There has been another mass stranding of pilot whales on the Chatham Islands, with reports suggesting 250 whales have stranded on Rangiauria/Pitt Island.

A court has been told a Wellington musician on trial for sexual assault offences raped a number of women who were asleep or drunk, but he denies all charges.

Incoming Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown says serious savings are needed in the city, as he calls on the head of one of the council-controlled organisations to quit.

The main Omicron subvariant in this country is becoming less dominant as new subvariants rise up, recent data suggests.

The mother of a man who died after being left face-down in a police cell with an incorrectly fitted spit hood covering his face says a coroner's inquest will give her family some closure.

Members for the West Coast Regional Council have been rolled in preliminary election results. One loser says it's a move towards "Trumpism" - the other side says they "got rid of the greenies".

An indefinite ban on face-to-face visits in some prisons will have a hugely detrimental effect, particularly on the children of prisoners, a prison advocacy group says.

A North Island health network that has been targeted in a cyber attack says private patient information has now been publicly uploaded to the internet.

Auckland Council's left-leaning numbers have been boosted by two, but a sitting councillor says that's no indication of how votes will fall.

Nelson's new mayor Nick Smith is excited to be back in politics, leading his home town through the recovery of the devastating floods which saw hundreds of residents displaced and homes damaged.

New species of microscopic creatures have been discovered in the Southern Alps.

More than 350 cancelled Auckland commuter ferry services this year have been replaced by Ubers and taxis, and hundreds of others with busses.

Melissa Vining says Southland Hospital's on the brink of collapse after staff told her their colleagues were "crumbling, breaking down every shift, despite continually giving it their all to keep the patients safe".

Hospitals are caring for 134 people who are battling the virus, and four of them are receiving intensive care treatment.

A leading ADHD general practitioner is accused of wrongly prescribing thousands of doses of medication.

The Attendance Service has investigated 16,771 new cases of serious truancy in the first half of this year.

Invercargill ratepayers are coming to grips with a city without long-serving mayor Sir Tim Shadbolt at the helm.

Part of the main highway between Nelson and Blenheim will close for seven weeks so emergency repairs can be carried out after the August storm.