0600 NEWS/WEATHER
0609 NZ NEWSPAPERS
0611 NEWS STORY CHINA/U.S. TRADE DEAL - China and US reach breakthrough deal, paving way for China's entry to World Trade Orgn and throwing open vast market. President Clinton still faces tough battle to steer agreement through Republican-led Congress. Live i/v with Washington correspondent Robin Brandt. CHECHNYA - SUMMIT - President Yeltsin confirms he'll attend international summit in Turkey this week, will insist Russia has every right to clamp down on "terrorists" in Chechnya. Chechen leader Aslan Maskadov claims 3,000 civilians have been killed and more than 200,000 are believed to have fled. (BBC)
0620 RURAL NEWS PESTICIDE USE - VegFed says falling pesticide use in NZ reflects grower's illegible awareness of consumer and environmental concerns. Report commissioned by MAF shows pesticide use, excluding mineral oil, has declined from peak about 3,700 tonnes of active ingredients a year between 1984-94 to about 3,300 tonnes last year. (Diana Leufkens) FLOODING - Werner Hauser, farmer worst hit by latest flooding in Waimana in Eastern Bay of Plenty, says his spirits lifted by help from other farmers. Last week 150 millimetres of rain fell in about 48 hours; farmers in Haast, South Westland, survive dumping of anout 150 mls of rain in about 36 hours, floodwaters have drained away. Farmer John Nolan says downpours have been weekly occurrence this Spring. (Diana Leufkens) PIPFRUIT GROWERS in conflict over how new growers' forum should be elected. Independent Pipfruit Growers' chair Danny Freilich says Pipfruit Growers of NZ called for nominations for new 27-member forum to replace smaller one but when nominations closed last week, growers were then told that legal problems precluded vote. PGNZ president Richard Easton explains. (Diana Leufkens) ELECTION - SHEARING CHALLENGE - Harry Parke, husband of Green Party co-leader Jeanette Fitzsimons, challenged PM Jenny Shipley's husband Burton to a shearing contest but Mr Shipley has business elsewhere. (Catherine Delore) illegible SPORTS STORY BOARD SAILING champions Barbara Kendall and Aaron McIntosh make strong start as they defend titles as World Championships in New Caledonia. I/v with NZ teram coach Grant Beck. (Mng Rpt)
0630 NEWS/WEATHER
0635 NEWS STORY MALAYSIA - ANWAR TRIAL - sexual misconduct trial of former deputy PM Anwar Ibrahim postponed indefinitely, PM Mahathir Mohammed will now not have to give evidence before the snap election is held. Mahathir Mohammed begins campaign, now only 2 weeks away. (CNN) INTERNATIONAL PAPERS MANA MāORI TRAFFIC REPORT
0648 BUSINESS AND FINANCIAL NEWS GPG/OTTER GOLD - Guinness Peat Group investment concern obtains court orders forcing out Tony Radford as exec chair of Otter Gold. High Court has granted interim injunction preventing Otter destroying or altering voting papers from last Friday's meeting, from announcing results of votes at annual meeting, and stopping Otter from making any decisions on shares held by GPG and its subsidiary Mid East. (Helen Matterson) ELECTION - ECONOMIC/BUSINESS POLICIES - NATIONAL - live i/v with Treasurer Bill English. FINANCE/MARKETS MARKET REVIEW AMP ASSET MANAGEMENT's World INdex NZ Fund becomes largest investment fund, passes $1 billion makr. Managing director Murray Gribben says local investors seeing sense in putting money offshore. (Helen Matterson) MONETARY POLICY - Reserve Bank's last statement for year due to be released tomorrow, close to election. Most analysts predict rise of half a percent in official cash rate to 5% and possibly more rises next year to combat growing inflationary pressures. BERL economist Ganesh Nana comments. (Helen Matterson) BUSINESS BRIEFS
0700 INTRO/NEWS GISBORNE CANCER SMEARS - Health Funding Authority says almost 17,000 slides taken by retired pathologist Michael Bottrill have now been checked, 6025 show high grade abnormalities which affect 474 women. Lawyer representing 20 of the women involved, Bruce Corkill, says latest results are another big blow to his clients; HFA spokesperson Tracey Mellor says HFA unaware how many women have developed cancer since slides were misread; Gisborne GP Johan Peters says while situation is serious, smear slides are read differently by different labs - i/ved live. CHINA/WORLD TRADE ORGN - issue of China/US trade barriers were biggest obstacles to China's entry to WTO. WTO director general Mike Moore says trade deal between China and US is extremely significant - i/ved. (Mng Rpt) PETROL PRICE - Shell increasing petrol price by another 3 cents a