HEADLINES & NEWS
The terror attacks on the United States are starting to have an impact on New Zealand's economy. Interest rates have been cut by half a percent and the government is looking at bringing some spending forward to prevent an economic slump here. There are already predictions of a global recesssion following the attacks - we'll have more on that shortly. But first, petrol is going up in price. BP and Caltex are raising their prices by nine cents a litre from midnight, blaming rising oil prices and the faltering New Zealand dollar. I asked BP's Communication's manager, Jane Diver, why such a big increase. PREREC
[illegible] over the impact the terrorist attacks will have on the economy has seen the Reserve Bank cut interest rates and the government promising to bring forward some spending to keep the economy bouyant. The Reserve Bank Governor, Donald Brash has cut interest rates by half a percent to five and a quarter percent saying he wants to offset any economic downturn caused by the attacks. And as Nathan Mills reports, the reduction had an immediate impact, with wholesale rates and housing loans both dropping. PKGE
Military action is looking increasingly likely as the United States considers its response to last week's terror attacks on New York and Washington. It comes as the American President George Bush rallies global support for his battle to combat terrorism. Our Washington correspondent Vicki Ford reports. PKGE
It's over a week since the terrorist attacks and for those sifting through the rubble of the collapsed World Trade Centre, the emphasis is shifting from rescue to recovery.
Our reporter Shona Geary is in New York - I asked her about the tight security now imposed on the city. PREREC
[illegible] Australian government is joining the queue of potential litigants against [illegible] New Zealand. It says it wants Air New Zealand to fund the government's rescue scheme for Ansett employees left stranded by the airline's collapse. The Australian trade union movement is already taking legal action against Air New Zealand, it's being considered by the administrator who is trying to revive the airline.
Australian Prime Minister John Howard says the airline board should be responsible for the Ansett losses, not the Australian public. CUT
With the latest developments on the Ansett story, I'm joined now by our reporter Eric Frykberg in Melbourne. LIVE
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Returning to our earlier story - And hundreds of Afghan Muslim clerics are meeting in Kabul to decide whether to bow to international demands for the surrender of Osama bin Laden, the man widely blamed for the terror attacks on the United States. There's also been international pressure on Pakistan, which borders Afghanistan and is one of only three countries that recognizes the Taliban, a strict Islamic group that controls most of Afghanistan. A team of United States officials is expected to visit Pakistan this week to discuss how Islamabad can help the American anti-terrorism effort. I asked the BBC's correspondent in Pakistan Zaffar Abbass how Pakistan has been cooperating with Washington since the attacks. PREREC
Meanwhile, in Dunedin, five hundred people have packed a lecture theatre at the University of Otago for an open forum on terrorism. Maureen Lloyd reports. PKGE
The issue of defence continues to dog the coalition governemnt, with the Auditor General disputing ministers' claims that his report into the purchase of 105 light armoured vehicles found it was a sound buy. David Macdonald was briefing Parliament's Finance and Expenditure Committee about the report when he was questioned about apparent discrepancies between the report's conclusion and a statement in the House from the Minister of Defence. Here's political [illegible], Jane Patterson. PKGE
To the small Pacific island of Nauru now, where the first group of asylum seekers have left the Australian navy ship Minoora for a temporary camp after more than three weeks at sea. Some of them had earlier refused to get off the ship after being upset about being denied entry to Australia but they were told that their applications for refugee status would only be processed once they got on land. Nauru government spokesman, Chris Hawkins, says most of them are looking forward to getting off the ship. PREREC
In Wellington, opponents of a major inner city bypass are vowing to block the bulldozers if construction of the 24 million dollar project goes ahead. The bypass through Te Aro is designed to ease traffic congestion - but around a thousand local residents have flocked to a meeting to voice their opposition as Patric Lane reports. PKGE
Transit New Zealand is scratching its head and trying to understand how it was around 30 million dollars out in its estimate for the cost of a new expressway. It's abandoned work on 12 kilometres of new road between Mercer and Meremere on [illegible] Highway One after the estimated cost skyrocketed from 45 million to around 75 million dollars. PKGE
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