Nights for Monday 29 September 2025

8:10 Earthquake building overhaul set to save billions

New Zealand's earthquake rating system is set for a major overhaul, with the government saying it will now focus on buildings that truly put lives at risk.

The changes announced today mean around three thousand buildings previously labelled earthquake-prone will no longer be considered a risk.

In Wellington, the number of earthquake-prone buildings will be more than halved, while in Auckland, they will be removed from the system entirely.

Professor John Tookey from the School of Future Environments at AUT speaks to Emile Donovan.

8.30pm We've always complained about daylight saving time!

We're probably all still feeling it, and if you're not, you've no doubt heard someone grumbling about daylight saving time today.

Turns out, though, we've been complaining about daylight saving for pretty much as long as it's been around.

Emma Kay is a historian who runs Small Histories of New Zealand, where she digs up curious stories, funny articles, and lost treasures from our past and shares them on social media.

Tonight, she's found some letters to the editor from more than a century ago that show just how people felt about daylight saving back in the early 1900s

8:40 Sports with Jamie Wall 

RNZ Sports reporter and Nights' regular Jamie Wall returns to Nights to break down the big sporting news after the weekend.

8:50 BBC World Service with Rob Hugh-Jones

We cross to our friends at the BBC World Service to take a look at some of the events making international headlines.

Our correspondent tonight is Rob Hugh-Jones

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 The race for the Irish presidency 

In just over three weeks' time, the Republic of Ireland will elect a new president. 

You may be familiar with the current president, politician, poet and sociologist Michael D Higgins.

The three official candidates were announced over the weekend - so who's the smart money on? And what does the president of Ireland actually do? 

Emile Donovan speaks to Kevin Rafter, a senior lecturer at Dublin City University, former political journalist and author of The Irish Presidency: Power, Ceremony and Politics

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.

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10:17 The Detail

On The Detail tonight: You can roll your eyes all you want at the White House reckons on Panadol, autism and vaccines, but the alarming truth is they are damaging and will turn up here

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10:45 The Reading: Shaggy Dogs

If you were listening on Thursday, you would have heard about David Marshall's decision to leave the rural veterinary work on the West Coast of the South Island and move to a city practice in Canterbury. 

Tonight, we hear about an Old Contemptible with 75 Cats, an aggressive Police dog, and an injured magpie that refused to leave after it had recovered.

11:07 Nashville Babylon

Every week on Nashville Babylon Mark Rogers presents the very best in country, soul and rock 'n' roll.

On this week's show there's Americana classics from the Handsome Family and Son Volt, reggae from Sophia George, soul from Irma Thomas and Otis Redding plus blues courtesy of Jimmy Reed and Albert King.