The number of spin doctors and communications staff in government departments is on the increase again even after National swore to rein in the numbers.

The Chief Ombudsman will launch an investigation into the way the Official Information Act is being used - and it'll include a probe into Ministers' offices.

The national organ donation service at the Auckland DHB has been put on notice by an official-information watchdog after it was caught out deleting public records.

Police did not coerce Joyce Conwell to confess to the shotgun murder of Alec Rodgers in Christchurch in 1999, the Independent Police Conduct Authority has ruled.

A woman has lost $6000 when she was tricked into disclosing her eftpos PIN number by a scammer.

A detailed account of the evidence against Kim Dotcom has been released by the FBI to allow so-called victims of alleged piracy to claim against his seized fortune.

Customs has refused to answer questions about an email asking staff to send information on Kim Dotcom to the FBI in exchange for "brownie points".

The banking ombudsman has had 10 complaints about the loan-to-value-ratio (LVR) changes introduced on October 1, with eight related to banks withdrawing prior approvals.

Former Kaipara District Council chief executive Jack McKerchar received severance payments totalling $240,000 when he quit.

Three good, non-sinister reasons why young foreign tourists would want to hasten their departure

Ombudsman Deborah Battell says her office has received complaints from travellers that paying in their home currency when using credit cards may actually cost them more.