No one will remember any prime ministerial egg-on-face when the Hobbit omelette is finally cooked.

NZ has the world's best education system, third highest level of personal freedom and our economy is going pretty well, a think-tank says.

The Hobbit deal is not the first where New Zealand taxpayers have shelled out extra money to keep a Hollywood studio happy.

Russia has agreed to return to the war in Afghanistan.

The 20 hours of free care children 3 and over receive in early childhood centres is under review.