'My father didn't deserve to die that way'
The daughter of a New Zealand man killed when he was struck by a Sydney train says a "devastating'' report into his death shows her father didn't deserve to die that way.Tamati Grant, 59, was cleaning tracks at Kogarah station when...

Five-year-old killed in Motueka schoolyard
A 5-year-old has died while playing at Motueka High School.Police understood the child was playing around some trees that had been cut down.It appeared cut logs had rolled onto, then crushed the child, a police spokesman said.Fire,...

Profits fall at Rainbow's End theme park
New Zealand Experience said first-half profit fell about 25 per cent as unfavourable weather and the lure of the Rugby World Cup dented visitor numbers to its Rainbow's End theme park.Profit fell to about $750,000 in the six months...

Balloon tragedy effects felt in Australia
The effects of last month's Carterton balloon tragedy are being felt across the Tasman, with bookings for hot air balloon rides in Australia nearly halving on one website.Eleven people died in the January 7 tragedy, when a balloon...

Pike River Mine sensor in 'sad state of repair'
The Pike River Mine relied on a gas sensor that was in a "sad state of repair'', the Royal Commission of Inquiry into the disaster heard today.The commission heard yesterday the devastating explosion of November 19, 2010 could have...

Healthline phone service under review
Health Minister Tony Ryall today celebrated 2.5 million calls to free, 24-hour health advice service Healthline - despite its future being under review.A spokesman for Mr Ryall told APNZ the review was announced pre-election and...

Supreme Court to hear appeal on sex offences
A New Plymouth man convicted of employing an underage girl as a prostitute will have his conviction considered by the Supreme Court.The court - the highest in the land - granted Michael Hastie, 61, leave to appeal his convictions...

Sections of Northern Gateway toll road to close next week
Sections of the Northern Gateway Toll Road on State Highway 1 north of Auckland will be closed over two nights next week for maintenance work to be carried out.On February 14 northbound between the Silverdale interchange and Puhoi...

Hamilton police deny claims of excessive force
Waikato Police are refuting claims of misuse of force against a 56-year-old Chinese woman visiting from overseas who suffered a dislocated elbow and a cut to her left cheek.District commander Superintendent Win van der Velde said...

Elderly woman's body found on rocks:
The search for a missing elderly Wellington woman has been suspended after a body was found at a popular beach in the city.Police would not confirm the body was that of Edna Mae Cairns until a post-mortem examination was carried...

Megaupload accused granted bail
The head programmer of the Megaupload website has been granted bail on the condition internet access is blocked to all members of his household.Bram van der Kolk, 29, left North Shore District Court with his wife today after he...

Herald readers: John Key should apologise for radio show
Prime Minister should apologise for appearing as a host on Radio Live for an hour before the election.That's the view of a majority of nzherald.co.nz readers who replied to the question "Should John Key apologise for his Radio...

Sonny Bill's knockout kiss
Sonny Bill Williams took just 2 mins 54 secs to stop his opponent. But some in the crowd who paid up to $100 felt it was money well spent.And with a pay-per-view bill of $39.95, the boxing bout cost Sky subscribers $13.77 a minute...

Man dies during police arrest
Police are investigating why a man in his 60s collapsed and died as he was about to be arrested for disorderly behaviour at a block of flats in Levin.Police were called to the block of seven flats in Bristol St after reports of...

Ex principal sentenced for fraud
A once high-profile Hamilton secondary school principal has been sentenced to 40 hours community service after he pleaded guilty to using school funds to pay for building work on his personal property.Martin Elliott, who resigned...

Heart attack possible cause of fatal west Auckland crash
Witnesses to the aftermath of a fatal head-on collision in west Auckland this morning believe it may have been caused by the driver of an SUV having a heart attack and drifting into traffic.Emergency services performed CPR on the...

Man's theft from 'honest, hardworking Kiwis'
Claiming ACC while working has led to eight months' home detention for a Paraparaumu man.Simon John Kruidenier, 58, pleaded guilty to a representative charge of defrauding ACC when he appeared in Porirua District Court recently....

