Nights for Thursday 3 October 2024

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: Soon

Episode four of our reading adapted from Charlotte Grimshaw's novel 'Soon' read by Michael Hurst

A political thriller set over the summer holidays at the Prime Minister's holiday house where his entourage jostles for position in their leader's court.

9:07 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 Philosophy Now: How should we treat criminals?

We delve into the cerebral side of life with Dan Weijers senior lecturer in philosophy at the University of Waikato.

Every month on Nights, Dan unpacks some of life's big issues: love, death, happiness, or whether it's morally right to keep a pet goldfish.

Tonight he is exploring prisons.

9:35 Music, poetry and performance combine with te reo at Wellington's Jazz Festival.

The words of famed poet and civil rights activist Dr Maya Angelou have been translated into te reo Maori and set to music.

ORO MĀIA is being performed at the Wellington Opera House as part of Wellington's Jazz Festival later this month

Ruth Smith has been translating the poems, and Maarire Brunning-Kouka has composed the soundtrack.

They both speak to Emile Donovan.

10:17 Otago on alert as heavy rain settles in

We have the latest on the situation in Otago with parts of the region under a red heavy rain warning.

10:30 What is diplomatic immunity and why are diplomats protected this way?

Police in New Zealand have asked Australia to waive diplomatic immunity for the partner of a diplomat who was arrested then released without charge following the All Blacks match against the Wallabies in Wellington on Saturday Night.

So far there hasn't been a response from across the Tasman and when asked about it today Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said he wasn't fully up to speed on the case and says it is a matter for police.

Graeme Edgeler is a Wellington lawyer and electoral law expert as well as being one of the best legal explainers in the country.

He explains the ins and outs of diplomatic immunity

10:45 Lilliput Libraries: The little libraries packing a big punch

Lilliput Libraries are celebrating nine years.

These are the small, painted, wooden cabinets on street corners where people can borrow and donate books for others for free -- all for the love of reading.

You will have seen these little libraries around - considering there are now 379 of them dotted all across the country.

Dunedin woman Ruth Arnison started the Lilliput Libraries she speaks to Emile Donovan about their success.

11:07 The Mixtape

Our guest picking the music is writer, ghostwriter and editor Madeleine Chapman.

Mad started as the very first intern at The Spinoff, and is now one of the youngest editors of a major publication in Aotearoa.

She joins Charlotte to celebrate The Spinoff's tenth birthday this month and picks the tunes from her life.