A father accused of killing his four-year-old son, after allegedly driving his car into the path of a 850 tonne freight train in south Auckland, displayed appalling driving before the "utterly unacceptable but entirely preventable" incident, a jury was told today.

A Farnborough man killed when a skydiving plane crashed in New Zealand was "living life to the max", friends said.

A damaged walking bridge remains over the Avon River in Avonside, Christchurch, New Zealand, Sunday, Sept.

Twelve people were killed and dozens wounded, but U.S. officials say no Americans were hurt.

Army troops took control of the center of the New Zealand city of Christchurch on Monday, two days after a powerful 7.1-magnitude earthquake smashed buildings and homes, wrecked roads and rail lines - but caused no loss of life.

A Colorado company has a major stake in how Christchurch, New Zealand, recovers from a major 7.0 earthquake Saturday morning.

AUSTRALIAN survivors of the Christchurch quake have told how hotels swayed precariously as the earth shook.

New Zealand prepared for further destruction on Sunday as aftershocks and an approaching storm threatened an area hit by the most devastating earthquake in decades.

Crews safely secured the 5-story, 300-ton blowout preventer on a boat in the Gulf of Mexico.

Soon after it was lifted from the Gulf of Mexico, federal agents began taking photos and video.