Rowan Quinn

Wannabe local politicians waited to the last minute today to finish their paperwork and get their names on the ballot for October's elections. Audio

The Reserve Bank cut the Official Cash Rate to 2 percent today, and its governor Graeme Wheeler has signalled more reductions may come in the next six months. Audio

David Bain accepted the government's settlement of $925,000 because he felt he would never win in his bid for compensation, but what he really wanted was an apology, Joe Karam says. Audio

A Gottfried Lindauer painting that art experts never knew existed has been unearthed as part of a nationwide search under beds and in garages or attics. Audio

Auckland Council has lost its fight to force oil giant Mobil to pay $10 million to clean up the waterfront site known as the tank farm. Audio

An overhaul of maternity policies at Auckland and Waitemata District Health Boards is to see more emphasis placed on home births. Rowan Quinn takes a look at the pros and cons. Audio

A New Zealander living in Nice has described people screaming and running away as the truck struck the crowds celebrating Bastille Day. Audio

Even the man tasked with choosing options for a future Auckland port, Rick Boven, says those available are 'unattractive' with 'major flaws'. Audio

Children are dying because of malnutrition in parts of Vanuatu more than a year after Cyclone Pam devastated crops and livelihoods across the pacific island chain. Audio

A pathologist says the fight in which an Auckland schoolboy was killed was not a homicidal beating, but that the punch's impact was amplified by an undetected heart condition. Audio

Teina Pora's legal team is urging the goverment to consider an offer that would secure compensation for him but still allow room to argue for more Audio

Diabetes specialists say New Zealand is behind the rest of the world in getting funded drugs for type 2 diabetes that would improve the lives of tens of thousands of people. Audio

A widely used pregnancy test kit is being investigated by Medsafe because of reports tests showed women were not pregnant, when they actually were. Audio

A 26-year-old man has been charged in relation to the shooting of a two-year-old girl in the Auckland suburb of Mangere. Audio

There are doubts among smokers and anti-smoking groups alike that hiking the price of cigarettes to 30-dollars a packet will reduce smoking rates. Audio

Data collated by the New Zealand Herald and published today shows the CEOs from New Zealand's largest listed companies had an average pay increase of 12 percent in 2015, compared with 3.2 percent for… Audio

Five teenagers are likely to face serious charges after a liquor store burglary led to a police chase across Auckland last night. Audio

A charity is asking for a ban on all junk food advertising within 300 metres of schools, including on dairies. Audio

Auckland health authorities have called for changes to advertising regulations to ban child-friendly mascots on unhealthy food - which may mean bidding farewell to Cookie Bear. Audio