Features

From All Blacks to US elections and Liam Payne, here's what Kiwis asked Google the most about this year.

Sure, you might have seen various versions of Tolkien's classic epic, but this one makes the story feel new again, writes Jogai Bhatt.

"I was tripping up over myself. I wasn't able to walk up a flight of stairs. I needed a walking stick. I became a recluse, really," the Australian former Olympic champion says. Audio

You will be torn between the fear of mounting debt and the fear of missing out - but don't fret, financial experts say.

Surfers are in the water from dawn until dusk, 365 days a year, meaning they are often the first responders when swimmers get into trouble.

Review: Heretic stars the debonaire Hugh Grant as the sinister Mr Reed terrorising two Mormon missionaries.

Australian journalist Stan Grant's new book Murriyang Song of Time is a response to the 2023 Australian Indigenous Voice referendum. Audio

Electronic musician Tiopira McDowell is challenging other creatives to make a distinctive local sound for Tāmaki Makaurau. Audio

Fidel Castro's mistress, a particularly slippery carp and the man who says 'mind the gap' on the London Underground - Ann Wroe has written about them all. Audio

Hundreds of Aussie women over 50 pose for nude portraits in a new Melbourne art exhibition. Audio

Four out of five homeless women in Aotearoa are Māori - some as young as 15 - a new study has found. Audio

William Dart's theme in his third to last programme is the old bogey of time, with music by artists from the Vienna Art Orchestra, Sufjan Stevens, The Furrow Collective and Franz Schubert to a new album from Gillian Welch and David Rawlings. Audio

Pills, vaccines and treated grass seed are some of the products set to appear in the farmers' tool kit.   

Hymns for the Second Sunday of Advent include Shirley Murray's Look toward Christmas! and Hail to the Lord's anointed. Audio

The ingredients, price, provenance and SPF claims of 150 sunscreen products are compiled in Consumer NZ's recently updated database.

Writer-actress Paola Cortellesi weaves absurdist humour into There's Still Tomorrow - the story of a disempowered 1940s wife and mother finding her own strength. Video, Audio

Fishing personality Matt Watson is on a mission to prevent waste and get Kiwis who like to eat fish-heads fed. Audio

Woolworths now have security cameras above their self-checkouts to catch people scanning other fruits and vegetables as cheap brown onions.

David Mason talks about coming to classical music via the virtual world. Video, Audio

As French Prime Minister Michel Barnier's government falls it is France's overseas territories, like New Caledonia, that are the biggest victims of political instability in Paris.

Men tend to overestimate their swimming ability, sometimes leading to a devastating loss. Even a rudimentary flotation device can help.

How the butcher behind New Zealand's top sausage gets the most out of his meat. Video

Taylor Swift, Joe Rogan, and Prince Harry made for some interesting results.

New Zealand-born, Netherlands based vocal coach and pianist Peter Lockwood talks about the bringing out the best in a classical singer. Video, Audio