One of NZ's oldest department stores escaped extensive damage when a sprinkler system activated and put out a fire which could have destroyed the building.

Thick smoke from a fire in one of Auckland's biggest department stores poured out on to Queen St late last night, shutting major city streets.

An Auckland mother is outraged that her daughter was 'ripped off' by an accident and medical clinic.

A range of causes have been blamed for hospital emergency departments being swamped by a holiday rush.

Firefighters have contained a large scrub fire in Masterton which was burning on about six hectares of land.

Yesterday, New Year's Day, the sun settled in for the week, with a promise of hot, dry days to come.

The wife of Ross McSheffrey, who was pinned under his own bus yesterday, has paid tribute to his rescuers.

An 8-year-old boy is this morning fighting for his life after falling into a Rotorua geothermal pool as hot as 100C.

Major South Island roads remain closed by flooding after a storm that swept through New Zealand yesterday.

A major storm has swept right through the country, leaving warm, summer temperatures for the rest of the week.

The death of a man found on top of a fire heap near Hamilton today is not being treated as suspicious.

The family of a father-of-two hit by a car yesterday are grieving for 'a wonderful family man'.

A senior Western Bay of Plenty police officer has been seriously hurt in a horror smash north of Te Puke this morning and a motorcyclist has died following a crash at Mount Maunganui yesterday.

A road policing boss says police did not breach policy by continuing a pursuit during which an innocent Auckland was shot dead.

A field hospital has been set up in the heart of London's financial district to treat blind-drunk corporate revellers.