible and ideally cut or broken up into pieces, creating more edges for the smoke to stick to. 

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Charles Darwin confidently stated that male mammals were mostly bigger than females, and this view has been held for over 150 years.

New research out this week in the journal Nature Communications,however, finds that Darwin's statement isn’t true and there is actually no difference in size between most male and female mammals.

In the study, the researchers compared the body masses of 429 wild animal species. They found that in many species including lemurs, golden moles, horses and zebras, the size of both sexes is the same.

Contrary to popular opinion, males were typically larger than females in only 28 percent of the mammal species studied.

Now there were some species that had significantly larger males in the cohort, including the elephant seal in which the males typically weigh in at three times the size of females.

However, to counter that the study also found that female peninsula tube-nosed bats were typically 40 percent larger than the males.

So why do so many of us believe that males are bigger?

Well part of it is to do with Darwin, but part of it is to do with what we are surrounded by locally and on TV.

Many familiar mammals, including pets like cats and dogs as well as livestock like sheep and cows have males that are larger than females. We also tend to watch wildlife documentaries that focus on charismatic species like primates and carnivores which also have larger males as they have great fight and dominance scenes in them. Typically, the male of the species is heavier when the males are required to fight to acquire a female mate.

Bias in the scientific literature has played a part in the misconception that males are normally bigger with most of the research being carried out by male scientists. One of the first studies that countered their view was in 1977 by female scientist Katherine Ralls, but her research was drowned out by all of the male dominated opposing studies.

The science-backed truth is that in the majority of mammal species, monogamy is the trend and males don’t need to fight for access to females. When this is the case, the females are typically larger which helps them to produce and carry more offspring.

It’s also a great lesson in how even scientific evidence can be shaped by our own pre-existing beliefs and why it's important to increase diversity in the science sector.

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Euphoria and Anyone But You breakout star Sydney Sweeney has stepped into the world of producing in her latest project.

Immaculate, a psychological horror starring Sweeney herself, is based off a decade-old script she discovered- and brought back to life as a co-producer.

Flicks.co.nz editor Steve Newall explains if the result if worth checking out.

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The Call is about Detective Sergeant Honey Chalmers who, after surviving a brutal attack goes back to her small home town to care for her mother. In the course of her work she’s become too close to an informant who’s linked to a gang made up of 501 returnees from Australia, and she’s pretty sure the informant, Kloe, is now in trouble. Honey’s private life is complicated and when Kloe turns up in the small town, events converge. This is a terrific thriller, based in our own backyard and I hope will be the first in a series. 

The Trading Game : A Confession by Gary Stevenson. Gary grew up in poverty in east London . The one thing he had going for him was his intelligence – he’s a maths whizz and put that to good use to win a place at the London School of Economics where he discovered that rich people think that poor people are stupid – something he then used to his advantage. He got a job at Citibank where he started to make really stupid money and discovered that enough is never enough. He worked incessant hours and had no other life, losing friends along the way - eventually having a breakdown after which he got his life back together. He now campaigns against inequality, having come to realise that while the money was good it can be at the expense of his soul. 

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BloggerAtLarge's Megan Singleton returns with a list of 'crazy and bizarre' travel facts for the weekend.

Between the rule that you can't photograph the Sistene Chapel ceiling and the impact cabin pressure has on your tastebuds, there's not shortage of unique travel facts to drop into conversation.

Listen to Megan's other unexpected travel facts here.

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This week on The Sunday Panel, Chelsea Daniels from the Front Page podcast and NZ Herald Senior Writer Simon Wilson joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the week- and more!

Following Princess Kate's shocking cancer diagnosis announcement, do the trolls and speculators need to take a proper look at themselves? What have we come to as a people when our first reaction is extreme theories and to poke fun at doctored photos? 

The Herald's Liam Dann has asked in an opinion piece if the Government needs to put their promised tax cuts on hold until the country can afford them. Do we agree with this?

Have hot cross buns gone too far? Do we really need one with cheese and onions mixed in?

