Latest fromAustralasia

Booze ban for Gallipoli
An alcohol ban at Gallipoli where New Zealanders and Australians gather every year to honour those killed in World War I is a step closer.

Bad 'monks' target Sydney’s Vivid show
Bogus Buddhist monks are trying to rip off sightseers at Sydney's Vivid festival.

Bali 'arak' warning from travel insurer
A travel insurer has warned tourists about the risk of drinking arak, a locally made alcohol in Bali.

Police should be more mobile: report
Police stations in Victoria should be replaced by supersites, mobile stations, self-service kiosks and online portals, a report suggests.

Our kiwi is no Aussie
New, startlingly bizarre findings have finally solved the 150-year-old mystery of how the kiwi arrived here in New Zealand.

Head-bomb man strips naked, surrenders
A man who appeared to have a bomb strapped to his head led police on a chase down a Melbourne motorway before stripping naked and surrendering.

Defining moments of midwifery care
Today is International Day of the Midwife and we reflect on the changing face of midwives in New Zealand.

Surf crews prepare for Gallipoli race
A surf boat crew will stage a symbolic row down Auckland's North Shore tomorrow, as they prepare for a commemorative international race in Turkey next year.

Prince George's day at the zoo
Prince George has met Bilby George in a successful first official engagement in Australia for the youngest royal.

Burglars throw chainsaw at police
Burglars who stole guns from a Whakatane property last night repeatedly rammed police cars and even threw a chainsaw at pursuing officers as they made their getaway.

Police allowed dog to maul man - IPCA
Invercargill police used illegal and unjustified excessive force by letting a police dog bite and drag a suspected burglar for almost a minute, an IPCA probe found.

Transgender woman could be moved
A transgender Oamaru woman sentenced on Wednesday to nine months' imprisonment in a men's jail could apply to be moved to a women's prison.

Transgender case a 'tragedy unfolding'
A transgender Oamaru woman has been ordered to serve a jail sentence in a men's prison, despite a request for home detention.

Want a house? Head to Wanganui
If you're in your 20s and about to buy a house, you're best off in Wanganui and worst off on Auckland's North Shore.

NZ delegation to travel to Australia for joint cabinet
Prime Minister John Key and six ministers will fly to Sydney this week for a joint cabinet with Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott and ministers.

Why Kiwis haven't been voting
Forgetfulness, lack of interest and simply not getting around to it have been revealed as the most common reasons for not voting in the past two general elections.

Huge Wanaka development set to begin
By this time next year, the first buildings could be going up in Wanaka's single-biggest commercial and residential development.

Kiwis 'dying of embarrassment'
Kiwis are 'dying from embarrassment' because of a reluctance to speak with doctors about bowel cancer symptoms as NZ tops a report into global bowel cancer rates

Weapons used to enforce loans - claims
Counties Manukau Police are investigating a loan company director following complaints of him using weapons to enforce compliance of loan terms.

Customs quiet on 'brownie points' case
The "secrets-for-brownie points" case has been escalated to Customs Minister Maurice Williamson - but he says it has nothing to do with him.

'Brownie points' for leaked info to FBI
A senior Customs official told colleagues in charge of highly personal information they could earn "brownie points"if they passed secrets to the FBI.