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**** CKPT FOR WED 24 SEPT 2008
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1700 to 1707 NEWS
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CHINA-FONTERRA: Dairy giant Fonterra has suffered a 139-million dollar financial blow, as the cost of the melamine-contaminated milk scandal in China hits home. The company's San Lu joint venture appears to be in its death throes - the San Lu brand is now worth nothing and Fonterra says it's cannot be salvaged. Media reports in China say parents were complaining to San Lu since December that the formula was making their children sick. Fonterra says it is disgusted and appalled. Here's Chief executive Andrew Ferrier. CUT
Chairman Henry van der Hayden says Fonterra needs to make sure people can have absolute confidence in their products. CUT
On top of this, Fonterra has announced that its payout to farmers for the current season has been cut to six dollars sixty per kilo of milk solids - the forecast in May was for seven dollars. Here's Lachlan McKenzie - the dairy chairman of Federated Farmers. LIVE
POLITICS-MāORI: The Māori Party says it was warned there would be unpleasant repercussions for Māori if it didn't support Winston Peters during the Privileges Committee hearing. It says it's disgusted by the lobbying that went on by a senior Government Minister, and the New Zealand First party. Here's our political reporter, Kate Williamson. PKG
SCHOOLS-HASTINGS: Two police officers were attacked while trying to break up a fight at a Hastings secondary school yesterday. Six teenagers were charged with disorderly behaviour and a 14 year old was charged with assaulting a police officer. The trouble started after a group from Hastings Boys High got off at their bus stop near Flaxmere College and went looking for the person who'd thrown a chain at the bus window on Monday. At one stage more than 30 police were at the park. Hastings mayor Lawrence Yule says the violence has been blown out of proportion. Joining us know is police inspector Kevin Kalff. LIVE
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BUSINESS NEWS
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WELLINGTON-BUSES: Commuters in Wellington will be without buses for an indefinite period from tomorrow morning. About 200 members of the Tramways and the Manufacturing and Construction unions walked off the job for an hour this morning, following a breakdown in pay talks with the bus operator, Go Wellington. The company has responded to the strikes with a lock-out notice effective from midnight tonight. I spoke to Graeme Clarke from the Manufacturing and Construction Union. PREREC
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17.30 HEADLINES
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ANTARCTICA-CORONER: The Christchurch coroner has found the death of a young Australian astrophysicist Dr. Rodney Marks at the South Pole 8 years ago, was unintentional but it is still unclear how he ingested a fatal dose of methanol. The Coroner Richard McElrea says the case highlights a gap in the way these types of deaths are investigated in Antarctica. Matthew Peddie has been following the story and joins us now .... LIVE
FINLAND-SHOOTING: The shooting deaths of 11 people at a technical college in Western Finland has forced the government to re-examine the country's gun laws. Witnesses say the gunman was a trainee chef at the school who targeted his victims. The government says it'll tighten laws on gun ownership. The ABC's Stephanie Kennedy reports : PKG
CHINA-FONTERRA (2): Dairy giant Fonterra has suffered a 139-million dollar financial blow, as the cost of the contaminated milk scandal hits home. And the company's foray into China with its San Lu joint venture appears to be in its death throes - the San Lu brand is now worth nothing and Fonterra says it's cannot be salvaged. Business analyst Rod Oram has been keeping a close eye on developments - he joins us now. LIVE
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WAATEA NEWS
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EDUCATION-PRINCIPALS: One of the 50 school principals flown into Wellington by the Ministry of Education for a special briefing says he didn't learn anything new. But, the Dunedin principal, Paul Ferris, says it was worthwhile for the ministry to hold today's briefing on the government's plan to keep all young people in education or training until they're 18. The National party has branded the exercise as simply electioneering. Here's education correspondent, Gael Woods. LIVE
US-POLITICS: Does it matter that the person who wants to be America's next vice president has little or no foreign policy credentials? It's a criticism that has been levelled against Republican candidate Sarah Palin, but now she's meeting 7 World leaders over a 48-hour period. The BBC's Matthew Price reports on her crash course in diplomacy. PKG
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