TONIGHT ` TEENAGER CHRISTIE MARCEAU'S KILLING CAUSED SHOCK AND ANGER; NOW A DAMNING REPORT IS CALLING FOR WIDESPREAD CHANGE TO PROTECT VICTIMS. STRAIGHT OUT OF A SPY NOVEL ` THE RUSSIAN DOUBLE AGENT THOUGHT TO BE POISONED IN THE UK. AND NOT AN AWARD-WINNING PERFORMANCE AT ALL ` STEALING AN OSCAR, AND THEN POSTING ABOUT IT ON FACEBOOK. CAPTIONS BY JAMES BROWN AND FAITH HAMBLYN. CAPTIONS WERE MADE WITH THE SUPPORT OF NZ ON AIR. COPYRIGHT ABLE 2018. KIA ORA. GOOD EVENING. CHRISTIE MARCEAU WAS JUST 18 YEARS OLD WHEN SHE WAS KILLED BY HER FORMER SCHOOLMATE AKSHAY CHAND IN 2011. CHAND WAS ABLE TO GET TO HER DESPITE BEING ON BAIL FOR KIDNAPPING AND ASSAULTING HER A MONTH EARLIER. TODAY A DAMNING REPORT HAS CALLED FOR WIDESPREAD CHANGE IN THE JUSTICE SYSTEM. JESSICA MUTCH HAS MORE. CHRISTIE MARCEAU'S KILLING SPARKED OUTRAGE. ALL CHANT: SIGN THE PETITION! CHRISTIE'S LAW! NOW IT'S SPARKING CHANGES FOR OUR JUSTICE SYSTEM, POLICE AND MENTAL-HEALTH SERVICES. FOR SEVEN YEARS, THE FAMILY HAS FOUGHT FOR AN INDEPENDENT INQUIRY. TODAY IT'S BEEN RELEASED. THE FAMILY'S OF A VIEW THAT THERE WERE MANY HANDS ON THE KNIFE THAT DAY. THE CORONER MAKES 10 RECOMMENDATIONS, INCLUDING ` BETTER SHARING OF INFORMATION IN THE COURT SYSTEM, GIVING VICTIMS A STRONGER VOICE IN COURT PROCEEDINGS AND MORE RULES AROUND SUPERVISING SOMEONE ON BAIL AND COMMUNICATING THAT TO THE FAMILY. IT NEEDS AN OVERHAUL; IT'S WELL OVERDUE. WE'VE BEEN IN CONTACT WITH CHRISTIES PARENTS, BRIAN AND TRACEY, WHO ARE NOW LIVING IN AUSTRALIA. THEY SAY THE INQUEST SHOWS THE SYSTEM IS DYSFUNCTIONAL AND NEEDS TO BE FIXED. THEY'RE APPEALING TO THE GOVERNMENT TO ACT SO OTHER FAMILIES DON'T HAVE TO GO THROUGH WHAT THEY DID. WE PUT THAT TO THE MINISTER. WHERE THERE HAVE TO BE IMPROVEMENTS, AND THE CORONER IS SAYING THERE HAS TO BE, THEN WE'RE GONNA MAKE THOSE IMPROVEMENTS. IN 2011 THE SYSTEM FAILED CHRISTIE MARCEAU. COURT INFORMATION WAS NOT SHARED PROPERLY, SO AKSHAY CHAND WAS BAILED TO A HOUSE JUST A SHORT WALK FROM CHRISTIE'S HOME. AKSHAY'S MOTHER SAYS THE 24-HOUR CURFEW AND SUPERVISION RULES WERE NOT CLEAR AND HE WASN'T MONITORED ELECTRONICALLY. THERE'S NO QUESTION THAT THIS WAS AN ABSOLUTE CATASTROPHE. THE FAMILY KEPT UP THE FIGHT FOR CHANGE, IN JUNE LAST YEAR. IT GAVE COMFORT IN THAT CHRISTIE HAS BEEN HEARD. YOU KNOW, SHE'S GOT A VOICE. CHRISTIE HAS ALREADY PROMPTED CHANGE. AFTER LOBBYING FROM HER PARENTS, LEGISLATION DUBBED CHRISTIE'S LAW STRENGTHENED THE BAIL LAWS. HER FAMILY