DUE TO THE LIVE NATURE OF MIDDAY WE APOLOGISE FOR THE LACK OF CAPTIONS FOR SOME ITEMS. THE FORMER CANADIAN JUDGE WHO WROTE A REPORT ON THE BAIN CASE CALLS ON THE GOVERNMENT TO MAKE IT PUBLIC. NELSON MANDELA'S REVEALED TO BE SUFFERING FROM A RECURRING LUNG INFECTION. AND DRESSING UP SEEMS TO BE 'HOBBIT-FORMING' AS FANS CELEBRATE THE MOVIE'S RELEASE. THE RETIRED CANADIAN JUDGE WHOSE REPORT ON THE DAVID BAIN COMPENSATION CASE HAS BEEN SHARPLY CRITICISED BY JUSTICE MINISTER JUDITH COLLINS HAS HIT BACK AT THE MINISTER, EFFECTIVELY ACCUSING HER OF BIAS. JUSTICE IAN BINNIE'S SLAMMED THE MINISTER'S DECISION NOT TO MAKE HIS REPORT PUBLIC WHILE CRITICISING IT IN THE MEDIA. THE REPORT IS UNDERSTOOD TO RECOMMEND COMPENSATION FOR DAVID BAIN. JUSTICE BINNIE DISPUTES CLAIMS BY MS COLLINS THAT HE DOESN'T FULLY UNDERSTAND NZ LAW, SAYING HE'S HAD EXPERT NZ LEGAL SUPPORT AND SAYS THERE'S A CLEAR POLITICAL AGENDA BEHIND THE CRITICISM OF HIS REPORT. JUSTICE BINNIE SAYS HE'S PROVIDED IMPARTIAL EXPERT ANALYSIS, AS HE WAS APPOINTED TO DO, AND HIS CONCLUSIONS MATCH THOSE OF OTHER EXPERTS WHO'VE EXAMINED THE CASE. THE RETIRED JUDGE SAYS NZERS SHOULD BE ABLE TO READ HIS REPORT FOR THEMSELVES. DAVID BAIN'S LONG-TIME ADVOCATE JOE KARAM JOINS US NOW LIVE IN OUR AUCKLAND STUDIO. JOE KARAM, JUSTICE BINNIE SAYS DAVID BAIN SHOULD GET A LOOK AT THE REPORT. WE'VE BEEN ASKING FOR A COPY ON A CONFIDENTIAL BASIS KNOWING THE MINISTER HAS GIVEN IT TO THE OTHER SIDE, WE WANT ONE TOO THE SOLICITER GENERAL'S CLAIM THAT IT IS A LEGALLY PRIVILEGED DOCUMENT IS NONSENE SINCE SHE'S GIVEN IT TO ONE SIDE AND NOT THE OTHER IT'S AN AFFRONT TO ALL THE RULES OF JUSTICE THEY HAVE BEEN ADAMANT THEY WON'T GIVE IT TO US AND I'LL BE WRITING ANOTHER LETTER TODAY WE DON'T WANT THIS PLAYED OUT IN THE PUBLIC I'M HERE RELUCTANTLY I WAS HOPING TO BUY CHRISTMAS PRESENTS TODAY DAVID BAIN IS BEING SHAFTED AGAIN BY NZ AUTHORITIES NZERS, REGARDLESS OF WHAT SIDE THEY'RE ON, WOULD LIKE TO KNOW THEY'RE IN A FAIR COUNTRY.� I DON'T THINK SHE'S SHOPPING AROUND FOR AN OPINION SHE'S INDULGING IN HER REASONS WHICH IS UNFAIR AND IMPROPER. THANKS, JOE KARAM, LIVE IN OUR AUCKLAND STUDIO. TO THE DAY'S OTHER NEWS, AND PARENTS AT A SPECIAL SCHOOL IN NELSON ARE CELEBRATING TODAY AFTER A HIGH COURT JUDGE FOUND THE GOVERNMENT HAD ACTED UNLAWFULLY TO ORDER THE SCHOOL BE CLOSED. SALISBURY SCHOOL, A RESIDENTIAL SCHOOL FOR SPECIAL-NEEDS GIRLS, TOOK THE EDUCATION MINISTRY TO THE HIGH COURT AFTER THE GOVERNMENT MOVED TO CLOSE IT AND SHIFT THE STUDENTS TO A BOYS SCHOOL. HELEN CASTLE REPORTS. WE WON. SALISBURY'S STAYING