0600 NEWS/WEATHER
0609 NZ NEWSPAPERS
0611 NEWS STORY COURT REVIEW - NZ Law Society backing moves to review court structure. Attorney-General Margaret Wilson assessing overall court system, including role of Privy Council. Comment from PM Helen Clark, ACT leader Richard Prebble, Law Society's Adrian Moore. (Veronika Meduna) KOREA - SUMMIT - announcement of meeting between leader of North and South Korea generating hopes of reconciliation. (BBC) SOUTH AFRICA - CRICKET BRIBES - South African Cricket Board dismisses national team captain Hansie Cronje after he admits accepting money from gambling interests. Board head Ali Backer says Cronje confessed to receiving at least illegible$10,000 during match series in India several months ago but insisted money was for match forecasting. (BBC)
0620 RURAL NEWS BEE PEST threatens to devastate NZ bee industry. MAF places area extending from north of Auckland to Waikato and Hauraki under control following industry of Varroa bee mite in 3 beehives on South AK property. Hives on 3 other nearby properties also showing signs of infestations. Biosecurity Authority's exotic disease response co-ordinatoar Matthew Stone says Varroa mite may have been in country undetected for 5 years as mites spread slowly and may not be picked up at first; Lin McKenzie, National Beekeepers' Assn, says there's no doubt Varroa mite is most serious threat bee industry has faced, with serious implications for honey production and agriculture and horticulture industries depending on bee pollination. (Kevin Ikin)
0625 SPORTS STORY AUSTRALIAN SPORT - i/v with correspondent Tim Gavel. (Australian cricket team arrives in South Africa in middle of match-fixing scandal)
0630 NEWS/WEATHER
0635 NEWS STORY BRITAIN - IRVING LIBEL CASE - historian David Irving loses libel action against American academic and her publishers and is branded by the judge as an anti-semite and a racist. Mr Irving fought allegation he's a Holocaust denier because he says it threatens his reputation. (Alistair Wanklyn, Feature Story) INTERNATIONAL PAPERS MANA NEWS MāORI PROGRAMMES - move to give funders more say on when programmes are played. NUNS JOURNEY - group of Sisters of Mercy make spiritual journey to Hokianga, retracing journey of the first sisters of their order. PAUA HARVEST in Coromandel.
0650 BUSINESS NEWS AIR NEW ZEALAND - Singapore Airlines positioned to take more of Air NZ following purchase of 8.3% stake in airline. Singapore Airlines has bought just over 47 million of B shares on market from $141.3 million, equating to price of $3 a share. Attention now focussing again on 16.7% owned by Brierley INvestments but chair Sir Selwyn Cushing says no deal will be done just yet. (Catherine Walbridge) REGIONAL AVIATION - analysts say only surprise in Singapore Airlines' purchase of Air NZ shares is that it took so long. Edwin Eckes, Indoswiss Aviation, says Singapore Airlines almost overcooked the deal, and buying slice of Air NZ is most logical outcome for all concerned. (Gyles Beckford) FINANCE/MARKETS INTERNET ROW - High Court judge in AK reserves decision in dispute between Telecom and i4Free over i4Free's diversion of calls from Telecom's
0867 network to Clear Communications. (Catherine Walbridge); Clear joins the legal battle against Telecom, files for injunction over
0867 internet access number. (Gyles Beckford) EXPORT PRICES seem to be taking a breather after big rises in last 6 months, according to ANZ Bank's commodity price index which fell by
0.7% in March. Index still almost 12% higher than a year ago. ANZ Bank chief economist Bernard Hodgetss comments. (Catherine Walbridge) BUSINESS BRIEFS
0700 INTRO/NEWS CANCER SMEARS INQUIRY - 2nd day - retired pathologist Dr Michael Bottrill asks to give statement, will talk publicly about alleged misreading of thousands of cervical smears. He wasn't due to give evidence until towards end of inquiry in July. I/v with Dr Bottrill's lawyer Chris Hodson QC. (Mng Rpt) BEE PEST - biosecurity alert in place around AK region following discovery of deadly Varroa bee mite which has potential to devastate NZ's bee industry and seriously affect horticultural industries. Live i/v with Matthew Stone of MAF's Biosecurity Authority. SOUTH AFRICA -CRICKET BRIBES - cricket captain Hansie Cronje dismissed after admitting accepting money from gambling interests during series in India, just days after denying allegations of involvement in match fixing. South African Cricket Boasrd says Cronje received between $20-30,000 for match forecasting but not match fixing. "Johannesburg Star" sports writer Guy Hawthorne says reaction is one of disbelief - i/ved. (Mng Rpt) COURT REVIEW - PM Helen Clark backs moves to review court structure, with view to cutting links with London-based Privy Council. She says Privy Council should eventually go and supports the review. (q). Attorney-General Margaret Wilson hopes to have proposals before cabinet by end of year for review - i/ved. (Mng Rpt); live i/v with Adrian Moore, convenor of Law Society's civil litigation and tribunals committee.
