The Government is warning New Zealanders flying in Tonga it will be at their own risk as the national airline has bought a plane which has been involved in numerous crashes.

Kiwis on holiday have sought diplomatic assistance to find somewhere to watch All Blacks tests and request help with dodgy tenants back home.

A Chinese New Zealander who entered China illegally to see his parents claims he was detained, chained and tortured for five days before being deported to Auckland.

The public servant suspected of embarrassing the Government by leaking sensitive documents about staff cuts to the Opposition last year is a 'clerical assistant'.

A battle to keep a report on the leak of sensitive documents into MFAT restructuring suppressed is being played out at the Court of Appeal.

Foreign Affairs Minister Murray McCully was briefed on the need to seize Kim Dotcom's assets at the time his officials were worried rejecting requests might upset the US.

The British Foreign Secretary hopes New Zealand and Australia will join an initiative to share diplomatic missions with Britain and Canada in remote countries.

The Labour Party will make a last-ditch attempt to introduce strict limits on the sale of sweetened alcoholic drinks after the Government backed down on its plan to ban high-strength alcopops.

New Zealand's fixation on domestic productivity is too "introspective", says David Skilling.