Olympian weighs in on feeding dispute
Olympic medallist Bevan Docherty has spoken out in support for parents who choose to bottle-feed their children.The triathlete said while "breast is best", being a good father is more important - even if that means bottle-feeding.A...

Otago's mystery naked would-be triathlete
Police in Wanaka are determined to "get to the bottom" of a series of incidents involving a naked man engaging in recreational pursuits in public places.There were several reports of a naked man walking in the Mt Iron and the Outlet...

Radio Live 'surprised' by DJ Key show ruling
Radio Live may defend a ruling by the Electoral Commission that a radio show hosted by the Prime Minister was against the law.The Commission has found the Radio Live show hosted by John Key last September was an election programme...

Guilty plea in wife killing
A Roxburgh man has pleaded guilty in the High Court at Dunedin to murdering his wife of 40 years in March last year.

Profits at NZ's five biggest banks return to pre-crisis levels
Profits at the five biggest banks in New Zealand swelled by a quarter in the second half of 2011, returning earnings to pre-global financial crisis levels. And bad debts have fallen by $400 million compared to a year ago.

NZ market up
The NZX50 closed up 10 points to 3325 on turnover of $109 million on Thursday.

Waterfront party venue decision to be made by June
A decision whether to keep the Cloud building on the waterfront in Auckland, will be made by June. It was built for the Rugby World Cup.

Woman's body found in Scorching Bay
Police in Wellington say a body discovered at Scorching Bay on Thursday afternoon is that of an elderly woman.

MAF shares blame on strawberry kit biosecurity breach
The Ministry of Agriculture is spreading the blame for a biosecurity breach relating to imported strawberry growing kits.

Orion to borrow to pay for quake repairs
Orion is still talking to the Government about being allowed to put up power prices to cover the $70 million cost of repairing its damaged network in Christchurch. In the meantime, the money will be borrowed.

Improvement in jobs not enough yet
The Government says jobless figures are heading in the right direction but more needs to be done.

All Blacks sweep sports awards
The All Blacks won big at the Halberg Awards on Thursday night, including the supreme award.

Agreement on nmore cuts in Greece
Greek politicians have reached a deal on reforms and austerity measures needed to secure an international bailout.

Karori woman search halted
Police have suspended a search for a 74-year-old Wellington woman, who has been missing for four days.

Radio Live appearance matter for broadcaster - Key
Prime Minister John Key says a possible breach of the law, following his appearance on Radio Live is a matter for the broadcaster.

Bail for Mega Upload man
The first of four people charged in connection with what has been described as the world's biggest internet piracy case, has been bailed.

Fiji Labour leader slams decree
The Fiji Labour Party leader says the latest anti-defamation decree brings the country closer to being a banana republic.

Zebra's stripes deter horse flies
Scientists claim to have come up with an explanation for why zebras have their characteristic black and white stripes.

Jobless numbers down
The number of people officially out of work fell by 7000 in the final three months of last year.

More strikes planned at Ports of Auckland
The Martime Union has placed notice of its longest planned industrial action on Ports of Auckland.

Dargaville man charged
A Northland man has appeared in court charged with the manslaughter of a Dargaville man in January.

Steel Tube's half year profit down on last year
A subdued construction and manufacturing market has affected Steel Tube's half-year profit to 31 December.

Power cut in Christchurch
Power has been restored to several thousand homes in north-east Christchurch.

Child dies in tree fall
A five-year-old has died when a tree fell on the youngster who was playing at Motueka High School on Thursday evening.

Marae trips trigger Auckland boy's Google doodle
If you've used Google recently, you might have noticed the internet search engine's daily doodle represents New Zealand.

Waikato-Tainui masters degree meets leaders' vision
An iwi-run college says it's to offer a Masters in Tahuhu Matauranga Maori, or Maori knowledge.

Cultures help Maori business to bond with Chinese
A Maori company says it's created a stronger business by bringing three food and beverage brands under one name.