HOPE THERE'LL BE MORE CHANGE FROM THIS REPORT. JESSICA MUTCH, 1 NEWS. LAST WEEK HE WANTED TO BE THE LEADER OF THE NATIONAL PARTY; TODAY HE'S ANNOUNCED HE'S QUITTING POLITICS ALTOGETHER. FORMER FINANCE MINISTER STEVEN JOYCE HAS CALLED TIME ON HIS CAREER AT THE BEEHIVE, BUT THE NATIONAL-PARTY HEAVYWEIGHT INSISTS IT'S NOT SOUR GRAPES THAT MADE HIM LEAVE. POLITICAL REPORTER KATIE BRADFORD TAKES A LOOK BACK AT HIS CAREER. I THINK IT'S PRETTY LEGAL. TAKEN ON BY RAP SUPERSTAR EMINEM... (THUD!) OOH! ...AND BY A FLYING SEX TOY. I'VE HAD TO STRIVE VERY HARD TO GET AN INTERNATIONAL PROFILE. BUT A HIGHER PROFILE IN HIS PARTY WAS HIS GOAL LAST WEEK. POLITICS FOR GOOD. HE INSISTS, THOUGH, HE HAS CONFIDENCE IN NEW LEADER SIMON BRIDGES. I THINK IF I WAS IN A PETULANT MOOD, I'D PROBABLY GO TO THE BACKBENCHES, GROW A BEARD AND JUST SIT THERE FUMING FOR A WHILE. THE FORMER FINANCE MINISTER HAD BEEN TOLD HE'D RETAIN A FRONT-BENCH POSITION IN MR BRIDGES' RESHUFFLE, BUT WOULDN'T BE GETTING THE PLUM FINANCE PORTFOLIO. NO, HE DIDN'T OFFER ME FINANCE, AND THAT'S ALL RIGHT. I'M NOT EVEN SURE THAT IF I'D HAD FINANCE, I WOULD HAVE NECESSARILY STAYED THE FULL TWO-AND-A-HALF YEARS. I HAVE NO DOUBT IF STEVEN HAD DECIDED TO STAY, HE WOULD'VE MADE A VERY STRONG CONTRIBUTION. MR JOYCE WAS NATIONAL'S CAMPAIGN MANAGER FOR FIVE ELECTIONS AND A CENTRAL PART OF THE 'SIR JOHN KEY-BILL ENGLISH' TRIO. STEVEN'S A REAL LOSS FOR US. AND AS A FRIEND OF HIS, AS A COLLEAGUE OF HIS, I'M SAD TO SEE HIM GO. THE WHOLE THING HAS BEEN AN ABSOLUTE BLAST AND AN ABSOLUTE PRIVILEGE. AS FOR REGRETS, THE LIST MP SAYS THERE'S ALWAYS A FEW. HE'S BEEN CRITICISED FOR LOSING THE 2016 NORTHLAND BY-ELECTION AND OVER HIS ALLEGATIONS OF AN $11B HOLE IN LABOUR'S BUDGET. AND AS FOR CHOOSING THE SONG 'EMINEM ESQUE' FOR NATIONAL'S 2014 ELECTION CAMPAIGN... DO YOU STILL THINK IT WAS PRETTY LEGAL? KATIE, I'M JUST NOT GONNA GO THERE TODAY. HE'S LIKELY TO BE REPLACED BY WELLINGTON UP-AND-COMER NICOLA WILLIS. NICOLA IS A REAL TALENT IN TERMS OF DEEP EXPERIENCE IN THE COMMERCIAL SECTOR, BUT ALSO IN POLITICS, HAVING BEEN AN ADVISOR FOR JOHN KEY. THE FATHER OF TWO WANTS TO GO BACK TO THE COMMERCIAL WORLD. I'D LIKE TO GET ON AND GET THINGS DONE. CHEERS. AND LIKE HIS MATES SIR JOHN AND BILL ENGLISH, HE PLANS TO SPEND MORE TIME WITH HIS FAMILY. KATIE BRADFORD, 1 NEWS. A DRONE FLYING IN CONTROLLED AIRSPACE AROUND AUCKLAND AIRPORT HAS DISRUPTED AT LEAST 20 FLIGHTS TODAY. AN AIR NEW ZEALAND PILOT SPOTTED