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Princess Kate's announcement that she's undergoing cancer treatment confused and shocked people all over the world. 

There has been a notable increase in cancer in young adults, with people aged 18-49 being impacted more than usual.

Naturopath and wellness expert Erin O'Hara explains further.

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If you have ever had a teenager in your home, you know that they have their own unique teenage aroma. New research out this week was able to confirm that teenagers typically smell of goats, cheese and urine- and there is a chemical reason why.

Published in the journal Communications Chemistry,the researchers sewed cotton wool pads into the armpit area of pyjamas to collect the sweat from 36 volunteers who wore them overnight. 18 of the volunteers were infants aged 3 and under and 18 of the volunteers were teenagers aged 14-18.

The extracted sweat was then analysed using both a gas chromatography-olfactometry device for chemical analysis as well as professions human smellers.

The infants had their own unique smell which was described as smelling like violets and due to a higher level of the ketone α-isomethylionone.

They found that chemically two steroids 5α-androst-16-en-3-one and 5α-androst-16-en-3α-ol were only present in the teenage sweat. These steroids are reported to have a smell that is similar to sweat, urine, musk and sandalwood.

The teenagers also had elevated levels of six different carboxylic acids which smell of goat, cheese, capsicim and wax according to the professional smellers.

The change in the smell of teenagers is due to the onset of activity of sweat and sebum glands combined with hair growth, and microbes on the skin.

Sebum is an oily substance that helps to protect your skin and these glands become very active around puberty.

While the study didn’t come up with a conclusion as to why the smell of teenagers changes, previous research into stickleback fish found that related sticklebacks dislike each other's smell once they reach sexual maturity which might help them to avoid inbreeding.

Whatever the reason – the likelihood is that your teenager stinks and there isn’t much anyone can do about it.

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The 1989action movie Road House, remembered by audiences as a classic guilty pleasure, has been remade.

Starring Jake Gyllenhaal and boxer Conor McGregor, in his acting debut, the film promises to give audiences a fresh take on familiar cheesy 80s charm.

Flicks.co.nz editor Steve Newall explains the film further.

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The insular Greymouth community of Gloriavale has kept Kiwis enthralled as testimonies keep emerging.

A new TVNZ documentary, Escaping Utopia, promises to unveil the stories of people who've left the community- and the struggles they've endured.

Co-director Justin Pemberton says Gloriavale is going through a transitionary period following the death of their former leader.

"The community is now imploding, it's going through some sort of- either regeneration or collapse, and we don't really know which yet, it's very much a live story. I think that's why we felt so compelled to need to go and visit."

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Kiwi actress Rachel House has built up quite a screen presence, having appeared in many local and big-budget international films.

She's also a dedicated acting coach and she's been a passionate advocate behind getting Disney films translated into Te Reo.

And now, she's making her way into the world of directing through her new film The Mountain, arriving in theatres this week.

Rachel says her experience as an actress prepared her for directing her first full feature film.

"I think more film directors should do theatre, and I think more film directors should do acting as well, because you learn how to break down the beats, you learn how to really dissect a script and you learn how to give performers direction." 

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A chain of well-known Swedish pharmacies made headlines by introducing age restrictions for certain skincare products.

Social media has led to an explosion of under-13s using skincare loaded up with ingredients including retinol, AHAs and peptides, and there's concern surrounding the impact on young skin.

Dermatologist Dr Juber Hafiji says these products have their benefits, but there's risk of swelling, itching and flare-ups if people use them too early in life.

"The products in and of themselves have benefits for the skin in terms of anti-aging, so reducing fine lines, pigmentation, improving skin texture and the quality of the skin- but it's all in the timing."

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A chance to hit the refresh button, and lay down Labour's values now in Opposition.

Party Leader Chris Hipkins is giving his verdict on the State of the Nation this afternoon.

Senior Political Reporter Sophie Trigger says it's Hipkins' first major speech as Opposition leader, and it's an opportunity for a reset five months on from election defeat.