OPEN. (LAUGHS) TEARS OF JOY FOR THE MOTHER OF A STUDENT WHO FOR THE LAST TWO YEARS, HAS CALLED SALISBURY SCHOOL IN NELSON HER HOME. EDUCATION MINISTER HEKIA PARATA WANTED TO SHUT DOWN THE SPECIAL-NEEDS SCHOOL AND MOVE ALL 80 GIRLS TO A RESIDENTIAL BOYS SCHOOL IN CHRISTCHURCH. IT WOULD BE LIKE LETTING A BOMB OFF AT A SCHOOL. YOU KNOW, THESE KIDS ARE AFRAID, THEY'RE NOT ACCEPTED, THEY HAVE STRUGGLE WITH LEARNING, THEY HAVE STRUGGLE WITH UNDERSTANDING PEOPLE. TO THEM, EVERYONE ELSE IS WEIRD. BUT THE SCHOOL FOUGHT THE DECISION AND WON, A HIGH COURT JUDGE SAYING IT WAS COMMON SENSE. JUSTICE DOBSON RULED THAT THE PROSPECT OF CLOSING DOWN SALISBURY WOULD EXPOSE THE GIRLS TO GREATER RISK OF SEXUAL OR PHYSICAL ABUSE. RESEARCH SHOWS THAT INTELLECTUALLY DISABLED CHILDREN ARE SEVEN TIMES MORE LIKELY TO BE ABUSED. AND THAT BOYS WHO ARE INTELLECTUALLY DISABLED TEND TO ABUSE EACH OTHER, IN TERMS OF BIG BOYS WITH THE LITTLE BOYS. THEN OBVIOUSLY, WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IF YOU BROUGHT GIRLS INTO THE MIX? THE SCHOOL HAS BEEN FUNDRAISING TO MEET LEGAL COSTS AND WILL NOW BE SEEKING COMPENSATION FROM THE GOVERNMENT. HELEN CASTLES, ONE NEWS. WHILE 92,000 EDUCATION STAFF WERE PAID CORRECTLY OVERNIGHT, AROUND 5000 HAVEN'T YET RECEIVED THEIR HOLIDAY PAY, ALTHOUGH IT'S BEEN PROMISED THEY'LL BE PAID OVERNIGHT TONIGHT. THERE ARE ALSO HISTORIC ISSUES DATING BACK TO AUGUST THAT ARE STILL NOT STRAIGHTENED OUT. THAT IS CAUSING US TO QUESTION WHO'S IN CHARGE HERE, REALLY, AND WHY SOMETHING ISN'T BEING DONE ABOUT IT. I MEAN, WE DON'T HAVE ANY FAITH IN THE LEADERSHIP BY THE MINISTRY ON THIS ISSUE, BECAUSE THEY KEEP GIVING US ASSURANCES IT'S BEING FIXED, BUT WE KEEP SEEING NEW ERRORS ALL THE TIME. SEVERAL PRINCIPALS ONE NEWS SPOKE TO THIS MORNING SAY, AFTER EIGHT PAY ROUNDS OF PROBLEMS, THEY'RE NO LONGER SURPRISED BY WHAT NOVOPAY THROWS THEIR WAY BUT ARE EXHAUSTED BY THE EXTRA WORK. TELECOM SAYS IT HAS RESTORED BROADBAND TO MOST OF ITS CUSTOMERS AFTER HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS LOST INTERNET CONNECTION OVERNIGHT. TWO-THIRDS OF TELECOM'S CUSTOMER WAS AFFECTED BY THE OUTAGE THAT BEGAN JUST BEFORE 10 O'CLOCK LAST NIGHT. THAT FOLLOWS A FAILURE DURING A SYSTEM UPGRADE THAT SAW MOST TELECOM CUSTOMERS WITHOUT INTERNET YESTERDAY MORNING. TELECOM SAYS THE LATEST OUTAGE WAS CAUSED BY SWITCHING THE SERVERS FROM AUCKLAND TO CHRISTCHURCH IN AN ATTEMPT TO RESOLVE THE FIRST PROBLEM. OPPONENTS OF THE MOVE TO PARTIALLY SELL OFF SOME STATE ASSETS SAY A PETITION CALLING FOR A REFERENDUM ON THE ISSUE HAS NEARLY REACHED THE NUMBER IT