DUE TO THE LIVE NATURE OF MIDDAY WE APOLOGISE FOR THE LACK OF CAPTIONS FOR SOME ITEMS. HE'S AT PARLIAMENT TODAY, BUT WHAT DOES THE FUTURE HOLD FOR MP BRENDAN HORAN? THE ENGLISHMAN WHO KILLED K TEEN EMILY LONGLEY IS APPEALING HIS CONVICTION. AND A RELIEVED-LOOKING PRINCE WILLIAM LEAVES HIS WIFE'S BEDSIDE ` KATE'S ON THE MEND. MP BRENDAN HORAN HAS BEEN SEEN BACK IN THE CORRIDORS OF PARLIAMENT TODAY, DESPITE BEING EXPELLED FROM NZ FIRST LESS THAN 24 HOURS AGO AND URGED TO QUIT AS AN MP. BUT MR HORAN, A LIST MP, SAYS HE HAS NO INTENTION OF LEAVING THE HOUSE. ONE NEWS UNDERSTANDS HE'S BEEN MEETING WITH PARLIAMENTARY OFFICIALS TO DISCUSS A NEW ROLE AS AN INDEPENDENT. IT'S UNDERSTOOD HE'S BEEN GIVEN A NEW OFFICE IN PARLIAMENT WELL AWAY FROM THE OFFICES OF NZ FIRST. MR HORAN DID SPEAK TO HIS FORMER COLLEAGUES THIS MORNING. I SAW HIM THIS MORNING, ACTUALLY, IN THE HALLWAY, YEAH. HOW IS HE HOLDING UP? > HE SEEMED FINE WHEN I GAVE HIM A KISS ON THE CHEEK AND SAID 'GOOD MORNING.' YOU KNOW, HE'S MAINTAINING THAT HE'S DONE NOTHING WRONG, SO HE WILL GO THROUGH THAT PROCESS, AND WE'LL SEE THE RESULT OF IT. NZ FIRST LEADER WINSTON PETERS EXPELLED MR HORAN FROM CAUCUS YESTERDAY AMID ALLEGATIONS ABOUT MONEY BEING MISAPPROPRIATED FROM HIS LATE MOTHER. UNDER PARLIAMENTARY PRIVILEGE, MR PETERS SAID HE'D RECEIVED NEW INFORMATION AND NO LONGER HAD CONFIDENCE IN MR HORAN. HE SAID HE SHOULD RESIGN AS AN MP. MR HORAN DENIES THE ALLEGATIONS, AND HIS LAWYER IS DISMISSIVE OF MR PETERS' STATEMENTS. MEANWHILE, ONE NEWS DEPUTY POLITICAL EDITOR JESSICA MUTCH SAYS DESPITE THE DRAMA, THE DAMAGE TO NZ FIRST WON'T BE TOO BAD. YEAH, WELL, LOOK, THIS IS DAMAGING FOR NZ FIRST. BUT I THINK WHAT EVERYONE REALISES AS WELL IS THAT WINSTON PETERS IS THE BRAND AND NAME OF NZ FIRST. BRENDAN HORAN GOT DRAGGED INTO PARLIAMENT BASICALLY ON THE COATTAILS OF WINSTON PETERS. SO AS LONG AS HIS REPUTATION IS INTACT, THAT IS GOING TO STILL BE OK FOR NZ FIRST. THAT'S THE PROBLEM, THOUGH. IF BRENDAN HORAN COMES IN, SITS IN THE BACK ` THE VERY VERY BACK, EVEN FURTHER BACK THAN HE IS NOW ` IN PARLIAMENT, HE'S GOING TO BE THIS CONSTANT LITTLE NAGGING REMINDER FOR THE PUBLIC AND FOR WINSTON PETERS THAT, 'I'M STILL HERE.' DEPUTY POLITICAL EDITOR JESSICA MUTCH. AND WE WILL HAVE MORE ON THIS DEVELOPING STORY ON ONE NEWS AT 4.30 AND 6. THE GOVERNMENT'S DEFICIT IS AGAIN WORSE THAN EXPECTED, PARTLY BECAUSE