A SPECIALIST DEFENCE FORCE BOMB TEAM FROM NZ HAS ALREADY BEEN SENT TO THE AREA IN THE WAKE OF THE FATAL FIREFIGHT EARLIER THIS MONTH, AND A COUNTER-ATTACK IS ON THE CARDS. ONE OF THE ACTIONS WE MAY NEED TO TAKE IS A... IS A STRIKE, BUT AS WE'VE TALKED ABOUT FURTHER, UM, THE, UH, ISAF SPECIAL FORCES WILL BE THE ONES WHO WOULD UNDERTAKE THAT. WE MIGHT BE CONTRIBUTING INTELLIGENCE AND SOME PLANNING SUPPORT FOR THAT. FOR WHICH THE PRIME MINISTER IS OFFERING UP THE SAS. IT MIGHT BE THAT WE PROVIDE AGAIN A BIT MORE LOGISTIC OR PLANNING SUPPORT FROM OUR SAS PEOPLE, BUT NOT A COMBAT CAPABILITY AS WE DID IN KABUL IN RECENT TIMES. THE AUSTRALIAN DEFENCE FORCE HAS OFFERED TO BRING THE BODIES HOME, AND IT'S EXPECTED THEY'LL ARRIVE IN NZ TOWARDS THE END OF THE WEEK. A SPECIALIST PSYCHOLOGICAL TEAM HAS ALSO NOW BEEN SENT UP TO BAMIYAN TO HELP THOSE SOLDIERS WHO HAVE LOST FIVE OF THEIR MATES IN JUST TWO WEEKS. AS YOU HEARD THERE, JACINDA BAKER WAS THE FEMALE NZ SOLDIER KILLED IN AFGHANISTAN SINCE THE VIETNAM WAR. LUKE TAMATEA WAS ON HIS SECOND TOUR IN THE TROUBLED REGION AND RICHARD HARRIS WAS ALSO AN EXPERIENCED SOLDIER. GEORGINA BALL REPORTS. LANCE CORPORAL JACINDA BAKER DIED DOING A JOB SHE LOVED. SHE'D SERVED IN THE ARMY FOR FIVE YEARS, SHE WAS JUST FASCINATED BY ANYTHING MEDICAL AND SHE LOVED DISCIPLINE AND LOVED A CHALLENGE, SO THE ARMY GAVE HER ALL OF THAT. BUT HER DEATH HAS LEFT HER CLOSE FRIEND ASKING WHY SHE WAS SENT THERE IN THE FIRST PLACE. IT'S A HUGE SHOCK. MAKES ME QUESTION WHY WE CONTINUE TO SEND SOLDIERS OVER THERE. THE SITUATION IS OBVIOUSLY HORRENDOUS. JACINDA BAKER IS THE FIRST NZ WOMAN TO DIE IN COMBAT SINCE THE VIETNAM WAR. AND ONE TERRORISM EXPERT BELIEVES THE INSURGENTS WILL BE TRYING TO USE THE DEATH OF A FEMALE SOLDIER AS PART OF THEIR PROPAGANDA CAMPAIGN. THE OTHER SIDE WILL SAY, THEY ARE PUTTING WOMEN IN, DOES THAT MEAN THEY DON'T HAVE ENOUGH FELLAS AROUND? THE FAMILY OF ONE OF THOSE FELLAS, LUKE TAMATEA, WHO WAS 31 AND ON HIS SECOND TRIP TO AFGHANISTAN, ARE SHOCKED AS THEY COME TO TERMS WITH THEIR LOSS. THEY'RE ALL STUNNED AT THE MOMENT. YOU'D NEVER HAVE GUESSED ONE OF YOUR WHANAU WOULD BE IN THE FIRING LINE AS WELL, SO THAT'S WHAT WE'RE DEALING WITH. IT'S SAD. WE FIRST MET LUKE TAMATEA IN 2005 IN SOUTHEAST ASIA. HE WAS HELPING TO REBUILD A HOSPITAL TORN DOWN IN THE BOXING DAY TSUNAMI. IT'S REALLY GOOD, EH. GOT TO HELP OUT THESE PEOPLE. THEY'VE BEEN HIT