She says he's speaking to party faithful in South Auckland, considered traditional Labour heartland- and he's expected to draw on party values of old, and outline what Labour stands for in 2024.

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Telecommunications giant and internet service provider Spark is set to introduce more firewalls, filters, barriers and protections to protect Kiwi users.

From April, Spark will be the first New Zealand-based provider to join the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) in order to reduce exposure to malware, scams and sexual abuse material.

Make Sense co-founder Jo Robertson says Spark will go from blocking a few hundred URLs to blocking at least 6,000 objectionable links per day. 

"What they're doing is- they're essentially removing so much more child sexual abuse material from their platform than other internet providers."

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It's been 24 hours since the Princess of Wales' cancer diagnosis was revealed to the world via social media.

Kate Middleton announced yesterday she's receiving preventative chemotherapy, following weeks of speculation about her health and whereabouts.

Daily Mirror royal editor and Pod Save the King host Russell Myers says Kate's 'emotional' and 'personal' statement has generated sympathy from all over the world.

"Regardless of your opinion of the royal family- we've been poring over the intrigue, the scandal, the in-fighting of them over recent years. But as people in the palace have said to me very recently, they're humans too."

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The Hunter by Tana French. Sequel to her earlier book, The Searcher though can easily be read on its own. Cal is a retired Chicago detective who’s moved to a small Irish village looking for a quiet life. He befriends Trey, a young girl who’s long lost Dad suddenly turns up with a get rich scheme for the locals which he desperately needs them to fall for. He reckons though without his daughter who has ideas of her own and some big motives for revenge which she is meticulously planning. This is a very fine novel from a writer at the top of her game.

The Long and Winding Road by Lesley Pearse, She’s known for her novels – she’s written more than 30 – all of which have strong female lead characters who have challenges to be overcome and she’s beloved by millions of readers. This new one though is nonfiction – it’s her memoir, and reading it it’s very easy to see where she gets both her ideas and her empathy from. She’s really lived a life – spent time in an orphanage as a child before going to live with her father and stepmother; scrounged for survival doing a number of dead end jobs; gave up a child at the age of nineteen; was at the heart of the swinging 60’s in London and eventually published her first book at the age of 48. Anyone who loves her novels will also love this – it reads just like they do.

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Travel expert and BloggerAtLarge writer Megan Singleton has been seeing the sights across the ditch in Perth.

Megan's been taking in the sights of the city and touring the Swan River- as well as checking out the coffee and indigenous food available.

Read more about Megan's recommendations for visiting Perthhere.

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This week on the Sunday Panel, political commentator and Director at Capital, Ben Thomas, and TV producer and commentator Irene Gardiner joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the week- and more!

Where can the Green Party go from here? They've had a bad year so far, between a change in leadership, Golriz's arrest and Darleen Tama's alleged role in an exploitation scandal. Does the party need a reset? How damaging could this all be?  

More rumours swirling around Kate Middleton's absence- is the public owed an explanation? Will Kate's disappearance be that damaging? Is the public and media reaction over the top?

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New data has confirmed New Zealand is getting fatter every year, with obesity stats reaching new heights.

Excess weight is problematic for numerous health conditions including heart disease, diabetes, and chronic disease- which impacts our taxpayer-funded health system,

Naturopath and wellness expert Erin O'Hara says the rise in sedentary jobs and the cheaper cost of process food has driven these stats up- and education is key to reducing weight woes.

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Potatoes with wilted greens and anchovy cream:

Cook time: 20 minutes

Prep time: 30 minutes

Serves: 6

1 kg little farm potatoes, washed

10 cloves garlic

300 ml milk

6 anchovy fillets

2 tsp Dijion mustard

2 tbsp cider vinegar

150 ml olive oil

200 gm winter greens like kale, swiss chard, spinach and wild rocket

2 tbsp sunflower oil

Salt

Place the potatoes into a pot and cover well with cold water, season with salt and bring to the boil, turn down to a simmer and cook until the potatoes are just undercooked. Approx 12-15 minutes. Turn the water off and allow the potatoes to sit in the water for 5 minutes before draining.

