DUE TO THE LIVE NATURE OF MIDDAY WE APOLOGISE FOR THE LACK OF CAPTIONS FOR SOME ITEMS. EWEN MACDONALD, THE MAN ACQUITTED OF KILLING SCOTT GUY, IS MAKING HIS CASE TO BE FREED FROM JAIL ON OTHER CHARGES. EMOTIONAL APPEARANCES FROM BOTH SIDES CAUGHT UP IN THE ROYAL HOAX CALL TRAGEDY. HOBBIT FANS AROUND THE COUNTRY WILL GET THEIR CHANCE TO WATCH THE HOBBIT FILM JUST AFTER MIDNIGHT TONIGHT. THE JUSTICE MINISTER HAS RELEASED A STRONG LIST OF CONCERNS OVER A CANADIAN JUDGE'S REPORT INTO DAVID BAIN'S COMPENSATION CLAIM. JUDITH COLLINS SAYS SHE IS CONCERNED JUSTICE IAN BINNIE'S REPORT INTO COMPENSATION FOR WRONGFUL CONVICTION AND IMPRISONMENT CONTAINS ASSUMPTIONS BASED ON INCORRECT FACTS AND SHOWS A MISUNDERSTANDING OF NZ LAW. SHE SAYS SHE'S HAD ADVICE FROM THE SOLICITOR GENERAL THAT THE REPORT SHOULD UNDERGO PEER REVIEW, AND SHE'S COMMISSIONED A SENIOR LAWYER, A QUEEN'S COUNSEL, TO DO THIS. THE MINISTER SAYS SHE IS DISAPPOINTED PEER REVIEW IS REQUIRED, BUT JUSTICE MUST BE DONE AND THE REPORT MUST REMAIN CONFIDENTIAL FOR NOW. SHE EXPECTS THE REVIEW TO BE WITH HER IN THE NEXT FEW DAYS. DAVID BAIN SERVED 13 YEARS IN JAIL AFTER BEING CONVICTED OF THE MURDERS OF FIVE MEMBERS OF HIS FAMILY, HIS MOTHER, FATHER, TWO SISTERS AND YOUNG BROTHER. THE CONVICTION WAS QUASHED BY THE PRIVY COUNCIL, HE WAS FOUND 'NOT GUILTY' AT A RETRIAL, AND IS NOW SEEKING COMPENSATION. THE MINISTER OF BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTION SAYS HE'S TRYING TO FIND WAYS TO PROSECUTE THOSE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE CTV BUILDING COLLAPSE, WITH THE LOSS OF 115 LIVES. THE FINAL ROYAL COMMISSION REPORT INTO THE BUILDING'S FAILURE IN THE CHRISTCHURCH EARTHQUAKE HAS BLAMED BAD DESIGN, CONSTRUCTION FLAWS AND SEVERAL MISSED OPPORTUNITIES TO CLOSE IT. POLICE WILL ASSESS THE REPORT BEFORE THEY DECIDE WHETHER TO LAUNCH A CRIMINAL PROSECUTION, BUT MAURICE WILLIAMSON SAYS HE'S ASKING FOR LEGAL OPINIONS ON WHAT CIVIL ACTION CAN BE TAKEN. THE POLICE WILL DETERMINE WHETHER THERE ARE CRIMINAL CHARGES AND WHAT THEY WILL LAY, BUT I'VE ASKED THE MINISTRY TO LOOK AT WHETHER THERE ARE OTHER WAYS, WHETHER WE COULD HOLD THEM TO ACCOUNT THROUGH SOME CIVIL LITIGATION. I DON'T BELIEVE THAT NZERS` AND CERTAINLY WHEN I SPOKE TO THE FAMILY ON SUNDAY DOWN IN CHRISTCHURCH, FAMILIES WERE QUITE ADAMANT YOU CANNOT JUST LET THIS PASS BY