Checkpoint for Wednesday 18 November 2009

6:59 PM.Czechs and Slovaks have been marking 20 years since the so- called Velvet Revolution. Audio

6:57 PM.A task force of medical experts has caused confusion and debate in the United States after recommending women should not have mammograms until they're 50 and then have them only every two years. Audio

6:54 PM.The last few days have been some of the deadliest in one of the world's most dangerous cities. Audio

6:50 PM.An anthropological team in Argentina, set up to find and identify the remains of people who vanished under brutal regimes between 1974 and 1983, is finding success matching exhumed skeletons to DNA… Read more Audio

6:48 PM.News from the Waatea team. Audio

6:45 PM.The Pentagon has responded to the massacre at a United States army base in Texas by launching a review of all defence services, to screen for potentially violent and unstable staff. Audio

6:45 PM.The humble plastic rubbish bin has been identified as one way to significantly reduce arson attacks. Audio

6:40 PM.China correspondent Quentin Sommerville is in Beijing. Audio

6:33 PM.An update from the team at RNZ Sport. Audio

6:25 PM.The Prime Minister says he utterly rejects an accusation that the Building Minister, Maurice Williamson, is out of his depth dealing with the problem of leaky homes. Audio

6:22 PM.News from the business sector including a market report. Audio

6:20 PM.Dairy farmers have voted overwhelmingly to significantly change Fonterra's financial structure and raise extra capital. Audio

6:15 PM.The Professional Firefighters Union has criticised the response to a major blaze in the Auckland suburb of Mt Wellington yesterday. Audio

6:10 PM.The poultry producer, Inghams, has been given a warning by the Commerce Commission over advertisements claiming its chickens contain no genetically modified ingredients. Audio

6:06 PM.There's an intensfying political row in Australia as 56 Sri Lankan asylum seekers, who've refused to disembark from an Australian for more than a month, prepare to finally leave the ship today. Audio

5:57 PM.Details showing how well hospitals are meeting key government health targets will be published this week. Audio

5:55 PM.South Australia's Country Fire Service has declared a catastrophic fire danger for two of the state's northern districts today. Audio

5:50 PM.The Energy and Resources Minister has outlined a plan which, he says, could unlock a black gold rush on New Zealand's lucrative petroleum resources. Audio

5:48 PM.News from the Waatea team. Audio

5:44 PM.The Church of Scientology in Australia says it is willing to co-operate with police over accusations of criminal activity within the organisation. Audio

5:40 PM.The Prime Minister has dismissed a legal opinion which suggests the Government does not need to do a deal with Maori forest owners over its emissions trading scheme. Audio

5:38 PM.Television New Zealand says it probably it should not have run a promo which featured the Finance Minister, Bill English, talking about the economy. Audio

5:33 PM.An update from the team at RNZ Sport. Audio

5:26 PM.Patients treated by an Invercargill-based urologist are being told their care may have been compromised and they should get checked out by a doctor to make sure they're alright. Audio

5:22 PM.News from the business sector including a market report. Audio

5:20 PM.The Ministry of Health is now investigating why a March inspection of a Palmerston North rest-home did not pick up what the local District Health Board has described as appalling conditions. Audio

5:15 PM.Business Editor Patrick O'Meara discusses Allied Farmer's offer. Audio

5:10 PM.Investors of the troubled finance company Hanover Finance are skeptical about a new plan which if approved could help them get more of their money back. Audio

5:05 PM.Dairy farmers have voted overwhelmingly to significantly change Fonterra's financial structure and raise extra capital. Audio