Opinion - As a new 'Great Game' for control of the Pacific escalates, New Zealand's foreign minister is coming under pressure from all sides, Geoffrey Miller writes.

Esmé Putt is back in bed with Covid-19 for the second time and once again is feeling "tanked". It comes as experts expect the number of reinfections to increase.

Police are still looking for a variety of weapons in relation to a spate of recent drive-by shootings, Police Commissioner Andrew Coster says.

A year after unprecedented floods inundated mid-Canterbury, affected residents and authorities are calling for additional support from government.

Contraceptive injections are being given to Kaimanawa wild horses to curb herd growth and take pressure off the rehoming programme.

TVNZ's head of news has told staff it has been an "unsettling" few days at the public broadcaster.

Failures at two lower North Island District Health Boards (DHBs) led to a woman's breast cancer diagnosis being delayed, a new report by the Health and Disability Commissioner has found.

Residents are urged to prepare to evacuate as the Ngongotahā stream may flood, the Rotorua Lakes Council says.

The Invercargill mayoral race has thrown up another curveball, with deputy mayor Nobby Clark now entering the fray.

Another five people with Covid-19 have died and 5836 new cases have been identified in the community, the Ministry of Health says.

A boatie is being ordered to pay the sum in fines and reparations after he crashed into another boat.

The inquest into the suspected suicide of a Palmerston North Hospital mental health ward patient eight years ago has begun, with the coroner acknowledging the delay in the matter reaching a hearing.

An evangelical church based in Christchurch is the latest to be accused of exploiting members for long voluntary hours and huge donations, despite the church owning assets worth millions of dollars.

Police are advising Bay of Plenty motorists to take extra care on the roads this evening.

After three years as deputy and nine years as mayor, Rachel Reese says it's time to set a new course.

A second member of the Prime Minister's delegation in the United States has tested positive for Covid-19.

A person has been rescued from wild seas near Waiheke Island early this morning.

Cordons have been lifted in Mount Maunganui following the discovery of a suspicious item on Waimarie Street.