Efforts to embrace and retain Pacific languages in Aotearoa were seen and heard on day two of Polyfest this year, as students took on a different side at the world's largest secondary school cultural competition.

The government's plan to progressively increase the legal purchase age for cigarettes to stop the next generation from smoking does not have the support of a smokefree group.

Wellington City Council has today voted for a "sinking lid" on pokie machines even though most councillors admit it is largely a symbolic gesture.

Shots fired in an Auckland hotel this morning was a gang conflict between the Mongols and the Headhunters, Police Minister Poto Williams says.

A mental health and wellbeing programme for primary and intermediate school children will be expanded to five new district health board areas.

Nearly 80,000 smart water meters will be rolled out across Auckland in the next four years as part of the city's efforts to cure its water woes.

Transitional housing will be a key focus at Christchurch's redeveloped City Mission.

A Coroner says the medical assessment in 2014 was not adequate or to the accepted standard for a medically-qualified practitioner.

Convicted murderer Venod Skantha died soon after learning his appeal had been dismissed.

The bulk of Covid-19 vaccinations will be done through GPs, other primary care settings and community clinics, Dr Ashley Bloomfield has said at a briefing with health officials.

The man convicted of the Christchurch mosque shootings told prison authorities he wanted today's initial hearing postponed due to a lack of access to court documents.

A man has been arrested in a town north of Christchurch in relation to a firearms incident in Motueka on Tuesday.

Medsafe has requested additional information from Janssen ahead of making a decision about whether to approve the pharmaceutical company's Covid-19 vaccine.

There are no cases of Covid-19 in the community today and two new cases in MIQ, the Ministry of Health says.

The Our Land 2021 report describes the loss of productive food growing land to urban sprawl, an eroded environment under pressure from more cows and increased intensification.

An ex-truckie from Mosgiel whose friend parked a truck that rolled away, killing a pedestrian, says a handbrake hazard should have been acted on before the incident happened.

A man charged with three counts of indecent assault a woman and administering a Class B drug has pleaded not guilty - and also elected to trial by jury.

Twelve rare giant wētā have been successfully relocated to a purpose-built captive rearing facility.