On a sombre day when he viewed Nelson Mandela's body lying in state, Dr Pita Sharples also had an encounter with two superstars.

"It was very sad. I took a moment." John Key and the NZ delegation have paid their respects to Nelson Mandela as he lay in state in Pretoria.

An extra 12 weeks of paid parental leave could be back on the cards after the Government appeared to reconsider its position.

The use of hotel rooms by Mayor Len Brown is believed to be at the centre of a legal wrangle holding up the release of a report into any use of council funds during his affair.

A new baby bouncer complete with iPad holder which has gone on sale is a sign of the drive to market digital products at younger children, an educational expert says.

Online restaurant guide Zomato is ramping up its growth in NZ as it goes head-to-head with more established competitors such as MenuMania, Localist and Yelp.

The internet is having a tough time deciding on what the best album of 2013 is.

By not including at least one prominent figure from NZ's anti-apartheid movement in his Mandela funeral delegation, John Key wasted a golden opportunity, writes John Armstrong.

A new front in the transtasman airline battle is opening up over summer with competition hotting up on Perth and Adelaide routes.

Books editor Linda Herrick and her team of reviewers reveal their top reads for all ages and tastes.

Some experts claim that there may be an entire spectrum of possibilities that lie between the non-alcoholic and the alcoholic state.

Key things to consider when choosing where to save include risks, time to retirement, disclosure and fees.

People who reach the top level of their chosen sporting code need talent, commitment and the capacity for hard work. So it's hardly surprising that some Kiwi families have produced more than one star over the years.

It would take 19 median incomes in Auckland to buy a home for the city's median house price, a Herald analysis has found.

Paying the bills can be tough in NZ's biggest city, so the Herald has examined what we're paying more for and why. We look at the stories behind the prices.

New Zealanders pay nearly $1 more to download Lorde's hit single Royals and 50c more for a Big Mac than fans around the world.

Auckland icon and New Zealand champion Sir John Kirwan is The New Zealand Herald's first guest editor in its 150-year history, he has firm ideas of what should be in the paper and online with special attention to the success of south Auckland.

In the cut-throat world of competitive television, today's darling can be ditched tomorrow. TV3's John Campbell is the critics' favourite, the new crown prince of current affairs - but that's not enough.

Kim Dotcom has asked a judge to order the US to come clean on spying after a phone call glitch prompted fears he was victim to a surveillance system used by the FBI.

Bassett Rd machinegun murders 50 years ago solved swiftly but mystery remains over one of the gunmen

Chris Cairns, speaking this evening at Auckland Airport, said he hadn't been aware of the allegations against him until today.

Former New Zealand batsman and former Wellington councillor John Morrison said he would be very disturbed and surprised if the allegations proved to be true.

New Zealand great allrounder Chris Cairns is one of three players being investigated by the ICC over allegations of match fixing.

NZ Cricket Players Association boss Heath Mills says match-fixing allegations make it a 'sad day' for the sport, and believes the onus is now on players to come forward.

Ninety years after Auckland's leaders began hankering after electric trains in 1923, the city is poised to join the world of modern rail transport.

The gap between 15-year-old students who are excelling and those who are failing has widened despite the Govt's increased focus on the educational achievement "tail".

Bosses are being urged to look at why workers are staying home sick, as a new report puts the cost of employee absences at $1.26b a year.