**** CKPT FOR TUES 6 NOV 2007
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1700 to 1707 NEWS
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You're listening to Checkpoint with Mary Wilson.
CUT That was how the Melbourne Cup finished. Efficient the winner, Purple Moon second and Mahler third. Joining us now to discuss the race is Jack Petley, a New Zealander who is now a well-known racing commentator in Sydney LIVE
Australian bookmakers were expecting to take up to 200 million dollars in bets for the Melbourne Cup. Here it was estimated that the TAB could take over 8 million dollars. Joining us now is the TAB's racing manager Michael Dore. LIVE
The Melbourne Cup is not just about the racing. Flemington is also famous for fashion and star-spotting. Our correspondent, Donna Demaio, has the tough job of checking out the hospitality suites. She joins us now. LIVE
To the day's main news now... And the government says a second New Zealander is being held in custody in Fiji over an alleged plot to assasinate the country's interim Prime Minister, Frank Bainimarama. The New Zealand businessman Ballu Khan remains in hospital with injuries sustained when he was arrested for his alleged involvment in the conspiracy on Saturday. The Prime Minister Helen Clark says another New Zealander is also in custody. LIVE
The New Zealander allegedly involved in a 75 billion dollar attempt to defraud the Bank of England will appear in court tomorrow after being arrested in the Bay of Plenty this morning. 59 year old semi retired Tauranga man Bryan Walter Archer - along with six others- is accused of creating counterfeit bank notes and attempting to cash them in between December last year and March this year. Detective sergeant Darryl Brazier from the Tauranga Police says this morning he was served with an extradition warrant. PREREC
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BUSINESS NEWS
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17.30 HEADLINES
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The New Zealand appetite for alcohol, drugs and tobacco is showing no signs of slowing down. A new Massey University survey says alcohol is still in front with 85 percent of the country using it, followed by tobacco and cannabis with the most surprising result being BZP party pills in fourth place. Nick Butcher has more. PKG
Returning to Fiji where the partner of the New Zealand businessman arrested for conspiring to assasinate the interim Prime Minister has given a disturbing account of his beating at the hands of soldiers and police. At a media conference today, Frank Bainimarama praised the efforts of those he says have foiled the plot to kill him. CUT
But the partner of New Zealander Ballu Khan has a very different story to tell, describing the accusations made against him as "ridiculous". Agnes Bulatiko was with Mr Khan when he was arrested. She says a group of twelve people in three cars were stopped at a checkpoint on Saturday afternoon by about twenty soldiers and police officers. She says the men in the group were beaten, while the women were later taken to a police station and strip-searched. PREREC
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WAATEA NEWS
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A study suggests that breast-fee babies are more intelligent but only if they've got the right genes. New Zealand-led international research published today says to gain an IQ benefit, breast-fed children must have a certain version of a common gene involved in the processing of fatty acids. Researchers from Otago University and Kings College in London studied more than 3 thousand children. Joining us now is the study director, Otago's Richie Poulton. LIVE
The government says the new curriculum will give schools a much better direction about what children should learn. At the launch of the curriculum in Lower Hutt, the Prime Minister, Helen Clark, lauded what she said was a document for the 21st century with a focus on the big issues of the future, such as climate change and globalisation. And Miss Clark reiterated her comments at the weekend about raising the age at which young people leave school or training. Here's our education correspondent, Gael Woods. PKG
The most important figure in British domestic intelligence says that young teenagers have been systematically targeted to carry out acts of terrorism. Jonathan Evans -- the head of MI5 -- says that only half of these are known to the authorities. CNN's Paula Newton reports from London PKG
Space - the final frontier - is set to being conquered by a New Zealand woman. Christchurch real estate agent, Jackie Maw flies to the United States next week for training that will be her first step towards flying into space in two years time. Ms Maw paid 280-000 thousand New Zealand dollars to become one of the first 100 astronauts to take a three-hour commercial space flight with Virgin Galactic. She says she's excited about her training in Philadelphia. PREREC
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