Podcasts about Auckland

Georgina Godwin speaks with women directing major literary festivals worldwide, from Edinburgh and Auckland to Sydney and Dubai. She explores their histories, audiences, themes and reach, highlighting diverse programming, cultural impact and international connections.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A patient at an Auckland mental health programme that will close its doors next month says she's feeling anxious about the future. Rauaroha Segar House, a publicly funded intensive service for people who have long-standing or chronic problems, stops its services on September the 19th. Heloise Cantin-Gilmore told Checkpoint her time there's been life-changing and there are no other realistic treatment options available to her. Jimmy Ellingham reports.

Auckland's mayor is renewing his call for a bed tax for the supercity, as it deals with some serious economic troubles. Auckland mayor Wayne Brown spoke to Ingrid Hipkiss.

The number of people making losses when they sell their homes is at the highest level since 2014, property data firm Cotality says, and Auckland sellers are being hit particularly hard. Money correspondent Susan Edmunds spoke to Ingrid Hipkiss.

Disappearances from AUCKLANDBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/missing-persons-mysteries--5624803/support.

For our weekly catchup w/ the Green Party Oto spoke with MP Ricardo Menendez-March about the government's plan to consider recognising a Palestinian state, The Green's petition to restore Te Reo names of Wellington electorates and the most recent taxpayers union-curia poll. He spoke to Tom Hunt from E Tu union's national media delegate's committee about the killing of 5 Al Jazeera journalists by Israel in Gaza. And he spoke to Stephen Hoadely, a retired Associate Professor of International Relations at the University of Auckland, about the upcoming talks between Trump and Putin to negotiate a ceasefire in Russia's war on Ukraine. Max spoke to John Morgan from the University of Auckland, to talk about why the recent proposal to drop NCEA might be part of a larger global shift

Many questions have come up in recent weeks due to the government's proposal to ditch the NCEA curriculum by 2030. Most people are wondering what the future of education will look like in Aotearoa, given that NCEA has been used throughout most of New Zealand since the start of the millennium. Professor John Morgan is the head of the School of Critical Studies in Education at the University of Auckland. Morgan published an article earlier this week to look at what caused NCEA to be introduced in the first place and what the larger context of this new educational reform is. Producer Max spoke to Morgan to discuss how recent global events have impacted education and what the future of schools might look like in Aotearoa.

In the lead up to the US Presidential elections, one of Donald Trump's key campaign promises was to broker a truce between Russia and Ukraine within 24 hours, dubbing himself the “President of Peace.” Almost 7 months into Trump's presidency and more than 3 years since Russia began its invasion of Ukraine, the war has only continued to escalate and no peace or ceasefire deals have been achieved yet. However, hopes for a ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine have been reignited for some following the announcement of Talks between Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin that will take place this Friday. Albeit, there have also been concerns surrounding those same talks, noting that Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy and other EU leaders haven't been invited, with Russia insisting on holding on to it's territorial gains as part of ceasefire conditions.  Oto spoke to Stephen Hoadely, a retired Associate Professor of International Relations at the University of Auckland, about the upcoming talks between Trump and Putin to negotiate a ceasefire in Russia's war on Ukraine.

It's the kind of price tag that might even make strongman Popeye cry. A 300g bag of spinach was $8.29 at one Auckland supermarket last week; or more than $27 per kg. This week it's worse with some packaged spinach is going for more than $33 a kilo. The Infometrics-Foodstuffs New Zealand Grocery Supplier Cost Index indicates there was an average 2.2% increase in what suppliers charged grocers in July, over the year earlier. United Fresh President, Jerry Prendergast spoke to Lisa Owen .

Mitch Horowitz, author of Duncan's favorite books on magick, the paranormal, ESP, and manifestation, re-joins the DTFH! You can find Mitch's books everywhere fine books are sold! A few of our favorites include Practical Magick, Modern Occultism, and Occult America. Click here for Mitch's full catalog! New Zealand and Australian family! Duncan is headed your way this month! Click to get tickets for his shows in Auckland, Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne, and Perth! Thank you, and we love you!! This episode is brought to you by: Try your first month of BlueChew FREE. Visit BlueChew.com for more details and important safety information. Minnesota Nice Ethnobotanicals wants to help you escape the matrix of stress and reconnect with the earth's ancient wisdom—go to mn-nice-ethnobotanicals.com/duncan and use code DUNCAN20 for 20% off your first order of Amanita Muscaria Capsules! For a limited time, our listeners get 10% off at Ridge by using code DUNCAN at checkout. Just head to Ridge.com and use code DUNCAN and you're all set!

