Air New Zealand has confirmed it will operate its next $29 Night Rider service between Palmerston North and Auckland.

Hundreds of firefighters are battling large scrub blazes as dry weather has created tinderbox conditions across the country, the Fire Service says. Blazes in Canterbury, Marlborough and Manawatu are keeping about 330 firefighters busy.

"Can't think of a better way to spend a Thursday," says Jono Lester as I'm folded into the passenger seat of his Ferrari 458 GT3.

The body of a man who died at a Manawatu house has been removed and a post-mortem examination will be done tomorrow, police say.

Five people are facing a raft of drug charges in relation to the importation of nearly $500,000 worth of methamphetamine.

A grieving mother has been left devastated after discovering items from her son's grave have been stolen from Kelvin Grove Cemetery in Palmerston North.

A young woman suffered numerous injuries when she was pinned by a vehicle that crashed in Manawatu yesterday.

Two elderly women who were killed when a car lost control and crashed into a ditch in Manawatu early this morning have been named by police.

Two people are dead and four are injured after their vehicle lost control and ended up in a ditch in Manawatu overnight.

A young woman was thrown 15 metres from a vehicle following a crash in the Manawatu region early today.

A woman is in hospital on life support following a crash in the Manawatu region in the early hours of this morning.

A gold ingot, seven Harley Davidsons, nine muscle cars and a stack of cash were among the assets seized by police in a coordinated raid.

A home invasion at a rural Manawatu property turned violent when a woman couldn't comply with her attackers' demands this morning.

A 20-year-old man who died in a fiery road accident had managed to turn his life around and become a caring young father, a youth worker says.

A 51-year-old woman and a 20-year-old man, both from Levin, were killed in a fiery three-vehicle crash, police have confirmed.

The number of people killed in a fiery crash in Manawatu early today is still unclear due to the destruction of the wreckage.

Six people have been arrested in a two-day sting targeting methamphetamine supply ring in Manawatu.

The controversial Lundy Three Hundy car rally will go ahead this weekend despite fears of protests, its organiser says.

Vehicle Inspection New Zealand has said the death of one of its workers was a tragic and unfortunate accident.

A man has died after being crushed by a vehicle at a Palmerston North vehicle testing facility this afternoon.

A man has been taken to hospital in serious condition after a truck crash in Manawatu.

A series of crashes involving trucks has kept emergency services busy around the North Island today.