OF REDUCED REVENUE FROM TAXES. FIGURES JUST RELEASED SHOW THE OPERATING DEFICIT BEFORE GAINS AND LOSSES IS $2.9B ` THAT'S $169M WORSE THAN HAD BEEN FORECAST. THE CORE TAX TAKE IS ALMOST $300M LESS THAN EXPECTED, AND LOWER INTEREST RATES HAVE ALSO AFFECTED REVENUE. IN BREAKING NEWS, A SOLDIER SERVING WITH THE NZ PROVINCIAL RECONSTRUCTION TEAM HAS BEEN INJURED IN AFGHANISTAN. THE SOLDIER FROM THE ROYAL NZ INFANTRY REGIMENT IS GETTING MEDICAL TREATMENT FOLLOWING AN INCIDENT DURING A LIVE FIRING PRACTICE AT A FIRING RANGE IN BAMIYAN. HE WAS INJURED WHEN AN UNKNOWN OBJECT WENT THROUGH HIS PROTECTIVE EYEWEAR. THE MAN IS IN A STABLE CONDITION AND WILL HEAD TO GERMANY FOR FURTHER TREATMENT. THE FATHER OF MURDERED NZ TEENAGER EMILY LONGLEY SAYS IT'S DISAPPOINTING TO LEARN THE MAN CONVICTED OF KILLING HER HAS WON THE RIGHT TO APPEAL HIS CONVICTION. ELLIOT TURNER (21) WAS JAILED FOR A MINIMUM OF 16 YEARS FOR STRANGLING THE 17-YEAR-OLD IN A FIT OF JEALOUS RAGE AT HIS PARENTS' HOME IN BOURNEMOUTH LAST YEAR. EMILY'S FATHER MARK SAYS IT'S A BLOW COMING JUST BEFORE CHRISTMAS, BUT HE DOES NOT BELIEVE THE CONVICTION WILL BE OVERTURNED. THE POLICE ARE STILL VERY CONFIDENT IN THEIR CASE. WE HAD THREE DAYS OF LEGAL ARGUMENTS BEFORE THE TRIAL ABOUT THE COVERT EVIDENCE THAT WAS USED, AND IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING THAT THE APPEAL IS KINDA HINGED ON THE COVERT EVIDENCE. SO IT WAS VERY ROBUSTLY EXAMINED BEFORE THE TRIAL. THE POLICE ARE VERY CONFIDENT THAT THEY DID EVERYTHING LEGALLY, SO WE'RE STILL CONFIDENT THAT IT'S JUST ANOTHER HICCUP. THE WORST THING IS IT JUST BRINGS HIS NAME BACK TO THE FOREFRONT OF OUR MINDS AGAIN, AND IT'S BEEN NICE TO NOT HAVE TO THINK ABOUT HIM FOR A WHILE. BUT, YOU KNOW, HE'S GONNA BE IN PRISON OVER CHRISTMAS AND SO WILL HIS PARENTS, SO IT'S NOT GONNA BE A PLEASANT CHRISTMAS FOR THEM EITHER. A DATE FOR THE APPEAL HAS NOT YET BEEN SET, BUT IT'S EXPECTED TO BE EARLY NEXT YEAR. A FURTHER GRILLING FOR FIRE SERVICE BOSS PAUL McGILL AT THE CTV INQUEST TODAY, FOLLOWING HIS APOLOGY TO FAMILIES YESTERDAY AND AN ADMISSION THAT FIRE STAFF HAD NOT BEEN ADEQUATELY PREPARED WHEN THE FEBRUARY EARTHQUAKE HIT CHRISTCHURCH. FAMILIES LAWYER NIGEL HAMPTON SUGGESTED THAT THE SIZE OF THE EVENT WAS NO REASON FOR AN INABILITY TO ADAPT AND TO PUT A CO-ORDINATED EFFORT TOGETHER. WELL, 'OVERWHELMING', THEN, CAN'T BE USED AS