THE DRONE WHEN APPROACHING THE AIRPORT JUST BEFORE MIDDAY AND ALERTED AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL. FOLLOWING THE SIGHTING, ALL AIRCRAFT OPERATIONS TO AND FROM AUCKLAND AIRPORT WERE STOPPED FOR 30 MINUTES. THE INCIDENT HAS PROMPTED THE PILOTS ASSOCIATION TO CALL FOR ALL DRONE OPERATORS TO BE REGISTERED AND LICENCED TO MAKE SURE THEY UNDERSTAND CIVIL AVIATION RULES. TIME IS TICKING, WITH JUST OVER AN HOUR LEFT FOR PEOPLE TO FILL IN THEIR CENSUS FORM TODAY. 2.65MLLION PEOPLE HAVE TAKEN PART SO FAR ` A RESULT STATISTICS NEW ZEALAND IS CELEBRATING. BUT AS KATE NICOL-WILLIAMS REPORTS, THERE ARE ALREADY CALLS FOR CHANGE. JONATHAN MOSEN DIDN'T THINK TAKING PART IN THE CENSUS WOULD BE SO DIFFICULT. IT MAKES ME FEEL LIKE A SECOND-CLASS CITIZEN. BLIND SINCE BIRTH, THE I.T. PROFESSIONAL COULDN'T READ THE CODE SENT TO HIM FOR THE ONLINE CENSUS. THE ONLY SOLUTION STATISTICS NEW ZEALAND OFFERED AFTER SOME TIME WAS FOR SOMEONE TO COME ROUND AND READ HIM HIS CODE. IT DOESN'T COMPARE WITH HOW BLIND PEOPLE NOW VOTE IT DOESN'T COMPARE WITH HOW BLIND PEOPLE NOW VOTE IN NEW ZEALAND'S OWN ELECTIONS. AND IT DOESN'T COMPARE WITH WHAT HAPPENS IN AUSTRALIA, WHERE BLIND PEOPLE HAVE NO PROBLEM IN THEIR CENSUS RECEIVING A TEXT OR EMAIL CODE. WE'RE REALLY SORRY THE WAY IT PLAYED OUT FOR JONATHAN. THAT WASN'T WHAT WE WANTED, AND IN THE END, WE VERY GLADLY WENT AND READ HIS CODE TO HIM, BUT THAT SHOULDN'T HAVE BEEN NECESSARY ` WE UNDERSTAND THAT. THE BLIND FOUNDATION READ OUT CODES TO 46 OF ITS 12,000 MEMBERS THAT SIGNED UP FOR THE OPTION. TONIGHT WELLINGTONIANS HAD MIXED FEELINGS ABOUT THE CENSUS. WE ONLY RECEIVED OURS YESTERDAY. I FILLED IT IN ONLINE AS SOON AS I GOT THE PAPERWORK IN THE MAIL. I HAVEN'T, NOT YET. IT'S PRETTY ANNOYING HAVING TO HAVE THINGS PHYSICALLY MAILED TO US, ESPECIALLY WHEN OUR FLAT DOESN'T ACTUALLY HAVE A PHYSICAL MAILBOX. AND AS FOR CRITICISM STATISTICS NEW ZEALAND JUMPED THE GUN MAKING PEOPLE FILL OUT THEIR CENSUS FORM ONLINE? ONLINE FIRST IS HERE TO STAY. WE CAN REFINE OUR MODEL, AND THAT'S SOMETHING FOR US TO LOOK AT AFTERWARDS. AND FOR THOSE WONDERING WHAT HAPPENS IF YOU DON'T COMPLETE THE CENSUS TONIGHT, YOU CAN STILL FILL IN THE FORMS AFTER MIDNIGHT. FOR THOSE WHO DON'T, REMINDERS WILL BE SENT FROM TOMORROW, AND PROSECUTION REMAINS A LAST RESORT. THE MESSAGE FROM THE ORGANISERS ` FILL IN THE CENSUS ONLINE; IT'S QUICK AND EASY. BUT PEOPLE LIKE JONATHAN MOSEN CALL IT INADEQUATE. MY STORY AS A