Sunday Morning

We speak to Al Gillespie about the latest from the conflict in the Middle East and China's 'fantastical' economic statistics. Al Gillespie is a professor of law, specialising in international law related to war, the environment and civil liberties, at the University of Waikato.

The team behind a unique research project looking into loneliness in aged care homes in Australia has garnered international attention for its approach. Study lead, Monash University Sociologist Dr Barbara Barbosa Neves worked with award-winning author Josephine Wilson and with illustrator-artist Amanda Brooks to create an academic paper, but with creative non-fiction and comic book-style art. Barbara joins us to talk about the study and how using creatives can help us better understand academic data.

Mark Reason, Stuff's senior sports columnist brings us the latest from the Stade de France in Saint-Denis, as England take on South Africa.

A new report has highlighted what happens in the body if we cut short our sleep - even over a short period. Sanja Jelic is the director of the Center for Sleep Medicine at Columbia and professor of medicine in the Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, and Critical Care Medicine at Columbia University.

Take me to your leader - political press pack gets off on wrong foot with our new political leaders; media in the middle of Gaza claims and counterclaims; World Cup fever - and Irish anguish.

In a rapidly changing world many of our customs and traditions, particularly those around partnering remain deep-rooted and unchanged.

Reported benefits of a cold plunge include relieving sore muscles, helping recovery post-workout, reducing inflammation, and boosting immunity. Some also report mental health benefits, like reducing anxiety or depression and improving clarity. Author and broadcaster Will Stone dives into the science for us.

In an address from the Oval Office, President Joe Biden set out his case for U.S. backing of Ukraine and Israel, but how did this play out on the international stage and who will be the major players in fostering - or hindering - peace. Al Gillespie is a professor of law, specialising in international law related to war, the environment and civil liberties, at the University of Waikato.

The hygiene hypothesis is the idea that kids must be exposed to germs to develop healthy immune systems. Unexpected results from a recent study suggest hygiene hypothesis might not be so clean cut though. Researchers compared laboratory mice with high infectious exposures from birth to 'clean' mice and found little evidence that the antibody response was altered in any meaningful way. The 'dirty' mice had the same, if not greater ability to develop allergic immune responses than the 'clean' mice. Jonathan Coquet, co-author of the study and Associate Professor at the Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden joins Jim Mora to discuss the study's results.

We look at the All Blacks' performance in this World Cup with of New Zealand's most respected rugby writers and columnist for the NZ Herald, Gregor Paul.