Nine To Noon

It’s election weekend but it’s big one on the sporting front too.

Te Radar and Michele A'Court with a lighter take on recent stories.

Tess reports on the criris ihn urology care in Southland, controversial councillor Benedict Ong faces fourth possible code of conduct complaint, Otao Regional Council is to review consent to dump human waste on farmland near Lauder, excitement after an albatross egg laid on livestream and a loved dinosaur slide will live on, but in a analtered fashion.

Eden Denyer from Unity Books Wellington reviews Audition by Pip Adam (Te Herenga Waka University Press), winner of the Ursula K. Le Guin Fiction Prize 2026.

Israel's President, Isaac Herzog, has begun consultations with political parties on who he should ask to try to form a coalition government after last week's general election gave no clear winner.

Family trauma and the things we choose not to talk about are at the heart of the Australian author Miriam Sved's new novel, Illuminated Ruins.

Hong Kong has sentenced democracy activist Joshua Wong to 10 years in prison, the Chinese Communist party last week held its most important political meeting of the year, the international court of justice has set a date to rule over alleged genocide in Myanmar, and Indonesia dispatched tens of thousands of troops to the streets of Jakarta as tensions rise.

As many arts events struggle, the Pollywood Pasifika Film Festival is celebrating running for 24 years, showcasing often unheard stories from around the region.

The latest stage of a large international study has found that a breast cancer drug, which is funded in NZ, could help women with a common form of early-stage breast cancer live longer.

With two days left to vote, the final poll of the election campaign shows no obvious, or likely, path to power for either Labour or National led blocs.

Film and TV reviewer Tamar Munch joins Kathryn to talk about Nocturne (Apple TV), season 2 of Dead Ahead (TVNZ+) and The Oldest Person in the World (DocPlay).

How can you gauge when your child is ready to venture out alone? Michelle Andrews Luke is a lecturer in educational psychology at the University of Melbourne.

Technology correspondent Peter Griffin looks at yesterday's US election result and whether it will impact on the technology industry, including plans for data centre development.

Chris has the latest on the debate around the future of Splash Planet, e-scooters have returned to the streets of Napier on trial, local golfing prodigy Zack Swanick misses out on golden-ticket entry to the US Masters and the British Open and a group of older residents ticking off their bucket list - virtually.

Pacific correspondent Johnny Blades reports on US midterms in the Pacific, Samoan support for Israel, the new Fiji constitution, the recent death of the self-proclaimed King of Papaala, Noah Musingku and rugby league.

The Democrats have routed the Republicans in the US Midterm elections, sweeping the House and the Senate. Cameron McWhirter is a national reporter for The Wall Street Journal, based in Atlanta, where there's been big results for the Democrats.

Linda Murphy has worked at the Auckland City Mission Te Tapui Atawhai for more than 20 years and is set to retire from the later this month.

UK correspondent Steph Spyro looks at the end of the King and Queen's Caribbean tour and the offer by PM Andy Burnham to discuss a slavery apology to nations affected.

What are the major issues in the country's biggest city? Simon Bridges is chief executive of the Auckland Business Chamber.

With just two days left before election day, Labour leader Chris Hipkins on why he wants to make a return as prime minister and what Labour is offering with cost of living, the economy, and health among the main concerns for voters.

Science commentator Laurie Winkless joins Kathryn to talk about three new studies. The first shows evidence from 25 European countries that over the course of a decade extreme heat is directly influencing voting choices - with an increase in Green parties' support. GPS data from Manx shearwater birds found they're impacted by the sun's changes as they navigate long distances to their feeding grounds and back again. And a new dwarf planet's been discovered in our solar system. Laurie Winkless is a physicist and science writer

A major exhibition, Blood Is Thicker: Jason Greig, first staged at The Dowse Art Museum and now showing at Christchurch Art Gallery.

Unemployment rose to its highest level in nearly 11 years as the economy shed jobs, and there are signs some people may have stopped looking for work. Stats NZ said the unemployment rate was 5.7 per cent in the three months ended September, up from 5.6 percent in the previous quarter. A total of 174,000 people were unemployed, a rise of 3000 on the previous quarter and 14,000 higher than a year ago. Gyles Beckford is RNZ economics correspondent.