PRETTY HARD, SO ITS PRETTY BAD, EH, AND THEY'RE PRETTY UPSET ABOUT IT. SO, YEAH, NAH, ITS REALLY GOOD TO HELP THEM OUT. THE YOUNGEST OF THE THREE SOLDIERS KILLED, SOUTH AUCKLANDER RICHARD HARRIS, HAD BEEN IN THE ARMY SINCE HE WAS A TEENAGER. DESPITE FIVE DEATHS IN TWO WEEKS THE PRIME MINISTER HAS NO REGRETS ABOUT KEEPING NZ SOLDIERS IN AFGHANISTAN. I HAVE A FAMILY AND I ACKNOWLEDGE THE IMPACT IT HAS ON FAMILIES, BUT IT DON'T REGRET THE DECISIONS I'VE MADE AS PRIME MINISTER TO HAVE NEW ZEALAND INVOLVED IN AFGHANISTAN, BECAUSE I THINK IT'S IN NZ'S INTERESTS. INTERESTS THAT HAVE COME AT A HIGH PRICE FOR FRIENDS AND FAMILY OF THE VICTIMS. THE LATEST CASUALTIES BRINGS THE NUMBER OF NEW ZEALANDERS KILLED IN AFGHANISTAN TO TEN. AND THE QUESTION MANY NEW ZEALANDERS WILL NOW BE ASKING IS.. WHY DON'T WE JUST BRING OUR TROOPS BACK EARLIER? POLITICAL EDITOR CORIN DANN'S BEEN LOOKING INTO THE ISSUE. AFTER YEARS OF RELATIVE SECURITY IN THE BAMIYAN PROVINCE, LIFE FOR KIWI TROOPS HAS SUDDENLY BECOME MORE DANGEROUS. AND THE PRIME MINISTER ACCEPTS KIWIS WILL BE QUESTIONING WHY WE ARE STILL THERE. I WANT OUR BOYS AND GIRLS TO COME HOME AND TO BE SAFE, AND IT'S AWFUL THAT WE'VE LOST THEM, BUT WE ARE IN THIS NOW, AND WE'VE BEEN IN IT FOR A LONG TIME, AND WE HAVE GOT TO MAKE THE EXIT IN A PROFESSIONAL AND CONSIDERED WAY. PRIOR TO THE LATEST DEATHS JOHN KEY INDICATED OUR 145 TROOPS WOULD LEAVE LATE NEXT YEAR. TODAY HE SIGNALED IT WILL BE EARLIER, MOSTLY LIKELY APRIL 2013. BUT HE STRESSED WE WON'T CUT AND RUN. THE MESSAGE WE SEND TO THE REST OF ALL AFGHANISTAN IS THAT IT IS TIME TO RUN TO THE EXIT, AND IF WE DO THAT, THEN THE THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE WHO HAVE LOST THEIR LIVES WILL HAVE BEEN IN VAIN. AN EXPERT ON THE AFGHAN WAR AGREES THE GOVERNMENT IS IN A TOUGH BIND. IT'S IN NO INTEREST EITHER DOMESTICALLY OR INTERNATIONALLY TO GIVE ANY IMPRESSION THAT ITS TIMETABLE IS BEING CHOOSEN BY INSURGENT ATTACKS. BUT LABOUR SAYS THE TROOPS SHOULD BE BROUGHT HOME AS SOON AS IT IS LOGISTICALLY POSSIBLE. WE SHOULD BE LEAVING, BUT WE SHOULDN'T BE CUTTING AND RUNNING. WE NEED TO MAKE SURE IT IS A AN ORDERLY TRANSITION SO THAT AFGHAN AUTHORITIES CAN PICK UP WHEN WE LEAVE. BUT GETTING TROOPS OUT OF PLACE LIKE BAMIYAN ISN'T AN EASY TASK AND WILL REQUIRE MONTHS OF PLANNING AND THE HELP OF OUR ALLIES. MAINLY DUE TO THE CAPACITY OF THE ROADS, BUT ALSO WE'VE SINCE 2003 BEEN PUTTING