**** CKPT FOR TUES 27 JAN 2009
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1700 to 1707 NEWS
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The New Zealand Prime Minister John Key has gone into a retreat with Pacific leaders in Papua New Guinea, saying statements suggesting Fiji may yet be four to five years away from holding elections are simply unacceptable. The Pacific Islands Forum is meeting to consider what action to take against Fiji for not making progress towards democracy. Our parliamentary chief reporter Jane Patterson, is there and she joins us now LIVE
The Australian publisher of the Fiji Times has arrived back in Sydney after being deported this morning. Rex Gardner is believed to have been expelled because the paper published a letter describing Fiji's interim prime minister as a criminal who is no better than the rebels of 2006. Nick Butcher compiled this report PKG
The global recession, and the U.S. economy lost close to 3 million jobs last year and many economists fear millions more will disappear in 2009. And, in a single day, European companies slashed more than 10 thousand jobs - raising fears of an even deeper recession. From Washington the ABC's Michael Rowland reports: PKG
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BUSINESS NEWS
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The former head of the Treasury, Murray Horn, is to chair a ministerial group looking at cutting the bureaucracy in the health sector. Under its confidence and supply agreement with the ACT Party, the National Party agreed to set up ministerial groups to find savings in government spending. Joining us is the Health Minister, Tony Ryall LIVE
In a hostage-taking at a fast food outlet in South Auckland overnight, five workers at a Burger King in Mangere were held for about 40 minutes, before two armed robbers released them and gave themselves up to police. Lipano Tiatia, 24, and a 22-year-old who was granted name suppression have both been remanded in custody after appearing in the Manukau District Court this afternoon. Belinda McCammon reports: PKG
Legal action is being considered by the family of a New Zealand woman attacked by a tiger in Thailand. Ruth Corlett and her family were at Chiang Mai's Tiger Kingdom park on Sunday, when a 14-month-old tiger took a chunk out of her leg, resulting in 54 stitches. Stuart Corlett says his wife obeyed all the safety instructions before the attack. PREREC
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17.30 HEADLINES
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Some of the world's key trade ministers will meet in Davos, Switzerland, this week in another effort to restart the stalled world trade talks. They will be meeting on the sidelines of the world economic forum where business and political leaders from the mainly rich nations will grapple with the worsening world economic crisis. New Zealand'sTrade Minister Tim Groser is flying to Switzerland this evening to attend the forum and will also tackle the European Union over its plans to offer export subsidies to its dairy farmers. Our political editor Brent Edwards has been looking at the prospects for the meeting and joins me now. LIVE
The government says it knows nothing about a so-called secret deal, which would allow Japan to kill more whales in the North Pacific, in return for reducing its scientific whaling programme in the southern Ocean. Reports in the Australian media say New Zealand is involved in the proposal which is being worked on by the drafting committee of the International Whaling Commission. Andrew McRae compiled this report. PKG
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WAATEA NEWS
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A homeowners group says developers of leaky homes could still use an easy loophole to avoid fines, if they have deep enough pockets. Million-dollar personal fines are set to be imposed on two developers after judges ruled they could not shed liability by setting up a temporary company. But there are fears that developers with enough resources could still avoid paying. David Reid reports. PKG
The new President of the United States has announced a series of measures aimed at reducing America's dependence on foreign oil and cutting the long term threat of climate change. Barack Obama said he would reconsider the Bush administration's policy of blocking individual American states from setting strict vehicle emissions standards. From Washington, the ABC's Kim Landers reports: PKG
To the Australian Open, where the tournament has reached the quarter-finals. Joining us now from Melbourne Park is our correspondent Dave Luddy LIVE
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