For the dressing, place the milk into a small pot along with the garlic and anchovy fillets. Bring to a simmer and cook until the garlic is soft (around 10 minutes) turn off and pour mix into a blender and allow to cool for a couple of minutes. Add in the dijion mustard and cider vinegar.

Carefully turn the blender on and blitz, slowly add in the oil and check the seasoning.

To serve, heat a cast iron pan until hot. Place the winter greens into the pan along with a tbsp of water and a pinch of salt. Sauté quickly until the leaves just start to wilt.

Mix through the potatoes and drizzle over the dressing.

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For most women, menopause is a natural phase of life and part of biological ageing. While the symptoms that go with it may be challenging, this week new science research finds that the benefits of menopause probably outweigh the hot flashes and weight gain.

To find out more about menopause, researchers looked at five whale species that go through menopause and compared them to 27 related species to see if they could find any insights, and their findings were published this week in the journal Nature.

Menopause is rare in the animal world, and only a handful of mammals experience it, including humans, one population of chimpanzee and some whales.

It’s much more typical for female animals to stay fertile and keep producing eggs up until the end of their life – helping to increase the chance that their genes will be passed down to the next generation.

The scientist looked at whales that go through menopause including killer whales (Orcas), false killer whales, beluga whales, short-finned pilot whales and narwhals and found that when compared to related species like dolphins and sperm whales, the menopausal female whales lived for 40 years beyond their predicted lifespan.

The researchers noted that menopause occurred in social species and found that non-fertile grandmother whales took part in babysitting calves and shared food with their grandbaby whales. The grandmother whales also led their pods on long journeys to find food if it was scarce.

It seems that rather than compete with their daughters for the same resources by being pregnant at the same time, menopausal whales increase their ability to pass down more of their genes by supporting their daughters to bring up their genetic grandbaby whales. In exchange for this grandmother help, the older female is able to enjoy her postmenopausal time by living for an extra 40 years.

While this study was on whales – not humans, the social dynamics and projected lifetimes are very similar. For example, female killer whales (like humans) can breed until their 40’s but can live until their 90’s! These numbers aren’t far off what a human female goes through which could lead to a conclusion that while menopause symptoms are tough – they might be buying you an extra 40 years of life.

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Research shows an estimated 70 percent of people will experience impostor syndrome at least once in their lives.

It's been revealed that several big names have been impacted by this condition- including Michelle Obama, Lady Gaga and our own former Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern.

Author and expert Dr Bex Bell unpacks the nature of imposter syndrome in her new book Inner Critic to Inner Coach.

"It really struck me how prevalent the imposter syndrome is in students in an academic setting- and I knew from my own lived experience how much it sort of hammered me while I was at university as well." 

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The award-winning director behind Once Were Warriors, Along Came a Spider and the James Bond vehicle Die Another Day has returned to his Kiwi roots in his newest film. 

After wowing audiences at the Toronto International Film Festivallast year, The Convert gives viewers a look into a long-running blood feud between Māori tribes in the 1830's.

Flicks.co.nz editor Steve Newall says many familiar local Kiwi faces can be found starring in this film.

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More bad press for the Greens, as one MP has been caught at the centre of an exploitation scandal.

Green MP Darleen Tana ha been stood down after allegations of migrant exploitation at E Cycles NZ, a business owned by her husband.

NZ Herald political reporter Adam Pearse says the party's co-leaders, Marama Davidson and Chloe Swarbrick, will want to want to make sure things are more settled among the Party going forward.

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A registered psychologist believes more action needs to be taken to help neurodiverse learners in the classroom.

Next Monday marks the second-annual Neurodiversity Celebration Week- and this year, the focus is on training teachers to educate neurodiverse students.

