0600 NEWS/WEATHER
0609 NZ NEWSPAPERS
0611 Māori NEWS 1616 NEWS STORY DEFENCE NEEDS - Defence minister Max Bradford rejects almost half recommendations of Parliament's Foreign Affairs and Defence select committee, which spent year reviewing defence needs beyond 2000. Committee MPs say he's missed opportunity to position armed forces for demands of next century. Comment from Mr Bradford, Alliance MP Matt Robson, and NZ First MP Ron Mark. (Kathryn Street)
0620 RURAL NEWS illegible - STOCK - North Island farmers snap up stock from drought-stricken South Island farms, for fattening or re-stocking their own farms. Strait Shipping's Sandy Sandom estimates trade across Cook Strait up by about 10%. Wrightson's Malcolm Goulie says most are store lambs or cattle headed for Manawatu and Hawkes Bay. MAF compliance officer David Barbour reminds transport companies and farmers of animal welfare obligations. (Catherine Harris) DEREGULATION - AK agribusiness consultant Hans Maurer latest to join producer board reform debate, says Apple and Pear Board and Kiwifruit Board don't have structure or flexibility to meet today's marketing demands, points to persimmon industry as classic example of industry growing through co-operation rather than regulation; Bill Lynch, United Fruit Group, says it's not relevant to compare persimmon and pipfruit industries. (Kevin Ikin)
0625 SPORTS STORY SPORTS - live i/v with Gary Ahern. (Australian rugby player suspended for stomping on another's face; NZ cricket - skills needed for test matches)
0630 NEWS
0635 NEWS STORY BRITAIN - GENETICALLY MODIFIED FOOD - pressure growing for ban on commercial cultivation of genetically modified crops until further research carried out into safety and environmental impact. Science minister Lord Sainsbury, who's Louted benefits of genetically engineered food, admits holding stock in major biotechnology company. (Paul Chapman, Feature Story)
0640 INTERNATIONAL PAPERS
0642 MANA NEWS
0648 BUSINESS AND FINANCIAL NEWS BRIERLEY INVESTMENTS decision to quit majority stake in Sky City generally welcomed by brokers. BIL to offer $63 million shares via 2-part instalment receipt. It will have to compete for investor interest with float of Contact Energy, but Warren Couillault, SBC Warburg Dillon Read, says timing of move makes sense. (Chris Roberts) SKY CITY managing director Evan Davies upbeat about coming year, company announces better than expected 6 months net profit of $22.5 million. (Todd Niall) FINANCE/MARKETS MARKET REVIEW AUSTRALIA - TAX REFORM - wide range of reforms to corporte tax system recommended but with warning of need to close loopholes and clamp down on avoidance if aim of company tax rate of 30% to be achieved. (Zandra Sharpe) FUNDS MANAGEMENT - FPG Research to form alliance with leading US funds management researcher Morningstar. Morningstar will offer its research on US fund managers and investments to FPG. Live i/v with FPG's managing director Graham Rich. CEMENT - Swiss giant Holderbank forced to pay premium for remaining shares of Milburn NZ. Price of #2.50 a share set by independent appraisal after shareholders refused to accept Holderbank's offer of $2.10. (Chris Roberts)
0700 INTRO/NEWS TOURISM ROW - PM Jenny Shiupley pulled further into allegations of political interference in Tourism Board. She told Parliament last week tourism issues not discussed at dinner with Saatchi and Saatchi chief exec Kevin Roberts but documents released last night now raise questions about that dinner and PM's statements to House. Live i/v with Political editor Al Morrison; PM Jenny Shipley declines i/v; live i/v with Labour leader Helen Clark; live i/v with Political editor Al Morrison re documents relating to allegations of political interference in govt dealings with Tourism Board; live i/v with Tourism minister Murray McCully; further live i/v with Political editor Al Morrison. KOSOVO - FIGHTING breaks out in province on eve of peace settlement deadline. Witnesses say heavily