1It's not in the same league as the pie and the penthouse, but the discovery of a Treasury official's notebook on a Wellington street is causing some embarrassment. The notebook which reveals a information about a possible merger of New Zealand's intelligence agencies was found on Bowen Street near parliament by Radio New Zealand's political reporter Julian Robbins. Treasury Secretary John Whitehead has confirmed that it belonged to one of his staff.

2Tens of thousand of Auckland commuters have been saved from days of chaos - at least for now - with a last minute break through in the bus drivers pay dispute. From 4:00am this morning NZ Bus had planned to lock-out drivers citing their decision to 'work-to-rule' would have put them and passengers in danger.

3The family of a Whangarei woman killed by the police during an armed hold-up say they don't blame the officer responsible. Lee Jane Mettam was killed in October after entering Vodafone store with an air-rifle and taking a shop assistant hostage.

4In a rowdy Question Time in Parliament the Prime Minister John Key has defended the decision to send the SAS back to Afghanistan. Papers obtained by Radio New Zealand under the Official Information Act confirm the situation in Afghanistan is getting worse, not better.

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6People living in houses built on a former dump in Napier say they are more angry about the past being raked up than the chemicals which may lie beneath them. The Hawkes Bay District Council has sent 300-households letters informing them they could be on land contaminated by methane and heavy metals.

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8Ministers are putting on a brave face over a new system for housing allowances in Wellington, even though some stand to miss out on thousands of dollars a year. Half a dozen ministers will be able to claim more due to a flat payment of $37.5-thousand being paid out, instead of claiming for expenses.

9The sister of a three year old boy who was critically injured says her mother beat him with part of a vacuum cleaner because he wet the bed. Itupa Julie Mikaio pleaded guilty to one charge of injuring with intent to injure her son, Benjamin Mikaio. But she denies two further charges, one of injuring with intent to cause grievous bodily harm and another of failing to provide the necessities of life for a child, which the Crown alleges happened in June last year.

10Three British-born Muslims have been found guilty of plotting to bring down seven transatlantic airliners with homemade liquid bombs.

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12Samoa has made a fairly smooth switch to driving on the left side of the road - but some disgruntled bus owners have put the brakes on services in protest. The move to the left was intended to make importing cars from New Zealand and Australia easier and cheaper.

13The prime minister of Taiwan Liu Chao-shiuan has quit and his entire cabinet is expected to be replaced this week after widespread criticism of the government's response to Typhoon Morakot. The storm which slammed in to the island last month left 700-people dead after days of heavy rain and devastating mud slides.

14It's been a volatile winter for most of the country with a freezing start to a season that ended with record warm temperatures in August.

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16Some neighbouring District Health Boards will be sharing board members in a significant move by the Government to get more co-operation over patient services. Currently four members of each board are appointed by the government; over the next fifteen months Minister of Health Tony Ryall will be increasing the number who sit on more than one board.

17The Police Association says firearms training for some staff in Auckland is to be cut as part of moves to reduce cost training overheads. In an article in the union's monthly magazine it's said that traffic management staff, and other front-line staff will be exempt from training.

18There are revelations in Australia about the amount of money being spent by medical device companies on sending doctors and surgeons to soccer World Cup games and polo carnivals.

19The Police Association says firearms training for some staff in Auckland is to be cut as part of moves to reduce cost training overheads. In an article in the union's monthly magazine it's said that traffic management staff, and other front-line staff will be exempt from training. Some written comments from the Police Association.

20A woman has chained herself to a PostShop in Christchurch in protest at its imminent closure, and says she won't give up until New Zealand Post changes its mind. The Redwood PostShop has been there for the past 25-years.

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22Amnesty International has hit out at China for 'favouring' Fiji's military government and ignoring its systematic human rights violations. In a new report the organisation calls for greater responsibility, especially from China - one of the nation's biggest donors.

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24In Australia there has been more violent behaviour from rugby league players. Kiwi international David Fa'alogo is accused of knocking out his Rabbitohs coach during the club's "Mad Monday" celebrations at a Sydney pub.

25The United States President Barak Obama is launching a fight back over healthcare reform. His positioning in the polls has dropped after he lost control of the domestic policy debate.

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27The manufacturing industry has the greatest potential for growth and is most likely to take on more staff; according to a survey from the Manpower employment agency.

28In Queensland, trouble's brewing between doctors and health chiefs over cups of coffee. Guidelines urge medics to drink more coffee to fight off fatigue.

29Former first lady Laura Bush says her husband was misrepresented and misunderstood, while also praising Barak Obama, saying he's doing a good job under tough circumstances.

30New Zealand is getting Britain out of a sticky situation, by helping to boost the UK's bumble bee population.