The Sunday Session with Francesca Rudkin

ACT is hoping big-money backers will support its cancer hospital plan, paired with some Crown funding.

The party wants to build a $2-billion-dollar world-class cancer clinic in New Zealand - with campuses in both Auckland and Christchurch. 

It's an idea Paul Henry shared when he was announced as a candidate last month, and has been fleshed out by the party since. 

Henry says it's important to get as many people on board as they can, in order to get it all done.

"If you're waiting to get a complete consensus over something like this, it will never happen. There are so many plans that just sort of tick away in the background - people come and go and you spend money researching things and it never gets done."

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A gritty All Blacks performance has delivered a statement 33-16 win over South Africa at Ellis Park, scoring five tries to one.

But the ABs battled to get their scrum going, with several penalties either side of halftime before it stabilised.

Newstalk ZB rugby commentator Elliott Smith says the Kiwi side's victory didn't come easy, with the 55th minute scrum penalty against South Africa as the turning point.

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There’s something appealing about Harry and Meghan returning home. 

Sure, Harry once said he couldn’t imagine bringing his wife and children back to Britain. Given everything that happened you could hardly blame him. But people change, circumstances change, and children change everything. 

Archie and Lilibet are now seven and five, and Harry has spoken previously about how sad it was that he couldn’t show them his and their homeland. Now they’re apparently heading to British schools.  

You can understand why. America may have provided some respite, but Harry has also said that Britain will always be home. His royal lineage connects him to Britain in a unique way, and it must be hard for his children to understand this without experiencing it. There is something lovely about wanting your children to know the place, people and family you came from.

So far, the British reaction has been a mixture of curiosity, scepticism and the sort of weary fascination usually reserved for a long running family argument. Probably the most shocking thing about this announcement is that it was a surprise - it’s hard to keep a secret these days. 

Some newspapers have treated the prospect of Harry and Meghan spending more time in Britain as a possible thaw in family relations, while others remain convinced their return will bring continued drama. Either way, the British media will be waiting for them like a Labrador at a barbecue. The same press Harry has fought in court and accused of intrusion will happily make a healthy living from following his family around. There is no doubt the relationship will remain tense.  

The public mood seems less dramatic. Many people, like me, are happy to see them come back, provided they don’t expect the country to blithely ignore everything that’s led to this. There is room for a family reconciliation, but it will not be achieved through press releases, carefully timed television appearances, or long-form interviews.

And that’s why it also makes sense for Meghan to return to her roots. She’s in discussions to join the third season of Guy Ritchie’s Netflix’s hit series The Gentlemen. It’s welcome news, not because there’s anything wrong with making jam, but because Meghan has always had a career beyond being Harry’s wife. Getting back in front of a camera, in a properly scripted role and under someone else’s direction, could give her a stronger sense of purpose than yet another product launch. It may also help separate her public identity from the endless royal arguments.  

If Harry is finding a way back to Britain and Meghan is finding her way back to acting, perhaps both are finally moving towards lives that are less about explaining the past and more about doing something in the present. 

And yes, I know many can’t forgive Harry for being remarkably open about his family. Some call it disloyal. I’m not so sure. There’s something admirable about telling the truth, however uncomfortable, rather than pretending everything is fine while serious scandals swirl around family members like Andrew and Sarah Ferguson. At least Harry and Meghan were prepared to go it alone, and not entitled enough to think the firm would support them. 

Perhaps even Harry and Meghan can bring something useful to a modern monarchy; a touch of honesty, informality and a willingness to challenge the institution.  

The question is whether Charles can welcome that, and whether William can tolerate it. The King may see a son coming home. The future King may see a rival court arriving. 

Either way, this could be less a royal disaster than a second chance. 

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Former NZSAS soldier Mark Law became a national hero on December 9 2019, following the Whakaari-White Island eruption.

After learning of the eruption, Mark, alongside his colleagues, flew to the island, comforted the injured and flew 12 stranded survivors home.

