Sunday Morning

Oxana Shevel is an associate professor of political science at Tufts University who specialises in the study of former Soviet states. She says the Russian army has proven not to be the mighty force that they have been made out to be.

The government has confirmed it is creating a new public media entity next year to incorporate RNZ and TVNZ. It's the biggest shake-up in broadcasting for years but unanswered questions remain. So what's the plan, how will it work, what will it cost and what will New Zealanders get out of it?

Joining us on the Panel this morning are Bernard Hickey and Ruth Money. Among other issues, they discuss the situation in Ukraine, National moving ahead of Labour in the polls, and the rising price of food and petrol.

You mightn't instantly recognise the name Philip Crowther, but you might have seen the incredible clip of him reporting from Ukraine in six different languages (English, French, Spanish, German, Portuguese and Luxembourgish).

A new study has provided the clearest evidence yet that Covid-19 can cause regions of the brain to shrink - and lead to cognitive decline - even in people who aren't seriously ill. Dr Maxime Taquet from Oxford is with us to discuss.

In her new book, 'Of Sound Mind: How Our Brain Constructs a Meaningful Sonic World,' Dr Nina Kraus examines the partnership of sound and brain, highlighting the relationship between the hearing brain and how we think, move and feel.

Leading forensic anthropologist Professor Dame Sue Black steadfastly refuses to use her fingerprints to open things like her phone, but she is supportive of a future where biometrics can unlock solutions for us to have better lives.

Park Bench is a four piece alternative band from Auckland's Western Springs College. They got together in music class and hope to keep things going once their secondary schooling is completed at the end of the year.

The renowned Australian visual artist Amanda Parer is bringing 'Fantastic Planet' - giant inflatable luminous white 'humanoids' who land at different sites across the globe - to Auckland as part of the city's Auckland Arts Festival.

Andrew Dubber and partner Michela Magas live in the picturesque village of Norrmjöle (pop 219), in the north of Sweden. They're currently renovating a 200-year-old farmhouse in a forest by a lake and close to three beaches.