In this sweeping new history of humanity, told through the prism of our ever-changing moral norms and values, Hanno Sauer shows how modern society is just the latest step in the long evolution of good and evil and everything in between. What makes us moral beings? How do we decide what is good and what is evil? And has it always been that way? Hanno Sauer's sweeping new history of humanity, covering five million years of our universal moral values, comes at a crucial moment of crisis for those values, and helps to explain how they arose -- and why we need them. We humans were born to cooperate, but everywhere we find ourselves in conflict. The way we live together has changed fundamentally in recent decades: global mobility, demographic upheaval, migration movements, and digital networking, have all called the moral foundations of human communities into question. Modern societies are in crisis: a shared universal morality seems to be a thing of the past. Hanno Sauer explains why this appearance is deceptive: in fact, there are universal values that all people share. If we understand the origin of our morality, we can understand its future too. With philosophical expertise and empirical data, Sauer explains how processes of biological, cultural, social, and historical evolution shaped the moral grammar that defines our present. Seven chapters recount the crucial moral upheavals of human history showing how the emergence of humankind five million years ago, the rise of first civilizations 5,000 years ago, and the dynamics of moral progress in the last fifty years are interrelated. This genealogical perspective allows us, on the one hand, to see the contradictions and potential conflicts of our moral identities; on the other, it makes clear that we share fundamental values that apply to all human beings at all times. Sauer's elegant prose, translated into English by Jo Heinrich, brings the history of humanity to vivid new life. Hanno Sauer is an Associate Professor of Philosophy at the Department of Philosophy & Religious Studies at Utrecht University. He teaches ethics, metaethics and political philosophy. Morteza Hajizadeh is a Ph.D. graduate in English from the University of Auckland in New Zealand. His research interests are Cultural Studies; Critical Theory; Environmental History; Medieval (Intellectual) History; Gothic Studies; 18th and 19th Century British Literature. YouTube channel. Twitter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/history

Auckland museum's asbestos problem is being described as an octopus with more than eight tentacles - and one that comes with a whopping price tagTwo Auckland heritage buildings have been the centre of attention - one because it's finally getting funding for restoration, the other because it's facing a mult-million dollar asbestos problemFind The Detail on Newsroom or RNZ Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

The union representing workers at Auckland Hospital's mental health ward says more staff are needed to keep health workers safe. Finn Blackwell reports.

Keith Jardine (actor, director, and MMA legend) & Tait Fletcher (actor & director) join the DTFH! You can stream Keith and Tait's new movie, Kill Me Again, on Amazon Prime Video! New Zealand and Australian family! Duncan is headed your way this month! Click to get tickets for his shows in Auckland, Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne, and Perth! Thank you, and we love you!! This episode is brought to you by: Check Out Squarespace.com for a free trial, and when you're ready to launch, Squarespace.com/DUNCAN to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain. This episode is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/duncan and get on your way to being your best self. Visit trueclassic.com/DUNCAN to save. Shop now and elevate your wardrobe today.

On the Saturday Morning with Jack Tame Full Show Podcast for Saturday 9 August 2025, Australian idol legend Guy Sebastian joins Jack in studio for a chat about releasing album number ten, and gives a very special performance of a brand new track. Jack considers his experiences with the NYC subway compared to Auckland's new CRL. A hearty recipe for the weekend, Rosa Flanagan of Two Raw Sisters shares a how-to for her Slow Cooked Moroccan Lamb and Pumpkin dish. Ruud Kleinpaste reckons it's about getting warm enough to get back into the garden. Plus, Catherine Raynes shares details on a brand new Kiwi tale of resilience, The Unlikely Doctor by Timoti Te Moke. Get the Saturday Morning with Jack Tame Full Show Podcast every Saturday on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Auckland house sales were up over 9% last month, and listing nationwide were up 14%. It seems things are starting to pick up - but prices have remained fairly steady. LJ Hooker Head of Network Campbell Dunoon joins Tim Beveridge to discuss. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It was all aboard the City Rail Link express today for the Prime Minister and Cabinet colleagues in another milestone for the multi-billion dollar project. A train did a special VIP test run in the new tunnels. Auckland's mayor was on board too - and liked what he saw inside the station - but as for what's outside? He called that a disappointment. Kim Baker Wilson was on board.

