Severe thunderstorm watches issued as heavy rain nears, the Marokopa search hits a "tipping point" and three Kiwis have been cast in Disney's live-action Moana film.
1 Storm watches for Auckland, Northland, orange rain warnings for BoP, Tasman
A severe thunderstorm watch has been issued for Auckland and Northland with localised flooding and slips possible, as rain alerts are issued across several regions.
Heavy rain and possible thunderstorms have begun lashing parts of the country, with the brunt of impacts expected tomorrow.
"This kicks off what looks like a run of generally unsettled weather through into next week," forecasters said in an update this afternoon.
2 Reward in Marokopa search a 'tipping point' says former police negotiator
A former police negotiator has outlined how police's operation will play out as the search for missing Marokopa fugitive Tom Phillips and his three children ramps up.
Police officers have swarmed the Marokopa area over the last few days, setting up a forward operating base near the coast.
3 Fires at abandoned Auckland country club likely caused by an 'incendiary'
Two fires three days apart at an abandoned golf club in Auckland's Gulf Harbour were likely caused by an "incendiary" of some sort, a fire investigator says.
Firefighters from across the city were called to the first fire at the Gulf Harbour Country Club in the early hours of May 18.
The Whangaparāoa Peninsula course, which hosted the New Zealand Golf Open in 2005 and 2006, was closed "with immediate effect" in July last year.
4 Analysis: Boot camps for offenders return despite evidence they don't work
“Boot camps” for young people who commit serious offending are coming back. The coalition Government has promised to pilot “military-style academies” this year.
But researchers Simon Davies, Clare-Ann Fortune, Karen Salmon and Linda Fatialofa say evidence that boot camps are ineffective never went away.
5 Govt pulls handbrake on blanket speed limit reductions
"The previous government's untargeted approach slowed Kiwis and the economy down, rather than targeting high crash areas of the network," Transport Minister Simeon Brown suggested.
The Government is also seeking feedback on enabling speed limits of up to 120km/h on Roads of National Significance that are built and maintained to safely accommodate that speed.
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A handful of Kiwi actors have been announced as part of the cast for the upcoming live-action version of Moana.
The three actors will join Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, who will reprise his role as the demigod Maui in the story about an adventurous teenager (Moana) who sails out on a daring mission to save her people.
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