Waikato

A man has been charged with murder after a man was found dead in Hamilton and another critically injured.

A homicide investigation is underway in Hamilton after a man was found dead.

KiwiRail failed to follow a decade-old Coroner's recommendation to fence an area of railway line where a young Matamata College student was killed by a train this week.

The yellow invasive plant grows in the shape of a messy circle and entwines itself around other plants.

A collage student was hit by a freight train and killed just after 3pm on Wednesday. Audio

"There just seems to be a love affair with breaking toilets when you're young and going out to drink," Lawrenson Group chief executive John Lawrenson told Checkpoint. Audio

The government has pledged financial support for farmers and growers affected by the dry conditions.

One person is in a critical condition following a car vs motorcycle crash in the Hauraki District.

As it started to get dark, police noticed several more children wandering back home from nearby streets and a park, all unsupervised.

Taharoa Ironsands Limited was convicted and fined $105,000 for the unlawful outflow of sediment laden water into the coastal marine area.

A rail maintenance vehicle was struck by a car and derailed on Wednesday morning at a level crossing in Matamata.

There have been three possible sightings today of Travis Langford who disappeared six weeks ago.

A Ngaruawahia woman who ripped her baby off a hospital's oxygen machine while abusing concerned medical staff has been sentenced.

Two people remain in a critical but stable condition in hospital.

A Waikato high school said it closed on Friday out of an abundance of caution after receiving two threats on Thursday.

Police shot the animal and were investigating what had happened.

Hamilton police said in recent weeks they had received a number of reports about parcels going missing from doorsteps.

Patrick Neho helped a group of Kenyan-based scammers to launder more than $40,000 of hard-working Kiwis' money.