On Christmas Eve, 1953, New Zealand's holiday celebrations were shattered by tragedy. The Wellington to Auckland night express, filled with passengers eager to be home for Christmas, was making its way north when disaster struck. A lahar (volcanic mudflow) had swept away the Tangiwai Rail Bridge, plunging the train into the raging Whangaehu River below. The result was catastrophic — lives were lost, and the nation was left in shock.It was one of the darkest moments in New Zealand's history. At the time, it ranked as the eighth-deadliest rail disaster in the world and captured international headlines. With a population of just over two million, nearly everyone in the country knew someone affected. The fact that it occurred on Christmas Eve only deepened the collective sorrow. To this day, it remains far more than a local railway accident — it is a national tragedy.Join Gary Kent as he explores the story of the Tangiwai disaster, uncovering its profound impact on the people involved and the country as a whole. In the midst of grief and loss, perhaps we too can find comfort and strength as we reflect on how to navigate sorrow and hardship in our own lives.

For all those Masterchef Australia fans out there, we have a treat for you. We've got this season's Kiwi contestant Ben MacDonald in the Auckland studio Now just a warning, if you haven't seen last night's episode and you're worried about spoilers please don't click on the link to listen! Ben has been competing in this year's MasterChef Australia: Back to Win season, eleven years after first appearing on the show in 2014 where he placed sixth.

At the end of each week, Mike Hosking takes you through the big-ticket items and lets you know what he makes of it all. Sheds: 8/10 The new garden shed rules are what good governance should be about – simple and common sense. How hard can it be? Local body elections: 4/10 Nominations close and, once again, a whole bunch of races are not being run because we don't have enough candidates. 15% tariffs: 1/10 Biggest blow of the week in an economy that needs it like a hole in the head. Coal: 7/10 Good cooperation with the gentailers, some cold, hard reality at last, and a good kick in the pants for the idiots who closed the oil and gas. Downtown Auckland: 3/10 Wake up call of the week from the real estate bloke who said we look more like Suva than Sydney. Ouch. Jobs: 4/10 Because the simple truth is this aint over. There is more where that came from in a year that was supposed to be showing real signs of recovery. LISTEN ABOVE FOR MIKE HOSKING'S FULL WEEK IN REVIEW See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When I first moved to New York, I spent my first year living in a railroad apartment above an Ecuadorian fruit shop on Second Avenue. It was a character-building experience. I went weeks without heating or hot water in winter, and my windows had almost no effect whatsoever in keeping out the ceaseless sound of trucks thundering past my bedroom enroute to restock the city. When I arrived they'd just start construction on the Second Ave subway, a few blocks from my home. The project was hitting a few speedbumps. Bedrock turned out to be deeper than anticipated, a worker nearly died after being stuck in waste-deep slop on site, and what was supposed to be a controlled explosion sent rocks flying all over a busy Manhattan intersection. Curiously, the Second Ave subway route was first proposed in the 1920s, which Wikipedia tells was about the same time that planners first mused over the possibility of the Morningside Deviation, a train tunnel in central Auckland. Stage One of the Second Avenue subway was a 3.2km tunnel. The Central Rail Link is 3.5km. Second Ave ended up costing more than $7 Billion. The Central Rail Link blew out however many times but at last check was $5.5 Billion. The weird thing about a big underground tunnel development is that most of us never fully appreciate the scale of the work. It's obvious I suppose, but even if you live and work in the city, while you get used to a few cones and traffic delays up above the ground, you have no real perspective about the extraordinary activities happening somewhere beneath your feet. Auckland Transport has this week released its updated transit map with the CRL stations. Apparently they've done 1600 test runs so far. They've run trains more than 5000km – Kaitaia to Bluff two-and-a-half times. They've been driving trains at 70kmph directly underneath Auckland's CBD and at no point have I felt so much of a rumble or a shudder. I reckon the vast majority of us up top have been absolutely none-the-wiser. The kid in me who briefly considered becoming an engineer (and even volunteered to spend a school holiday touring the Lyttelton Tunnel) can't help but think that's pretty cool. After riding along on a VIP tour yesterday with all the politicians and movers-and-shakers, Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown was in vintage form. How was it? He was asked. “It was a ride in a train.” He said. “We don't want excitement.” Well, maybe not. But guilty as charged. Maybe it's the engineering. Maybe it's the people-watching. Maybe it's the broader sense of momentum and life, but whether it's a tube, an underground, or a subway, I love a bit of subterranean mass-transit. You know you're a nerd when you're less excited about the opening of New Zealand's first IKEA than the transport connection you'll take to get there. After years of construction, the Second Ave subway opened two weeks before I moved back home. One of the last things I did on my last few days in New York was ride a loop. Not because I had somewhere to be but because I wanted to see what all that fuss and money and effort had created, out of sight, underneath my feet. I can't wait to do the same thing here. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Craig is director of Moller Architects which has been in practice since 1969 and has designed the likes of the Sky Tower and ASB Waterfront Theatre in Auckland. He tells Emile what he thinks makes a great building. 

