Headline: Fast Favourites with new NZSO head Marc Feldman
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Diving into the new sub-genre of Cosy Fantasy books
books leisure 26 minutes ago No grit, no gore, just a warm feeling of enjoyment and escape, cosy fantasy is the new sub-genre in the world of books. Catherine Robertson shared details with Jesse along with her latest reading recommendations: Stone and Sky by Ben Aaronovitch (Hachette) Rewitched by Lucy Jane Wood (Pan Macmillan) The Unquiet Grave by Dervla McTiernan (Harper Collins)

RNZ News
3 hours ago
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Teen urges Kiwi youth to tackle climate-fuelled food poverty
Joel Titus visited Malaita in the Solomon Islands in December 2024 as a World Vision New Zealand youth ambassador. Photo: Supplied A young Kiwi Indian is urging young New Zealanders to rise up against the dual threats of climate change and food poverty, calling it a humanitarian crisis that demands urgent youth-led action. The 19-year-old from Palmerston North toured schools across Aotearoa to inspire young people to join World Vision New Zealand's 40-Hour Challenge, which raised funds to support children in the Pacific, especially in climate-vulnerable nations such as the Solomon Islands. World Vision New Zealand is a Christian charity organization dedicated to tackling poverty and injustice, especially for children and communities in need. "It's such a big problem," Titus said. "It's not a political crisis but a humanitarian one and at its heart, it affects people, especially women and children." Titus volunteered this year for 40 hours at Everybody Eats in Onehunga, an Auckland-based charity that transforms rescued food into three-course meals on a pay-what-you-can basis. Together with the team, he helped cook more than 2000 meals to address the issue of food poverty in Auckland while also raising funds to address the issue in Solomon Islands. "Food is such a vital part of Indian culture and, for me, it's a way to connect with people," he said. "So, I really wanted my challenge to be around food this year." Titus has long been involved in the 40-Hour Challenge. "Even one year, my twin brother and I were tied to each other for 40 hours," he said. "So, I've done some pretty crazy challenges in the past." Joel Titus' family hails from Kerala, India. Photo: Supplied In December 2024, Titus travelled to the Solomon Islands as a World Vision youth ambassador and witnessed firsthand how climate change was endangering children's futures. "The people there are so incredible," Titus said. He said limited access to clean water and food had brought many young lives to a standstill, with 1 in 6 children in the Pacific living in poverty. "That statistic stuck with me," he said. "But numbers never tell the whole story - it was only when I met the children behind those numbers that it truly hit me." Since returning from his trip, he shared their stories across New Zealand, speaking at more than 40 schools and reaching thousands of students with a message that they too could make a difference. "As a youth ambassador, my role is about equipping young people with the tools to truly change the world," he said. Born and raised in Palmerston North, Titus' family is originally from Kerala, India. Now based in Auckland, Titus is pursuing a degree in biology and health at Auckland University of Technology, but he still holds tight to his roots. "I just love being Indian - being brown is my superpower," he said. "I wear a mundu or sherwani to work sometimes, because knowing who you are gives you a kind of strength," he said, referring to examples of traditional Indian clothing. "Growing up in New Zealand, people might say things that make you doubt yourself, but I want young people to know that being different is powerful." Titus is calling on young Kiwi Indians to rise up and be part of the solution. "We're not just dairy owners or accountants," he said. "We are leaders, we are policy makers and we are change makers. We're everything we want to be. And I want to encourage young Indians to believe in that."

RNZ News
3 hours ago
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Rotorua war hero story told in new opera Mate Ururoa
The true story of Rotorua soldier Captain Roger Dansey is being brought to life in Wellington Opera's performance Mate Ururoa . Written by acclaimed New Zealand composer Dame Gillian Whitehead, it tells the true story of Roger Ingram Te Kepa Dansey, engineer and Māori All Black, who enlisted when Britain declared war on Germany in 1914 and was one of the five hundred strong "Native Contingent". His war story is first about the humiliation faced by Māori soldiers, his heroism at Gallipoli, but then being accused of desertion and sent home in disgrace. Whitehead wrote the libretto in te reo Māori and English for US-based Māori baritone David Tahere, who plays Roger Dansey. Directed by Sara Brodie, the opera was originally supposed to premiere in 2021 at New York's Carnegie Hall - but this was cancelled due to the pandemic. Instead, the world premiere will be in Wellington this weekend. Dame Gillian Whitehead, Sara Brodie and David Tahere are in the Wellington studio. Dame Gillian Whitehead. Photo: © 2019 National Library Imaging Services, Department of Internal Affairs