Handguns, electric drills and mock executions were used by the CIA to elicit information from terrorist suspects, reports surface.

New Zealand's decision yesterday to send the SAS back to Afghanistan came as the top US general there warned that the Taleban are gaining the upper hand.

The alleged plot in Australia shows NZ must remain vigilant against terrorism, PM John Key says.

Warnings of a growing risk of home-grown terrorism rising out of young men influenced by the ideology of global jihad and the teachings of local extremists.