1The Higher Salaries Commission (HSC) has given all politicians and most top State employees a 10% pay rise. They had planned on issuing pay rises of up to 27%, but were blocked from doing so by a law change that limits pay increases to 10% or less.

2Opposition leader Jim Bolger says he is not as confident as many economists, who predict inflation will drop to single figures within a year. He believes a high public service wage rise, combined with a drop in the value of the New Zealand dollar later this year, will push up the cost of living.

3Stocks on the New York Stock Exchange have plummeted amid heavy trading, with the Dow Jones falling 34 points today.

4Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev has offered the United States some new ideas on arms control, which could lead to a superpower summit.

5The Soviet Union has denied reports of a major nuclear leak in central Russia. A number of European countries have been reporting large increases in radiation levels.

6Auckland lawyer Eb Leary is to be struck of the Roll of Barristers and Solicitors for involvement in drug dealing, perjury and financial misdealings. The charges arose after he defended drug dealer Alexander Sinclair (aka Terry Clarke or Mr Asia).

7The newly installed Prime Minister of Fiji, Timoci Bavadra has been called into the row over Sri Lankan refugees being held in transit at Nadi Airport.

8Police and airline officials are hoping the public will help them find the wheel, which fell off a light aircraft and caused it to make a crash landing at Palmerston North Airport yesterday.

9Employers' Federation executive director Jim Rowe is to stand down from the organisation and retire after almost 10 years.

10Nearly thirty reported sexual attacks in less than a month have brought new fears to many Auckland women. In a number of incidents, women were attacked in their own homes by strangers.

11A new breast cancer treatment has been developed at Guy's Hospital in London which prevents the need for a mastectomy.

12Both Labour and National have unofficially begun their election campaigns, with a focus today on the marginal seat of Ohariu.

13A British doctor and nurse have escaped from a Palestinian refugee camp in Beirut after they had been trapped there by Muslim militiamen for six months.

14Libyan leader Colonel Gaddafi and his followers have marked the first anniversary of the United States bombing of LIbya.