IN OUR FACILITIES, OUR SPECIALIST GEAR AND EQUIPMENT THAT OPERATES IN THAT AREA. POLITICAL PARTIES ARE LOATH TO TRY AND POINT SCORE ON DAYS LIKE TODAY, BUT THE GREEN PARTY HAS SIGNALLED IT WILL SEEK A SNAP DEBATE IN PARLIAMENT TOMORROW. IT REMAINS TO BE SEEN WHETHER THAT WILL BE GRANTED OR NOT, BUT THE GOVERNMENT CAN EXPECT SOME TOUGHER QUESTIONS OVER THAT EXIT TIMETABLE FROM AFGHANISTAN IN COMING WEEKS. IN OTHER NEWS, A MISTRIAL HAS BEEN DECLARED IN THE ASSAULT CASE OF JONATHAN DIXON, THE QUEENSTOWN BOUNCER WHO SPARKED A FURORE LAST YEAR INVOLVING ENGLAND RUGBY STAR MIKE TINDALL. DIXON WAS CHARGED WITH GRIEVOUS BODILY HARM AFTER A NIGHTCLUB INCIDENT IN JANUARY. THE REASONS FOR THE MISTRIAL HAVE BEEN SUPPRESSED. DIXON (41) STILL FACES A SEPARATE TRIAL FOR DISHONESTLY ACCESSING A COMPUTER. HE POSTED C.C.T.V. FOOTAGE ONLINE SHOWING TINDALL WITH A MYSTERY BLONDE IN A QUEENSTOWN BAR DURING THE WORLD CUP, JUST WEEKS AFTER HIS MARRIAGE TO THE QUEEN'S GRANDDAUGHTER ZARA PHILLIPS. ONE OF HOLLWOOD'S LEADING FILM MAKERS, BRITISH PRODUCER AND DIRECTOR TONY SCOTT, HAS JUMPED TO HIS DEATH FROM A BRIDGE IN LOS ANGELES. SCOTT (68) WAS THE YOUNGER BROTHER OF FELLOW FILM DIRECTOR RIDLEY SCOTT. HE MADE HIS MARK IN THE MID-1980s WITH THE ACTION-PACKED BLOCKBUSTER 'TOP GUN' FEATURING THEN-RISING STAR TOM CRUISE. SCOTT WENT ON TO DIRECT MANY BIG-SCREEN HITS INCLUDING 'CRIMSON TIDE' WITH GENE HACKMAN AND DENSZEL WASHINGTON. YOU'RE UNDER ARREST ON THE CHARGE OF MUTINY. COB! CAPTAIN, PLEASE. THE X-O IS RIGHT. HIS DEATH IS BEING TREATED AS A SUICIDE AS MR SCOTT WAS SEEN PARKING HIS CAR ON THE BRIDGE BEFORE JUMPING INTO THE WATER. THE BODY WASHED ASHORE IN NEW PLYMOUTH YESTERDAY IS THAT OF BRAZILIAN EXCHANGE STUDENT FELIPE MELO (17). HE WAS ONE OF THREE PEOPLE SWEPT INTO THE SEA 12 DAYS AGO. AT FIRST LIGHT THIS MORNING, THE ALL-TOO-FAMILIAR TASK OF SEARCHING BEGAN AGAIN. AFTER YESTERDAY'S DISCOVERY OF A BODY, THERE WAS MORE HOPE. I WAS THINKING EARLY THIS MORNING IT WOULD BE REALLY NICE IF WE FOUND THE OTHER TWO TODAY. A FEW HOURS LATER, AT THE LOCAL COUNCIL, HUGS AND HELLOS. THE POLICE, THE SCHOOL AND THE MELO FAMILY COMING TOGETHER SO FILEPE MELO'S TWO UNCLES COULD THANK THE PEOPLE OF NEW PLYMOUTH. VERY KIND AND GENUINE PEOPLE, WILLING TO DO WHATEVER IT TAKES TO HELP US IN SUCH DIFFICULT AND SAD CIRCUMSTANCE. WE WILL NEVER FORGET THAT THE SEA IN NEW PLYMOUTH TOOK OUR BOY AWAY. AFTERWARDS, WE