1The acting Prime Minister Bill English has bowed to public pressure and says he will no longer accept the parliamentary housing allowance. At a news conference held at Parliament within the last hour he said that his attention needs to be firmly focussed on running the economy.

2A High Court jury has heard that an elderly Christchurch man confessed to friends several years after his sister's death, that he had murdered her. 72-year-old Denis Billesdon is accused of killing his sister Nola Billesdon by smothering her with a pillow in 2001.

3The Philippines has declared a 'state of calamity' after torrential rains in Manila triggered the worst flooding in decades. At least 86-people are dead and thousands displaced.

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5The French government has condemned the arrest in Switzerland of Roman Polanski for having unlawful sex with a 13-year-old girl in Los Angeles in 1977. President Sarkozy has demanded his immediate release; Polanski is a French citizen.

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7The government's announced plans for a new, fully independent electoral commission. The authority would be given authority to look after all electoral issues which are currently looked after by three offices. It's also released details surrounding new electoral finance rules and changes to the repealed Electoral Finance Act.

8The Automobile Association (AA) says a new approach to road safety is urgently needed if the country's wants to reduce the levels of death and injury. A discussion document released today by the association calls for substantial changes to be made to the national roading strategy.

9New Zealand firm Todd Energy are to spend $65-million on building a LPG plant in Taranaki. The plant should be built within 12-months, bringing a major boost to the region's economy.

10Waatea News

11Emotions are running high in Alice Springs over accusations that the recent death of an Aboriginal man was the result of a racially motivated attack. Five white men have been charged with the murder of a 33-year-old man.

12The advocacy group Alcohol Healthwatch says the Auckland City Council's decision to scrap a proposal to restrict drinking hours is a cop-out. The Council had been advocating for some suburban bars to close by 11pm, however lobbying from the Hospitality Association appears to have changed their minds.

13Sir Howard Morrison's friends are gathering in Rotorua to pay their respects after the 74-year-old died last week. Bleak weather has done little to dampen the enthusiasm of the hundreds that continue to gather for his tangi at Rotorua's Ohinemutu Marae.

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15The acting Prime Minister Bill English has bowed to public pressure and says he will no longer accept the parliamentary housing allowance. At news conference held at Parliament within the last hour he said that his attention needs to be firmly focussed on running the economy.

16British Prime Minister Gordon Brown has come out fighting on the first day of the Labour Party conference in the southern English seaside city of Brighton. He's defended his leadership and says he won't rollover.

17A two-week climate change meeting is underway in Thailand, the last such conference of its kind before the much-vaunted Copenhagen talks in December. 1500 delegates from 180 countries have met in Bangkok to pave the way for Copenhagen and prepare a replacement for the Kyoto Protocol which ends in 2012.

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19The interim leader of Fiji has used an address to the United Nations to accuse politicians in his own country of involvement with terrorism, and those abroad of conspiring against his regime.

20Tobacco companies are being accused of trying to circumvent the rules of displaying graphic pictures on cigarette packets. The less disturbing pictures are being favoured over the more disturbing ones.

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22The political crisis in Honduras has deepened, with Brazil rejecting an ultimatum over the diplomatic protection its giving ousted leader Manuel Zelaya. He has taken refuge at the Brazilian embassy after sneaking back in to the country last week. The building is surrounded by military and riot police who are awaiting further orders.

23KiwiRail is considering closing unprofitable branch lines to avert a potential budget blowout. Managers at the state owned enterprise say no decisions have been made and all options are being considered.

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25A survey of chief executives' pay shows it's still bosses in the private sector who are earning the large salaries.

26The Automobile Association is calling for comprehensive changes to the national road safety plan ahead of the government's adoption of a new strategy, currently out to consultation