HEADLINES & NEWS
The doomed Russian space station Mir is about to plunge into the Pacific, east of New Zealand. Russia's mission control near Moscow is monitoring the splashdown - a short time ago it successfully fired the second of three engine bursts to brake the ageing space station and start its freefall into the sea. It is supposed to plunge into a vast uninhabited area of the South Pacific, somewhere between New Zealand and Chile. But as a precaution, several international airline flights through the region have been put off - in Vanuatu, the Government ordered all offices to close before midday and cancelled all plane flights, while in Fiji authorities advised people to stay indoors and not to go out to sea.
The fiery re-entry and slashdown has attracted visitors from all over the world to the Pacific. In Fiji, planes have been chartered to head out for a glimpse of Mir's re-entry. One of the space station tourists in Fiji is Helen Schneider who has just been in contact with one of the aircraft - I asked her what those on board are expecting. PREREC
As the one hundred and 36 tonne space station burns up, it will signal the end of a project that bridged the Cold War space race and a new era of international cooperation. Tarek Bazley has been looking at Mir's chequered past. PKGE
Rebel Papua New Guinea soldiers are pressuring their government to expel New Zealand and Australian military attaches in return for them laying down their weapons. The rebels yesterday ended their standoff at three military barracks, saying they would hand back their guns if the Government agreed to their demands.
Papua New Guinea's Prime Minister, Sir Mekere Morauta, has already said he'll scrap a controversial plan axing thousands of Defence Force jobs. But the soldiers are now demanding the expulsion of New Zealand and Australian defence and economic advisers, and officials from the International Monetary Fund and World Bank. I asked the Foreign Affairs Minister Phil Goff how many New Zealanders would be affected. PREREC
BUSINESS NEWS WITH PATRICK O'MEARA
The gap between what New Zealand earns from the world and what it spends has narrowed sharply. Official figures show the current account - which measures the balance on goods and services trade and investment income - recorded a deficit of one point nine billion dollars in the December quarter. This was a billion dollars lower than the deficit for the same quarter of 1999, and reduces the annual deficit to five point five percent of this country's total economic activity. To discuss the figures - and why they matter - I'm joined by our Economics Correspondent, Stephen Harris. LIVE WITH DROP INS
The Montieth's brewery in Greymouth could yet be saved from closure, with locals considering using some of the government's logging compensation money to keep the West Coast icon brewing. Montieth's owners, DB, are closing the operation and shifting it to Auckland, saying it is too expensive to expand the brewery to keep pace with demand. Demand for Monteith's beers has grown two hundred and fifty per cent in the last six years and the brewery is now running at maximum capacity. John MacDonald has been looking at the chances of the brewery staying open under local ownership. PKGE
National's health spokesman, Roger Sowry, is predicting that a HALF a percent funding increase for public hospitals will mean cuts in services. District health boards have this week been told they will be paid point-five percent more for hospital services in the coming financial year, which is non-negotiable. Mr Sowry says the increase will be the lowest in about a decade - he joins us now. LIVE
5.30 NEWS HEADLINES
SPORT with STEPHEN HEWSON
In the far north, there have been angry words at Parliament's select committee on Māori Afairs in Kaikohe today, as it investigated why the region's biggest lake is on the brink of ecological collapse.
[illegible] Omapere is considered a taonga by Ngapuhi - they have been campaigning for years for DoC's approval to release grass carp into the lake to eat the weed that's choking it. While they now have that approval, the years of delay mean that they need two million dollars worth of fish to control the weed and the government is refusing to pay. The lake's trustees have called on the Māori Affairs select committee for help - our Northland Regional Reporter Lois Williams was at today's hearing - LIVE WITH DROP INS
Prison inmates are having to share cells as the country's jails reach capacity. Prison officers say in extreme cases inmates are being kept in solitary confinement, which is normally reserved for extreme punishment. The problems come at a time when several proposed new prisons are facing opposition from local communities. Andrew Greenwood has the details. PKGE
In Australia - with only a few hundred votes still to be counted in the critical Ryan by-election, Prime Minister John Howard has virtually conceded defeat in the blue-ribbon Brisbone electorate the Liberal Party held for 52 years. Labor is still increasing its lead, and with final tally a week away to allow time for all postal ballots to arrive, John Howard admits it's not looking good. It's a result many think heralds defeat for Howard's coalition government in the upcoming general elections. Meanwhile as our correspondent in Australia Kerry-Anne Walsh explains, the Ryan byelection has confirmed the Green Party as an emerging political force to be reckoned with. PREREC
Overseas now - and Washington and Moscow are locked in a deepening confrontation over spying, with tit for tat expulsions from both countries. United States officials have ordered up to 50 Russian diplomats to leave the country on suspicion of spying - our Washington correspondent Vicky Ford filed this report. PKGE
To the courts, and the suppression has been lifted on many of the details about the killing of Wellington student Gavin Dash. David Gates has been charged with Mr Dash's murder - the preliminary hearing of the case against him is now underway. Today's lifting of the suppression follows days of discussion between the Prosecution and Defence over what should remain out of the public eye until trial. Our Court reporter Merle Nowland joins us now. LIVE
MANA NEWS
CLOSE & THEME