1The Solicitor General has now taken over the prosecution of ACT Leader John Banks for electoral fraud.

2Auckland Councillor Penny Webster has clarified her role in revealing to Auckland Mayor Len Brown that his affair was about to become public.

3Police have identified drivers of older vehicles as being at particular risk when travelling at high speeds.

4Wanaka Police believe a car crash that killed a young farm worker yesterday is puzzling, but unlikely to be suspicious or sinister.

5Rotorua man Sonny Waiti, who dragged his girlfriend Anna Eriepa behind his car for two kilometres, has been jailed for six years and five months. However, his sentencing was disrupted today when he began abusing the judge.

6A leaked memo suggests 35 world leaders may have had their phones tapped by the United States. This revelation comes a day after claims that the United States monitored the phone of German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

7An eighteen year old has handed himself in to Police and admitted wounded Moomoo the cat with a crossbow.

8A puppy, stolen four weeks ago from a Hamilton home, has been found in an Auckland brothel by Police and reunited with his owner.

9All Black Julian Savea has issued a public apology to his former partner after an assault charge against him withdrawn at the Wellington District Court.

10The Supreme Court has ruled that former Justice Minister Sir Douglas Graham and his three fellow directors of failed finance company Lombard can appeal their sentences of home detention for making false statements. However, the court has dismissed their appeal to have their sentences quashed. This has again reignited the issue of whether Sir Douglas should retain his Knighthood.

11A $200 million rebuild of Paremoremo Prison was announced today. A new maximum security wing is to be built, one designed to better help rehabilitate prisoners.

12The post-earthquake efforts of long-serving fire fighter Alan Butcher have been honoured in a funeral service in Christchurch today.

13A Bulgarian family bearing stark similarities to 'Maria, the four year old living with gypsies in Greece, claim they are her biological family and that they want her back.

14Egypt has joined Israel in cutting off a network of tunnels used to smuggle in supplies of food and fuel to Gaza City because they say they are being used by terrorists.

15Ringo Starr is preparing to release a new album which he says will serve as his autobiography. This album is a collection of photographs from the early years of The Beatles.

16A flotilla of tall ships sailed into Waitemata harbour today.