litre from midnight, Caltex likely to follow. Other companies say they're watching the market. Live i/v with Shell's communications manager Antonius Papspiropoulos. NORTHERN IRELAND - PEACE PROCESS - chair of peace talks, former US Senator Geroge Mitchell, says he's increasingly confident current impasse can be resolved, says main parties agree that disarming of paramilitaries and establishment of power-sharing administration should proceed as quickly as possible. Live i/v with correspondent David McKittrick. CHOGM - Commonwealth leaders end Durban summit with decision to suspend Pakistan from Commonwealth but not agreement on expanding powers of watchdog committee on human rights and democracy. Orgn pledges to lobby for fairer deal for poor nations in world trade. I/v with reporter Shona Geary in Durban. (Mng Rpt) illegible NEWS/WEATHER NZ PAPERS FINANCE UPDATE ELECTION - LEADERS - ALLIANCE - Clare Sziranyi follows Jim Anderton on election campaign trail. JAILED ASYLUM SEEKERS - 16 men from India, Pakistan, and Iran said to be close to death as they prepare to enter 3rd week of hunger strike at Mt Eden prison. They're protesting being held in jail while their refugee status is determined. Fr Peter Munnane fears some may soon die - he's i/ved live. TURKEY - QUAKE - SURVIVORS - searchers still looking for survivors as death toll rises to 452 dead with 2,385 injured, but search operation is now winding down. I/v with correspondent Chris Morris.(Mng Rpt) INFRASTRUCTURE AUCKLAND - MONEY GIVE-AWAY - local body controlling nearly $1 billion of AK's public assets giving away up to $2.5 million later today, to be spent on small projects designed to improve region's transport and storm-water infrastructure. First round of funding projects since Infrastructure Auckland took over from AK Regional Services Trust about a year ago. Live i/v with Infrastructure chair Craig Little.
0800 NEWS/WEATHER CHINA/U.S. TRADE DEAL - Mark Moore, research associate with Asia programme at Washington's Centre for Strategic and International Studies, says American producers -especially farmers- stand to gain from opening up of massive Chinese market. He's i/ved. (Mng Rpt) CHECHNYA - RUSSIAN VIEW - Russian PM Vladimir Putin expected to come under heavy criticism at summit of Orgn for Co-operation and Security in Europe over Chechen campaign, but correspondent Peter Biles says there's still a lot of support for it in Moscow - i/ved. (Mng Rpt) FORCED HOUSE SALE - first sale of home ordered by courts to pay off a fine will take place by auction in Taumarunui early next month. Proceeds will be used to collect $25,000 fine imposedon man who was ordered to pay the money to his victim. Details of crime are suppressed. Live i/v with Noel Smith, Courts Dept collections manager in Hamilton. ELECTION - HEALTH - a look at the issue of access to public heatlh services with Health correspondent Rae Lamb. COMMISSIONS OF INQUIRY - AK District Law Society's public issues committee calls for changes to way Commissions of Inquiry are set up in wake of Winebox case. High Court subsequently found the one-man commission made a legal error in findings. Comment from report co-author David Ryken, former PM and constitutional law expert Sir Geoffrey Palmer and journalist Pat Booth. (Julian Robins) TRAFFIC REPORT
0630 NEWS/WEATHER/SPORTS JET BOAT SAFETY - Australian travel agent warning clients against jetboat trips in NZ. Carolyn Pike was injured in speed jetboat ride on Kawerau River in August, believes rides are unsafe - i/ved. (Mng Rpt); live i/v with Tourism Board chief exec George Hickton. GISBORNE CANCER SMEARS - Gisborne GP Johan Peters says differences in way smear tests are read in Australia menas some slides tagged seriously abnormal are in fact normal and women whose tests have been read as abnormal should undergo full coloscopy. Health Funding Authority spokesperson Tracey Mellor says women's safety is the first priority - i/ved. (Mng Rpt) INTERNATIONAL PAPERS TERMITES - MAF today will lay bait in effort to kill termites infesting part of King Country town of Otorohanga. Australian termites thought to have arrived in area many years ago in wooden power poles but earlier eradication efforts have failed. Live i/v with Ruth Frampton, director of MAF Forest Biosecurity. TRANSIT OF MERCURY - today planet Mercury will appear to be perched inside the Sun. Rare occurrence, has only occurred 13 times this century. Many of countyr's observatories will be open for viewing. Live i/v with Richard Hall, illegible Observatory in WN.