In the Loop: Arise in the spotlight, MIQ ends, and top tips on what you're putting in your body

Managed Isolation Quarantine Facilities came to end in March. Photo / Supplied

The Government has faced criticism for continuing Managed Isolation and Quarantine (MIQ) despite advice from health officials to end the programme in November last year.

But was it the right move given the Omicron outbreak - or should the Government have let New Zealanders come home earlier?

Cheree Kinnear and Katie Harris debate the decision on this week's episode of In the Loop, the New Zealand Herald's youth-news podcast wrapping up the major stories of the week.

In other news, megachurch Arise Church has been thrust into the spotlight after founding pastor John Cameron resigned over the weekend, following claims of burnout and mistreatment against volunteers and members of the church.

And one couple has hit a visa roadblock after officials denied them a partnership visa based on them being in a polyamorous relationship - where one or both parties are in romantic or intimate relationships with more than one person at a time, with the consent of all involved.

The unusual instance has sparked discussion about whether residency and visa rules need to be broadened to encompass more modern relationships.

Speaking of unusual, an international medical journal has detailed the strange case of a man in Brazil, who had to get a 20kg dumbbell removed from his rectum when it got stuck there. As it turns out, it's quite common for that to happen in New Zealand!

And in Trending, the courtroom drama of the year is unfolding as former Hollywood power couple Johnny Depp and Amber Heard face off once again over claims Depp physically abused Heard. The celebrity

In the Loop is available on iHeartRadio, Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. New episodes come out every Friday morning.

You can find more New Zealand Herald podcasts at nzherald.co.nz/podcasts or on iHeartRadio.