TONIGHT ` BRUTAL REPRISALS AS SYRIA'S ARMY TAKES CONTROL. REPORTS OF MEN, WOMEN AND CHILDREN BEING EXECUTED IN ALEPPO. COULD GAY MEN GET A FORMAL PARDON 30 YEARS AFTER A NZ LAW CHANGE? AND THE MAORI PARTY END THE PARLIAMENTARY YEAR WITH A SONG AND A DANCE. FIRST TONIGHT, THERE ARE REPORTS OF SPORADIC SHELLING AND FIGHTING IN EAST ALEPPO DESPITE A CEASEFIRE DEAL BETWEEN REGIME AND REBEL FORCES. IT COMES AFTER SYRIA'S ARMY CLAIMED A DECISIVE VICTORY IN THE BATTLE FOR THE CITY. BUT AT WHAT COST? THE UN SAYS IT'S RECEIVED REPORTS OF CIVILIANS BEING EXECUTED IN WHAT IT'S CALLING A COMPLETE MELTDOWN OF HUMANITY. LISETTE REYMER HAS THE LATEST. THE WAR-TORN REMAINS OF A CITY ONCE CONSIDERED THE JEWEL OF SYRIA. AFTER A FIERCE FOUR YEAR BATTLE BETWEEN THE REGIME AND REBEL GROUPS, ALEPPO FELL SILENT TODAY ` A STARK CONTRAST TO THE LAST FEW WEEKS. A FINAL PUSH BY PRO-GOVERNMENT FORCES TO BREAK THE LAST POCKETS OF RESISTANCE. A DEAL'S BEEN BROKERED TO ALLOW CIVILIANS AND REBELS TO LEAVE, BUT THE EVACUATION HAS BEEN DELAYED. THIS WILL BE REMEMBERED AS A CRUSHING VICTORY, BUT NOT ONE SYRIA COULD ACHIEVE ALONE. IN FACT, UNTIL RECENTLY IT WAS ON THE ROPES. THE REGIME'S BIGGEST WIN IN THE CIVIL WAR IS THANKS TO THE INTERVENTION OF RUSSIAN AIRPOWER AND IRANIAN SHIA FIGHTERS. THEY'VE BEEN ACCUSED OF WAR CRIMES, SHOOTING WOMEN AND CHILDREN, LEAVING BODIES LYING IN THE STREETS. WE HAVE BEEN RECEIVING MULTIPLE REPORTS OF SOME OF THE MOST APPALLING ATROCITIES, IF PROVEN TO BE TRUE, OF CIVILIANS, INCLUDING CHILDREN, BEING EXECUTED. TRANSLATOR: THESE REPORTS ARE TOTALLY BASELESS AND UNTRUE. THE SYRIAN ARAB ARMY WOULD NEVER DO SUCH THINGS. FEARS ARE MOUNTING FOR THOSE NOT ABLE TO LEAVE. THESE CHILLING PLEAS FROM PEOPLE STILL TRAPPED. MORE THAN 50,000 OF CIVILIANS ARE THREATENED WITH FIELD EXECUTIONS. THE US, WHICH HAS BEEN BACKING THE REBELS, RESPONDING WITH MORE WORDS AT THE UN. ARE YOU TRULY INCAPABLE OF SHAME? IS THERE LITERALLY NOTHING THAT CAN SHAME YOU? CHANGE IN SYRIA REQUIRES MILITARY FORCE. BUT THE WEST, MINDFUL OF DISASTERS IN IRAQ, CHOSE NOT TO DIRECTLY INTERVENE. FOR THE REGIME, THIS IS THE BIGGEST SINGLE VICTORY OF THE WAR. BUT BEYOND ALEPPO'S RUINS, SYRIA IS STILL VERY MUCH DIVIDED AND STILL VERY MUCH AT WAR. THIS IS NOT THE END OF THE COUNTRY'S BRUTAL FIVE YEAR CONFLICT, BUT A MAJOR TURNING POINT. LISETTE REYMER, 1 NEWS. AND REBELS IN OTHER PARTS OF SYRIA NOW FACE LOSING WHAT AMERICAN SUPPORT THEY HAVE. INCOMING PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP IS ARGUING THE US SHOULD NOT BE INVOLVED IN THEIR INSURGENCY. SO WHAT NEXT FOR THE FRACTURED REGION AND THE MILLIONS OF PEOPLE DISPLACED BY CONFLICT? HERE'S THE ABC'S PHILLIP WILLIAMS. AS HORRIFIC AS THE FALL OF ALEPPO HAS BEEN, IT'S NO END TO THE SUFFERING OF THE SYRIAN PEOPLE. THOUGH A SERIOUS BLOW TO THE ANTI-ASSAD FORCES, MANY MORE COMBATANTS AND INNOCENT CIVILIANS WILL BE MAIMED AND KILLED. THE OPPOSITION WILL CONTINUE TO FIGHT. EXTREMISTS WILL CONTINUE TO BE DRAWN TO THE VACUUM THAT CONTINUES TO EXIST IN SO MANY PLACES. ALREADY 4.5 MILLION SYRIANS HAVE FLED THEIR COUNTRY. HUNDRED OF THOUSANDS HAVE MADE THE DANGEROUS JOURNEY TO EUROPE IN SEARCH OF SAFETY. THERE'S NO DOUBT THE FALL OF ALEPPO IS A SIGNIFICANT VICTORY FOR THE SYRIAN GOVERNMENT FORCES AND THEIR BACKERS, THE IRANIANS AND THE RUSSIANS, BUT IT LEAVES A COUNTRY AND A REGION DEEPLY DIVIDED. HERE IN GREEN IS WHAT THE SYRIAN GOVERNMENT ACTUALLY CONTROLS NOW, BUT YOU CAN ALSO SEE THE AREA THE REBELS STILL HOLD, AND IT'S CLOSE TO ALEPPO AS WELL. ADD TO THAT YOU'VE GOT THE KURDS, WHO CONTROL AREAS FROM NORTHERN IRAQ TO NORTHERN SYRIA AND ISLAMIC STATE, WHICH STILL HOLD SIGNIFICANT TERRITORY. IT ALL ADDS UP TO A DEEPLY DIVIDED COUNTRY. AND WHILE THE OBAMA ADMINISTRATION HAS CONDEMNED THE SYRIAN AND RUSSIAN GOVERNMENTS, DONALD TRUMP HAS SIGNALLED HE'D LIKE TO WORK WITH THEM IN THE FIGHT AGAINST ISLAMIC STATE ` A POLICY THAT WOULD TURN PARIAHS INTO ALLIES. WITH HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS DEAD, MILLIONS DISPLACED, A NATION IN RUINS, IT'S HARD TO SEE ALL THIS HORROR IS EVER GOING TO END. THE DRIVER OF A STOLEN CAR WHO POINTED A GUN AT POLICE IN AUCKLAND'S ONEHUNGA EARLY THIS MORNING IS STILL ON THE RUN TONIGHT. POLICE WERE CHASING HAYDEN RIZVI (25) WHEN HE ABANDONED THE CAR AND RAN OFF. WHEN AN OFFICER FOLLOWED, RIZVI STOPPED AND AIMED A GUN AT HIM. HE'S COME TO THE POLICE'S ATTENTION BEFORE. IT'S NOT TRADITIONALLY BEEN WITH ANYTHING WITH A FIREARM, SO WE'RE NOT QUITE SURE THE CIRCUMSTANCES TO WHY HE HAD A FIREARM THIS TIME. BUT TO POINT A FIREARM AT A POLICE MEMBER IS OBVIOUSLY QUITE CONCERNING. IT'S A DIFFERENT LEVEL OF OFFENDING. POLICE SAY RIZVI IS DANGEROUS AND SHOULD NOT BE APPROACHED. A WOMAN IN HER 20s HAS DROWNED AT NINETY MILE BEACH THIS AFTERNOON. POLICE ARRIVED AT THE SCENE JUST AFTER 4PM TO FIND THREE PEOPLE IN DISTRESS IN THE WATER. TWO CHILDREN WITH THE WOMAN WERE RESCUED. POLICE ARE