0600 NEWS/WEATHER
0609 NZ NEWSPAPERS
0611 Māori NEWS 1616 NEWS STORY KOSOVO - NATO steps up pressure, sends naval forces to Adriatic and shortening readiness to execute air strikes, says Yugoslav president Slobodan Milosevic has shown "no flexibility and little willingness" to abide by commitments he made to NATO on Kosovo. (BBC) ILLEGAL APPLES - Chilean govt promises to help NZ in efforts to stop Chilean growers using pirated apple stocks. NZ already threatening legal action within Chile. Comment from Chile's ambassador to new Zealand, Fernando Reyes-Matta, Peter Selcock, of the Fruit Growers Federation, and Food and Fibre minister John Luxton.(q). (Eric Frykberg)
0620 RURAL NEWS ILLEGAL APPLES - Apple and Pear Board says it's already had positive reaction to move to stop illegal propagation of NZ apple varieties in Chile. ENZA has placed adverts in Chilean newspapers warning growers it's illegal for them to have NZ-owned new varieties. Enza says there's strong evidence cuttings taken from NZ by Chilean visitor. (Kevin Ikin) "STRAIGHT FURROW" - Fed Farmers sells newspaper that's been its official mouthpiece for 66 years to Australian-owned NZ Rural Press. President Malcolm Bailey considers it's a good deal. (Kevin Ikin) POTATOES - Wrightson adds to its moves to become major force in potato trade by acquiring exclusive Australasian rights to UK company's specialist potato production technology. Wrightson Research general manager Warwick Green says technology will slash time taken to introduce new varieties of potato. (kevin Ikin) WOOL DISPUTE - Wool Board disputes suggestions Fernmark branding programme for NZ wool has been failure and should get out of promotion and marketing. Criticism comes form Phil Verry, promoter of Wool Corpn proposal to reform NZ's selling system. (Kevin Ikin)
0625 SPORTS STORY U.S. SPORTS - live i/v with Paul Witteman, "Sports Illustrated". (Olympic corruption; Superbowl finalists; NBA champions Chicago Bulls gutted)
0630 NEWS/WEATHER
0635 NEWS STORY U.S. - IMPEACHMENT trial resumes today, day after President Clinton's State of the Union address. BBC's Jane Hughes checks on New Yorkers' support or otherwise for Mr Clinton.
0639 INTERNATIONAL PAPERS
0642 NEWS STORY HONG KONG - WELFARE - HK feeling the squeeze, unemployment at highest for 20 years. Govt running into severe financial problems with growing bill for welfare, proposing to cut back on welfare payments. (BBC) BRITAIN - EAR PRINTS - police developing ear printing as weapon against crime, getting serious hearing in British law courts. (Paul Chapman, Feature Story)
0651 BUSINESS AND FINANCIAL NEWS U.S. - ECONOMY- Federal Reserve chair Alan Greenspan testifies to Congress committee, hails "sparkling" performance of economy but sounds cautious note on on near-record level of stock prices. CASH UNIT TRUSTS - Macquarie Investment Services says unit trusts answer for investors unhappy with dropping interest rates and increasing bank fees. Cash unit trusts pool all deposits into one fund which is then invested into wholesale money market. Macquarie associate director Jason Huddy comments. (Clare Sziranyi) McCASHINS BREWERY - Nelson family which founded and operates boutique brewery says time was right to sell Mac brands. Lion to take over sales, marketing and distribution while McCashin family continues to own and operate brewery. (Clare Sziranyi) AUSTRALIA - PHONE CALL PRICES for international and long distance calls expected to drop. Fair trading watchdog says national carrier Telstra should cut charges to other carriers using its network. (Zandra Sharpe) FINANCE/MARKETS MARKET REVIEW ASIAN ECONOMIC CRISIS - IMF admits mistakes in handling crisis. Internal reports says it was over-optimistic about likely economic downturn and recommended spending cuts for longer than necessary. China and Malaysia have brought in currency controls, while IMF insists restrictions be removed in many of its rescue packages. Yet, as "Financial Times" John Plender reports, there's evidence to suggest the controls have been beneficial. BUSINESS BRIEFS
