1A sweeping package of tax and welfare changes will be announced by the Government early in the new year.

2New Zealand's America's Cup chairman, Michael Fay has won his case against the San Diego Yacht Club.

3The Waitangi Tribunal has backed Ngati Whatua's claim for the return of Bastion Point to the iwi, citing "repeated and deliberate" breaches of the Treaty of Waitangi by the Crown.

4Queensland Premier Sir Joh Bjelke-Petersen has been sacked as leader of his own National Party, but is refusing to stand down as Premiere of the State. A look back at Sir Joh's turbulent political past.

5One Australian tourist was killed, one remains in intensive care, and twenty more are in hospital, following yesterday's bus crash near Mount Cook. There are heightened calls to install seat-belts in buses.

6Tauranga residents are delighted that their town may get New Zealand's fourth international airport in an effort to ease the burden on Customs staff and passengers at Auckland International Airport.

7There was a huge turnout of shareholders at the annual general meeting (AGM) of Brierley Investments Limited (BIL) in Auckland today, despite the uncertainty and turmoil of the sharemarket crash.

8Eight months of often bitter dispute over the value of Electricity Corporation (Electricorp) assets will be debated in a meeting at the Beehive this evening.

9The Government introduced a Bill to Parliament today that it claims will enable the armed forces to operate more efficiently. The Armed Forces Bill allows the Chief of Defence staff to form national joint forces from the army, navy and air force, and reduces the minimum legal age for enlisting from 20 to 18.

10The complainant in the Ruatoria kidnapping and assault case against five police detectives was today accused in court of concocting the entire story.