0600 NEWS/WEATHER
0609 NZ NEWSPAPERS
0611 Māori NEWS 1616 NEWS STORY POLICE NUMBERS - more details of govt's pledge to increase police officer numbers released but Labour Party and Police Assn say any increase may be set off by reduction in support staff around country. Comment from Police Commissioner Peter Doone, Labour MP George Hawkins, Police Assn president Greg O'Connor and Supt Alastair Beckett, North Shore-Wai takere police district.(Christine Cessford)
0620 RURAL NEWS
0625 SPORTS STORY CATERPILLAR THREAT - Landcare scientist Robert Hoare reassures farmers that hungry green caterpillar eating its way through large stretches of Northland farmland is unlikely to cause devastating damage. (Diana Leufkens) GYPSY MOTH - quick action by MAF quarantine staff appears to have prevented infestation. 20 live caterpillars found hatching on used Japanese car import during routine inspection at Port of Auckland. (Eileen Cameron) EMERGENCY GRAZING - forestry company comes to rescue of one Central Otago farming family who lost most of their grazing during Alexandra fire. Grant and Marion Hamilton will be able to winter over most of their 3,500 sheep on land company has set aside for future planting. (Kevin Ikin) ST JOHN'S WORT, medicinal herb classed as noxious weed, commercially harvested in Central Otago this year. Crop and Food Research Inst say there's been significant interest from growers and investors. (Jill Galloway)
0625 NEWS STORY KOSOVO - RUSSIA opposed to air strikes against Yugoslavia. Moscow correspondent Paul Anderson says opposition partly because of political climate in Russia itself. (Mng Rpt)
0630 NEWS/WEATHER
0635 NEWS STORY BRITAIN - TRUCKIES PROTEST - truck drivers cause chaos in London by converging on capital to protest at budget measures raising vehicle excise duty and price of fuel. (keith Chalkley)
0640 INTERNATIONAL PAPERS
0642 MANA NEWS RIVERS CLAIM - 2 Māori MPs demand guarantee from Crown that ECNZ split won't affect river claims of any tribe. Māori MUSIC - Wht defines it?
0648 BUSINESS AND FINANCIAL NEWS CONTACT SALE - EDISON MISSON ENERGY, US-based company, surprise winner of 40% stake with surprise price of $1.2 billion, beating out TransAlta. Price 3 times book value of Contact but Edison says it regards it as fair price. Asia-Oacific president of Edison Bob Edgell says company looking for fair return over a long haul. (Mng Rpt); market analysts say Edison paid about double most expectations. Energy consultants Alan Jenkins says sale shows govt will structure offer to public with aggression and optimism. (Helen Matterson); TransAlta disappointed but hopes sale will encourage govt to privatise more generation assets. (Helen Matterson) FINANCE/MARKETS MARKET REVIEW SMART MONEY INDEX - author of new investor index which profiles 10 of top players confident there is enough demand for such information. David McEwen says index for small-time investors. (Helen Matterson) ANSETT AUSTRALIA - Singapore Airines about to buy out News Corpn, according to media reports. (Gyles Beckford) DE BEERS diamond company reports its earnings for past year were halved, cuts dividends for first time in living memory. AK INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT - power reforms applying from next month force Airport into selling one of its electricity businesses in order to comply. Company again asks Commerce Commission for exemption from Electricity Industry Reform Act. (Helen Matterson) BUSINESS BRIEFS
0700 INTRO/NEWS CONTACT ENERGY/EDISON - customers assured power prices won't rise despite premium price being paid for company. Comment from Labour MP Pete Hodgson, Edison's Robert Edgell, and Terence Currie, Major Electricity Users Group (Eric Frykberg); i/v with Robert Edgell. (Mng Rpt) KOSOVO - AIR STRIKES - US envoy Richard Holbrooke in last-ditch talks with yugoslav president Milosevic, says Western powers determined to act if necessary. NATO Supreme Cdr, Gen Wesley Clark, comments. Live i/v with Belgrade correspondent Nick Thorpe. POLICE NUMBERS - Police Commissioner Peter Doone says by end of next year there will be almost 7,000 police officers, increase of 200, and within 5 years a total of 600 more officers will join ranks. Labour Party spokesman George Hawkins warns any increase in numbers may be off-set by 300-person reduction in support staff; live i/v with Mr Doone and Police Assn president Greg O'Connor.
