Several investigations are underway after a tragic bus crash near Rotorua yesterday morning

Five people are dead and two seriously injured after the bus carrying Chinese 27 tourists rolled on State Highway 5 at Mamaku.

Bay of Plenty road policing manager, Inspector Brent Crowe says the bus was travelling south towards Rotorua and failed to take a bend.



Police are working with MFAT and the Chinese consulate to identify those who died, and notify the next of kin.

The police serious crash unit and the commercial vehicle safety team are investigating.

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A lawyer says it'll be an uphill battle to push through Peter Ellis's appeal after his death.

The 61-year-old was found guilty in 1993 of abusing children at the Christchurch creche where he worked... in what's been called New Zealand's biggest miscarriage of justice.

He's died today after a short battle with cancer... ahead of November's Supreme Court case to clear his name.

Nigel Hampton QC says his lawyers will now have to fight the prevailing view that on death, the appeal dies too.



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The KiwiBuild reset is a win for the Green Party.

A 400-million-dollar progressive home ownership scheme will be set up - honouring the Greens' confidence-and-supply agreement with Labour.

Details are still to be worked out - but it could include rent-to-own programmes.

Greens co-leader Marama Davidson says they've opened the door to Kiwis who have given up hope of buying a home.



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The Commerce Commission is warning people to beware of the Women's Gifting Circle because it is a possible pyramid scheme..

It provides access to women offering support and friendship ... but joining costs 5-thousand US dollars up front.

Commissioner Anna Rawlings says people join with the promise of a financial reward once they've recruited enough people.



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Police are still investigating a major South Island fire... and a smashed ATM.

Fire crews spent nearly two days fighting a blaze at Porters Pass which started early Sunday and spread to more than 150 hectares of scrub.

An abandoned Nissan Mistral was found near where the fire started - which police believe was involved in tearing an ATM out of Darfield post shop's wall before the fire.

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A salutory warning about a junk food diet

A UK study has found a teenage boy who subsisted primarily on junk food went blind from his poor diet

The 17-year-old, first went to the doctor at age 14 complaining of tiredness.

By the time his doctors discovered nutrition was the probable cause, his vision was irrevocably damaged.

The teen was healthy in all other respects and wasn't on any medication, but had a form of anaemia and low vitamin B12 levels.

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Tennis...........Five times champion Roger Federer has suffered a shock quarter final loss at the US Open.

The world number three has succumbed 3-6 6-4, 6-3, 6-4 6-2 to Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov who has beaten the Swiss great for the first time in eight meetings.

Meanwhile, Serena Williams has crushed China's Wang Qiang for the loss of just one game and will face Elena Svitolina for a place in the final.

Williams played a near flawless match.