WITHOUT SOMEBODY BEING HELD TO ACCOUNT. BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTION MINISTER MAURICE WILLIAMSON. MEANWHILE, POLICE SAY THEY WILL TAKE SOME TIME TO ASSESS THE ROYAL COMMISSION FINDINGS, AND HAVE YET TO DECIDE WHETHER OR NOT TO LAUNCH THEIR OWN INVESTIGATION. THE ROYAL COMMISSION SAYS THE CTV BUILDING'S DESIGN FAILURES WERE SO SERIOUS, IT SHOULD NEVER HAVE BEEN GIVEN A BUILDING PERMIT BACK IN THE LATE 1980'S. ITS 11,000-PAGE REPORT IS NOW BEING LOOKED AT BY POLICE. IT LISTS SIX SPECIFIC REASONS FOR THE CTV COLLAPSE IN LAST YEAR'S FEBRUARY QUAKE. ONE WAS THE NATURE OF THE EARTHQUAKE ITSELF, BUT THE OTHER FIVE WERE BUILDING DESIGN OR CONSTRUCTION FAILURES. THE FAMILY OF A NURSE WHO APPARENTLY COMMITTED SUICIDE AFTER SHE WAS DUPED BY A HOAX CALL HAVE MADE AN EMOTIONAL PUBLIC APPEARANCE TODAY. IT FOLLOWED THE FIRST INTERVIEW WITH THE AUSTRALIAN RADIO HOSTS AT THE CENTRE OF THE ROYAL PRANK CALL. JACINTHA SALDANHA WAS FOUND DEAD AFTER SHE TOOK THE CALL AT THE LONDON HOSPITAL TREATING PRINCE WILLIAM'S WIFE, KATE. THE BBC'S NICHOLAS WITCHELL REPORTS. THEY'D MADE THE JOURNEY FROM THE FAMILY HOME IN BRISTOL TO THE NURSE'S ACCOMMODATION, WHERE THE LIFE OF A BELOVED WIFE AND MOTHER HAD ENDED AND WHERE FLOWERS HAD BEEN PLACED IN TRIBUTE. AFTER ABOUT 30 MINUTES, MRS SALDANHA'S HUSBAND, BENEDICT, AND THEIR SON AND DAUGHTER EMERGED. A FAMILY GRIEF-STRICKEN AND BEWILDERED. THEY'D BEEN ACCOMPANIED BY THE MP KEITH VAZ. I DON'T THINK IN THE 25 YEARS THAT I'VE BEEN A MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT THAT I'VE HAD TO BE WITH PEOPLE SO SAD IN SUCH TRAGIC CIRCUMSTANCES. TO THE PEOPLE WHO MADE THE PRANK CALL, JACINTHA SALDANHA WAS JUST THE ANONYMOUS VOICE WHO ANSWERED IT. THAT IS UNTIL THE MOMENT WHEN THE TWO PRESENTERS LEARNT WHAT HAD HAPPENED. UNFORTUNATELY I REMEMBER THAT MOMENT VERY WELL, COS I HAVEN'T STOPPED THINKING ABOUT IT SINCE IT HAPPENED. AND I REMEMBER BY FIRST QUESTION WAS, 'WAS SHE A MOTHER?' (EXHALES DEEPLY) LOOK, I'M... (CLEARS THROAT) GUTTED, YOU KNOW,... SHATTERED, HEART BROKEN. THEIR DEFENCE IS THAT THEY NEVER INTENDED TO CAUSE ANY HARM. YOU KNOW, IT WAS NEVER MEANT TO GO THAT FAR. IT WAS MEANT TO BE A SILLY LITTLE PRANK THAT SO MANY PEOPLE HAVE DONE BEFORE. THIS WASN'T MEANT TO HAPPEN. THERE IS NOTHING THAT CAN MAKE ME FEEL WORSE THAN WHAT I FEEL RIGHT NOW AND FOR