A AN EXCUSE OR A PRETEXT > FOR SAYING IT WAS OVERWHELMING ` WE COULDN'T DO OUR JOB. > IT CAN'T BE USED IN THAT WAY, THEN, CAN IT? > NO, AND I DON'T THINK I WAS. OH, I SEE. > HOWEVER, PAUL McGILL SAYS TO MANAGE AN EVENT OF THAT SCALE, IT TAKES TIME TO SET UP SYSTEMS, NO MATTER HOW WELL TRAINED OR HOW WELL ORGANISED THE FIRE SERVICE IS. A UNION REPRESENTING SECURITY GUARDS IS DEMANDING AN IMPROVEMENT IN WORKING CONDITIONS IN THE INDUSTRY. UNITE UNION PICKETED A LARGE SECURITY FIRM IN AUCKLAND THIS MORNING TO HIGHLIGHT ITS CONCERNS. WE'VE GOT GUYS WHO GET CHUCKED ON A SITE WITH ABSOLUTELY NO TRAINING. WE'VE GOT GUYS WHO GET CHUCKED ON A SITE WITH ABSOLUTELY NO TRAINING. THESE GUYS JUST TURN UP, PUT A UNIFORM ON, GO TO WORK, AND THAT'S IT. THEY'RE JUST EXPECTED TO GET ON WITH IT. 'GOOD LUCK TO YOU.' THEY PAY THEM A MINIMUM RATE, AND THEY BULLY THEM, AND THEN THEY JUST TREAT THEM LIKE SOME SORT OF DISPOSABLE COMMODITY. PROTESTORS SAY THE ASSAULT AND DEATH LAST YEAR OF CHARANPREET DHALIWAL, WHO WAS ON THE FIRST NIGHT OF A SECURITY JOB, SHOULD HAVE BEEN A WAKE-UP CALL FOR THE INDUSTRY. MEANWHILE, THE MINISTRY OF JUSTICE IS INVESTIGATING HOW A SECURITY GUARD WAS GRANTED A TEMPORARY CERTIFICATE ALLOWING HIM TO WORK AT THE PREMIERE OF THE HOBBIT MOVIE DESPITE FACING AN ASSAULT CHARGE. THOMAS GIBSON (42), SEEN HERE SHADOWING SIR PETER JACKSON AT LAST WEEK'S RED CARPET PREMIERE, WAS CHARGED WITH COMMON ASSAULT AFTER AN INCIDENT IN JUNE. THE CHARGE SHOULD HAVE DISQUALIFIED HIM FROM OBTAINING A CERTIFICATE FROM THE MINISTRY OF JUSTICE, BUT IT WAS APPROVED. THE CHARGE AGAINST GIBSON WAS WITHDRAWN BY POLICE TODAY IN THE WELLINGTON DISTRICT COURT. A PROMINENT NZ HORSE TRAINER HAS PLEADED NOT GUILTY TO CHARGES INVOLVING DESIGNER HORSE-DOPING DRUGS. NICOLA CHILCOTT (41), WHO TRAINS HARNESS RACING HORSES, APPEARED IN THE HAMILTON DISTRICT COURT CHARGED WITH ATTEMPTING TO IMPORT THE DRUG ITPP, WHICH IS BANNED IN MOST COUNTRIES. NICOLA CHILCOTT TOLD ONE NEWS OUTSIDE COURT THAT IT'S ALL A BIG MISUNDERSTANDING AND SHE WOULD NEVER USE ILLEGAL SUBSTANCES ON HER HORSES. ACROSS THE TASMAN, A NZ MAN IS FACING A POSSIBLE 10-YEAR JAIL TERM FOR HIS ALLEGED ROLE IN A DARING RAID ON A NAVAL BASE IN DARWIN. POLICE SAY THEY SEARCHED HIS HOME AND RECOVERED 14 WEAPONS THAT HAD BEEN STOLEN FROM A NAVY PATROL BOAT. AUSTRALIA CORRESPONDENT STEVE MARSHALL HAS MORE. NZER JAMES