Sunday Morning for Sunday 22 June 2025

8:10 War in the Middle East: What the future might look like 

We get analysis of the latest news from the Middle East, Benjamin Jensen, director of the Futures Lab and a senior fellow for the Defense and Security Department at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. 

8:25 The Sunday Morning Quiz 

Quiz master Jack Waley-Cohen is back with his Sunday Morning quiz.    

Jack is the mind behind the questions on BBC's infamous quiz show Only Connect, known for being both hard — and at the same time totally obvious.     

Wake up your brain and have a go!  

8:35 The Latest from FIFA Club World Cup 

Sports reporter Coen Lammers joins us from Washington DC and the inaugural FIFA Club World Cup, a new tournament with a $1 billion prize purse making it one of the richest sports events in the world.    

8:45 Dishing the dirt on the great Dishwashing Debate  

Dishwashers produce sparkling dishes, but how much water do they use and are they better for the environment than the age-old method of handwashing?  Associate Professor of Chemistry at AUT, Jack Chen, is with Jim to talk about the science of washing dishes. 

9:10 Mediawatch 

Mediawatch looks at the media debate over whether private or public providers should be cutting waiting lists for surgery, or what combination of both will work best - and how sick leave suddenly surged to the top of the news agenda, sparked by an unlikely source.    

9:40 Tiny Plastics, Big Questions 

Micro and nano-plastics are turning up in every corner of the planet — and in our own bodies. Professor Kevin Thomas, Director of the Queensland Alliance for Environmental Health Sciences, joins Jim to explore what we know — and don’t yet know — about the health risks of plastic pollution.  

He explains why building a solid scientific understanding of microplastic exposure is more urgent than ever. 

10:10 Calling Home: Cath Lealand in Tokyo 

Cath Lealand left New Zealand in her early 20s and has called Tokyo home for the past decade. Now working as a freelance translator and model, the former Hamiltonian joins Jim to share what it’s like living in one of the world’s busiest and most fascinating cities — a sprawling metropolis of 14 million people.

10:35 Shoulders back! Why your posture might be the secret to aging well 

Is poor posture just a part of getting older?  Not necessarily, says Dr. Deborah Kado, professor of medicine and geriatrics researcher at Stanford University. She joins Jim to bust some myths about aging and posture — and explains why standing tall can make a big difference to your health and quality of life. 

11:05 What went wrong in Russia? 

How did a mix of geopolitical missteps, overreliance on fossil fuels, and global shifts toward renewables push Russia and its relationships with the West into long-term decline? 

To what extent is the future of energy the big picture behind current global tensions? 

We speak with Thane Gustafson, Georgetown University Political Science professor and leading energy expert, about his new book The Perfect Storm: Russia’s Failed Ambitions and the Future of Energy. 

 11:30 The unspoken bond between Soldier and Horse  

New Zealand-produced film Devils on Horses has its world premiere on June 25 at the Doc Edge film festival. It reveals the deep bond between soldiers and their horses during WWI. The horses gave comfort, security, and emotional support amid the trauma of combat in the desert. Jim’s joined by the film’s co-producer and horse master Terry Kingi to discuss the crafting of the documentary and how the horrors of war and having to leave their horses behind, affected the men when they returned home.