Stories by Katie Scotcher

Experts doubt China will help Russia in its invasion of Ukraine, saying the global superpower has too much to lose and very little to gain.

New documents show intelligence agencies warned a violent protest in response to Covid-19 restrictions was possible late last year.

Trade Minister Damien O'Connor will embark on a trip to Europe this weekend, where he plans to underline New Zealand's expectations for a Free Trade Agreement with the European Union.

Legislation banning conversion therapy has passed its third and final reading at Parliament with the support of almost all MPs.

Dozens of cafe, restaurant and venue owners in central Auckland say they are on the brink of bankruptcy, with the expected Omicron wave keeping customers away.

A New Zealander in Australia was forced to care for her premature baby in hospital alone after her attempts at securing an emergency MIQ room were rejected.

The prime minister confirmed New Zealanders stuck overseas will learn when they can bypass MIQ and isolate at home in a matter of weeks.

New Zealanders are being urged to prepare for potentially thousands of daily Covid-19 infections once the Omicron variant starts spreading in the community. Audio

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern is warning New Zealand's Covid-19 case numbers in 2022 will be unlike anything seen here before.

Public Service Minister Chris Hipkins acknowledges there have been failings in providing redress, and says it's "a national disgrace" that it has taken this long to get to this point.

Te Pāti Māori has left the door open to work with the National Party and its new leader Christopher Luxon.

A bruising four years has left National's caucus broken and divided - but they are striving for unity. Audio

Waitaki MP Jacqui Dean says she "took no pleasure in being caught up in a political power-play" within the National Party.

Police officers are not mental health experts and ideally others would respond to an increasing number of crisis call-outs, commissioner Andrew Coster says.

Former Green Party chief of staff Tory Whanau has confirmed she'll run for Wellington's mayoralty in next year's local body elections.

Half of all mental health-related callouts in the past year were not attended by police, as they were called out to other higher priority situations.

Aucklanders will find out this afternoon when they will be able to leave the city, but the hard boundary will likely be gone by the middle of December.

It is looking increasingly likely the whole country will move to the Covid-19 traffic light system before every district health board has hit 90 percent fully vaccinated.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern is making plans to travel to Auckland early next week.

In today's Focus on Politics podcast, Political Reporter Katie Scotcher takes a deeper look at New Zealand's free trade ambitions with the UK and Europe.

Some Auckland secondary school principals want students back in the classroom next Tuesday.

In Focus on politics, Katie Scotcher explores the challenges and priorities in the inherently political transport sector.

School staff who work with children and students must be fully vaccinated by 1 January 2022.

The government will soon receive a business case for Auckland Light Rail from the working group tasked with reviving the project.

The government is set to expedite thousands of residence visa applications, RNZ understands.