BLIND PERSON IS JUST A VERY SMALL FRAGMENT OF THIS. THERE ARE MANY OTHER SEGMENTS OF THE COMMUNITY THAT ARE FEELING UNEASY, ANXIOUS, DISEMPOWERED BY THIS PROCESS. HE'S LAUNCHED A PARLIAMENT PETITION FOR AN INQUIRY INTO THE PROCESS. KATE NICOL-WILLIAMS, 1 NEWS. AN AUCKLAND SUBURB FLOODED BY SEWAGE JUST A MONTH AGO HAS ONCE AGAIN SUFFERED SEVERE FLOOD DAMAGE, AS YET ANOTHER PIPE IN THEIR AREA BURST. WITH REPAIRS STILL UNDERWAY, RESIDENTS HAVE BEEN FORCED TO EVACUATE THEIR HOMES TONIGHT, FRUSTRATED AT THE COUNCIL'S LACK OF ACTION. LISETTE REYMER REPORTS. IT'S DEJA VU FOR THESE DISTRAUGHT MILFORD RESIDENTS TONIGHT. I LITERALLY BROKE INTO TEARS. I CALLED MY HUSBAND, AND I SAID, 'CAN YOU PLEASE COME BACK? I MEAN, I CAN'T DEAL WITH THIS ANY MORE.' I DIDN'T WANT TO GO INSIDE AND HAVE A LOOK AT IT, FROM THE LAST TIME, BECAUSE THIS IS A VERY BAD FEELING. RESIDENTS RUSHING INTO ACTION AS A BURST WATER PIPE AGAIN THREATENED THEIR HOMES. THE GOOD NEWS? THIS TIME IT WASN'T SEWAGE ` IT WAS WATER. IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT AT THE END OF JANUARY, A SEWAGE MAIN BURST IN THE SAME SPOT. IT TOOK WATERCARE SIX HOURS TO STOP THE FLOW, WITH THE SEWAGE FLOODING THESE SAME HOMES AND CAUSING SEVERE DAMAGE ` THIS HOME'S BRAND NEW CARPET ONCE AGAIN FLOODED. WE HAVE WORKS GOING ON FROM THE PREVIOUS WATER ISSUE ` IT'S NOT OVER, AND WE ARE STILL RECOVERING FROM IT. THREE HOUSES HAVE SUFFERED FLOOD DAMAGE TONIGHT, AND WHILE NEIGHBOURS SAY WATERCARE'S RESPONSE TIME WAS A LOT QUICKER THAN IN JANUARY, IT STILL COULD HAVE BEEN BETTER, AND WITH A BETTER EMERGENCY RESPONSE TEAM, A LOT LESS DAMAGE WOULD HAVE BEEN DONE TONIGHT. THE BURST PIPE HAS BEEN ISOLATED, AND REPAIRS ARE ONGOING TONIGHT, BUT IT'S EXPECTED HOMES HERE WILL SPEND THE NIGHT WITHOUT WATER ` THE IRONY OF THAT NOT LOST ON THESE LOCALS. FORTUNATELY, WE HAVE GOT PLENTY OF WATER ON THE ROAD, SO WE WILL HELP OURSELVES. (LAUGHS) WATERCARE SAYS... THEY NEED TO SEE WHAT THE PROBLEM IS AND SORT IT OUT, RATHER THAN HAVING THIS ISSUE EVERY NOW AND THEN. IT'S VERY TRAUMATISING. SEE, NOW, WE ARE PAYING THE TAXES, BUT I DON'T KNOW WHERE THEY ARE GOING TO. RESIDENTS DESPERATE FOR ANSWERS AND ACTION AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. LISETTE REYMER, 1 NEWS. CAR DEALERS ARE RUNNING OUT OF IMPORTED CARS, AND THEY SAY AN INSECT IS THE CULPRIT. FOUR CARGO SHIPS FROM JAPAN HAVE BEEN TURNED BACK BY THE MINISTRY FOR PRIMARY INDUSTRIES BECAUSE THEY WERE INFESTED