Delta Airlines has hit turbulence after it publicly stated it wants AI to set 20% of its domestic ticket prices by the end of the year, raising concerns about so called survellience pricing. Delta has since issued a statement saying it does not intend to use AI to leverage individual consumer-specific data such as prior purchasing activity, but several senators are still concerned they're working on legislaton to stop it happening. Professional teaching fellow at the University of Auckland and an expert in the use of AI and digital technologies in marketing, Patrick Dodd spoke to Lisa Owen.

The practice of the international agency Grimshaw architects is founded on the principles of analysis and exploration. In the light of the emblematic Eden project (Cornwall, UK) and the current Rapas footbridge project (Toulouse, France), Alice Barrois, director of the Paris office, talks about Grimshaw's field of intervention: complex eco-responsible, contextual and forward-looking projects for this firm of over 650 employees, based in London, the head office, but also in Paris, Los Angeles, New York, Dubai, Sydney, Melbourne and Auckland. A practice on an international scale that raises questions and makes its mark through the relevance of the answers it is able to provide locally, in a controlled direction.Image teaser © Perry HooperSound engineering : Julien Rebours___If you like the podcast do not hesitate:. to subscribe so you don't miss the next episodes,. to leave us stars and a comment :-),. to follow us on Instagram @comdarchipodcast to find beautiful images, always chosen with care, so as to enrich your view on the subject.Nice week to all of you ! Hébergé par Acast. Visitez acast.com/privacy pour plus d'informations.

Melissa E. Middeldorp, MPH, PhD is joined by Martin K. Stiles, MBChB, PhD, FHRS, University of Auckland and Waikato Hospital and Eloi Marijon, MD, PhD, Paris University & European Georges Pompidou Hospital, to discuss this Danish nationwide study examines the relationship between socioeconomic position (SEP) and sudden cardiac death (SCD) as well as all-cause mortality (ACM). Analyzing all deaths in Denmark from 2010, researchers found a strong inverse association between both income and education level and the risk of SCD and ACM. Individuals in the lowest income and education groups had significantly higher rates of SCD, even after adjusting for age, sex, and comorbidities. The study highlights that despite Denmark's universal healthcare system, socioeconomic disparities in health outcomes persist, suggesting that factors beyond healthcare access—such as health literacy, lifestyle, and systemic inequalities—play a crucial role. The findings call for further research into the mechanisms driving these disparities and the development of targeted prevention strategies.  https://www.hrsonline.org/education/TheLead https://academic.oup.com/europace/article/27/4/euaf001/7958953?login=false Host Disclosure(s): M. Middeldorp: Nothing to disclose. Contributor Disclosure(s): E. Marijon: Honoraria/Speaking/Consulting: Zoll Medical Corporation, Boston Scientific  Research: Biotronik, Boston Scientific, MicroPort Scientific Corporation, Medtronic, Zoll Medical Corporation, Abbott  M. Stiles: Honoraria/Speaking/Consulting: Abbott Medical, Medtronic, Inc., Boston Scientific