0700 INTRO/NEWS PAM CORKERY decides to retire from politics, says she's "breathtakingly unsuited" to be an MP and many of her fellow MPs are of the "revenge of the school nerd" type. She's i/ved live; live i/v with Political reporter Sarah Boyd. FIJI ISLANDS - FLOODS - northwestern coast reeling from damage, 5 people dead and hundreds homeless in sugar-growing region. Live i/v with correspondent Shiu Singh. VANUATU - CYCLONE DANI - child killed and hundreds of people evacuated as tail of cyclone continues to bring heavy rain and flooding. Live i/v with Port Vila department store owner Boyd Johnson. CYCLONE DANI - Pacific region reeling under system of tropical weather fronts. Live i/v with Weather Workshop forecaster Steve Rawdon. KIRSTY BENTLEY - family tells friends her funeral will be held on Monday. Police have confirmed body found in Rakaia Gorge is that of missing Ashburton teenager and homicide inquiry officially begins. Comment from Dorothy Jellyman, mother of Kirsty's friend Lee-Anne, and principal of Ashburton College, Digby illegible. (Caitlin Cherry)
0730 NEWS/WEATHER/SPORTS NZ PAPERS FINANCE UPDATE ECONOMY RECOVERY hopes boosted by recent run of statistics, but what are the figures signs of? Live i/v with Economics correspondent Bronwen Evans. KOSOVO - NATO ambassadors meet to decide response to Yugoslavia's continued defiance. Top commanders Wesley Clark and Klaus Neumann fail to achieve backdown in talks with President Milosevic. Live i/v with "The Guardian" European editor Martin Walker. FARM MORTGAGE MEDIATION - Whangarei meeting of farmers, bankers and politicians votes to support farm debt mediation Act modelled on Australian legislation. Move gets widespread political support, except from Labour Party. Live i/v with Northland Fed Farmers president Ian Walker and Labour's Agriculture spokesman Jim Sutton. ECSTASY - AK coroner Mate Frankovic issues strong warning against drug at inquest into death of Ngaire O'Neill. (Christine Cessford); live i/v with exec director of Fndn for Alcohol and Drug Education, Colin Bramfitt.
0800 NEWS/WEATHER PAM CORKERY decides to quit politics. Live i/v with Alliance leader Jim Anderton. INTERNATIONAL PAPERS MOSQUITO - aerial spraying operation starts this morning over marshlands north of Napier. Live i/v with Health ministry's deputy technical officer Henry Dowler. KIRSTY BENTLEY CASE - police squad numbers boosted. Live i/v with reporter Lauren McKenzie. MISSING NZER - badly decomposed body recovered from Persian Gulf by searchers looking for NZer Aaron Hopa and his British co-worker who've been missing since last week. I/v with Malcolm Ward, "Gulf News". ECSTASY - health professionals warn publicity over NZ's first Ecstasy-related death may make it more attractive to young thrill-seekers. Live i/v with Janet Betts formed Action for Drugs Awareness group with her husband Paul after their daughter died after taking Ecstasy.
0830 NEWS/SPORTS TENNIS - AUSTRALIAN OPEN enters 4th day, marked by anger over Petr Korda's being fined but not suspended for use of banned steroid at Wimbledon last year. Live i/v with commentator Dave Worsley. FIJI ISLANDS - FLOODS - govt waiting for reports before deciding whether to declare state of emergency around towns of Ba, Nadi, and Lautoka. Live i/v with Abdul Ayub, operations officer at Disaster Management Office. ARM MORTGAGE MEDIATION - live i/v with David Bogan, farm debt mediator, re Alliance move to bring in Farm-Debt Mediation Act. BRITAIN - HOUSE OF LORDS - govt unveils plans for radical reform, Royal Commission appointed to recommend shape and composition. (Keith Chalkley) POPE JOHN PAUL to visit Mexico and US. Correspondent Jim Bitterman one of journalists chosen to accompany him - i/ved about what Pope has on agenda. (Mng Rpt) FRUIT AND VEG REPORT with Jack Forsythe.