WITH THE BROWN MARMORATED STINK BUG. CHRIS CHANG HAS MORE. THIS COMPLIANCE CENTRE IS USUALLY FULL OF IMPORTED CARS AND HEAVING WITH ACTIVITY. BUT TODAY IT'S ALL BUT EMPTY. IT'S HAD A HUGE EFFECT ON US. BUT IT'S MORE SO THE GUYS WHO RELY ON US FOR THE VEHICLES ` SO OUR GROOMERS, OUR PANEL BEATERS, OUR WORKSHOPS. THERE'S PLENTY OF PEOPLE DOWN THE CHAIN WHO HAVE SUFFERED MUCH WORSE. THE DEALER USUALLY RECEIVES UP TO 250 IMPORTED CARS A MONTH. BUT THIS IS THE FIRST TIME IN FOUR WEEKS HE'S GOT ANY, AFTER FOUR SHIPS CARRYING VEHICLES FROM JAPAN WERE TURNED AROUND. IT'S ALL BECAUSE OF MPI'S MOST WANTED PEST ` THE MARMORATED STINK BUG. WE FOUND SIGNIFICANT TRACES OF STINKBUG ON THE FIRST VESSEL AND STOPPED ITS DISCHARGE, SEALED THE VESSEL, AND INSECTICIDED THE VESSEL ITSELF. THE SAP-SUCKING INSECT IS PROLIFIC. IT'LL FEED ON ALMOST ANYTHING, LEAVING MOST COMMERCIAL PLANTS UNSALEABLE. WE'RE TALKING ABOUT LOSSES IN THE REALM OF BILLIONS OF DOLLARS. THIS IS SOMETHING THAT IS GOING TO HIT MOST ASPECTS OF OUR HORTICULTURE. IT CAUSES PRIMARILY COSMETIC DAMAGE, BUT IN ORDER TO CONTROL IT, YOU NEED A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF INSECTICIDE. CARGO SHIPS CAN CARRY UP TO 4000 CARS AT A TIME. ROUGHLY 10,000 HAVE RETURNED TO JAPAN BECAUSE OF THE INFESTATION. WITH OVER 30 SHIPS DUE TO ARRIVE HERE IN THE NEXT MONTH OR SO, MPI'S LOOKING AT WAYS OF MAKING THE PROCESS MORE EFFICIENT ` THINGS LIKE TREATING THE SHIPS BEFORE THEY LEAVE JAPAN AND CARRYING OUT INSECTICIDE TREATMENTS WHILE IN TRANSIT TO NEW ZEALAND. WE'VE HAD ALMOST A MONTH NOW WITH NO STOCK COMING THROUGH, AND THAT'S A BIG OVERHEAD FOR BUSINESSES TO CARRY, SO IT'S PUTTING A LOT OF BUSINESSES AT RISK. THOSE BUSINESSES NOW BRACING FOR THE BACKLOG OF ARRIVALS, IF THEY CAN GET THROUGH A BORDER PATROL HELL-BENT ON TACKLING THIS INVASIVE PEST. CHRIS CHANG, 1 NEWS. JUST AHEAD ` HAS A DOUBLE AGENT'S PAST CAUGHT UP WITH HIM? THE MAN WHO WAS PART OF A SPY SWAP IS NOW CRITICALLY ILL IN HOSPITAL AFTER A SUSPECTED POISONING. AFTER MONTHS OF BLOODSHED, A GLIMMER OF HOPE FOR SYRIANS TRAPPED IN GHOUTA. WELCOME BACK. A FORMER RUSSIAN SPY IS FIGHTING FOR HIS LIFE IN A UK HOSPITAL AFTER HE AND A FRIEND WERE EXPOSED TO AN UNKNOWN SUBSTANCE. INTRIGUE SURROUNDS THE CASE, AMID SPECULATION HE COULD HAVE BEEN TARGETTED BY RUSSIA. CHANNEL NINE'S SEB COSTELLO REPORTS. THIS IS SERGEI SKRIPAL ON HIS WAY TO FREEDOM EIGHT YEARS AGO, GRANTED REFUGEE STATUS IN A COLD-WAR-STYLE PRISONER SWAP