HAU MOMENTS AFTER BEING GRANTED BAIL. THE 40-YEAR-OLD DISC JOCKEY FACED DARWIN MAGISTRATES COURT ON 29 WEAPONS OFFENCES. HE WAS ALLEGEDLY FOUND WITH 12 PISTOLS AND TWO PUMP-ACTION SHOTGUNS DURING A POLICE RAID ON HIS UNIT. THE COURT HEARD THE WEAPONS WERE STOLEN FROM A DARWIN NAVAL BASE LAST WEEK. A SAILOR WAS ASSAULTED AND A NAVY PATROL-BOAT ARMOURY RAIDED, SPARKING A MAJOR LOCKDOWN OF THE BASE. WE SAW THE TERRIBLE BREACH IN THE LAST FEW DAYS. WE SAW THE TERRIBLE BREACH IN THE LAST FEW DAYS. THE CHIEF OF NAVY IMMEDIATELY INSTITUTED A REVIEW OF ARRANGEMENTS. HAU'S DEFENCE LAWYER SAYS HIS CLIENT DIDN'T KNOWN THE GUNS WERE FROM THE NAVY. BUT THE PROSECUTOR SAID THE NZER MUST HAVE KNOWN WHERE THE GUNS CAME FROM DUE TO THE EXTENSIVE MEDIA COVERAGE AND THE FACT THE WEAPONS WEREN'T LEGALLY AVAILABLE TO PURCHASE. HAU IS REFUSING TO NAME THE MAN WHO GAVE HIM THE WEAPONS, AND POLICE ARE STILL HUNTING FOR THAT PERSON. WE'RE STILL INQUIRING AS TO THE BACKGROUND OF THE INDIVIDUAL CONCERNED. DESPITE CONCERNS BEING RAISED BY THE PROSECUTION THAT HAU WAS A FLIGHT RISK, THE NZER WAS GRANTED BAIL ON STRICT CONDITIONS, INCLUDING SURRENDERING HIS PASSPORT. THE PROSECUTION SAYS IT HAS YET TO ESTABLISH THE FULL EXTENT OF HAU'S INVOLVEMENT, AND FURTHER CHARGES COULD BE LAID. STEVE MARSHALL, ONE NEWS, SYDNEY. ALL THE COMMONWEALTH COUNTRIES HAVE NOW GIVEN THEIR CONSENT FOR A LAW CHANGE THAT WILL MEAN THE FIRST CHILD OF THE DUKE AND DUCHESS OF CAMBRIDGE WILL BE DESTINED FOR THE THRONE REGARDLESS OF GENDER. PRINCE WILLIAM HAS LEFT THE LONDON HOSPITAL AFTER SIX HOURS AT HIS WIFE KATE'S BEDSIDE WHERE SHE IS BEING TREATED FOR SEVERE MORNING SICKNESS. HERE'S THE BBC'S NICHOLAS WITCHELL. WILLIAM TONIGHT LEAVING THE HOSPITAL AND LOOKING VERY MUCH MORE RELAXED THAN HE HAS BEEN OVER THE PAST 24 HOURS. THE TREATMENT APPEARS TO BE WORKING. ACCORDING TO A SPOKESMAN, KATE IS CONTINUING TO FEEL BETTER. BUT IT'S BEEN AN ANXIOUS COUPLE OF DAYS WHEN WHAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN THE PRIVATE EARLY WEEKS OF PREGNANCY HAVE TURNED INTO A HUGE INTERNATIONAL STORY. ONE OF THE WORLD'S MOST EAGERLY AWAITED PREGNANCIES HAS BEEN CONFIRMED. FROM ONE SIDE OF THE GLOBE TO THE OTHER, THE COUPLE HAVE BEEN HEADLINE NEWS. (SPEAKS PORTUGUESE) (SPEAKS SPANISH) MAN: PRINCE WILLIAM JUST ARRIVING AT KATE'S BEDSIDE AFTER THEIR HUGE ANNOUNCEMENT THAT A ROYAL HEIR IS ON THE