Nights

Earlier today three Royal New Zealand Air Force C-130H Hercules rumbled in the sky over the South Island and lower North Island as they made their way to Woodbourne air force base near Blenheim on their final official flights. During their service the Air Force's Hercules flew to pretty much every corner of the globe, clocking up more than 155,000 accident-free flying hours and nearly 100,000 landings at home and around the world. It's a plane very familiar to Former Royal New Zealand Air Force Wing Commander Gordon Ragg who as a young Flight Lieutenant landed Hercules NZ7003 at Whenuapai after a long delivery flight from the United States in1965. He speaks to Mark Leishman.

Tonight we're speaking to Rob Hugh-Jones about a row engulfing German politics ahead of the federal elections later this month, Donald Trump's new Secretary of State Marco Rubio heads off on his first overseas trip and the number of foreign workers in Japan has reached a record high.

Tonight Richard is chatting about the Super Smash cricket finals, Chris Woods scoring more goals, Auckland FC winning - again and the NBA mega trade which left people dazed and confused.

Emile Donovan speaks to former diplomat and Executive Director of the New Zealand International Business Forum Stephen Jacobi.

Professor Lynette Tippett, a professor of psychology at the University of Auckland and the National Director of the Dementia Prevention Research Clinics joins Emile Donovan to explore the science of dementia.

Deidre Brown is the director at the Centre for Māori and Pacific Housing Research and in 2023 was awarded Te Kāhui Whaihanga New Zealand Institute of Architects Gold Medal, the first wahine Māori to be given the organisation's highest honour.

The cover of the new Wellington Yellow Pages features a stunning image of a mountain biker on a hill trail, surrounded by lush bush, overlooking a modern city by the ocean. The only problem is, it's not Wellington.

He's back, and no doubt ready to inform, educate and entertain us with an array of eclectic music.

The new plan has fifty-nine fewer beds than originally planned, though the government ensured the finished space would have flexibility to add on facilities to match demand when the hospital opens, which is scheduled for 2031.

Nights' resident screen critic is back for a bumper set of reviews, including films Maria (2024) and The Haka Party Incident (2025), as well as TV picks The Franchise, Shrinking, Silo season 2 and The Penguin.