Is Yawning Contagious Richard Christian reports on a study that says you can get your dog to yawn by yawning yourself. But Fido knows when you're faking it. He won't fall for the faux yawn. What does it all mean? What is our dog thinking when they yawn? Don't get paranoid. He's not necessarily bored. Listen Now Man Tries To Smuggle Fish In Pants An embarrassing leak foiled one man's recent smuggling attempt in New Zealand. The Vietnamese national attempted to smuggle live tropical fish from Australia to Auckland, hiding them in plastic bags and stuffing them into his pockets. However, airport officials grew suspicious when they noticed water seeping from his pants. Listen Now Missing Diamonds Found But Can't Be Retrieved For 8 Years Claire Lennon says her pet chicken Sarah snatched the $450 piece of jewelry while she was perched on her shoulder. Veterinarians determined the earring was trapped in the chicken's stomach. And while they said they could remove it with a risky surgery, Lennon quickly ruled that out and intends to wait until Sarah grows old and passes away from natural causes. Listen Now Cat Friendly Practices Animal Radio® Veterinary Correspondent Dr. Marty Becker reports on veterinary practices that go out of their way to be extra cat-friendly. He'll also have tips for taking your cat to the vet without all the stress and strain. Listen Now Rent-A-Chicken A couple in Freeport, Pennsylvania, is giving aspiring chicken farmers a chance to take a test run with the animals. Phil Thompkins and his wife, Jenn, have recently started a business called "Rent The Chicken," which allows people to care for chickens. For $350, a renter gets two hens, a wheeled coop, feed, and a water dish. Listen Now Read more about this week's show.

The government is being urged to inject stimulus into Auckland's economy after dismal unemployment figures for the city were released this week. Minister for Auckland Simeon Brown spoke to Corin Dann.

In today's episode, research by the University of Otago shows many New Zealand GPs are already using AI to record and write up patient notes; Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has convened a meeting of his security cabinet, to discuss the occupation of Gaza; The government is being urged to inject stimulus into Auckland's economy after dismal unemployment figures for the city were released this week; We have our weekly sports chat: Kerry-Anne Walsh gives us the latest from Australia.

When we fail to open a jar, and we pass it to our spouse who opens it without breaking a sweat, have we helped to loosen it or not? Richard Easther, professor of physics at the University of Auckland, explains.

