Two people were critically injured when a van full of Taiwanese tourists and a van carrying a shearing gang collided in King Country this afternoon.

The teenager accused of shooting and killing his friend with an airgun during a drinking session can be named for the first time.

Police have charged an 18-year-old Auckland man with the manslaughter of his friend who was shot dead with an airgun during a drinking session.

A truck driver is dead after a fully laden truck and trailer unit rolled down a bank leaving a timber mill in Whangarei.

Germany's Jacqueline Zech says she had the "best father ever" in an emotional tribute after her dad died in a motorcycle crash north of Wanganui.

A 3-year-old boy turned blue and nearly stopped breathing when his neck became caught in an electric car window, the rescuers say.

The German tourist who suffered life-threatening injuries to his head and face when his motorcycle collided with a four-wheel-drive north of Wanganui yesterday afternoon died in Wanganui Hospital overnight.

Two men were taken to hospital after the car they were travelling in smashed head-on into a tree in Napier.

The family of a young man killed in a Waikato hit-and-run hopes an upcoming inquest will finally reveal how he died.

Philip Duncan takes a look at the weekend weather and it looks sunny and warm for most - but are we heading into a slightly cooler phase? We also take a look at a Canadian city which is experiencing daytime highs between -18 and -40C.

The brother of an instructor who died after being swept off Taranaki's Paritutu Rock into the sea, says he is not angry with the company his brother worked for.

Bette Eavestaff's hopes of a quiet start to the day crashed in around her as a car ploughed into her bedroom yesterday.

Edwin Kidwell cannot remember his mother. But her death when he was 3 has had a "dark" impact on his life.

They should never have been on the bus. But a mix-up with their booking led to 36 people hopping aboard a dilapidated coach that would become a death-trap.

Waikato police say the consequences of poor decision making are readily apparent as officers investigate the death of a young man early this morning.

A toddler is dead and a 3-year-old boy seriously injured after separate serious accidents yesterday.

A toddler has died after being hit by a vehicle in a driveway in Northland.

The survivor of a horror zorbing accident in Russia last month has spoken of the final moments before his friend's death and told of the "fear'' he saw in his eyes.

A three-year-old boy is in critical condition following a hit-and-run in South Auckland this morning.