1Lion New Zealand has easily taken line honours in the storm-wrecked Sydney - Hobart Yacht Race. However, Peter Blake's crew may miss out on handicap honours.

2Invercargill Police may have lost vital records in what they believe was a deliberate attempt to burn down the city's CIB Headquarters this morning. An attempt was also made to set fire to a Traffic Officer's car in Invercargill overnight.

3The Minister of Justice Geoffrey Palmer says the latest emergency measures to cope with prison overcrowding may be insufficient.

4India's Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi and the ruling Congress Party have won a record 394 seats in the 544-seat Indian Parliament, the most sweeping victory since India gained independence from Britain in 1947.

51984 has been the safest year on record for the world's air travellers, with only two deaths in commercial jets.

6A spectacular fire in has demolished a large woolstore on the outskirts of Brisbane.

7A spectacular house explosion in Kalgoorlie has been captured on film.

8A last-minute problem appears to have the Melbourne, the one-time Royal Australian Navy flagship, from being meted down into scrap.

9A man who shot four teenagers who were threatening him in a New York subway last week remains at large, and locals are divided over whether he is a folk hero or a dangerous criminal.

10An Argentinean inventor has created a device for evacuating people from buildings quickly and safely in the event of the event of fire.

11The Minister of Tourism is calling for more high quality accommodation in Queenstown, saying overseas tourists are being turned away because of a bed shortage. However, many Queenstown locals are concerned at how expensive the town is becoming to live in.