Paua fishermen are diving back into the seas and surfers are out to catch waves even as tsunami warnings stay in place.

New Zealand east coastal areas aren't out of the woods yet, with Civil Defence authorities and scientists electing keep the tsunami warning in place.

Crowds are gathering at beaches to watch the tsunami threatening New Zealand, says the coastguard.

Wave activity "appears to be stabilised" at previously-reported levels, Civil Defence Emergency Management says.

The first wave has reached the Chatham Islands, after a massive 8.8 magnitude earthquake hit Chile overnight. An official tsunami alert remains in place for New Zealand's entire east coast.

A tsunami generated by a massive 8.8 magnitude earthquake in Chile, is expected to reach New Zealand this morning.

Ten missionaries facing trial for trying to take a busload of children out of Haiti could be released from jail.

A rice seller may have lived under the rubble of a flea market for 27 days with little more than water.

Geologists from GNS Science will spend the next six months collecting information on buildings and infrastructure in Pacific Island countries.

A Chinese man has been jailed following his investigation into poorly built schools after the 2008 Sichuan earthquake.