EXPELLED FROM NZ FIRST ` WHERE TO NOW FOR MP BRENDAN HORAN? WE HAVE CCTV FOOTAGE OF THE LAST MOMENTS OF PHILIP COTTRELL'S LIFE. AND WILL IT BE A BOY OR A GIRL? PRINCE WILLIAM AND CATHERINE ARE EXPECTING. SACKED NZ FIRST MP BRENDAN HORAN IS REFUSING TO GO DOWN WITHOUT A FIGHT, TONIGHT ISSUING A STATEMENT THROUGH HIS LAWYERS SAYING THERE IS NO EVIDENCE TO SUPPORT ALLEGATIONS HE MISUSED HIS MOTHER'S MONEY. HE ALSO SAID HIS EXPULSION FROM NZ FIRST CAME WITHOUT ANY NOTICE AND HE HAS NO INTENTION OF LEAVING PARLIAMENT. GEORGINA BALL HAS THE LATEST. WINSTON PETERS HAS GIVEN BRENDAN HORAN HIS MARCHING ORDERS FROM NZ FIRST AND WANTS HIM TO RESIGN AS AN MP, BUT THE LIST MP'S NOT HAVING A BAR OF IT, SENDING THIS MESSAGE THROUGH HIS LAWYER. 'WHY SHOULD I LEAVE? I'VE DONE NOTHING WRONG.' BUT WHILE THERE'S BEEN NO POLICE COMPLAINT ABOUT THE ALLEGATIONS, WINSTON PETERS IS NOT WAITING AROUND FOR ANY FORMAL INVESTIGATION. SUBSTANTIVE MATERIALS HAS NOW COME INTO MY POSSESSION, SOME AS RECENT AS 2.15PM THIS AFTERNOON, AND THE INFORMATION WE HAVE RECEIVED LEAVES ME IN A POSITION WHERE I HAVE NO CONFIDENCE IN MR HORAN'S ABILITY TO CONTINUE AS A MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT, AND HE WILL BE EXPELLED FROM THE NZ FIRST CAUCUS FORTHWITH. BUT THAT INFORMATION IS BEING CALLED INTO QUESTION. WHAT MR PETERS HAS IN HIS POSSESSION I DON'T KNOW, MR HORAN DOESN'T KNOW, AND MR PETERS CERTAINLY HASN'T COME TO MR HORAN TO ASK FOR HIS SIDE OF THE STORY. POLITICAL ANALYSTS SAY IT'S CLEAR WINSTON PETERS IS MOVING SWIFTLY TO MINIMISE ANY POLITICAL FALLOUT. IT COULD BE DAMAGING, AND I'M SURE THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT MR PETERS HAS IN HIS MIND, HAVING DECIDED TO ACT DECISIVELY. HE PRESUMABLY HAS DECIDED TO ACT NOW AND ACT QUICKLY AND CAUTERISE THE WOUNDS, SO TO SPEAK. THE PARTY'S SUPPORT'S ALREADY TAKEN A RECENT BLOW, FALLING BY 1% TO 4 IN THE LATEST ONE NEWS POLL. AND WITHOUT BRENDAN HORAN'S GUARANTEED VOTE, NZ FIRST WILL HAVE LESS SWAY IN THE HOUSE. FROM, I GUESS, A TAXPAYERS' POINT OF VIEW, WE MIGHT WONDER WHAT IS THE POINT OF THIS PERSON STAYING ON RECEIVING A SALARY UNTIL POSSIBLY THE NEXT ELECTION. HIS LAWYER IS NOT RULING OUT LEGAL ACTION AGAINST THOSE WHO'VE BOUGHT HIS NAME INTO DISREPUTE. GEORGINA BALL, ONE NEWS. THE JURY IN THE TRIAL OF TWO MEN ACCUSED OF KILLING RADIO JOURNALIST PHILLIP COTTRELL HAS SEEN FOOTAGE OF HIS LAST MINUTES. THE CCTV FOOTAGE ALSO SHOWS THE TWO MEN THE CROWN SAYS BEAT