Due to the live nature of Midday we apologise for the lack of captions for some items. Fiji braces for more flooding with a gale warning in effect and the possibility of a cyclone. The British government is planning a new law to monitor phone calls, emails, texts and website visits by everyone in the UK. Supporters of Myanmar's Aung San Suu Kyi celebrate victory as the country's political reforms are put to the test. G 8 Kia ora, good afternoon. Flood-hit residents in Fiji are being warned to brace themselves for more problems, with the possibility of a developing tropical cyclone. A gale force warning is now in force, and a cyclone is predicted for the hard-hit western part of Fiji. Wilhelmina Shrimpton has details. Already underwater and now bracing for another deluge as a tropical cyclone threatens to bring more rain to the already hard-hit west of the country. Rain and flooding has already killed at least three people and forced around 8000 into evacuation shelters. It's people in rural parts of Fiji which, you know` we've already had lives lost. People's homes devastated. Many of those battling with high water levels are now also without power after equipment was wiped out by flood waters. The Fijian government hasn't called for international assistance yet, but Prime Minister John Key says the NZ Government is poised to offer aid. So, MFAT are monitoring the situation, obviously very serious up there, and the Minister of Foreign Affairs has made it quite clear that we'll provide support. Flights in and out of the island have been severely affected after all airlines were told not to deliver any more passengers. Air NZ has already cancelled another flight bound for Nadi this morning, and it's not yet clear whether another due to collect stranded travellers today will be able to go ahead. Fiji's Air Pacific hopes to get some flights out today, including two scheduled to arrive in Auckland. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade says 433 NZers are registered as being in Fiji, with the NZ Government prepared to evacuate them if necessary. If that was absolutely required, yes, but they may well be in conditions that are, you know, quite stable for them. We are obviously monitoring that situation. But frustration is now mounting that more isn't being done to help flood-affected Fijians. Here at the airport, we're sending planes back empty, and it's such a shame that we can't take passengers back. plus on our website at tvnz.co.nz. An Auckland judge will decide this afternoon whether to ease the bail conditions for the man accused of internet piracy, Kim Dotcom, so he can finish work on an album. The internet entrepreneur is currently under house arrest in Auckland while he battles American attempts to extradite him on copyright and other charges. At a hearing this morning, Dotcom's lawyer said his client is seeking permission to visit a recording studio to finish the album. He says Dotcom's partway through a collaborative project with several musicians of international standing, and it would be a shame if he wasn't able to see it through. The British Government will be able to monitor the calls, emails, texts and website visits of everyone in the UK under a new law being drawn up by the government. It says it needs the new powers to tackle terrorism and crime, but there are concerns the Government will be able to spy on ordinary people. The BBC's Iain Watson reports. The Government plans to give the intelligence services at GCHQ access to email exchanges and records of telephone calls and texts on demand. Currently, communications companies must keep records of phone calls and emails for up to a year. In a statement, the Home Office said,... This is an unnecessary extension of the, uh, ability of the state to snoop on ordinary innocent people in vast numbers, and frankly, they shouldn't have that power. Despite doubts amongst some of their own supporters, the Government is set to go ahead with their plans at the earliest opportunity. Reported crime has fallen to a 15-year low, with 20,000 fewer offences reported in 2011 compared with the previous year. Drug offences fell nearly 10%, with methamphetamine-related crime dropping 11%. The largest regional drop was in Canterbury, where the number of reported offences is down more than 22%. The man charged with the murder of Christchurch sex worker Mallory Manning had abuse yelled at him from the public gallery as he stood in the dock at the Christchurch District Court this