WAY. AT A RATHER MORE STATELY PACE AT BUCKINGHAM PALACE, THE QUEEN WAS DOING WHAT SHE ALWAYS DOES ` CARRYING ON WITH BUSINESS AS USUAL. TODAY IT WAS AN INVESTITURE. PRIVATELY, THOUGH, SHE WILL BE BEING KEPT IN TOUCH BY WILLIAM ABOUT KATE'S CONDITION. ONE IMPORTANT PIECE OF NEWS FOR THE COUPLE TODAY. THE GOVERNMENT CONFIRMED THAT IT WILL BE MOVING QUICKLY TO PASS A LAW ENSURING THAT IF THEIR FIRST CHILD IS A GIRL SHE WILL DEFINITELY BE THIRD IN LINE TO THE THRONE. SHE WILL NOT BE PASSED OVER BY ANY YOUNGER BROTHER. THE OLD-FASHIONED RULES WHERE ONLY A BOY COULD BECOME A KING AND THAT HIS ELDER SISTER WAS NOT ALLOWED TO, THOSE RULES ARE GONNA BE SWEPT ASIDE, AND I THINK IT'S AN UPDATING OF THE RULES THAT MANY PEOPLE WOULD WELCOME. BACK AT THE HOSPITAL, ROYAL GYNAECOLOGISTS ALAN FARTHING, ON THE LEFT HERE, AND MARCUS SETCHELL WERE SPOTTED. THEY'RE THE SPECIALISTS WHO ARE GUIDING THE TREATMENT THAT KATE IS RECEIVING AT THE MOMENT AND WHO ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR ENSURING THAT THE BABY IS BORN SAFELY. AFTER A WORRYING COUPLE OF DAYS FOR THE COUPLE, THE PROGNOSIS FOR KATE NOW SEEMS TO BE SATISFACTORY. NATO HAS JOINED THE UNITED STATES IN WARNING SYRIA OF THE CONSEQUENCES OF USING CHEMICAL WEAPONS AGAINST ITS OWN CITIZENS. THE WHITE HOUSE HAS ALREADY WARNED BASHAR AL ASSAD OF MILITARY CONSEQUENCES IF HE 'CROSSES THE LINE'. HERE'S THE ABC'S KIM LANDERS. IN SYRIA'S LARGEST CITY, ALEPPO, VIOLENCE HAS AGAIN ERUPTED. THIS AMATEUR VIDEO REPORTEDLY SHOWS THE AFTERMATH OF A BOMB ATTACK AT A BAKERY AND VEGETABLE MARKET. SIREN WAILS THE WOUNDED ARE CARRIED AWAY, TREATED AT A MAKESHIFT HOSPITAL. MAN: ALLAHU AKBAR! THERE'S ALSO BEEN HEAVY FIGHTING IN THE CAPITAL, DAMASCUS, WITH REBELS STARTING TO USE ANTI-AIRCRAFT FIRE TO RETALIATE AGAINST AIR STRIKES BY GOVERNMENT FORCES. AND NOW THE UNITED STATES IS BECOMING INCREASINGLY CONCERNED THE SYRIAN REGIME MIGHT BE CONSIDERING USING CHEMICAL WEAPONS, THE WHITE HOUSE WARNING BASHAR AL-ASSAD THAT IS A RED LINE THAT SHOULD NOT BE CROSSED. IF YOU MAKE THE TRAGIC MISTAKE OF USING THESE WEAPONS, THERE WILL BE CONSEQUENCES, AND YOU WILL BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE. SYRIA'S ARSENAL IS THOUGHT TO INCLUDE SARIN NERVE GAS. US OFFICIALS SAY INTELLIGENCE AGENCIES HAVE DETECTED MOVEMENT OF CHEMICAL-WEAPON COMPONENTS. THE ASSAD REGIME INSISTS IT WOULDN'T USE SUCH WEAPONS