0700 NEWS OIL EMBARGO against Iraq partially lifted so that country can buy much needed food and medicine. UN to monitor amount and purchases. Live i/v with correspondent Judy Lessing. GREEN PACKAGE - govt's pre-Budget boost for conservation gets mixed reception. illegible involves spending proposals worth $110 million, incuding over $68 million more for DoC over next 3 years. Comment from Royal Forest and Bird Protection Society's Kevin Smith, ECO's Cath Wallace, Hugh Barr, Fed Mountain Clubs, and Harry Pawsey whose son Kit died in Cave Creek tragedy. (Allanah Kalafatelis); live i/v with PM Jim Bolger; Progressive Green Party accuses govt of fiddling figures in package. Leader Gary Taylor comments. (Marie Hosking) COOK ISLANDS TAX INQUIRY - Cook Islands govt announces it's prepared to assist NZ Commission of Inquiry into tax affairs. Will not open its books to the inquiry but will hold its own inquiry, headed by Australian QC, which will be available to NZ investigators. Comment from Cook Islands High Commissioner Iaveta Short and Max Bradford, chair of Parliament's finance committee. (Maria Slade); live i/v with "National Business Review"s investigations editor Fran O'Sullivan.
0730 NEWS/WEATHER/SPORTS. FLOODS - row brewing between landholders in Waitaki basin near Oamaru and ECNZ over compensation for damage caused by last year's floods. Landholders claims ECNZ did not do all it could to advise residents about flood early enough but ECNZ spokesperson Karen Jones says independent report show s ECNZ handled flood well considering late notice received of heavy rainfall in Waitaki catchment. (illegible Rpt); live i/v with Graham Hill, chair of Waitaki Flood Damage Committee. HOUSING MARKET - reports of falling confidence in sector, particularly in AK. Is NZ about to see major correction to property market? Live i/v with Prof Terry Boyd, Lincoln Univ Property Studies Dept. BANGLADESH - tanks appear on streets of Dhaka after President Biswas announces dismissal of army head, Gen Nasim. (BBC) OBITUARY - Jon Pertwee, British actor most famous as "Dr Who" and "Worzel Gummidge", dies aged 77. (Keith Chalkley) FINANCE - money markets latest with David Jones.
0800 NEWS/WEATHER COOK ISLANDS TAX INQUIRY - live i/v with NZ First leader Winston Peters about Cook Islands govt's announcement of its own inquiry. SECONDARY TEACHERS now arguing with Education officials over size of impending teacher shortage and ways of dealing with it. Live i/v with PPTA president and acting ministry head Lyall Perris. GREEN PACKAGE - live i/v with Environment minister Simon Upton about package's proposals for environmental matters such as air and water quality. PAPERS/ASPAC HEADLINES
0830 NEWS/SPORTS COUNTERFEIT - police make another arrest in bid to break ring passing thousands of dollars' worth of fake banknotes around country. Reserve Bank says scheme not sophisticated enough to be considered threat to economy. (Karlum Lattimore) PSYCHIATRIC CARE -issue of community care back in news with 2 cases in which judges jailed mentally ill people to ensure they got treatment. Live i/v with Dr Mary-Jane England, visiting president of American Psychiatric Assn, who supports principle of community care. BURUNDI - ethnic violence and crime increasing again, Hutu rebels stepping up civil war with offensives against Tutsi dominated army. I/v with Fraser Wiood, Oxfam New Zealand, who's just visited the country. PUBLIC SERVICE rallies around country today expected to disrupt wide range of services. Comment from CTU's Peter Harris, PSA's Angela Belich, and Courts Dept spokesman Geordie Cassin. (Claire Silvester) PHYSIOTHERAPY students in AK start week of protest against govt's refusal to fund final year of course, meaning higher fees for students who say they need illegible overseas to earn enough to pay back loans. (Andrew Fleming) COMMENT SPAIN - army sergeant killed and 3 other people wounded in first bomb attack since new conservative govt came to power. Bomb in Cordoba blamed on Basque separatist group ETA. I/v wit correspondent Adela Gooch.