Today on the show…  - The government says 2026 is when the economy will boost. But until then it's all Labour's fault. It's confusing, isn't it?  - 2025 was meant to boom but it's been a bust. Unemployment is spiking - especially in Auckland. Tonight I'll show how many times in 15 minutes National blames Labour and I'll show you why 2026 is expected to go off with a sonic boom.  - And Ian Fraser from Seniors at Work joins us to discuss how the job market in NZ is impacting our older generations. Website: https://www.rova.nz/home/podcasts/duncan-garner---editor-in-chief Instagram: @DuncanGarnerpodcast  TikTok: @DuncanGarnerpodcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Rare thing to be able to say- but Wellington City Council has just made a sensible decision and voted against erecting a fence along the entire length of Kumutoto and Queen's Wharf. Now, if you know the part of Wellington that I'm talking about here, it's the area seaside of the TSB Bank Arena and Fergs and Shed 5 and Foxglove and so on. That whole area at the moment has beautiful concrete walkways that have been laid, lovely seating and lighting and so on. And then there's a little barrier either side. If there's sea on the other side, there's a little barrier that comes up to a concrete barrier, maybe mid-shin for you. Now, council officials planned to erect a fence instead - a full-length fence either side of every walkway, up to about 1.2 meters or so, lining almost the entire walkway, 3.5 km of it, at the cost of maybe as much as $30 million. And they wanted the council - probably because they realized how this is going to go down with people - to rush through voting on it without talking to the public about it first. For once, Wellington City Council has actually done the right thing and pumped the brakes here. I think, to be fair to the officials, that this is coming from a good place and that this is the recommendation in a coroner's report. A coroner has had a look at somebody who's fallen into the water, died in the drink, and said: you should put a fence up. Because there have been a few examples lately, especially young men who've got on the raz and then fallen into the water, and that has been the end of them. But - this is gonna sound harsh - I don't think that you fence off an entire walkway because some young people sometimes have a drink and then fall in. I don't want, just as much as you - I don't want people to die needlessly in accidents. But there is a balance to be struck here between personal responsibility and safety measures that we put up to stop stuff happening. I think you go for an intermediate thing here. You stick up some lights, you make sure people can see where they're going in the dark, but you do not fence off the entire thing because that is overkill. It is not normal for us to have fences between ourselves and the sea. Take Auckland, where I live at the moment. Go for a walk under Auckland's Harbour Bridge, there are huge stretches exactly like this. No fence whatsoever. You're just walking there and there's the sea. It's a fall down, you just have to look after yourself and be careful. Walk on piers anywhere in this country, they often do not have fences. You've just got to watch where you're going. If you chuck up a fence, you stop people doing what they're supposed to do near the sea, which is sitting there looking at it, enjoying nature, or fishing off the walkway into the sea. Think about what the Wellington officials were trying to do here - they were literally fencing off the sea. When you fence off the sea, do you not think that you are going just a little bit too far? LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tonight on The Huddle, Jordan Williams from the Taxpayers' Union and former Auckland mayor Phil Goff joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day - and more! Wellington Council has voted down a proposal to build a fence around its waterfront. Do we think this was the right move? High gas prices are set to bring down another company - this time it's fertiliser manufacturer Ballance. How many more of these incidents can our economy take? What can we do to stop this? It's been revealed the Government spent too much during the Covid-19 pandemic, according to new reports. What do we make of this? LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

One school principal is not phased by mistakes being found in a Ministry maths resource book. 18 errors have been found and fixed - including incorrect sums and a Te Reo Māori typo. Auckland Primary Principals' Association President Lucy Naylor says it's not ideal, but the resources only make up about five percent of what's taught. She points out they didn't cost schools. "Given the maths resources have been given free to schools by the Government, it kind of outweighs the errors." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Some Auckland ratepayers have been getting nasty surprises when opening their newest bills for the year. The Herald has identified a number of properties who've been overcharged, including a $3.9 million multi-unit property with an incorrect $444,766 - 11.4 percent - rates bill. Auckland Council Group chief financial officer Ross Tucker says they process the rates bills for a huge volume of properties in Auckland. "The best information we've got is - we think it's quite isolated...the four properties where there's been some issues are not just a single property, single house, it's ones where there's multi-units. That's one rates bill that covers multiple units." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Auckland will host a a cracking quartet of rugby league test matches later this year. The Jillaroos as well as Tonga and Samoa's men and women, come to town to contest the Pacific Championship starting in October. Sports reporter Jonty Dine spoke to Lisa Owen.

One of Auckland's best loved and long-running bookshops is on the brink of closure now its landlord, the Catholic Church, wants to sell up the historic central city property. Hard to Find books moved to the old Newton convent eight years ago, something the owner hailed a 'miracle' after they were forced out of their Onehunga store because of rampant rent rises. But the shop and its more than 200,000 books are one again in search of a new home and owner Warrick Jordan has no choice but to hope for yet another miracle. Evie Richardson reports.

