New Zealand's first combat death in Afghanistan is not a reason to withdraw our troops from the country, Prime Minister John Key says.

Maggie Tait, who visited Bamiyan in May, reflects on life on the New Zealand base there in the wake of its first combat death.

A New Zealand soldier has been killed and two others injured in an attack on a routine patrol in Afghanistan, the Defence Force announced today. A local interpreter with the patrol was also injured during the attack.

Thirty-four soldiers from just one army base have faced drinking-related court charges in the first six months of this year.

Poor policy and a culture of not asking questions led to senior Defence Force staff double-dipping on allowances, a report has found.

The Auditor-General Lyn Provost has questioned the values within the New Zealand Defence Force which allowed a belief to develop that any officer could be ordered to commit an unlawful act.

Murray McCully says Afghanistan's Bamiyan Province, where NZ troops have been since 2003, will be ready to stand on its own before Hamid Karzai's 2014 deadline.

Boeing and Airbus have racked up billions of dollars worth of aircraft sales at the Farnborough Airshow.

Ninety-four years to the day after they were killed and buried anonymously in one of the first world war's bloodiest battles, 250 Australian and British soldiers have finally been laid to rest with the recognition they deserve.

The 'claim of right' defence that saw three activists escape conviction despite wilfully damaging the Waihopai spy base will be repealed or reformed.

Eric Batchelor, one of NZ's most highly decorated World War II soldiers, died in Waimate, on Saturday.