**** Checkpoint FOR WED 5 AUG
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1700 to 1707 NEWS
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After days of scrutiny over how much taxpayers help out with the Finance Minister's housing expenses, Bill English has announced he's paying back thousands of dollars. In the first six months of this year Mr English got almost 24 thousand dollars to cover the cost of staying in his family's Wellington home. He's now conceding that that is a bad look and will return more than 12 thousand dollars to Ministerial Services. CLIP The Labour Party's chief whip Darren Hughes says Mr English has taken the only course left open to him
CLIP Bill English wouldn't be interviewed on Checkpoint - our political reporter, Julian Robins has been covering the story all week and he joins us now...LIVE
Auckland City's beaches are still without warning signs despite a public health alert telling people - especially children - to stay away.
The Auckland Regional Public Health Service says beaches on the East Coast and Hauraki Gulf are off limits to children and dogs, and are advising against swimming or eating seafood. But earlier this morning, many Aucklanders were unaware there was a problem.
Rowan Quinn reports PKG
Petrol prices are on the way up again. Petrol and diesel are up by five cents a litre at the four major petrol stations, despite the New Zealand dollar reaching a ten month-high against the US dollar.
Mark Stockdale from AA is with us now . LIVE
Farmers and the public are being warned not to regard this month's rise in dairy prices as a sign the recession is starting to ease.
The price fetched for milk powder at Fonterra's August auction last night was almost 26 percent higher than the previous month. But the dairy cooperative is warning that tough times could continue for many more years. Eric Frykberg reports. PKG
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1720 TRAILS AND BUSINESS WITH Amy Williams
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The Labour Party is standing by the way it dealt with its former MP Taito Philip Field when accusations first arose in 2005. The former Minister and MP for Mangere has been found guilty of 11 corruption and bribery charges and 15 charges of obstructing justice. Here's political reporter Liz Banas PKG
New Zealand men keen to attract a partner could do well to brush up on their cooking and cleaning skills. An Oxford University study has found that men and women are more likely to settle down with someone who is keen to share domestic duties and raising children.
Of 13 countries surveyed, husbands here ranked a lowly ninth equal when it came to doing their bit around the house. Sophia Sinclair reports. PKG
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17.30 HEADLINES
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Australian police have charged another three men over a suspected conspiracy to launch a terrorist attack on an army base in Sydney.
The men were arrested after dawn raids yesterday and held in custody in Melbourne overnight . A fourth suspect, who's already in custody on other matters, is also expected to be charged. A fifth Melbourne man 25 year old Nayef El Sayed was charged and remanded in custody yesterday. Meanwhile The Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd says a review of security at military bases will look at whether to use private security firms. I'm now joined by ABC reporter and author of two books on Islamic Extremism, Sally Neighbour LIVE
After five months of captivity in North Korea, American journalists Laura Ling and Euna Lee are on their way home after being pardoned by the reclusive communist state. Accused of being spies they were sentenced in June to 12 years hard labour but former US president Bill Clinton was able to secure their release during a meeting with Kim Jong Il. Here's Ms Ling's father Doug.
CLIP There are reports the supposedly private humanitarian mission actually involved weeks of secret preparation in consultation with the White House and the State department.
The North Koreans claim Mr Clinton apologised and brought a message from President Obama. The White House denies it.
Brett Cole, the Economist's correspondent in South Korea says he doubts Mr Clinton's mercy mission has any wider signficance for the tense relations between Washington and Pyonyang. PREREC
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17.45 TRAILS
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WAATEA
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An Auckland builder who gave evidence for the crown at Taito Phillip Field's trial says the guilty verdicts are fair. Keith Williams worked with the Thai tiler Sunan Siriwan on the former MP's house in Samoa, and later wrote a letter to government ministers about Field's dealings with Mr Siriwan. Mr Williams talks about what happened and his view of the former MP. PREREC
Telecom customers on Auckland's North Shore face severe delays for as contractors down tools with no end date. Around 100 staff are on strike and refusing to install phones, broadband, or fix cable or fiber faults. The technicians are among 900 staff being offered owner/operator contracts by Visionstream, which is taking over Telecom's contract work in the city. Tom Kenney is a striking Transfield worker - he joins us now LIVE
If you're paralysed by fomo and your shirt's not tight there's probably no way anyone will say you're so Obama. The sixth edition of "U.C.L.A Slang" has just come out - it's a dictionary published every four years by linguistics professor Pam Munro and her students at the University of California in Los Angeles. Fomo is short for fear of missing out, Obama means cool but is already waning in use and tight just means good. But there's another new piece of slang which Professor Munro likes best. PREREC