armed Serb forces used tanks to destroy houses and set fire to others in cluster of villages northeast of Pristina. Orgn for Security and Co-operation in Europe has 1200 unarmed observers but spokesperson Beatrice LaCoste says mission now goes beyond initial monitoring role. (Mng Rpt) illegible NEWS/WEATHER/SPORTS NZ PAPERS FINANCE UPDATE TAX EVASION - WINEBOX - another chapter in sage due to close with release of report by committee of tax experts on issue of tax evasion and avoidance. Live i/v with Economics correspondent Bronwen Evans. NEW CALEDONIA - MISSING YACHTIES - Australian Air Force Orion leaves this morning to resume search for 3 people still missing in life raft off New Caledonia. Trio's yacht believed to have sunk yesterday by search by RNZAF has failed to find them. Live i/v with Peter Nalder, National Search and Rsecue Co-ordination Centre. HUNTLY EXPLOSION - team of independent experts to start this morning searching for cause of explosion at power station in which one of 4 150-tonne oil-filled transformers was extensively damaged and sparked fire which has continued to burn. Live i/v with Kieran Divine, ECNZ's general manager of generation. WINZ APOLOGISES - Work and Income NZ under fire for sending what Labour Party is calling inappropriate letters to beneficiaries re small debt repayment. Social Welfare spokesman Steve Maharey says WINZ getting repuations as petty and insensitive bureaucracy. (Diana Leufkens) STUDENTS HOSPITALISED - scientists analysing white powder, mixed into soft drink, which put 5 Mangere College schoolgirls into hospital. Girls in hyperactive state when arrived at Middlemore Hospital, 2 kept in for observation overninght. Live i/v with Mangere College principal Ron Pedder.
0800 NEWS/WEATHER TOURISM ROW - focus of row shifts to credibility of PM Jenny Shipley, with issue coming on day she faces vote of confidence in Parliament. ACT leader Richard Prebble says issue has made him even more determined to support govt i/ved. (Mng Rpt); live i/v with Political editor Al Morrison. KOSOVO - FIGHTING breaks out between separatist ethnic Albanians and Yugoslav security forces on eve of deadline for peace settlement. Live i/v with Belgrade correspondent Jackie Rowland;PEACE TALKS - live i/v with CBS reporter Elaine Cobb at Rambouillet peace talks. INTERNATIONAL PAPERS CONTACT ENERGY - when govt sells 60% of sharholding to public, it will go through system of priority registration. ABN Amro-Rothschild undertaking sale of behalf of Crown. Live i/v with chief exec Simon Allen. DEFENCE NEEDS - recommendations that armed forces restructure and focus more on such areas as peacekeeping rejected by Defence minister Max Bradford. Live i/v with defence analyst Jim Rolfe. FAMILY VIOLENCE - AK campaingn organisers plan to teach people over next 3 years how to intervene without risking their own or the victim's safety. Campaign follows court case last year in which Otara woman's abusive husband trapped her in home but neighbours refused to get involved. Live i/v with "Leslie", abuse victim, and with Jo Elvidge, campaign co-ordinator. MATAHINA OCCUPATION - another Māori occupation underway, at Matahina Dam near Whakatane. Sovereignty activists led by Tame Iti protesting govt's sale of power station to local power company. Live i/v with Māori Issues correspondent Chris Wikaira. PAKISTAN/INDIA RELATIONS - Indian PM Vajpayee visits Pakistan in hope of improving relations, although visit marred by killing of 20 Hindus in Kashmir by Muslim separatist guerrillas. I/v with Islamabad correspondent Owen Bennett-Jones. (Mng Rpt) AUSTRALIA - WOOLLONGONG SHOOTING - manhunt underway after drive-by shooting which left one person dead and 8 injured. Man fired both barrels of sawn-off shotgun into crowd outside Vietnamese restaurant. Live i/v with Paul Devenport, illegible news editor, Woollongon. illegible BUG - Rubik-cube solver Patrick Bossert invents test kit to detect where millennium computer bug will strike. (AAP)