morning. Mauha Fawcett (24) was remanded in police custody until April 30th, entering no plea for the kidnapping and murder of the prostitute (27). Mallory Manning's body was found in the Avon River in December 2008. She had been sexually assaulted and brutally bashed. One supporter yelled 'hang yourself' to the accused. The Pike River inquiry has heard calls today that police shouldn't always be the incident controller in any similar disaster operations in the future. The lawyer for police told the inquiry in Greymouth more authority should be given to police on the ground, rather than decisions taken centrally in Wellington. But Mines Rescue says while police should still be the lead organisation, the incident controller should be someone with mine expertise. Mines Rescue's position is that... Mines Rescue's position is that... Mines Rescue's position is that... it didn't work effectively. And I think it would be fair to I And I think it would be fair o d say that it is surprising, u to still have the police advocating a system such as this in relation to another disaster. Earlier the Department of Labour proposed greater regulation of the coal-mining industry, but unions representing miners' interests have already said they don't go far enough. This is the final phase of the inquiry into the Pike River disaster which claimed 29 lives in November 2010. 1000 people, including 14 NZers have safely made it on to dry land after being stranded on a cruise ship for 24 hours. The Azamara Quest had been drifting off the southern Philippines after its engines were disabled in a fire. But overnight it's limped into port on the island of Borneo. The NZ deputy high commissioner was there to greet the NZ passengers. Everything seemed normal to me except the, uh, the very hot temperatures. I-I just met with the NZers who were on the cruise, and they seemed fine. The rest of the cruise has been abandoned. Passengers will receive a full refund, and for those who want to, the opportunity to buy tickets for another cruise. It appears our government asked Chilean authorities to search the Norwegian yacht allegedly under arrest after an unauthorised trip to Antarctica. Controversial adventurer Jarle Andhoy and his crew, including South Auckland man Busby Noble, are at a naval base in Chile. They claim they've been detained at the request of our government. They are, uh, docked next to a navy ship on, uh, the base in, uh, Puerto Williams. It sounds like they're gonna let them sail, uh, tomorrow afternoon, Chilean time. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs says it appreciates the Chilean authorities' search for voyage information held on board, but denies the crew are under arrest. Myanmar's pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi looks to have won a parliamentary seat in historic elections. The polls are being seen as a crucial test of the Burmese military Government's commitment to political reform. The BBC's Fergal Keane reports. CROWD CHEERS At the pro-democracy headquarters this evening, unofficial results were announced. There was joy, though Parliament The pro-democracy leader was south of Rangoon in her constituency. Queues had been forming since dawn. By the day's end, Aung San Suu Kyi's seat would be won, despite her misgivings about electoral fraud elsewhere. CAMERA SHUTTERS CLICK, REPORTERS SHOUT At this Rangoon polling station, the civil servant in charge displayed an empty ballot box. 'Nothing suspicious here,' he said. Yet for some voters, it's hard to trust the state. You don't believe the Government? > No, I never believe. But all day, they kept coming, seeking their names on the voters' list. Hundreds of Christians have attended the annual Catholic Palm Sunday procession in Jerusalem, marking the beginning of festivities of the holy week ahead of Easter. The procession attracts Christians and tourists from around the world. Earlier there was a mass in Jerusalem's Holy Sepulchre church, which is revered as the burial site of Jesus. Palm Sunday marks the day Jesus entered Jerusalem before his arrest and crucifixion. Cuba has honoured an appeal by Pope Benedict to mark next week's Good Friday as a public holiday For the first time since the island's revolution in 1959. The communist government says the decision was made in the light of Benedict's recent visit to the country. Religious holidays were abolished in the 1960s, and the Church has remained largely sidelined. It's still not clear if the holiday will