0609 NZ NEWSPAPERS
0611 MāORI NEWS
0616 NEWS STORY: IRAQ - CRISIS - NZ Parliament debate just ahead of announcement that troops will leave today to join US-led force. Comment from PM Jenny Shipley, Labour's Michael Cullen, Alliance leader Jim Anderton, Peter Dunne of United(q) and ACT's Derek Quigley. (Sarah Boyd)
0620 RURAL NEWS
0626 SPORTS STORY: US SPORTS - live i/v with "Sports Illustrated"'s Paul Witteman. (women's ice hockey team wins at Winter Olympics)
0630 NEWS/WEATHER
0636 NEWS STORY: RESCUE HELICOPTERS - ill-feeling between AK services run by St John Ambulance and Regional Helicopter Trust resurfaces with complaint to Commerce Commission. Trust complains St John's is abusing position as receiver of 111 calls. (Todd Niall)
0639 INTERNATIONAL PAPERS
0642 MANA NEWS
0651 BUSINESS AND FINANCIAL NEWS MAINE INVESTMENTS - extent of damage becomes apparent. Still-trading remnants worth net minus $121 million, with issued capital dwarfed by $260 million in accumulated losses. Rescue director Andrew Powers comments. (Rodney Joyce) HOUSE SALES drop sharply in January. Real Estate Inst president Colin Brown says downturn especially noticeable in AK. (Michelle McGuinness) FINANCE/MARKETS FORESTRY/ASIAN MARKETS - forestry companies getting exports back on track. Fletcher Challenge Forests says importers in worst affected markets getting bank letters of credit again. Chief exec Paul Fowler says prices still under pressure but Asian buyers want the timber. (Rodney Joyce) FORESTRY/ASIAN MARKETS - president of Weyerhauser Forestlands, Conor Boyd, cells international forestry conference in Rotorua that Asian financial crisis no time to forego dealing with region. (Andrew McRae) AUSTRALIA - TELSTRA rewards small investors with $1.6 bilion profit in first 6 months since one-third privatisation. (Zandra Sharpe) ELECTRICITY REFORMS - retailers claim proposed reforms are effectively power grab by state. Electricity Supply Assn says ECNZ and Contact are keen to get into retail market and consultant Alan Jenkins says if reforms procced, they'll further tighten stranglehold on industry. (Bronwen Evans) SKY TV reports maiden annual profit of $500,000 for 1997. Chief operating officer John Fellet says more than 280,000 homes and businesses now subscribe. (Rodney Joyce) BUSINESS BRIEFS
0700 INTRO/NEWS IRAQ - CRISIS - NZ - first troops leave this morning for Gulf. 2 surveillance Orion aircraft, 20 SAS soldiers, maintenance and administration staff leave from Whenuapai shortly. Todd Niall reports live from Whenuapai; i/v with Wng Cdr Keith Graham, commander of contingent. (Mng Rpt) IRAQ - CRISIS - UN Security Council ends meeting giving formal support for Secretary General Kofi Annan's mission to Baghdad for last ditch diplomatic talks. Live i/v with correspondent Judy Lessing. NORTHERN IRELAND - SINN FEIN taking legal action in Dubin High Court to stop Britain ejecting it from peace talks. Northern Ireland Secretary Mo Mowlam accepts assessment for police chief that IRA involved in 2 killings in Belfast last week. I/v with correspondent Mark O'Connell. (Mng Rpt) SURGERY - leaked papers show Health Funding Authority considering slashing number of publicly funded elective surgery operations by over 16,000 over next 4 years. Documents show South Island elective surgery could be cut by as much as 59%. Health minister Bill English says proposal already rejected. Comment also from Labour's Health spokesperson Annette King and Margot Mains, MidCentral Health chief exec. (Rae Lamb)
0730 NEWS/WEATHER/SPORTS NZ PAPERS FINANCE UPDATE WINDSOR MERE - efforts to have greenston mere returned to NZ stepped up. Mere part of estate of Duke of Windsor, bought by Mohammed Al Fayed and due to be sold at auction in New York. Live i/v with Māori Issues correspondent Chris Wikaira. ALCOHOL CONSUMPTION - survey by AK Univ's Alcohol and Public Health Research Unit says fewer Akers are drinking but those who are are drinking more. Alcohol and hospitality industry at odds with some of survey's conclusions. (Melita Tull); live i/v with Research Unit director Sally Casswell. MāORI LANGUAGE - principal of Hamilton's Fraser High School criticised for planning to introduce compulsory Māori language classes for Māori 3rd form students. Martin Elliott believes it would empower students and help ensure their success but Māori Language Commission says it would only raise antagonism while Labour MP Dover Samuels says it would undermine language and rights of students. Live i/v with Martin Elliott. SOCIAL WORKERS - research shows only about half of social workers surveyed have had any form of personal safety training despite over 90% saying they' been victims of violence in course of work. (Eileen Cameron)
0800 NEWS/WEATHER IRAQ - CRISIS - NZ Foreign Affairs minister Don McKinnon i/ved live about decision to send NZ contingent to US-led coalition threatening military strike against Iraq; i/v with Prof Anthony Quartisant, Georgetown Univ Centre for Strategic and International Studies, re how NZ contingent expected to fit in with US. (Mng Rpt) INTERNATIONAL PAPERS NORTHERN IRELAND - SINN FEIN - i/v with senior negotiator Gerry Kelly, re what Sinn Fein hopes to achieve by going to court over British plans to expel it from peace talks. (Mng Rpt) EL NINO - PAPUA NEW GUINEA - severe drought since last April, hundreds of lives lost. Live i/v with correspondent Ted Wolfers.
0830 NEWS/SPORTS IRAQ - CRISIS - NZ contingent leaves. PM Jenny Shipley at Whenuapai; Hercules has engine problems on take-off, has to return to hanger. Todd Niall reports live. MENTAL HEALTH WORKERS - new certificate launched, set up by Mental Health Commission and Health Funding Authority who say aim is to have mental health force that's "appropriately trained, competent, and motivated". Live i/v with HFA co-ordinator Julia Hennessy. PORTS - ASIAN CRISIS - port companies remain positive despite predictions that slump with cause 1% drop in NZ economic growth in next 2 eyars. (Helen Shea) SOUTH KOREA - ECONOMIC CRISIS - IMF releases further $2 billion after approving measures taken so far to bolster struggling economy. New president preparing for inauguration. I/v with correspondent Kate Webb. (Mng Rpt) PARLIAMENT - Speaker Doug Kidd warns MPs this year he's not prepared to allow them to misbehave in House. Comment also from MPs Trevor Mallard and Winston Peters. (Clare Pasley) CHEESE - Evansdale farmhouse Brie from DN wins Supreme Champion prize at NZ Cheese Awards. Live i/v with Master of Cheese Juliet harbutt and Colin Dennison from Evansdale. FRUIT AND VEG REPORT with Jack Forsythe.