NEEDS. A HIGH COURT JUDGE HAS REJECTED THE MAORI COUNCIL BID TO HALT THE SALE OF MIGHTY RIVER POWER, AND SAYS THE GOVERNMENT CAN GO AHEAD WITH ITS SALE PROGRAMME. BUT THE LABOUR PARTY SAYS A PETITION TO FORCE A REFERENDUM ON THE ISSUE ALREADY HAS MORE THAN 300,000 SIGNATURES. THE 'AOTEAROA'S NOT FOR SALE' GROUP SAYS 310,000 VERIFIABLE SIGNATURES ARE NEEDED. IT HOPES TO HIT THAT MARK BEFORE THE GOVERNMENT'S SCHEDULED SALE OF MIGHTY RIVER POWER NEXT MARCH. MAORI COUNCIL SPOKESWOMAN RAHUI KATENE SAYS NEW LEGAL ACTION TO STOP THAT IS NOW IS NOW LIKELY, DESPITE THE HIGH COURT SETBACK. WE'RE ONLY HALFWAY THROUGH. UNTIL WE ACTUALLY CAN SIT DOWN WITH THE GOVERNMENT, UNTIL THEY LISTEN TO WHAT WE'RE SAYING AND UNTIL WE CAN DRAW UP THAT FRAMEWORK TOGETHER, WE CAN'T FINISH. LOOK, THE GOVERNMENT HAS REFUSED TO RECOGNISED AND REFUSED TO DEAL WITH MAORI INTERESTS IN WATER, IN MAORI WATER RIGHTS FOR DECADES, AND THIS COURT DECISION, WHILE IT'S DISAPPOINTING, IS JUST ONE STEP ALONG THE WAY TO GETTING THINGS RIGHT. THE SISTER OF MURDERED FEILDING FARMER SCOTT GUY HAS APPEARED ON TV ONE'S 'GOOD MORNING' SHOW TODAY, THE DAY AFTER HER ESTRANGED HUSBAND WAS DENIED PAROLE FOR THE FIRST TIME. MACDONALD WAS ACQUITTED OF KILLING SCOTT GUY BUT JAILED FOR FIVE YEARS AFTER ADMITTING ARSON, VANDALISM AND KILLING ANIMALS AT NEIGHBOURING FARMS. ANNA GUY TOLD 'GOOD MORNING' HOW SHE COPED AND HER PLANS FOR THE FUTURE. IT TURNED UPSIDE DOWN WHEN SCOTT DIED, AND THEN IT KINDA DID ANOTHER TURN WITH EWEN WAS ARRESTED, SO BY THAT POINT I JUST THOUGHT I HAD NO CONTROL OF WHAT'S GOING ON. I CAN ONLY BE SURE OF MYSELF AND WHAT I'M DOING FOR THE KIDS, AND I THINK THAT'S JUST WHAT I FOCUSED ON. AND YOU'RE LOOKING TO PERHAPS START A CAREER FOR YOURSELF IN THE MEDIA? YEAH. < WHAT'S THE DREAM JOB? UM, I WOULD LOVE TO PRESENT A SHOW. (LAUGHS) OR BE ON THE RADIO. I LOVE THE RADIO. COS YOU DID A LITTLE INTERNSHIP ON THAT. YEAH, ON THE MANAWATU MORE FM. VERY COOL PEOPLE. AND I JUST LOVED IT. I JUST WANT TO DO SOMETHING THAT I CAN BE MYSELF AND HAVE FUN, AND I LOVE ENTERTAINING PEOPLE. CRITICS WARN THE NEW ALCOHOL REFORM LEGISLATION WILL DO LITTLE TO CURB NZ'S HEAVY DRINKING PROBLEM, AFTER THE CONTROVERSIAL BILL PASSED ITS FINAL HURDLE IN PARLIAMENT LAST NIGHT. THE CHANGES INCLUDE GIVING COMMUNITIES MORE SAY ON WHERE LIQUOR STORES ARE LOCATED AND RESTRICTING THE TYPES OF STORES THAT SELL LIQUOR AND WHAT THEY SELL. BUT THE LEGISLATION HAS COME UNDER FIRE FROM CRITICS WHO SAY THE CHANGES ARE WEAK. IT'S CALLED THE ALCOHOL REFORM BILL, BUT IT DOESN'T ACTUALLY HAVE ANY REFORMS IN IT. IT'S