1New Zealand's first heart transplant was performed this morning at Auckland's Greenlane Hospital on Whangarei carpenter Brian Lindsay. This milestone was achieved exactly 20 years after the world's first heart transplant.

2The Government plans to increase its intelligence gathering capabilities by building a defence satellite communications station in Marlborough.

3A Parliamentary investigation into the activities of the Northern Labourers' Union came closer tonight after claims of mafia extortion tactics and intimidation.

4The owners of the Marsden Point Oil Refinery are to take action to try to stop the Government's planned deregulation of the oil industry unless there are adequate safeguards for Marsden Point.

5Thousands of teachers have begun rolling stop-work meetings today. These are expected to continue for the rest of this week. They are protesting a proposed new pay deal and a suggestion that school principals be given more power to rate teacher performance.

6Detective Inspector Barry Hunter, who led the police investigation into the Church fires at Ruatoria, admits he gave his officers instructions to get information from local Rastafarians "by any means possible", by denies he was advocating law-breaking by officers.

7The families of the crew on board the Air New Zealand DC-10 which crashed on Mount Erebus in 1979 are suing the United States Navy, alleging that controllers at McMurdo Sound were negligent. The court case begins in the United States tomorrow.

8The Belgian King and Queen spent the day in Central Otago.