Nights for Thursday 28 August 2025
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Are the Greens their own worst enemy?
9:25 PM.While certainly the minor party with the greatest longevity, have the Greens achieved more than other minor parties like ACT or New Zealand First? Political scientist Natalia Albert discusses. Read more Audio
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How was Iran able to commit antisemitic attacks on Australian soil?
8:40 PM.Laura Tingle, the ABC's Global Affairs Editor, joins Emile Donovan to explain. Read more Audio
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Philosophy Now: Gene-editing your children?
8:25 PM.How far we should go to give children the best start in life? Should parents be able to use genetic engineering - selecting for positive traits, and eliminating potential negatives - when having a… Read more Audio
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The heavy toll concussions are taking on former players
8:10 PM.After the tragic death of former Māori All Black Shane Christie, Emile Donovan speaks to neurophysiologist and concussion researcher Professor Alan Pearce. Read more Audio
8:10 The heavy toll concussions are taking on former players
This week, we heard of the tragic sudden death of rugby player, former Māori All Black, Shane Christie, aged just 39.
Shane Christie suffered several concussions during his career, and he was vocal about the dangers of brain injuries in rugby, particularly chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or CTE, which can only be diagnosed after death.
Last year, he said he wanted to donate his brain to research when he died.
Professor Alan Pearce, a neurophysiologist from Australia's Swinburne University, had been in touch with Christie while he lived, discussing the urgent need for concussion research.
He speaks to Emile Donovan.
Highlanders flanker Shane Christie. Photo: PHOTOSPORT
8:35 Philosophy Now: Gene-editing your children?
Dan Weijers is a senior lecturer in philosophy at the University of Waikato and he joins Nights to answer some of life's big questions -- whether it's love, death, happiness, or whether it's morally right to keep a pet goldfish.
Tonight: how far we should go to give children the best start in life? Should parents be able to use genetic engineering - selecting for positive traits, and eliminating potential negatives - when having a child?
Dan and Emile dive right into this morally and ethically complex debate.
Photo: Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay
8:40 How was Iran able to commit antisemitic attacks on Australian soil?
Australian prime minister Anthony Albanese has revealed there is evidence that the Iranian government was responsible for at least two attacks against the Jewish community on Australian soil.
The Iranian ambassador Ahmad Sadeghi has been expelled from Australia, and the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps will be listed as a terrorist organisation.
Laura Tingle, the ABC's Global Affairs Editor, joins Emile Donovan to explain how the announcement unfolded and what it means for Australia on the world stage and at home.
Australia’s Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. Photo: AFP / HILARY WARDHAUGH
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.
9:25 Are the Greens their own worst enemy?
It could be argued, quite convincingly, that New Zealand's most enduringly popular minor political party is the Greens.
Since entering Parliament in 1999, they have never dropped below the 5 percent threshold. Today they have 15 MPs, their largest caucus ever, and consistently poll around 10 percent.
But while they are certainly popular, have they achieved more than other minor parties - ACT and New Zealand First?
On her Substack political scientist Natalia Albert argues popularity alone does not equal political effectiveness and she speaks to Emile Donovan about what is holding The Greens back.
Photo: RNZ / Mark Papalii
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 - Cruise shop visits to Aotearoa are down, and industry insiders worry that the economic fallout for the tourism industry will be severe
10:45 The Reading: Rocking Horse Road
Jason Whyte reads Rocking Horse Road by Carl Nixon; Episode 4.
After her violent death on the beach at the end of Rocking Horse Road, Lucy Asher takes on the status of a deity for a group of boys in the school. Their collective imagination makes her into something apart, special and, almost because of her very unassailability, a goddess.
11:07 The Mixtape
Christchurch-born drummer, singer, and songwriter Nick Gaffaney honed his craft at jazz school before becoming one of New Zealand's most in-demand drummers.
Over the years, he's played with iconic Kiwi acts including Anika Moa, Fat Freddy's Drop, Goldenhorse, Dimmer, Hollie Smith, and his band Cairo Knife Fight (with the late Aaron Tokona).
