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Watching Brief: Mana Waka's triumphant return
Mana Waka hasn't been shown publicly since January 1990.

The climate dissenter holds his ground
Despite weather extremes, an Auckland climate scientist is unconvinced about the role of human-induced global warming.

Fran O'Sullivan: It's time for more gravitas from Key
We need to hear what really matters from the Prime Minister.

Mark Lister: Debt-reduction plans only delay inevitable
Investors need to be wary of risks posed by overseas economies.

France: Foodie finds
Celia Canning takes us off the tourist track and shares the insider's guide to Paris' gourmand secrets.

Venice: A treasure at every turn
Venice in summer may be a tourist haven but it's still a magical place to visit, writes Diana Plater.

Christian Dior: Carry on couture
Life after Galliano begins - but Dior still knows how to put on a show.

All the world's a stage for Akala
Rapper Kingslee Daley, aka Akala, is a man on a mission; to get at-risk kids exploring words, from Shakespeare to Jay-Z. Scott Kara reports

Ruling the roost with a simple French dish
Our intrepid foodie finds a perfect rendition of peasant cuisine, coq qu vin, in a tiny village in southern France.

Nice work if you can get it in France
Three Kiwi Francophiles share what it's like to get past France's tourist veneer.

Italy catches cold as world markets dip overnight
Fear that the debt crisis in Europe is spreading has sent investors running for the exits, hammering both global equities and the euro.

Rowing: Kiwi pair a class above British rivals
The number is 14 and rising, but Eric Murray insists he's not keeping count.

An experiment in being blonde
White blonde is having something of a fashionable resurgence. Harriet Walker dyed her hair to see what the fuss was about.

Russian ferry sinking: Survivors and their families
Over 100 people are missing after a passenger boat sank in the Volga River. Emotional reunions were plentiful as the shaken survivors returned to dry land.

Hot list: Kiwi model named in top 10
A 17-year-old model from Matamata is touted to give Kate Moss a run for her money.