Nine To Noon

Paul Diamond reviews The South Island of New Zealand from the Road by Robin Morrison, published by Massey University Press

Australian GP Dr Ginni Mansberg is interested in demystifying health and wellbeing in midlife and beyond. She says there are some simple steps people can take in their 40s and 50s that may help reduce cognitive decline as we age.

Europe correspondent Seamus Kearney joins Kathryn to look at the first face-to-face summit between the French and British leaders in five years, as Rishi Sunak and Emmanuel Macron put the spotlight on migration. London has agreed to up the amount it pays Paris to patrol Normandy beaches to prevent migrants from setting off across the English Channel in small boats, but President Macron refused to address the UK's demand that asylum seekers arriving in the UK be sent back to France. Meanwhile $100 billion may be needed to repair the damage from the devastating earthquakes in Syria and Turkey five weeks ago, with a major donor drive now underway.

A car seller who sold a vehicle later involved in a fatal crash has joined the call for a ban on winter tyres in New Zealand. Coroner Heather McKenzie has found the under-performance of winter tyres - or snow tyres - may have contributed to a 21 year old driver losing control of her car in fatal crash on the Napier Taupo Road in 2020. Hawkes Bay used-vehicle salesman George Masters, who fitted those tyres, now says there is no place for them in NZ, and that drivers might as well be putting roller skates on. Snow tyres are legal, they have deep tread and are made of a soft rubber to give extra grip on ice and snow. But Waka Kotahi cautions winter tyres provide less grip than summer tyres in most conditions - and to beware of older 'new' or used winter tyres. Kathryn speaks with George Masters and Terry Collins, principal adviser in the transport policy and advocacy team with the AA.

US regulators have shut down a major bank and taken control of its customer deposits in the largest failure of a US bank since 2008. Silicon Valley Bank, a key tech lender, was scrambling to raise money to plug a loss from the sale of assets affected by higher interest rates. Its troubles prompted a rush of customer withdrawals and sparked fears about the state of the banking sector. New Zealand space company Rocket Lab, which is listed in the United States has $38 million, or 7.9 per cent, of its cash with the failed bank but says it is not facing a liquidity issue. Kathryn talks to Mayra Rodríguez Valladares,a financial risk consultant who trains bankers and regulators.

An Auckland public transport group says the situation with the city's transport network has tipped into a full-blown crisis and should be treated like one. Thousands of buses are being cancelled each week, ferry and train services have been reduced and there's traffic gridlock. Auckland Transport says it's been the busiest two weeks on public transport since Covid and progress is being made on the bus driver shortage. But the group Greater Auckland says with AT facing a Council cost-saving drive, and the lack of a clear strategy, it's unlikely frustrated commuters will see improvement any time soon. Kathryn speaks to Greater Auckland's Matt Lowrie and AT's Metro Services Group Manager Darek Koper.

Comedians Elisabeth Easther and Donna Brookbanks with a few laughs.

Sam breaks down the Black Caps latest headache against Sri Lanka - spoiler alert, it's quite similar to their last one - and we look at the weekend sporting forecast for the Warriors, Breakers and mens and women's Super Rugby.

Electrified is a spanking new double album of new and collected tracks by mighty French psych-rock duo, The Liminanas. We'll hear two tracks from that today, plus something from a new EP from Auckland's Leonard Charles and a freshly reissued gem from De La Soul.

The Tinui community was hard hit by Cyclone Gabrielle and the local school is still operating from playcentre and community hall amid talk of managed retreat. Carterton council has unanimously decided to name a road in a new development 'Georgina Beyer Way' after the former MP and mayor died this week. And Mary has a wrap of local events including the just held Golden Shears.