Felix turns a journalistic eye to the world's most mysterious stories. This week, he investigates The Dancing Plague of 1518, an event that got a whole town on their feet... before they couldn't get back down.
Robert Bartholomew from UoA's Psychology Department joins him on his very serious, totally real investigation.
The Climate Change Commission has recommended sweeping changes to cut down emissions from transport, which totalled about 47 per cent of New Zealand's carbon emissions.
It wants petrol and diesel car imports to be fully banned no later than 2035, and to have ships electrified after 2025 and short-haul routes operated by electric planes by 2030.
The roadmap also targeted to have more cars run by a mix of petrol and biofuel.
The Motor Industry Association, which represents importers and distributors of new vehicles, said they 'cautiously welcome' the report.
Its chief executive David Crawford spoke to Justin Wong.
Yesterday, Fiji recorded over six hundred new coronavirus cases. This brings their total active cases to over five thousand. Many have criticised the government's response, claiming they have failed to properly control the spread.
Producer Louis talked with the University of Canterbury's Dr Steven Ratuva about the current situation in Fiji as cases escalate.
The Abel Tasman National Park is currently coming alive to the sound of young kākā following a successful breeding season for the park’s resident birds. Collaborators on the breeding programme including Project Janszoon, DOC and the Abel Tasman Birdsong Trust are all celebrating the successful fledging of eight chicks from three nests in the Bark Bay and Torrent Bay areas.
In 2015, Kākā were virtually extinct in the park with only a few wild male birds surviving there. Since then a total of 35 captive-bred birds have been released, with the last release happening in 2019. Most of these birds came from captive South Island kaka but about a third were raised from eggs or chicks collected from Nelson Lakes and Kahurangi National Parks. This year’s chicks were all banded and fitted with a transmitter before they left their nests. They are particularly vulnerable in the period between leaving the nest and learning to fly, which can take up to a week, but most are now competent flyers and adding their tunes to the chorus of the park.
This week on the Wire, Frances speaks with ornithologist Ron Moorhouse and Project Janszoon’s Project Director Bruce Vander Lee about the much loved birds and conservation in the area.
Mondays dishes out a hectic storm which neither Rachel nor Producer Zoë can stop going on about for the full three hours, Fashun, some Loose Reads, and some Red Dead Redemption. Whakarongo mai!
New Zealand has just announced another package of $13million NZD for Ukraine, bringing our total of aid spending to $30million NZD. It’s also the first time we provide what’s called lethal aid. Producer Stella Huggins spoke with Geoffrey Miller, an expert on Ukraine and an international analyst with the Democracy Project, about the package.
Russia's foreign ministry has slapped New Zealand journalists, officials and an academic with sanctions for supporting what it called the country's "Russophobic agenda." Thirty two individuals have been added to their no fly list, bumping the total to 153.
The sole academic that got slapped with sanctions, was Politics and International Relations Professor Stephen Hoadley. Trishil spoke with Professor Stephen Hoadley on the matter, wanting to gain his perspective on the ban.
Mayor Brown' draft for the annual 2023/24 budget includes drastic cuts for the arts. The plan is to stop regional grants for arts, events, community recreation and heritage. 8 million in total. And the removal of 20 million from community and social development programmes, which includes art events, education programmes and community programmes.
Daniel spoke with Lauren Whitney general manager of New Zealand comedy trust, an organisation that produces the New Zealand international comedy festival and supports the comedy industry.
Daniel also spoke with Mark Harvey who is part of Arts Makers Aotearoa, which was formed by a group of arts makers who are concerned about the lack of support for the arts in this country and he is also part the creative arts industries faculty at the university of auckland
Lastly Daniel spoke with Cat Ruka the executive director of Basement Theater.
We spoke about the impact of these plans on the city of auckland and the consequences these plans will have for individual and community wellbeing and mental health. And what is exactly the intrinsic value of art?
Recent reports show that 2022 saw record profits from five major fuel companies globally, totalling over one trillion dollars in sales.
This announcement amidst the cost of living crisis and the repercussions of climate change has confused many, with demands for wind and fuel taxes to be implemented.
Tory Matich spoke to Greenpeace Spokesperson about this.
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