become an annual event. More than 600 Russian fisherman have been rescued after they were stranded on a drifting ice floe. The metre-thick ice floe broke off from the main ice pack and was carried about 500m out to sea. Helicopters and ships spent seven hours ferrying the fisherman back to safety. None of them needed any medical assistance. Fishing through boreholes is a popular winter pastime in Russia. In China, a boy (2) who fell down a 12m dry well has been rescued by firefighters. The little boy slipped into the abandoned well and was heard crying at the bottom of the pit. Firefighters lowered a camera phone into the well to monitor his progress. With a diameter of just 30cm, oxygen was low, so rescuers pumped oxygen down to him. After trying out several rescue techniques, the boy was eventually pulled to the surface and sent to hospital for treatment. Still to come on Midday ` we'll find out how the NZ sharemarket has performed over the past quarter. Kiwi rally driver Hayden Paddon's claims an unexpected victory in Portugal. 1 With me now is Roger Coulter from Craigs Investment Partners. Good afternoon. How has the NZ sharemarket performed over the past quarter? This item will be captioned live. For more, go to tvnz.co.nz and click on 'business'. IT'S DONE VERY WELL THE NZ TOP 50 INDEX IS UP AROUND 7% THE TOP PERFORMERS WERE PROBABLY TELECOM AND CHORUS CHORUS IS TELECOM'S INFRASTRUCTURE COMPANY WHICH WAS SEPARATED LATE LAST YEAR THAT'S CREATED VALUE BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENT IS CONTACT ENERGY How does that compare with performance in global markets? MOST OF THE GLOBAL MARKETS HAVE HAD A GOOD RUN EXCEPT FOR AUSTRALIA THE MINING AND MINERAL SECTOR - SOME QUESTION MARKS OVER CHINA What is the outlook for the next three to six months? I SUSPECT THE BEST OF THE PERFORMANCE MIGHT BE BEHIND US FOR 2012 THE THINGS THAT WILL SHAPE THE MARKET ARE HIGH OIL PRICES AND THE US WILL CONTINUE THE MOMENTUM OF CREATING JOBS AND ESTABLISHING ITS ECONOMY QUESTION MARKS OVER CHINA Company specific ` Fisher & Paykel Healthcare announced today a new chairman? THAT'S RIGHT GARY PAYKEL, THE CHAIRMAN ANNOUNCED HE'S STEPPING OUT TONY CARTER IS COMING IN TONY CARTER IS ALREADY ON THE BOARD HE BRINGS A LOT OF HANDS-ON OPERATIONAL EXPERIENCE THAT BRINGS FRESH THINKING Thank you, Roger Coulter from Craigs Investment Partners. Troubled cricketer Jesse Ryder's been at the centre of a heated exchange during a club game, which could see him suspended when he returns from playing in the Indian Premier League. Ryder allegedly had an altercation with Wellington Firebirds teammate Harry Boam while they were playing for their respective clubs. The umpire had to step between the pair after Ryder reacted to a comment Boam made. Any report would need to be submitted to Cricket Wellington by the end of the day, which will determine whether further action is taken. Kiwi rally driver Hayden Paddon's claimed an unexpected victory in the Super 2000 World Rally Championship Class in Portugal. Paddon benefited from his main rival suffering mechanical problems and says it's a big boost ahead of Rally NZ. It's not the way we wanted to win, but it is 25 points, and it puts our championship right back on track. So, uh, of course we're very happy, um, but there is a lot to work on yet to move forward. Finnish driver Mika Hirvonen won the overall rally to go top of the WRC standings. stripped of his victory NZ IndyCar driver Scott Dixon has backed up his second place at last week's Indy Grand Prix with another second in Alabama this morning. But he's not happy about it. Dixon led for most of the race before a mistake in his final pit stop cost him first place. Uh, stupidity for us to get ourselves in that situation. You know, we had a quick car. I think we were quicker behind. Well, I tried to push, but you know, when you're behind, you lose so much downforce and grip, and I burnt the rear tyres off it towards the end, but, uh, you know, it's, uh, it was a tough day. It's tough to swallow. Dixon's second in the overall standings, with Helio Castroneves still holding the overall lead after his third-place finish today. In English football, Tottenham Hotspur have beaten Swansea City to claim their first win in six Premier League matches. The victory sees them move level with third-placed Arsenal on points. It came after a resurgent Newcastle beat Liverpool at Saint James Park. Here's the BBC's Andy Swiss with the action. From Tyneside hero to pantomime