A CYNICAL, HOLLOW BILL THAT IS NOT GOING TO DO ANYTHING ABOUT THE HEAVY DRINKING CULTURE. THE LIQUOR LAW CHANGES WILL COME INTO EFFECT OVER THE NEXT 12 MONTHS. THE TRANSPACIFIC PARTNERSHIP TALKS THAT HAVE SPARKED CRITICISM AND PROTEST AROUND NZ WRAP UP IN AUCKLAND TODAY. NUMEROUS PROTESTS HAVE BEEN STAGED DURING THE NINE-DAY TALKS, WHICH ARE AIMED AT HAMMERING OUT A FREE TRADE AGREEMENT BETWEEN 11 ASIA PACIFIC COUNTRIES. BUT PROTESTERS SAY THE HIGH-LEVEL NEGOTIATIONS ARE UNDEMOCRATIC AND WARN THE PROMISED BENEFITS WILL COME AT A COST. THE AUCKLAND MEETING IS THE 15TH HELD TO TACKLE THE ISSUE OF FREE TRADE BETWEEN NZ AND ASIA PACIFIC COUNTRIES. POLICE ARE INVESTIGATING THE SUSPICIOUS DEATH OF A YOUNG WOMAN IN SOUTH AUCKLAND. THE BODY OF THE 23-YEAR-OLD WAS FOUND THIS MORNING IN A SLEEP-OUT ATTACHED TO THE FAMILY HOME IN PAPAKURA. THE CAUSE OF DEATH HAS NOT YET BEEN REVEALED. A WOMAN HAS ADMITTED KILLING ROTORUA RESIDENT MICHELLE HOFFMANN-TAMM. IN THE ROTORUA DISTRICT COURT TODAY, GWENDA SLOANE ADMITTED THE NOVEMBER MURDER. HER VICTIM'S BODY WAS FOUND IN FOREST NEAR MURUPARA NEARLY TWO WEEKS AFTER MS HOFFMANN-TAMM WENT MISSING. SLOANE HAS BEEN REMANDED IN CUSTODY AND WILL BE SENTENCED IN EARLY FEBRUARY. A MAN'S BEEN ARRESTED IN CONNECTION WITH THE DEATH IN LONDON OF A WELL-KNOWN WELLINGTON PUNK ROCKER. METROPOLITAN POLICE SAY STEVEN ANDREWS (46) WAS KILLED IN THE LONDON SUBURB OF PUTNEY AFTER A FIGHT OUTSIDE A PUB. A MAN'S BEEN ARRESTED ON SUSPICION OF MURDER AFTER TURNING HIMSELF IN AT THE POLICE STATION IN EXETER. IT'S BEEN REVEALED FORMER SOUTH AFRICAN PRESIDENT NELSON MANDELA IS BATTLING A LUNG INFECTION IN HOSPITAL. THE ANTI-APARTHEID FIGUREHEAD HAS BEEN RECEIVING TREATMENT FOR SEVERAL DAYS, BUT UNTIL NOW WHAT'S WRONG WITH HIM HAS BEEN UNKNOWN. HERE'S THE BBC'S ANDREW HARDING. NELSON MANDELA REMAINS OUT OF SIGHT IN THIS PRETORIA HOSPITAL. HE'S BEING TREATED FOR AN UNSPECIFIED LUNG INFECTION. BUT THOSE CLOSEST TO HIM NOW, INCLUDING AN OLD FRIEND WHO SPENT YEARS IN THE SAME PRISON, ARE SOUNDING QUIETLY CONFIDENT. I ASSURE YOU IF THERE'S ANYTHING THAT IS UNTOWARD, I'M SURE WE'LL LEARN THEM. BUT NOTHING HAS HAPPENED. WE'RE GIVEN THAT IMPRESSION. SO THERE'S HOPE THAT HE'LL BE HOME SOON. AND HOME IS HERE, DEEP IN THE SOUTH AFRICAN COUNTRYSIDE. NELSON MANDELA CELEBRATING HIS BIRTHDAY EARLIER THIS YEAR WITH HIS FAMILY. THE FORMER LEADER OF THE STRUGGLE AGAINST APARTHEID HAS WITHDRAWN FROM PUBLIC LIFE. BUT POOR HEALTH HAS NOW PROMPTED THREE TRIPS TO HOSPITAL IN UNDER TWO YEARS ` ONCE FOR ANOTHER CHEST INFECTION; ONCE FOR ABDOMINAL