INVESTIGATING THE INCIDENT. A LARGE BUSH FIRE NORTH OF AUCKLAND IS NOW UNDER CONTROL THANKS TO THE WORK OF THREE HELICOPTERS AND MORE THAN 70 FIREFIGHTERS. A NUMBER OF HOMES WERE EVACUATED EARLY THIS AFTERNOON WHEN THE FIRE BROKE OUT IN THE FOREST OF DOME VALLEY IN MATAKANA. WE WERE GOING TO GET SOME STUFF OUT OF THE HOME COS SMOKE WAS SORT OF AROUND THERE AT THE TIME. WE WANTED TO GET SOME VALUABLES. BUT THE WIND IS BLOWING THE OTHER WAY AT THE MOMENT, AND I THINK THEY'VE GOT A HANDLE ON IT. THERE ARE SUGGESTIONS THE BLAZE WAS STARTED BY A BEEKEEPER. IT'S TAKEN 30 YEARS, BUT MEN CONVICTED OF HOMOSEXUAL ACTS COULD GET THE RIGHT TO APPLY FOR A PARDON NEXT YEAR. 1 NEWS CAN CONFIRM CABINET WILL CONSIDER CLEARING MEN CONVICTED BEFORE THE 1986 LAW CHANGE THAT MEANT HOMOSEXUALITY WAS NO LONGER ILLEGAL. POLITICAL REPORTER ANDREA VANCE HAS THE DETAILS. 30 YEARS AFTER HOMOSEXUAL LAW REFORM, THERE'S STILL A THORN IN THE SIDE OF THE GAY COMMUNITY. CAMPAIGNERS LIKE DES AND JOHN WANT HISTORICAL CONVICTIONS FOR CONSENSUAL SEX BETWEEN MEN REVERSED. IT SEEMS TO ME QUITE IMMORAL AND UNJUST FOR THAT CRIMINAL RECORD TO BE RETAINED. IT HAS EFFECTED THEIR LIFE FOR A LONG TIME, AND THERE SHOULD BE AT LEAST AN APOLOGY FROM THE GOVERNMENT. AND FINALLY, THE GOVERNMENT'S LISTENING. 1 NEWS HAS LEARNED JUSTICE MINISTER AMY ADAMS HAS ASKED OFFICIALS TO WORK ON A SOLUTION. THE 1961 CRIMES ACT OUTLAWED MALE SEX, WHETHER IT WAS CONSENSUAL OR NOT. WE DO NOT WANT HOMOSEXUALITY LEGALISED. YOU'RE LOOKING AT THE HOMOSEXUALS. DON'T LOOK TOO LONG; YOU MIGHT CATCH AIDS. THE FIGHT TO CHANGE THAT MET FIERCE RESISTANCE. AND ALTHOUGH REFORM WON, CONVICTIONS WERE NEVER ERASED. JUSTICE MINISTRY FIGURES SHOW THAT BETWEEN 1980 AND 1986 THERE WERE NEARLY 900 CONVICTIONS. LAST YEAR, CAMPAIGNERS TOOK A PETITION TO PARLIAMENT. PARDONING MEN WHO WERE CONVICTED OF HOMOSEXUALITY IS A GREAT STEP TOWARDS IMPROVING THE JUSTICE IN OUR SOCIETY. BUT THERE WON'T BE A BLANKET PARDON. MEN OR THEIR FAMILIES WILL HAVE TO APPLY FOR ONE. THAT'S BECAUSE SOME CONVICTIONS WERE FOR SEX WITH A MINOR, WHICH IS STILL A CRIME. I BELIEVE MANY OF THE PUBLIC WOULD LIKE TO SEE THIS HAPPEN, AND IT SHOULD HAPPEN. AS I MENTIONED EARLIER, AS A MATTER OF NATURAL JUSTICE, PEOPLE SHOULD NOT HAVE THIS SHADOW OVER THEM FOR THE REST OF THEIR LIVES. IN A STATEMENT TO 1 NEWS, AMY ADAMS SAYS IT WAS A... JUST PUT YOURSELF IN THE SHOES OF THE PERSON WHO HAS BEEN PROSECUTED AND PERSECUTED, AND JUST THINK ABOUT