0600 NEWS/SPORTS/WEATHER
0609 NZ NEWSPAPERS
0611 NEWS STORY: NEIL KIRTON - Opposition parties warn dumped Associate Health minister Neil Kirton may tease out decision on next political move. Labour leader Helen Clark says she'll be surprised if he leaves NZ First because as Independent he would soon vanish from headlines. (Stephen Parker)
0621 RURAL NEWS
0626 NEWS STORY: PALESTINIAN PROTESTORS in Gaza demand Israel free those it imprisoned following bombing attack in Jerusalem last month. Protests coincide with new peace mission by US Special Envoy Dennis Ross. Live i/v with correspondent Peter Hirchberg.
0630 NEWS/WEATHER
0636 NEWS STORY: SCRATCH CARD - BP pressing ahead with scratchcard promotion despite questions about legality. Lotteries Commission challenging promotion and Internal Affairs dept is investigating. Comment from David Bale, Lotteries Commission, Dr Max Abbott, gambling researcher, and Beppie Holm, BP's spokesperson. (Cushla Managh)
0640 OVERSEAS NEWSPAPERS
0642 MANA NEWS
0651 BUSINESS AND FINANCIAL NEWS: UNEMPLOYMENT - ANZ Bank's survey of job adverts for July shows continued decline in number advertised in main daily newspapers. Bank says fall-off more pronounced in regional centres, especially Waikato, Manawatu, and Otago. (GYles Beckford) illegible COLLECTION agency Baycorp lifts annual after-tax profit by more than quarter to $9 milion. Chair James Boult attributes increased profit to improvements in technology, also says when times are tough for other companies, debt collection agencies can flourish. (Bronwen Evans) FINANCE/MARKETS DAIRY BRANDS, corporate dairy farmer, says industry needs reform and exposure to competitive pressures. Company posts after tax 8 months profit of just over $3 million but result coloured by fact it covers bulk of income earning period but not its costs. (Gyles Beckford) ELECTRICITY PRICES - mild Winter temperatures lead to drop in wholesale price during July. Average July price in North Island was 5.79 cents per kilowatt hour while in South Island it was marginally more expensive. (Bronwen Evans) INTERNET DOMAINS or addresses - the best have already gone. Opportunists have registered best domains for themselves, sometimes in hope that slow-moving corporations will discover their chosen name has already gone and will pay for it. A look at moves to solve problem of too little prime Internet real estate. (BBC) KENYA - WORLD BANK withholds key multi-million dollar credit and puts investment projects on hold until kenyan govt shows sincerity in battling corruption. (AAP) BUSINESS BRIEFS JAPAN - FINANCIAL SCANDAL continues to claim new victims. Latest are top executives of Yamaichi Securities whove taken responsibility for pay-offs to racketeer at centre of scandal. (AAP)
0700 INTRO/NEWS NEIL KIRTON set to announce political future today after discussions with NZ First caucus, has given notice he's not happy with coalition status quo; live i/v with Political editor Al Morrison; NZ First MPs hope Neil Kirton will stay with party. President Doug Woolerton comments in what will happen if Mr Kirton leaves party. (Mng Rpt); Neil Kirton's Hawkes Bay support base prepares to stand by him whichever course of action he takes, I/v with electorate committee chair Joe Renata. (Mng Rpt); further live i/v with Al Morrison. SMART CARD - concern over new phone card about to be launched through BP petrol stations and 2 supermarket chains. Card contains "scratch and win" element which critics claim encourages young people to gamble and deprives Lotteries Commission of revenue. Live i/v with Lotteries Commission chief exec david Bale; live i/v with BP spokesperson Beppie Holm. KAITOKE PRISON - Wanganui District Council says it will take Corrections Dept to court over plans to expand prison. Councillor Pam Erni says her main concern is how city's social services will cope with prisoners when they'r released; live i/v with mayor Chas Poynter.
