A close-up image of Act MP Hilary Calvert's eyes decorates a Dunedin building she owns that houses a massage parlour.

Dunedin police say they are not trying to stop Rugby World Cup fans from enjoying themselves at games at the Forsyth Barr stadium, but say Mexican waves which sweep around crowded grounds can lead to problems that can get out of hand.

Joe Karam's defamation action against members of Justice for Robin Bain was back in court in Auckland today.

Two German men who admitted travelling to New Zealand to steal rare native geckos have been jailed after they pleaded guilty to separate charges of hunting protected wildlife and possessing four rare jewelled geckos.

Dunedin police say it could take days to establish what happened when a man was attacked by a large group of people.

The Blues won their eighth game of the Super 15 season tonight with a 15-10 victory over the Highlanders at Carisbrook.

Join us at nzherald.co.nz for live scoring of tonight's Super 15 and NRL matches.

The Easter holiday road toll stands at five after a single-vehicle crash in Taranaki last night.

Tens of thousands of New Zealanders turned out at dawn services across the country.

A Dunedin man who sparked a police manhunt after he fired a shotgun during an argument with his partner has turned himself in.

Police are hunting a 50-year-old Dunedin man after he fired a shotgun during a domestic incident in Central Otago.