HIM TO DEATH. SIMON BRADWELL HAS THE STORY. THESE ARE THE LAST MOMENTS OF PHILLIP COTTRELL'S LIFE, FILMED BY A CCTV CAMERA JUST METRES FROM WHERE HIS BODY WAS FOUND. THE BRITISH-BORN JOURNALIST WAS WALKING HOME AROUND 5.30AM AFTER HIS NIGHT SHIFT AT RADIO NZ A YEAR AGO. TOWARDS HIM WERE COMING TWO MEN. THE CROWN SAYS THEY WERE NICHO WAIPUKA AND MANUEL ROBINSON. IT'S ALLEGED THEY CONFRONTED MR COTTRELL, BEAT HIM TO DEATH AND TOOK HIS WALLET. 28 SECONDS AFTER MR COTTRELL WALKED PAST THE CAMERA, THE CROWN SAYS THE TWO ACCUSED RAN PAST IT IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION. HERE THEY ARE WALKING ALONG THE SAME STREET WITHIN MINUTES OF THE TIME THE CROWN SAYS MR COTTRELL DIED. MR COTTRELL'S WALLET WAS THE SUBJECT OF MORE CCTV FOOTAGE SHOWN TO THE JURY TODAY. HERE HE USES IT AT A POST SHOP, AND HERE HE MAKES A PURCHASE AT A CONVENIENCE STORE, BOTH IN THE MONTH BEFORE HE DIED. CAMERAS ALSO CAPTURED THE PAIR ACCUSED OF HIS MURDER IN DOWNTOWN WELLINGTON. CCTV FOOTAGE WE'RE NOT ALLOWED TO SHOW YOU ALSO SHOWED THE PAIR VISITING THESE INNER-CITY APARTMENTS NEAR WHERE THE FATAL ATTACK TOOK PLACE. THEN HOURS LATER CCTV CAMERAS AGAIN CAPTURED THE PAIR, THIS TIME AT WELLINGTON RAILWAY STATION CATCHING TRAINS FOR THE HUTT VALLEY. THIS IS WHERE PHILLIP COTTRELL WAS FOUND. NICHO WAIPUKA'S LAWYER SAYS HIS CLIENT ONLY PUNCHED HIM, WHILE MANUEL ROBINSON'S COUNSEL d SAYS HE TOOK NO PART 8 IN THE ATTACK AT ALL. FAMILIES OF BOTH VICTIM AND ACCUSED WERE IN COURT TO WATCH THESE IMAGES PLAY. SIMON BRADWELL, ONE NEWS. IT'S THE MOST ANTICIPATED ROYAL EVENT OF RECENT TIME. NOW IT'S CONFIRMED PRINCE WILLIAM AND CATHERINE ARE EXPECTING A CHILD AROUND THE MIDDLE OF NEXT YEAR. WHETHER THE BABY'S A BOY OR A GIRL, HE OR SHE WILL BE THIRD IN LINE TO THE THRONE, BEHIND PRINCE CHARLES AND PRINCE WILLIAM. RIGHT NOW, THOUGH, ATTENTION'S FOCUSED ON KATE, WHO'S UNDER HOSPITAL CARE IN LONDON. EUROPE CORRESPONDENT GARTH BRAY REPORTS. PRINCE WILLIAM LEFT THE BEDSIDE OF HIS PREGNANT WIFE JUST HOURS AFTER THE NEWS WAS BROKEN TO THE QUEEN, THE REST OF THE ROYAL FAMILY AND THE REST OF THE WORLD. THE COUPLE HAS KEPT THIS A CLOSE SECRET FOR PERHAPS TWO MONTHS, THOUGH THE QUESTIONING BEGAN LONG BEFORE THEY'D MARRIED. I THINK WE'LL TAKE IT ONE STEP AT A TIME. WE'LL, SORT OF, GET OVER THE MARRIAGE THING FIRST AND THEN MAYBE LOOK AT THE KIDS. BUT, UH, OBVIOUSLY, YOU KNOW, W-WE, UH, WE WANT A FAMILY, SO, UM, YOU KNOW, WE'LL HAVE TO START THINKING