0730 NEWS/WEATHER/SPORTS FINANCE UPDATE NEIL KIRTON - opposition political parties warn he may tease out decision on immediate political future. Comment from Labour's Helen Clark, ACT's Richard Prebble, Alliance's Jim Anderton and NZ First president Doug Woolerton. (Stephen Parker) YOUTH SUICIDE - Injury Prevention Research Centre survey finds 1 in 4 seondary school students has considered suicide or has tried it. Michael Marris, psychologist specialising in youth suicide, says before problem can be tackled, causes of it need to be known. He's i/ved live. TARANAKI REGIONAL COUNCIL - questions asked about why Council of paying for member Paul Gorringe to fly back from new Northland home to attend meetings. Council chair Ross Allen happy to let Mr Gorringe continue commuting and Internal Affairs dept says under present legislation councillor is doing nothing wrong. Some rate-payers not happy with situation. (Kiri Coughlan) EDINBURGH FESTIVAL - 50TH festival kicks off with thousands of actors, musicians, comedians and dancers from all over world attending; i/v with Morag Kinniburgh, who's covering festival for BBC.
0800 NEWS/WEATHER NEIL KIRTON - if Mr Kirton leaves NZ First to become Independent, will join small group who've left political parties to follow their own political vision without a party machine to support them. Live i/v with two of them, Peter Dunne, United Party leader, and Alliance leader Jim Anderton. INTERNATIONAL PAPERS SMART CARDS - Lotteries Commission chief exec David Bale says little to distinguish new phone card with "scratch and win" element from one used in gaming. Live i/v with Rob Cruickshank, managing director of Cool-Gain cards, subsidiary of manufacturer Smart Tel. OPEN PRISON - Corrections Dept decides tomorrow whether it will fund NZ's first open prison housing both female inmates and their children. It would be based in AK and would have 24 hour supervision but no bars. illegible Fndn charitable trust planning and researching idea for more than 3 years, using successful overseas examples as model. Comment from Fndn project co-ordinator Robyn Marris-Iles, VUW criminology tutor and PhD student Venezia Kingi. (Corinne Ambler); live i/v with Juandra Smith, exec director of Summit House in Greensboro North Caroline, which runs sort of facility Corrections Dept is considering.
0830 NEWS/SPORTS SCHOOL/TRANSMITTER - Green Bay primary school wins battle over siting of Telecom cellphone transmitter in neighbouring property, had threatened to shut down if proposed transmitter site was developed. Board of Trustees wants Education ministry to make it harder for Telecom to site cellphone transmitter near schools. Live i/v with chair Toby Easton. HOTEL OCCUPANCY rates in June fall to 38%, down nearly 7% on previous month. Fears in hospitality industry that hard times could continue. Comment from Bruce Robertson, Hospitality Assn, Stephen Hamilton of Ernst and Young, Tourise Board's Chris Ryan, and CH hotel owner Barry Rozinsky. (Clare Sziranyi) TOKOROA MURDER - police believe man who was fatally stabbed last week had intervend in dispute between 2 groups of people. Nobody has come forward with any information and some who have been questioned have lied. South Waikato District mayor Gordon Blake not happy with "pathetic excuses" for not coming forward - i/ved live. HASTINGS/NAPIER local body leaders welcome news that any amalgamation not possible before new millenium. Local Govt Commission says statutory process required to change present local body structure means there can't be election for any new authorities until end of 1999. (Heugh Chappell) STOCKHOLM - group opposing bid to host 2004 Summer Olympic Games claims responsibility for bomb attack 4 days ago which damageo part of city's 1912 Olympic stadium. "We Who Built Up Sweden" group says it will carry out further attacks at venues wishing to host Olympic events, protesting amount of money Sweden will have to spend as host of Games. Live i/v with "Dagens Nyheter" new editor Byrgytta Sundlyng. U.S. - LINE VETO - President Clinton begins wielding power long sought by US presidents. Line veto allows him to strike individual items from spending and tax Bills, says it will protect taxpayers and "send signal that Washington rules have changed for good". Live i/v with correspondent Paul Miller.