Nights

BBC World Service journalist Rob Hugh-Jones joins Emile Donovan for a wrap of world news making international headlines.

Why are there very few convincing New Zealand accents from people who aren't New Zealanders? 

Emile speaks to Perry Piercy, a voice coach who helps actors develop accents. Her work includes the entire cast of the Luminaries, as well as the great American actor John Lithgow in the Rule of Jenny Pen.

Nights' resident screen critic joins Mark Leishman to review The Teacher Who Promised the Sea, The World at War and Lilith Fair: Building a Mystery.

Gamers rejoice! The Sims 4: Adventure Awaits has been released today. The Sims video games let players create and control virtual people and manage their daily lives. The franchise, first released in 2000, has sold nearly 200 million copies worldwide, making it one of the best-selling video game series of all time. Adventure Awaits is the latest expansion for the fourth iteration of the game - and this time it has a little bit of Kiwi flavour. A New Zealand gamer was even involved in building part of it. She talks to Mark Leishman.

It's Friday night - so it's time now to take a look at what New Zealanders have planned for the weekend. Let's head to Manawatu where the Palmy Drag Fest is underway. Producer Ricky Beirao is with me. Kia Ora!

On this day 75 years ago, the first-ever international flight took off from Wellington. The Tasman Empire Airlines Ltd Solent flying boat left for Sydney on October 3rd 1950, in what would have been a very different experience from flying today. To talk about this more, aviation historian Richard Waugh joins Mark Leishman

Bayleys' agent and auctioneer Ben Deans talks about why the opportunity would not suit the faint of heart.

It officially became a city on October 2nd, 1965, when its population hit 20,000. Today, it's home to more than 60,000 people. Mayor Anita Baker joins Nights to celebrate her city.

With AI tools able to produce essays, reports and case studies in seconds, oral exams could help education providers assess a student competency. Mark Leishman speaks to Auckland University's Patrick Dodd.

Even Retirement Commissioners get to retire. Jane Wrightson speaks to Emile Donovan about the challenges still to come as New Zealand's population ages.