She grew up in Whangarei as a ballerina and a vegetarian, but 23-year-old Emma Phillips is back as a Mandarin-speaking acrobat who loves eating duck heads.

We can develop practices and procedures for Parliament that reflect the dual heritage of New Zealand, writes Tariana Turia.

Livelier cremation services and better ways of turning your corpse into compost are hot topics as people have their say on a proposed overhaul of burial laws.

When we look at Nelson Mandela's legacy as South Africa's post-apartheid leader, we must acknowledge serious failings, writes John Minto.

We must first conquer our island syndrome and pull together if we are ever to win the world from the edge, writes Kevin Roberts.

Statistics New Zealand has released key census information on the country's population, its mix of ages and sexes, and where people choose to live.

Frank Cui arrived in New Zealand 13 years ago from Northeastern China with big plans but little English.

New Zealand has been rated the fifth most prosperous nation to live in, according to an international report.

Sometimes, changes in attitude are apparent not so much because of what is being said as what is not being said.

Downtown Auckland was filled with the sights, sounds and tastes of India at the weekend at the annual Diwali Festival.

Editorial: A review of burial laws by the Law Commission has led to drastic and largely unnecessary recommendations.

Join the Indian community as it celebrates the renewal of life with an explosion of colour, dance and food, writes Catherine Smith.

India's most celebrated event - Diwali - will light up Auckland this weekend as dozens of events and international acts help celebrate this year's Festival of Lights.

"Pro! Pro!" The honking, nasal call is quickly absorbed by the uncomfortably moisture-heavy forest canopy. We scan the dense tangle of tree trunks and twisted vines, waiting for a response.

Nike says its Pro Tattoo Tech gear - leggings, sports bras, jump suits and singlets - features designs "inspired by tattoos from the southwest Pacific".

Five years ago Dave Snell was controversially given nearly $100,000 of taxpayers’ money to study the ways of the bogan. Last year he gained his doctorate in “bogan-ology” and next week he publishes an insider’s guide to what he calls a state of mind.

Instant coffee sales are losing steam as New Zealand consumers embrace cafe culture, a survey shows.

With Maori Language week in full swing, tech giant Google is calling for Te Reo enthusiasts to check out the service's language translation tool.

Kahurangi Maxwell carries a dictionary wherever she goes - the result of having a curious toddler and a decision to speak only te reo to her daughter.

The first panicky headlines that came out of Timbuktu in January this year announced that thousands of ancient texts in the town's library had been incinerated.

The Minister of Maori Affairs, Dr Pita Sharples, is calling for more iwi investment in te reo revitalisation and a wider acceptance from Maori that the language still stands in a precarious position.

Japan's long marginalised and little-known indigenous people, the Ainu, are engaged in a protracted and symbolic struggle.