The site in Mecca where the Prophet Mohamed is said to have been born is about to be "buried under marble".

A former Auckland teacher posed as a God-fearing churchgoer but behind closed doors molested children while reading passages from the bible, a court has heard.

People living in hardship are more likely to believe in moralising, high gods, according to a major new study co-authored by New Zealand researchers.

Lost Gospel found in the British Library claims Jesus married the prostitute Mary Magdalene and had two children.

Three NZ Defence Force personnel have already left for the Middle East to scope out a role for New Zealand forces to help train Iraqi forces fight ISIS.

A "group of free thinkers" has been chosen to detect unseen threats to New Zealand's national security, advising the Prime Minister of danger before it arrives.

John Key says any NZ commitment to the campaign against Isis in the Middle East would be for a long time, pointing to the 10-year deployment of troops to Bamiyan.

A large-scale uprising by people living under the totalitarian regime of Isis (Islamic State) is the most likely trigger that will lead to the undoing of the self-declared caliphate.

Police are investigating whether a fire at an Auckland mosque that has been at the centre of allegations of extremist Islamic teaching was deliberately lit.

Terrorism is an affront to our freedom, human dignity and right to life.

A controversial plan to separate women wearing the burqa at Australia’s Parliament has been dropped following outcry.

Destiny Church bought five cars - including a luxury Audi - through one of its charities that is more than a year overdue in filing an annual return.

Two teenagers who became poster girls for the jihad in Syria are now desperate to come home after becoming disillusioned with life in the war-torn country.

This year Diwali includes a wedding expo, music lessons and more, discovers Sarah Ell.

The cardinals who elected Pope Francis 18 months ago had no inkling that he would turn out to be such a "rock star" pontiff, two "princes of the church" have said.

'Look at the Earth sitting on top of itself," the Aboriginal man said to me in an Outback mining town, writes Lucy Lawless.

Act leader Jamie Whyte calls the Green Party "not so much a political party as a religious movement, worshipping snails and ferns and all things Gaia".

A church whose congregation helped to shape Auckland is facing demolition after failing to meet new earthquake standards.

The Greek philosopher Aristotle referred to teaching and politics as the "noble professions".

David Cameron has said that it is "increasingly likely" that a British jihadist beheaded American journalist James Foley

Controversial self-development training programme Avatar claims its course can fix life’s struggles but critics say the mumbo jumbo comes at a cost.

Destiny Church wants its private school to become part of the state system, which would earn it a large boost in taxpayer funding.

Exhausted but overjoyed Meriam Ibrahim had an emotional reunion with family and friends in Manchester, New Hampshire.

Wearing a bright hijab, black blazer and long denim skirt, Mariam Abultewi sat in a taxi she had just ordered using Wasselni, a taxi-ordering and carpooling app she launched in Gaza four months ago.