Rescue launched as pair were dragged out to sea when surfcasting off a popular Hawke's Bay beach.

Name suppression for a 21-year-old Hastings man charged with killing a five-month-old baby was lifted in court today.

Alex Binns turns 70 on Wednesday but instead of celebrating, his family are pleading for help to find him.

A young woman who has accused a former Hastings jockey of repeated rape, sexual and physical abuse from the age of six, told a court today he began plying her with alcohol when she was about eight.

This year's Weet-Bix Tryathlon series kicks off on February 6 in Hamilton. Diana Clement, whose own children took part last year, offers advice aimed at both young and older readers on how to get the best out of the event.

Police have charged a 21-year-old man with the manslaughter of a five-month-old baby who died in Hawkes Bay last week.

A man's ear had to be re-attached after a drunken fight in Hastings last night.

Three Mongrel Mob members were arrested in Hastings last night after one assaulted a woman and the other two stopped police from doing their job.

As she watched a car and then a truck hurtle towards her, Chelsea Walker's only thought was how she and her family could survive the head-on collision - and the pile-up that put 12 people in hospital.

A multi-vehicle pile up in Hawkes Bay has put 10 people in hospital, three with critical injuries, say police. Two tourists, one German and one Italian, are among those injured.

A knife-wielding man commandeered a Mr Whippy van and hurled ice creams at passersby, a court has been told.