A mum-of-7 who touched the PM's belly without permission said she immediately felt regret.

The death has prompted new calls for rodeos to be banned.

State Highway 6 has reopened, but some still remain without power on the West Coast.

Kotara was arrested after a fight, which police said might relate to an earlier incident.

He considered himself an artist - but the council did not.

Local and Central Government should increase the number of drinking fountains.

Wild weather across New Zealand: A play by play

It's one big family at the Black Sheep Animal Sanctuary near Otaki.

Wild weather slamming the country has caused flooding, road closures and wild winds.

Most Wellington train services will be offline through tonight's peak traffic.

The two people are being taken to hospital in a moderate condition.

It's unclear if the shakes were Kaikoura aftershocks or typical Cook Strait seismicity.

Pavements are likely too hot for dogs' paws

Couple believe the unorthodox measure is keeping his children safe.

Forecast picks heatwave to give way to drenching from ex-tropical storm.

3.0 Earthquake south-west of Wellington

Rescuing dolphins and nearly catching poachers is all part of keeping NZ's waters safe.

Public told of escape three days after leopard went missing.

Workers in heavy gear or who are often in the sun may be struggling this summer.

There are speed restrictions on the Wairarapa line in cause the heat misaligns the tracks.

Four-times-weekly flight from Wellington to Singapore will now stop in Melbourne

The kayakers did the right thing when they got into trouble, police said.

Wind denied athletes the chance of Commonwealth Games qualifications at Cooks Classic

Good diving gear, 100kg of bodyweight and mind techniques helped lost diver survive.

The tigers must be slowly and carefully introduced before breeding is even considered.

An invitation to "expose" dodgy landlords has led to a flood of official complaints.

10 years on from Human Rights Commission's inquiry into transgender discrimination.

Alem Tesema plans to leave Wellington, with hopes it will help his mental recovery.

Beds hard to find as visitors beat a track to Whanganui

Stephen Brassett and his four-legged friends have finished their tour of New Zealand.