A transgender Auckland teen rewrote pageant history early this morning after earning a place in next month's final of the Battle of the Babes.

Two of the six panel members who made the shock decision to stop funding the Problem Gambling Foundation had conflicts of interest, a review has found.

Strong personal rights and freedoms have helped to propel NZ into the top rank of the new Social Progress Index.

More than 21,000 beneficiaries have had their benefits cut for going on unapproved overseas trips in the last nine months.

Drug dealers are increasingly providing home deliveries in response to text orders in a system known as "dial-a-tinny".

The National Guards rolled in under the cover of darkness, firing tear gas and rubber bullets as they advanced with bulldozers and armoured vehicles.

The Bangladesh city of Chittagong has been on the radar of Kiwi sports fans as the Black Caps play their T20 World Cup pool games there.

A mother who described herself as a "hermit" until a year ago is the central figure in a grassroots nationwide protest against synthetic cannabis

The booze-related violence and booze-related problems on the streets, in the home, in the bar and the club are very real, very frightening and highly ingrained problems.

Helpline services for smokers, gamblers and other groups are being merged into a new national "telehealth" service - possibly with a simple 111-style number.

The Glenn inquiry into family violence has an ethical obligation to release its findings as soon as possible, a source close to the inquiry says.

What I want to think about is how grateful I am to the refugees who come and settled in NZ and how angry I am at the disregard with which we treat them, writes Dr Avril Bell.

A global survey has found that one in every six Kiwis ran out of money for food in 2011-12 - more than in all except eight other developed nations.

An Auckland high school which excluded a student with Asperger's after a dispute with a teacher is appealing against a judge's ruling to quash the expulsion.

A mentoring programme aimed at helping women victims of domestic violence is the brainchild of fashion designer Annah Stretton.

Editorial: It can be easy to jump to assumptions about statistics, especially if they appear to support a particular agenda.

Ban Bossy is an American initiative creating worldwide interest and lots of flak, writes Robyn Yousef.

Maori are living longer and their infant mortality rate will soon be the same as Pakeha - but they're still over-represented in poverty statistics.

New Zealand is still wasting its "demographic dividend" of young Maori and Pacific people reaching working age.

Gaps between New Zealand's main ethnic groups are closing for our youngest citizens - but remain deeply entrenched on many indicators for older children and adults.

The woman who had an affair with Auckland Mayor Len Brown has spoken in support of cyber-bullying laws and that she was being stalked on social media.

Yvonne Costar is used to seeing Maori families around her battling on struggle street.

Schools are under pressure to cope with the catch-up needed for the estimated 73,500 children who miss school each day.

The mother of tortured Rotorua three-year-old Nia Glassie has had her parole revoked by the Parole Board.

Some parents have become obsessed about giving their offspring the added edge, writes Peter Lyons. Choice of school often dominates dinner party conversations.

Two of the Cunliffe donors have had their money refunded to preserve their anonymity - and who could blame them, writes Brian Rudman. For the small amounts, who needs the hassle.

Australia's teenagers are increasingly becoming trapped in a culture of booze, drugs and gambling.

Auckland's historic Greys Ave flats will be refurbished, but the carpark behind them may be sold off for commercial development.

Architecture students have imagined how Auckland will look sporting a new super-brothel, and Wellington's future if sea levels rise.