New Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown is staying out of the public limelight on his first day leading the country’s biggest city to spend time with his family.In an exclusive letter published in today’s Herald on Sunday , Brown said he…

Local elections across the country saw a swing to right-leaning candidates in the major centres of Auckland, Christchurch and Dunedin – but not Wellington.There, former Green Party chief of staff Tory Whanau claimed her city’s top…

Auckland has a new mayor, and with it a shift away from Phil Goff’s centre-left lens.Wayne Brown farewelled the former Labour cabinet minister and retiring two-term mayor last night by playing his banjo and putting a twist on a…

Almost all metropolitan public transport would cost up to $2 a day in Victoria if the opposition wins the state election in November.

The election commitment would cost just under $1.3 billion over four years and will include train, tram and bus fares across the state.

However, V/Line services which cover much of regional Victoria will be excluded.

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The opposition will slash daily zone one and two fares from $9.20 to the capped $2 cost.

Opposition Leader Matthew Guy said the plan would help assist ongoing cost-of-living struggles for families.

"Behind keeping a roof over their heads and food on the table, transport is one of the biggest costs for thousands of families' bottom lines," Guy said.

Under the plan, the free tram zone will also remain, as will other existing concession and discount tickets.

The cap would remain in place for at least four years.

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Meanwhile, Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews pledged to remove seven level crossings and close two more on the Frankston Line by 2029, if re-elected.

As part of the removals, new stations at Highett, Mordialloc, Aspendale and Seaford will be built.

"We know how important removing dangerous and congested level crossings is, that's why we've removed 67 of them. But now we'll do more, getting rid of every single level crossing along the Frankston Line," Andrews said.

"It's safer and it means you will get home sooner."

A person who was taken to hospital in a critical condition following a crash on Awapuni Rd, Gisborne on Friday has died, police say.”They were initially transported to hospital in a critical condition but have sadly passed away…

By Hamish Cardwell of RNZ Unsuccessful Wellington mayoral candidate Paul Eagle says his centrist campaign foundered because votes split along party lines, while outgoing mayor Andy Foster leaves after 30 years at the council table.Green…

North Korea fired two short-range ballistic missiles from the Munchon area of Kangwon Province to the waters off the peninsula's eastern coast, South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff have told reporters.

The missiles were launched between 1:47 am. and 1:53am local time Sunday, according to Japan's State Minister of Defence Toshiro Ino.

Both missiles fell outside Japan's Exclusive Economic Zone, Ino added.

The first missile is estimated to have flown about 350 kilometres at a maximum altitude of approximately 100km, or 62 miles, according to Ino. The second travelled about the same distance.

Ino noted there were no reports of damages to vessels at sea, but the defence ministry is still analyzing the details and investigating what kind of missiles were launched, including the possibility they were submarine-launched ballistic missiles.

South Korea's military has strengthened its surveillance and vigilance and maintaining a full readiness posture while closely cooperating with the US, the country's joint chiefs of staff said.

This is the 25th missile launch this year, according to CNN's count, which includes both ballistic and cruise missiles. The last launch occurred Thursday when North Korea fired two short-range ballistic missiles, the latest in a spate of launches in the past two weeks.

Japan's Coast Guard instructed vessels to pay attention to information and to not approach any objects which have fallen in the sea. It also asked vessels to report any relevant information.

On Tuesday, North Korea fired another missile, without warning, which flew over and past Japan, causing Japan to warn its citizens to take shelter.

The missile travelled over northern Japan early in the morning, and is believed to have landed in the Pacific Ocean. The last time North Korea fired a ballistic missile over Japan was in 2017.

US Indo-Pacific Command said Saturday the latest launches do "not pose an immediate threat to US personnel or territory, or to our allies."

"We are aware of the two ballistic missile launches and are consulting closely with our allies and partners," the command said in a statement. "The missile launch highlights the destabilizing impact of the DPRK's unlawful WMD and ballistic missile programs. The US commitments to the defense of the Republic of Korea and Japan remain ironclad."

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken warned if North Korea continues "down this road" of provocation following its ballistic missile launch Tuesday, "it will only increase the condemnation, increase the isolation and increase the steps that are taken in response to their actions."

The US imposed new sanctions Friday, following North Korean recent ballistic missile tests, the US Treasury and State Department said.

North Korea usually fires its missiles into waters off the coast of the Korean Peninsula, making Tuesday's flight over Japan considerably more provocative.

The aggressive acceleration in weapons testing has sparked alarm in the region, with the US, South Korea and Japan responding with missile launches and joint military exercises. The US has also redeployed an aircraft carrier into waters near the peninsula, a move South Korean authorities called "very unusual."

Japan issued a strong protest against North Korea through its embassy in Beijing, Ino said.

On Thursday, US, South Korean and Japanese warships performed a missile defence exercise in the Sea of Japan, the US-Indo Pacific Command said in a statement.

A man arrived at Auckland City Hospital with a gunshot wound early this morning, prompting a police inquiry.A police spokesman said the man arrived about 3.30am.”He was admitted in a serious condition,” the spokesman said.In…

A man has been arrested over his alleged involvement in the death of Rami Iskander earlier this year in Sydney's south west.

Iskander was the nephew of underworld figure Mahmoud "Brownie" Ahmad, was shot dead in May.

Following investigations into several fatal shootings by organised crime networks, police executed a search warrant yesterday, arresting a 41-year-old man.

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The man was charged with a number of offences, including accessory to murder, knowingly dealing with proceeds of crime, participating in a criminal group and contributing to criminal group activity.

A 38-year-old woman was arrested a short time later, after police executed a second search warrant .

The woman was charged with knowingly deal with proceeds of crime; and participate in criminal group.

Police seized more than $500,000 cash and items relevant to the investigation that will undergo further examination.

The man was refused bail and will appear in court today, however the woman was granted conditional bail to appear in court November 1.

One person has died in a serious crash that has closed part of State Highway 2 on the Remutaka Hill.Police are advising motorists to delay travel if possible.Emergency services are en route to the serious crash, just north of…