MET THE 17-YEAR-OLD'S HOST FAMILY, THE BRYANS. HE CALLED THEM MUM AND DAD. THAT'S THE REASON YOU OPEN UP YOUR DOORS TO THEM. YOU OPEN UP YOUR HEART TO THEM. AND THEY JUST COME IN AND... EVERY ONE OF THEM DEPOSITS A BIT INTO YOUR` INTO YOUR LIFE. HE WAS ALWAYS SO HAPPY, AND HE, LIKE, LOVED LIFE, BASICALLY. HE WAS LIKE FAMILY. AND IT'S... IT HAS BEEN VERY HARD. IT'S NIGH ON HIGH TIDE HERE AT BACK BEACH JUST BY PARITUTU ROCK, AND DESPITE ANOTHER DAY OF EXTENSIVE SEARCHING IN THE AIR, ON THE WATER AND ALONG THE BEACH HERE, THERE IS STILL NO SIGN OF STEPHEN GEDYE OR BRYCE JOURDAIN. FILEPE MELO'S UNCLES CAME HERE HOPING TO FIND THEIR NEPHEW ALIVE. THOSE HOPES HAVE BEEN DASHED. TRANSLATOR: SALO FILEPE'S FATHER, AT THIS STAGE, IS COMING TO TERMS WITH WHAT HAPPENED, BECAUSE THE FAMILY HAD A LOT OF HOPE. THEY WERE HOPING FOR A MIRACLE. TOMORROW THEY LEAVE FOR BRAZIL. THEY HOPE THEIR NEPHEW WILL FOLLOW SOON. MEMBERS OF AUCKLAND'S PACIFIC ISLAND COMMUNITY GATHERED IN CHURCH THIS EVENING TO DISCUSS SAME-SEX MARRIAGE. THE MEETING WAS SPARKED BY REMARKS BY LABOUR MP SU'A WILLIAM SIO WHO CLAIMS THE MAJORITY OF PACIFIC ISLANDERS ARE AGAINST THE BILL. PARTS OF THIS LATE-EDITED ITEM WILL BE CAPTIONED LIVE. THE ISSUE MAY BE POTENTIALLY EXPLOSIVE, BUT IT WAS A POOR TURNOUT AT THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH IN AUCKLAND'S HERNE BAY. THE CROWD MOSTLY MADE UP OF GAY COUPLES AND POLITICAL LEADERS. BUT NOTICEABLY ABSENT WAS LABOUR MP SU'A WILLIAM SIO, WHOSE CLAIMS THAT MOST PACIFIC ISLANDERS ARE AGAINST SAME-SEX MARRIAGE SPARKED THE DEBATE. WHAT CHALLENGES ME IS THAT IT IS OUR PARENTS VIEWS AREN'T BEING HEARD HERE. BUT THE LABOUR MP WHO SPONSORED THE BILL IS CONFIDENT OPPOSITION TO IT WON'T COST THE PARTY THE NEXT ELECTION. THIS IS ABOUT THE STATE LETTING TWO CONSENTING PEOPLE TO MARRY NZ FIRST CAME UNDER FIRE HAVING ANNOUNCED IT WOULD ABSTAIN FROM VOTING FOR THE BILL, INSTEAD CALLING FOR A REFERENDUM. HELEN CASTLES, ONE NEWS. THE DECILE SYSTEM, WHICH MEASURES THE WEALTH OF COMMUNITIES AROUND STATE SCHOOLS IS TO BE DROPPED FROM EDUCATION REVIEW OFFICE SCHOOL REPORTS. THE OFFICE SAYS THE SYSTEM IS CONFUSING FOR PARENTS AND LEADS TO STEREOTYPES AND MISINFORMATION. WE DON'T BELIEVE THAT DECILES ARE A MARKER OF QUALITY. AND THERE ARE MANY PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY THAT THINK THE HIGHER THE DECILE RATING, THE HIGHER THE QUALITY. AND THAT