A witness has described an incident where a rugby player almost lost his ear in a ruck as "the worst example of an attack on a player'' he had ever seen.

The sister of a murdered south Auckland man knew she had to face her brother's killer to see what his features revealed.

John Kirwan's deep into his second season and still doesn't know who the first five-eighth should be, writes Chris Rattue. It's the cardinal sin of rugby coaching and selecting.

The Waikato District Health Board has lifted its ban on women having their labours and births photographed professionally - provided no intervention is required.

An inscription on the forecourt at the Temple of Apollo at Delphi advises the reader to "know thyself".

An Easter holiday weekend of showers, shows and shopping beckons for Auckland residents and visitors - with gardeners and diners especially catered for.

A review into the supervision of the parolee who murdered Christchurch caregiver Amy Farrall is ongoing, Corrections confirmed today.

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge were so popular on their 10-day tour of NZ they managed to disrupt telcos in some places.

Paul Henry has been approached six times to play a role in politics, according to an insider.

Sally Ridge turned down a settlement worth $500k before her High Court trial with former partner Adam Parore - but now she's faced with a hefty bill for losing her case.

Sir Owen Woodhouse died yesterday, aged 97, and tributes have been paid to the "father of ACC" across the political realm.

Auckland Grammar School is set to be transformed by a multi-million-dollar building project.

Former All Black Justin Marshall is bringing a popular Australian mobile spit-roast business to New Zealand.

An Auckland doctor training to be an anaesthetist has been censured, suspended from practice and charged with misconduct over her struggles with alcohol.

Here are the top news stories today, upcoming events and the stories that will be talked about tomorrow.

The number of New Zealanders born overseas has topped one million, according to Census statistics released today.

Otago spinner Mark Craig is the surprise pick in the New Zealand team to tour the West Indies from the end of next month.

"If Guyon and Susie are on prescription meds, Hosking has a serious P habit." Paul Casserly was given the job of reviewing various radio shows.

Everything is stacked against the Chiefs, said my mate who is a rabid supporter of the franchise.

Paul and Angela Ashcroft were on a plane, flying somewhere over Australia, when their twin daughters Nicole and Peta were born.

Teina Pora enjoyed a cafe visit and a trip up Auckland's Sky Tower on his first day of freedom.

The loved ones of those who perished on Malaysia Airlines flight 653 are still waiting for answers about what happened on the plane - 37 years later.

Amillion-dollar microscope has allowed Kiwi scientists an unparalleled window into the human body, shining a new light on everything from Parkinson's to irregular heartbeats.

Surrounded by empty lots and raw new buildings in Christchurch's partly rebuilt city centre, the Duchess of Cambridge's eyes welled with tears as she spoke.

The head of an international fitness empire says he is donating $125,000 to Labour and the Greens because he is fed up with National's inaction on climate change.

Here are the top news stories today, upcoming events and the stories that will be talked about tomorrow.

Upmarket grocery chain Nosh has pulled back on expansion plans outside its core Auckland markets in the central, eastern suburbs and North Shore.

A Kiwi who uses a silver fern symbol on his Twitter account has been warned about copyright infringement by a government agency.