villain, Andy Carroll is back in Newcastle for the first time since joining Liverpool. He was booed and promptly booked for diving. The replays, you have to say, didn't look great, and Liverpool stumbled from bad to worse. Yes, they might have had a penalty when Danny Simpson seems to use his arm, but Newcastle soon showed why they're the ones challenging the top four. Papiss Cisse scored once before the break and once after it, as Liverpool lost for the sixth time in seven League games. Cisse must score! He has! Carroll was eventually substituted to the fondest of farewells, and Liverpool's misery rounded off by Pepe Reiner's card for violent conduct. Another great day for Newcastle, another grim one for Kenny Dalglish. It's not been an easy time for Harry Redknapp either. His Tottenham side have stuttered recently. Not that you'd have guessed it, though, as Rafael van der Vaart drilled them into a first-half lead. But Swansea have claimed a few illustrious scalps this season, and after the break, they showed why. Gylfi Sigurdsson with a deserved equaliser. Sigurdsson! And he gets his reward with a fine finish! Spurs, though, kept on pressing, and their persistence paid off, as Emmanuel Adebayor proved his heading prowess not just once, but twice. Adebayor's up there again! And he scores again! An invaluable victory for Spurs. Back to winning ways in the nick of time. To Australia's football league ` All White Shane Smeltz has led the Perth glory to victory against Melbourne in their elimination match last night. Smeltz sparked his side to life after a scoreless first half, netting a hat-trick to secure the win. And now Smeltz is on! Shane Smeltz ends the misery. Here's Smeltz. Right through the middle. It's been his night. Glory's 3-0 victory means the Wellington Phoenix will fly to Perth for their minor semi-final this weekend. In rugby league, South Sydney's pulled off an incredible comeback to secure a golden-point win against Wests Tigers. The Rabbitohs looked doomed for a certain loss late in the game, trailing 16-4 with just four minutes to go. Step up the bunnies. It's Isaac Luke. Yes, yes, yes. Clark Taylor's the man you want to give it to. Here comes King. Here comes Everingham. Everingham! Then, in extra time, this from, of all people, Greg Inglis. He puts his boot to the ball. It's lined the rung. He looks a bit like Sean Kevin, the Hurricane. He's got the goal! But it didn't matter. Souths winning 17-16. NZ's finished third in the Japan leg of the rugby sevens, but still has a slim lead in the overall World Series standings. The Kiwis came back from a 17-point deficit to beat England 24-17 in the third and fourth play-off. It means NZ goes into the penultimate round in Scotland six points ahead of nearest rivals, Fiji, who bombed out in the quarter-finals. Meanwhile, the Cup final saw a young Australia side take out their first tournament of the season, beating Samoa 28-26. In netball, the Central Pulse have come up short against the Northern Mystics in their opening game of the ANZ Championship. The Pulse put up a spirited battle, with the teams going to half-time at 27-27. But last year's finalists broke away in the final quarter. Catherine Latu did the damage, nailing 33 of her 34 attempts on goal to see the Mystics win 51-47. Still to come on Midday ` I'll be back with the afternoon weather. More than 37,000 Auckland schoolchildren will get free swimming lessons this year, after $500,000 cash injection from Water Safety NZ. Sport Auckland's 'Learn to Swim' project provides free lessons for 7` to 10-year-olds in low-decile schools. Now to the weather. There are clear skies for much of the South Island. Harmless cloud decorates the skies over central NZ, But we've got that bright moisture-laden cloud just north of the country. It's marked as a low, and the tight isobars mean strong winds and rain for northern and eastern parts of the North Island. For weather, see tvnz.co.nz Italy's Mt Etna ` the largest active volcano in Europe ` has burst into life for the fifth time this year. The eruptions, which started early in the morning local time and lasted an hour and a half, sent bright orange lava spewing into the air. Ash fell onto inhabited areas of Sicily, but didn't cause any interruption to air traffic at the airport. Thanks for joining us. Our next news is at 4.30, and the ONE News hour will be here at 6. Good afternoon. Captions by Hannah Reynolds and John Ling. Captions were made possible with funding from NZ On Air.