Wellington's Victoria University has hit pause on a controversial debate, after student backlash.

A panel discussion around the role of universities in free speech has been pushed back to the end of May, following the opposition from students.

The Free Speech Union's Jonathan Ayling, who was expected to attend, has expressed confusion at being included as part of the backlash.

"I challenge anyone to find references to me spouting hate speech of any kind. It is simply the fact -and my opponents will admit this - that I have defended speech rights of those who they claim have expressed hate speech."

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Kāinga Ora has been fined $6,000 for being too slow to evict unruly tenants.

Stuff reports Kāinga Ora was forced to pay a woman terrorised by neighbours and fellow social housing tenants.

The antisocial tenants defecated outside her door, and it's alleged they threw a woman off a balcony.

Lawyer Adina Thorn says any other landlord would've kicked them out much sooner.

"It takes people a lot of time hassling Kāinga Ora - and they've got to basically be at a wits end before Kāinga Ora will step up."

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Kiwi kids have endured their first day of no cell phones at school.

Students can no longer use or access their phone at school under new Government legislation.

Many schools started phasing the rule in from Term One, before the ban came into force this term.

Secondary Principals' Association president Vaughan Couillault says not many students were found breaking the rules at his school today.

"Well, I've got three cell phones that have been confiscated in the front office, so you'd have to say out of 1800 students, it looks like three of them got busted."

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David Seymour says the Prime Minister would have a tougher job sacking a minister from ACT than from National.

Luxon stood down Melissa Lee and Penny Simmonds from portfolios last week.

Seymour says it would take a bigger process if Luxon wanted to give the boot to one of his party's ministers.

"What I did say is- if we were going to have that sort of action, then the coalition agreement requires good faith, it requires conversation - and it ultimately requires agreement on these sorts of things."

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The Black Caps squad for the T20 cricket World Cup in the West Indies and United States has been named.

The 15-strong squad features just two players - Matt Henry and Rachin Ravindra - who've never played at the tournament.

Sportstalk host Jason Pine unpacks today's reveal.

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The Police Minister says he's deeply concerned about the ages of robbers plundering Auckland jewellery stores.

In the past two weeks, at least five aggravated robberies have spanned Auckland - at Westgate, Newmarket, Onehunga and Manurewa.

Minister Mark Mitchell says in the most recent incident, the robbers were aged between nine and fourteen.

He says plans for youth military academies are a big part of their response.

"That's going to be targeted at those worst recidivist violent youth offenders, because at the end of the day,  we want to invest in these young people and try to get them back on the right track."

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As you know, today is the official first day of the ban on cell phones in schools.

For most parents and teachers and kids it's actually not a particularly special milestone, given that most schools started bringing in these bans at the start of the year. But today is the first day that it's actually in force.

And you know what? 

The thing that I found most surprising about this is how overwhelmingly popular it is. One high school's principal even says they wished they'd done it five years ago, because the kids are interacting more in the playground.

Waitara High's principal says the academic outcomes are improving, because they did it already at the start of last year. He says the change is the most important thing he has done in at least 20 years of teaching.

Stratford High School's principal says the kids are talking more. He describes it as an 'overwhelming success'.

Now, what makes this even better is that it has cost us nothing. We don't have to spend any money buying things or hiring people, we just changed a rule. How good is that? There's an outcome for absolutely no cost.

I'm going to take a lesson from this- it's to ignore the naysayers. Because if you cast your mind back, you'll remember there were heaps of critics who were poo-pooing this idea when it was first mooted before the election.

Even principals were saying - you can't ban the phones, kids need the phones for some projects in school, it's going to be a logistical nightmare, who's going to stand at the front gate collecting all the phones, etc.

Even the Ministry of Education said there was only marginal evidence it would improve student achievement.

Have a look at it now - now everybody loves it.

Of course they were going to love it, it was always a smart idea. Because it's common sense, isn't it? Because phones are distracting.

The fundamentals of this idea work, right? Phones are distracting, we all know this because we've all got one. And if they're distracting to adults, who have some degree of self-discipline, they're going to be much more distracting to kids.

And distraction is bad for grades and it's bad for behaviour, so if we follow it through - obviously it's common sense to take the phones out of schools.

There are too many naysayers on every suggestion nowadays, so the lesson I'm taking is - in the future, ignore them.

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New Zealanders are staying in paid work longer in an effort to transition into retirement, according to a new study. 

The average age Kiwi’s are choosing to retire has risen to 67 from 61, since the mandatory retirement age was eliminated in 2000. 

Co-director of the Retirement Policy and Research Centre Michael Littlewood tells Jack Tame that New Zealand’s state pension is generous, but not enough to live on for some. But, the real reason people choose to transition from full-time work to full-time retirement is not known. 

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Eden Park is reportedly set to win the battle of Auckland’s stadiums. The Sports Huddle discuss whether the stadium remains fit for purpose. 

Plus, are the Crusaders underperforming or were expectations too high? Is it time to panic for Warriors fans? And, could NZ hold a second Supercars round? 

Newshub Sport Presenter Andrew Gourdie and Newstalk ZB Deputy Sport News Director Elliott Smith join Jack Tame. 

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Eden Park is reportedly about to win the battle of Auckland’s stadiums. 

On Monday, a working committee will make a recommendation to Auckland Council on whether to invest in Eden Park or one of the rival waterfront stadium bids. 

NZ Herald Sports Columnist Trevor Mckewen tells Jack Tame as an existing location, Eden Park could be a cheaper option than others starting from scratch. 

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