0609 NZ NEWPAPERS
0611 MāORI NEWS
0616 NEWS STORY: KOSOVO - DIPLOMACY - US envoy Richard Holbrooke announces "positive result" of talks with President Milosevic. At same time, NATO authorises use of air strikes against Serb targets. Ground verification programme will be carried out by Orgn of Security and Co-operation in Europe. (CNN)
0620 RURAL NEWS PRODUCER BOARD DEREGULATION - PM Jenny Shipley denies govt is forcing trading boards to give up single desk export operations after retiring Dairy Bd chair Sir Dryden Spring attacked deregulation as giant economic hoax; Food and Fibre minister John Luxton rejects suggestion PM has distanced herself from him on issue of producer board reform. (Kevin Ikin) PRODUCER BOARD DEREGULATION - dairy farmers criticise Food and Fibre minister John Luxton for setting up advisory group on Dairy Board deregulation without consulting industry. Spokesman for Mr Luxton says all he's done is to signal idea. (Kevin Ikin) DAIRY PRICES - retiring chair of Dairy Board Sir Dryden Spring warns farmers not to expect too much in short term but paints rosier outlook for 5 years' time. (Catherine Harris) DAIRY BOARD AUDIT - Board says audit by international consulting firm Boston Consulting Group shows it has made substantial progress in operations and performance. Corporate Strategy general manager Tim Gibson says audit highlights challenges ahead for Board. (Clare Sziranyi)
0625 SPORTS STORY AUSTRALIAN SPORT - i/v with correspondent Tim gavel. (top cricketers' pay rise - did they get it?)
0630 NEWS/WEATHER
0635 NEWS STORY: N.Z. DOLLAR - major wool exporter says unexpected surge in dollar is killing new busines prospects. Don Quested, wool firm Prouvost, says higher dollar will make his product less attractive to overseas customers. (Sharon Brettkelly)
0639 INTERNATIONAL PAPERS
0642 MANA NEWS TREATY NEGOTIATIONS - who should replace Doug Graham when he retires next year?
0651 BUSINESS AND FINANCIAL NEWS: INTEREST RATES - CPI due out tomorrow expected to reflect some measure of low exchange during September quarter period. Average forecast for headline and underlying rates is
0.4% for quarter, with annual figure of 1.4%, but do these figures matter? Are we any more than interested observers of bigger forces? Live i/v with Rodney Dickens, ABN-Amro. BRIERLEY INVESTMENTS/SHAMROCK - many market observers remain sceptical about motives and numbers of Shamrock bid. Shamrock says it has backing of up to 40% of BIL's shareholders and takes another public swipe at board. (Clare Sziranyi) FINANCE/MARKETS MARKET REVIEW DAIRY BOARD AUDIT - Boston Consulting Group audit says Dairy Board is performing in top quarter of world's organisations. Peer group includes Nestle, Gillette, Coca Cola, Nike and Disney. Board's Corporate Strategy general manager Tim Gibson says audit reveales 2 areas of focus for future. (Clare Sziranyi) BUSINESS BRIEFS
0700 INTRO/NEWS KOSOVO - AGREEMENT announced in Belgrade after key concessions by President Milosevic to accept presence of 2,000-strong international team to verify compliance with demands for withdrawal of Serbian military units. NATO's threat to launch air strikes remain. Agreement also demands implementation of ceasefire, withdrawal of Serb forces and weapons, free access for humanitarian agencies and start of negotiations on autonomy with Kosovo Albanians. Live i/v with Belgrade correspondent Jackie Rowland. N.Z. DOLLAR soars by 9% in past week, yesterday hits 5 month high whien it rises to just over 54 US cents. Exporters say surge is killing off new business prospects and eroding confidence. Comment from wool exporter Don Quested, manufacturer Tony Gledhill, ANZ Bank economist Bernard Hodgetts, and financial advisor Suzannah Stuart. (Sharon Brettkelly); live i/v with Bancorp associate director Richard Eaddy. MILLENIUM TOURISM - govt to spend extra $12.5 million on promoting NZ as place to be in Millenium. Tourism minister Murray McCully says US, UK, and Australia will be targetted. He's i/ved live. PRODUCER BOARD DEREGULATION - retiring Dairy Board chair Sir Dryden Spring says govt's plans are gigantic economic hoax. He's i/ved live.
