The Panel

In part two, Retail NZ is calling for a crack down on black market cigarettes. Rohan Pike agrees - he's a former officer in the Australian Federal Police and the Border Force. He says the black market in Australia is huge and should be avoided here at all costs. Finally, cemeteries are a universal fascination, but they're rarely part of holiday plans. One person who strays from that norm is Panel listener Gianluca, who talks about his tomb travels.

Tonight, on The Panel, Wallace Chapman is joined by panellists Andrew Clay and Lizzie Marvelly. First up, the bottleneck at the Strait of Hormuz isn't going anywhere, and it's threatening a global recession. Australian National University international law Professor Donald Rothwell joins with his analysis. Then, in an annual AUT survey, public trust in news has risen for the first time in six years. What's driving the increase? Associate Professor in Media Studies, Peter Thompson, shares his thoughts.

Wallace Chapman and producer Tessa Guest preview tonight's edition of The Panel.

An extra half hour of The Panel with Wallace Chapman, where to begin, he's joined by Nights host Emile Donovan. Then: resident design historian Michael Smythe comes along to take a look at a locally crafted bus: Designline buses.

In part two, it's one experience to have an exceedingly common name, but what's it like to have an unusual one? Listener Myra has only ever met one other person with the same name. Then, woodwork is skyrocketing in popularity - especially among women. Alex Van Dam of the Dunedin Women's Shed joins the show.

Tonight, on The Panel, Wallace Chapman is joined by panellists Sue Kedgley and Rajorshi Chakraborti. First up, Donald Trump's latest nemesis is an unlikely character: Pope Leo the 14th. On Truth Social, Trump called the Pope "weak on crime." But what is the role of religion in war, if any? Otago University senior theology lecturer Andrew Shepherd shares his thoughts. Then, Wallace paid a preview visit to Auckland's City Rail Link, which is inching closer to opening day. A date still hasn't been set, but Andy Baker is the chair of Auckland Council's Transport and Infrastructure Delivery Committee, and he explains what's coming.

Wallace Chapman and producer José Barbosa preview tonight's instalment of The Panel.

An extra half hour of The Panel with Wallace Chapman, where to begin, he's joined by Nights host Emile Donovan. Then: remember the good old days of VHS tapes? Well those could soon be a distant memory, says technology specialist and Silver Trak New Zealand general manager David Elder. He's on a mission to digitise as many tapes as he can...while it's still possible.

In part two, a Wellington high school student wants plans for a high rise at Civic Square to be replaced with a park. Y Bjors is calling on the Mayor to reconsider. Then, the panel meets Ian Kerr, known more famously to shoppers at the Cambridge and Hamilton Farmers' Markets as The Lettuce Man.

Tonight, on The Panel, Wallace Chapman is joined by panellists Mark Knoff-Thomas and Zoe George. First up, Cyclone Vaianu was the sixth big weather bomb so far this year, by RNZ's count. But was this one a fizzer? Wairoa Mayor Craig Little tells Wallace the response was overly panicked, before disaster risk expert Tom Robinson shares his thoughts. Then, a new IPSOS study found New Zealanders have a higher reliance than the USA. Transport expert Simon Kingham breaks down the results.