IT, AND MAYBE YOU'LL OPEN UP YOUR MIND. AND THE GOVERNMENT IS PROMISING TO DO JUST THAT. ANDREA VANCE, 1 NEWS. ANOTHER GOVERNMENT MINISTER'S QUITTING. CRAIG FOSS IS THE LATEST TO ANNOUNCE HE'LL LEAVE POLITICS AT THE NEXT ELECTION. THE VETERANS AFFAIRS MINISTER SAYS THAT AFTER 11 YEARS IN POLITICS, HE'S DECIDED NOW IS THE RIGHT TIME TO GO. HIS DECISION COMES AHEAD OF NEW PRIME MINISTER BILL ENGLISH ANNOUNCING A CABINET RESHUFFLE ON SUNDAY. I'VE HAD A CHAT WITH BILL AND MORE REFLECTION ON WHAT ELSE WAS GOING ON ABOUT MY LIFE AND WHAT I WANT TO DO, AND DECIDING, NO, ON BALANCE, I'M KEEN JUST TO MOVE OUT OF POLITICS AND MOVE BACK HOME. LOCAL GOVERNMENT MINISTER SAM LOTU-IIGA ANNOUNCED YESTERDAY HE'S STEPPING DOWN TOO. WHILE THEY'RE LEAVING, JACINDA ARDERN WANTS IN AS THE LABOUR PARTY'S CANDIDATE FOR MOUNT ALBERT NEXT YEAR. MS ARDERN'S CONFIRMED SHE'S SEEKING THE NOMINATION TO REPLACE DAVID SHEARER, WHO'S LEAVING TO RUN THE UNITED NATION'S PEACEKEEPING MISSION IN SOUTH SUDAN NEXT YEAR. MS ARDERN'S A LABOUR LIST MP AND SPOKESPERSON ON JUSTICE, CHILDREN, ARTS, CULTURE AND HERITAGE. A BY-ELECTION IS EXPECTED IN MT ALBERT, GIVEN PRIME MINISTER BILL ENGLISH IS RULING OUT AN EARLY ELECTION. THOSE INS AND OUTS ADDING TO AN EXCITING END TO THE PARLIAMENTARY YEAR. BUT THE POLITICIANS LIKE TO HAVE A BIT OF FUN ON THEIR LAST DAY, KIND OF LIKE SCHOOL CHILDREN. SEAN HOGAN HAS THE HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE ADJOURNMENT DEBATE. THEY SAY YOU CAN'T BE SANE TO BE IN POLITICS, AND ON THE LAST SITTING DAY OF THE YEAR IN OUR PARLIAMENT, POLITICIANS SHOWED THEIR TRUE COLOURS. OUR NEW PRIME MINISTER TRIED TO WOO SOME YOUNG VOTERS WITH SOME POP REFERENCES. I CAN ONLY QUOTE TAYLOR SWIFT, A INSIGHTFUL POLITICAL COMMENTATOR, WHO WROTE A LINE FOR ANDREW LITTLE ` 'OH MY GOD. YOU LIKE MY NEXT MISTAKE.' A LINE FOR JAMES SHAW ` 'I'M A NIGHTMARE DRESSED UP AS A DAY DREAM.' ANDREW LITTLE EVEN CRACKED THE JOKES. A LOT HAS HAPPENED AROUND HERE IN THE LAST WEEK, AS THE PRIME MINISTER REFERRED TO AS WELL. WE'VE GONE FROM THE KEY TEAM TO THE B TEAM. WE'VE GONE FROM THE ROWING EIGHT TO THE COXLESS FOUR. HOWEVER JAMES SHAW GOT A BIT GRIM. WE'VE SEEN THE SAD DEMISE OF DAVID BOWIE, PRINCE, LEONARD COHEN, BRITISH COMMON SENSE, AMERICAN DEMOCRACY, THE MEDIA AND THE TRUTH ITSELF. MARAMA FOX WAS IN MORE FESTIVE MOOD. # NEXT YEAR COULD BE SUCH A HOOT # IF YOU TICK THE MAORI PARTY VOTES. THE FOLLOWING ACT, DAVID SEYMOUR, WAS UNDERSTANDABLY A