WHAT I FEEL FOR THE FAMILY. WE ARE SO SORRY THAT THIS HAS HAPPENED TO THEM. THE HOSPITAL REPEATED THAT MRS SALDANHA HAD NOT BEEN REPRIMANDED OVER THE PRANK CALL AND PLEDGED TO DO EVERYTHING TO HELP HER GRIEVING FAMILY. LATER THIS WEEK, AN INQUEST WILL BEGIN THE TASK OF TRYING TO UNDERSTAND PRECISELY WHAT DROVE THE DEDICATED NURSE TO HER DEATH. EWEN MACDONALD, THE MAN ACQUITTED OF MURDERING FEILDING FARMER SCOTT GUY, BUT JAILED ON OTHER CHARGES, HAS MADE HIS FIRST BID TO BE FREED ON PAROLE. ONE NEWS REPORTER SIMON BRADWELL JOINS US NOW FROM MANAWATU PRISON, WHERE MACDONALD APPEARED AT A PAROLE BOARD HEARING THIS MORNING. SIMON, WHAT CAN YOU TELL US? EWEN MACDONALD PAROLE BID HAS BEEN DENIED. THE HEARING LASTED AN HOUR AND A HALF EWEN MACDONALD TRIED TO CONVINCE THEM HE WAS A CHANGED MAN BUT THE BOARD SAID THERE WAS MUCH MORE TO BE DONE. THEY'RE NOT CONVINCED HE IS SAFE FOR THE COMMUNITY. THIS WILL PLEASE KYLEE GUY/ THEY ALSO DON'T WANT HIM LIIVING IN THE MANAWATU REGION EWEN MACDONALD SHOWED LITTLE REACTION. THANKS, SIMON BRADWELL, LIVE FROM MANAWATU PRISON. AND WE WILL HAVE MORE ON THE PAROLE APPLICATION BEING DECLINE AND REACTION ON OUR NEXT NEWS BULLETIN AT 4.30 AND 6 PLUS MORE ON OUR WEBSITE AT ONENEWS.CO.NZ MP BRENDAN HORAN IS OFFICIALLY NO LONGER A MEMBER OF THE NZ FIRST PARTY. MR HORAN WILL REMAIN IN PARLIAMENT AS AN INDEPENDENT MP AFTER WINSTON PETERS EXPELLED HIM FROM THE NZ FIRST CAUCUS LAST WEEK. THE PARTY BOARD SAYS MR HORAN'S DECISION TO BECOME AN INDEPENDENT MEANS HE'S FORFEITED HIS PARTY MEMBERSHIP. NATIONAL MP TAU HENARE HAS GOT FIRED UP ABOUT BEING REJECTED FOR THE JOB AS SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE. THE SPEAKER IS THE LANDLORD OF PARLIAMENT AND REFEREE IN THE DEBATING CHAMBER, AND LOCKWOOD SMITH IS SET TO STAND DOWN. TAU HENARE WANTED THE JOB AND SAYS IT'S UNFAIR THAT HIS COLLEAGUE DAVID CARTER MIGHT GET IT. YOU KNOW, WHAT IRKS ME IS THAT I WANT THE JOB. THE GUY THAT'S GOING TO GET IT MOST PROBABLY DOESN'T WANT THE JOB. WHEN ASKED REPEATEDLY IF HE WANTS THE JOB, DAVID CARTER WOULD ONLY SAY IT WOULD BE AN HONOUR. POLICE ARE PROPOSING TO START CHARGING FOR THEIR VETTING SERVICE IN A BID TO SAVE AROUND $2M A YEAR. THE SERVICE GIVES CERTAIN EMPLOYERS THE OPPORTUNITY TO SCREEN PROSPECTIVE EMPLOYEES OR VOLUNTEERS WHO MAY BE WORKING WITH VULNERABLE MEMBERS OF SOCIETY. POLICE