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The Warriors face a nervous wait to see if their NRL season is over after they were comprehensively beaten 28-16 by a fired up Titans side in Robina.

The cordon around quake-damaged central Christchurch has been removed.

The numbers may tell a different story, but Richie McCaw says he doesn't consider himself the "greatest" All Blacks captain of all time.

It was a case of last orders at the Valley Inn Tavern as the 133 year-old pub was torn down following this week's big quakes.

Christchurch mayoral aspirant Jim Anderton has lashed out at Christchurch media, calling them 'vultures' - and now denies saying he would consider quitting Parliament if he won in October.

A massive fire burned homes as it roared through a mostly residential neighborhood in the hills south of San Francisco following a loud explosion that shot a fireball more than 300 meters into the air and sent frightened residents fleeing for safety, witnesses said.

Traffic on Wellington urban motorway is slowed to a crawl after a vehicle lost a pane of glass and kept going.

Former Canterbury Tactix netball chief executive Anthony John Dawson has been committed for trial on charges of arson, and dishonestly using a document, and will appear for a pre-trial conference in the Christchurch High Court on November 19.

Kapiti Coast investment adviser Chris Lee has been ordered to pay property magnate Sir Robert Jones around $80,000 towards his defamation court costs.

Prime Minister John Key is declining to say whether a top Defence Department chief who exaggerated a CV might have compromised the security around intelligence secrets New Zealand had and shared with allies.

Wellington Hospital is considering whether to proceed with its scheduled operations this afternoon, after a power failure this morning.

Air New Zealand and Virgin Blue have been denied permission to merge their trans-Tasman services by the Australian competition watchdog.

A jilted lover blackmailed a married man into paying her nearly a quarter of a million dollars after threatening to disclose their affair to his wife.

A Waikato teacher lauded by students and colleagues for his "positive personality" has been convicted for two assaults on his children, one of which was clipping his son around the ears.

A 21 year-old Hawke's Bay driver who struck and killed an elderly woman on a pedestrian crossing when distracted by an incoming text message has been sentenced to nine months home detention and disqualified for three years.

Cuisine Resources are recalling some of their Pams and Signature Range stock products due to possible bacterial contamination.

A woman who fell seriously ill after having a flu jab has been left with a medical bill of more than $250,000, which the Accident Compensation Corporation is refusing to pay.

State Highway One has been partially blocked by a slip south of Kaikoura following heavy overnight rain in the area.

The notorious Undie 500 student car race has been cancelled and funds will instead be channelled into helping with the clean-up in Christchurch in the wake of the earthquake, organisers say.

An Arrowtown pilot had to swim for safety when his helicopter plunged into the sea near the mouth of Milford Sound this week.