News, sport and weather.
Main stories:
Tens of millions of dollars were wiped off the value of shares at stock exchanges around New Zealand today, as speculators continued to bail out of a shaky market. Stock brokers say thousands of small investors, many of whom borrowed to buy shares during last year’s boom are getting their fingers burnt. The Barclays Index showed one of its biggest falls for the year. Speaker: Mike Bastion (Broker).
The Wellington High Court has stopped a planned strike by the country’s professional firemen. The interim injunction granted yesterday has been extended for another week, scuttling the firemen’s threat to strike today.
While firemen remain bogged down in their industrial dispute, some of their colleagues became stuck in a vicious hail thunderstorm which struck West Auckland this afternoon.
Only three months after the dropping of visa requirements from travellers from Tonga, Fiji and Western Samoa, they’re being re-imposed. This follows a flood of visitors over the summer and what Immigration Minister Kerry Burke calls “problems” through abuse of the provisions. Further charter flights from the islands have been cancelled following Police investigations into two Auckland travel agents handling them. Speaker: Jim Bolger (Opposition Leader), Kerry Burke (Immigration Minister).
Other stories:
Fisheries Officers in Auckland have cracked down on black marketing of fish after a two week special operation. But their methods have enraged some fishermen who claim the ministry used spy tactics to uncover only small quantities of fish landed outside the new quota system. Speaker: Neville Buckley (Auckland Fisheries Officer).
In Parliament today the Opposition tried unsuccessfully to get a snap debate on the game of Lotto. Some MPs are angry that the Minister of Internal Affairs has ordered Lotto machines before Parliament has approved the introduction of the game. Speaker: Peter Tapsell (Internal Affairs Minister), Jim Bolger (Opposition Leader).
The Government plans to reintroduce legislation making it illegal to sell cigarette tobacco to people under the age of 16, part of a tougher line against smoking.
There’s no word tonight whether the Speaker of the House, Labour MP, Dr Gerry Wall, will challenge the Party rule that bars him from standing again. Speaker: David Lange (Prime Minister), Dr David Richmond (Prof of Geriatric Medicine).
Peace forum in Moscow.
Economic problems in the Republic of Ireland.
Trial of the Nazi war criminal John Demjanjuk in Israel.
The dispute over the name “Telecom” between an Auckland telecommunications company and the Post Office is going back to Parliament. Speaker: John Foote (Telecom NZ Ltd),
Exorcists have been called in to a haunted house at Te Horo Beach. Speaker: Cushla (Houseowner), Sharon (Neighbour), Carol (Neighbour).
Sport:
West Indies vs Presidents XI cricket highlights.
Pakistan vs India cricket test.
The All Whites play Dinamo Minsk in Christchurch this evening. Speaker: Kevin Fallon (All Whites Coach).
The official Rugby World Cup uniforms for referees, ball-boys and touch judges, were launched today.
Top Half.
Weather.