Nine To Noon for Thursday 29 February 2024

09:05 STIs on the rise: why aren't more people testing?

Sexual health advocates say more people should be testing regularly for sexually transmitted infections - and encouraged to do so by their health practitioners. There were just over 25,000 chlamydia cases, nearly 7,000 gonorrhoea cases, and 486 syphilis cases during 2022 - the most recent full year that statistics are available. This was an increase in gonorrhoea and syphilis cases,  while chlamydia notifications remained stable. Sexual Wellbeing Aotearoa, known until recently as Family Planning, says recent research suggests two thirds of female patients have never had a health practitioner talk to them about getting an STI test, unless they themselves brought it up,  or had symptoms. They say self testing can be a good option but there are barriers to this and there must be proper follow up. Kathryn speaks with Director Hauora Māori and Equity at Sexual Wellbeing Aotearoa, Dr Tania Huria, Wellington youth GP Dr Emily Cavana and Erin Jackson, co-founder of EttieKits - a home testing kit for STIs,  launched late last year.

09:20 Overseas gold investors eye up market as Government looks to bolster mining

Soaring gold prices and a more favourable Government stance appear to be driving up interest in New Zealand's gold mining industry. Legislation to be introduced on March 8 will speed up the process for resource consent approvals, including for mining in the regions. Straterra, the body representing the mining industry in NZ, says it has several overseas investors eyeing up the market ahead of any potential changes. There's already movement in the industry, which employs around 7000 people, focused in particular around lucrative gold deposits in Coromandel, Otago, and the West Coast. Gary Taylor is the chief executive of the Environmental Defence Society. He says he saw a similar burst of activity in the '80s, but believes fast-tracking legislation is not wise. Gary Taylor and Straterra CEO Josie Vidal speak with Kathryn Ryan.

09:45 UK: £31m package to boost MPs' security, Prince Harry loses security court challenge

UK correspondent Harriet Line details the £31m package to boost security measures for politicians amid concerns they have been targeted and intimidated by demonstrators in recent months - heightened by the Israel-Hamas conflict. And Prince Harry has lost a challenge over the decision to change the level of his security when he visits the UK.

Harriet Line is Deputy Political Editor of the Daily Mail.

10:05 'Our humour doesn't go when we lose our legs!'  Film maker Paula Whetu Jones

Paula Whetu Jones is a film maker who's probably best known for co-writing and directing the feature film about Dame Whina Cooper in 2022. But her latest work is a dark comedy series set in a spinal ward, and based on her own experience when she became paralysed from the waist down as the result of unexplained nerve damage to her spine. Spinal Destination will begin screening next month on Sky Open, starring Bree Peters and Tom Sainsbury.  She is also finishing a documentary filmed over 15 years in Gaza, about the Auckland cardiac surgeon Alan Kerr's lifesaving work with Palestinian children - and the role of his wife, Hazel.  Tonight, Paula Whetu Jones will be honored at the Women in Film and Television Awards as a finalist in the Award for Outstanding Achievement in Film.

10:35 Book review: The Other Bridget by Rachael Johns 

Elisabeth Easther reviews The Other Bridget by Rachael Johns published by Penguin Random House NZ

10:45 Around the motu : Alisha Evans in Tauranga

Congestion charges could be needed in Tauranga and council's fees for sports clubs are under fire. Tauranga based local democracy reporter Alisha Evans has the details. Also why Poto the dog has been banned from a public pool.

11:05 Tech: LockBit raiders make comeback, global mobile event's new gadgets

Technology commentator Juha Saarinen talks about the refusal of the Lockbit ransomware gang to go quietly, after its operations were severely disrupted by global law enforcement last week. New websites have popped up and the hackers say they'll continue their attacks. The Mobile World Congress - one of the biggest global mobile events - has been underway this week in Barcelona. We look at the good, the weird and practical on offer. And Open AI's text-to-video tool Sora is already making waves - but what can and can't it do?

Juha Saarinen is a technology journalist and communicator

11:25 Parenting: What to do if your children just can't get along

Boston-based psychologist Laurie Kramer has built a career out of helping children to get along. Her work focuses on the experiences of kids aged three to five - an age where many become siblings for the first time, and are also making friends at preschool and kindergarten. Her work began in the '90s, when as a fresh graduate she became interested in what childrens' interactions were actually like, when no adult was around. Kramer, a professor of applied psychology at Northeastern University, was one of the first to adopt the technique of videotaping preschoolers, to observe their relationship forming skills - and how they navigated arguments. She joins Kathryn Ryan to share some insights into the workings of little minds, when no one is there to watch.

Laurie Kramer has developed a tool for parents, to help them navigate their children through conflict - you can find it here.

11:45 Screentime: One Day, The Convert, Expats

Film and TV correspondent Perlina Lau joins Kathryn to talk about One Day, a Netflix adaptation of David Nicholl's popular novel - how does it compare to the critically panned 2011 film version? She'll also look at The Convert from New Zealand director Lee Tamahori which stars Guy Pearce as a preacher navigating a blood feud between rival Māori tribes. And Expats (Prime Video) stars Nicole Kidman as a woman who experiences tragedy while living in Hong Kong.

Perlina Lau is co-host of RNZ's Culture 101 programme