The National Government has been accused of "cronyism" over the handling of a donation from a wealthy businessman granted citizenship against official advice.

When Zayn Topperwien was born, his parents, Ryan and Keri, were overjoyed - but the emotion was bittersweet.

They were born 60 seconds apart, but 3-year-old Finn Dale towers over his twin brother Toby.

Malaysia Airlines faces an uphill public relations battle as it struggles to get on the front foot after the disappearance of MH370.

What began as four schools coming together each year to celebrate cultural difference - performing on a makeshift stage on the school grounds.

It's one of the country's craziest intersections - a dreaded pinchpoint for traffic heading north of Auckland.

Caroline Little isn't scared of earthquakes. She has found herself beset by them for much of her life.

Dr Nicola Gaston tells a story about an encounter at an international conference dinner one night in 2012.

The Auckland Council has confirmed that an extra 2000 or so properties are covered by a controversial rule requiring owners to seek iwi approval to work on their land.

A father of two young sons is one of two Kiwis feared dead in a mysterious Malaysia Airlines flight which disappeared yesterday.

A former equities analyst faces up to five years jail and a US$200k fine for insider trading, after telling his Aussie mate about a big deal with a top New York firm.

Labour leader David Cunliffe helped with the purchase of a $4 million beach retreat for a wealthy businessman who later secretly donated to the MP's leadership campaign.

This will be the no-contest election, won by a government whose arrogance - already at Justin Bieber levels - will only grow as the year goes by, writes Paul Little. The losers will be us.

A rebel group of mayors is holding an exclusive meeting at a luxurious golf resort to organise a fight against new Super Cities.

Russia's President is deserving of respect - the kind you would show if you were in close proximity to a hissing cobra, writes John Armstrong.

Close your eyes and imagine a little. Take yourself back to the 1995 Rugby World Cup when a young Tongan thundered down the left wing for the All Blacks.

Auckland Uni is at risk of slipping from a "storehouse of knowledge to a foreign warehouse" as it is increasingly catering for international students at the potential expense of NZers, says Shane Jones.

Work has begun on some of NZ's most historic school buildings as the Govt scrambles to work out by next month which are at high risk in an earthquake.

Kiwis are drinking more alcohol and eating more bread, red meat and takeaways than a year ago, data from Southern Cross shows.

The lives of thousands of unsuspecting aircraft passengers have been placed at risk this year by people targeting planes with high-powered handheld lasers.

Savers should expect to feel some relief from next week with economists predicting short-term deposit rates to head up in line with a predicted increase in the official cash rate.

More New Zealanders are using the internet to research their medical woes - and some are using their findings to treat themselves rather than visit a doctor.

An Auckland woman born in Ukraine says residents in her home country are ready to take up arms against Russian occupiers.

There's no signpost to say you're nearing New Zealand's subantarctic islands, but a welcome that's a little more dramatic.

He was announced this week as a tour ambassador for the next Rugby World Cup, but All Black hero Stephen Donald is also here consulting on a TV movie.

At least one young Kiwi motorist will die on a New Zealand road this week.

It's no secret that Auckland is a diverse city full of different cultures and new research has shed light on exactly how it and the rest of the country are changing.

Four years is a long time for a boy to wait for a haircut.

In their first 10 years of holding a licence, young Kiwi drivers are up to twice as likely to die or be seriously injured on New Zealand roads than other motorists.

Businessman and Act donor Alan Gibbs' first overseas trip was to Singapore in 1963 at the age of 24.