1The Belinda Trainor Trust has withdrawn a $30,000 donation to Wellington heart transplant patient Des Tucker, but it will not say why.
2Bay of Islands MP Neil Austin is bitter after being dumped as the National Party's candidate in the next general election. He has been replaced by his own Electorate Chairman, John Carter
3Businessman and entrepreneur Ron Brierley says many of the stock market's recent high flyers "lack originality, experience and constructive purpose", and warns investors that many businesses will be in for hard times next year.
4The Ngati Kotiti Maori concert party, has captured the attention of the Peruvian news media, stealing the limelight away from the New Zealand Trade Delegation in Peru to discuss trade and export opportunities.
5The Royal Commission Report on Broadcasting has been tabled in Parliament. It recommends the television license fee be almost doubled to $125 to match the cost of a year's subscription of a daily newspaper. This is just one of almost 200 recommendations aimed to prepare New Zealand television for the demands of the 21st century. Auckland radio stations had a mixed reaction to the Commission's recommendations that directly affect them.
6Fishermen claim that the Government's much-heralded fish quota system is the cause of massive waste and a desperate shortage of domestic supplies of fish. They claim it is not cost effective for them to bring in anything other than the valuable export fish, so therefore they throw away other fish to remain within the quota. They have taken their grievances to the Ministry of Fisheries in Wellington.
7Foreign boats are illegally fishing the rich seas inside the British military zone around the Falkland Islands, and the British fear they may soon need to begin shooting at the illegal fishers to prevent further plunder.
8Sheikh Ahmed Zaki Yamani of Saudi Arabia has been dropped as his country's Oil Minister. He has been the architect of Saudi oil policy since 1962 and a key powerbroker in the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC).
9Transport MInister Richard Prebble warns taxpayers that they face a $400 million bill to bail out the Railways Corporation. He expects Government will need to step in and take over the Corporation's enormous debt. However, official papers show that both National and Labour Government's ignored Treasury advice and proceed with the electrification of the North Island main trunk line.
10Experts say New Zealand is falling behind in technical expertise and a shakeup at school level may be necessary to turn things around.