ABOUT THAT. THERE'D BEEN NO SIGN OF MORNING SICKNESS OR OF A BABY BUMP, FOR THAT MATTER, AS KATE KEPT UP AN ENERGETIC PUBLIC PROFILE AT HER OLD SCHOOL LAST WEEK. WHEN SHE WAS SPOTTED DRINKING A TOAST WITH WATER IN SEPTEMBER DURING A VISIT TO ASIA, THE SOLOMONS AND TUVALU, TALK OF PREGNANCY GREW LOUDER. ANY IMAGES CAPTURING THE DUCHESS ADMIRING AN INFANT ADDED TO THE RUMOURS. HE'S 3 WEEKS OLD? 3-WEEKS-OLD TODAY. AND THEN JUST LAST WEEK, PRINCE WILLIAM ACCEPTED A BABY'S STRETCH AND GROW ` POSSIBLY THEIR FIRST ITEM IN THEIR CHILD'S WARDROBE. I LOVE THAT. IT'S FANTASTIC. A FITTING GIFT FOR WHAT'S BEING SEEN AS FITTING NEWS TO CAP OFF THE QUEEN'S JUBILEE YEAR. WE KIND OF HAD A LOT OF FESTIVITIES, UM, FOR MOST OF THIS YEAR, AND THEN IT ALL KIND OF ENDED, AND, UM, I THINK THIS HAS JUST KIND OF PUT A REAL CHERRY ON THE TOP IN TERMS OF CHRISTMAS. KATE WAS ADMITTED TO HOSPITAL SUFFERING A SEVERE ALL-DAY VERSION OF MORNING SICKNESS ` VIOLENT VOMITING THAT CAN DEHYDRATE A MOTHER AND ROB HER OF NUTRIENTS. I UNDERSTAND THE DUCHESS OF CAMBRIDGE WAS DRIVEN TO THIS PRIVATE HOSPITAL BY CAR RATHER THAN BY AMBULANCE FROM HER FAMILY HOME IN BERKSHIRE, WHICH IS AN ENCOURAGING SIGN, BUT WITH SO FEW OTHER DETAILS COMING THROUGH AT THIS POINT, WE'RE PART OF A HORDE OF JOURNALISTS WHO'VE DESCENDED ON THIS STREET IN WEST LONDON FOR WHATEVER COMES NEXT. THESE DAYS HYPEREMESIS GRAVIDARUM IS USUALLY VERY TREATABLE. BOTH THE DUCHESS OF CAMBRIDGE AND HER BABY SHOULDN'T COME TO ANY HARM AS A RESULT OF THIS. BUT IT'S A DIFFICULT TIME FOR THEM TO BE GOING THROUGH. HYPEREMESIS GRAVIDARUM CAN SOMETIMES INDICATE A MOTHER IS CARRYING TWINS, THOUGH THE PALACE STATEMENT SAYS THE DUCHESS IS EXPECTING A BABY. MAYBE IT'LL BE A BOY, BECAUSE, UM, YOU KNOW, HIS MUM HAD TWO BOYS. I SUPPOSE IT COULD BE AN ELIZABETH IN THE MAKING. (CHUCKLES) CONSTITUTIONALLY, IT WON'T MATTER. BRITAIN IS CHANGING THE LAW WITH THE ASSENT OF NZ'S GOVERNMENT AND 14 OTHER COMMONWEALTH COUNTRIES. A FIRST-BORN DAUGHTER WOULD BECOME THIRD IN LINE TO THE THRONE. HER ROYAL HIGHNESS THE PRINCE OF WALES HAS GIVEN BIRTH TO A BABY SON. GOD SAVE THE QUEEN. PRINCE WILLIAM'S ARRIVAL IN 1982 WAS ANNOUNCED IN A VERY TRADITIONAL FASHION. THIS ROYAL ANNOUNCEMENT CAME FROM CLARENCE HOUSE VIA TWITTER AND OTHER INTERNET CHANNELS. KATE MAY BE HERE AT KING EDWARD VII HOSPITAL FOR DAYS, AND YOU CAN BET SHE WON'T BE ALONE. NEWS OF A ROYAL BABY HAS BEEN WARMLY WELCOMED HERE WITH GOOD WISHES FROM THE PRIME MINISTER