The Sunday Session with Francesca Rudkin

This week on the Sunday Panel, broadcaster and journalist Wilhelmina Shrimpton and partner at Freebairn and Hehir Lawyers, Liam Hehir, joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the week - and more! 

In light of Winston Peters' 'defamatory' comments, it seems like the coalition Government is having more and more internal clashes. A political podcast asked a group of National, NZ First and ACT MPs if the coalition will...

We all have our moments where stress and anxiety are too much to bear - so how can we stop ourselves from feeling overwhelmed?

Anxiety has been found to weaken your stress coping abilities, and 'task paralysis' can add to anxieties.

Naturopath and wellness expert Erin O'Hara explains how to get around the extra stresses of day-to-day life.

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Parsnips in a soup with curry oil 

Cook time: 35 minutes 

Prep time: 20 minutes 

Serves: 6-12 

1 kg parsnips, peeled and chopped  

3 white onions, peeled and chopped  

10 cloves garlic  

3 tbsp sunflower oil  

1 cup white wine  

1.5 ltr vegetable stock  

2 cups cream  

salt ...

Why do we like our beer cold but our sake warm?

This was the question posed by two scientists who were out drinking together. Their results have just been published in the journal Matter.

The researchers measured the contact angle of different solutions that had varying concentrations of water and ethanol - which is the most common form of drinking alcohol.

This gave them insights into how molecules within the solution were inte...

Comedian Jerry Seinfeld managed to dominate the headlines ahead of the release of his newest Netflix project.

Unfrosted: The Pop-Tart Story was overshadowed by Seinfeld's statements about the state of comedy, where he took pot-shots at the 'extreme left'.

Flicks.co.nz editor Steve Newall explains why a cast of comedians and big acting names couldn't help this film.

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Australian sailor Lisa Blair has undertaken plenty of adventures - and gone on to break records and inspire a documentary.

In 2022, Lisa became the fastest person to sail around Antarctica solo, non-stop and unassisted, something only achieved by two other sailors. 

Her first attempt at that feat went on to inspire the new documentary 'Ice Maiden'.

She says she examined the p...

New reports suggest filmgoers are less interested in sex scenes than ever.

Data shows there has been a 40 percent drop in sexual content in major Hollywood movies than there was at the start of the millennium.

Founder of Intimacy Co-ordinators Aotearoa Tandi Wright says societal changes have led to audiences reconsidering intimate scenes in films. 

"The conversations that followed #MeToo, which was from 2017 onwards, I think, le...

Kiwi indie band The Beths have enjoyed plenty of success and international acclaim.

Their 2022 hit Watching The Credits got a shout-out from Barack Obama as part of his summer playlist, and they've made their Coachella debut last month.

Lead singer Liz Stokes says they played to a full tent - with lines outside their performance.

"There's definitely a pressure, the place that a festival like Coachella holds in pop culture is int...

Not all agree with the cancellation of this year's New Zealand Fashion Week.

Event organisers pulled the pin after financial pressures on the industry and made it a bi-annual event, starting from next year.

Fashion PR agency Showroom 22 director Murray Bevan says he feels a midway point could've been reached.

"When the chips are down, sometimes you double down on how hard you pushed to pull out of those troughs. And Fashion Week...

A nightmare run for the Green Party as further accusations come out about Julie Anne Genter.

The MP's now being accused of grabbing Wellington business owner Nicola Cranfield, during a heated exchange.

It's the latest of several alleged altercations that have come to light involving Genter, after her outburst in Parliament on Wednesday night.

ZB political editor Jason Walls says Genter technically wouldn't lose her job because s...

There's pleas for the Government to hit the brakes on education overhauls, amid concerns changes are being implemented without sector consultation.

It follows commitments to crack down on cell phone bans, attendance and implement a structured literacy approach by 2025.

New Zealand Principals' Federation President Leanne Otene says it's importance to pace these changes for the benefit of educators. 

"This will be placing immense ...

So, there’s a dog-fight brewing in Auckland - literally - and it got me thinking.

Now I know this is potentially a controversial question - especially coming from someone who’s only had cats as an adult - but should you really have a dog in the city if you don’t have time to walk it yourself?

Recently, a dog died after being mauled by other dogs that were being walked in a pack by a dog walker, and there are worries the growing d...

Return to Blood by Michael Bennett: sequel to Better the Blood from a couple of years ago, featuring Hana Westerman who in the first book was a detective in Auckland, but she’s moved now to a small town looking for a fresh start. A skeleton is found in the sand dunes near her house – the bones of a young Maori woman who’s been missing for five years, and Hana has a connection to the case. Twenty years ago, a friend of hers was foun...

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...

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 Starstruck with Rose Matafeo.

She says it's been difficult returning to the w...

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 ...