Checkpoint for Wednesday 9 November 2011

6:57 PM.About 300 people came to witness the end of an era in Christchurch today, as the Cathedral was deconsecrated. Audio

6:51 PM.The Dunedin City Council says the decision by police to not evict the Occupy Dunedin protesters, has national implications. Audio

6:48 PM.The head of a Tauranga iwi doubts the government can afford to keep the beaches and sea clean in the long run, following the grounding of the container ship, Rena; A housing group is challenging a… Read more Audio

6:44 PM.Italy looks set for political limbo, as prime minister, Silvio Berlusconi, has pledged to resign after key economic reforms have been approved. Audio

6:40 PM.Opponents of a trans-Pacific trade talks between New Zealand, the United States and seven other countries, have demanded the National Party leader, John Key, show them the deal. Audio

6:37 PM.Australian troops in Afghanistan's Uruzgan province are searching for a rogue Afghan soldier who escaped after shooting and wounding three diggers. Audio

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

6:22 PM.The Shareholders Association says SkyCity Entertainment's performance hasn't been good enough to justify increasing its directors fees by up to a third. Audio

6:18 PM.A farmer whose property has been repeatedly targeted by armed sheep rustlers says the police have provided little assistance - so he's resorted to organising his own patrols. Audio

6:14 PM.A Christchurch businessman has told the Earthquake Royal Commission the city council was a nightmare to deal with when he was trying to strengthen his building before the September quake. Audio

6:07 PM.The anti-MMP lobby group, Vote for Change, says the deals between parties over the Epsom and Ohariu electorates are a good reason to get rid of mixed member proportional voting. Audio

5:52 PM.The National Party is tagging more of the money it expects to make from selling assets - this time for a special irrigation fund. Audio

5:49 PM.A housing group is challenging a Government department to release funds to help more Maori own their own home; The head of a Tauranga iwi doubts the government can afford to keep the beaches and sea… Read more Audio

5:43 PM.Staying with the Earthquake Royal Commission, this afternoon the Department of Building and Housing has come in for a grilling over whether its earthquake regulations are good enough. Audio

5:39 PM.A Christchurch businessman has told the royal commission the city council was a nightmare to deal with when he was trying to strengthen his building before the September quake. Audio

5:35 PM.Dentists are applauding the Labour Party for promising an independent inquiry on fluoridation of drinking water. Audio

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

5:27 PM.NASA says a closer look at the asteroid which passed between Earth and the moon this afternoon could provide valuable information on whether these space rocks could be mined for precious metals. Audio

5:24 PM.News from the business sector including a market report. Audio

5:21 PM.The timber giant Carter Holt Harvey has agreed to pay $1,500,000 to settle a protracted court case over selling timber that was not as strong as it was claimed to be. Audio

5:17 PM.Andrew Geddis is a law professor at Otago University - where he lectures on the Bill of Rights. Audio

5:12 PM.The Dunedin mayor says the police decision not to evict protesters from the central city throws into doubt the legal force of council bylaws around the country. Audio

5:07 PM.A North Shore teenager is in custody tonight charged with murdering a girl while he was on bail. Audio

5:00 PM.A teenager is in custody charged with murdering a girl while he was on bail. The row over protestors in Dunedin's Octagon tests the city's bylaws and the asteroid passes safely between earth and the… Read more Audio