LUCERNE, Switzerland, Mar. 30, 2011 /PRNewswire-Asia-AsiaNet/ --

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Slips and washouts have affected some roads around the district after last night's heavy downpours.

Manholes have also popped on urban roads, and New Plymouth District Council would like to hear about any that have not been addressed.

 There's been a great debate about the anti-smoking ad showing Piri Weepu feeding his child a bottle.

Cyclone Jasmine continues to churn away as a moderate strength tropical cyclone 1700kms north of New Zealand and serious flooding has returned to Queensland - but for New Zealanders the forecast continues to improve for many with more sun on the way and less rain overall.

Missing Wairapa artist Barry Sears has been located in the lower North Island safe and well.

Mr Sears was reported missing from their family home in Tinui approximately 10 days ago.

Christchurch Police are treating the death of a teenage girl in a house fire yesterday as a homicide.

The quirky Give It Up for Hospice campaign which is running throughout the country and is designed to raise awareness of their Hospice shops has been deemed a huge success.

An active front should move slowly onto southern South Island areas from Sunday afternoon, to lie across northern Fiordland and Otago at midnight on Sunday and then cross the rest of the South Island on Monday.

It'll be very good news for three players from Auckland and Waitara when they realise they've won a $333,333 share of Lotto's First Division following this evening's draw, says NZ Lotteries' Chief Executive Todd McLeay.

There was a time when cancer survivor Claudia Little could only dream of having a trip to a hair salon with her famous aunt Lorraine Downes. During her treatment for a Wilms Tumour after diagnosis in June 2009 at age four, Claudia lost all of her long blond locks.

Water safety plea for Auckland Continue to be prepared with knowledge of local conditions and dangers, take appropriate safety precautions, know your limits, wear your lifejacket and above all, keep young children within sight and reach.

An active front lying over Fiordland and Otago Sunday night should cross the rest of New Zealand during Monday. This front is preceded by a very strong northwest flow and followed by a brief period of strong southerlies.

Balclutha will play host to the first Regional Final of The National Bank Young Farmer Contest this Sunday (February 12th) at the Telford Division of Lincoln University on Owaka Highway.

A man who is alleged to have murdered a neighbour in the Hamilton suburb of Frankton yesterday appeared in court today and was remanded in custody to reappear next month.

Applying the lessons from the Auckland local government transition process is vital if voters give the go ahead for a merger between Nelson and Tasman councils, says the PSA.

New Zealand racing driver Jason Richards was farewelled by family and friends on this side of the Tasman in a moving ceremony in Auckland this afternoon (Monday February 06).

Aid workers have described scenes of terror as a triple quake rattled the Philippine islands of Negros and Cebu yesterday morning local time. A tsunami alert was issued in the immediate aftermath but later cancelled.

The Philippine Army has put the death toll at 43.

Despite working in winds occasionally gusting above 40 knots, salvors have today removed 15 containers from the stern of the cargo vessel Rena, taking the total number of containers removed to 64.

Workers at Genesis Energy's Hamilton call centre take industrial action on Monday (14 November) over their employer's push for individualised performance based pay.

West Auckland Police and SAR are currently searching for a 70 year old Asian male who has not returned from a morning walk. He was last seen in the vicinity of Chadlington Road, near Sturges Road Henderson and has failed to return home.

[UPDATE: HE HAS BEEN FOUND]