AND SOME OF THE COUNTRY'S NEWEST MOTHERS. AND THERE'S BEEN NO SHORTAGE OF ADVICE FOR THE EXPECTANT ROYALS AS PAUL HOBBS REPORTS. YOU'D EXPECT PLENTY OF BABY TALK AT THE GREY LYNN PLUNKET PLAYGROUP, BUT DOMINATING THE SANDPIT THIS MORNING, AN EXPECTANT DUCHESS. YEAH, YEAH, IT'S ON EVERYONE'S MINDS. GOOD ON HER. IT'S VERY EXCITING. I THINK IT'S PRETTY COOL. FROM WILLIAM'S EARLY BRUSH WITH OUR BUZZY BEE TO LAST YEAR'S VISIT TO POST-QUAKE CHRISTCHURCH, WILLIAM AND HIS BRIDE CATHERINE HAVE BECOME FIRM K FAVOURITES. WE'VE SEEN A LOT OF SUPPORT FOR THE MONARCHY IN NZ, AND I THINK THAT THIS COULDN'T HELP BUT MAKE IT ALL THE MORE IMPRESSIVE. WHILE CATHERINE HAS YET TO VISIT OUR SHORES, MANY NOW SPECULATE THE ROYAL BABY WAS CONCEIVED ON THE COUPLE'S RECENT PACIFIC TOUR. GREAT NEWS FOR WILLIAM AND KATE, AND OBVIOUSLY THE ROYAL FAMILY. THEY'LL BE VERY EXCITED. OBVIOUSLY WE WISH THEM VERY VERY WELL. BUT OF COURSE BUCKINGHAM PALACE TELLS US KATE'S NOT WELL ` ACUTE MORNING SICKNESS. BUT THESE MUMS... I WAS NAUSEOUS ALL DAY. ...HAVE PLENTY OF ADVICE. I UNDERSTAND DRY CRACKERS ARE THE BEST. LOTS OF CRACKERS BY THE BEDSIDE ` AND A BUCKET. EATING SLOWLY AND LITTLE AMOUNTS ALL DAY. PREGNANCY NEWS SPARKED SOCIAL MEDIA SITES THE WORLD OVER. FORMER UK TABLOID EDITOR PIERS MORGAN SUGGESTED... BRITISH BOOKIES ARE ALREADY OFFERING ODDS ON NAMES. ELIZABETH AND DIANA ARE THE EARLY FAVOURITES FOR A GIRL; JOHN AND CHARLES IF IT'S A BOY. THEY PROBABLY DON'T EVEN GET THE OPTION TO CALL THEIR BABY APPLE. AND OF COURSE, THANKS TO COMPUTER TECHNOLOGY, NO NEED TO WAIT ` THIS IS WHAT THE THIRD HEIR TO THE THRONE WILL LOOK LIKE. WHO DOESN'T LOVE A BABY? AND IT WILL JUST COMPLETE WHAT APPEARS TO BE A VERY HAPPY RELATIONSHIP. THE SEQUEL TO THE FAIRY-TALE WEDDING NOW SET FOR RELEASE MID 2013. PAUL HOBBS, ONE NEWS. IT'S BEEN REVEALED TAXPAYERS HAVE BEEN PICKING UP THE TAB FOR PEOPLE TO FLY TO AUSTRALIA TO FIND WORK. THE SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT MINISTER'S ADMITTED A WINZ GRANT DESIGNED TO HELP PEOPLE GET JOBS IN NZ HAS BEEN USED SEVERAL TIMES TO PAY FOR AIR FARES ACROSS THE DITCH. I'M NOT SAYING THEY'RE ACCEPTABLE, BUT I'M SAYING THERE MIGHT BE THE ODD TIME WHEN THERE'S EXTENUATING CIRCUMSTANCE. THE MINISTER SAYS SHE BELIEVES THOSE PAYMENTS HAVE HAPPENED LESS THAN 10 TIMES IN THE PAST FIVE YEARS. BUT OPPOSITION PARTIES SAY IT'S OUTRAGEOUS TAXPAYERS ARE PAYING FOR ANY TRIPS ABROAD. AN URBAN SEARCH AND RESCUE TEAM MEMBER WHO