An "Antarctic snap" is expected to set the country shivering later this week, but not before heavy rain sends much of the North Island reaching for raincoats and umbrellas.

With three rounds of the Super Rugby regular competition remaining, our experts answer some of the vital questions that will define the season.

Want to dine out like a king, but worried the bill will see you surviving on Weetbix for the rest of the week? Fear not, writes Anna King Shahab.

The abundance and diversity of certain bacterial species can impact a child’s behaviour, particularly that of boys, according to a study.

Star argues there is no point "trying to fight" the ageing process, saying hair dye and plastic surgery "actually makes you look older".

Some like it hot, some like it iced, and some just don't like it at all. Until recently, coffee was on the list of habits to break if you really wanted to be healthy.

Question: "Why is it, when a lesbian couple marries, one wears a dress and the other wears pants (usually a tuxedo-like suit)?"

A 20-year-old man pleaded not guilty in the Napier District Court this morning over charges related to a party described as a "Facebook fiasco".

University of Otago PhD researcher Hazem Zohny has warned about myths and "hype" involving so-called "smart" drugs.

Martin Sheen has told how he felt "powerless" to help his troubled son Charlie during his public meltdown.

An Australian government department has issued an official dress code to public servants, ordering them to stop turning up in "onesies, ugg boots and thongs".

Animal behaviour expert Sally Hibbard lists the ten most annoying things you can say to a vegetarian.

Move over trivia night. The fashionable way to hang out in a London pub these days is with a pencil in one hand, a pint in the other and a naked person in front of you.

Four Game of Thrones fans share their thoughts on season five's seventh episode, The Gift.

Bill English just couldn't resist killing the $1000 KiwiSaver kickstarter - it was just lying there looking vulnerable.

NZ's contingent of military training specialists have barely arrived and the folly of this military (mis)adventure is already becoming apparent, writes Armstrong.

When put under pressure at Lord's, England made a fight of it and got back in the game. New Zealand failed to do so, writes Andrew Alderson.

Remember the uproar about the ageing All Blacks amid the ruins of their 1991 World Cup defence, writes Wynne Gray.

The Government has been urged to consider restricting sales of nicotine electronic cigarettes to pharmacies.

One of the band's main songwriters has apparently revealed the reason Zayn quit 1D.

Chris Pratt is sorry - for something that has never happened.

Zara Phillips, 34 - whose parents are Princess Anne and Captain Mark Phillips - is expected to make a guest appearance in Auckland next month at a private party for a New Zealand charity.

The awards celebrate the best of New Zealand radio, honouring personalities, programming, news and sports reporting, production and creativity within the industry.

HIV stigma is a plague that continues to follow the gay community, more than 30 years after the AIDS crisis emerged, writes Lee Suckling.

Air New Zealand has just released its first fares on its new Auckland - Houston service, with introductory prices of $699 one-way.

Paddle boarder Luke Reilly had a close encounter with an orca just 200 metres from the shore.