Nights for Wednesday 10 December 2025
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Award winning criminal justice advocate's call to the next generation
9:25 PM.Tā Kim Workman joins Emile Donovan. Read more Audio
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European correspondent Christian Smith
9:15 PM.A round up of the European news making the headlines. Read more Audio
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Century-old voices reveal evolution of New Zealand accent
8:25 PM.Postdoctoral fellow Dr Brooke Ross from the University of Auckland joins Emile Donovan. Read more Audio
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Day one of Australia's social media ban for under-16s
8:10 PM.Leo Puglisi is chief anchor and managing director at 6 News Australia and he joins Emile Donovan for his thoughts. Read more Audio
8:10 Day one of Australia's social media ban for under-16s
A big day for our friends across the Tasman with the first day of their social media ban for under 16-year-olds.
The move is a world -first push to protect children from phone addiction and online harms.
From now on, a group of social media platforms will face penalties of up to $50 million if they do not take "reasonable steps" to prevent children and teenagers aged under 16 from holding a social media account.
So how has day one of the ban gone, and what's been the reaction among Australians?
Leo Puglisi is chief anchor and managing director at 6 News Australia and he joins Emile Donovan.
Millions of Australians aged under 16 are now banned from having social media accounts. Photo: ABC News: Maren Preuss
8:20 The House
Tonight, on The House, Louis Collins looks at the RMA shakeup going through Parliament this week.
Photo: RNZ / Cole Eastham-Farrelly
8:25 Century-old voices reveal evolution of New Zealand accent
Archival recordings of Aucklanders born around 1900 are giving linguists a fresh perspective on the evolution of the New Zealand accent.
The research draws on the 104-year-old thesis by phonetician George Edward Thompson, rediscovered by postdoctoral fellow Dr Brooke Ross from the University of Auckland.
She joins Emile Donovan.
George Edward Thompson published his thesis on the New Zealand English accent in 1921. Pictured is an image of Queen Street, Auckland Central, taken that same year Photo: Auckland Libraries
8:30 Midweek Mediawatch
Colin Peacock joins Emile Donovan to debrief the week in media news.
Tonight, TVNZ’s Q and A on Sunday with Andrew Coster, meanwhile with Prime Minister Christopher Luxon managing to dodge the programme, Colin looks back at other PM's on screen. Plus another leader on screen - Trump took centre stage at the World Cup draw on Saturday morning.
Jack Tame, host of Q+A. Photo: Supplied / TVNZ
9:05 Nights Riddle
Tune in throughout the night for a series of riddle clues.
Be the first to text in the right answer and win a Nights mug.
Text 2101 or email nights@rnz.co.nz
Clue # 1
I am a quirk, a bit of fun! You might say I’m a bit of a yo-yo. I can stare you in the face without you ever registering what I am. You probably met me when you were very young - I might’ve been the first words you ever uttered.
Clue # 2
The earliest version of me dates back to the first century AD - thank you Mount Vesuvius. I am many, many things: I am revenge, by another name; I am a seafaring vessel; I am regarded as a god - but only in my past tense.
Clue # 3
I am Mrs Tamaki. I am the first woman, if you go by the Bible. I am that lovely man with the curly hair who painted on television. I am a man, a plan, a canal - Panama?
9:15 European correspondent Christian Smith
Christian Smith joins Emile Donovan to discuss Europe's reaction to America's new national security strategy and Trump's harsh words on European leaders, the Mi5 being implicated in IRA double agent case from The Troubles, and Denmark ends its letter posting service, one of the oldest in the world. in the face of unsustainable costs and preference for digital communications,
US President Donald Trump. Photo: AFP / Andrew Caballero-Reynolds
9:25 Award winning criminal justice advocate's call to the next generation
Tā Kim Workman has spent his career challenging systemic bias in policing and prisons, leading research into fairness in the police, pioneering pro-social programmes in prison and advocating for vulnerable young people and abuse survivors.
In a speech accepting the Australian and New Zealand Society of Criminology’s Distinguished Criminologist award earlier this month, Ta Kim urged us all to imagine a nation that measures itself by how it treats the least, the lost and the lonely.
The former New Zealander of the Year is now calling on the next generation to take up the mantle of justice reform. He joins Emile Donovan.
Photo: supplied
9:45 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.
10:17 The Detail
Tonight on The Detail - From stray dogs to traffic jams to the most controversial topic of all - berms - councillors and mayors from across the country report what's getting on their residents' nerves
Photo:
10:45 The Reading:'Watch of Gryphons'
Paul, an engineer from New Zealand, working in Perugia has become friends with his neighbours Maria and Giancarlo but there is something mysterious and distant about Maria that intrigues him.
Peter Hambleton reads Episode 3 of 'Watch Of Gryphons' by Owen Marshall.
11:07 David Bowie - Part 5: The European Man
David Bowie has been an innovator in popular music since the late 1960's, in this six-part series presenter George Kay looks at Bowie's career and music.
In this episode series presenter George Kay focuses on Bowie's 'European Man' phase - an era that featured the albums Station to Station, Heroes & Stages and Bowie's persona, The Thin White Duke.