WORKED ON THE COLLAPSED CTV BUILDING HAS QUESTIONED THE ACCURACY OF PHOTOGRAPHIC EVIDENCE SUBMITTED TO THE CORONER. THE INQUEST IS INVESTIGATING THE DEATHS OF EIGHT PEOPLE WHO ARE KNOWN TO HAVE SURVIVED THE FEBRUARY 22ND COLLAPSE BUT DIED WAITING TO BE RESCUED. UNDER CROSS EXAMINATION, IAN PENN RESPONDED DEFIANTLY TO QUESTIONS ABOUT WHEN AN ESCAPE HOLE WAS CREATED. I KNOW THAT WE WERE AT THE SITE AT APPROXIMATELY 12.30 TILL 1 IN MORNING. SO ARE YOU STATING THAT WE HAVE DONE LITERALLY NOTHING FOR THE NEXT FOUR TO FIVE HOURS, OR...? I'M CERTAINLY NOT STATING THAT, MR PENN. > I DON'T STATE ANYTHING. I WASN'T THERE. > IAN PENN ALSO GAVE CONTRARY EVIDENCE TO MANY OF HIS COLLEAGUES, STATING THAT THE LACK OF TOOLS DID NOT IMPEDE HIS RESCUE TEAM FROM CARRYING OUT THE TASK THEY HAD BEEN ASSIGNED. INTERNATIONAL OIL GIANT PETROBRAS HAS SCRAPPED PLANS TO EXPLORE FOR OIL OFF THE EAST COAST OF THE NORTH ISLAND. THE BRAZILIAN COMPANY WON PERMISSION FROM THE GOVERNMENT TO START UNDERWATER EXPLORATIONS IN THE RAUKUMARA BASIN TWO YEARS AGO, SPARKING PROTESTS FROM AND ENVIRONMENTAL GROUPS. FINANCE MINISTER BILL ENGLISH SAYS THOSE PLANS NOW WON'T GO AHEAD. THE GOVERNMENT HAS INVESTED A BIT OF TIME AND MONEY IN MAKING SURE IT'S ATTRACTIVE, THAT OIL AND GAS EXPLORATION IS ATTRACTIVE. THE COMPANIES ARE ALWAYS MAKING THEIR DECISION IN THE CONTEXT OF NOW SOME QUITE BIG SHIFTS OF WORLD ENERGY MARKETS. ONE NEWS UNDERSTANDS PETROBRAS DIDN'T FIND ENOUGH SIGNS OF OIL AND GAS RESERVES TO JUSTIFY MORE EXPLORATION. AS YOU GET READY TO PUT UP YOUR CHRISTMAS TREE LIGHTS AND DECORATIONS, BE EXTRA CAREFUL ABOUT WHAT YOU'RE PLUGGING THEM INTO. AUSTRALIAN FIRE FIGHTERS HAVE SHOWN HOW QUICKLY AN OVERLOADED OR FAULTY POWER BOARD CAN LEAD TO DISASTER ` AND THAT'S NOT THE ONLY DANGER. THIS FROM CHANNEL NINE'S AMELIA BALLINGER. A SINGLE SPARK, AND JUST MINUTES LATER, A RAGING FIRE. THE CHRISTMAS TREE, LIGHTS, PRESENTS ` EVERYTHING INCINERATED. THIS FIRE WAS LIT UNDER SUPERVISION, AND EVEN FROM A DISTANCE TODAY, A FIRST-HAND EXPERIENCE OF HOW UNBEARABLE THE HEAT CAN BE. I THINK THE MOST ALARMING THING ABOUT A FIRE LIKE THIS IS NOT HOW IT STARTS, BUT HOW QUICKLY IT TAKES HOLD. IT'S NOT A SLOW BURN. IT'S ALREADY BEEN ABOUT TWO MINUTES, AND ALREADY` OW, OW, OW, OW. PRODUCTS ARE OFTEN BACKED WITH CARDBOARD AND PAPER, AND WHILE THEY CAN IMPROVED FOR SALE IN AUSTRALIA, UH, THEY ARE AT THE LOWER END OF THE SCALE. EUROPEAN PLUGS WHICH DON'T COMPLY WITH AUSTRALIAN STANDARDS