Kereama has the latest on the down grading of alert levels on Whakaari/White Island plus Whakatane Hospital neonatal unit gets an upgrade, Kawerau's Deputy Mayor wins gold in powerlifting, the Ngati Awa Te Toki Festival and 12 years of kapa haka and a new summer reggae festival for Whakatane.

Lucy Black reviews two books: Bedford Street by Ross Murray (Earth's End Publishing), and Music Against the Night by Yiyun Li (HarperCollins).

The film offers a reflection - not just on his extraordinary broadcasting career - but on the father, husband and person behind the public persona.

Australia correspondent Karen Middleton on another OCR hike, the glitz and glamour of the Melbourne Cup, the drug regulator has approved the pill version of weight-loss drug Wegovy, a children's author jailed for possessing and distributing child sex abuse material and a 12-year-old boy's been up against a magpie with a grudge.

Electrolyte drinks and powders are pushed as the answer to dehydration - but does anyone actually need them? uss.

Nearly one in four new vehicles in the year to October was a plug-in EV - up from 10 per cent in the same period last year.

Wellington City Council is proposing a major shift in how it collects rates from households.

What's next for a future professional netball league after the sport's national body parted ways with private backers Ali Williams and Anna Mowbray.

Liv Sisson has a new book out this week about the butterflies and moths of New Zealand.

Big moves among retailers The Warehouse and Kathmandu, as the former head of the Financial Markets Authority gets a big payout.

Piers Fuller, editor of the Wairarapa Times-Age, has the latest news from the region.

How we understand our animals? What are our pets trying to tell us and how can we even 'hear' them?

Nix Adams discusses her book Nothing to Lose: A mother's journey through grief, addiction and recovery.

David Smith has the latest on the midterms, as one Democrat switches sides.

A new project aims to improve healthcare professionals' capacity to provide compassionate, evidence-based lactation care after infant loss.

University of Auckland is building a $125 million high-performance engineering facility in racing driver Bruce McLaren's honour.

Otago farmers are fighting are losing battle against invasive pests, including deer, pigs and possums. Several farmers in The Catlins lost large portions of their winter crops to feral deer, with one losing an entire paddock even though it had been sprayed with deer repellent. A survey undertaken by Federated Farmers earlier this year reported pest numbers, and that costs relate to pest control, were increasing. In 2024 half of farmers reported pest numbers had risen over the previous five years. In 2026, that has risen to two-thirds of farmers. And that farms which bordered on forestry or Crown land were more susceptible to pests entering, than form other land types. Richard Dawkins is pest spokesperson for Federated Farmers and Rachel Napier farms in Owaka Valley and for the past four years has worked with other landowners as part of the Catlins Biodiversity Group in an effort to combat the swelling populations of possum, pig and deer.

Bill McKay is a Senior Lecturer in the School of Architecture and Planning at the University of Auckland.

Drawing on six years of working with New Zealand families Ganesh Raj has produced a new resource he hopes will help.

Brigitte, Gareth and Kathryn discuss recent events in politics as the election campaign moves into its final week, and John Key has a message for voters.

Simon Wilson is a Listener columnist based in Auckland.

Louise Ward from Wardini Books reviews two books: Somebody Always Comes Looking by Paul Cleave (Upstart Press), and Bookrapt's Treasury by Debbie McCauley (Mauao Publishing.

A new book tells the comprehensive story of our trusted police dogs and their handlers - going back to 1956 and the foundation of the New Zealand Police Dog Section.

Spanish transport minister rejects calls to resign after second deadly train crash, protests and clashes with police across Europe spread to Germany, tension in Poland over control of country's constitutional court, and exhausted and hungry residents from the Russian-controlled town of Oleshky have crossed back behind the Ukrainian front line.

Micro-robotics is a developing research field that may revolutionise future medical applications, such as drug delivery for cancer treatments.

Wētā Workshop experts on the challenge of creating a sexy husband made out of basketry for the film Wicker opening in cinemas this week.

US voting in the mid terms gets underway overnight tomorrow in an election that could change the bal;ance of power in Congress.