At about 2.45am today, Wednesday 14th January 2009, the premises of Armourguard in Opawa Street, Blenheim was entered and a substantial amount of cash stolen.

CLEVELAND, Jan. 14 /PRNewswire-AsiaNet/ --

Wellington, Jan 13 NZPA - Police have named a man who was shot dead at a house north of Auckland last night.

He was Gene Patrick Atkins, a 28-year-old concrete layer from Orewa.

A 30 year old male painter has appeared in the North Shore District Court today charged with unlawful possession of a firearm.

The man has been granted interim name suppression. He's been remanded in custody until his next scheduled court appearance Friday 23 January 2009.

Meat & Wool New Zealand will conduct director elections in two of its electoral districts this year.

Three nominations have been received for the Northern North Island district. They are Tom Mandeno of Tuakau (incumbent), James Parsons of Broadwood and James Reeves of Hamilton.

Tauranga, Jan 13 NZPA - Two young people charged over the death of retired Opotiki schoolteacher John Rowe in November can now be named.

The Alcohol Advisory Council (ALAC) has welcomed the Liquor Licensing Authority's (LLA) decision to refuse an application for a Porirua off-licence in Cannons Creek because the authority believes it would result in an increase in alcohol-related harm.

Tauranga, Jan 13 NZPA - A Tauranga teenager allegedly attacked outside a dance a few days before Christmas has only recently come out of a coma, a court was told today.

(Crcts headline of H9195)

Christchurch, Jan 13 NZPA - A man acquitted in a famous crossbow murder trial has died and the latest prosecution against him -- receiving stolen property -- was stayed at court today.

"With the Government's economic ministers meeting in Wellington this Thursday, Federated Farmers has offered five words of advice, 'back growth by backing agriculture'," says Don Nicolson, Federated Farmers President.