A leaked document reveals Health NZ is planning to employ more graduate nurses on part-time hours and cut the amount of on-the-job training they receive.

Firefighters say shuffling long-ladder trucks around the country to fill gaps is wasting time and leaving some cities in the lurch.

While fewer couples are tying the knot overall, same-sex unions have grown.

The deep-dive prompted by the scandal surrounding ex-Beehive press secretary Michael Forbes has "largely concluded", but questions remain over what will be made public and when.

An international scam artist, who has allegedly posed as a United Nations official and paramedic, was caught in Christchurch after he left a hotel without paying for his two-week stay.