AGAINST ITS PEOPLE, BUT IT'S ALSO BEING CAREFUL NOT TO ADMIT IT HAS THEM. THE ASSURANCES HAVEN'T BEEN ENOUGH TO PLACATE THE US, WHICH SAYS IT'S PREPARING CONTINGENCY PLANS, ALTHOUGH IT SHIES AWAY FROM OUTLINING WHAT ACTION IT WOULD TAKE. THE WORSENING SECURITY SITUATION HAS NOW PROMPTED THE UNITED NATIONS TO SUSPEND ITS OPERATIONS AND BEGIN PULLING OUT SOME OF ITS AID WORKERS. THE EUROPEAN UNION, TOO, IS ALSO PULLING FOREIGN STAFF OUT OF DAMASCUS. IN EGYPT A MEDIA STRIKE IS UNDERWAY BY NEWSPAPERS AND TELEVISION STATIONS CRITICAL OF PRESIDENT MOHAMMED MORSI. THE STRIKE'S IN PROTEST OVER EGYPT'S NEW DRAFT CONSTITUTION AND THE PRESIDENT'S SELF-IMPOSED NEW POWERS. INDEPENDENT NEWSPAPERS AND TV STATIONS ARE IN BLACK-OUT AHEAD OF A COURT HEARING TOMORROW CALLING FOR THE PRESIDENTIAL DECREE TO BE ANNULLED. THE STRONGEST TYPHOON TO HIT THE PHILIPPINES THIS YEAR HAS LEFT MORE THAN 40 PEOPLE DEAD OR MISSING. A TV REPORTER SAYS SHE SAW NUMEROUS BODIES LINED UP NEAR AN ARMY BASE. THE DEATH TOLL IS EXPECTED TO RISE AS A SEARCH FOR MISSING PEOPLE CONTINUES. IN SYDNEY, A POLICE OFFICER'S BEEN INJURED WHEN HIS CAR WAS ONE OF THREE VEHICLES RAMMED BY A UTE INVOLVED IN A SMASH AND GRAB AT A SUBURBAN PHARMACY. THE UTE WAS LATER FOUND SET ALIGHT. A MAN AND A WOMAN HAVE BEEN ARRESTED. STILL IN SYDNEY, A SMALL GIRL'S QUICK THINKING HAS SAVED HER SISTER'S LIFE AS A MASSIVE SHEET OF FLYING METAL NEARLY HIT THE PAIR. HERE'S CHANNEL 9'S DAMIAN RYAN. AN EASY SAYING ` A LUCKY ESCAPE, BUT THE CAMERA NEVER LIES. TWO GIRLS, BELIEVED TO BE SISTERS, SITTING ON A STREET BENCH IN GUILDFORD. ONE GETS UP, SEES DANGER ` A STEEL AWNING FLYING STRAIGHT AT THEM. ANOTHER, CLOSER LOOK, YOU SEE THE GIRL YANK HER SISTER'S ARM, ALMOST CERTAINLY SAVING HER LIFE. A GUST OF WIND HAS GOT UNDERNEATH THE MALL IN THE SHOPPING CENTRE, HELD IT IN THE AIR, AND THEN IT'S HURLED ACROSS THE ROAD. OH, IT WAS REALLY BAD. I SEE THE ROOF IN FRONT OF MY SHOP. POLICE WERE ALMOST SPEECHLESS AS THEY WATCHED A REPLAY OF THE SECURITY VISION, WHILE FIREMEN CUT UP THE HEAVY STRUCTURE WHICH HAD BEEN RIPPED FROM A BUILDING ACROSS THE ROAD. THE GIRLS, NO DOUBT SHOCKED, FLED THE SHOPPING AREA, AND THEY WERE NOT THE ONLY LUCKY ONES. THIS CAR PULLED OUT JUST SECONDS BEFORE THE AWNING CRASHED DOWN. WHATEVER THE CAUSE OF THE ACCIDENT, EVERYBODY HAD THE SAME OPINION. YEAH, THEY WERE REALLY LUCKY. YEAH, VERY