New Zealand fire agency FENZ's chief executive Kerry Gregory remains on leave months after Internal Affairs Minister Brooke van Velden publicly withdrew confidence in him over withheld information.
President Donald Trump hit back at Barack Obama during a campaign rally, calling him 'incompetent' after the former president sharply criticized his economic record ahead of the US midterm elections.
Confidential medical records belonging to about a dozen pregnant patients at Royal Darwin Hospital were posted to Instagram, prompting a formal investigation by Northern Territory Health.
Politicians in Australia's Capital Territory say they have faced a hand-delivered death threat and been spat at, describing a surge in abuse since an attack on independent MP Helen Haines.
Two large earthquakes struck off the coast of the Pacific nation of Vanuatu in quick succession, prompting authorities to issue a tsunami warning for coastal communities.
The owner of a prominent Wellington luxury car dealership has disappeared just as the business abruptly closed its doors. Financiers and well-known clients who had extended trust and credit to the dealer say they were blindsided by the sudden collapse.
Cattle prices in Australia climbed to record levels this week after widespread rain fell across Queensland and northern New South Wales. The downpours have improved pasture conditions just as buyers compete for a tightening supply of young stock.
New South Wales landowners are weighing conservation agreements under a revamped biodiversity offset scheme that compensates them for protecting habitat on their land.
Australia's Northern Territory parliament has passed a 'safe air' bill creating a scheme to monitor and publicly report toxic air pollutants around Darwin Harbour. The law follows separate pollution scandals involving energy companies Inpex and Santos, both of which operate major gas facilities in the harbour precinct.
Rising petrol prices have pushed New Zealand's headline inflation higher ahead of the Reserve Bank's next policy review. Economists widely expect the central bank to raise the official cash rate by 25 basis points next week, even though the latest price pressure stems mainly from fuel costs rather than broader demand.
Anglo-Australian miner Rio Tinto has announced a $1.9 billion investment in a bauxite project in the state of Queensland. The company is presenting the move as part of an effort to meet demand across the global aluminium supply chain.
Satellite monitoring has detected large methane plumes above one of Australia's biggest gas complexes. The finding triggered a United Nations alert and prompted state authorities to open an inquiry into the leak.