SURGERY. I WISH HIM TO GET WELL SOON. WHAT DOES HE MEAN TO YOU? > EVERYTHING. HE MEANS EVERYTHING TO US. WHY? > BECAUSE HE FOUGHT FOR OUR FREEDOM. WE ARE WHO WE ARE TODAY BECAUSE OF HIM. HE'S STILL A FATHER. HE'LL ALWAYS REMAIN A FATHER TO US. HE MEANS A LOT. THAT'S WHY WE NEVER TALK OF ANYTHING HAPPENING TO HIM IN ANY CASE. WE ALWAYS TALK OF HIM GETTING WELL SOON. AND SO THE WAIT GOES ON FOR MORE NEWS AND ANOTHER GLIMPSE OF THE MAN WHOSE LIFE HAS SO OFTEN SEEMED INSEPARABLE FROM THE FATE OF SOUTH AFRICA. THE SYDNEY RADIO STATION BEHIND THE ILL-FATED PRANK CALL TO THE LONDON HOSPITAL TREATING THE DUCHESS OF CAMBRIDGE HAS ANNOUNCED IT WILL BE DONATING AT LEAST $500,000 TO THE FAMILY OF THE NURSE TAKEN IN BY THE HOAX. JACINTHA SALDANHA TRANSFERRED THE CALL TO A NURSE TREATING KATE AND IS WIDELY BELIEVED TO HAVE TAKEN HER OWN LIFE DURING THE SUBSEQUENT OUTCRY. THE OWNERS OF RADIO STATION 2DAY FM HAVE PROMISED TO DONATE ANY PROFITS MADE BY THE END OF THE YEAR TO A MEMORIAL FUND FOR MS SALDANHA'S FAMILY. TO INTERNATIONAL NEWS, IN EGYPT, ANTI-GOVERNMENT PROTESTERS HAVE TRIED TO SMASH DOWN A BARRICADE PROTECTING THE PRESIDENTIAL PALACE. CROWDS ARE AGAIN MARCHING THROUGH THE CAPITAL, CAIRO, AHEAD OF A REFERENDUM PLANNED FOR LATER THIS WEEK. THERE'S WIDESPREAD DISTRUST OF PRESIDENT MORSI SINCE HE AWARDED HIMSELF SWEEPING NEW POWERS. SYRIAN MIG WARPLANES HAVE BEEN INVOLVED IN A HEAVY AIR-RAID ON THE TOWN OF DEIR EL ZOUR, WITH BUILDINGS ENGULFED IN FLAMES. THE CENTRE OF DAMASCUS HAS ALSO BEEN SUBJECT TO A FIERCE ARTILLERY BARRAGE. IT'S FACED ITS FAIR SHARE OF CRITICISM FROM REVIEWERS, BUT NOW KIWI HOBBIT FANS HAVE BECOME THE FIRST IN THE WORLD TO WATCH THE FILM FOR THEMSELVES. HUNDREDS GATHERED AT THEATRES UP AND DOWN THE COUNTRY VERY EARLY THIS MORNING. MOST LEFT IMPRESSED, BUT AS KRISTIN HALL REPORTS, OTHERS WEREN'T SO SURE. TWAS A MINUTE PAST MIDNIGHT AND, SUITABLY DRESSED, HOBBIT FANS GATHERED, AHEAD OF THE REST. I'M VERY EXCITED TO BE THE FIRST IN THE WORLD OF THE GENERAL PUBLIC TO SEE THIS MOVIE. EXACTLY TWO WEEKS AFTER THE STARS WALKED THE RED CARPET FOR THE WORLD PREMIERE AT THE EMBASSY THEATRE IN WELLINGTON, HOMEMADE HOBBITS ACROSS THE COUNTRY ALSO GOT TO SIT DOWN FOR TWO AND-A-HALF HOURS OF MIDDLE-EARTH ACTION. 