An HIV-positive man who sexually abused two children under 12 after serving time in jail for a similar offence has avoided an indefinite jail term.

The man charged with the murder of NZ nurse Michelle Beets has attempted to take his life in an Australian prison.

Two Auckland prison guards have today been charged with smuggling contraband - including a controlled drug - into jail for inmates. One of the men also faces a charge of unlawful possession of a firearm.

Two Auckland prison guards were arrested today and face a number of charges after a joint operation between police and the Department of Corrections.

For eight years, a British grandmother has been living on death row in Texas.