1New Zealand's first heart transplant operation will be performed in Wellington any day now, despite fears that local health authorities will try to prevent the procedure from taking place.

2Eleven year old Tracey Holmes from Otautau in Southland may now be undergoing her second liver transplant in the United Kingdom.

3A New Zealander, named by the United States police in connection with multi million dollar drugs charges, has left the America's Cup spectator boat The Pacific Challenge, which is currently berthed in Cairns.

4Brierley Investments Limited (BIL) has detailed its record profit of $179 million, almost double last year's result.

5The Engineers' Union has withdrawn its pay rise claim for 40,000 members covered by the Metal Trades Award, after rejecting an offer of 5% by employers.

6United States President Ronald Reagan suffered a major foreign policy defeat today, when the United States Senate overrode his veto in sanctions against South Africa, siding with the House of Representatives, with voted overwhelmingly for tough sanctions to be imposed. The South African Government has retaliated by imposing an embargo on United States grain, saying this could prove devastating for neighbouring African countries.

7The unsuccessful assassination attempt on Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi has been blamed on a major security lapse. Gandhi is due to visit New Zealand within a fortnight, but New Zealand Police say they have adequate security measures in place to protect him.

8Minister of Overseas Trade MIke Moore, has returned from the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) talks in Uruguay, saying he was surprised that the Soviets were not as impressed with the New Zealand rift with the United States as he had expected they would be.

9A 30 year old mowing contractor has been charged with manslaughter following a shooting incident at Taneatua in the Bay of Plenty, after he shot and killed a teenage intruder on his property.

10The number of New Zealanders suffering from genetic diseases like muscular dystrophy and cystic fibrosis will be more than halved in a couple of decades. A revolutionary new laboratory will be set up in Auckland with the help of a Government grant to diagnose these diseases before the onset of symptoms, and sometimes even in unborn babies.

11A researcher claims there is no such thing as dyslexia, and that it is simply a myth invented by the middle classes.

12A shocking anti-vivisection video of animals being mutilated, infected with diseases and killed in laboratories went on show at a Wellington shopping mall today in honour of World Animal Day.