The study of blood-splatter patterns, made famous by popular TV crime shows CSI and Dexter, is being looked at by NZ researchers.

Peter "Fats" Fatialofa was known for his big smile and happy nature. But you never wanted to get on his wrong side, recalls All Black great and old friend Michael Jones.

Mayor Len Brown will propose a "living wage" of $18.40 for all Auckland Council staff at a council meeting today.

Apart from the occasional verbal inconsistency in declaring where they stand on issues - and English talking too loudly about selling Kiwibank - there have been no visible schisms in the Key-English combination.

Watch the 2013 Critics' Choice Prize Showcase back in full, thanks to Spotify and Vodafone.

Featuring performances and interviews with Paquin, Janine and the Mixtape and Sheep, Dog and Wolf.

Originally streamed live from Auckland's Kings Arms Tavern on November 6th 2013.

The Hallenstein Brothers Critics' Choice Prize is part of the Vodafone New Zealand Music Awards.

Embalmer Marissa Deadman admits she is sometimes embarrassed when handing out her business card.

It's three months since Melissa Ray and Tash Vitali got married - and the same-sex couple say gay marriage opponents' predicted social chaos came to nothing.

Panguru pub owner Charlie Dunns recalls life as a boxing champ.

It would be natural to expect the French to be a tougher side to beat in Paris than they were in New Zealand. They rarely lose Six Nations games in Paris and even if they occasionally lack accuracy at home, they live off emotion and passion and deliver greater intensity.

The All Whites team for the World Cup playoff with Mexico will be named this morning - but getting many of the squad to North America remains a challenge.

All the great sporting franchises, teams, sportsmen and women are constantly looking for an edge; the small percentages that add up to big gains.

A Kiwi diver was dragged behind a humpback whale as he tried to free it from a tangle of commercial fishing gear in Fijian waters.

The former mistress of Auckland Mayor Len Brown wants failed mayoral candidate John Palino to front up about an alleged plan to bring down the mayor.

The Royal New Zealand Navy has refused to say whether sailor Grenville McFarland has been stood down from service while on bail.

A 27-year-old has appeared in court in connection with an attack on a trainee primary teacher who died in Auckland hospital this morning.

A Swedish extreme-altitude skier who plunged 600m to his death near the peak of Aoraki-Mt Cook had set a new record on the mountain just days earlier.

Auckland has only 10 service stations wired up to provide fuel to emergency services quickly if electricity is cut in a natural disaster.

New Zealand passengers flying to and from the US will soon be able to use their electronic devices during take-off and landing at the American end of their flights.

A man has claimed a $1 million Lotto prize - seven months after buying his ticket.

New Zealand winemakers could stand to benefit from a global shortage of wine, a new report says.

Rutger Hale and Danielle Oylear's love story began with a chance meeting in a bar, but it was a cruel twist that tore them apart, his funeral service was told yesterday.

Concerns are being raised over the number of mental health patients placed under compulsory treatment.

Claims that Australian embassies are involved in intercepting calls and data across Asia will be causing "anxiety and concern" for New Zealand's GCSB and its partners in the United States-led "Five Eyes" intelligence group.

A grieving mother is pleading with parents never to leave their young children alone in water after her infant son drowned in a bath.

The couple who bought the winning home on TV3's The Block live in China and have never seen the show.

He was kicked out of secondary school and doesn't believe students should receive marks.

The Government is reviewing a voluntary code of conduct for wheel-clamping, which Labour and the Automobile Association want made mandatory, with a maximum $50 fee.

David Cunliffe's leadership will be put to an early test at the Labour Party conference this weekend as he mediates between two divergent forces in the party on the Trans-Pacific Partnership.