1The Government has been under attack today over its management of the economy, both for ignoring the human costs of its policies, and for failing to act quickly enough to reduce living expenses.

2Prime Minister David Lange has taken Cabinet Ministers Richard Prebble and Ann Hercus to task for their midnight mock raid on their plane in the Chatham Islands last week.

3The Health Department says that people with AIDS antibodies are much more likely to develop the full-blown disease than previously thought. There have been calls for a much wider public education programme on AIDS, similar to one underway in Britain.

4Prison officers say a Justice Department blunder is largely responsible for the overcrowding at Mount Eden Prison in Auckland. They believe the decision to close Waikune Prison in National Park was a mistake and has put unnecessary pressure on Mount Eden.

5Bay of Islands MP Neil Austin is to try for selection as the National Party candidate in the resurrected Northland seat of Hobson.

6Financial experts are predicting that the present high interest rates will only be temporary and will fall within the next few weeks.

7Control of the Christchurch-based family firm Skellerup Industries has passed out family hands. Brierley INvestments has brought a 60% holding in the company.

8The latest Auckland radio audience ratings results show that for the first time, independent radio stations have taken the first four places. They believe this trend will be reflected in the ratings all over New Zealand.

9Another American soldier has been detained on suspicion of spying for the Soviet Union. Allegations by the Americans that their new embassy building in Moscow is full of bugging devices has thrown a pall over next week's planned visit by United States Secretary of State George Shultz. However, when it comes to bugging, the Americans are not entirely innocent.

10A murdered Irish Republican Army (IRA) guerrilla has finally been buried in Belfast, following two aborted attempts which had to be called off due to violence.

11A prison siege in Londonderry has ended peacefully, with 28 Protestant prisoners releasing two hostages unharmed.

12The official death toll in the Zeebrugge ferry disaster has risen sharply today, with divers recovering more bodies from the MS Herald of Free Enterprise.

13Members of the crack Special Air Service (SAS) Unit planned to abseil down Wellington's tallest building today, but the strong winds forced them to seek a lesser challenge.