DivergenThinking co-founder and psychologist Anton Ashcroft says he's seen the fallout from an education system that fails to support neurodiverse tamariki. 

"I think the challenge is- that when you've got a huge number of diverse children in your classroom, responding as just one teacher to those individual needs is really quite a challenge."

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Abraham Verghese is a renowned infectious disease doctor, a professor and vice chair at Stanford University and a recipient of America’s National Humanities Medal. 

He's also made headway as a best-selling author, having written Cutting for Stone, The Tennis Partner and The Covenant of Water-all smash hits in the literary world.

He's been confirmed as one of the big names set to appear at the 2024 Auckland Writer's Festival, and he's 'excited' to join this line-up of writers.

"I've never been, I've never been to that side of the world before, that's particularly exciting for me." 

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A call to action from Consumer NZ to help get on top of false environmentally-friendly claims on our products.

It says issues of 'greenwashing' are rising, and it needs the public's help to send in examples to determine the full scope of the problem.

Almost half of Kiwis find it difficult to decipher whether a product's green claims are true.

Consumer NZ's Head of Advocacy and Research, Gemma Rasmussen, says it's easy for products to enter the market without any checks run on sustainability claims.

"It takes our investigative team hours to look at a product, go to the website, talk to the manufacturers and really try to keep up with what is going on- and I think that is part of the problem in New Zealand."

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Westpac Bank says New Zealand will need to ramp up house-building prowess to keep up with increased migration.

The bank estimates 125,000 homes will need to be built within the next 5 years to meet demand amid soaring post-pandemic migration.

Westpac Senior Economist Satish Ranchhod says even if migration slows down to more average rates, the population is likely to increase by 300,000.

"Just thinking about the number of people that's going to be required to be housed- it pushes it up to those really high levels of building over the next few years."

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OK. So what am I missing?

Why are we so obsessed with Princess Kate? How did we go from some simple facts - abdominal surgery, recovery and back to work after Easter - to conspiracy theories, divorce rumours, a photoshop fail with nefarious undertones. Even the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have got in on the story - by making it about themselves.

How has this become such a thing? How has this become a thing at all? If I concentrated, I think I could come up with 100 more important things. Every hour. For at least a week.

And before you blame the media; they’re not completely at fault. In this world of data and analytics, if the readers doesn’t click on a story it tends to go away. Clearly this is a story we can’t get enough of.

Look I get it. Princess Kate is a publicly funded member of the royal family. She is one of the most recognisable women in the world, a future Queen and mother of an heir to the throne of England. I understand some people feel we have a right to know details about her state of health, but that’s largely because we’re nosey and like a bit of gossip.

The norm is, and has always been, to respect the royal family’s privacy when it comes to their health, and I think it’s perfectly reasonable for the Princess to keep sensitive details about her health private. The medical advice was for the Princess to rest for 6 weeks post-surgery and return to work after Easter. So just leave the woman to it. We don’t know what the surgery was, but assuming it was not minor then all the more reason to leave her to recover in peace.

The public comparison to the way the King’s cancer diagnosis has been handled is also ridiculous. Of course the reigning King couldn’t just disappear for months without an explanation – imagine the column inches then! But he has hardly been open about his situation. All we know is he is being treated for cancer. We don’t even know what kind of cancer. So why should Princess Kate be required to tell us anything more than it was abdominal surgery? Why can’t we show her the same sympathy and courtesy being shown the King.

As for the photoshop debacle. Good god. Someone thought it would be nice if Kate posted a pic to say Happy Mother’s Day, and they made a hash at it. Yeah sure, Kensington Palace should have done a better job – they are slicker than this, but people have photoshop fails and bad days at the office all the time. Doesn’t make me trust the royals any less. Quite the opposite, it reminds us what we see on social is often manipulated – for better for worse.

Maybe I’m naïve and the scandal of the century is being covered up. But even if it was – would it impact any of our daily lives? Nah. So can we please drop this crazy health hunt and leave the woman in peace.

