1Christchurch businessman Vince Gason has escaped after ten months detention in Somalia.

2Timaru man Aaron Henderson, who bashed his girlfriend, causing the death of her unborn child, has been jailed for seven years.

3The defence for teenage dominatrix Renee Chignall opened in Auckland today, and claimed that Peter Plumley-Walker died during a bizarre sexual ritual.

4Chase Corporation holds the dubious distinction of recording the biggest corporation loss ever.

5Nobel Peace Prize winner and Soviet Deputy leader Andrei Sakharov has died, aged 68. He was a noted dissident and human rights campaigner, who had only recently regained the respect of the Soviet authorities.

6The first democratic election in Chile in 16 years has been peaceful and celebratory, and the right wing candidate representing the dictatorship of General Augusto Pinochet has already conceded defeat.

7A Christchurch businessman plans to introduce a high-speed, air-cushioned catamaran to compete with the Cook Strait ferries.

8The Government has unveiled its Health Blueprint for the 1990s, and it focuses on prevention being better than cure. It places tobacco, alcohol, road accidents and heart disease high on the list as causes of poor health outcomes. Interview with the Health Minister.

9A recent poll shows there are fears that the Government's move to encourage only skilled and wealthy entrepreneurs to migrate to New Zealand could prioritise money over cultural similarities and ease of integration into society. Are migrants from South East Asia being prioritised over those from other countries?