WITH THE U.S. THE DOUBLE AGENT WAS TO START HIS LIFE OVER IN THE UK; TONIGHT HE'S FIGHTING FOR IT. HE WAS DOING SOME STRANGE HAND MOVEMENTS, LOOKING UP TO THE SKY. THE 66-YEAR-OLD WAS FOUND COLLAPSED ON A BENCH WITH A YOUNG WOMAN IN SALISBURY, IN SOUTHWEST ENGLAND. IT LOOKED LIKE AN OVERDOSE. HER EYES WERE JUST COMPLETELY WHITE. THEY WERE WIDE OPEN, BUT JUST WHITE, AND FROTHING AT THE MOUTH. AND THEN THE MAN WENT STIFF. HIS ARMS STOPPED MOVING. IT'S NOW SUSPECTED THEY WERE POISONED, EXPOSED TO AN UNKNOWN SUBSTANCE. YOU COULDN'T SEE THAT HE WAS VISUALLY THROWING UP. LIKE, HIS THROAT WASN'T MOVING. VOMIT WAS JUST POURING OUT OF HIS MOUTH. (SPEAKS RUSSIAN) BEFORE HE WAS CHOSEN FOR THE PRISONER SWAP, THE FORMER ARMY COLONEL WAS SENTENCED TO 13 YEARS' JAIL IN MOSCOW IN 2006, FOUND GUILTY OF LEAKING SECRETS TO BRITISH INTELLIGENCE AGENCY MI6. RUSSIAN AUTHORITIES SAY HE PASSED INFORMATION THROUGH A JAMES BOND-STYLE SPY ROCK, A FAKE STONE PACKED WITH A TRANSMITTER DEVICE. WHILE SKRIPAL'S ILLNESS IS A MYSTERY, IT'S DRAWN IMMEDIATE PARALLELS TO THE 2006 MURDER OF ALEXANDER LITVINENKO, THE FORMER SPY WHO DIED AFTER DRINKING TEA LACED WITH RADIOACTIVE POLONIUM 210 AT A LONDON HOTEL. LITVINENKO WAS AN OUTSPOKEN CRITIC OF PRESIDENT VLADIMIR PUTIN. AN OFFICIAL BRITISH INVESTIGATION FOUND HIS DEATH WAS PROBABLY ORDERED BY PUTIN. THE KREMLIN IS SUSPECTED OF A STRING OF OTHER UNEXPLAINED DEATHS IN THE UK. IN 2013 OLIGARCH AND PUTIN CRITIC BORIS BEREZOVSKY APPEARED TO HAVE HANGED HIMSELF IN BERKSHIRE. BUT INVESTIGATORS SAY HE MAY HAVE BEEN STRANGLED, AND THERE HAD BEEN NUMEROUS FOILED RUSSIAN PLOTS TO KILL HIM BEFORE. ONE OF THE MOST INFAMOUS RUSSIAN-LINKED MURDERS WAS IN 1978 WHEN ANOTHER OUTSPOKEN CRITIC AND PLAYWRIGHT, GEORGI MARKOV, WAS STABBED WITH A RICIN-LACED UMBRELLA IN LONDON AND DIED FOUR DAYS LATER. WHILE POLICE SAY THEY ARE LOOKING INTO ALL POSSIBILITIES IN SKRIPAL'S CASE, IT APPEARS ALL LEADS POINT BACK TO MOSCOW. TRAPPED SYRIANS FELT A GLIMMER OF HOPE TODAY, WHEN THE FIRST AID CONVOY ARRIVED IN EASTERN GHOUTA SINCE A MAJOR BOMBARDMENT BEGAN THERE TWO WEEKS AGO. BUT HELPERS WERE FORCED TO CUT THEIR MISSION SHORT WHEN THEY CAME UNDER FIRE AGAIN BY PRO-GOVERNMENT FORCES DESPITE A CEASEFIRE DEAL. THE BBC'S JEREMY BOWEN WAS THERE AS THE CONVOY SET OFF. 46 LORRIES MOVED THROUGH SOME OF THE MOST DANGEROUS TERRITORY AROUND DAMASCUS TO GET INTO EASTERN GHOUTA. THE SYRIANS REFUSED TO LET THEM TAKE IN 70% OF THEIR SURGICAL AND