Nights

Northland Community leader Hone Harawira thinks "it's only a matter of time" before someone dies from Covid-19 in Te Tai Tokerau.

The Rugby League World Cup was meant to kick off in England in two weeks time but after New Zealand and Australia withdrew due to concerns over Covid-19, it has been postponed to 2022. It's not all sad news as this afternoon the Kiwis' Rugby League World Cup Wider Squad was announced. One of those named in the line-up is none other than Glenora Bears junior and now Cronulla Sharks prop Braden Hamlin-Uele.

The country has entered its heaviest drinking quarter An extra hour of daylight and the build towards the festive season typically means we drink more from October onwards. This has Alcohol Harm watch groups worried. While the public have faced a loss of liberties during Covid-19 - the Liquor barons have been enjoying increased freedoms with spikes in online liquor sales and the uptake of delivery services to bring booze to your door. Communities Against Alcohol Harm secretary Grant Hewison says the really dark side of lockdown has been the increase in harmful drinking at home. He joins us to discuss.

UK correspondent and Holyrood Magazine journalist Andrew Learmonth joins Bryan from Scotland to discuss Christmas shortages, covid passports and a change in conversation over climate change.

Tech teen correspondent logs in to explain to Bryan what an NFT is, and also maybe what a meme is?

Our 'horror-spondent' Denver Grenell is in to talk about the power of Halloween. Denver has been looking at the influence of the film and how Halloween traditions have evolved. He's also got a batch of fresh horror fiction goodies to recommend.

Toxicologist Leo Schep joins Bryan to talk about the nature and history of MDMA. He looks at how poisonous it is and how it has been perceived over time.

"If you're thinking about breaking the lockdown rules - I am begging you please don't", says Auckland Councillor for Manukau Alf Filipaina. A man in his fifties died at Middlemore Hospital today after spending 40 days in ICU. He had underlying health conditions and was a confirmed case of Covid-19. The death has been linked to the Assemblies of God Church of Samoa sub-cluster in the South Auckland suburb of Mangere. Mr Filipaina says this tragedy should be a wake-up call to the many people in his community who continue to repeatedly breach lockdown restrictions. Alf Filipaina joins us to discuss.

University of Waikato Marine Ecologist Dr Phil Ross has done hundreds of dives researching the twisted wreck of the Rena which sits on the Astrolabe Reef (Otaiti). This week marks 10 years since New Zealand's worst ecological marine disaster, and while monitoring has shown the amazing capacity of the ocean to recover, researchers say it has also demonstrated the impacts of overfishing delicate reef systems.

Ross Calman joins us to talk about the comprehensive revision work he has done for the third edition of A.W Reed's definitive collection of Maori myths and traditional stories, originally published as A Treasury of Maori Folklore in 1963.