No animal is so entangled in human history as the horse. The thread starts in prehistory, with a slight, shy animal, hunted for food. Domesticating the horse allowed early humans to settle the vast Eurasian steppe; later, their horses enabled new forms of warfare, encouraged long-distance trade routes, and ended up acquiring deep cultural and religious significance. Over time, horses came to power mighty empires in Iran, Afghanistan, China, India, and, later, Russia. Genghis Khan and the thirteenth-century Mongols offer the most famous example, but from ancient Assyria and Persia, to the seventeenth-century Mughals, to the high noon of colonialism in the early twentieth century, horse breeding was indispensable to conquest and statecraft. Scholar of Asian history David Chaffetz tells the story of how the horse made rulers, raiders, and traders interchangeable, providing a novel explanation for the turbulent history of the “Silk Road,” which might be better called the Horse Road. Drawing on recent research in fields including genetics and forensic archeology, Chaffetz presents a lively history of the great horse empires that shaped civilization. David Chaffetz is an independent scholar with a lifelong passion for Middle Eastern and Inner Asian history. His 1981 book, several times republished, A Journey through Afghanistan, earned praise from Owen Lattimore, the then doyen of Inner Asian studies in America and the UK. He is a regular contributor to the Asian Review of Books, and has written for the South China Morning Post and the Nikkei Asian Review. His most recent book, Three Asian Divas, describes the important role of elite women entertainers in the transmission of traditional Asian culture. Morteza Hajizadeh is a Ph.D. graduate in English from the University of Auckland in New Zealand. His research interests are Cultural Studies; Critical Theory; Environmental History; Medieval (Intellectual) History; Gothic Studies; 18th and 19th Century British Literature. YouTube channel. Twitter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/russian-studies

New Zealand's unemployment rate has hit 5.2% - the highest since 2020. Auckland Business Chamber Chief Executive Simon Bridges spoke to Ingrid Hipkiss.

Auckland high school principal Claire Amos says the Education Minister is overstating schools' readiness to use Artificial Intelligence. President of the Auckland Secondary Schools Principals Association Claire Amos spoke to Corin Dann.

In today's episode, a Christchurch man says he has applied for hundreds of jobs with no success, and despairs about what to do next; New Zealand's unemployment rate has hit 5.2% - the highest since 2020; The government is planning to abolish petrol tax and move towards all vehicles paying road user charges, or RUCs, to pay for roads; Auckland high school principal Claire Amos says the Education Minister is overstating schools' readiness to use Artificial Intelligence; Contact Energy is ramping up its renewable energy supplies, saying investment in that area is critical to the economy; New research has revealed that song birds may need a good night's sleep to sing.

A pōhutukawa tree is splintering relations between residents of an Auckland apartment complex, the council and the local iwi. Resident and broadcaster Murray Deaker spoke to Ingrid Hipkiss.

"My lifetime's work could be gone". That's the message from the head green keeper of Takapuna's beloved golf course as the community tries to stop a big chunk of it being turned into a wetland. The council has proposed converting half the course into a flood storage and recreational area to avoid a repeat of the suffering caused by the 2023 Auckland anniversary floods. But those backing the alternative proposal are confident keeping the course at 18 holes while safeguarding against flood damage is not only possible, but a better option. Jessica Hopkins reports .

A long time Auckland environmentalist won the battle to protect a bunch of berms he has planted in an urban style jungle over decades. But plants on another grass verge will be removed by Auckland council after complaints from some residents in a nearby apartments. Freeman's Bay resident Mark van Kaathoven has been working on the berm gardens outside his home and neighbouring properties for more than three decades. Auckland Council has now given most of the berms protected status under its restorative gardening initiative, meaning they can't be removed. Mark van Kaathoven spoke to Lisa Owen.

As Israel's war in Gaza nears its second full year since October 7th, 2023, multiple aid agencies and humanitarian groups have said that the prevalence of famine within the strip has gone beyond critical levels, with elderly Palestinians now succumbing to malnutrition-related deaths alongside the deaths amongst children that were reported earlier this year. Israel, who have maintained a blockade on the Gaza strip since 2007, began significantly restricting the amount of aid entering the enclave following the beginning of the war. While spokespeople from the government have told the international community they were allowing adequate levels of aid to enter the strip during humanitarian pauses, humanitarian groups have said the volume of aid entering the strip was far below the level needed, and that reported attacks on both aid workers and Palestinians waiting for aid by IDF personnel weakened Israel's claims of distributing aid effectively.  Oto spoke to Dr Ritesh Shah, a Senior Lecturer Critical Studies in Education at the University of Auckland to discuss why Israel has been facing international condemnation for its handling of aid distribution in Gaza. If you'd like to attend the seminar that Ritesh will be speaking at tomorrow, you can find the details for it here on eventbrite:

For our weekly catchup with the Green Party, Oto spoke with MP Ricardo Menendez-March about the government's plan to replace the National Certificate of Educational Achievement, The FBI office opening in Wellington and The party's call to the government to reverse changes to emergency housing access. He spoke with Ritesh Shah, a Senior Lecturer Critical Studies in Education, about why Israel is facing international condemnation for how it's handled aid distribution in Gaza. And he spoke to Dr Mohsen Mohammadzadeh, A senior lecturer in the school of architecture and planning in the faculty of engineering and design at the University of Auckland about the rollout of AI enabled surveillance technology in Auckland. Max spoke to Stuart McNaughton, a professor from the University of Auckland, to talk about the government's decision to scrap NCEA by 2030.

