0600 NEWS/WEATHER
0609 NZ NEWSPAPERS
0611 Māori NEWS 1616 NEWS STORY IRAQ - WEAPONS INSPECTION - all non-essential UN staff withdrawn from Iraq, adding to speculation US military action may be only days away. (BBC)
0620 RURAL NEWS MEAT WORKS - RICHMOND management due to meet workers this morning at Te kauwhata plant to outline future plans, suggestions plant may change from processing beef to deer. (Heugh Chappell) CHIP CONTAMINATION - fresh details from survey of containers show high level of contamination slipping through borders regardless of what's inside containers or where they're from. Initial results show 40% of containers had questionable material in them, most of which was quarantinable. (Catherine Harris) AGRICULTURAL BUSINESS - steering committee set up to investigate viability of association. Chair Mick Calder, NZ Lamb Co, comments. (Catherine Harris) MEAT WORKS - AFFCO says closure of Whangarei beef plant won't create bottlenecks for farmers north of AK who need to have cattle killed during Summer. (Jill Galloway) CANTERBURY A AND P SHOW starts today, tipped to generate up to $50 million of business. (Catherine Harris) BRITAIN - SHEEP GENE - farmers who tried to breed sheep with large bottoms now trying to eradicate gene, Resulting meat was "as tough as old boots". (AAP)
0625 SPORTS STORY U.S. SPORTS - live i/v with Paul Witteman, "Sports Illustrated". (national basketball season lockout continues)
0630 NEWS/WEATHER
0635 NEWS STORY STUDENT LOANS - govt introduces changes to scheme, including end to paying out loans in lump sums and requiring parental consent for students under 18. Education minister Wyatt Creech says changes will ensure students borrow money to pay for education rather than spending it on overseas holidays and partying. Students claim changes to fail to address key issues such as high debt level and interest rates. Comment from Sarah Helm, NZUSA. (Sharon Brettkelly)
0639 INTERNATIONAL PAPERS
0642 MANA NEWS HAURAKI ELECTORATE - former Labour Party leader David Lange says John Tamihere has made it difficult for Labour to select him because of his public intention to stand as independent if not selected.
0651 BUSINESS AND FINANCIAL NEWS BRIERLEY INVESTMENTS - future direction still uncertain as talks continue between new exec chair Selwyn Cushing and Shamrock Holdings. Shamrock only a side-show, according to Paul Glass of Spicers Financial Services. He says strong board is key to turning around company but with board divisions revealed at annual meeting, his concerns about Brierley now go even deeper. (Clare Sziranyi) FINANCE/MARKETS MARKET REVIEW MACRAE'S MINING - dissident shareholders fail to stop takeover bid by Gold and Resource Developments. Macrae's corporate affairs manager Clayton Cosgrove says propdsal supported by independent report. (Graham Mckerracher) WESTPACTRUST reports profit to end of September of $340 million, up from $333 million for same period last year. (Gyles Beckford) EUROBANK - emergence of centre-left govts in several parts of Europe raises questions about independence of new European central bank. New political leaders looking for some recognition by bank of need to act on unemployment. BUSINESS BRIEFS
0700 INTRO/NEWS IRAQ - WEAPONS INSPECTION - US sending 129 more aircraft and 3,000 more troops to Gulf. President Clinton warns President Saddam Hussein that US "prepared to act" if Baghdad fails to comply with UN arms inspectors. Baghdad correspondent Richard Downes says there's been enormous amount of activity in last 24 hours. (Mng Rpt); chief UN arms inspector Richard Butler confirms he pulled staff out of Iraq on strong recommendation of US govt. Live i/v with correspondent Judy Lessing; live i/v with Washington correspondent Martin Kettle. STUDENT LOANS - critics of scheme say govt's changes don't address spiralling increase in cost of tertiary education. Comment from John Barkess, president of Aotearoa Polytechnic Students' Union; live i/v with Education minister Wyatt Creech and Prof Michael Irving, VUW vice-chancellor.
0730 NEWS/WEATHER/SPORTS NZ PAPERS FINANCE UPDATE Māori FISHING SETTLEMENT - iwi organisations today get final draft of model for distributing assets. Treaty of Waitangi Fisheries Commission reveals model following High Court ruling that first parcel of assets must go to traditional tribes. Live i/v with Māori Issues correspondent Chris Wikaira, with comment from Commission chief exec Robin Hapi. PEACE PROCESS - Israeli cabinet finally approves new land-for-security deal with Palestinians but statement from PM Netanyahu's office says cabinet has attached conditions to implementation of security deal. Live i/v with "Jerusalem Report" editor David Horovitz. AUCKLAND UNIV - budgetary restraints likely to lead to 100 job losses, including academic and support staff. Live i/v with acting vice-chancellor Prof Alistair MacCormick; live i/v with vice president of Association of Universit Staff and AK Univ law professor Jane Kelsey. MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS DRUG - Pharmac to reconsider decision not to fund Betaferon. It has been refusing subsidy because hasn't been convinced to bring long-term improvement to MS sufferers but says there's new evidence suggesting Betaferon can help. (Rae Lamb)
0800 NEWS/WEATHER IRAQ - WEAPONS INSPECTION - Un evacuates inspectors and humanitarian staff as crisis deepens. Live i/v with UN correspondent Rob Watson. STUDENT LOANS - independent MP Deborah Morris putting up private member's Bill which would mean students would not pay interest on loans until they finish studying, is concerned about huge amount of debt being accumulated; live i/v with Education correspondent Gael Woods. ACC FRAUD TRIAL - defence opens this morning in fraud trial of former ACC chief exec Gavin Robins and his brother Tony. Both deny charges alleging they defrauded ACC ofnearly $900,000 between 1995-97. Live i/v with Court reporter Merle Nowland. LAKE TAUPO SEARCH - specialist dive squad searching for prison inmate believed to have drowned after parachute jump. Man had been working with Taupo Tandem Skydiving as part of parole scheme. Live i/v with Sgt Kevin Taylor, Taupo police. INTERNATIONAL PAPERS MEAT EATING - producers celebrate new statistics showing NZers eating more red meat but Heart Fndn medical director Dr Boyd Swinburne says that means eating more saturated fat and that's a worry. Live i/v with Dr Swinburne and Alan Fraser, Meat NZ
0830 NEWS/SPORTS FIJI ISLANDS - DROUGHT - UN report leaked to Radio Fiji, said to have been requested by govt, says 3-quarters of Fiji affected by drought and food and water distribution will be needed until first quarter of next year. Live i/v with correspondent Shiu Singh. CIVIL CASES - judges, court staff and lawyers pushing for civil cases to be resolved before they get to court. Pressure on Hamilton District Court means disputes arising now may not be heard until year 2000. Chief District Court judge Ron Young believes it's worst waiting list in country. (Karlum Lattimore) NZ FILM-MAKERS good at finding humour in life's tragedies, according to American film buyer Paul Federbush. He says his company likes what it sees so much it's invested $130 million in Peter Jackson's "Lord of the Rings". He's in NZ for Screen Producers and Directors Assn conference - i/ved live. COASTLINE FUTURE - DoC discussion document on whether Abel Tasman foreshore near Nelson should be included in national park prompts more than 2,000 submissions, many raising concerns about foreshore's future. (Helen Shea) PORTUGAL - REFERENDUM - govt suffers humiliating defeat in referendum on decentralising power and giving more to regions. Live i/v with correspondent illegible Clewlow. FRUIT AND VEG REPORT with Jack Forsythe.