ARE NOW CONSULTING WITH THE PUBLIC ON IMPLEMENTING A CHARGE OF BETWEEN $5 AND $14 FOR EACH CHECK. THE CHARGE COULD INCLUDE SOME EXCEPTIONS, INCLUDING VOLUNTEERS, REGISTERED CHARITIES, OR CAREGIVER ORGANISATIONS PROVIDING SERVICES FOR CHILD YOUTH AND FAMILY. TELECOM SAYS CUSTOMERS COULD STILL BE EXPERIENCING PROBLEMS WITH THEIR INTERNET AFTER A FAULT THAT CUT BROADBAND CONNECTION TO MORE THAN 200,000 PEOPLE THIS MORNING. TELECOM SAYS THE PROBLEM'S BEEN FIXED, BUT CUSTOMERS AROUND THE COUNTRY COULD STILL HAVE TROUBLE BROWSING BECAUSE OF THE AMOUNT OF USERS TRYING TO RECONNECT. TELECOM HAD BEEN DOING A SYSTEM UPGRADE WHEN THE PROBLEM OCCURRED OVERNIGHT, LEAVING TWO THIRDS OF CUSTOMERS WITH NO INTERNET AND SOME HAVING ISSUES WITH EFTPOS. TELECOM SAYS IT'S STILL NOT SURE OF THE EXACT CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM. OVERSEAS, NEW AMATEUR FOOTAGE HAS EMERGED THAT APPEARS TO SHOW SYRIAN WARPLANES BOMBING A SUBURB OF THE CAPITAL, DAMASCUS. A MIG FIGHTER JET IS SEEN FLYING OVERHEAD WITH A BOMB FALLING FROM THE AIRCRAFT. YOU CAN SEE THE SMOKE PLUME THEN RISING FROM THE RESIDENTIAL DISTRICT WHERE IT LANDED. THE VIDEO CAN'T BE INDEPENDENTLY VERIFIED. THERE ARE SEVERAL POCKETS OF FIGHTING IN DAMASCUS, WITH THE INITIAL PEACEFUL UPRISING NOW ESCALATING INTO A CIVIL WAR THAT HAS KILLED AN ESTIMATED 40,000 PEOPLE. EGYPTIAN PRESIDENT MOHAMMED MORSI HAS GIVEN THE ARMY NEW POWERS IN THE RUN UP TO A CONTROVERSIAL REFERENDUM ON A NEW CONSTITUTION. HE'S ORDERED THE MILITARY TO MAINTAIN SECURITY AND PROTECT STATE INSTITUTIONS, AND ALSO GIVEN IT THE POWER TO ARREST CIVILIANS. THE PRESIDENT IS TRYING TO CALM PUBLIC ANGER BY ANNULLING A DECREE GIVING HIM HUGE POWERS, BUT HAS REJECTED CALLS TO SCRAP THE CONSTITUTIONAL VOTE. UP TO A 100,000 PATIENTS WITH CANCER AND RARE DISEASES ARE TO HAVE THEIR DNA MAPPED TO HELP DOCTORS FIND MORE EFFECTIVE TREATMENTS. THE BRITISH STUDY WILL BE THE LARGEST-SCALE DNA-MAPPING EVER UNDERTAKEN. THIS REPORT FROM THE THE BBC'S MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT FERGUS WALSH. CANCER HAPPENS WHEN OUR DNA MUTATES AND ABNORMAL CELLS LIKE THESE GROW UNCHECKED. MAPPING THE MUTATIONS THAT DRIVE CANCER IS ALREADY HAPPENING, BUT FOR THE FIRST TIME, IT WILL BE OFFERED TO HUGE NUMBERS OF PATIENTS. WHO WILL CARRY OUT THE SEQUENCING AND ANALYSIS OVER THE NEXT FIVE YEARS HASN'T