0730 NEWS/WEATHER/SPORTS NZ PAPERS FINANCE UPDATE FIJI - ELECTION called for next April by PM Sitiveni Rabuka, first under amendments to constitution which ensure fairer representation and more democratic govt. Live i/v with Suva correspondent Shiu Singh. EMPLOYMENT COURT JUDGEMENT rules workers in Hawkes Bay firm cannot be forced to have medical exam while on sick leave. Decision also highly critical of provision in collective contract requiring workers to agree in advance to random alcohol and drug testing. Comment from employment law specialist Kishanie Wijawickrama, unionist Andrew Little and Employers' Fedn chief exec Steve Marshall. (Blair McLaren); live i/v with Eric Mischefski, regional organiser for Meat and Related Trades Workers' Union. NATIONAL TESTING - Education Review Office unveils new proposal in campaign for national testing of primary school children. Govt plans to introduce compulsory tests for all standard 4 and form 2 children opposed by teachers, principals and professional groups, and ERO's proposal is attempt to address some of their concerns. Comment from ERO head Judith Aitken, NZEI president Liz Patara and principals' spokesperson Nola Hambelton. (Gael Woods) FRANCE - STUDENTS PROTEST - thousands of secondary school students take to streets to protest at overcrowded classes, crumbling school buildings and outdated curriculum. Live i/v with correspondent Jim Bitteman.
0800 NEWS/WEATHER KOSOVO - AGREEMENT includes allowing NATO to overfly province. In nationwide address, President Milosevic says agreement is in national interest. Live i/v with correspondent Paul Woods in Kosovo's capital Pristina. INTERNATIONAL MONETARY FUND - Clinton administration meets top Reublicans about agreement to give $18 billion in US funding to cash-strapped IMF, negotiate series of reforms in way IMF does business. Live i/v with Wall St correspondent Patrick O'Connell. INTERNATIONAL PAPERS HOUSIE ROBBERY - gunman bursts into AK's Blockhouse Bay Community Centre and demands takings from housie group. 2nd time housie group targetted and pensioners in hall fought back. Live i/v with St Dominic's Housie Group secretary Dianne Vovan. PRODUCER BOARD DEREGULATION - live i/v with Danny Freilich, Independent Pipfruit Growers. Assn, who's in favour of deregulation; live i/v with Bill Lynch, United Fruit spokesperson, against deregulation; live i/v with Food and Fibre minister John Luxton re what he means by it all. (Mng Rpt)
0830 NEWS/SPORTS APPLE EXPORTS - INDIA - NZ apples to be sent to huge and potentially lucrative market following negotiations to remove trade barriers. International Trade minister Lockwood Smith in India, leading NZ's first trade mission there in 12 years - he explains the deal. (Mng Rpt) MILLENIUM TOURISM - Tourism minister Murray McCully announces extra $12.5 million to be spent on marketing NZ as place to be in Millenium, says NZ has been too slow to recognise opportunities offered by being first country to see in new millenium. I/v with Labour's spokesperson on Tourism, Damien O'Connor. (Mng Rpt) CLONED CALVES - 10 heifers born which are genetically identical to each other and their mother at AgResearch Ruakura, thought to be largest set of identicla animals cloned from single adult. Live /v with scientist Dr David Wells. HERITAGE MANAGEMENT - recommendations of independent panel range from subsidising and payng owners of historic buildings to up-ending role of Historic Places Trust. Comment from Conservation minister Nick Smith, Rebecca Macky from the Resource Management Law Association, and property developer Andrew Krukziener. (Eric Frykberg) RUSSIA - PRESIDENT YELTSIN - ability of President Yeltsin to govern again in doubt after ill-health forces him to cut short foreign trip. Live i/v with correspondent James Rodgers.