Nine To Noon

Murray Williams reviews New Zealand Seabirds: A Natural History by Kerry-Jayne Wilson, published by Potton & Burton

The government has just announced a free trade deal with the United Kingdom, saying it will boost New Zealand's GDP by $1 billion and provide unprecedented access for New Zealand exporters to the UK market. All tariffs on New Zealand exports to the UK are to be removed, including on honey, wine, kiwifruit, onions, a range of dairy and meat products, and most industrial products. There will be also increased access for beef and sheep meat. It is just the second Free Trade Agreement the United Kingdom has signed since its withdrawal from the European Union. The Prime Minister and Trade Minister have unveiled the details of the deal at parliament this morning. Kathryn speaks with RNZ political editor, Jane Patterson

Best-selling author and award-winning writer Elizabeth Day speaks with Kathryn Ryan about her latest novel Magpie, a psychological thriller about motherhood. Elizabeth has been praised for "revolutionising the way we see failure". Her How To Fail podcast has topped iTunes charts, and her live tours have sold-out venues such as London's National Theatre. Elizabeth writes for The Times, the Guardian, the Observer, Harper's Bazaar and Elle, and is a presenter on BBC Radio.

UK correspondent Harriet Line joins Kathryn to talk about the warnings from Health Secretary Sajid Javid that new Covid cases could skyrocket this winter - but his government won't heed a call from the NHS for mandatory mask wearing "at this time". And the parliamentary watchdog has suggested redacting details from MPs expenses to help protect them, in the wake of Sir David Amess' murder last week.

In the 112 test matches he played for the All Blacks, first-five Dan Carter amassed a staggering 1598 points, at an average of 14.27 per game. No active player is within 500 points of his tally and no other player with 500 or more international points has achieved a higher average per game. After announcing his retirement from professional rugby in February this year, Dan Carter has embarked on a new journey. He's co-founded a business called Glorious, a platform for non-fungible tokens or NFTs, and has joined the Oxford Foundry at the University of Oxford, as its first ever Leader in Practice helping to mentor entrepreneurs to be resilient and capable under pressure. He's also just released a book, Dan Carter 1598, which takes readers on a test-by-test journey, as he reminisces on his world record test career.

Secondary principals in South Auckland say the government's plans for reopening schools will be too late for many of their students. Students in years 11, 12 and 13 will be allowed back to school in alert level three areas next Tuesday.The Principal of Tangaroa College in Otara Davida Suasua, says nearly 40 per cent of her Year 13 students are now working full time as essential workers to support their families. She says many of these students had planned to go to university next year, but that will now not happen. She speaks to Kathryn along with Pete Jones, Principal of Manurewa High School.

Dr Siouxsie Wiles joins Nine to Noon to answer listeners' questions about Covid-19 and highlight two new studies - one from Sweden into how vaccines can protect others in households who might be unvaccinated and a summary of studies into how the immuno-compromised respond to mRNA COVID vaccines.

When Barbara Relph's 33-year relationship ended, the Auckland writer couldn't find a book with the information and guidance she needed to get through the separation process. Now she's written it - Uncoupling: an insider's guide to separation in New Zealand.

Leah McFall reviews A Still Life by Josie George, published by Bloomsbury Leah says: Charming, positive and surprising, this book shows what can happen if you choose to live slowly, and fully in the present. Timed well for lockdown - now all of us know what confinement is like - it may feel claustrophobic to some.

This year marks 60 years since the building of the Berlin Wall, appearing practically overnight on the 12th -13th of August 1961. It separated families, friends, lovers and even parents from their babies. The wall wouldn't come down for another 28 years, and during that time, at least 140 people would die trying to flee from East to West - but many more succeeded. Tunnel 29 tells the incredible true story of a group of university students who dug a tunnel right under the feet of Berlin Wall border guards, to help a group of friends and family and strangers escape. Journalist Helena Merriman first told the story in the hit BBC podcast Tunnel 29 and has now published a book called Tunnel 29: Love, Espionage and Betrayal: the True Story of an Extraordinary Escape Beneath the Berlin Wall. Named for the number of escapees they helped, it was the biggest and most audacious escape mission since the erection of the wall the year before. Kathryn speaks to Helena Merriman about the incredible heroism of a group of ordinary students.