More than 100 attend Whanganui hui
The third in a series of hui on the Government's proposal to partially sell assets in some state owned enterprises has been held in Whanganui.

Court action threat over proposed SOE Act changes
The chair of the Waikato-Tainui executive warns legal action will be taken against the Crown if changes are made to partial state asset sale legislation.

Pike River's methane checking faulty
A mining expert has told the Pike River Royal Commission that systems for checking levels of highly flammable methane in the mine were faulty at the time of the disaster.

Waikato police deny assault
Police in Waikato have denied claims of assault by two officers made by an Asian woman.

Solid Energy applies for consent to develop opencast mine
Solid Energy is applying for consent to develop an opencast coal mine north of Westport.

Budget surplus expected in 2014-15 says Finance Minister
The Finance Minister says New Zealand will return to a budget surplus in 2014 - 2015, but it will be challenging.

Police may investigate responsibility for CTV collapse
The Department of Building and Housing says police and engineering bodies may investigate whether anyone will be held responsible for the collapse of the CTV building.

Electoral commission refers TVNZ to police
The Electoral Commission has referred Television New Zealand to police for what it believes is a breach of electoral law.

Christchurch pressured to pay for own rebuild - Labour
Labour Earthquake Recovery Spokesperson Lianne Dalziel, says there is pressure on the Christchurch City Council to raise rates and sell assets.

Jewish Council president willing to hear from Taranaki lecturer
The President of the New Zealand Jewish Council says he's still offended by a holocaust reference made by a Taranaki language lecturer, but he's prepared to listen to him.

Mayor accepts Brownlee apology
The mayor of Christchurch says the Earthquake Recovery Minister has apologised to him for describing him as a clown.

Australian SAS implicated in illegal detention
A US military document obtained by a British newspaper says Australia's SAS played a key role in the potentially illegal detention of prisoners of war at a secret Iraqi prison.

Quake death toll now 185
The office of the Chief Coroner says the number of people who died in the February 2011 Christchurch earthquake has risen to 185.

Greek talks fail
Political leaders in Greece have failed to sign off on an economic reform and austerity programme, the price of a new international bailout for the nation.

Connolly to play dwarf in Hobbit movies
Comedian Billy Connolly has been announced as the last cast member to join The Hobbit movies. He will play the role of a dwarf warrior.

News Corp quarterly profit up
News Corporation has announced a jump in quarterly profit. The company says net profit totalled $A979 million in the three months to December, up 65% compared with the same period a year earlier.

Treaty obligations advice issued by English
Finance Minister Bill English has warned potential investors in the country's four State energy companies that they need to be aware of Government obligations under the Treaty of Waitangi.

Mercury power prices to rise
Mercury Energy is raising power prices by 5.8% in April for 220,000 residential customers, mainly in the Auckland area.

Genetic history of sheep breeds being researched
International research involving New Zealand scientists has uncovered new information about the genetic history of sheep breeds that will help in the quest to improve production and disease resistence in sheep.

Avocado industry trials new technology to send fruit further
The avocado industry is looking to ship its fruit much further afield with a new technology that prevents it from ripening in transit.

Santorum back in contention
Former Senator Rick Santorum has reignited his bid for the American Republican presidential nomination by winning in three state primaries and caucuses.

MAF working on new animal welfare strategy
The Ministry of Agriculture & Forestry is working on a new national strategy for animal welfare and a review of animal welfare legislation.

US agreement extended by healthcare company
Fisher Paykel Healthcare has agreed to a three-year renewal of a long-standing agreement with CareFusion, giving it exclusive rights to distribute its products into the hospital market in the United States.

Picton not in the loop over ferry terminal
Businesses in Picton say they are being kept in the dark by the Ministry of Transport on a proposal to move the inter-island ferry terminal from Picton to Clifford Bay, south of Blenheim.

Offshore drilling seen as inconsistent with international law
Members of Parliament have been told that legislation on managing offshore activies such as drilling and mining, is not consistent with international law on protecting the marine environment.

