0600 NEWS/WEATHER
0609 NZ NEWSPAPERS
0611 NEWS STORY ETHIOPIA - FAMINE THREAT - aid agencies continue to warn Horn of Africa on brink of major humanitarian crisis. Ethiopia worst affected with 7.8 million people at risk from starvation. UN team beginning visit to assess impact of drought, with World Food Programme head Catherine Bertini visiting worst affected area in southeast of Ethiopia. (BBC) U.S. - IMF/WORLD BANK PROTESTS - world finance ministers gathering in Washington for annual meetings but thousands of protestors planning demonstrations against their policies. Critics says policies hurt those they are supposed to be helping. (Robin Brandt, Feature Story)
0620 RURAL NEWS BEE PEST - search for deadly Varroa bee mite extended nationwide following discovery it may have already been spread around country. It's been confirmed at 4 other apiaries in South AK region, including large commercial operation at Manurewa which exports bees and sells them to apiaries around the country. MAF co-ordinator Matthew Stone comments;National Beekeepers' Assn urging bee-keepers to check their hives with news that mite-infected bees may have been transported to other parts of country. (Kevin Ikin) RESOURCE MANAGEMENT ACT - Fed Farmers tells select committee considering amendments to Act that proposed changes won't fix fundamental flaws in legislation, says compliance will still take up huge amounts of time and money for little environmental benefit. Vice president Tom Lambie says biggest failing is that RMA doesn't share burden of environmental protection equally between private landowners and rest of community. (Kevin Ikin) CHEESE AWARD - Very Old Edam, made by Mahoe Cheese, wins supreme award at NZ Cheese Awards announced in AK last night. (Diana Leufkens)
0625 SPORTS STORY U.S. SPORTS - live i/v with Paul Witteman, "Sports Illustrated". (US golf masters won by V J Singh, not well-known in US; beginning of baseball season - some key terms explained)
0630 NEWS/WEATHER
0635 NEWS STORY PAKISTAN - MOSQUE ATTACK - at least 11 people killed in grenade attack on Shi'ite Muslim mosque in northwest Pakistan. Mosque crowded with people attending late night ceremony and police believe extremist Sunni Muslim group may be involved. I/v with correspondent Zaffar Abbass. (Mng Rpt) INTERNATIONAL PAPERS MANA NEWS
0650 BUSINESS NEWS AUSTRALIA - TELSTRA telecommunication giant launches assault on Asian market with alliance with Hong Kong's Pacific Century CyberWorks. They're forming two new companies, a global internet backbone company and regional mobile telecomms company and will eventually have public share offers in both. CyberWorks group managing director Alex Arena describes what the two sides bring to the table. (Gyles Beckford) BAYCORP business information and services company says joint venture with Singapore's Keppell Communications gives it largest slice of Singapore's credit and business information market. Managing director of Baycorp, Keith McLaughlin, comments. (Catherine Walbridge) CONNECTEL telecomms building and maintenance company hopes change of ownership will give it more work from other telecomms companies. Telecom announced sale yesterday of subsidiary Connectel to Australia-based Downer Group for undisclosed sum. Connectel's general manager, Ian Frame, says Telecom will still be firm's major client. (Catherine Walbridge) FINANCE/MARKETS U.S. - WALL ST - NASDAQ index tumbles more than 100 points again overnight amid warnings from 2 software companies of likely poor earnings. That's lead to more "churning", with investors selling new economy stocks and heading back into old economy stocks of the Dow Jones Index. Analyst Courtney Smith explains factors driving the activity on Wall St. PMP COMMUNICATIONS, Australian Publshing and printing concern, sets up operation in AK to provde marketing and advertising services to business and community groups. PMP owns magazines such as "New Idea", "That's Life" and "Weddings". New business will be called Pacific Intermedia. Comment from PMP chief exec Bob Muscat and Pacific Intermedia chief exec Liz Taylor. (Gyles Beckford) ACCOUNTANCY STANDARDS - KPMG says changes to standards could add millions of dollars to balance sheets of NZ companies. It says many companies record assets they lease as operating leases which are disclosed in financial statements rather than on balance sheet but proposal that all non-cancellable operating leases should be recorded on balance sheets has been prepared by multinational group of accounting standard setters. Comment from KPMG technical manager Jackie Calloway. (Catherine Walbridge) BUSINESS BRIEFS