SIMPLY ISN'T TRUE. BUT ONE PRIMARY TEACHER'S UNION SAYS IT'S IRONIC THE OFFICE WILL NO LONGER PRINT THE DECILE SYSTEM JUST AS THE GOVERNMENT BRINGS IN NATIONAL STANDARDS. IF YOU CATCH A BUS IN AUCKLAND YOUR ELECTRONIC SNAPPER CARD COULD SOON BE REPLACED. ONE NEWS UNDERSTANDS THE AUCKLAND TRANSPORT BOARD HAS MET TO DISCUSS HOW TO CUT SNAPPER OUT OF THE DEAL TO INTEGRATE AUCKLAND PUBLIC TRANSPORT. THE SNAPPER SYSTEM'S USED BY AUCKLAND'S BIGGEST BUS OPERATOR, BUT THERE ARE PROBLEMS GETTING IT LINKED TO THE REST OF THE PROJECT. IN NEWS JUST IN, PRINCE PHILIP HAS FINALLY LEFT HOSPITAL IN SCOTLAND AFTER GETTING TREATMENT FOR A BLADDER INFECTION. IT WAS THE 91-YEAR-OLD'S THIRD HOSPITAL STAY IN NINE MONTHS. HE WAS TAKEN TO HOSPITAL DURING THE ROYALS' ANNUAL SUMMER BREAK AT BALMORAL. JUST AHEAD, THE WIFE OF A FORMER HIGH-FLYING CHINESE POLITICIAN IS SENTENCED TO DEATH. AND THE REVOLUTIONARY NEW WEAPON IN THE BATTLE AGAINST OBESITY. B WIKILEAKS FOUNDER JULIAN ASSANGE HAS APPEARED IN PUBLIC FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE JUNE, AND HE HAD A BOLD MESSAGE FOR THE AMERICAN PRESIDENT. HE CALLED ON BARACK OBAMA TO END WHAT HE CALLED A 'WITCH HUNT' AGAINST HIS WHISTLEBLOWING WEBSITE. EUROPE CORRESPONDENT GARTH BRAY REPORTS. ON THE HOTTEST WEEKEND OF THE YEAR, THIS WAS ONE OF THE HOTTEST TICKETS IN LONDON. HUNDREDS CROWDED A STREET IN KNIGHTSBRIDGE AS JULIAN ASSANGE LAUNCHED A TIRADE AGAINST THE US GOVERNMENT FOR INVESTIGATING WIKILEAKS, MAKING IT DIFFICULT FOR PEOPLE TO DONATE MONEY TO THE WEBSITE AND HOLDING ONE OF ITS MOST FAMOUS ALLEGED LEAKERS, US SOLDIER BRADLEY MANNING, WITHOUT TRIAL IN CRUEL AND INHUMANE CONDITIONS. I ASK PRESIDENT OBAMA TO DO THE RIGHT THING. THE US MUST RENOUNCED ITS WITCH-HUNT AGAINST WIKILEAKS. JUST OUT OF REACH BELOW, PERHAPS 100 OFFICERS MARSHALLING THE CROWD WERE ALSO WATCHING FOR A CHANCE TO ARREST BRITAIN'S BEST-KNOWN FUGITIVE. THIS IS JULIAN ASSANGE'S FIRST PUBLIC APPEARANCE AND PERHAPS HIS FIRST DECENT BREATH OF FRESH AIR SINCE HE TOOK REFUGE INSIDE ECUADOR'S EMBASSY HERE IN LONDON. THAT STORY HAS RUN AND RUN NOW FOR TWO MONTHS, AND THIS CAN ONLY GIVE IT MORE OXYGEN. MANY SOUTH AMERICAN LEADERS ARE LINING UP BEHIND ECUADOR AFTER BRITAIN REFUSED TO GRANT JULIAN ASSANGE SAFE PASSAGE THERE AND THREATENED TO BREAK INTO THE EMBASSY TO SEIZE HIM. TRANSLATOR: DO THEY THINK THEY WERE GOING TO FRIGHTEN US? TO DISCOURAGE US? THEY DON'T