UFB value seen by business
Businesses are expected to see the value in ultra-fast broadband, even if it costs a bit more. But most customers were not willing to pay more than $10 extra per month.

Deputy mayor downplays friction
Christchurch Deputy Mayor Ngaire Button is playing down reports of friction between Mayor Bob Parker and the Earthquake Recovery Minister, saying both men have been under pressure.

Ex principal sentenced to community work
A former secondary school principal has been sentenced in the Hamilton District Court to community work for using school money on his holiday home at Papamoa.

Escape abilities hindered by ventilation system
The Royal Commission investigating the Pike River Mine disaster has heard the ventilation system at the mine limited the ability of men to escape following an explosion.

Milk inquiry to continue
Parliament's Commerce Select Committee has decided its inquiry into the price of milk will continue.

Improved earnings for TelstraClear
TelstraClear has reported improved earnings in the final six months of 2011. Operating expenses fell by 8%, but revenue fell 4% to $339 million.

Another port strike ahead
Maritime Union members at the Ports of Auckland are taking more strike action for a week from 24 February.

Disney profit up
Profits at Walt Disney have risen due to the rising popularity of its theme parks and earnings from its television channels. However, revenue in its film business fell.

Nissan production up
Nissan has reported a 3.6% rise in profits for the October - December quarter despite disruptions caused by floods in Thailand.

Gurney in diversion
Adventure athlete Steve Gurney of Christchurch has accepted diversion, after pleading guilty to the careless use of a motor vehicle. He

2.5 million calls to healthline
Healthline has now had 2.5 million calls. The free 24-hour phone line was set up in 2000.

English confident about economy
Finance Minister Bill English is confident the New Zealand economy would weather any further economic disruption in Europe.

Risks seen in cuts to specialist maternity care
Opponents of a plan to cut specialist maternity care in Whanganui say it could put hundreds of babies each year in danger.

CTV collapse verdict due
Officials from the Department of Building & Housing will reveal on Thursday what caused the collapse of the Canterbury Television Building in the earthquake on 22 February last year.

More jobs cut by Nokia
Finnish mobile phone maker Nokia is axing 4000 more jobs to cut costs as it continues to struggle with sales of its smartphones.

River alert in Shanghai
Shanghai is on alert after a chemical leak from a cargo ship polluted the Yangtze River. The river is the city's main source of drinking water.

No early return likely for St George residents
Police in Queensland say it's unlikely residents will be allowed back into the town of St George before Saturday. Meanwhile, Army troops are in Mitchell and Roma to help the clean-up there.

Greek deal awaited by markets
Stocks on Wall Street fluctuated around break-even on Wednesday, as investors waited for Greece to accept tough reforms in exchange for a new bailout.

NZ on Air board member accused of conflict of interest
Labour is accusing a member of the board of New Zealand on Air of a confict of interest over a documentary to be made about the Whanau Ora social services policy.

Lake Vostok reached by deep drill
After more than two decades of drilling, Russian scientists report they have reached the surface of a freshwater lake in eastern Antarctica. Lake Vostok is buried beneath nearly 4km of ice.

Snapper menu ban urged
An environmental group is challenging restaurants to remove snapper from the menu after the fish failed a sustainability test.

City Council becoming very frustrating - Brownlee
Earthquake Recovery Minister Gerry Brownlee says dealing with Christchurch City Council is becoming very frustrating.

Airbus A380 checks extended to entire fleet
European air safety officials are to inspect the entire fleet of Airbus A380s, the world's largest passenger airliner, for cracks in their wings.

Minimum wage not enough to live on - union
The Service & Food Workers Union says the latest increase to the minimum wage is still not enough for people to live on.

Rally ended by teargas
Security forces in the Maldivian capital, Male, have used batons and fired teargas to break up a rally in support of former President Mohammed Nasheed.

Bombardment of Homs intensifies
Residents in the Syrian city of Homs say they have seen the most intense bombardment so far, in five days of shelling.

