Latest fromNorth Island

Neighbour saw fatal attack on gang leader
From her kitchen window, a witness at the High Court in Whanganui told the jury yesterday she saw Craig Rippon attacked "with rage

Two dead after Hawke's Bay crashes
Two women have died in separate Hawke's Bay crashes just hours apart.

Youth arrested for smashing shop window
A 16-year-old male was arrested in central Whangarei after he smashed the front window of a central city clothing business. Senior

Exhumation would 'breach Maori custom'
Digging up the body of a young Christchurch father five years after his death would be a "significant breach" of Maori custom, a court

Tramper walks out of bush during search
About 30 police and Far North search and rescue volunteers and helicopter support scoured a Northland bush track for a missing tramper

Hailstorms, lightning usher in Halloween
It was a wild day of weather for the upper North Island yesterday, but what will today bring?

Take cover! Hail pelts Auckland
Thunder storms dropping hail up to the size of 20c coins are hammering parts of Auckland.

Fleeing driver pleads guilty
A young man with multiple convictions for failing to stop has admitted leading Whangarei police on a pursuit and reaching speeds of

Pork Pie Mini bids reach nearly $25,000
Bids for a yellow Mini for sale on TradeMe which stars in a remake of the classic Kiwi film Goodbye Pork Pie have reached nearly $25,000.

Unseasonable cold snap this weekend
An unseasonable cold snap will be felt in much of the country over the weekend as a front moves over the North Island.

Couple jailed over elderly neglect
A Taranaki couple have been sentenced to nearly three years imprisonment for a horrendous case of neglect towards elderly woman.

Man killed in crash was Te Puke teen
The victim of a three-car crash near Te Puke on Friday was a local teen.

Protest against uni's killing of 11,358 animals
A cardboard heart representing each animal that died in University of Otago teaching and research last year was hung on the building

Special delivery for dog bite victim
As the wrapping was torn off to reveal a brand new PlayStation 4, 6-year-old Tyree Walters was quick to filter through the pack of

Man admits $10,000 tobacco burglaries
A young Whangarei man has admitted stealing tobacco products worth nearly $10,000 after breaking into two service stations. Joseph

Man allegedly abducted at gunpoint
Kaitaia police were yesterday interviewing a 15-year-old boy after a Takahue man was allegedly abducted from his home at gunpoint

Man who sparked callout pleads guilty
A Whangarei man has pleaded guilty at the start of his jury trial to charges relating to an Armed Offenders' Squad callout after reports

Orca encounter 'magical' experience (+video)
A drive in the rain to escape cabin fever in the family bach over the long weekend resulted in a "magical" experience for Jane Tarrant. Driving

Thieves burgle home of boy in hospital
As six-year-old Tyree Walters lay in hospital in agony with 30 stitches to his face and chest from a vicious dog attack heartless thieves burgled his home.

Kiwi musician with 12m Facebook views
A Northland farmer's first attempt at releasing a song internationally via social media has clocked up a whopping 12 million Facebook views.

Retailers caught selling tobacco to minors
Northland Health Officials were very disappointed three Northland retailers were prepared to sell cigarettes to minors in a controlled

Drivers cut from cars in horror crash
Two people were taken to hospital with suspected serious injuries after a head-on crash north of Napier yesterday. The crash involving

Woman punched in Hastings dairy raid
A 17-year-old female faces a serious assault charge after a woman shopkeeper was bashed when she interrupted teenagers allegedly stealing

Woman critical after head-on crash closes State Highway 1 at Paekakariki
Three people have been rushed to hospital following a head-on collision just south of Paekakariki, Wellington.

How Destiny turned our lives around
Two women from high-profile fractured relationships have found solace with Destiny Church.

Holiday traffic: Congestion eases
Congestion north of Auckland and around Wellington has eased, NZ Transport Agency says.

What's the fuss about the Coromandel?
COMMENT: As a child of the Central North Island I can't think of a better place to be than the Bay of Plenty.

Is this the strangest competition ever?
Oysters thrown on concrete, slurped off a belly button and sucked from the toe of a shoe. These are some of the ways oysters were