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The Warm Hands of Ghostsby Katherine Arden. Set during WW1, Laura Iven is a nurse who returns from the battleground to her native Halifax, where her parents are suddenly killed by the massive explosion resulting from the collision of two ships in the harbour, one of which was carrying munitions for the war. This real event had an extraordinary and terrible impact on the town. When she receives word that her brother and only surviving family member, has been killed in the trenches, something doesn’t add up and she heads back to Belgium as a volunteer at a private hospital. Soon after arriving she hears whispers about ghosts moving amongst the living, and a strange inn-keeper whose wine gives the soldiers the gift of oblivion. Could this have happened to Freddie, her brother – but if so, where is he? 

 Beyond Hopeby Bariz Shah. Memoir of an Afghani man who came to New Zealand as a child refugee, grew up struggling with a sense of not belonging and ended up with the wrong crowd and a stint in Auckland prison. Once he’d served his sentence he did an engineering degree and turned his life around, becoming a pillar of the Christchurch Muslim community and receiving a Civic Award from the City Council there after the 2019 attacks. This is a story of redemption – of finding belonging, a sense of home, and a real life purpose. 

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Air New Zealand is cracking down on travellers who abuse the limits for carry-on luggage.

The airline has noticed people are trying to get around the 7 kilogram, 118 centimetre rule- and are requiring rulebreakers to check bigger bags in.

BloggerAtLarge.com writer Megan Singleton says she's noticed people carrying medium-sized bags that appear to violate the limits.

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This week on the Sunday Panel, Coast day host Lorna Riley and Damien Venuto from One Plus One Communications joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day- and more!

Auckland Central MP Chlöe Swarbrick has been confirmed as the new co-leader of the Green Party, replacing James Shaw. What will she bring to the role? How will she transform the Greens?

More media industry losses- TVNZ has announced they plan to cut 68 jobs one week on from Newshub's closure. What does this mean for the state of the media industry?

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Everyone struggles with craving sweet, salty and crunchy snacks- how can we fight these urges?

Wellness expert Erin O'Hara says it's important to pay attention to these cravings, as they might signal essential nutrients are missing from your diet.

She explains how to counteract the urge to consume sugary and salty snacks here.

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Smokey marinated eggplant:

Cook time: 20 minutes

Prep time: 20 minutes

Serves: 4-6

2 eggplants, sliced lengthways into 1cm thick slices

1 cup oregano leaves

2 cups coriander leaves

1/2 tsp smoked paprika

3 cloves garlic, peeled

juice of one lemon

flaky smoked salt

1 fresh chilli de-seeded

3 tbsp olive oil

Brushed the sliced eggplant with a little bit of oil before grilling over a hot BBQ or Engel fire until well coloured and tender.

Place the rest of the ingredients into a blender and blitz until smooth.

Spoon the marinade over the top of the eggplant and mix through until all the eggplant are covered.

Set aside and allow to marinate for at least 30 minutes before serving.

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Is your dog fat? If it’s a Labrador, then science now provides an excuse.

All dog owners know the challenge of resisting your pet's big, sad eyes as they beg for one more treat, but there is one dog breed that pushes its owners by begging more than others according to new research published this week in the journal Cell Metabolism.

That dog breed is the Labrador Retriever, which was found in the study to be more likely to engage in behaviour that related to getting extra food - including begging.

The scientists genetically tested 33 Labradors, of which 18 were fit and healthy, and 15 were obese. They found that the obese dogs were more likely to be carrying a variation in the gene called POMC. The variation in this gene turned off hunger cues in the dog meaning the dogs were much more food motivated and more likely to overeat.

They then expanded the genetic study to include 700 more Labradors and found that the gene variation was in 23 percent or 1 in 4 of the Labs. All of the dogs that had the gene variant were also obese- and according to their owners, renowned for scavenging food and begging.

To see if it was just Labradors, the researchers then studied 38 other dog breeds. They found this gene variation occurred in only one other breed - flat-coated retrievers, which are related to Labradors.