BEEN WORKED OUT, BUT THE PRIME MINISTER ON A VISIT TO CAMBRIDGE, WHERE THE STRUCTURE OF DNA WAS DISCOVERED, SAID THE PROJECT HAD THE POTENTIAL TO TRANSFORM CANCER TREATMENT. BY COMPARING MUTATIONS IN THE CANCER CELLS OF THOUSANDS OF PATIENTS, SCIENTISTS WILL BE ABLE TO LOOK FOR PATTERNS AND FIND OUT WHY SOME PATIENTS RESPOND TO TREATMENT BETTER THAN OTHERS. IT SHOULD MEAN MORE TARGETED THERAPIES AND PERHAPS HELP IN THE HUNT FOR NEW TREATMENTS. BEING ABLE TO SAY TO THE LADY IN FRONT OF US IN THE CLINIC, 'WE KNOW FROM THE BARCODE IN YOUR CANCER 'THAT YOU WILL RESPOND TO THIS TREATMENT BUT NOT THIS TREATMENT,' THAT IS A VERY IMPORTANT THING. BECAUSE WE HAVE TREATMENTS THAT WORK FOR SOME OF OUR PATIENTS, BUT WE NEED TO HAVE TESTS THAT REALLY CAN CHOOSE THE RIGHT TREATMENT FOR THE RIGHT PERSON. THE GENETIC INFORMATION IN THESE TEST TUBES IS HIGHLY PERSONAL, SO THE DNA PROJECT WILL BE VOLUNTARY AND THE INFORMATION ANONYMISED TO PROTECT PRIVACY. CANCER SPECIALISTS KNOW THEY'RE BATTLING A COMPLEX AND HIGHLY RESISTANT DISEASE AND IMPROVED LONG-TERM SURVIVAL IS MORE LIKELY THAN OUTRIGHT CURES. THERE ARE MORE THAN 200 TYPES OF CANCER. MOST OF THE BENEFITS FROM THIS AMBITIOUS PROJECT ARE LIKELY TO COME IN 20 TO 30 YEARS' TIME, AMONG THE NEXT GENERATION OF PATIENTS. FORMER FRENCH POLITICIAN DOMINIQUE STRAUSS-KAHN AND THE HOTEL MAID WHO ACCUSED HIM OF SEXUALLY ASSAULTING HER HAVE AGREED TO SETTLE HER LAWSUIT. HIS ACCUSER WAS IN COURT, BUT STRAUSS-KAHN, THE FORMER INTERNATIONAL MONETARY FUND CHIEF, WASN'T REQUIRED TO BE THERE. BOTH SIDES HAVE AGREED THE DETAILS OF THE SETTLEMENT WILL REMAIN CONFIDENTIAL. THE AGREEMENT ENDS A LEGAL SAGA THAT BEGAN WHEN THE HOUSEKEEPER TOLD POLICE THAT STRAUSS-KAHN ATTACKED HER IN HIS SUITE AT THE SOFITEL HOTEL IN MANHATTAN IN 2011. THE SCANDAL FORCED STRAUSS-KAHN TO RESIGN HIS POST AS HEAD OF ONE OF THE IMF AND WRECKED HIS HOPES OF RUNNING FOR THE FRENCH PRESIDENCY. THE WAITING IS ALMOST OVER FOR FANS OF BILBO BAGGINS AND LIFE IN MIDDLE EARTH. THE MUCH-ANTICIPATED NEW HOBBIT FILM OPENS HERE AND AROUND THE WORLD JUST AFTER MIDNIGHT TONIGHT. BASED ON TOLKIEN'S 1937 BOOK, THE FILM PROMISES TO TAKE VIEWERS ON AN EPIC FANTASY ADVENTURE. THE BBC'S LIZO MZIMBA HAS BEEN TALKING TO DIRECTOR SIR PETER JACKSON AND SOME OF HIS CAST. I CAN'T JUST GO RUNNING OFF INTO THE BLUE. < HERE, MR BILBO, WHERE ARE