BIT FLUSTERED. SORRY, I WAS GOING TO BRING MY PERFORMING CAUCUS, BUT WE HAD A LITTLE BIT OF A PROBLEM AT THE LAST ELECTION WHICH WE'RE HOPING TO RECTIFY QUITE SOON. A CRAZY LAST DAY IN THE HOUSE, CAPPING OFF A CRAZY YEAR IN POLITICS. SEAN HOGAN, 1 NEWS. JUST AHEAD, A WEATHER FORECAST SO LATE IN THE NIGHT IT'LL ALMOST BE ON THE DAY ITS PREDICTING. AND AS A NON SCI-FI FAN AT ALL, I SIT BY SLACK-JAWED IN WONDER AS ANOTHER STAR WARS FILM HITS THE BIG SCREEN. THE FIRST SPIN-OFF FROM THE STAR WARS FRANCHISE HAS BEEN WIDELY PRAISED BY FILM CRITICS AND THE PUBLIC AS IT HITS THEATRES WORLDWIDE. MANY SAYING THE FORCE IS STRONG WITH ROGUE ONE, A STAR WARS STORY. HERE'S THE BBC'S LIZO MZIMBA. APPLAUSE, CHEERING FANS HERE ONLY EXPECTED TO SEE STARS LIKE FELICITY JONES ON SCREEN THIS EVENING, BUT THE CAST AND CREW MADE A SURPRISE APPEARANCE IN PERSON. WE HAVE A MISSION FOR YOU. A MAJOR WEAPON'S TEST IS IMMINENT. THIS SPIN-OFF, SET JUST BEFORE THE EVENTS OF 1977'S ORIGINAL STAR WARS FILM, FEATURES A NEW COLLECTION OF CHARACTERS ` NOTABLY A LEAD WHO IS FEMALE. WE'RE GOING TO JEDHA. THAT'S A WAR ZONE. AN IMPORTANT SIGNAL TO A HOLLYWOOD INCREASINGLY CONCERNED WITH GENDER. OH, IT'S ABSOLUTELY FANTASTIC. IT'S VITAL THAT WE HAVE THESE KIND OF PARTS FOR WOMEN, AND AS SOON AS I HEARD ABOUT THE PART, I JUST JUMPED AT THE CHANCE. I'D BEEN LOOKING FOR SOMETHING LIKE THIS FOR MANY, MANY YEARS. SO WHEN I READ THE SCRIPT, IT WAS A BIT OF A NO BRAINER. STAR WARS PERHAPS MEANS MORE TO MANY FILM FANS THAN ANY OTHER FRANCHISE, AND A MOVIE LIKE THIS REPRESENTS A STEP INTO THE UNKNOWN FOR THE FILMMAKERS. EXPLOSION AS WELL AS ITS FEMALE CENTRAL CHARACTER, ITS DIVERSE CAST IS ANOTHER AREA WHERE PRODUCERS HOPE ROGUE ONE WILL RESONATE WITH AUDIENCES. THE TIME TO FIGHT IS NOW! WELL, IT'S FANTASTIC TO BE ABLE TO TAKE THE LEAD WITH SOMETHING LIKE STAR WARS AND BE ABLE TO CAST WITH THIS DEGREE OF DIVERSITY. I'D LOVE TO SEE THIS HAPPEN IN A LOT MORE MOVIES, AND I THINK IT'S GOING TO. IF GENDER AND DIVERSITY DO HELP IT ON ITS WAY TO BOX OFFICE SUCCESS, IT COULD PERHAPS HELP HOLLYWOOD CHANGE EVEN MORE RAPIDLY, ALL THANKS TO EVENTS IN A GALAXY FAR, FAR AWAY. YOU CAN SEE ROGUE ONE IN OUR CINEMAS FROM TOMORROW NIGHT. NOW TO TOMORROWS WEATHER WITH DD DUMBO. FOR WEATHER, SEE TVNZ.CO.NZ THAT'S IT FROM US HERE ON TONIGHT. THANKS FOR WATCHING. GOODNIGHT. CAPTIONS BY KATE PARKINSON AND ANTONY VLUG. CAPTIONS WERE MADE POSSIBLE WITH FUNDING FROM NZ ON AIR. COPYRIGHT ABLE 2016