A new welfare code for layer hens which effectively bans battery cages is expected to push up the price of eggs to consumers.

Growing problems for New Zealanders trying to obtain British visas will be up for discussion in talks with British ministers this week. From April, the number is to be limited to 21,700 a year, compared to about 28,000 in 2009.

Wellington's mayor has defended a leaked email which suggests councillors learn Te Reo, Mandarin or ballroom dancing to keep 'mentally fit'.

Two men were back in court today facing more 300 charges relating to defrauding the former North Shore City Council of more than $800,000.

Lyn Provost has confirmed she is considering the latest information around Sammy Wong's possible misuse of his wife Pansy's travel perk.

The bill setting up the framework for the Govt's $1bn leaky homes package gets its first reading in Parliament today.

Labour leader Phil Goff today called for Botany MP' Pansy Wong's breach of international travel rebate rules to be referred to the Auditor-General, after she was cleared of any serious misuse of the perk today.

Botany MP Pansy Wong considered resigning from Parliament after admitting misusing the Parliamentary travel perk during a trip to China with her husband, but says she did not realise she had breached the rules at the time.

A report into Pansy Wong's use of her Parliamentary travel allowance has cleared the Botany MP of serious misuse. Mrs Wong says she will repay the rebate for one trip found to have breached Parliament's rules.

NZ taxpayers have spent more than half a billion dollars over the past decade subsidising Hollywood.

Taxpayers have paid $500m-plus to subsidise big-budget movie makers. Is it money well spent, asks Karyn Scherer.

NZTA cleared its registry of deceased licence holders, only to have 23 inform it they were still alive.

The small Pacific nation of Kiribati spurned a US$3 million offer to take 17 Chinese Muslim Guantanamo Bay detainees.

John Key has slammed bureaucratic pin-pricking over the proposed NZ financial services hub as "absolute rubbish" and stepped in to put the project on the fast-track.