8:15 Pacific Waves

A daily current affairs programme that delves deeper into the major stories of the week, through a Pacific lens, and shines a light on issues affecting Pacific people wherever they are in the world. Hosted by Susana Suisuiki.

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8:30 Nights Jukebox

Emile Donovan plays your requests - as long as you've got a compelling reason, or a good story to go with it.

Send in your requests to nights@rnz.co.nz or text 2101.

8:45 The Reading: 'Losing It'

Tonight is the seventh episode of our 10-part story about a teenage girl who has problems.

Here are Esmee Meyers and Chelsea Bognuda reading  part seven of 'LOSING IT' by Sandy McKay.

9:05 Nights Quiz

Do you know your stuff? Come on the air and be grilled by Emile Donovan as he dons his quizmaster hat.

If you get an answer right, you move on to the next question. If you get it wrong, your time in the chair is up, and the next caller will be put through. The person with the most correct answers at the end of the run goes in the draw for a weekly prize.

The quiz is themed - find out more about tonight's theme on Nights' Facebook page.

9:15 Whakataukī of the Week with Melz Huata-Lucas

Melz Huata-Lucas is the Māori culture and identity programme lead at the Auckland Council and is helping organise the city's Matariki Festival which launched over the weekend.

Melz was also the first representative of the Royal New Zealand Navy to have a moko kauae, which she received in 2020.

She joins Emile Donovan to share a whakataukī close to her heart.

Aucklanders mark the start of Matariki Festival on 15 June, 2024.

Aucklanders mark the start of Matariki Festival on 15 June, 2024. Photo: Auckland Council/Bryan Lowe

9:30 Happy pastries and grumpy cars: Exploring face pareidolia

Humans tend to see faces in inanimate objects, but new research has looked at how we tend to interpret them.

According to the Queensland University of Technology study, people detect happy faces faster, and people are more likely to rate 'feminine' faces as happy - even when those faces are not human.

Study author Professor Ottmar Lipp from the Queensland University of Technology speaks to Emile Donovan.

A composite image showing an iced loaf on the left and a car covered in snow on the right. The iced loaf has a discernible smiling face made out of jam, while the car's lights and grill have carved out a frowning face in the snow.

Participants in the Queensland University of Technology study mostly described the left object as happy and feminine, while the image on the right was described as more angry and masculine. Photo: Supplied

10:17 Do you need a divorce coach?

A new professional body has been formed for New Zealand's growing number of divorce coaches.

The Divorce and Separation Institute of New Zealand aims to regulate the industry, and protect vulnerable people from unethical practices.

Nikki Bould is an accredited mediator, alternative dispute resolution divorce coach and the Director of Learning and Development for the NZ Divorce Coaches Academy training program.

woman is taking off the wedding ring

Photo: 123rf.com

10:30 Sports with Jamie Wall

RNZ sports reporter and Nights regular Jamie Wall joins Emile Donovan.

10:45 BBC World Lookahead

We cross over to our friends at the BBC to take a look at some of the events making headlines internationally

Tonight we're speaking to Jonathan Frewin about the campaign period beginning for the French snap election, Thailand's former prime minister is to face trial on charges of insulting the monarch and Congress summons Boeing's CEO to testify on its jetliner safety.

11:07 Nashville Babylon

Every week on Nashville Babylon Mark Rogers presents the very best in country, soul and rock 'n' roll.

On this week's Nashville Babylon there's blues from Otis Spann, heavy soul courtesy of Wilson Pickett and Betty LaVette plus the White Stripes covering Dolly Parton.