1The world's largest ship, the 300-metre Seawise Giant, is ablaze in the Persian Gulf tonight after an Iraqi offensive against Iranian oil installations.

2Opposition MP Winston Peters has said the Race Relations Office's decision to take no action over Hana Te Hemara's "Kill a White" comments proves it is ineffective and may as well be abolished.

3A New Zealand priest, who was among 18 people arrested in Suva during a protest to mark the first anniversary of the Fijian coup, has been released on bail.

4Soviet troops are preparing for the first stage of their withdrawal from Afghanistan, due to begin within the next 24 hours. The Mujahedeen have promised to send them on their way with violence, and today a car bomb exploded in Kabul, killing eleven people.

5Around 6000 Syrian troops, backed by tanks and armored personnel carriers, are poised to enter the suburbs of Beirut to stop violence between rival Islamic militia groups.

6France will hold general elections in three weeks, just a month after a presidential election returned Francois Mitterand to power for a second term. However, the Mitterand campaign has been accused of using illegal subliminal advertising during the presidential campaign.

7More than 20 passengers were injured on a Qantas flight from San Francisco to Sydney today when the plane was caught in fierce turbulence.

8The Department of Health is preparing to embark on a controversial campaign which will enable intravenous drug users to exchange their needles at pharmacies. The aim is to control the spread of AIDS, but some chemists do not want to be involved, and some drug users are fearful of police reprisals.

9The Government has been accused of allowing the prolonged Clyde Dam strike drag on to suit its own ends.

10New Zealand's top ploughmen met at the Silver Plough Finals in Marlborough this weekend to decide who will represent New Zealand at next year's World Championship.

11The Scruffs Dog Show was held today in West Auckland.