Category Archives: Political

Directed by Stephen Frears and starring Judi Dench and Steve Coogan, Philomena is a sincere and harrowing tale.

Around the world, the 2014 centenary of the start of World War I is an occasion for commemoration.

A BBC move to have musician P J Harvey as a festive season editor of its Today radio programme has produced a show that divided listeners, upset MPs and sparked a string of complaints. Harvey put WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange in charge of Thought for the Day, and gave journalist John Pilger an open forum to criticise the BBC and US President Barack Obama

Wellington will no longer play host to Radio New Zealand’s flagship Morning Report after Guyon Espiner was named as its new co-presenter.

Former TVNZ political editor Guyon Espiner has been named as co-host of Radio New Zealand’s Morning Report. Espiner will replace veteran presenter Geoff Robinson in April, RNZ said.

Want to know what to read in 2014 Books editor Michelle Hurley cherry picks the year’s best offerings. FICTION Another year, another novel about love, sex, lies etc from Hanif Kureishi with, The Last Word, coming from Faber in February

Grant Smithies honours the year’s best albums . . .

On a busy pre-Christmas weekend at the box office, The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug held off a very different sequel, Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues. Peter Jackson’s Hobbit sequel took in US$31.5 million in its second weekend of release for Warner Bros, according to studio estimates

Another veteran broadcaster is about to fade into the ether – Newstalk ZB Wellington host Justin du Fresne has been switched off after a radio career stretching back half a century.