Six helicopters are combatting the blaze with monsoon buckets, while a seventh is directing the aerial attack.

Police were alerted to a boat sinking in the Hauraki Gulf around 5.30pm on Sunday.

Advocates say there is no future for sustainable fisheries without ending destructive fishing practices.

D'Havland Phoebe Jade Laupama left her home on Koromiko Avenue in Hawera about 4pm on Sunday.

Police say a 20-year-old man being held in custody was not known to the young victim.

Armed police converged on Tanera Crescent in the suburb of Brooklyn about 5.45pm on Sunday.

All the action as Australia's Kangaroos face the Fiji Bati at the Rugby League World Cup - kickoff 9.05pm Fiji time (10.05pm NZT).

Look back at all the action as the Kiwis hosted the Cook Islands Aitu in Christchurch.

A homicide investigation has been launched into the "suspicious" death after the woman's body was found in a Kawerau house.

There were reports someone had been injured, but officers have not been able to find that person.

A judge intervened after the experienced lawyer turned up to court "late, somewhat dishevelled and unsteady on her feet".

"there was no shoulder injury and certainly no treatment nor any contact," former Tauranga City councillor Murray Guy says.

A space-watching network funded by the Pentagon that has one of three global hubs in Auckland has played a direct role supporting combat operations in the Iran war.

RNZ's money correspondent Susan Edmunds answers your questions.

"We don't want the weekend celebrations being marred by the actions of others," police tell young revellers in Hawke's Bay.

Police are seeking information on the alleged offender, who fled the scene.

It's been 13 years since Rosie Overcomer fled the religious community with her family, but she can still recall how strange and scary freedom felt.

Police said the crash happened around 5:55am on the Halswell Junction off-ramp.

The Breast Cancer Foundation said the current one-size-fits-all approach had failed some women.

After a close first half, Toa Samoa were runaway winners over PNG in the Rugby League World Cup.

MetService has warned of foul weather over much of the South Island, as holidaymakers return from their Labour Weekend break.

Stats NZ's latest data showed people booking domestic flights in September were paying 5.1 percent more than the same time a year earlier.

Police have received a number of complaints in relation to celebrations in recent days, where parades had continued into the early hours of the morning.

Look back on the action as Toa Samoa runs riot in Port Moresby.

A tsunami warning has been cancelled after a 7.2 magnitude quake off Vanuatu.

Look back on the action as the PNG Orchids host the Fiji Bulikula in Port Moresby.

Pauline Parker, one of the teen killers behind one of New Zealand's most infamous murders has died in the Scottish Orkney islands.

Legendary running coach Arch Jelley, who guided John Walker to Olympic gold in Canada, has died at the age of 104.

Police said they were called to the Rotorua Aquatic Centre car park following a report of the robbery.

Brown has rallied around 114 supporters calling for a long-term national approach to fund local infrastructure relating to tourism.

A form of Parkinson's disease once considered rare is far more common in Pacific communities than previously recognised.

Tonga recorded its second win at the Rugby League World Cup on Friday night, beating Lebanon 36-0 in Sydney.

The collision took place between a car and a truck at the intersection of Wither and Howick Roads.

University students looking for work over the holidays are being told to be proactive about their job hunt - and maybe consider the agricultural sector.

Police said a number of students at five to six schools engaged with the tutor.