On Monday this week it was announced by the government that they are planning to drop NCEA from the national curriculum by 2030, as a part of a new education overhaul. Although the full details of the new program haven't been released, the government is planning to replace the NCEA qualification, which has been in place for more than 20 years, with a new national system weighted heavily towards exams. Associate Education Minister David Seymour described the change as more “challenging” for students, which from his perspective can “only be a positive thing”. Following on from our previous conversation with the Green Party's Ricardo Menendez-March, Producer Max spoke to Stuart McNaughton, a professor in the faculty of arts and education at the University of Auckland, to talk about the new education reforms.

Recently, AI-enabled CCTV cameras, number plate recognition systems and other smart technologies have been rolled out in Tāmaki Makaurau, Auckland.While information about these technologies is limited, what is known is that they're primarily being used to detect traffic violations at the moment, although ethical concerns have been raised about how this technology could be used in the future. Oto spoke to Dr Mohsen Mohammadzadeh, A senior lecturer in the school of architecture and planning in the faculty of engineering and design at the university of Auckland about the rollout this new AI enabled surveillance technology in Auckland and it's ethical implications.

Auckland's city missioner is calling on the government to seriously rethink its approach to emergency housing, because of the effect it says it's having on the streets. Auckland's city missioner Helen Robinson spoke to Corin Dann.

Jeremy Corbell, UFOlogist (and definitely UFO enthusiast), re-joins the DTFH to talk about the latest UFO government disclosures! Antipodean family! Duncan is doing a run of shows in New Zealand and Australia this very month! First stop is SkyCity Theatre in Auckland, NZ on August 19. Click here to get your tickets now! This episode is brought to you by: Minnesota Nice Ethnobotanicals wants to help you escape the matrix of stress and reconnect with the earth's ancient wisdom—go to mn-nice-ethnobotanicals.com/duncan and use code DUNCAN20 for 20% off your first order of Amanita Muscaria Capsules! This episode is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/duncan and get on your way to being your best self. Try your first month of BlueChew FREE. Visit BlueChew.com for more details and important safety information.

Erich Auerbach wrote his classic work Mimesis, a history of narrative from Homer to Proust, based largely on his memory of past reading. Having left his physical library behind when he fled to Istanbul to escape the Nazis, he was forced to rely on the invisible library of his mind. Each of us has such a library—if not as extensive as Auerbach's—even if we are unaware of it. In this erudite and provocative book, William Marx explores our invisible libraries—how we build them and how we should expand them.Libraries, Marx tells us, are mental realities, and, conversely, our minds are libraries. We never read books apart from other texts. We take them from mental shelves filled with a variety of works that help us understand what we are reading. And yet the libraries in our mind are not always what they should be. The selection on our mental shelves—often referred to as canon, heritage, patrimony, or tradition—needs to be modified and expanded. Our intangible libraries should incorporate what Marx calls the dark matter of literature: the works that have been lost, that exist only in fragments, that have been repurposed by their authors, or were never written in the first place. Marx suggests methods for recovering this missing literature, but he also warns us that adding new titles to our libraries is not enough. We must also adopt a new attitude, one that honors the diversity and otherness of literary works. We must shed our preconceptions and build within ourselves a mental world library. William Marx is professor of comparative literature at the Collège de France. He is the author of The Hatred of Literature, The Tomb of Oedipus: Why Greek Tragedies Were Not Tragic, and other books. Morteza Hajizadeh is a Ph.D. graduate in English from the University of Auckland in New Zealand. His research interests are Cultural Studies; Critical Theory; Environmental History; Medieval (Intellectual) History; Gothic Studies; 18th and 19th Century British Literature. YouTube channel. Twitter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network