US President Barack Obama has flown to tornado-ravaged Oklahoma, offering moral and monetary support.

How important is your phone? A new survey says 30 percent of Kiwis couldn't do without their smart phone.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel has been crowned the world's most powerful woman for the third year running.

Labour and the Greens' power policy announcement last month appears to be paying off for the likely coalition partners.

Snow has started to fall on the Milford Road, signalling the end of one New Zealand's mildest autumns as cold winds and rain start to blast the country.

Mortgage rates continue to edge down, with one-year rates now slipping below 5 percent.

It was a rollercoaster ride for stock markets last week, with Japan being particularly hard-hit.

Parramatta's rollercoaster NRL season continued on Sunday, with Gold Coast scoring a record-breaking 42-4 win to ruin the Eels' road trip to Mudgee.

Grimacing after some poor shots, leaning over with hands on knees while catching her breath after others, Venus Williams left the French Open after the first round for the first time since 2001.

Len Brown has defended his council's drive to push through the Auckland Unitary Plan, as the deadline for submissions approaches.

A suspect in last week's savage killing of a British soldier was arrested in 2010 while apparently preparing to train and fight with Somali militants.

Serena Williams won her opening match at the French Open, and then achieved a career breakthrough by speaking French to the crowd for the first time.

Tony Kanaan has finally won the Indianapolis 500. Kanaan drove past Ryan Hunter-Reay on a restart with three laps to go, then coasted across the finish line under yellow when defending race winner Dario Franchitti crashed far back in the field.

The debate is continuing over who will pay for some aspects of the Christchurch rebuild - the city council or central government.

Nico Rosberg kept his cool amid the chaos to win the crash-marred Monaco Grand Prix and give Mercedes its first victory of the season, as well as emulate his father's victory from 30 years ago.

Two-time major champion Lleyton Hewitt isn't sure whether he'll return to the French Open. If he doesn't, his last match at Roland Garros will be a tough one to get over.

New Zealand was dispatched for 174 but the follow on was not enforced by England at tea on the third day of the second cricket test at Headingley today.

A never-say-die defensive effort laid the base for Central Pulse's nailbiting 53-52 trans-Tasman netball league win over West Coast Fever in Wellington.

Shane van Gisbergen has edged out Greg Murphy to claim the latest round of the V8 Supertourers at a challenging Pukekohe.

Nico Rosberg put himself in position to win the Monaco Grand Prix and emulate his father's achievement of 30 years ago.

A broken finger has All Black lock Sam Whitelock almost certain to miss next month's three-test series against France.

An Auckland woman has notched up a first among patients with heart problems in the Southern Hemisphere.

Counterterrorism police on Saturday questioned a friend of alleged Islamic extremist Michael Adebolajo.

Police, politicians and activists in Britain are warning of rising anti-Muslim sentiment following the slaughter of an off-duty British soldier in a London street, an apparent act of Islamic extremism that has horrified the nation.

Russian police said they arrested at least 30 gay rights campaigners and Christian Orthodox vigilantes in Moscow.

A report into the factory collapse in Bangladesh has found it was built with sub-standard materials on unsuitable land.

Cyber experts say half of home computers in New Zealand lack even basic security measures and it's leaving the country vulnerable to cyber terrorism or espionage.

The latest 3 News/Reid Research poll shows Labour and the Greens closing the gap on National.

Labour has found its replacement for Parekura Horomia.

Police are praising motorists who tried to force an alleged kidnapper off the road as he dragged a Rotorua mother-of-three for more than a kilometre.

The Warriors have beaten the Newcastle Knights 28-12 at Mt Smart Stadium in the NRL to bounce back from their record loss to the Panthers last week.

The NSW Swifts have put on a dominant display to defeat the Northern Mystics by 19 goals in their trans-Tasman Netball Championship clash at the Olympic Park Sports Centre.

New Zealand UFC fighter Mark Hunt has lost his heavyweight bout against Junior Dos Santos after being knocked out by a spinning kick at UFC 160.

New Zealand-born UFC fighter James Te Huna has lost his light-heavyweight bout against Glover Teixeira by submission at UFC 160.

Video highlights, live stream commentary, live updates as they happen and minute-by-minute, and all the action as the Warriors host the Knights at Mt Smart in Auckland for the 2013 NRL season.

New Zealand-born UFC fighter Robert Whittaker has beaten American Colton Smith in the UFC 160 welterweight preliminary fight by technical knockout.

Bayern Munich has beaten Borussia Dortmund 2-1 the final of the UEFA Champions League at Wembley Stadium today after a scoreless first half.

Joe Root made the second test worth waiting an extra day for as he notched his maiden test century on his Headingley home turf in leading England to 337-7 against New Zealand on day two.

Cooper Cronk's State of Origin hopes are in doubt after he was placed on report for a lifting tackle in Melbourne's impressive 26-18 win over Sydney Roosters at Allianz Stadium.

Video highlights, live streaming commentary, live updates as they happen minute-by-minute, and all the Champions League action as itas Germanyas moment as Bayern Munich does battle with Borussia Dortmund in the UEFA Champions League 2013 final at Wembley Stadium.

The Stormers dented the Queensland Reds' playoff hopes in the Super Rugby with a 20-15 win, with discarded Wallabies first-five Quade Cooper and his team off-colour for the second straight game in South Africa.

Western Force fullback Jayden Hayward kicked the match-winning penalty to seal a 19-18 Super Rugby win over the Highlanders in Saturday night's wooden spoon battle in Perth.

Zinedine Zidane and Michael Ballack appeared at a sponsorship event in London prior to the UEFA Champions League final between Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund, which takes place in the English capital.

After starting the season as favourites for the wooden spoon, Penrith have climbed into the NRL top eight following a 19-0 win over St George Illawarra at Kogarah Oval.

The Brumbies have beaten the Blues 20-13 at Eden Park in a rain-soaked match to consolidate their standing at the top of the Super Rugby Australian conference.

The Southern Steel hope to continue their four-game roll in the ANZ Netball Championship when they meet the Vixons in Melbourne on Monday.

New Zealand's Paralympic swimming team are busy preparing for August's World Championships in Montreal.

The Warriors get the chance to soothe a week of hurt and frustration when they run out on home turf against Newcastle on Sunday.

A top official of the Chennai Super Kings was arrested for his alleged involvement in spot-fixing less than 48 hours before the team was to play in the final of the Indian Premier League.

Four years ago the original Hangover seemed fresh and subversive. Now, this series feels stale and tired.

While Caine talked, live on television, Morgan took some time out to have a snooze.

A tweet posted by the wife of Britain's parliamentary speaker about a politician wrongly linked to child sex abuse was libellous.

Video highlights, live stream commentary, live updates as they happen and minute-by-minute, and all the action as the Blues host the Brumbies at Eden Park in Auckland for the 2013 Super Rugby season.

A woman is in hospital with critical injuries after she was assaulted on State Highway 1 near Tokoroa.

A Kaipara couple have become the first farmers to release kiwi onto their private land.

Auckland's most popular beach is under threat of development if the Unitary Plan goes ahead.

A high speed test has been launched in Moana, in the Lake Brunner District on the West Coast.

One person is dead after a shed fire on the West Coast early this morning.

Britain scrambled fighter jets Friday to intercept a commercial airliner carrying more than 300 people from Pakistan, diverting it to an isolated runway at an airport on the outskirts of London and arresting two British passengers who allegedly threatened to destroy the plane.

Suspects accused of butchering a British soldier during broad daylight on a London street had long been on the radar of Britain's domestic spy agency.