LUCKY. LUCKY TO BE ALIVE. YET TO COME ON MIDDAY ` THE SHAREMARKET AND BUSINESS NEWS. THEN IN SPORT, A BAD DAY FOR ENGLISH TEAMS IN THE CHAMPIONS LEAGUE. S WITH ME NOW IS JEREMY TWISS FROM CRAIGS INVESTMENT PARTNERS. THIS ITEM WILL BE CAPTIONED LIVE. FOR MORE, GO TO ONENEWS.CO.NZ AND CLICK ON 'BUSINESS'. HOW WERE MARKETS OVERNIGHT, AND WHAT'S HAPPENING THIS MORNING ON THE NZX? THE LOCAL MARKET ` A2 CORPORATION HAS GONE INTO A TRADING HALT. WE'LL FIND OUT THIS AFTERNOON. CHORUS HAD A DRACONIAN OUTCOME TO LEGISLATION ABOUT COPPER. NZX MONTHLY FIGURES OUT TODAY. QUITE A LOT OF ACTIVITY THIS NOVEMBER COMPARED TO A YEAR AGO? THAT'S RIGHT. IT WAS UP 21% YEAR ON YEAR. FONTERRA ADDED TO THAT. THE TRADING IN THE FIXED-INCOME MARKET WAS DOWN 20%. WE'RE SEEING THAT GLOBALLY AS INVESTERS GET MORE BULLISH. THANK YOU, JEREMY TWISS FROM CRAIGS INVESTMENT PARTNERS. SPORT ` THE BLACKCAPS HAVE SLUMPED TO NINTH IN THE LATEST ONE-DAY CRICKET WORLD RANKINGS, BELOW BANGLADESH. ONLY ZIMBABWE, IRELAND, THE NETHERLANDS AND KENYA ARE BELOW NZ. WE'RE RANKED EIGHTH IN TEST CRICKET. MEANWHILE, A SETBACK FOR THE BLACKCAPS AS THEY PREPARE TO TOUR SOUTH AFRICA. IT'S REPORTED THAT FORMER CAPTAIN DAN VETTORI HAS BEEN RULED OUT BECAUSE HE'S STILL AFFECTED BY AN ACHILLES TENDON INJURY. THE SQUADS FOR THE TWENTY20 AND TEST SERIES ARE DUE TO BE NAMED TOMORROW, AND THERE COULD BE A NEW CAPTAIN FOR AT LEAST SOME FORMS OF THE GAME, WITH BRENDON MCCULLUM TAKING OVER FROM ROSS TAYLOR. ACROSS THE TASMAN, SEVERAL PLAYERS ARE VYING TO REPLACE RICKY POINTING IN THE AUSTRALIAN TEAM FOR THE FIRST TEST AGAINST SRI LANKA IN HOBART NEXT WEEK. PONTING HAS CELEBRATED HIS RETIREMENT WITH A PARTY IN PERTH, AND SAYS IT'S NOW TIME TO LOOK TO THE FUTURE. CHANNEL NINE'S ROZ KELLY REPORTS. RICKY PONTING LEAVING AUSTRALIAN CAMP FOR GOOD. HIS FINAL THANK-YOU WAS THE HARDEST SPEECH HE'S MADE. MY WIFE AND MY FAMILY HAVE BEEN GREAT SUPPORTERS, AND GIVEN UP A LOT TO LET ME TRY AND, UH, ACHIEVE THE THINGS THAT I'VE ACHIEVED IN THIS GAME. SO, WITHOUT THEM IT WOULDN'T HAVE HAPPENED. (CLEARS THROAT) NOW A BIG HOLE TO FILL FOR SELECTORS, AND PHIL HUGHES IS BACK IN FAVOUR AFTER MAKING A MOUNTAIN OF RUNS IN DOMESTIC CRICKET. I FEEL READY. I FEEL LIKE MY GAME'S REALLY IMPROVED OVER THE LAST 12 MONTHS. COACH MICKEY ARTHUR IS ALSO OPEN TO GIVING VICTORIAN ROB QUINEY ANOTHER SHOT. I'VE ONLY HAD THREE HITS AT TEST