TRAUMA KITS, BUT THEY CARRIED FOOD AND MEDICAL SUPPLIES FOR 27,500 PEOPLE. IT WAS A START. THE FACT THIS CONVOY IS MOVING AT ALL IS A SIGN OF PRESIDENT ASSAD'S CONFIDENCE. SYRIAN ARMED FORCES ARE PRESSING AHEAD INTO EASTERN GHOUTA THAT WAY, OF COURSE WITH THEIR RUSSIAN ALLIES. AND IF THEY WIN, AND AT THE MOMENT, THAT'S THE WAY IT APPEARS TO BE, PRESIDENT ASSAD WILL HAVE SCORED A VERY SIGNIFICANT VICTORY, BECAUSE FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE THE WAR STARTED, HE WILL HAVE SECURED HIS CAPITAL. THE ENCLAVE HAS BEEN CONTROLLED BY ISLAMIST MILITIAS SINCE 2012. SOME MILITIAS ARE NEGOTIATING, AND THERE'S TALK OF A DEAL, BUT NOT YET. PRESIDENT BASHAR AL-ASSAD'S THE STRONGEST HE'S BEEN SINCE THE WAR STARTED. HE SAYS THE WEST IS LYING ABOUT THE HUMANITARIAN CRISIS IN EASTER GHOUTA. ABOUT THE HUMANITARIAN CRISIS IN EASTERn GHOUTA. INSIDE THE SIEGE, HEAVY SHELLING AND AIRSTRIKES CONTINUE THROUGHOUT THE DAY. (YELLS IN ARABIC) A WHITE-HELMET CIVIL DEFENCE RESCUE TEAM WAS CAUGHT UP IN AN ATTACK. INTO THIS CAME THE AID CONVOY, CARRYING A LIMITED AMOUNT OF RELIEF FOR A PLACE THE UN SECRETARY GENERAL CALLS 'HELL ON EARTH'. THEY RAN OUT OF TIME, LEAVING BEFORE THEY COULD UNLOAD ALL THE TRUCKS, BECAUSE OF MORE SHELLING. PEOPLE LIVE CLOSE TOGETHER IN EASTERN GHOUTA ` THERE'S NOWHERE TO HIDE AND PLENTY OF PLACES TO DIE. THE GROWN-UPS' WAR IS BENDING AND BREAKING ANOTHER GENERATION. (CRIES) CHINA'S NATIONAL PEOPLE'S CONGRESS HAS KICKED OFF ITS MOST SIGNIFICANT MEETING IN A GENERATION, PREPARING TO OFFER XI JINPING PRESIDENCY FOR LIFE. 3000 DELEGATES FROM ALL OVER CHINA WILL SPEND THE NEXT TWO WEEKS DECIDING ON POLICY AND DIRECTION FOR THE ECONOMIC POWERHOUSE. IT'S EXPECTED THE PARTY WILL VOTE FOR CRITICAL CHANGES TO THE CONSTITUTION, ESSENTIALLY GIVING XI JINPING THE POTENTIAL TO RULE FOR LIFE, ON SUNDAY. IT WAS A FAMILY REUNION JUST AS MUCH AS A POLITICAL VISIT WHEN JACINDA ARDERN ARRIVED IN NIUE TODAY. ARDERN'S FATHER IS THE HIGH COMMISSIONER ON THE TINY ISLAND, THE PAIR ANNOUNCING MORE FUNDING ON HER TOUR OF THE PACIFIC ISLANDS. OUR PACIFIC CORRESPONDENT BARBARA DREAVER WAS THERE. JACINDA ARDERN MAY BE HIS DAUGHTER, BUT HIGH COMMISSIONER TO NIUE, ROSS ARDERN, WELCOMED HIS PRIME MINISTER TO THE ISLAND HE CALLS HOME. BUT TO ONE YOUNG GIRL THERE WAS ONLY ONE TITLE THAT MATTERED ` AUNTIE. FOR THE ARDERNS, IT'S A FAMILY REUNION. JUST SPEAKING FROM A PERSONAL PERSPECTIVE, WE HAVEN'T ALL BEEN TOGETHER FOR FOUR YEARS, SO