1Lebanon's new President, René Moawad has been assassinated after less than three weeks in office.

2Today marks the anniversary of the assassination of former United States President John F Kennedy (JFK).

3Police have found the body of missing English tourist Monica Cantwell in scrub near the summit of Mount Maunganui. This is now a homicide investigation.

4Two people are missing off the Kapiti Coast after their catamaran capsized in rough conditions last night.

5The military siege of the Sheraton Hotel in San Salvador is over and all hostages have been freed. Their rebel captors managed to escape.

6Korean Airlines has been ordered to suspend services to Libya for two months as punishment for a fatal crash in July.

7Five hundred million Indians have begun voting in their general elections amid sporadic killings and vote rigging. Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi is fighting for his political survival.

8Czechoslovakia's former leader Alexander Dubček, ousted after trying to introduce democratic reform more than 20 years ago, has urged the country's Communist leaders to resign. Meanwhile, Czech Opposition leaders fear the authorities are preparing for an armed crackdown on popular protest.

9Up to 100 people are feared to have drowned in Zaire after a river boat sank.

10The new Miss World is a 24-year old Polish student.

11New Zealand's first private power station may be operating within eighteen months. A Taupo businessman has been given conditional approval by Energy Minister to produce up to 15 megawatts of power from the Wairakei geothermal field.

12The Peter Plumley Walker murder trial will begin in the Auckland High Court today.

13A two-year study of a new drug may bring hope to sufferers of Parkinson's Disease.

14Hollywood actor and director Paul Newman is being honoured for his services to charity.