Features

The Cook Islands government has appointed former rugby league star and environmental advocate Kevin Iro as the official Marae Moana Ambassador.

The Detail - A new $42 million project is looking to address New Zealand's education inequality - a system where Māori are failing, and are "leaving their culture at the gate."  Audio

The cult was labelled barbaric by the court, its followers enslaved in Fiji and forced to endure beatings and labour. But while the leader of Grace Road Church was jailed in South Korea on Tuesday, the businesses she founded in Fiji are humming along nicely.

Medical courses at Otago University and business courses at the University of Auckland are most popular with students using New Zealand's 'one year of free tertiary education' scheme. Video, Audio

Last year, New Zealanders lost $33 million to scams. Madison Reidy looks at how that's impacting our economy and what we're doing to stop it. Audio

A new documentary Mystify: Michael Hutchence seeks the truth about the late INXS singer. Director Richard Lowenstein was a close friend and colleague of Hutchence for years, and shares what it's like to make a film about a lost friend. Audio

Helen Young, a former manager of RNZ Concert and a tremendous advocate for New Zealand performers and composers died on Friday in Auckland, aged 93. Audio, Gallery

Builder Stan Scott shares some simple tips that don't cost a lot. Audio

Folk singer Alasdair Roberts has a new album called The Fiery Margin out next month. In anticipation, William Dart digs into his back catalogue. Video, Audio

It began with National Party leader Simon Bridges delivering a speech described as "easily the best of his career" and ended with a really big reform announcement.

The penniless soldier Gherman has fallen in love with Liza, even though she's engaged to his friend Yeletsky. Gherman learns that Liza's grandmother the Countess knows a winning three-card formula. Listen from 6pm on RNZ Concert.

Songs about self-empowerment and drowning in sorrow from Charli XCX, Christine and the Queens and Erin Durant. Video, Audio

WATCH - The intimate documentary MANA Wahine follows activist Pania Newton in the weeks before the Ihumātao occupation. Video, Audio

Widescreen - Dan Slevin checks out a romantic and suprising film from Japanese animation masters Studio Ghibli.

Power Play - For a party which espouses open and transparent democracy, the secretive nature of the Greens' annual conference is a poor showing, writes Jane Patterson. Audio

A new documentary on Pacific Reggae pioneers Herbs celebrated its world premiere at Auckland’s Civic Theatre last night, as part of the NZ International Film Festival. Our reviewer, Steve Newall was there.

A new documentary playing at the NZ Film Festival called The Gift: The Journey of Johnny Cash is a sensitive and compelling portrait of the man and the artist.  Audio

The Feast of the Transfiguration is marked this week with some transfiguration-themed hymns, including 'Immortal, invisible' and 'Christ, whose glory fills the skies'. Audio

Richard makes himself available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week – even Christmas Day: "I always go the same day the clients ring me because I know the emotion involved with it." Audio

VIDEO - Liam is one of the Kiwi musicians paying homage to the Canadian rocker's 1978 album Live Rust in three shows this August. Video, Audio

It's surprising how often gambling, betting, fortune-telling, dice-throwing, card-playing and roulette-spinning are used as plot devices in the musical theatre. Audio

Today's average cat is heavier than its 1990s equivalent. Audio

The first ever Fortnite World Cup has wrapped up and a New Zealand had a team in the running. Chris Hunt and Sam Pearson competed in the duos final. We find out how it went. Audio

Sales of electric vehicles have soared in Sweden one year on from offering an incentive scheme similar to the one recently announced in New Zealand. Audio