Cultural clash

The new government proposes cutting funding for section 27 reports. This is a bad proposal.

A scandal short of a secret

Without the tank fuel of realpolitik, \"nice\" never makes it past fairy dust.

Homing in

We can see only traces of sections, lawns and fences. The people are departed.

London calling

The Beatles are No 1 with the execrable piece of grave-robbing, Now and Then.

Love thy neighbour

Neighbours in the country are different from neighbours in the city. For a start, there are fewer of them.

Let's get ethical

History is littered with shameful examples of mistreatment of people.

Let there be light

A unique ultraviolet light treatment can boost crop yields.

Out for the count

Increased chemical use is thought to be contributing to an increase in male infertility as sperm counts fall worldwide.

Keeping the faith

Expect the customary variety at Viva Voce's year-end concert.

Haere ra, Jonty

Acclaimed dancer Sir Jon Trimmer left a magical legacy as he brought ballet to the people.

HARD-EARNED WISDOM

Life lessons from a country king and an Irish rocker.

Heady blend

Tom Scott goes back to his tribe with another album of Home Brew, following a tour showing the love for his brand of hip-hop is still there.

Let's twist again

Waiting for an announcement about who gets what in our new government is enough to send anyone around the bend.

Tinseltown no more

The heat is relentless, the traffic daunting and the homelessness distressingly in your face. It could almost be Auckland.

Connecting people

Anne Salmond has been a bridge between cultures all her life. Her new book revisits the stepping stones in her journey.

Flying the coop

It's the Friday afternoon before the second-to-last Saturday Morning with Kim Hill. It's also two days after Hill has become a grandmother for a second time.

Warming the cockles

I am in mourning, and also in a rage. About pastry. Edmonds has announced it will no longer produce pastry. This is amazingly rude. I have been using its butter puff pastry forever. It has to be butter pastry. You cannot make pastry with nasty margarine.

GoPro to war

Live streaming has added a new dimension to coverage of conflict, but the first casualty in war remains truth.

The name game

Just because it says psychologist on your business card doesn't mean you can go around giving out advice.

Fruit versus flavour

That plump, juicy-looking image displayed on the front of labels could be leading you astray if the product is, in fact, fruitless.

Give it a bash

A little spiral spring thing' makes the ACO's instrument line-up.

Flipping the script

The new Fargo may echo the original film but it's also a product of the Trump era.

Who's behind bars

Two top British prison dramas return for another lag.

Starting afresh

New releases from Mermaidens and Grayson Gilmour impress.

A bigger bang

The War on Drugs keeps growing in size and audience appeal.

Going to town

Our biggest arts festivals have announced their line-ups for 2024. The events' creative directors talk about how they've put their own stamp on their programmes and life after Covid.

Future imperfect

The Power author delivers busy, confusing, fun read.

Believe in the wolves

Uneven but highly readable novel ponders the randomness of life.

Hail to the chiefs

Historian Mary Beard draws on ancient sources and educated guesswork to define what it took to be a Caesar.

On the run

Health and environmental concerns spell curtains for some waterproof mascara and other cosmetics.