KNOW WHO THEY'RE DEALING WITH. JULIAN ASSANGE THANKED PRESIDENT CORREO, CALLING HIS STAND COURAGEOUS, BUT OTHER CRITICS ACCUSE THEIR PRESIDENT OF PERSECUTING ECUADOR'S JOURNALISTS. THE COUNTRY RATES 104TH IN THE WORLD FOR PRESS FREEDOM. THE UK IS 28, AND NZ IS 13TH. NONE OF THAT WAS IN THE BALCONY SPEECH. JULIAN ASSANGE MAY YET RETURN TO THE PULPIT TO ADDRESS THAT. THERE'S CERTAINLY NO EASY EXIT FROM THIS PREDICAMENT. IT'S A SCANDAL THAT'S ROCKED CHINA'S COMMUNIST PARTY ELITE. THE WIFE OF A PARTY CHIEF ONCE TIPPED FOR THE VERY TOP HAS BEEN SENTENCED TO DEATH. GU KAILAI WAS FOUND GUILTY OF MURDERING A BRITISH BUSINESSMAN, ALTHOUGH HER DEATH SENTENCE WILL PROBABLY BE COMMUTED TO LIFE IN PRISON. THE ABC'S HWEY FEN TAY REPORTS. A CAREFULLY HAND-PICKED AUDIENCE FILED INTO THIS COURT IN SOUTH-EAST CHINA'S ANHUI PROVINCE TO HEAR THE VERDICT OF A CRIMINAL CASE THAT IS AT THE HEART OF ONE OF CHINA'S BIGGEST POLITICAL SCANDALS. REPORTERS CLAMOUR NOT LONG AFTER, A LAWYER FOR THE FAMILY OF ENGLISH BUSINESSMAN NEIL HEYWOOD WAS MOBBED BY THE MEDIA AS HE REVEALED GU KAILAI HAD RECEIVED A SUSPENDED DEATH SENTENCE OF TWO YEARS. THE FAMILY EMPLOYEE, ZHANG XIAOJUN WAS SENTENCED TO NINE YEARS. FOUR POLICE OFFICERS WERE ALSO JAILED FOR COVERING UP THE MURDER. (SPEAKS CHINESE) TRANSLATOR: I THANK EVERYONE FOR THEIR CONCERN. WE RESPECT THE COURT'S DECISION. THE BRITISH EMBASSY SAID IT WELCOMED THE INVESTIGATION AND TRIAL. EARLIER, GU KAILAI'S LAWYER HAD PLEADED FOR LENIENCY, SAYING SHE WAS NOT OF SOUND MIND AT THE TIME OF THE MURDER AND HAD ASSISTED INVESTIGATORS WITH INFORMATION ABOUT THE CRIMES OF OTHERS. A COURT SPOKESMAN SAID IT DID NOT ACCEPT ONE OF THE MAIN ARGUMENTS ` THAT NEIL HEYWOOD POSED A THREAT TO GU KAILAI'S SON. (SPEAKS CHINESE) TRANSLATOR: NEIL HEYWOOD DID VERBALLY THREATEN GU KAILAI'S SON, WHICH INCREASED THE FRICTION BETWEEN THEM. BUT THERE'S NO EVIDENCE THAT MR HEYWOOD HAD ACTUALLY HARMED GU KAILAI'S SON. THE CONCLUSION OF THIS MURDER CASE COMES JUST MONTHS BEFORE CHINA BEGINS ITS ONCE-IN-A-DECADE LEADERSHIP TRANSITION. IN THE MEANTIME, GU KAILAI'S HUSBAND, BO XILAI, AWAITS HIS OWN FATE FOR UNSPECIFIED DISCIPLINARY VIOLATIONS AGAINST CHINA'S COMMUNIST PARTY. ANTI-JAPANESE VIOLENCE HAS FLARED IN CHINA AS THE DISPUTE OVER A SMALL GROUP OF ISLANDS ESCALATES. IN CHEN CHEN, PROTESTERS ATTACKED A POLICE CAR BECAUSE IT WAS MADE IN JAPAN AND SMASHED AND OVERTURNED OTHER CARS. THERE