All Blacks tipped for top Halberg award
The All Blacks are seen as well placed to receive the top honour at the Halberg sports awards on Thursday night in Auckland for their Rugby World Cup victory.

Series of sale hui defended by English
Finance Minister Bill English denies that a series of hui to explain partial sales of State asset is paying only lip service to Maori concerns. He says who attended take the meetings seriously.

10 killed by bomber
A suicide car bomber has killed at least 10 people in the government quarter of Mogadishu, the capital of Somalia. More than 20 others were injured.

Med students required to live with Pacific family
Trainee doctors at Otago University are being required to learn real-life lessons in Pacific health by spending a weekend with a Pacific Island family.

Shopping centre insurance claim settled
Listed property investor NPT says it has received a full and final settlement of $18.05 million from its insurers for earthquake damage and business interruption at the Eastgate shopping centre in Christchurch.

Criticism of changes to ethics group
A group responsible for monitoring the ethics of medical experiments says people will be put at risk by planned changes to its role.

Billionaire buys into timber company
Australian timber company Gunns has signed an agreement with a New Zealand-born billionaire Richard Chandler in a deal that's expected to help it get the finance it needs to build a pulp mill in northern Tasmania.

Profit down at BHP
BHP Billiton has posted a drop in net profit for the first half of the financial year, blaming falling prices for commodities including iron ore, copper and coal.

NZ dollar high
The New Zealand dollar has reached a five-month high against the US dollar as risk-friendly investors expect Greece to get its second bailout package.

NZ investment in research and development low
New Zealand investment in research and development is continuing to lag behind other nations. Spending on R&D was 1.31% in 2010.

Profit warning issued by theme park owner
The owner of Auckland theme park Rainbows End has issued a profit warning, after bad weather and the Rugby World Cup kept visitors away.

Boss of clothing retailer admits hard work ahead in Australia
The boss of Hallenstein Glasson admits it will take a lot of hard work to get its Australian stores generating acceptable profits.

Tower director resignation causes board conflict
Concerns have been raised about board conflict at the insurer and fund manager Tower Group after an independent director resigned on Wednesday.

Morning Report: local papers
Thursday's headlines: Earthquake Recovery Minister Gerry Brownlee expresses growing frustration over Christchurch City Council; gold investors learn they won't get their money back; KO by SBW in first round.

Business drive lacking at netball franchises
Former Netball New Zealand board chair Kereyn Smith says netball franchises don't have the same business drive as professional sports teams overseas.

Desecration of Hobson grave not condoned
The Maori Party says it in no way condones the desecration of the grave of William Hobson over Waitangi weekend.

Summit for emerging Maori business leaders
The Sir Hugh Kawharu Foundation is on Thursday bringing together up and coming Maori leaders and business people in Auckland at a Maori Business Leadership Symposium.

Three Maori food and drink brands become one
Three leading Maori food and drink brands have been clustered under one brand name, Kono (food basket), in a bid to boost exports.

Course for troubled teens keeps most out of court
Violent teenage girls in Hamilton are being tamed by a project run by Maori and the police. They go on a weekend away to identify what triggers their anger, attend an outdoor pursuits centre and are pampered.

Ministers quit after watching porn in parliament
Three state politicians in India have resigned after being caught watching pornography on a mobile phone during a session of state parliament.

NZ companies at fresh produce trade fair in Germany
New Zealand horticulture companies are among almost 2500 exhibitors at the world's largest fresh produce trade fair in Berlin this week. The event draws 50,000 visitors.

Apple packaging shortage should be avoided
Pipfruit New Zealand thinks a packaging shortage has been avoided for this season's apple exports, after a fire at a factory where moulded trays are made.

Whanau Ora funding meets stringent criteria - Key
Prime Minister John Key says stringent criteria must be met to get Whanau Ora funding.

Departmental finding challenged
A finding from a Department of Labour investigation into the Pike River mine disaster that an electrical fault caused the explosion has been challenged at the Royal Commission examining the disaster.

Witness to holdup says experience terrifying
A witness to an armed robbery in central Auckland says the experience was terrifying.