APNZ

A family orchard and packhouse company has lost an estimated $300,000 as the result of fruit and vegetable thefts by a female employee who worked for the company since leaving school 15 years ago.

Paula Bennett is on the verge of losing her Waitakere electorate seat.

Rugby royalty flew into Blenheim last night for New Zealand's wedding of the year - the tightly-controlled pairing of Dan Carter and Honor Dillon.

A man who moved next door to a woman he raped has been abusing and intimidating her for the past two years, her partner says.

The $1.7 billion fraud charges involving South Canterbury Finance are expected to allege the company duped Treasury when it applied for admission to the Crown retail deposit guarantee scheme, the Serious Fraud Office has indicated.

A man is dead after a crash north of Matamata last night.

The Breakers overcame an all-in brawl and a Gold Coast side that at one stage couldn't miss to register their league-leading eighth win on the North Shore tonight.

Artem Sitak and Luci Barlow took out the Auckland tennis championships this afternoon in Auckland.

The Wellington Phoenix have kept the circling suitors at bay by re-signing striker Paul Ifill to a new two-year deal.

The Black Sticks believe they are at their best with their backs against the wall and they are now firmly pinned against the barrier as far as their gold-medal hopes at the Champions Trophy are concerned.