YOU OFF TO? I'M GOING ON AN ADVENTURE! AN ADVENTURE THAT, FOR MARTIN FREEMAN, ALMOST NEVER HAPPENED, BECAUSE OF HIS PRIOR COMMITMENT TO THE BBC SHOW 'SHERLOCK'. BUT 'THE HOBBIT' TEAM WANTED HIM SO BADLY THEY AGREED TO SUSPEND THEIR FILMING HALFWAY THROUGH, LEAVING TO DOOR OPEN FOR HIM TO RESUME HIS HOBBIT DUTIES ONCE 'SHERLOCK' WAS COMPLETE. IT WAS THE BIGGEST VOTE OF CONFIDENCE. IT WAS THE BIGGEST COMPLIMENT POSSIBLE. AND IT MADE YOU WANT TO COME TO WORK. BEFORE THE RELEASE OF THE ORIGINAL 'THE LORD OF THE RINGS' FILMS OVER A DECADE AGO, FEW PREDICTED THEIR PHENOMENAL SUCCESS. NOW, OF COURSE, THAT'S VERY DIFFERENT WITH THIS TRIBOLOGY. THERE MUST BE A GREATER WEIGHT OF EXPECTATION ON YOU? NO ONE HAS MORE EXPECTATION ON ME THAN I DO, REALLY, TO SOME DEGREE. I MEAN, I ALWAYS WANT TO MAKE A MOVIE THAT I ENJOY WATCHING, AND I'M A FAN OF TOLKIEN, OBVIOUSLY, AND SO 'THE HOBBIT'... THE HOBBIT MOVIE I'VE MADE IS THE MOVIE THAT I THINK I'D ENJOY. 'THE HOBBIT' IS A MORE SLENDER VOLUME THAN THE 1000-PAGE-PLUS 'THE LORD OF THE RINGS' AND SOME HAVE ACCUSED THE FILMMAKERS OF BOWING TO COMMERCIAL PRESSURE AFTER CHANGING THEIR ORIGINAL PLANS. THE CAST, THOUGH, HAVE DEFENDED THE MOVIE. WHO DID YOU TELL?! I ALWAYS THOUGHT WE WERE MAKING TWO FILMS. ALL THE ACTORS DID. AND THEN WE WERE CALLED IN BY PETER JACKSON ON THE LAST DAY OF FILMING AND TOLD, 'OH, I THINK WE'VE GOT ENOUGH MATERIAL 'TO MAKE THREE GOOD FILMS, RATHER THAN JUST TWO.' AND WARNER BROTHERS, OF COURSE, WERE PLEASED WITH THE IDEA OF THREE FILMS ` I SUPPOSE THEY WOULD HAVE LIKED 13 ` AND SO WERE THE FANS. I'M A... HOBBIT, FROM THE SHIRE. AND OF COURSE IT WILL BE THOSE SAME FANS WHO WILL ULTIMATELY DECIDE WHETHER THESE NEW FILMS WILL FILL THE EXPECTATION CREATED BY THE SUCCESS OF THE ORIGINAL 'LORD OF THE RINGS' TRILOGY. STILL TO COME ON MIDDAY ` THE SHAREMARKET AND BUSINESS NEWS, CHARGES OVER AN ENGLISH PREMIER FOOTBALL FRACAS, AND A SURFING LEGEND GETS READY TO RIDE HIS LAST COMPETITIVE WAVE. 1 WITH ME NOW IS JAMES PORTEOUS FROM CRAIGS INVESTMENT PARTNERS. GOOD AFTERNOON. SOME DATA OUT OF CHINA ` WHAT'S HAPPENING THERE? IN CHINA WE'VE SEEN GOOD MANUFACTURING AND RETAIL DATA FOR ABOUT 9 MONTHS. AND IN ITALY, THE RETURN OF BERLUSCONI ` WHAT WOULD THAT MEAN? I SUPPOSE SOME BUNGA BUNGA PARTIES. ITALY'S BEEN IN POLITICAL TROUBLE. NOW BERLUSCONI WANTS ANOTHER CRACK. BACK