Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and Director General of Health Ashley Bloomfield will announce any change in alert levels at 4:30pm Wednesday with ""important" test results due back being a key factor in their decision.

George Hadfield got into a shouting match with the victim and her partner, then produced a knife and stabbed her in the back and cut her ear. But he's avoided jail time.

Police officers are speaking with a group of people and are working to establish the circumstances of the person's death.

Mum warns other families after pretty tree in their front yard left her daughter with a severe allergic reaction.

A porn addict who secretly took more than 40,000 pictures in a unisex changing room has lost an appeal for permanent name suppression.

A Christchurch schoolgirl who died after crashing into a power pole in North Canterbury was a talented horse rider who had just been made a prefect.

Australian media names the terror suspect with New Zealand passport who left Melbourne to live with Isis.

Strong winds in New Plymouth toppled trees across roads, tossed trampolines through the air and ripped roofing iron from buildings on Tuesday.

Number of close contacts linked to south Auckland family balloons from 42 to 109, largely because the father visited a doctor for an unrelated issue.

Green MP Elizabeth Kerekere says she's proud of New Zealanders after petition hits 100,000 in 48 hours.

Lower and central North Island areas can expect more heavy rain.

A woman charged with assaulting and ill-treating her 5-month-old says she lied to police because she was struggling to cope.

A man is in hospital after suffering critical injuries when he crashed an e-scooter in the car park of a popular mall.

Impounded car had hidden compartments filled with methamphetamine, court told.

A decision on alert levels is due, use of the coronavirus tracer app may be made compulsory and another recession may be looming.

A passenger onboard the stranded Kaitaki says a new captain has taken over the navigation and is going to attempt to sail into the harbour to make berth at 9pm.

The calls come amid a worsening trans-tasman stoush over Australia's decision to cancel her citizenship.

As gale force winds tore through New Plymouth, a house was narrowly missed by a fallen tree which smashed a car instead.

Two of the main routes in the central North Island have been closed to traffic, after gusts toppled trees onto the road.

A Pātea woman has lost her appeal to get her dog’s menacing classification overturned.