ARE ALSO A MAJOR CONCERN. BUT A QUARTER OF ALL HOUSE FIRES BETWEEN DECEMBER AND JANUARY RESULT FROM OVERLOADING POWER BOARDS. THIS IS A PERFECT TIME OF YEAR FOR PEOPLE TO BE OVERLOADING THEM. PIGGYBACKING OFF ONE TO ANOTHER. MOST OF THE RISKY PRODUCTS ARE FOUND IN DISCOUNT STORES, AND WHILE IT'S AN EXPENSIVE TIME OF YEAR... PEOPLE LOOKING FOR BARGAINS ARE GOING TO GET MORE THAN THEY BARGAINED FOR. JUST AHEAD ` IT'S A GREY OLD FORECAST FOR MOST. I'LL HAVE THE DETAILS SHORTLY. WE RETURN TO A TOWN THAT FELT THE WRATH OF SADDAM HUSSEIN. AND WHAT OTHER ROYAL MUM'S HAVE GONE THROUGH FOR KING, QUEEN AND COUNTRY. THE PRESSURE'S INCREASING ON ISRAEL TO STOP PLANS TO BUILD 3000 NEW HOMES FOR SETTLERS IN OCCUPIED PALESTINIAN TERRITORY. AMERICA IS URGING ISRAEL TO RECONSIDER, SAYING IT'LL MAKE IT HARDER TO ACHIEVE A TWO-STATE SOLUTION. THIS FROM THE BBC'S WYRE DAVIES. FOR YEARS, ISRAEL'S BEEN WARNED BY ITS ALLIES THAT THE CONTINUED EXPANSION OF JEWISH SETTLEMENTS ON OCCUPIED PALESTINIAN LAND IS DETRIMENTAL TO A TWO-STATE SOLUTION: ISRAEL AND PALESTINE EXISTING SIDE BY SIDE. BUT IT WAS WHEN ISRAEL SIGNALLED ITS INTENTION TO DEVELOP THIS STRATEGICALLY IMPORTANT AREA KNOWN AS E1 THAT THE ROW INTENSIFIED. IF THIS BIG PIECE OF DESERT WAS TO BECOME A NEW JEWISH SETTLEMENT ` AND THAT'S STILL A BIG 'IF' ` ITS DETRACTORS SAY IT'LL BE THE FINAL NAIL IN THE COFFIN OF THE TWO-STATE SOLUTION. WITH DOZENS OF JEWISH SETTLEMENTS ALREADY IN THE AREA, IT'S ARGUED THAT DEVELOPING E1 AND THE SEPARATION BARRIER AROUND IT WOULD CUT OFF EAST JERUSALEM AND OTHER PARTS OF PALESTINIAN TERRITORY FROM EACH OTHER, DENYING THE POSSIBILITY OF AN UNBROKEN FUTURE PALESTINIAN STATE. THAT ELICITED AN UNUSUALLY STRONG RESPONSE FROM ISRAEL'S BIGGEST ALLY. WE URGE ISRAELI LEADERS TO RECONSIDER THESE UNILATERAL DECISIONS AND EXERCISE RESTRAINT, AS THESE ACTIONS ARE COUNTER-PRODUCTIVE. ISRAEL BLAMES THIS FOR THE TENSION ` THE PALESTINIANS' ACQUISITION OF ENHANCED STATUS AT THE UN LAST WEEK, A MOVE OPPOSED BY ISRAEL AND WHICH IT SAID WOULD NOT GO UNPUNISHED. WE LIVE IN THE MIDDLE EAST. MAYBE WE SPEAK IN A DIFFERENT LANGUAGE THAN EUROPEANS OR THE AMERICANS, BUT IN THE MIDDLE EAST, YOU CANNOT ALLOW EITHER SIDE TO SLAP IN YOUR FACE AND TO IGNORE IT. IF YOU WANT TO PUT FACT ON THE GROUND UNILATERALLY, WE WILL DO THE SAME. THANKS TO THE UN, THE PALESTINIANS MAY HAVE GREATER SELF-CONFIDENCE, BUT MORE ISRAELI SETTLEMENTS HURT THEIR AMBITIONS FOR FULL STATEHOOD. THERE'S A