0730 NEWS/WEATHER/SPORTS NZ PAPERS FINANCE UPDATE WAIKATO NURSES STRIKE - Waikato Hospital moving number of critically ill patients to other hospitals in preparation for planned 3-day strike by nurses. General manager Geoff Annals says all elective surgery has been cancelled and around 40 patients already transferred - i/ved live. AUSTRALIA - CYCLONE VANCE one of most powerful tropical storms to hit Australia. Winds of up to 290 kms an hour battered northwest coast overnight, tearing apart buildings and causing widespread flooding. I/v with Rod Patterson, Western Australia state emergency service. (Mng Rpt) TRANSMISSION GULLY - WN Regional Council to begin surveying residents to find out if they support local rate or tax increases to fund proposed motorway to bypass SH1 between Paraparaumu and Porirua near WN. Transit NZ says it's too illegible under current cost-benefit rules and isn't planning to build it until 2014 at earliest. Comment from Margaret Shields, deputy chair of Wellington Regional Council, John Lambie, chair of Plimmerton resident's association, and Martin Gummer of Transfund, government body that funds major roads. (Bryan Crump); live i/v with Peter Dunne, Ohariu-Belmont MP, whose electorate would include gateway to Transmission Gully motorway. WESTERN SAMOA - FUNERAL - Pacific leaders gather in Apia for funeral of late PM Tofilau Eti Alesana. Large contingent of MPs and Samoan community leaders arrive back in NZ late last night. Comment from PM Jenny Shipley, Alliance's Matt Robson and National MP Arthur Anae. (Sarah Boyd)
0800 NEWS/WEATHER CONTACT ENERGY/EDISON - Labour Party's Energy spokesman Pete Hodgson says high price paid by Edison will be recouped by high prices if company is to get reasonable return for investment but Major Electricity users' Group chair Terence Currie says Contact's 350,000 customers are asset and if prices increase, customers will be lost. Both i/ved. (Mng Rpt) KOSOVO - NATO ready to engage in air strikes against Yugoslav military targets, will go ahead unless Belgrade halts offensive against rebels and accepts plan granting autonomy to ethnic Albanians. I/v with NATO spokesman jamie Sead. (Mng Rpt) INTERNATIONAL PAPERS POLICE NUMBERS - Labour party's Police spokesperson George Hawkins says latest police staffing figures used to hide serious problems with fight against crime, says at same time number of sworn police increasing in some districts, number of support positions being cut. Mr Hawkins i/ved live. OSCARS - Gwyneth Paltrow wins Best Actress for role in "Shakespeare in Love" Roberto Benigni wins Best Actor for Italian film "Life is Beautiful". Live i/v with film critic Jonathan Dennis.
0830 NEWS/WEATHER BALLOON ATTEMPT - Bertrand Piccard and Brian Jones arrive back in Geneva to welcome from family and friends, landed in Egypt yesterday after almost 20 days in air, succeeded in going round world non-stop in a balloon. Live i/v with Don Cameron, whose company made the craft. Y2K BUG - new survey finds small businesses behind in dealing with potential problems. Y2K Readiness Commission chair Basil Logan says more than 70% don't have plan to deal with potential problems with computer systems and equipment illegible with supplies of essential goods and services. He's i/ved live. NEEDLES RE-USE - Medical Assn moves to reassure people there are ethical guidelines for doctors on re-use of hypodermic needles, following case of Cambridge doctor who's handed back his practicing licence after admitting putting patients at risk by re-using needles. Comment from Assn's Dr Anton Wiles, chair of Medical Practitioners Disciplinary Peter Cartwright, and Eleanor Hawthorne, president of Pharmaceutical Society.(Blair Mclaren) NORFOLK ISLANDers prepare to fight Australian efforts to block island's push for greater self-govt. Legislative Assembly votes unanimoulsy to hold referendum on Canberra's move to allow only Australians to vote in local elections. Live i/v with Geoff Bennett, former Legislative Assembly member. SURREY PARK SCHOOL - Invercargill community finds out today if 2-year struggle to save school has been successful. (Gael Woods) ITALY - FILM - tragi-comic Holocaust film "Life is Beautiful" wins Academy Awards for Best Foreign Film and Best Actor for its creator, director and star Roberto Benigni. Live i/v with correspondent Frances Kennedy.