1A large number of police are searching the Port Hills in Christchurch for 27-year-old woman Vanessa Pickering who's been missing since Monday night.

2Housing New Zealand is investigating claims of bribery and corruption with one of its staff accused of taking money from people in return for ensuring they got a state house.

3The Hawke's Bay District Health Board has launched an independent clinical investigation into the standard of patient care at Cranford Hospice in Hastings. It follows a complaint to the Health and Disability commissioner.

4The Prime Minister John Key has been forced to defend the Government's intention to increase the tax on goods and services after Labour revealed he had ruled out a rise during the election campaign.

5Business News

6Security cameras or safety screens could be compulsory in taxis by the end of next month, following the high-profile deaths of two drivers in the last 14-months.

75:30pm News

8An Australian man who describes himself as a business coach and kaumatua has been jailed for five years for a multi-million dollar mortgage fraud.

9Economists are warning that plans to increase GST could make the economy more volatile and threaten its recovery. The Government foolishly believes that the increase will put the brakes on spending and boost savings and the economy.

10The Maori Party's most-watched MP Hone Harawira says a members' bill which flies in the face of the party's arrangement with the Government was put into the ballot by mistake.

11Waatea News

12The United States has warned Iran that there will be strong new international sanctions after an announcement from Tehran that it will step up its uranium enrichment programme.

13Large numbers of blood-sucking leeches are making their presence felt in Sydney, thanks to a combination of heavy rain and warm weather.

14The Privacy Commission is calling a botched injury compensation mailout a serious breach of privacy.

156:00pm News

16A large number of police are searching the Port Hills in Christchurch for 27-year-old woman Vanessa Pickering who's been missing since Monday night.

17The former Green Party co-leader, Jeanette Fitzsimons has brought down the curtain on her career as an MP with a parting shot at the institution of Parliament. In her final speech just moments ago she told the House that it is asleep, in denial and often preoccupied with trivia.

18The Minister of Local Government Rodney Hide has poured cold water on a last ditch attempt by North Rodney residents to stop their inclusion in the Auckland Council 'super city'.

19Business News

20A Japanese company has confessed to faking safety reports on airplane seats that are used by dozens of international airlines.

21NATO troops in Afghanistan are preparing for their biggest offensive yet. It will be a crucial battle against the Taliban and one that will test the coalition's strategy.

226:30pm News

23Former prime minister Helen Clark, the now chair of the United Nations Development Programme is urging Pacific governments to spend their money more carefully.

24News from China, including: Australia's coal deal with China;

25America's first lady Michelle Obama has launched a nationwide campaign to improve the way families eat. One official figure suggests that 1 in 3-children in the United States are overweight or obese.

26Waatea News

27In Australia, the Minister of the Environment Peter Garrett has suspended the use of foil blankets in the government's insulation programme after the deaths of four installers.

28The Australian attorney-general's department has confirmed that the Australian parliament's website and other government sites were jammed this morning.