SUSPICION ISRAEL'S PRIME MINISTER IS TAKING A TOUGH STAND AHEAD OF NEXT MONTH'S ELECTION. THERE ARE NOW FEARS SYRIA'S PRESIDENT BASHAR AL-ASSAD COULD RESORT TO USING CHEMICAL WEAPONS AGAINST HIS PEOPLE. US PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA HAS GIVEN HIM A CLEAR WARNING. IF YOU MAKE THE TRAGIC MISTAKE OF USING THESE WEAPONS, THERE WILL BE CONSEQUENCES, AND YOU WILL BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE. THE UNITED NATIONS IS PULLING ALL NON-ESSENTIAL STAFF OUT OF SYRIA AS FIERCE FIGHTING CONTINUES. ACTIVISTS CLAIM THESE EXPLOSIONS IN HOMS ARE THE RESULT OF CLUSTER BOMBS DROPPED BY GOVERNMENT TROOPS. IT'S NEARLY 25 YEARS SINCE SADDAM HUSSEIN UNLEASHED CHEMICAL WEAPONS ON A KURDISH TOWN IN IRAQ. THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE DIED INSTANTLY, AND MANY OTHERS SUFFERED FOR YEARS. NOW THE KURDISH AUTHORITIES ARE PUSHING FOR THE ATTACK TO BE RECOGNISED AS GENOCIDE. THE BBC'S JOHN SIMPSON HAS RETURNED TO HALABJA FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE THE ATTACK. FOR 45 MINUTES, SADDAM HUSSEIN'S PLANES BOMBARDED HALABJA WITH SOME OF THE MOST TOXIC AGENTS KNOWN TO SCIENCE ` NERVE GASES AND OLD-FASHIONED MUSTARD GAS. WHEN I ARRIVED, THERE WERE STILL DEAD PEOPLE EVERYWHERE. I WENT ROUND COUNTING. THERE WERE ABOUT 5000. THE BODIES WHICH LITTER THIS TOWN WERE THOSE OF PEOPLE WHO RAN OUT OF THEIR HOUSES TO TRY AND ESCAPE THE GAS AND THEN WERE KILLED OUT IN THE OPEN. SINCE THAT MOMENT, THIS WOMAN HAS BEEN ALONE IN THE WORLD. SHE WAS ONLY A TEENAGER THEN. SHE LOST 17 RELATIVES, INCLUDING HER MOTHER, HER TWO BROTHERS, HER SISTER. NO ONE HAS EVER CLEANED OUT THE CELLAR WHERE HER FAMILY WAS GASSED. EVEN 25 YEARS LATER, THE STENCH OF MUSTARD GAS IS STILL STRONG ` STRONG ENOUGH TO KILL SMALL CREATURES. IT MAKES OUR EYES WEEP AND OUR HEADS ACHE. NO DOUBT ABOUT IT, THINGS THAT COME DOWN HERE, LIKE THE CAT, THE RATS, AND SO ON, SEEM TO DIE AS A RESULT. IT MAY BE A GOOD IDEA NOT TO SPEND TOO MUCH TIME DOWN HERE. THE KURDISTAN GOVERNMENT WANTS TO DEMONSTRATE FINALLY THAT THIS WAS GENOCIDE. WHEN MY FATHER TALKED ABOUT MY UNCLE, ALWAYS START TO CRY. TO THIS DAY, IT'S PART OF EVERYONE'S LIFE HERE ` PUPILS... AND THEIR TEACHER. IT'S NOT JUST HISTORY. LIKE SADDAM HUSSEIN, SYRIA HAS CHEMICAL WEAPONS NOW, AND IT'S NOT THAT FAR AWAY. FOR PEOPLE HERE, GAS WARFARE SEEMS A VERY REAL DANGER. HUMAN RIGHTS OBSERVERS BELIEVE AT LEAST 15,000 CIVILIANS WERE KILLED WHEN SADDAM