Sunday Morning for Sunday 17 November 2019

7.11 Investigation claims seven Afghan children killed by NZ device 

A Stuff Circuit documentary investigating the tragic legacy of New Zealand's 10-year deployment to Afghanistan has found that in 2014 seven children were killed in an explosion caused by a device left behind on a New Zealand firing range in the Bamyam province. Investigation co-author Paula Penfold joins the show to discuss. 

7.21 Cheap alcohol fuelling NZ’s worsening drinking culture

Data released from New Zealand's largest annual health survey show that our drinking culture is continuing to move in the wrong direction. More Kiwis are drinking and more are drinking heavily and frequently. Alcohol Healthwatch Executive Director Dr Nicki Jackson says we're not only not making progress, we're worryingly heading backwards.

7.32 The House

A weekly digest of the events in Parliament. This week, Phil Smith takes us back through the long and slow history of the End of Life Choice Bill.  A bill that MPs have spent literally thousands of hours on.

7.45 Calling Home: Thom Monckton in Helsinki

Running away to join the circus is a dream for many, but for Kiwi physical theatre performer Thom Monckton it's been an absolute reality. Having left school early to head to circus school in Christchurch, Thom is now a theatre company owner and performer in Helsinki, though he is Calling Home from on the road in Holland this week.

8:10 Insight 

Forever Home - Why Immigrants chose New Zealand

Migration is shaping New Zealand as we head towards a population of five million. But why are people choosing to come here? Philippa Tolley attended citizenship ceremonies to ask newly minted New Zealanders why they picked this country. Produced by Philippa Tolley.

8:41 Crisis facing courts as Chinese people seek justice in NZ

New Zealand's rapid transition to a multicultural society is causing problems for our judicial and legal systems. That's the conclusion of a new report from the Superdiversity Institute for Law, Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Parties in the Courts: A Chinese Case Study, which was the brainchild of, and chaired by, the prominent public lawyer Mai Chen.

9:06 Mediawatch

Immigration was in the spotlight this week as the government changed tack after outrage sparked by MP Shane Jones. But while that got the media’s attention, what about the bigger picture? 

Also: the plan the government is pondering for public media - and the life of editor, author and  broadcasting boss Ian Cross. 

Produced and presented by Colin Peacock and Jeremy Rose.

9:45 How you are 'brainwashed' while you sleep

New research out of Boston University's Department of Biomedical Engineering shows that our brains are actually taking a bath in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) while we are in a deep sleep, cleaning away toxins and waste products. Professor Laura Lewis is the study's co-author and explains how these findings can offer insight into conditions often associated with sleep disorders, such as autism and Alzheimer's.

10:06 ABBA, Queen and Coldplay are the new Beethoven, Bach and Mozart

A new study published in the Psychomusicology: Music, Mind, and Brain journal has shown that the likes of ABBA, Queen and Coldplay should now be put on the same pedestal as the world's greatest classical composers. Professor Emery Schubert from UNSW's Empirical Musicology Laboratory joins the show to discuss.

10.25 The golden age of board games

Despite the onslaught of online game play, board games have not declined in popularity. In fact in the industry this is regarded as the golden age of board games, across all demographics, and the consensus is the games now are better than ever. Alex Andriesse has researched the history of board games.

11.05 No end in sight as Hong Kong protests enter sixth month

Protests in Hong Kong are becoming increasingly violent and disruptive as pressure continues to mount on Beijing to find a solution to the problems that have plagued the administrative region for six months now. New Zealander Graham Barkus has lived in Hong Kong for 30 years and is a member of the HK Forward Alliance. He joins the show to give an insight into the mood on the ground in Hong Kong.

11:13 Royal correspondent dismayed by Prince Andrew interview 

Prince Andrew has appeared on the BBC's Newsnight programme this morning our time to answer questions about his links to Jeffrey Epstein, the American financier who took his own life while awaiting trial on sex-trafficking charges.Veteran royal correspondent Richard Fitzwilliams has watched the interview and joins the show to offer his analysis. 

11:20 'You can't be a wimp if you want to achieve greatness'  

Sir Michael Hill doodles when he's bored. And over the years he's got quite good at it. So much so that his doodles are published in all kinds of places. Catch and Release is a book of the musings from the extraordinary life of the renowned global jeweller. He talks to Jim about 40 years in the jewellery business, of continuing to strive and dream big, his beloved golf course and the importance of letting go of your ego.