Two German tourists were robbed and one bashed in an early morning attack when two men smashed the windows of their van and demanded money.

A stranger's speedy action saved the life of a toddler who slipped off the pontoon at Mangonui wharf and "sank like a stone".

A 41-year-old Kaitaia man has been remanded in custody on sexual charges relating to alleged offending against a young girl.

Jen Whittington has done all she can to find her friend, 42-year-old Aucklander Anna Louise Hynes, and now all she can do now is hope.

Two Czech Republic nationals ran for their lives yesterday morning after they were allegedly confronted by a 47-year-old man armed with a rifle.

A man who murdered an Auckland man with a thistle grubber has been jailed for life with a non-parole period of 21 years.

A High Court jury trial was interrupted but not aborted despite comments directed at some of the jurors outside the Whangarei courts.

A mother has escaped a prison sentence for an "orchestrated campaign of abuse and neglect" against her preschool-age child.

Editorial: It is hardly surprisingly that many state-house tenants in Glen Innes are angry about being asked to leave homes they have inhabited for years.

Wayne Bracken was found guilty of kidnapping and murdering Jack Davis in 2011. But co-accused Neville Dangen, 24 was found not guilty of the same charges.

Armed police are still hunting for a fugitive believed to be roaming Far North bush with a rifle, and have asked for help from the public to help find him.

Police are interested in photos which may have identified a young victim of Kaitaia sexual predator James Parker.