Checkpoint for Tuesday 3 November 2009

6:59 PM.The Australian government has been urged to seize the Melbourne Cup prize money of third-place getter Mourilyan - which is owned by Chechen dictator Ramzan Kadyrov, but Irish bred and trained. Audio

6:55 PM.Underworld activity in China's being forced into the light of day as the government moves forward with a massive crackdown on organised crime Audio

6:52 PM.Snapper, scallops, bluenose and yellowfin tuna should be off the dinner menu according to Forest and Bird. Audio

6:49 PM.Groups supporting people on invalids' benefits say they are worried the government will push them into work they can't handle. Audio

6:46 PM.News from the Waatea team. Audio

6:42 PM.Opponents of a contentious hydro power scheme in Marlborough have launched a final bid to halt the $275 million project. Audio

6:40 PM.Ukraine's taking some of the most drastic measures against the spread of swine flu anywhere in the world. Audio

6:37 PM.Australian authorities say they're not hopeful of finding any more survivors from the boat which sank off the Cocos Islands in the Indian Ocean. Audio

6:34 PM.An update from the RNZ sports team. Audio

6:28 PM.The Samoan head of state says the recent tsunami in his country has forced people to rethink the traditions of expensive funerals and cultural giving or fa'alavelave. Audio

6:26 PM.The top United Nations climate official has called on the US to make specific commitments on cutting carbon emissions before next month's summit on climate change in Copenhagen Audio

6:24 PM.An influential economist is warning that a new global financial bubble is in the making and it could be even more devastating than the one the world's experiencing right now. Audio

6:21 PM.News from the business sector. Audio

6:17 PM.Solid Energy says almost 800 miners around the country are now on strike, after a breakdown in contract negotiations. Audio

6:11 PM.Barack Obama has put his weight behind Hamid Karzai on his re-election as President of Afghanistan but has called for a clampdown on corruption. Audio

6:08 PM.Australian-based racing commentator Jack Petley says Shocking was rated highly across the Tasman with a lot of late bets on the horse. Audio

5:59 PM.Plans have been unveiled in the tiny but rich Gulf state of Qatar for a 150 million dollar film about Islam's Prophet Muhammad. Audio

5:57 PM.New Zealand's just had the coldest October in 64 years. Audio

5:54 PM.A survey measuring perceptions of crime shows New Zealanders have a 'not in my backyard' mentality. Audio

5:50 PM.The leaders of two prominent Iwi say compensation won't be sought under any replacement of the Foreshore and Seabed Act. Audio

5:45 PM.News from the Waatea team. Audio

5:45 PM.A High Court jury has been told a man accused of deliberately causing a fatal crash wasn't considered to be suicidal the morning of the collision. Audio

5:41 PM.Back to Melbourne Cup day at Flemington, where Shocking has taken out the race. Audio

5:39 PM.The US President Barak Obama has congratulated Hamid Karzai on winning a second term as President of Afghanistan, but has demanded he get much tougher on rampant corruption. Audio

5:35 PM.The government's spending an extra 2 million dollars to extend next year's free flu jabs to those most at risk of swine flu. Audio

5:32 PM.An update from the RNZ sports team. Audio

5:28 PM.An army bomb disposal squad has succesfully removed an unexploded grenade from a street in the Dunedin suburb of Mosgiel after it was sucked out of a drain by a contractor. Audio

5:25 PM.The recession is still hitting workers in the pocket with new figures showing pay increasing at its slowest pace in nearly seven years. Audio

5:21 PM.The New Zealander who bought the rusting Princess Ashika ferry on behalf of the Tongan government has told a Royal Commission of Inquiry that he never looked into the state of the vessals hull. Audio

5:19 PM.News from the business sector including a market report. Audio

5:16 PM.A man has pleaded guilty in the Christchurch District Court today to causing a car crash that killed three members of his family. Audio

5:11 PM.Shell Oil could finalise a deal to sell some of its assets to the New Zealand Superannuation Fund and Infratil in as little as a month. Audio

5:08 PM.The Melbourne Cup is the TAB's biggest betting race of the year and this afternoon it was on track to do a record turnover. Audio

5:06 PM.Joining us from across the Tasman is racing commentator Jack Petley. Audio