A formal police investigation is underway to determine if a man gunned down by police last night fired the first shot.

A dormitory at the University of Auckland was evacuated after a small fire this afternoon.

Flooding on the East Coast has trapped several residents in their homes, with further heavy rain forecast for tonight putting local civil defence centres on alert.

A man aged in his twenties died after being stabbed in the chest in Manukau City last night.

Firefighters have warned of the dangers of "fire safe" clothing labels following the deaths of two men.

A hotelier who was doused with petrol during a robbery was lucky to escape with his life as the building was gutted by fire.

Howard Broad says his proudest achievements have been a roll out of tasers and boosting staff numbers in Counties Manukau.

Police say they have yet to discover the name and age of a man whose dead body was found by a street cleaner in Hamilton on Sunday morning.