1United States Secretary of State George Shultz has accused the Soviet Union of building up the military arsenal of Nicaragua, thereby threatening to destabilise Central America.

2Government officials in Moscow are refusing to confirm or deny rumours that Soviet Defence Minister Dmitriy Ustinov has died.

3Scotland Yard is looking for a 28-year old Irish woman in connection with last month's bomb arrack in Brighton.

4The assassination of Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi has caused a major rift between Hindus and Sikhs in India, and academics believe it will take many years to heal relations between the two groups.

5The United States says that unless Iraq can buy a specified amount of butter from New Zealand next year, it will call off a planned sale of cheap dairy products to Iraq.

6Thousands of people in Auckland and Wellington lined the streets today to watch their annual Christmas parades.

7New Zealand galloper Kiwi will represent New Zealand in the Japan Cup on November 25th.

8A Christchurch man has marked the twenty-first anniversary of Ruapuna Raceway with a spectacular jump over 21 cars, claiming a world record in the process.