HOME, AND SOME WEAK FIGURES OUT OF MANUFACTURING VOLUMES? INDEE. DAIRY AND MEAT WAS GOOD. OTHERS WERE DOWN 1.4% METAL WORKING, ETC SOME AREAS ARE STILL A WEE BIT WEAK. THIS WILL CHANGE AS CHRISTCHURCH COME SUP TO SPEED. THANK YOU, JAMES PORTEOUS FROM CRAIGS INVESTMENT PARTNERS. TO MIDDAY SPORT, AND IN FOOTBALL, NINE PEOPLE HAVE BEEN CHARGED IN CONNECTION WITH DISORDER AT THE MANCHESTER DERBY. UNITED DEFENDER RIO FERDINAND WAS HIT ABOVE THE EYE BY A COIN THROWN FROM THE CROWD, AND IN A SEPARATE INCIDENT, A CITY FAN RAN ON TO THE PITCH TO TRY TO CONFRONT THE PLAYER. THE FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION HAS CALLED FOR LIFE BANS ON ALL THOSE INVOLVED IN THE TROUBLE. THE BBC'S ANDY SWISS REPORTS. AND UNITED HAVE WON IT! ROBIN VAN PERSIE! IT WAS AS THRILLING FINISH TO AN ENTHRALLING DERBY. BUT THEN THIS ` THE MOMENT THE PASSION TURNED TO POISON. AS UNITED CELEBRATED, RIO FERDINAND WAS STRUCK IN THE FACE BY A MISSILE AND LEFT BLEEDING FROM A CUT JUST INCHES FROM HIS EYE. THAT WAS JUST THE START. HE WAS THEN CONFRONTED BY A CITY FAN WHO HAD TO BE RESTRAINED BY ANOTHER PLAYER. TODAY THE PITCH INVADER (21) APOLOGISED FERDINAND COMMENTED ON TWITTER... MISSILES HAVE BECOME AN OCCUPATIONAL HAZARD IN FOOTBALL AND THE MANCHESTER DERBY HAS SEEN THEM BEFORE. TWO YEARS AGO, CITY'S CRAIG BELLAMY WAS ALSO STRUCK BY OBJECTS. AND SOME NOW BELIEVE THAT A PROTECTIVE NETTING BEHIND THE GOALS MIGHT BE THE ONLY ANSWER. YOU LOOK AT OTHER SPORTS WHERE IT DOESN'T AFFECT THE VIEW, BUT AT THE SAME TIME, IT CAN BE PROTECTIVE AGAINST MISSILES THROWN. AND I FEEL IT'S SAD WHEN WE WE'RE JUST TALKING ABOUT VERY FEW PEOPLE OUT OF LITERALLY, YOU KNOW, HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS WHO GO TO THE GAMES, BUT NEVERTHELESS, I THINK IT'S SOMETHING WE CAN'T IGNORE. FOR FERDINAND, IT WAS A LUCKY ESCAPE. JUST A FEW HOURS AFTER BEING HIT, HE WAS A GUEST ON 'X FACTOR', SHOWING NO ILL EFFECTS. THE DAMAGE TO THE GAME, THOUGH, COULD BE FAR MORE SERIOUS. FOOTBALL IS ONCE AGAIN SCARRED BY CONTROVERSY. SHAMED TOUR DE FRANCE CHAMPION LANCE ARMSTRONG WILL HAVE THREE WEEKS TO APPEAL AFTER BEING TOLD BY THE INTERNATIONAL CYCLING UNION THAT HE'S TO BE STRIPPED OF HIS SEVEN TOUR TITLES. THE 41-YEAR-OLD FAMOUSLY OVERCAME CANCER BEFORE WINING THE TOUR DE FRANCE EVERY YEAR FROM 1999 TO 2005. ARMSTRONG'S SAID PREVIOUSLY HE'LL