0700 INTRO/NEWS BEE PEST - Varroa mite may have already been spread around country. It's been discovered in South AK commercial apiary which has been sending live bees around country. Live i/v with Matthew Stone of MAF's Biosecurity Authority. CANCER SMEARS INQUIRY - women at heart of inquiry will see and hear this morning from Dr Michael Bottrill for first time. Dr Bottrill has asked to make statement to inquiry in response to testimony from 8 women about their experiences with life-threatening cancer and radical surgery. Raewyn Page gave evidence on Monday, pleased Dr Bottrill will speak this morning - i/ved. (Mng Rpt); Kerry Tombleson has also given evidence - i/ved live. FIREMEN'S CANCER - firefighters to be briefed today on risks of developing testicular cancer. Study by Inst of Environmental Science and Research and WN School of Medicine finds rates of testicular cancer currently 3 times that of general population and reason not known. (Karen Gregory-Hunt); live i/v with Firefighters' Union secretary Derek Best. DEFENCE BASES - decisions due soon from govt on radical shake-up of Defence Force, on which bases will stay and which will go. Defence minister Mark Burton visiting Linton military camp and Massey Univ's Dept of Strategic Studies today as part of tour of bases. Rationalisation of bases may have already begun. Comment from defence review author Derek Quigley, and Terence O'Brien, Massey Defence Studies. (Jill Galloway)
0730 NEWS/WEATHER/SPORTS NZ PAPERS FINANCE UPDATE BANK CHARGES - Deputy PM Jim Anderton says it may be time to legislate to force banks to disclose charges whenever people use automatic teller machines. ANZ Bank has announced new and increased charges for customers including 50 cents for any withdrawal, transfer or account inquiry made at non-ANZ machine, following lead of Westpactrust. I/v with Jim Anderton. (Mng Rpt);i/v with ANZ Bank's managing director Murray Horn. (Mng Rpt); WestpacTrust declines comment. ILLEGAL GENETIC RESEARCH - ERMA investigating Otago Univ's CH-based School of Medicine where it says researchers have been developing genetically modified organisms without legal approval. ERMA's acting chief exec Donald Hannah says it's been told research project, now on hold, involved genetic material from range of animals, including native fish, geckos and tuatara, being inserted into bacteria. Researcher Steve Brennan says team was unaware it needed ERMA approval for project started before authority was established. (Veronika Meduna); live i/v with Dr Hannah. SOUTH AFRICA - CRICKET SCANDAL - cricket chief Ali Bacher further isolates disgraced former captain Hansie Cronje in attempt to lessen impact of corruption scandal. Cronje admits accepting up to $US15,000 from South African and Indian bookmakers during one-day series with Zimbabwe and England last year. I/v with Guy Hawthorne, "Johannesburg Star" sports journalist. (Mng Rpt)
0800 NEWS/WEATHER BEE PEST - Varroa mite dscovered at South Ak apiary which sends live bees around country, which is what honey producers feared as mite has capacity to destroy whole hives. Live i/v with Russell Berry, owner of Arataki Honey, NZ's biggest exporter of live bees. SAMOA - TRIAL - jury in political assassination trial continues deliberations this morning. Live report from Karlum Lattimore in Apia. ETHIOPIA - FAMINE THREAT - UN World Food Programme head Catherine Bertini in southeastern Ethiopia assessing impact of drought, visits feeding and health centre in town of Gode - i/ved. (Mng Rpt) WAIPAREIRA TRUST staff, management and trustees confident organisation and former head John Tamihere will be cleared by 6 inquiries into it. Inquiries follow allegations by ACT leader Richard Prebble about mismanagement. Māori Issues correspondent Chris Wikaira looks at the Waipareira Trust, what it does and who it serves.
0830 NEWS/WEATHER/SPORTS PERU - ELECTION - amid accusations of massive vote fraud, election commission indicates run-off election likely between President Alberto Fujimori and challenger Alejandro Toledo. I/v with correspondent Jonthan Miller. READING INQUIRY - Education minister trevor Mallard says ASCT MP Donna Awatere-Huata should not be part of parliamentary inquiry into reading because of conflict of interest, says her family is involved with foundation which has Education ministry contract to provide reading programmes. Mrs Awatere-Huata says minister is talking humbug. Comment also from select committee chair Liz Gordon and Colin Brown, Education ministry curriculum manager. (Donna Woods) TECHNOLOGY STOCKS - market analysts say NZ will continue to be hit by turmoil in international technology sector but impact here won't be as severe as elsewhere. Value of most internet-based, or dot com, stocks listed in US slashed over past 2 weeks as many investors ditch them in favour of shares in traditional industries. (Stephen Harris) INTERNATIONAL PAPERS INDIA - CRICKET SCANDAL - Indian police have charged South African cricketer Hansie Cronje and 3 team mates with "cheating, fraud and criminal conspiracy" during 1-day series in India last month. Correspondent Ranjan Gupta says people in India delighted their police have been proved right - i/ved. (Mng Rpt) CHEESE AWARD - NZ Cheese Awards - 390 cheeses tasted by 18 judges. Very Old Edam made by Mahoe Cheese wins supreme award. Live i/v with Juliet Harbutt, event owner and one of 3 chief judges. FRUIT AND VEG REPORT with Jack Forsythe,.