Providing people with an affordable, convenient and safe public passenger transport system will be a key policy objective for Environment Canterbury in 2009.

Hastings, Jan 15 NZPA - Hastings millionaire Sam Kelt, who was set to appear in Hastings District Court today, will now fight an assault charge in April.

The charge stems from an incident where he was evicted from Havelock North's Diva bar on December 18 last year.

Two people have been arrested and are to appear in the Lower Hutt District Court today charged with the aggravated robberies of two pharmacies.

There were a total of 96 drowning deaths in New Zealand in 2008. Water Safety New Zealand (WSNZ) has today officially announced the annual drowning toll. It follows one of the highest holiday period drowning tolls in recent time.

Last night saw the exciting launch of the SKYCITY Supercar Show in partnership with A1GP World Cup of Motorsport. The doors are now open to the public today until January 20 at SKYCITY Auckland.

Following information from the public Hawke's Bay District Health Board's mobile dental clinic has been found in Wairoa - minus $70,000 worth of dental equipment.

Last week the unit which was being serviced in Napier was stolen from an Onekawa workshop.

Police are trying to locate the family or caregiver of a lost two year old girl. Police found the young child walking down Line Road in Glenn Innes this morning.

Auckland, Jan 15 NZPA - A man accused of reversing his car over a policewoman, causing her serious injury, reappeared in Waitakere District Court this morning.

A year long World Health Organization (WHO) pilot study carried out in eight hospitals around the world including Auckland City Hospital, has proven conclusively that the use of a simple surgical checklist can significantly reduce the number of deaths and complications following surgery.

The Salvation Army is sheltering a growing number of homeless Fijians as renewed flooding hits the west of the country.