1The Minister of Labour has been stonewalling opposition MPs in Parliament this afternoon, who have been pressing her on why she's waiting for the outcome of Pike River Royal Commission, before taking action on mining safety.

2A coal geologist says the Pike River company didn't understand the complexities of the mine it was working or the risks of a sudden gas outburst

3The police in the lower North Island have arrested 25 people in drug raids today seizing one-hundred-thousand dollars in cash and eight thousand dollars worth of LSD.

4Phil Goff has warned tomorrow's tax announcement by the Labour Party will include tough decisions aimed at getting the public finances back into surplus. Bill English says this is a tax and spend policy putting New Zealand's economic growth at risk.

5Business News

6The price of fresh fruit and vegetables has surged by over 12-percent in just the month of June. The Queensland floods in January have had a big impact on this rise.

7A High Court judge has warned TV journalists they won't be able to film in court if they question former Bridgecorp director Rod Petricevic, who is charged with fraud, as he leaves court.

85:30pm News

9The Government is refusing to beef up inspections of coal mines immediately, despite revelations about further fires underground. Solid Energy back union calls for a strengthened mine inspectorate.

10An employment lawyer says there may be serious disciplinary repercussions for the female staffer of AMP who inadvertently let a fellow plane passenger see confidential documents

11Manu Korihi News, including; The number of properties set aside for Treaty settlements is increasing, but the Government has no more money to keep them all in good condition; The Minister of Maori Affairs, Pita Sharples, is defending comments he made during a televised debate this week that Maori have special measures so those lagging behind can catch up; A delay in a deed of settlement has held up the moving of an ancestral meeting house from Te Papa Tongarewa back to Poverty Bay

12Human Rights Watch has called on the U.S President Barack Obama to order a criminal investigation into former President George W Bush and his top officials over the use of torture. Besides Bush, HRW names his vice-president, Dick Cheney, the former defence secretary, Donald Rumsfeld, and the ex-CIA director, George Tenet, as likely to be guilty of authorising torture and other crimes.

13Japanese officials say they intend to send their Whaling fleet back to the Antarctic at the end of this year.

146:00pm News

15The Government is refusing to strengthen the inspection regime for coal mines immediately, despite revelations about fires in Spring Creek mine.

16St John Ambulance admits human error partly contributed to the death of a man, Simon Berry , in Cromwell. The paging system was down for maintenance causing a slow response time for the ambulance.

17Ireland has become the latest country in Europe to have its debt downgraded to junk status, the latest in a string of economic shocks to hit the Eurozone this week.

18Legislation was passed last night dumping the TVNZ Charter and its public service obligations. What is the future of public service television.

19Business news, including: The listed firm, Diligent Board Member Services, says the surge in sales of its software to assist company directors is partly due to the popularity of Apple's iPad

20There are so many kaka flying around Wellington they are in danger of killing off the trees they're gnawing on, so the council have teamed up with Victoria University to see what can be done.

216:30pm News

22Union members have rejected a Government offer aimed at settling the controversy over sleepover payments for disability support workers. They are seeking the minimum wage and back pay for these workers.

23Rupert Murdock, head of News Corporation has arrived in London to try to deal with the phone hacking crisis and may have to appear before a parliamentary committee with his son, James and Rebekah Brooks (former CEO of News International) next week.

24The Privacy Commission is considering feedback on a proposal to give credit lenders more access to people's financial information, as currently only defaulting information is given out.

25Manu Korihi News, including; The number of properties set aside for Treaty settlements is growing - putting pressure on the Government department that looks after the buildings, and affecting their condition; The Minister of Maori Affairs, Pita Sharples, is defending comments he made during a televised debate this week that Maori have special measures so those lagging behind can catch up; A delay in a deed of settlement has held up the moving of an ancestral meeting house from Te Papa Tongarewa back to Poverty Bay

26A new survey suggests more than a million New Zealanders are uninterested in the Rugby World Cup, but their chances of escaping the barrage of hype about it may be slim and dwindling.

27The Auckland City Mission says chronic poverty means food parcels are increasingly becoming a way of life for many people, instead of just a stop-gap measure.