Features

In this episode of RNZ's podcast about sex and sexuality, three people open up about personal experiences that shame or embarrassment have prevented them from sharing. Audio

Humour and politics have always intersected, but some politicians use it more effectively than others, academic Nick Holm says.  Audio

Paul Kennedy from Recorded Music New Zealand explains the rationale behind the new addition to the music sales charts, the Hot 40 and NZ Hot 20 and explains how it aims to freshen up the chart ecosystem. Audio

New Zealand's elderly are part of a global push to build age-friendly and dementia-friendly spaces using new architectural design principals, Lesley Palmer of Stirling University's Dementia Centre says. Video, Audio

They're thought of as the scourge of the internet, but Aimie Cronin finds trolls aren't always dangerous and, in fact, can sometimes be helpful. 

Opinion - Vanity parties, like the Opportunities Party, generally start with a bang and fizzle out quickly, writes Brigitte Morton.

Jonny Greenwood has released sheet music for his 2015 composition 88 (No 1) after being inspired by Glenn Gould’s performances of Bach's Goldberg Variations.

A regretful William Dart makes amends for some tracks that had to be left out of earlier programmes, and takes a side-excursion to explore diverse and glorious versions of  'Strangers in the Night'. Video, Audio

FIFA World Cup: England can hold their heads high after their semi-final loss this morning, but today belongs to Croatia, who are within touching distance of the greatest prize in sport, writes Jamie Wall.

You've bought a coffee that comes in a compostable cup but where do you then put it? An Auckland company is making sure they get processed properly by offering special collection bins. Audio

Choral singing is the most wonderful thing that human beings can do, says Morris Stuart, conductor of the Central Australian Aboriginal Women's Choir. A documentary about his choir's historic performance in Germany The Song Keepers has been called Australia's answer to Buena Vista Social Club. Video, Audio

Beethoven was in poor health when he went to Bohemia for a rest. On his return to Vienna, he composed one of his greatest symphonies. Indra Hughes tells the story. Audio

Opinion -  Ideas cause reactions. An idea can incite or excite - either for or against what is being said. However, the result is debate - not hate, writes Craig Tuck.

The Wallace International Piano Festival opens in Auckland today with a recital from award-winning Canadian pianist Avan Yu. He talks with Upbeat about his affinity for the music of Liszt. Audio

This year's APRA Silver Scrolls Top 20 songs have been announced and it's another strong and diverse showcase of local songs. Video, Audio

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A southern right whale has been delighting camera-wielding onlookers hoping to get a shot in Wellington, but recordings from history show whaling was a very different hunt until quite recently. Audio, Gallery

At The Movies - Mary Shelley tells the story of an influential author and her relationship with two of England's greatest poets. It stars Elle Fanning, Bel Powley and Maisie Williams. Video, Audio

Engineers are creating miniature rivers and beaches in the Water Engineering Laboratory at the University of Auckland, to study how water flows and better understand how floods and tsunamis behave. Audio

Despite NZ's history of strong female directors and some "good, positive change", there still aren't a lot of women calling the shots behind the camera, says a young Kiwi filmmaker.

The $15 million boost for public broadcasting, split between RNZ, New Zealand on Air and a new fund aimed at under-served audiences, is the biggest for a decade, but will it make a difference? Audio

Nick Bollinger spends some quality time with the latest epic from tenor sax titan Kamasi Washington. Audio

The Top 20 songs contending for this year's APRA Silver Scroll award have been announced. It’s another strong and diverse showcase of local song writing, spanning hip-hop, folk, reggae and pop. Video, Audio

Australian writer and feminist thinker Clementine Ford's new book Boys Will Be Boys targets toxic masculinity, and explains it's not a condemnation of men, but of society. Audio

Analysis - Monday's announcement that the government would be spending billions on surveillance planes was in stark contrast to the nurses' placards, writes Guyon Espiner.