Nine To Noon

The lockdown in China's economic capital Shanghai is now one month old, with most of the city's 26 million inhabitants still confined to their homes, despite a fall in Covid cases this week. The city has recorded over 530,000 cases since the start of the latest outbreak in early March. A military court in Myanmar has sentenced the country's former leader, Nobel peace laureate, Aung San Suu Kyi to five years in prison for corruption. Prize in 1990. And South Korea and Japan agree to "change tenor" of their recently frosty relationship, ahead of the May inauguration of new Korean president Yoon Suk-yeol.

Some ground-breaking research into a rock is unlocking the secrets of earthquake faults. From Aoraki Mt Cook to Waiheke Island, and even further North, greywacke is our nation's most common type of rock. But it's the rock no-one particularly loves. Greywacke is a variety of sandstone. It's hard, dark, and has nothing shiny, pretty or particularly valuable about it. But lecturer in geology at Victoria University of Wellington Dr Carolyn Boulton is very interested in it. Dr Boulton tells Kathryn Ryan she has been granted EQC-funding to look specifically at how greywacke rocks behave before, during and after earthquakes, and how faults can communicate with each other.

Kathryn speaks with Fullers360 CE Mike Horne, who is overseeing a project to amp-up decarbonised commuter crossings across the Waitemata Harbour. A hydrogen hybrid ferry and two Crown-funded electric ferries are planned for Auckland Harbour crossings. Auckland ferry operator Fullers360 plans to launch a privately funded hybrid ferry on the water next year, a year ahead of the fully electric models.The Government says it expects the 200-person all-electric ferries for Auckland Transport's inner and mid-harbour services to be launched in 2024.

Film and TV correspondent Tamar Munch joins Kathryn to look at a new series from the creators of The Wire called We Own This City (Neon, Sky Go), which exposes the corruption and moral collapse that befalls Baltimore. She'll also look at local series The Explorer Club (TVNZ OnDemand) which introduces kids to iconic New Zealand explorers through hands-on adventures of their own and finally Shining Girls (Apple+), which stars Elisabeth Moss as an assault victim trying to understand her own connection to a brutal murder.

Kathryn talks with parenting coach and education consultant Joseph Driessen about parenting skills for blended families.

The world's richest man has bought the world's biggest megaphone. What's he going to do with it? Tech expert Mark Pesce tells Kathryn Ryan what we know so far.

Holly Walker reviews Grand by Noelle McCarthy, published Penguin Random House NZ

Picking up discarded sticking plasters on the Routeburn Track was a lightbulb moment for Lucas Smith. He was working as a mountain guide, and blisters were a common problem for the tourists he was escorting through the rugged Fiordland landscape. Uncomfortable with the number of plastic plasters being used and thrown away, he turned his gaze to the wool he used pluck off fences to pad his own scrapes and blisters. Six years of research, patenting and development led Lucas to establish Wool Aid, a company manufacturing adhesive bandages made of merino wool. The bandages are entirely natural, responsibly produced and are completely biodegradable. They're also a world first.

UK correspondent Hugo Gye joins Kathryn to talk about the pressure piling on the government to tackle inflation and the ideas proposed so far - none of which seem likely to make a difference. There's been a massive row over a newspaper report that senior Labour politician, Angela Rayner, has tried to distract Boris Johnson by crossing and uncrossing her legs in Parliament - which she angrily denies. Now female Tory MPs have said they've seen male colleagues watching porn in the Chamber. And a lack of an alibi delivered by the suspect in Madeleine McCann's disappearance raises the prospect of the case finally concluding this year.

Financial literacy advocate Dr Pushpa Wood says renters who are aiming to survive on super can no longer afford skyrocketing city rentals. Recent research commissioned by New Zealand Seniors in partnership with CoreData showed that more people are working longer as the advent of Covid has delayed their retirement plans. The Retirement Report 2022 also found that only half of the over 50 year olds surveyed felt they were on track to retire at their preferred age. the Government has just announced an Employment Action Plan to support workers past retirement age. Dr Pushpa Wood is from the New Zealand Centre of Financial Education and Research Centre based at Massey University. She says it's imperative that people of all ages have a plan for their retirement.