Features

A Tongan woman is pushing the boundaries of fashion by taking traditional garments and adding a contemporary twist.

A fallen New Zealand mountaineer has provided inspiration for an opera by British composer Joby Talbot. Everest tells the tragic story of Rob Hall who died on the mountain in 1996 in a blizzard that claimed the lives of eight mountaineers.  Video, Audio

Tonight on the Sampler, to mark the anniversary of The Beatles’ classic, Nick Bollinger discusses its impact, legacy and how it rates today, with Split Enz founder Mike Chunn, producer Ed Cake and teenage critic Toby McWilliams. Audio

RNZ's Stephen Hewson remembers watching the All Blacks take on the Lions at Athletic Park in 1977. Video

Lynda Chanwai-Earle hosts a panel discussion on budget cuts and their possible impact on migrant communities. Audio

Townes Van Zandt, Bo Diddley, the Blazers, Hank Snow and John Moreland all feature on this week's slice of the best in Americana. Audio

In an industry that coined the phrase ‘If it bleeds, it leads’ death knocks - the industry term for approaching the bereaved - are a staple.

Auckland Soprano singer Natasha Wilson's first love was pop music. She also admits to loving heavy metal - even owning an Iron Maiden t-shirt. Audio

Weekend Herald editor Miriyana Alexander has won a fellowship in the UK to study so-called ‘fake news’. Mediawatch asked her if that’s really a problem here. Audio

A New Zealand mountaineer has provided inspiration for an opera by British composer Joby Talbot. Everest tells the story of Rob Hall who died on the mountain in 1996. Video, Audio

Christchurch Dilemmas - Regenerate Christchurch's James Lunday has the job of bringing Cathedral Square back to the bustling hub it once was.

A group of scientists is creating maps of cities based not on getting to destinations quickly, but on stimulating senses. Audio

Georgian mezzo-soprano Nino Surguladze is in NZ to play the lead role in NZ Opera's season of Carmen. It's Bizet's tale with a feminist twist. Audio

The band's keyboardist Gus Unger-Hamilton loves a good metaphor. Speaking to Alex Behan, he compares making music to running a reustaurant, both of which he's been doing a lot recently. Audio

RNZ's Barry Guy remembers the shock of being 9 years old and realising his father was rooting for the Lions in their 1971 series against the All Blacks. Video

An economist says New Zealand is among a number of 'debt zombie' nations with out of control private debt, and he predicts a housing bust in the next two years. Audio

Samoan-born Sonny Natanielu has come a long way from trying to scrub his skin off as a teen, to now celebrating his language, culture and identity. Video

The repatriation of nearly 150 whales' teeth to Fiji today is being called a "rare event" by the Secretary General of an international convention protecting endangered species.

The National Library was alive with the sound of 64 children from 16 schools yesterday, battling it out to be national champions of the Kids' Lit Quiz. Audio

Could online gaming help solve the problems of real cities in the future? 'Sand-box' games are starting to have an impact on urban design by teaching people how to create sustainable cites. Video, Audio, Gallery

In between the last Alt-J album and 'Relaxer', keyboardist Gus Unger-Hamilton opened a restaurant and he's quick to draw comparisons between being in the kitchen and being in a band.  Audio

Ardijah's Betty-Anne and Ryan Monga join Wallace Chapman to sing some songs and reflect on more than three decades in the music industry. Audio

The media struggled with the contrasting moods of horror, anger and sorrow in the wake of this week's suicide attack in Manchester.  Audio

Courtney Sina Meredith is a young contemporary teller of tales about Samoan life. Video