Mark's actions ultimately saved lives, and he was awarded New Zealand's second highest bravery honour, the Bravery Star, for his actions - however his company, Kahu NZ, was charged and fined by WorkSafe for past tours on the island.

He wrote about the experience in his new memoir - Lucky You're Tough. 

"The rest of the recovery, the rest of the day are pretty clear, so I've been able to recall that easily." 

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Knitting is seeing a resurgence, largely thanks to five-time Olympic diver Tom Daley going viral for knitting in the stands between events.

After the Tokyo Olympics wrapped up, Tom now owns a knitting brand and has even been known to knit creations for celebrities - and he's now hosting Game of Wool: Britain's Best Knitter.

He says he taught himself to knit, and it eventually became his 'superpower.'

"It became my mindfulness, it became my mediation, and it became my way of switching off from the world around me, and taught me to slow down and be present, be in the moment." 

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The Governor by Lynda la Plante. The creator of the Jane Tennison series of books, Prime Suspect, has another story about a woman working in what was typically a male dominated industry - as governor of an English prison. Helen Hewitt is in her early 30’s and appointed to the top job where she goes up against unruly prisoners, staff who don’t want her in the job, and the politics of the prison service which undermine her from the start. Her time in the job changes her perspective on the role of prisons in society and the best way to manage punishment and rehabilitation. First published in 1995 it was made into a TV series and has recently been reissued by her publisher.

The Four Wives of Windsor by Simon Vigar - a royal watcher and journalist for many years. This is a look at the four women who have had the greatest profile and, to a greater or lesser degree, influence, in the modern UK monarchy. Diana, Camilla, Catherine and Meghan each of whom came from the outside, but ended up performing pivotal roles in the evolution of the House of Windsor. For monarchists, these women are endlessly fascinating. 

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There's a new travel trend gaining popularity among older people, and it can be affordable if you do the sums.

People are spending their first years of retirement living on cruise ships before downsizing to retirement villages - or buying a residence on one of the new residential cruise ships.

BloggerAtLarge.com writer Megan Singleton explained further.

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On the Sunday Session with Francesca Rudkin Full Show Podcast for Sunday 16 August, British Olympian Tom Daley went viral at the Tokyo Olympics as he sat in the stands knitting between events.  Now he's somewhat of a celebrity knitter and joins Francesca to talk about his new show Game of Wool and why the show, and knitting, are appealing to younger generations.

The day Whakaari White Island erupted, helicopter pilot Mark Law led an unofficial rescue mission to the island that ultimately saved lives. He shares his story of that day and his life with Francesca. 

In recent weeks, big tech companies have reported multiple cases of their AI systems going rogue during routine testing.  It raises the question, how much is AI capable? Kiwi scientist Matthew Egbert is involved in international research to answer just that and talks to Francesca about the importance of understanding AI.

And scientists have just taught lettuce to grow it's own meat protein. Dr Michelle Dickinson shares the details.

Get the Sunday Session with Francesca Rudkin Full Show Podcast every Sunday on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts.

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This week on the Sunday Panel, broadcaster and journalist Wilhelmina O'Keefe and Resident Economist at Opes Partners, Ed McKnight, joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day - and more! 

Luxon managed to survive another leadership challenge last week. But what could this saga mean for the National Party 12 weeks ahead of the election? Will this hurt their chances at getting another term?

The Meta glasses have sparked concerns about the privacy levels we can expect when we're out in public.  How do we feel about the potential of these glasses and people unknowingly being recorded? To what extent do we expect your privacy to be protected?

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If you have ever felt constantly 'on edge,' emotionally exhausted or stuck in survival mode, you might be dealing with a dysregulated nervous system.

Extra stresses can dysregulate the nervous system, leading to feeling stuck in fight-or-flight mode.

Naturopath and wellness expert Erin O'Hara reveals how to get ahead of it. 

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