'THE LORD OF THE RINGS' WAS AMAZING, SO I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO 'THE HOBBIT'. IT WAS ALSO A DRAWCARD FOR OVERSEAS FANS, MANY TRAVELLING ALL THE WAY FROM THE US FOR A PREVIEW AND TO REUNITE WITH THE FELLOWSHIP. I'LL BE IN TOUCH WITH TOLKIEN FANS AROUND THE WORLD ABOUT WHAT'S HAPPENING HERE, BECAUSE WE WERE ALL BROUGHT TOGETHER AFTER THE LAST SET OF MOVIES. THE EXPECTATIONS WERE HIGH. THINGS WHEN THE HOBBITS HAVE ANTICS. I LIKE WHEN THE HOBBITS HAVE ANTICS. BUT SOME WERE A LITTLE UNCERTAIN. REVIEWS FROM AROUND THE WORLD HAVE SLAMMED THE FIRST OF 'THE HOBBIT' TRILOGY AS BEING TOO LONG, AND AT DOUBLE THE USUAL FRAME RATE PER SECOND, NOT TOO EASY ON THE EYE. I'M GETTING A LITTLE BIT APPREHENSIVE, COS I'VE BEEN FEELING A LITTLE WEIRD ABOUT SOME OF THE DECISIONS MADE ALONG THE WAY. THE FINAL VERDICT? IT SEEMED 50/50. IT CERTAINLY WAS AN UNEXPECTED JOURNEY FOR SOME. THE BOOK WAS MAGICAL. THE FILM WASN'T. IT WAS JUST ALL BATTLES AND FIGHTING. JUST ALL THE FRAMING AND THE 3D THING, I THINK, TOOK AWAY FROM A LITTLE BIT OF WHAT THEY'D ACTUALLY DONE WITH THE FILM. BUT OTHERS CLAIM JACKSON'S FOURTH TOLKIEN EPIC IS SIMPLY THE BEST YET. I WAS TOTALLY IMPRESSED. I WAS BLOWN AWAY WITH IT. YEAH. ABSOLUTELY FANTASTIC. WE'RE GOING AGAIN ON SUNDAY. (CHUCKLES) IT'S JUST` YEAH, AMAZING. AMAZING. GOOD NEWS TOO FOR GANDALF FANS ` ACTOR SIR IAN MCKELLEN'S ASSURING FOLLOWERS HE'S DOING FINE DESPITE ANNOUNCING A SEVEN YEAR BATTLE WITH PROSTATE CANCER. HE'S EXPECTED TO LEAD THE NEXT HOBBIT-Y ADVENTURE WHEN THE SECOND INSTALMENT HITS CINEMAS NEXT YEAR. KRISTIN HALL, ONE NEWS. STILL TO COME ON MIDDAY ` THE SHAREMARKET AND BUSINESS NEWS. AND IN SPORT, THE BIG BOSS OF NZ CRICKET APOLOGISES TO FORMER TEST CAPTAIN ROSS TAYLOR. Meet Shelby and Greg. Hello. Hello. Hello. Whoa! They're both looking for better car-tons to get round in. Greg... is an egg. TYRES SQUEAL If only he'd been like Shelby and thought more about safety. CRASH! CRASH! Sorry! If you want to buy a new car, check safety first at our cracking new website. 1 WITH ME NOW IS DAVID CHEAPE FROM CRAIGS INVESTMENT PARTNERS. GOOD AFTERNOON, DAVID. THIS ITEM WILL BE CAPTIONED LIVE. FOR MORE, GO TO ONENEWS.CO.NZ AND CLICK ON 'BUSINESS'. HOW ARE THE MARKETS LOOKING OVERSEAS? THEY ROSE ON BOTH SIDES OF ATLANTIC US DOW JONES UP .5% FED RESERVE WILL EXTEND BOND PURCHASING PROGRAMME SOME DEAL TO AVOID FISCAL CLIFF IN EUROPE, MARKETS AHEAD ON BACK OF GERMAN INVESTMENT NUMBER SMART PAY AND PORT OF TAURANGA HAVE EACH HAS BOUGHT A BUSINESS. WHAT CAN YOU TELL US? IT'S A SMALL COMPANY THAT'S BOUGHT VIADUCT PORT OF TAURANGA, ONE OF LARGEST, HAS BOUGHT A LOCAL LOG HANDLING COMPANY THANK YOU, DAVID CHEAPE FROM CRAIGS INVESTMENT PARTNERS. MIDDAY SPORT ` THE BLACK CAPS' CAPTAINCY SAGA HAS REACHED A NEW LEVEL, WITH NZ CRICKET CHAIRMAN CHRIS MOLLER MAKING A PUBLIC APOLOGY TO DUMPED SKIPPER ROSS TAYLOR. IT COMES AFTER TAYLOR