EXCLUSIVE: Family members recall how Leotisia Malakai - the third victim of a horrific bus crash near Gisborne - slipped into a coma and never woke up.

Both the holiday road toll and last year's entire toll are the worst they've been in years.

The founder of Facebook has found religion, it seems, according to a cheery holiday message he posted on the social network he created.

COMMENT: Putting the past year in perspective can be good preparation for starting the next, writes Jan Aitken.

'Tis the season to consume more alcohol than normal, but the throbbing head that follows is not so festive. Here's how to avoid a bad hangover.

An American motoryclist was found dead with his crashed motorbike two days after he left a hotel, and failed to turn up for work the next morning.

A 6-year-old Arkansas girl used her sleeping mother's fingerprint to unlock her iPhone and buy US$250 worth of Pokemon toys on Amazon.

The festive season can be a wasteful time of year. Why not start 2017 with a resolution to use more and chuck away less fresh food.

Clearing out Christmas clutter will save you time, money and could bring more happiness than the entire festive season say experts.

The two Auckland Westpac Rescue Helicopters have been kept busy over the Christmas period.

A Nigeria teenage girl who spent her life being carried around in a plastic bowl because her body stopped growing has died.

This dog found the meat on Christmas Eve, wrapped in tin foil under a tea towel, and had left only a tiny fragment by the time she finished.

Police are looking for a white van involved in a hit and run which landed a man in hospital on Christmas Eve.

A British man has broken the record for the world's longest Christmas day after starting in Auckland in racing Santa to Hawaii.

In a post started by How To Dad, hundreds of fathers have taken to Facebook to share their Face Swapped selfies with their babies.

George Michael's partner has spoken of the moment he found the pop legend on Christmas Day, as the cause of his death is revealed.

Two people have been arrested after police found a marijuana plant - that was decorated like a Christmas tree.

A teen killed alongside two young friends in a "preventable" early morning crash has been remembered in an emotional tribute urging other drivers to take care.

What's behind the horror on our roads? A look into the factors that are causing crashes.

The birth of Jesus is celebrated in different ways around the globe

Max Key decided a bikini calendar was the perfect gift for his 83-year-old grandfather.

The driver was one of many engaging in "dangerous" behaviour in the past couple of days, police say.

The 11-year-old boy who died in the Christmas Eve bus crash was "quiet, kind and smiley" his sister says.

The Boxing Day races are back for another year, with clouds making way for a sunny day of bubbles and horses.

The holiday road toll now stands at seven since Friday afternoon.

State Highway 2 between Gisborne and Wairoa will be closed at some point over the next two days to investigate at fatal bus crash.

With Christmas come and gone, most of us were feeling our most festive - however, there are a few who were struggling to get in the mood.

Not even 24 hours after Kiwis unwrapped their annual Christmas haul, almost 8,000 unwanted prezzies are being hawked off online.

Her smile always made him happy, says the widower of Gisborne bus crash victim.

Did you eat so much food this weekend that your clothes don't fit any more? Here are some food and drinks that you can eat that will alleviate the bloat.