1The Justice Department's Corporate Fraud Unit is snowed under with investigations into irregular business activities that could involve millions of dollars. Their workload was exacerbated by the stock mark et crash last year.

2Three youth savagely beat a 44 year old man in Christchurch this morning for the sake of $3.00.

3A Masterton man has been arrested in connection with the planting of a bomb in a police officer's home on Boxing Day.

4An Air Force (RNZAF) helicopter airlifted a young boy to hospital today after an accident on a beach near Christchurch, in which he suffered suspected spinal injuries.

5Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega has offered to hold ceasefire talks with the American-backed Contra rebels, following a meeting of Central American leaders in Costa Rica.

6There has been a general strike in Haiti today, indicating that many Haitians do not intend to vote in tomorrow's Presidential election as a protest against military involvement in the poll.

7Northern Irish police are searching for a gunman after two members of the Ulster Defence Regiment (UDR) were shot and killed. This appears to be part of a campaign specifically targeting UDR officers.

8Civil war continues to hamper humanitarian relief efforts in Mozambique as the East African nation faces a desperate famine.

9Australia will provide over $1 million in aid to the northern islands of Vanuatu which were struck by Cyclone Anne last weekend.

10Several thousand New Zealanders turned out in Motueka today to witness the Australian tradition of competition cooee -ing (cooey-ing)