0600 NEWS/WEATHER
0609 NZ NEWSPAPERS
0611 NEWS STORY INDONESIA - LOMBOK RIOTERS to be shot on sight. Instruction follows continuing violence between Christian and Muslim communities which has caused thousands o people to leave the popular resort island. (BBC) BRITAIN - HOUSE OF LORDS' future will become clearer tomorrow with publication of report. Report by commission is expected to recommend election and appointment of members, but govt may shelve the proposals. (BBC)
0620 RURAL NEWS RURAL UPTURN CONFIRMED by country's 2nd a largest rural lender BNZ as world commodity prices rise and interest and exchange rate stay relatively low. But bank says about third of farms are potentially unviable. Comment from chief economist Tony Alexander and general manager rural Mike Skilling. (Diana Leufkens) ENZA SHARE PLAN - Apple and Pear Board to consider revised share allocation plan for proposed new marketing company today, will take greater account of growers' supply history. Comment from chair John McCliskie. (Kevin Ikin) KIWIFRUIT RESTRUCTURING plan gets final govt clearance with Agriculture minister's acknowledgement of result of grower referendum held last month. Vot on restructuring plan resulted in 89% support. (Kevin Ikin) ORGANIC APPLES - growers will be able to export more than half million cartons independently of ENZA this season. Exports Permits Committee grants permits fo 533,000 cartons for British, European and US markets. Organic Pipfruit Company chair Mike Donald says it's significant increase on what they've previously been able to export independently. (Kevin Ikin)
0625 SPORTS STORY: U.S. SPORTS - live i/v with Paul Witteman, "Sports Illustrated". (national football league play-offs)
0630 NEWS/WEATHER illegible5 NEWS STORY: FLU ORIGIN - report published in "Current Science" says flu virus comes from outer space and arrival on Earth can be directly linked to activity on the Sun I/v with report co-author Prof Chandra Wickramasinghe, Cardiff Univ. (Mng Rpt) INTERNATIONAL PAPERS SCIENCE REPORT - EVOLUTION - controversial theory challenging Darwin's theory of evolution championed by US microbiologist Lyn Margolis. (BBC) TRAFFIC REPORT
0648 BUSINESS AND FINANCIAL NEWS OFFICIAL FIGURES - Reserve Bank won't comment on criticism of its decision to raise interest rates yesterday, ahead of figures showing lower than expected inflation. Finance minister Michael Cullen wants bank to explain why its forecast could be so wide of mark, and also the timing of the announcement. Dr Cullen says it looks as if NZ's economy may be following overseas trends of higher growth low inflation. (Gyles Beckford) OFFICIAL FIGURES - Reserve Bank decision has its defenders and detractors. Ulf Schoefisch, Deutsche Bank, says move justified in response to gathering strength in economy, but National Bank's Brendan O'Donovan strongly critical, accuses bank of being too wedded to "mechanistic" approach to taking up of spare capacity in economy. WestpacTrust's Bevan Graham believes that in March the bank will deliver hefty rate rise. (Gyles Beckford) FINANCE/MARKETS RESTAURANT BRANDS fast food and coffee shop operator says it's recovered from slump in sales with 60% rise in latest profit. Full year store sales better fo KFC and Pizza Huts after cost savings, store refurbishments, some closures, an introduction of 9 Starbuck coffee shops also increased sales. Comment from chief exec Jim Collier. (Helen Matterson) OIL PRICES flirting with new 9-year highs as forecasts of long spell of cold weather in US weighs down on traders already spookes by OPEC talking of maintaining production quotas. Correspondent Richard Quest talks to independen oil analyst Buff Brown. (Gyles Beckford) TARANAKI OIL SEARCH - NZ Oil and Gas says rise in world oil prices giving fres impetus to search for oil in Taranaki, plans to drill in West Maui licence are in Taranaki basin starting next month. (Gyles Beckford) JAPAN - INTERNET FEVER sweeping Japan. Price of 1 share in Yahoo-Japan, country's most popular website, would have cost $US1 million yesterday. Commen from Ben Wedmore, internet industry analyst with HSBC Bank in Tokyo. (Gyles Beckford) HOUSE PRICES appear to be holding despite sharp slump in number being sold. Real Estate Inst sales figures show decline in December with just over 4,700 houses being sold, down nearly 2,000 on November and nearly 1500 on previous December. (Gyles Beckford) BUSINESS BRIEFS