NO LONGER FIGHT THE CHARGES AFTER AN INVESTIGATION INTO SYSTEMATIC DOPING SAW HIM BANNED FOR LIFE. THE INTERNATIONAL OLYMPIC COMMITTEE WILL ALSO BE ABLE TO STRIP HIM OF HIS BRONZE MEDAL FROM THE 2000 SYDNEY OLYMPICS AFTER THE THREE-WEEK PERIOD IS UP. AUSSIE SURFER JOEL PARKINSON HAS EMERGED AS THE MAJOR OBSTACLE TO A DREAM FAREWELL FOR AMERICAN SURFING LEGEND KELLY SLATER. SLATER (40) IS EXPECTED TO ANNOUNCE HIS RETIREMENT AT THE END OF THE CURRENT WORLD SERIES. HE'S CHASING AN UNPRECEDENTED 12TH WORLD TITLE, BUT PARKINSON IS HOT ON HIS TAIL. PIPELINE HAS A REPUTATION, AND TODAY'S CONDITIONS CONFIRMED IT. SOLID SETS OVER SHALLOW REEF... AND JUST HOW HOLLOW CAN IT GET? THE DAYS STARTED WITH THREE SURFERS IN CONTENTION FOR THE TITLE ` AUSTRALIANS JOEL PARKINSON AND MICK FANNING, AND THE OTHER, A SURFING LEGEND WHO REFUSES TO RETIRE. ROUND THREE AND FANNING'S CAMPAIGN WAS SHUT DOWN ALONG WITH THIS BARREL. MAN, I'M LIKE EVERYONE ELSE; I'M A FAN, AND I'M GONNA WATCH THE SHOWDOWN GO DOWN. IT'S GONNA BE AWESOME. BUT AFTER MORE THAN A DECADE ON TOUR, JOEL PARKINSON IS READY, THREADING BETWEEN REEF AND WATER ALL THE WAY TO THE QUARTER-FINALS. PLEASE, PLEASE TELL ME THIS IS THE YEAR? (CHUCKLES) I DON'T KNOW. I THINK WE ALL ASK THE SAME QUESTION, ME IN PARTICULAR. BUT IN ORDER TO DO THAT, HE WAS TO TAME ONE OF THE MOST DANGEROUS WAVES ON THE PLANET, AND HE'LL BE DOING IT IN FRONT OF A CROWD CHEERING FOR AN 11-TIME WORLD CHAMPION ` A MAN WHO'S MADE THIS PLACE HIS HOME. KELLY SLATER HAS WON SIX TIMES AT PIPELINE; BACKHAND BARRELS ARE A BREEZE. STILL TO COME ON MIDDAY ` I'LL BE BACK WITH THE AFTERNOON WEATHER. NOW TO THE WEATHER. FOR WEATHER, SEE ONENEWS.CO.NZ TO THE TOP STORIES ON OUR WEBSITE. EWEN MACDONALD HAS LOST HIS FIRST BID FOR FREEDOM AT A PAROLE HEARING AFTER SERVING 20 MONTHS OF A FIVE-YEAR TWRM FOR VANDALISM AND ARSON OFFENCES. THE CHILDREN'S COMMISSIONER SAYS A $2B GOVERNMENT OVERHAUL, INCLUDING MORE STATE HOMES AND UNIVERSAL CHILD SUPPORT, IS NEEDED TO FIGHT CHILD POVERTY. AND THE JUSTICE MINISTER HAS RELEASED A LIST OF CONCERNS OVER A CANADIAN JUDGE'S REPORT INTO DAVID BAIN'S COMPENSATION CLAIM FOR WRONGFUL CONVICTION AND IMPRISONMENT. 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 LAUREN STRAIN AND DESNEY SHAW. CAPTIONS WERE MADE POSSIBLE WITH FUNDING FROM NZ ON AIR. COPYRIGHT TVNZ ACCESS SERVICES 2012