Nine To Noon

New research suggests that chimpanzees might be performing a type of first aid; on themselves, and more notably, on their peers. Chimpanzees in Gabon have been observed catching flying insects, immobilising them by squeezing them between their lips, and then applying the insect to a wound. The behaviour was first noticed when an adult female chimpanzee named Suzee was spotted applying the insect treatment to her son's foot. Over a 15-month period, the chimpanzees were observed treating wounds in this manner at least 22 times. The research contributes to ongoing debate about the ability of animals, and chimpanzees in particular, to selflessly help others. Lynn speaks with Professor Dr Simone Pika; the co-author of the study. Dr Pika is the co-director of the Ozouga Chimpanzee Project in Gabon and leads an animal cognition lab at the Institute of Cognitive Science at the University of Osnabrück in Germany.

The threat of a Russian invasion of Ukraine continues to hang over the country with a war of words raging between Washington and Moscow. The US president Joe Biden says there's every indication Russia will invade Ukraine in the next few days. Russia has massed more than 150,000 troops on the border with Ukraine, although it denies planning an invasion, and accuses Western leaders of hysteria. This week Russia said some of its units were returning to base, but Washington and NATO say in fact more troops are massing. Lynn Freeman speaks with New Zealand freelance photo journalist Tom Mutch in Kyiv. He has written for The Times, The Telegraph, Open Democracy, and Foreign Policy magazine.

Film and TV correspondent Chris Schulz joins Kathryn to talk about the new Shona Rhimes series Inventing Anna (Netflix), based on the life of fraudster Anna Delvey who pretended to be a German heiress. He'll also talk about Severance (Apple TV+), in which an office worker for a large US drug company agrees to surgery that will separate his home and work memories. And King Richard (cinemas) is a docu-drama on the rise of Venus and Serena Williams that focuses on their dad, played by Will Smith.

A powerful committee of government officials is to convene at parliament over the ongoing protest and blockade. ODESC, the Officials Committee for Domestic and External Security Coordination, will meet today. A statement from the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet says the meeting is to "ensure there's a shared understanding of the situation and that all risks and potential implications have been identified". Kathryn speaks with RNZ's Deputy Political Editor Craig McCulloch.

The "middle years" of 11 to 15 year-olds can be a bit of a muddle, when children are stepping away from the influence of their parents and into that of their peers - and social media influencers. Kathryn Gray is head of Middle School at St Margaret's College in Christchurch and recently received an honours award from Independent Schools NZ for her work in Middle School Education. She joins Kathryn to talk about the unique social, emotional and academic needs children - particularly girls - need at this time. And what parents can do to let their child explore new interests and influences, while still respecting and preserving their privacy.

Tony joins Kathryn to talk about the latest in cyber security issues - including how a company lost hundreds of thousands of dollars through an intercepted email in which the scammer simply changed the company's bank account, which wasn't picked up by the bank. He wonders, why do banks not check the company name against the account number? Could QR codes be used in phishing attacks and is there really such a thing as a malware-free network?

Jessie Bray Sharpin reviews The Islands by Emily Brugman, published by Allen & Unwin.

One of the UK's leading doctors in pain medicine says despite pain being a universal human experience, very little is still understood about the mechanics of it. As a result, much of the medications and interventions we have for pain are fairly rudimentary. Dr Abdul Lalkhen has been working in pain-related areas; from anesthesiology to pain management, for over two decades, and has now written Pain: The Science of the Feeling Brain. Dr Lalkhen is a member of the Faculty of Pain Medicine at the Royal College of Anesthetists in the UK and is a visiting professor at Manchester Metropolitan University.

UK correspondent Hugo Gye joins Kathryn to talk about Prince Andrew's decision to settle the lawsuit brought against him by Virginia Guiffre - is that really the end of the matter? The UK is seeking to take a leading role in Nato's response to Russian aggression in Ukraine, to show it's engaging with Europe post-Brexit. Boris Johnson is due to announce his "living with Covid" plan next week - but in the meantime he's yet to respond to a request from the police to detail exactly why he attended a number of apparently illegal parties in 10 Downing Street while Covid rules were still in place.

New Zealand Rugby has announced the US equity firm Silver Lake is to invest $200 million in a new commercial entity that will control all revenue-generating assets of New Zealand Rugby. The agreement is subject to ratification by the Provincial Unions and Maori Rugby Board. Kathryn speaks with RNZ sports reporter, Barry Guy, who was at the announcement in Wellington.