RNZ: Nine To Noon

Our comedians Te Radar and Donna Brookbanks with a look at the funny stories of the week, including the Spanish man who has broken the world record for the fastest backward 100 meters in heels.

Sports commentator Sam Ackerman

Chris talks about a local kaumatua who wants the river dredged so he can paddle a waka he built for the last time, the Esk Valley is being choked by dust and a call for a week-long Negroni Festival.

Elizabeth Heritage reviews Ara by Dr Hinemoa Elder, published by Penguin Random House NZ.

Chloe Adams on her debut novel and the incredible family story that inspired it.

RNZ Pacific's Caleb Fotheringham reports from the Pacific Islands Forum in Honiara.

Auckland University biomedical engineering experts are working to develop 3-D printed bone supports and orthotics that are individually fitted and can support varying medical needs. 

New Zealand's Infrastructure Commission has looked back over 150 years of public construction to remind people how old some of our buildings and roads actually are. 

The Minister of Conservation on his proposals that would change the way decisons are made about national parks and conservation land.

Film and television reviewer Tamar Munch joins Kathryn to talk about American mockumentary The Paper (TVNZ+), which follows in the tradition of The Office. Highest 2 Lowest (Apple +)is a crime thriller directed by Spike Lee and starring Denzel Washington. And Subject (DocPlay) is a documentary about the subjects of documentaries - and the ethics and responsibilities inherent in the genre.

Cooking and baking with children is a great idea - even if its makes a helluva mess, according to early childhood education research specialist Dr Vicki Hargraves. 

The Christ Church Cathedral could be reopened in five years under a new, cheaper restoration plan, halving a massive funding shortfall.

Tech correspondent Mark Pesce joins Kathryn to look at a new study into what happened when radiologists came to rely on AI to interpret endoscopy results.

Ché talks to Kathryn about funding for Southland's space company, a row over taking gemstones from a local beach and a petition to re-extend the whitebaiting season in Southland Ché Baker is the editor of the Southland Times.

Leah McFall reviews Olveston: Portrait of a Home by Jane Ussher and John Walsh

What draws someone to fight for a country that's not their own, unsanctioned by their government ... sometimes, never having held a gun before?

Prince Harry is meeting King Charles for the first time in over a year and Banksy's been scrubbed from a London court building.

The Winter Olympics are just months away in Italy, and New Zealand snow sports athletes are hoping a new 2.3 million dollar dry slope in the Cardrona Valley will be a game changer for some. 

Researchers at the Liggins Institute at Auckland University believe a capsule of healthy gut bugs could change the future of obesity treatment. 

The tax department has ramped up efforts to crack down overseas student loan debtors - with more than a billion dollars owed by people that IRD has no contact information for. 

Science commentator Ximena Nelson joins Kathryn to talk about two studies that give us some insights into bumblebee and spider behaviour. 

Kathryn talks with Christchurch podiatrist Simon Wheeler about toes and how to take care of them. 

Ian Allen Editor for Stuff based in Marlborough

Lucy Black reviews Lest They Have Eyes by Bonivon Dyer, published by Torn Curtain Publishing.

The incredible tale of Oleg Lyalin, a KGB officer based in London in the 1970s who turned defector for rather untraditional reasons

Australia correspondent Karen Middleton joins Kathryn to talk about the thousands of jobs being cut at ANZ.

The Sorted website will soon be able to send users to a Financial Advice search tool.

The United Nations' top official on disaster risk is visiting New Zealand. 

Inland Revenue is stepping up efforts to track down overseas student loan debtors.

The All Blacks win a tight encounter with South Africa at Eden Park, while the Black Ferns top their group at the Rugby World Cup with a triumph over Ireland. In the NRL the Warriors prepare for their playoffs, while Erin Routliffe wins another tittle in the tennis doubles at the US Open.

Bonivon Dyer spent 13 years creating her version of what happens to Earth after the world as we know it is destroyed by nuclear warfare. What she's constructed is so elaborate she's constructed guides on her website - and QR codes in her book - that help detail the lands and people who've evolved 600 years in the future to a planet now known as Elusis. In this future, humans have genetically unlocked their potential - it's a world based on perfection. But as her book - called Lest They Have Eyes - reveals, the long-buried legacy of the world's destruction is about to catch up with the present. Bonivon is based in the US, but currently in New Zealand and joins Susie to talk about her writing journey.

Several fast-track listed projects have hit stumbling blocks as the Government seeks a list of businesses that can transition off natural gas. Oli also discusses which company might have received the new Cook Strait ferries contract and the moves for a new terminal at Clifford Bay.

Kelly discusses parking tickets, a local police officer and a haircut, a family urging action over driving while tired after daughter is killed in crash and a netball tournament marks 90 years.

Quentin Johnson reviews The Traitors Circle by Jonathan Freedland, published by Hachette Aotearoa New Zealand.

Police at the highest levels are on the ground following the fatal shooting yesterday of Tom Phillips, the serious injury to a police officer, and the return of the child who have been missing for nearly four years. RNZ reporter Kate Green is in Hamilton.

It's an author's dream, getting signed to a publisher with only the first chapter of your first book written. But it's been a dream come true for Zoe Rankin who has just published her psychological thriller, The Vanishing Place. 

President Trump continues to threaten Chicago with Federal troops. He has been threatening to send troops there as well as Baltimore and New Orleans in a bid, he says, to curb crime and carry out deportations. Senators grill Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. while the President attempts to rename the Department of Defense.

New research has found bringing authors into New Zealand schools can bolster children's enthusiasm for reading and writing.

A tech hub based at Victoria University in Wellington is proving to be a success in its first year - contributing $11.9 million to the economy and supporting 127 fulltime jobs in that time. 

Leading property lawyer's warning for homeowners over enhanced LIMs.

Kennedy stands on Top o' the Dome - Tohitohi o Reipae - the Dome Forest Conservation Park, north of Warkworth. 

Andrew Crowe, who has written over 40 nature books, turns his attention to introduced edible plants. His book is a practical guide to every day foraging.