A large student population surrounds Otago University creating an intense, rich, youthful culture. Great ideas spew out of those messy flats. So does spew, writes Matt Heath.

The Kiwi father of Down syndrome baby Leo, born last month in Armenia, has a conviction for assaulting his father-in-law from a previous marriage.

Kelly Brown found a new "family" on the streets of Auckland after being removed from his biological family at the age of 7.

Robin Kearns writes: Whose city is this? Does Auckland belong only to adults and motorists? Perhaps we all need to slow down and reconsider our priorities.

For all its success, Still Alice is a shameful anomaly as well as a triumph, simply by dint of the fact that at its heart is a middle-aged woman.

Former MP Hone Harawira has been called in to try to ease tensions in Glen Innes after a rock was thrown at a removal man trying to move a state house out of the area last year.

A viral video of a 9-year-old Kiwi asking for support to live as a boy after being born a girl has impressed transgender advocates and prompted an overwhelmingly positive response.

A community housing provider has told the Government that it won't buy state houses when they're put up for sale this year unless the price is zero.

A counsellor in charge of an addiction rehab centre, where patients were given pocket knives and allowed to use air-rifles, fleeced one by charging for numerous counselling sessions that never took....

Current Miss Universe now has the opportunity to help stop fighting in her home country of Colombia.

A tough new policy cracking down on beneficiaries with unresolved arrest warrants has resulted in the issuing of thousands of alerts.

Ngati Whatua state house tenant Apihai Pihema supports returning state housing to iwi in principle - but he worries that the rents could go so high that he might have to leave.

A charity tagged as a likely buyer of state houses says it is reviewing its involvement unless it can get either more capital from the Govt or a very low price for the houses.

Gareth Morgan says the National Party a decade ago was "harsh and intolerant" - but not many people turn up to hear him speak.

Leading Maori tribes are lobbying to get first bidding rights for state houses when they start going up for sale this year.

Gareth Morgan is heading to Orewa to confront what he calls the "ignorance of Brash-think".

In the flush of election victory, John Key said something about tackling child poverty in this term. He was looking for fresh ideas from ministers in the new year.

It is difficult to erase the suspicion that the social housing policy is motivated by ideology as much as anything else, writes John Armstrong.

Police stations have become "mini prisons" because of an unexpected overflow of inmates and a senior police officer fears frontline staff may be pulled from their duties to help man the cells.

State of the Nation speeches, so called, are really about the state of the government or the party in opposition at the opening of a new political year. Politicians, like the public, have been refreshed by a summer break.

"The Labour Party I lead is about jobs, good jobs, skilled jobs, well-paid jobs." Andrew Little has delivered his first state of the nation speech.

87 per cent of teenage mums, and virtually all teen fathers, are missing out on education at specialist units designed for them.

Auckland is a great place - but it can be even better. In the second of our five-part Future Auckland series we aim to stimulate debate. Teuila Fuatai reports.

In Europe and even parts of the United States, Jews report rising levels of the "oldest hatred". And we aren't immune from the subject here in New Zealand, writes Inge Woolf.

Six-year-old Destiny can't walk without a frame because of domestic violence meted out to her birth mother. Now she needs a costly spinal operation in the US.

I don't get excited about the adventure of going to a fantastic location, I worry about how much I'll miss my little kids. It's pathetic, writes Matt Heath.

Labour leader Andrew Little and Prime Minister John Key are gearing up for their state of the nation speeches on Wednesday.

Designers, a poet, a politician and our most famous living soldier helped to inspire a group of Auckland teenagers in an unusual creative workshop yesterday.

Auckland Council is targeting its 1400 pensioner housing tenants to help solve its financial squeeze through an average 20 per cent rent increase.