HUSSEIN GASSED HALABJA. THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE HAVE BEEN EVACUATED AS TYPHOON BOPHA SLAMS INTO THE PHILIPPINES. THE STORM'S BRINGING WINDS OF 175KM/H, GUSTING UP TO 210KM/H, AND A RAIN BAND 600KM WIDE. POWER'S BEEN CUT TO MANY AREAS IN THE SOUTHERN PHILIPPINES. AT LEAST 80 FLIGHTS HAVE BEEN CANCELLED. BACK TO THE ROYALS NOW, AND EVEN THOUGH THE PALACE IS TRYING HARD THESE DAYS TO PROMOTE A MODERN IMAGE, THERE IS STILL A LEGACY OF RULES AND EXPECTATIONS. THE ABC'S NICK WATT TAKES A LOOK. KATE'S ALREADY BROKEN ONE RULE. ROYAL BRIDES ARE SUPPOSED TO BE PREGNANT WITHIN A YEAR OF THE WEDDING. THE ROLE OF THE PRINCESS MUM IS NOT EASY. DIANA TRIED TO TEAR UP THE RULE BOOK. WILLIAM WAS THE FIRST HEIR TO THE THRONE EVER BORN IN A HOSPITAL, NOT A PALACE. DIANA WAS THE FIRST ROYAL MUM TO DARE COMPLAIN OF MORNING SICKNESS, ALSO TO FALL ASLEEP IN PUBLIC WHEN HER PREGNANCY WAS STILL A SECRET. TRADITIONALLY, ROYALS DIDN'T ACTUALLY SEE MUCH OF THEIR KIDS, BUT NOT DIANA. SHE WANTED TO BE AS PRESENT FOR HER CHILDREN AS SHE POSSIBLY COULD. THERE WERE SOME ROYAL RULES DIANA COULD NOT SHAKE. APPARENTLY WILLIAM WAS INDUCED SO THE BIRTH DIDN'T INTERRUPT PRINCE CHARLES' POLO SCHEDULE. AND THE QUEEN ` NOT DIANA'S OWN MUM ` WAS HER FIRST VISITOR. AND THE NAME ` TRADITIONAL, OF COURSE. BOOKIES' FAVOURITES RIGHT NOW FOR KATE AND WILLIAM'S FIRSTBORN ARE... TIME HAS ALSO IRONED OUT THE ARCANE AND THE DOWNRIGHT BARBARIC. IT WAS NEARLY 500 YEARS AGO THAT HENRY VIII EXECUTED A WIFE WHO FAILED TO PRODUCE A MALE HEIR. AND IT'S BEEN NEARLY A HUNDRED YEARS SINCE GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS HAD TO BE PRESENT AT A ROYAL BIRTH TO ENSURE THE BABY WAS NOT AN IMPOSTER. THE DUTY OF THE WIFE OF THE FUTURE KING IS TO PRODUCE AN HEIR ` AND HOPEFULLY AS SPARE. AND NOW IT'S TIME FOR THE NEXT GENERATION. JUST AHEAD ` I'LL HAVE THE WEATHER OUTLOOK FOR YOUR PLACE. 1 NOW TO THE MOST VIEWED STORIES ON OUR WEBSITE TODAY. EMPLOYEES AT AN INVERCARGILL OFFICE WERE LUCKY TO AVOID A FOUR-BY-FOUR WHICH CRASHED THROUGH THEIR FRONT WINDOW. THE FIRST REVIEWS OF THE HOBBIT HAVE BEEN PUBLISHED ONLINE WITH A LARGELY POSITIVE RESPONSE. AND READERS HAVE BEEN SUGGESTING NAMES FOR THE NEW ROYAL BABY, WITH DIANA THE FAVOURITE IF IT'S A GIRL. G 8 NOW TO THE WEATHER. FOR WEATHER, SEE ONENEWS.CO.NZ THAT'S IT FROM US HERE ON TONIGHT. YOU CAN STAY UP TO DATE BY LOGGING ON TO OUR WEBSITE AT ONENEWS.CO.NZ. THANKS FOR WATCHING GOODNIGHT.