The conclusion of the study was - if you own a lab and it constantly pesters you for extra treats - you as the human owner are going to need more will power to deny them if your dog is going to remain fit and healthy.

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Veteran business journalist Liam Dann aims to educate readers about business, money and the economy in his new guide- 'BBQ Economics'.

The book is designed to answer challenging financial questions in a familiar, entertaining and Kiwi-specific way.

Liam Dann says he's noticed business news felt 'sectioned-off' with all the jargon and language- and he hopes to break down the barriers.

"The debate around interest rates and inflation- people are very engaged and sometimes there are barriers around the language, and I hope that I'm helping to translate some of that stuff for people."

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Grab some popcorn, because it's almost time for the 2024 Oscars.

Hollywood's biggest night will be hosted by Jimmy Kimmel on Monday (NZT) and will see some of the biggest films of last year — including Oppenheimer, Poor Things, Killers of the Flower Moon, and of course Barbie — all go head-to-head.

Flicks.co.nz editor Steve Newall shares his predictions and picks ahead of the event.

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Reggae band UB40 have released their first single in over three years to celebrate their upcoming anniversary.

The band has a new album, UB45, out this April to commemorate 45 years of music- featuring new songs and re-records of fan favourites.

Following the release of the single 'Gimme Some Kinda Sign' founding member Robin Campbell says celebrating decades of music is 'surreal'.

"We took it very seriously, we intended for it to have some kind of longevity. I think we thought 10 years would be a good innings, but to get to 45 and still be doing something that we dreamt of doing and something that we loved doing- it's all a bit surreal."

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The School Library Association warns that a 'critical' educational resource is gradually fading away.

New data estimates two thirds of schools don't have working libraries.

Of around 2500 schools, there are only 56 full-time librarians, and 873 part-time.

Association president Claudine Crabtree says libraries are crucial, as they encourage children to value reading.

"Reading for pleasure has been shown to be the single biggest indicator of a child's future success- more than their family circumstances, their parent's education background and their income."

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The Government's new cancer health target is being described as easy to measure- but unlikely to make a difference.

The target aims for 90 percent of patients to receive cancer management within 31 days of the decision to treat.

Cancer specialist Professor Chris Jackson says it's a bit like saying all bus trips will take 10 minutes, without counting the time spent at the bus stop.

He says the Government could have opted for different targets, such as the cure rate, or the time from diagnosis to treatment.

"So rather than from decision to treat, put the time from actually getting a diagnosis, because that takes into account more of those scans and diagnostic pathway stuff."

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James Shaw's replacement as co-leader of the Green Party will be named this morning.

Shaw announced his resignation in January after nearly nine years at the helm - but will stay an MP to support one last piece of environmental legislation.

Newstalk ZB Political Editor Jason Walls says it will almost certainly be Auckland Central MP Chlöe Swarbrick.

He says her only challenger was activist Alex Foulkes, but he is outside Parliament.

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The upheaval within the television industry continued this week, with TVNZ announcing cuts to its news and current affairs department on Friday. It’s not just news bulletins proposed to be cut, but also flagship shows such as Sunday and Fair Go.

It’s a devastating time for those involved, and another brutal hit to the industry on top of the shock announcement of Newshub’s proposed demise last week.

I’ve been involved in the media for 28 years, and for 26 years colleagues with more experience have been telling me the industry would soon be unrecognisable.

Admittedly, a lot has changed in those 28 years, especially in television. There have been too many restructures, strategy shifts and changes to programming priorities to list; but amazingly the demise of traditional free-to-air commercial television never quite came the way it had been prophesised. Until now.

I’m amazed at both how long it took - it’s hung in well all things considered – and at the industry’s defiance; which is why I’m a bit taken aback that the hit has finally come.

But here’s the thing. The challenges facing media, and in particular television, have been known for decades. We have known there aren’t enough advertising dollars to support the number of media outlets. We have known that in the digital era, eyeballs are moving to smaller screens. We have known that digital simply can’t be monetised like TV. We have known it’s all changed.

