1Tokelau officials say the islands have experienced their worst disaster in history. They have only just completed a study at the damage caused by Cyclone Tusi and the five metre tidal wave that followed.

2Fire fighters in the lower North Island held their sixth one hour stoppage today.

3A Ruatoria farmer has criticised the amount of time and effort being devoted to the police inquiry into misconduct allegations, saying their focus should be on investigating the arsons themselves.

4In three days the public service will undergo a massive change, with the birth of the Department of Conservation and nine new State corporations. This is the biggest shake-up of Government departments in New Zealand's history.

5A flood warning has been issued in south Westland tonight, with as much as 150 millimetres of rain being forecast overnight.

6British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher is currently in Moscow for the first British-Soviet Summit in twelve years. Nuclear arms and human rights are expected to be high on the agenda for discussions.

7The United States says the Soviet Union has successfully tested a new version of its main long range nuclear missile, the SS-18.

8The confrontation growing between Greece and Turkey over mineral rights in the Aegean Sea has been defused following international diplomatic pressure.

9Eight crewmen are dead after a small tanker bearing a Singaporean flag was attacked in the Persian Gulf by an Iranian gunboat.

10The London Observer has reported that China is helping Iran to produce both short and lng range missiles for use in the Gulf War against Iraq.

11South American evangelist Luis Palau, currently visiting Auckland, says reports of his company's wealth have been wildly exaggerated.

12Nearly 60,000 people gathered at Christchurch Airport this afternoon to see the winner of the Singapore to Christchurch Air Race.

13Maria Von Trapp, the woman whose life story inspired the film The Sound of Music, has died aged 82.

14The Prince of Wales dozed off in public today while visiting Swaziland.