Stories by Emile Donovan

The government has just put new protections on highly productive land, the best of which makes up only one percent of our soil.

Outside our bigger cities, Aotearoa's smaller centres are seeing stacked races and fraught local issues.

The closure of the Laura Fergusson Trust's Auckland rehabilitation and respite facility came as a shock - what does it tell us about the state of disability support services?

The Detail talks to RNZ's Guyon Espiner about his investigative series on Lotto - have we bought into a dream that's turning into a nightmare?

What makes a pepeha? As The Detail finds out, it's a deeply personal part of tikanga Māori.

Podcasters can solve cold cases, but if they're not careful, they could face their own day in court.

Catastrophic flooding in Pakistan has displaced millions of people - why is the country so vulnerable to the impact of climate change?

Mittens the cat may be cute, but Aotearoa has many animals far more worthy of immortalising in bronze.

The Sydney golden wattle is causing havoc in coastal areas around the country. Could a tiny wasp be the answer to getting this invasive weed under control?

With climate change-induced disasters becoming more frequent around the world, how do insurers weigh up the financial risks?

We've slowed immigration to a trickle to stave off infrastructure overload, but at what cost?

How is Vladimir Putin using the case of a jailed American basketball superstar to his advantage, amid the ongoing war in Ukraine?

How do you land an interview with the president of Ukraine? It turns out it takes months of planning, persuasion, good timing - and a healthy dose of luck.

Our highest appellate court is being asked to do what Parliament will not - hold companies liable for contributing to climate change.

Foot-and-mouth disease could topple the livestock industry. Can we keep it out?

Political party presidents tend to stay out of the spotlight - but just how influential is their role?

Major parts of our daily lives are controlled by artificial intelligence. What if it turns against us?

Taiwan is a country with a complicated past, a complicated present and, in all likelihood, a complicated future. What happens next as tensions with China escalate?

The multitude of ways that alcohol harms society have been well documented - but will Chlöe Swarbrick's new Bill have unpleasant side-effects?

The Games are cringy, insular, and a colonial hangover - but we still celebrate an opportunity to show off our athletes on the world stage.

Are the Greens better off as activists and agitators? Or is there strength in softening to the centre?

A surge of elderly New Zealanders will require rest home care at the same time as a crisis in aged care nursing. 

Two-thirds of students struggle to afford the very basics. Why aren't we doing anything about it?

Our almost 70-year-old adoption laws are under review and there are calls for changes to make it easier for adopted children to reconnect with their biological family.

The body mass index has well-known shortcomings, so why is it still being used?