LEVEL, AND, YOU KNOW, IF I CAN GET A FEW MORE, HOPEFULLY I CAN SHOW MY WARES. WHOEVER IT IS, HE WANTS THEM TO FILL THE SPOT PONTING OWNED FOR MOST OF HIS CAREER, WHICH MEANS RESHUFFLING THE ORDER. BUT IT'D PROBABLY A GUY THAT'D COME IN AND BAT THREE. POSSIBLY A MOVE FOR 184. MITCHELL STARC'S STRONG PERFORMANCE HERE IN PERTH MEANS HE'LL ALMOST CERTAINLY PLAY IN HOBART. PETER SIDDLE IS SET TO RETURN AFTER BEING RESTED, WHILE BEN HILFENHAUS' FUTURE IS UNCERTAIN. HILFIE IS, YOU KNOW, WE` AGAIN, WE HAVEN'T SAT DOWN AND DISCUSSED ANYTHING. A DISMAL DAY FOR ENGLISH TEAMS IN EUROPEAN FOOTBALL'S CHAMPIONS LEAGUE. MANCHESTER CITY LOST 1-0 TO DORTMUND IN GERMANY AND ARE NOW OUT OF THE TOURNAMENT. ARSENAL, WHO'VE ALREADY QUALIFIED FOR THE KNOCKOUT STAGE, LEFT OUT SEVERAL FIRST-TEAM REGULARS FOR THEIR MATCH IN GREECE AGAINST OLYMPIAKOS AND PAID THE PRICE. THE GUNNERS WERE FIRST TO SCORE, 38 MINUTES INTO THE FIRST HALF. THIS IS A CHANCE FOR ROSICKY! THE GREEKS DIDN'T EQUALISE UNTIL WELL INTO THE SECOND HALF, WHEN GIANNIS MANIATIS WAS ABLE TO GET ON THE BALL AT POINT-BLANK RANGE. EQUALISING GOAL AFTER 64 MINUTES! AND OLYMPIAKOS SECURED THE WINNER IN THE 73RD MINUTE WITH A LONG-RANGE SHOT THAT WAS DELICATELY DEFLECTED BY KOSTAS MITROGLOU. THE FINAL SCORE, 2-1 TO OLYMPIAKOS. ARSENAL ARE THROUGH TO THE LAST 16 AS RUNNERS-UP IN THEIR GROUP, BUT THEY HAVEN'T WON ANY OF THEIR LAST FOUR MATCHES. STILL TO COME ON MIDDAY ` I'LL BE BACK WITH THE AFTERNOON WEATHER. NOW TO THE WEATHER. FOR WEATHER, SEE ONENEWS.CO.NZ AS YOU GET READY TO PUT UP YOUR CHRISTMAS TREE LIGHTS AND DECORATIONS, BE EXTRA CAREFUL ABOUT WHAT YOU'RE PLUGGING THEM INTO. AUSTRALIAN FIREFIGHTERS HAVE SHOWN HOW QUICKLY AN OVERLOADED OR FAULTY POWER BOARD CAN LEAD TO DISASTER. 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 BURNER. IT'S ALREADY BEEN ABOUT TWO MINUTES, AND ALREADY, OW, OW, OW, OW. THE PRODUCTS ARE OFTEN BACKED WITH CARDBOARD AND PAPER, AND WHILE THEY CAN BE APPROVED FOR SALE IN AUSTRALIA, 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 AND 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 GONNA GET MORE THAN THEY BARGAINED FOR. THANKS FOR JOINING US. OUR NEXT NEWS IS AT 4.30PM, AND THE ONE NEWS HOUR WILL BE HERE AT 6. GOOD AFTERNOON. CAPTIONS BY FAITH HAMBLYN AND TRACEY DAWSON. CAPTIONS WERE MADE POSSIBLE WITH FUNDING FROM NZ ON AIR. COPYRIGHT TVNZ ACCESS SERVICES 2012