Latest from Asia

Under the bonnet: Five-cylinder no longer the odd one out
Car engines have almost always come with even numbers of cylinders. Four, six, eight, 10; even the occasional two-cylinder.

Youth in holding pattern as recession bites north
The impacts of the global financial crisis hit are ingrained in our communities.

Car buyer's guide: Broke surfer catches a ride
Impoverished surfer Sam wants a useful ride - but doesn't want to drop more than two grand on it.

A glimpse of Malaysia
From the bustling metropolis of Kuala Lumpur to secluded tropical beaches, Malaysia has something for every traveller's taste.

Malaysia: Bliss in the tropics
A captivating journey helps Helen van Berkel forget her worries.

Don't miss: Teej Festival
India's Teej Festival is dedicated to the Hindu deity Lord Shiva and his wife Parvati.

7000 Qantas cabin crew staff offered redundancy
Qantas hopes 350 - or five per cent - of its cabin crew will take up voluntary redundancy.

Album Review: Boris, Heavy Rocks/Attention Please
To release two albums at the same time is nothing for prolific Japanese experimental noise rock trio Boris, whose sound moves from thrashy punk through to psychedelia and ambient drones.

Hong Kong to Hanoi: Two-faced family fun
An action-packed trip to Hong Kong and Vietnam offers contrasting cultural lessons for mum, dad and the kids, write Grant Bradley and Estelle Sarney.

More Kiwis caught smuggling drugs
The arrest of two New Zealand citizens caught allegedly trying to smuggle methamphetamine into Tokyo's airport earlier this month is just the latest example of the dangers of drug trafficking, say New Zealand police.

India: Real beauty underestimated
The Kochi tourism sites claim it is one of India's best kept secrets, and it certainly seems to be that way.

Gordon goes troppo (+ recipe)
On the back of his latest TV series, Gordon Ramsay has produced a cookbook full of Asian delights.

The jumbo question: For or against Auckland's new elephants?
New elephants are coming to Auckland Zoo - but not everyone is happy about it. We look at the arguments for and against the council's $3.5 million new attractions

Tracey Barnett: Watch out for our leaders and their tall tales of war
Our misplaced trust in the Government over our role in a far-off war has come back to haunt us.

What price NZ? Land bid tests limits
The latest Chinese bid for the Crafar dairy farms is a key test for new rules on foreign ownership, reports Karyn Scherer

Nigel Slater: Made in Japan (+ recipes)
From deep-fried fiddlehead ferns to sea bream ovaries, Japanese chefs create flavours that leave British food writer Nigel Slater awestruck.

Going behind the scenes in Kochi
Real life is sometimes glazed over by the focus on glossy shots of luxurious resorts and tourism hot spots, here we have India, stripped down and unpolished.