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.
In his first major speech of the year, John Key is expected to outline what his government will do with the supply of social housing stock.
A man who breached his parole conditions by leaving the country for Australia has been sentenced to community work.
Nearly all fish oil supplements marketed in NZ contain much less of the brain-boosting omega-3 fatty acids than their labels claim.
Eddie Haretuku and Graham Tahiwi are not afraid of heights - which is good, because their port work can take them up to 30m off the ground.
Myuran Sukumaran and Andrew Chan are, by all accounts, model prisoners.
A fugitive who dodged border controls and fled NZ has been caught in Australia and deported - but Australian police missed a chance to detain him in December.
So far we've identified the achievements of the Treaty settlement and reconciliation process, and flagged that the process is now being pushed beyond the point of being useful.
New Zealand is being urged by Thailand to revoke the passport of a Thai fugitive who has fled to this country.
Sports fans know about the phenomenal exploits of Brendon McCullum, Lydia Ko and the All Blacks this year. Michael Burgess looks back at 10 other feel-good sports stories that captured the imagination in 2014.
Eighty five years ago the carrier that was to become Hawaiian Airlines started commercial flights using a plane dubbed the "ugly duckling".
A teenager with a life-threatening illness has had a "miracle" response to a drug Pharmac said it wouldn't fund.
She was the coach behind New Zealand's only transtasman league win. Now she is the coach behind Northern Mystics mentor Debbie Fuller.
Amid the sea of flowers and mourners at Sydney's Martin Place, siege survivor Harriette Denny set up her own tribute for her slain boss, Tori Johnson.
The All Blacks, Warriors and the Black Caps say proposed changes to alcohol sponsorship and advertising would threaten the sustainability of their codes at nearly every level.
Man Haron Monis brought a nation to its knees. After taking 17 people hostage he was in charge, helping empty the heart of Sydney.
A male and female constable were attacked in Dunedin's CBD and police say it shows why the city's bars need to close earlier.
Partnered content: Many stroke survivors who regain the ability to walk in hospital struggle to maintain the same level of mobility once they return home.
A toddler who died yesterday after she was hit by a car driven by a relative in her West Auckland driveway has now been named by police.
Certainly New Zealand offers a lot less than Australia in many ways, but at least we can still have the conversation about inequality, writes Dita De Boni.
A man has been ordered to pay his ex-wife and business partner more than $100,000 after their relationship ended and she was sacked.
Bank of New Zealand is watching dairy prices closely but has faith in farmers' ability to manage finances through dips in the commodities cycle, says chief executive Anthony Healy.
One person has died after a a car and truck collided north of Auckland. It is the first road death of the long weekend.