WERE ALSO ANTI-JAPANESE PROTESTS IN BEIJING AND HONG KONG. THE DEMONSTRATORS ARE FURIOUS ABOUT JAPAN CLAIMING THE ISLANDS. FANNING THE FLAMES WAS A VISIT FROM JAPANESE POLITICIANS TO THE ISLANDS. IN A WORLD FIRST, A PACEMAKER-LIKE DEVICE IS THE LATEST WEAPON IN THE FIGHT AGAINST OBESITY. THE 'V BLOCK' IS SURGICALLY IMPLANTED, THEN USES ELECTRICAL IMPULSES TO SWITCH OFF FEELINGS OF HUNGER. CHANNEL NINE'S TRACY VO HAS MORE. THIS IS WHAT BILL MARTIN USED TO WEAR ` A SIZE 122. THAT WAS THREE YEARS AGO. I` I USED TO GO HUNTING FOR FOOD. I'D JUST LOOK AROUND, AND ANYTHING I COULD SEE. THE FATHER OF TWO FROM HORNSBY WEIGHED 140KG AND WAS A TYPE-2 DIABETIC. NOW HE'S 40KG LIGHTER THANKS TO THIS DEVICE, THE V BLOCK. USING KEYHOLE SURGERY, TWO LEADS ARE ATTACHED TO NERVES IN THE STOMACH. THEY'RE HOOKED UP TO A PACEMAKER-LIKE DEVICE, WHICH IS IMPLANTED ON THE RIBCAGE. IT SENDS ELECTRICAL IMPULSES THROUGH THE NERVES, BLOCKING HUNGER SIGNALS TO THE BRAIN. WE'RE NOW ABLE TO SWITCH OFF HUNGER, WHICH IS EXTRAORDINARY. THE PROCEDURE COSTS $29,000. DOCTORS ARE PUSHING FOR GOVERNMENT REIMBURSEMENTS. AS FOR BILL, HE'S NO LONGER A DIABETIC AND IS NOW ENJOYING LIFE LIKE NEVER BEFORE. AWESOME. (CHUCKLES) IT'S GREAT NOW. JUST AHEAD ` IT WAS THE ANTHEM OF A GENERATION. SINGER SCOTT MCKENZIE DIES AT 73. AND HEAVY SHOWERS AND POSSIBLE THUNDERSTORMS OVER THE UPPER NORTH ISLAND OVERNIGHT. DETAILS FOR TUESDAY COMING UP. SCOTT MCKENZIE, WHO SANG THE 1960's HIT 'SAN FRANCISCO' HAS DIED AGED 73. RELEASED IN 1967, IT BECAME A GLOBAL HIT AND AN ANTHEM FOR THE '60S COUNTER-CULTURE MOVEMENT. # BE SURE TO WEAR # SOME FLOWERS IN YOUR HAIR. THE SINGER WAS A CLOSE FRIEND OF MAMAS AND PAPAS STAR JOHN PHILLIPS, WHO WROTE AND PRODUCED THE SONG. MCKENZIE HAD BEEN ILL FOR SOME TIME AND WAS FOUND DEAD IN HIS LOS ANGELES HOME BY A NEIGHBOUR. # SOME GENTLE PEOPLE THERE WEATHER TIME NOW WITH RENEE. TO THE FAR SOUTH-WEST IS A COLD FRONT WHICH MOVES NORTH-EASTWARDS AND ON TO THE SOUTH ISLAND AROUND MIDDAY TOMORROW. MEANWHILE, THE BROAD AND COMPLEX AREA OF LOW PRESSURE HEADS AWAY TO THE EAST, WITH THE FLOW AS MENTIONED TENDING MORE SOUTH OR SOUTH-WEST AS IT DOES SO. STILL A FEW SURFACE TROUGHS TO CROSS THE NORTH ISLAND AS WELL. WHILE OUT WEST IS THE INCOMING RIDGE. FOR WEATHER, SEE ONENEWS.CO.NZ AND THAT'S YOUR FORECAST. I'LL SEE YOU TOMORROW. THAT'S IT FROM US HERE ON TONIGHT. THANKS FOR WATCHING. POMARIE, GOOD NIGHT.