0730 NEWS/WEATHER/SPORTS NZ PAPERS FINANCE UPDATE AIR NEW ZEALAND - Singapore Airlines may seek to buy more shares in Air NZ now it has secured 8.3% stake. Live i/v with Business editor Gyles Beckford re the deal and what it means. BRITAIN - IRVING LIBEL CASE - historian David Irving loses his libel case against American academic Deborah Lipstadt and her publishers Penguin and is branded a "Holocaust denier" and a racist by the judge. Irving took the libel action to guard his reputation as an historian. I/v with BBC's Adam Brimelow who followed the case. (Mng Rpt) BEE PEST - Varroa bee mite found on 4 properties in South AK, can kill entire hives. Shipment of bees or bee-keeping equipment now banned in area including Rodney district north of AK down to Waikato and Hauraki district, including Great Barrier Island. Lin McKenzie, National Beekeepers' Assn, says mite will have huge impact if it becomes established - i/ved. (Mng Rpt) ZIMBABWE - LAND INVASIONS - President Mugabe's 20-year rule plunged into crisis by land invasions of white-owned farms by independence war veterans. He's dissolved parliament but under consititution he's obliged to call elections within 4 months. I/v with George Charamba, director of information in Mr Mugabe's office re the war veterans' grievances. (Mng Rpt); 10 MPs from President Mugabe's ruilng ZANU-PF Party leave party, will stand as independents in upcoming elections. (AAP)
0800 NEWS/WEATHER CANCER SMEARS INQUIRY - 2nd day - inquiry turns attention to how national cervical screening programme is working, with senior Health ministry official, Dr Bob Boyd, admitting there are problems. Dr Boyd tells inquiry that in every case described so far, someone in health system seems to have let down the women involved. Live report from Health correspondent Rae Lamb. BEE PEST - implications of Varroa mite are serious for NZ's $1.8 million trade in exporting live bees and $20 million industry in honey products. Maf estimates sum of agricultural and horticultural products bees pollinate every year can be valued at nearly $2 billion. Live i/v with Biosecurity minister Marian Hobbs. OYSTER PARASITE - Fisheries ministry confirms current outbreak of bonamia parasite in Foveaux Strait is confined to one oyster bed. I/v with Fisheries policy analyst Allen Frazer. (Mng Rpt) BANK CHARGES - Consumers' Inst says people will have to change way they operate bank accounts to avoid additional and increased charges. ANZ Bank has announced number of new charges, including extra charge of 50 cents for transactions made by its customers using another bank's ATM. Comment from Consumers' Inst head David Russell, David Tripe of Massey Univ's Banking Centre, and TSB manging director kevin Rimmington. (Sarah Gregory) BLOOD SERVICE - NZers have responded to call from Blood Service to replace the more than 12,000 donors affected by ban imposed In February. Ban was placed on donors who'd lived in Britain for more than 6 months between 1980-1996 to protect blood banks from unknown risk of Creutzfeld-Jakob Disease. (Claire Silvester) KOREA - SUMMIT - accusations made in South Korea that summit has more to do with domestic politics that with building bridges with North Korea. I/v with correspondent Caroline Gluck. (Mng Rpt)
0830 NEWS/WEATHER/SPORTS CHRISTCHURCH - GRAFFITI - CH City Council's anti-graffiti campaign supported by courts. In sentencing 19-year old who admitted tagging 36 properties, District Court judge says courts will reinforce council's zero tolerance stand. Live i/v with CH mayor Garry Moore and Jan McLaughlin, CH Safer Community Council. SAMOA - TRIAL - jury or panel of assessors in political assassination trial could retire today, following further extensive summing up by judge. Jury had been expected to retire yesterday. I/v with reporter in Apia, Karlum Lattimore. U.S. - IMF/WORLD BANK PROTESTS - Washington police establish security perimeter around World Bank and International Monetary Fund following arrests of 7 protestors who attempted to scale World Bank HQ in protest against its environmental record. Organisations bracing for series of protest rallies against what demonstrators see as ills of global economy. Live i/v with correspondent Robin Brandt. INTERNATIONAL PAPERS ETHIOPIA - FAMINE THREAT - local officials step up efforts to put in place systems to help deal with future emergences. Many rural communities now entirely dependent on outside food assistance. BBC's Peter Biles reports from one of worst affected areas, Conso in southern highlands. JAPAN - NEW PM / VOLCANO - scientists still monitoring activity on Mt Usu, some 13,00 people barred from their homes since volcano started rumbling; public perceptions of new PM. I/v with correspondent Juliet Hindle. (Mng Rpt)