Nick Butcher
Loss of short term release for prisoners described as raw deal
The temporary loss of short-term release for prisoners nearing the end of their sentences is being described as a raw deal by penal reform advocate Peter Williams QC. Audio
International Hobbit fans descend on Wellington
An international contingent of 200 fans of the Hobbit movies jetted into Wellington yesterday to be the first to watch the final episode of the film trilogy. Audio
Maori Tukutuku panels being packed and shipped to UN
More than 40 woven flax artwork panels that have been on display at Te Papa Tongarewa are being packed up today, before being shipped to their permanent home at the United Nations headquarters in New… Audio
Online encyclopedia of New Zealand completed
The completion of a 12-and a half year online project, called Te Ara, the encyclopedia of New Zealand, was celebrated in the Capital last night. Audio
Homeowners angered by Worksafe's asbestos report
Homeowners and contractors are angered by a Worksafe investigation that concluded the risks from asbestos in the Canterbury Home Repair Programme are very low, and no action should be taken. Audio
Authors, writers, publishers fear for future of NZ Book Awards
Authors, writers and publishers fear for the future of the New Zealand Book Awards, now without a major sponsor and on the shelf until 2016. Audio
Dentists dismiss new research claiming tooth decay declining
Dentists are disputing new research claiming tooth decay is declining in New Zealand, saying it is not giving the full picture. Audio
Opera's greatest anti hero seduces Wellington
Here for a good time, not a long time, that was loosely the motto of hedonistic womaniser, Don Giovanni, the opera's greatest anti-hero. Audio
Do re me fa so la te do - West End's Sound of Music on tour
Do, Ray, Me, Fa, So, La, Te, Climb Every Mountain, Edelweiss, they're all well known songs from one of the world's most popular musicals -- The Sound of Music. Audio
Hamilton council relieved an anti-fluoridation group gives up
There's relief from the Hamilton City Council that an anti-fluoridation group has given up their fight for a judicial review of a decision to put fluoride back into the town water supply. Audio
Friends and Mayor pay tribute to women killed in Ashburton
As the small community of Ashburton comes to grips with the senseless shooting deaths of two of it members, Peggy Noble and Leigh Cleveland, friends and the Mayor have been paying tribute to the… Audio
New curriculum for teaching Te Reo, long overdue
Maori education proponents say a new curriculum for teaching Te Reo in Kura Kaupapa or Maori language immersion schools, is long overdue. Audio
Treaty lawyers says 20:20 settlement deadline ambitious
Treaty of Waitangi settlement lawyers say a 2020 deadline to complete historical claims is ambitious but doable. Audio
Southland ACC claimant backs critical report findings on agencies complaints process
A Southland woman who complained about ACC's treatment of her case, says a report criticising the agency's ability to deal with complaints is all too familiar. Audio
Fanatics flock to International Film Festival movies
They say they're not fanatics, but many film buffs attending the International Film Festival in Wellington are viewing up to 50 films each. Audio
If music is the food of love, play on!
The New Zealand Symphony Orchestra has taken those lines from The Merchant of Venice to heart. Audio
Consumer groups call power company mean and greedy
Consumer price watch-dogs say it is 'mean and greedy' of a major power company not to consider price reductions, when electricity demand fell because of record warm temperatures. Audio
Historic mining dispute
The High Court's told a Waikato iwi, Ngati Te Ata, the Crown and a steel company to negotiate how to resolve an historical dispute over mining wahi tapu or sacred grounds where skeletal remains are… Audio
Harrowing testimony from survivors of violence
The first report of the Glenn Inquiry recounting harrowing testimony from five hundred survivors, frontline workers and offenders is calling for an overhaul of the Family Court. Audio