1The army had to deploy as fire fighters to a blaze that broke out near Christchurch this afternoon. The fire however, had broken out at their firing range as a result of military activity. Update on the situation Great Barrier Island where a fire has raged all day to the distress of forty firefighters who have been struggling to contain the blaze for the past two days. A bush fire in Kaipara that has spread over 200 hectares is also causing concern tonight.

2Veteran broadcaster Sir Paul Holmes has been hospitalised and his family are by his side.

3The vaccine developed to prevent the Meningitis B disease has been approved for use on children in Europe.

4A Maori Party leadership challenge is dominating the first day of the Ratana Church celebrations.

5Frustrated teachers are warning of imminent industrial action if the Novopay payroll system is not sorted out in the near future.

6The first funeral for the victims of the Bethlehem College minivan tragedy will be held tomorrow.

7Scientists have discovered the new and potentially deadly strain of Sydney 2012 Norovirus is growing in New Zealand at an alarming rate.

8A man in his early twenties has been charged with the murder of Daniel Turner in the West Auckland suburb of Ranui. Seven other people have also been charged in relation with his death. Turner was shot dead last month in a confrontation between two gangs.

9British woman Lindsay Sandiford has been sentenced to death after being convicted of drug trafficking in Indonesia.

10Three people were wounded and a thousand students evacuated after another campus shooting in the United States.

11A United States Marine Corps band me,ber has blown the whistle on Beyonce's performance of The Star Spangled Banner at yesterday's Presidential inauguration - she was lip syncing to a recording made earlier.

12Bottles of whiskey from Ernest Shackleton's 1907 expedition to Antarctica were returned to his hut today after a special journey to Scotland for restoration.

13Kelly Tarlton's has launched a new on-ice penguin experience, where people can get up close with the birds.

14Dunedin's Allied Press is to purchase Queenstown's sometimes controversial newspaper Mountain Scene.