I was never in the heart of all the action, but I can remember over a decade ago there were conversations between TV3 and TVNZ about sharing news resources. These conversations didn’t just start a few weeks ago.

There were conversations about news bulletins, and how many we needed, there were conversations about to compete against streaming services and the need to offer digital streaming services as quickly as possible.

So, has everything moved too slow? Did we hold on to a good thing for too long just because we could and not because we should? It’s been an impossible balancing act, media know they need to be where the audience is growing on digital, they also know that they’ll made less money as their audiences get there. And harder still, the money from television enables the investment in digital services.

Restructures are hugely unsentimental beasts driven by the bottom line - they do not reflect the talent, work ethic or personality of those impacted. And it is concerning to see the journalists and shows that both hold our politicians and others to account and which reflect our unique place in the world have been the target of cuts.

But any business owner will tell you that if your business is not in a solid position when a recession hits then you’re already on the back foot, making the fight to survive harder.

I can only hope, now that the blinkers are off and the brutal state of the media industry has been revealed, that the conversations about the industry’s future leads to action. No more sitting on our hands as advertiser dollars head overseas to Meta, Google and fair payment is made in exchange for content. Let’s speed up collaboration between state owned media – maybe with less consultants this time - and we see a more aggressive transition to being competitive in this new landscape.

A strong fourth estate makes for a strong democracy, and a vibrant, cohesive country. It’s worth fighting for.

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The Womenby Kistin Hannah who is well known for terrific historical fiction.The Nightingaleis probably her best loved work, but I’m also a huge fan ofThe Four Winds. This new one is set during the Vietnam War.Frankie McGrath’s family have a proud history of military service, but when she volunteers to go to Vietnam with the Army Nurse Corps they’re appalled. So too are the American public, who on her return ostracise her, many refusing to believe that women served. The naïve young girl who went to war comes back wiser and wearier, needing to remake her life in the shadow of so much chaos and destruction. This is wonderful storytelling set against the landscape of history. 

Same as Everby Morgan Housel. He talks about how when people are planning for the future we tend to fixate on all the things that we don’t yet know about which might happen – the what-ifs. He takes an alternative view and says that a better focus is to identify the things that stay the same and never change, as they’re more likely to enable better forecasting; knowledge of the things that never change is more useful, and more important, than an uncertain prediction of an unknowable future. He makes his point through 24 short and highly entertaining stories where he gives examples to support his premise. He’s the author of another book,The Psychology of Money. His premise there is that doing well with money isn’t necessarily about what you know; it’s about how you behave. 

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Crowds of tourists are expected to head to Paris in the coming months, ahead of the 2024 Olympics.

When fans aren't sitting in the stands watching athletes represent their countries, there's plenty for out-of-towners to do and see in the city.

BloggerAtLarge's Megan Singleton recommends the Montmartre neighbourhood, the Catacombs and the various walking tours based off the Da Vinci Code or Emily In Paris- once you're done with the Eiffel Tower and the Louvre.

Read more about Megan's favourite things to experience in Parishere.

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This week on the Sunday Panel, podcaster Brodie Kane and partner at Freebairn and Hehir lawyers, Liam Hehir, joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the week- and more!

Prime Minister Chris Luxon has pulled a rapid U-turn on his claiming of an accommodation allowance after taking $52,000 to live in his mortgage-free Wellington apartment. Is this a good look for a Prime Minister who promised financial austerity?

The Government's first 100 days are almost up- how much have they accomplished? Are we feeling better or worse about the direction of the country? 

Voice messages/notes- do we love them? Do we hate them?

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In recent years, science has been examining the relationship between gut microbiomes and the resulting effect on mental health.

New research has revealed the gut microbiome has a critical role in mood disorders, as serotonin, dopamine, and glutamate are impacted by gut health.

Naturopath and wellness expert Erin O'Hara offers tips and tricks for keeping both in perfect shape.

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