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1700 to 1707 NEWS
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One of the country's biggest hospitals is restricting visitors and says it doesn't want children visiting at any time because of swineflu.
Counties Manukau District Health Board says from today, there are to be no more than two visitors per patient in wards, and only one visitor per patient in the emergency department. The rule applies to South Auckland's Middlemore Hospital and the Manukau Surgical Centre - other hospsitals are taking similar action. Middlemore currently has 7 patients with swine flu and 30 others with flu-like symptoms. Don Mackie is the chief medical officer for Counties Manukau- he joins us now. LIVE
Taito Phillip Field has revealed more details to the High Court in Auckland about Thai workers who he admits he let stay rent free at his house. The Former Labour Minister is charged with 12 counts of bribery and corruption, and 23 of obstructing or perverting the course of justice related to his actions when a government minister.
In giving evidence in his own defence for the second day he told the court there was no link between the work they carried out and the work he performed on their immigration cases. Belinda McCammon was at the High Court in Auckland today. LIVE
Westpac has thrown down the gauntlet to its banking rivals by advertising mortgages for homebuyers with deposits of less than 20 per cent. Since the credit crisis began last year, most banks had raised required deposits for a mortgage on a house from 10 to 20 per cent. Rivals have so far shown no signs of matching Westpac's latest move, but experts say they may be forced to if they lose mortgage customers. Here's our economics correspondent, Nigel Stirling PKG
A former colleague of murder accused Clayton Weatherston has told the High Court in Christchurch he was ultra competitive and liked to have the last word The 33-year-old denies murdering his ex girlfriend Sophie Elliott, who was a student in his economics class, but admits manslaughter. Miss Elliott was 22 years old when she was stabbed to death at her home in Dunedin in January last year.
Dorian Owen, a professor at Otago University's economics department, has given evidence this afternoon. Matthew Peddie has been at the court, tell us more about what Mr Owen has said about Mr Weatherston? LIVE
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1720 TRAILS AND BUSINESS WITH Kiri Ennis
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New Zealand companies will no longer be able to use the Cook Islands to evade taxes. The Prime Minister John Key today signed an agreement with the his counterpart in Rarotonga that means tax officials here are able access company and bank records held in the Cooks. Mr Key says deal will prevent a replay of the winebox saga of the 1990s in which New Zealand firms used the pacific island to dodge tax PREREC
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17.30 HEADLINES
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The Australian government is adopting a cautious approach with China over the arrest of an Australian employee of the mining giant Rio Tinto, for alleged spying. This is despite pressure from opposition politicians to intervene more forcefully. Stern Hu, <WHO> a Shanghai-based executive of the company, was arrested at the weekend on suspicion of spying and stealing state secrets. Australian diplomats have now been granted access to him. Lyndal Curt is the ABC's Chief Political correspondant LIVE
The American President Barack Obama has hailed what he calls a historic consensus at the G-8 summit between industrialised and emerging countries on climate change. He said both sides were now committed to working towards limiting global warming to a maximum of two degrees. However there've been widespread reservations about the agreement. The BBC's Bridget Kendall reports from LAAH-quee-lah L'aquilla : PKG
The Hamilton Mayor Bob Simcock has stepped into the supercar roof-perching-row and is asking the council to withdraw infringement notices sent to people who sat on roofs and set up makeshift stands to watch the V8 races from. The council has been trying to fine eleven people fifteen hundred dollars each - citing safety reasons. Now following legal advice the Mayor admits the council was being over-zealous in its enforcement of the Building Act.
Mayor Bob Simcock joins us now LIVE
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17.45 TRAILS
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WAATEA
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Northlanders - especially those north of Whangarei - are being warned to batten down the hatches, tie down their boats and watch out for flooding this weekend. River levels are expected to rise and strong potentially damaging winds are forecast. Dale Hansen, Hydrology Programme Manager for the Northland Regional Council, joins us now LIVE
The historic Kingston Flyer steam train looks set to close indefinately after the owners failed to meet the repayments on a 4 point 7 million dollar loan. But the owners, Kingston Aquistions, are blaming the closure on financier Prudential Mortgage Nominees for not backing the sale of the train to a US investor. Steve Wilde reports. PKG
Car thefts in Auckland's central city have jumped 50 percent so far this month. Twenty three cars worth about two-hundred thousand dollars were stolen in the first nine days of July. Detective Senior Sergeant Steve Breach says most of it looks like the work of professional thieves. PREREC
A human rights group has accused the authorities in Saudi Arabia of not living up to a commitment to end the tradition of male guardianship of women. The system makes women dependent on men to manage their most basic affairs. Here's the BBC's Sebastian Usher : PKG