EFFECTIVELY ACCUSED THE ORGANISATION OF LYING OVER HOW IT WENT ABOUT STRIPPING HIM OF THE CAPTAINCY LAST WEEK. THE BOARD HAS REVIEWED ALL ASPECTS OF THE CAPTAINCY ISSUE AND WISHES TO PUBLICLY PLACE ON RECORD ITS APOLOGIES TO ROSS TAYLOR AND HIS FAMILY FOR THE MANNER IN WHICH EVENTS UNFOLDED. MOLLER SAYS THE BOARD MET FOR FIVE HOURS ON MONDAY TO DISCUSS THE ISSUE AND MET WITH COACH MIKE HESSON. BUT MOLLER'S ADAMANT THE BOARD WILL STICK TO ITS ENDORSEMENT OF THE CHANGE IN CAPTAINCY TO BRENDON MCCULLUM. IN TENNIS, WORLD NUMBER-FOUR RAFAEL NADAL HAS CONFIRMED HE'LL BE RETURNING FROM A KNEE INJURY TO COMPETE IN THE MUBADALA CHAMPIONSHIP IN ABU DHABI AT THE END OF THE YEAR. THE SPANISH FORMER WORLD NUMBER-ONE HASN'T PLAYED SINCE JUNE. MEANTIME, NOVAK DJOKOVIC AND SERENA WILLIAMS HAVE BEEN NAMED THE INTERNATIONAL TENNIS FEDERATION WORLD CHAMPIONS. SERBIAN DJOKOVIC RECEIVED THE HONOUR FOR A SECOND CONSECUTIVE YEAR AFTER A SUCCESSFUL 2012. WILLIAMS, WHO WON THE WIMBLEDON AND US OPEN TITLES, AS WELL AS OLYMPIC GOLD, CLAIMED THE WOMEN'S PRIZE FOR A THIRD TIME. AUSTRALIAN RUGBY LEAGUE HARD MEN ARE GEARING UP FOR A BOXING "FIGHT FOR LIFE" EVENT WITH KIWI PLAYERS THIS WEEKEND. BUT OUTSIDE THE RING, THEY'RE PUSHING FOR AN INCREASE IN THE NRL SALARY CAP, WITH WARNINGS THAT OTHERWISE YOUNG PLAYERS WILL BE INCREASINGLY DRAWN TO AUSSIE RULES INSTEAD OF LEAGUE. HERE'S CHANNEL NINE'S DANNY WIDELER. THIS LATE-EDITED ITEM WILL BE CAPTIONED LIVE. THEY WILL BE UP AGAINST KIWI FOOTY STARS THE CROWD WILL BE RIGHT BEHIND ME I WON'T BE TRASH TALKING JUST DOING BEST TO NOT GET HIT THE PLAYERS PUSH FOR AN INCREASE IN SALARY CAP WE JUST WANT BEST ENVIRONMENT FOR YOUNGER PLAYERS TO COME INTO IF YOU'RE CHOOSING TO PLAY AFL OR LEAGUE, YOU'D BE PUSHING TOWARD ANOTHER CODE THE STRIKE'S THE LAST THING FROM OUR MIND AS PLAYERS, WE HAVEN'T SPOKEN ABOUT BOYCOTTING IT WAS IN THE PAPERS, BUT NOT US NOW TO THE WEATHER. FOR WEATHER, SEE ONENEWS.CO.NZ BELIEVERS IN THE SUPPOSED MAYAN APOCALYPSE THIS MONTH ARE LOOKING TO A MOUNTAIN IN FRANCE AS THE ONLY SAFE PLACE ON EARTH. MOUNT BUGARACH IS THE HIGHEST PEAK IN THE CORBIERES MOUNTAINS ON THE BORDER BETWEEN FRANCE AND ANDORRA. BELIEVERS SAY THE MOUNTAIN WILL PROVIDE SOME SORT OF GATEWAY TO ANOTHER GALAXY THAT WILL OPEN UP WHEN THE WORLD ENDS, ACCORDING TO THE MAYAN PREDICTION, ON DECEMBER THE 21ST. WE'LL SEE! AND THAT'S YOUR MIDDAY NEWS ON THE 12/12/12. 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 DESNEY SHAW AND LAUREN STRAIN. CAPTIONS WERE MADE POSSIBLE WITH FUNDING FROM NZ ON AIR. COPYRIGHT TVNZ ACCESS SERVICES 2012