0700 INTRO/NEWS INDONESIA - LOMBOK RIOTERS - police now ordered to shoot on sight. Muslims attacking churches and shops owned by Christians and there are reports of gang roaming streets in search of Christian homes. Hotels putting up "God is Great: signs in attempt to avoid Muslim attacks. I/v with correspondent Richard Galpin. (Mng Rpt) INFLATION - Reserve Bank's ability to accurately forecast inflation questioned by govt and private sector. Bank yesterday raised official cash rate by quarte of 1% to 5.25% but less than 2 hours later, Statistics Dept released official figures showing inflation at .2 of 1% in December quarter, far less than Reserve Bank was predicting. Finance minister Michael Cullen says he has some illegible for bank and Treasury. Simon Carlaw, ManFed chief exec, says bank should have held off increasing Official Cash Rate but NZIER director Alexande Sundakov says bank made right move. Both are i/ved live. RUNWAY NEAR MISS - QANTAS flight attempting to land at AK airport late Tuesday evening found runway already occupied by a car whose driver had "got lost". Pilot aborted landing in time. AK Airport starts investigation into security breach. Airline Pilots' Assn legal officer Adam Nicholson on the flight - i/ve live. CERVICAL SMEARS - Health Funding Authority says several women whose smear test were misread by Gisborne pathologist Michael Bottrill have died but it won't b clear until investigations complete whether deaths related to misreadings. Further 300 women being advised to visit GPs for further tests. Live i/v with Tracy Mellor, HFA. CRIME PATTERN PROGRAMME - pilot programme designed to try to break cycle of several generations of families committing crimes launched in CH today. PILLAR prisoners' support organisation awarded just over $1 million by Corrections Dept to run 2-year programme which involves up to 60 prison inmates and their families. (John MacDonald)
0730 NEWS/WEATHER NZ PAPERS FINANCE UPDATE: SAMOA - TRIAL - witnesses who saw assassination of cabinet minister will be asked by prosecutors to give evidence today. Live i/v with reporter Karlum Lattimore. CHECHNYA - TALKS - 4 rebel commanders have apparently been flown to Moscow for talks to try to end the fighting. Correspondent David McGuffin says it's doubtful the talks are meaningful - i/ved. (Mng Rpt) FILM - SEX - French art house film "Romance" passed by censor despite featurin real, as opposed to simulated, sex scenes and rape. Richard Weatherley, director of Cinevista which has the NZ rights, says public should be allowed t judge film on its merits; live i/v with Chief Film Censor Bill Hastings re why he's passed the film, which has been banned in Australia. WELLINGTON - BUNGY PROBLEM - new jump operator in central city making jumpers wear masks to stifle their screams in order to comply with noise regulations. Move follows complaints from tenants in nearby building, including trauma counsellor who says the screaming is so bad it upsets her clients. (Mark Torley) illegible0 NEWS/WEATHER INDONESIA - LOMBOK RIOTS - President Wahid denies govt in crisis, says violenc can be brought under control. Live i/v with Jerry Sullivan, VUW lecturer in Indonesian language and culture. OFFICIAL FIGURES - Opposition Finance spokesman Bill English criticises comments made by Finance minister over Reserve Bank actions re Official Cash Rate, says comments have made situation worse by unsettling financial markets and sending confusing messages - i/ved live; live i/v with BNZ chief economist Tony Alexander. BUSINESS LIABILITY - Commerce Copmmission says District Court ruling sets precedent that business partners can be held criminally iable under Fair Trading Act for actions of other partners. Both partners in modelling company have been found guilty of making misleading claims after one failed to disclos full cost of training course. (Blair McLaren) COSMETIC SURGERY REGULATIONS - NZ Fndn for Cosmetic Plastic Surgeons want Health minister to introduce tighter regulations on who can practise, says it' only matter of time before somebody dies at hands of unqualified or poorly trained doctor offering to make patients slim again. (liposuction). I/v with D Greg Taylor, Fndn president and liposuction practitioner Dr Bill Burton.(Mng Rpt)
0830 NEWS/WEATHER/SPORTS TRAFFIC REPORT GOLF - NZ OPEN - first players in field of 250 tee off at Paraparaumu. Live report from Gary Ahern. MOTOR RALLY - DAKAR TO CAIRO - 8 drivers injured, 2 critically. Race dogged by problems, only resumed this week after 5 day interruption following reporte threats from armed Algerian Islamic militants. Live i/v with motor sport commentator Mike Cole. ACCIDENT COMPENSATION - WOMEN - Women's Affairs ministry briefing papers to incoming govt call for accident insurance to be extended to injuries more likely to be suffered by women. (pregnancy and childbirth accidents). Comment from minister Laila Harre, National MP Gerry Brownlee, compensation law expert John Miller. (Catherine Walbridge) AUCKLAND - METROWATER - AK mayor Christine Fletcher wants law change to allow organisations such as Metrowater to have social and environmental focus. Council-owned Metrowater established under Local Authority Training Enterprise, LATE, model which Mrs Fletcher says takes only commercial imperatives into account; i/v with AK Univ local govt specialist Dr Graham Bus re possibility of putting social imperative into Metrowater's statement of intent. (Mng Rpt) INTERNATIONAL PAPERS BRITAIN - PINOCHET - Chilean plane en route to whisk Gen Pinochet back to Chil if British authorities dismiss last ditch attempts to try him for torture; IRVING LIBEL CASE - historian David Irving suing Israeli academic for claiming he denies Holocaust. I/v with correspondent Paul Chapman. FRUIT AND VEG REPORT with Jack Forsythe.