IT WAS REALLY NICE TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT HERE IN NIUE. THE LOCALS HERE HAVE EMBRACED JACINDA ARDERN AS ONE OF THEIR OWN. MAYBE SHE WASN'T BORN HERE, BUT SHE HAS HER DAD WORKING HERE FOR US. WITH ONLY A FEW HOURS ON THE GROUND, IT WAS QUICKLY DOWN TO BUSINESS ` NEW ZEALAND ANNOUNCING A $5M PACKAGE TO DEVELOP SOLAR ENERGY. THIS MEANS LESS DEPENDENCY ON THIS POWER STATION, SAVING NIUE AROUND $1M A YEAR. BY 2025 THE ISLAND HOPES TO BE 80% RENEWABLE ENERGY-BASED. NEW ZEALAND GIVES NIUE AROUND $14M A YEAR. BUT THE ISLAND NATION IS PUSHING HARD TO DEVELOP BUSINESS TO MAKE IT MORE SELF-SUFFICIENT. AID IS SUBSTITUTED NOW FOR INVESTMENT. I THINK THAT'S EXTREMELY IMPORTANT FOR US. 1700 PEOPLE ARE LIVING HERE. BUT AS THEY'RE ALSO NEW ZEALAND CITIZENS, IT'S ABOUT KEEPING THEM HERE. SOMETIMES IT DOES FEEL WE ARE PREPARING OUR KIDS FOR LIFE IN NEW ZEALAND. MY QUESTION IS ` IF YOU ARE TO ENCOURAGE NIUEANS FROM NEW ZEALAND TO RETURN, WHAT WOULD YOU TELL THEM? MAKING SURE THAT THERE'S REALLY GREAT JOBS, REALLY INTERESTING JOBS. THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT, AND I KNOW THAT YOUR PREMIER IS DOING LOTS OF WORK ON THAT. NIUE IS CLEARLY LOOKING TO ITS FUTURE AND COUNTING ON NEW ZEALAND TO HELP IT GET THERE. BARBARA DREAVER, 1 NEWS, NIUE. JUST AHEAD ` LET'S MIME THE WEATHER AS A GROUP. AND HE CELEBRATED LIKE A CHAMP; PROBLEM WAS, HE WAS ANYTHING BUT ` HOW NOT TO STEAL AN OSCAR. OSCARS NIGHT TOOK A DARK TURN FOR BEST ACTRESS WINNER FRANCES McDORMAND, WHEN HER OSCAR WAS STOLEN AT AN AFTER PARTY IN HOLLYWOOD. BUT IN A MOVE THAT CERTAINLY WON'T BE WINNING ANY AWARDS, THE THIEF POSTED HIS GOLDEN HAUL ON FACEBOOK, LEADING THE POLICE RIGHT TO HIM. CHANNEL NINE'S LIZZIE PEARL HAS THE STORY. NOW YOU SEE IT... LAUGHS: OK! SO, I'M HYPERVENTILATING A LITTLE BIT. IF I FALL OVER, PICK ME UP, BECAUSE I'VE GOT SOME THINGS TO SAY. ...NOW YOU DON'T. BEST ACTRESS FRANCES McDORMAND LEAVES THE GOVERNOR'S BALL EMPTY-HANDED, BUT THE THIEF DIDN'T GO QUIETLY INTO THE NIGHT. INSTEAD, IN A POST WORTH OF AN OSCAR FOR MOST UNCONVINCING PERFORMANCE, BRAGGED ABOUT HIS CUNNING CRIME ON FACEBOOK. THIS IS MINE. WE GOT IT TONIGHT, BABY. MWAH! MWAH! GOVERNOR'S BALL, BABY. THE TUXEDO-CLAD TERRY BRYANT WAS AN INVITED GUEST. BUT WAS SPOTTED BY A PHOTOGRAPHER... WE GOT IT. WE DID IT. WE DID IT. I GOTTA GO. ...AND SOON BECAME A GUEST OF THE LOS ANGELES POLICE DEPARTMENT, CHARGED WITH GRAND THEFT, AND TAKEN INTO CUSTODY, WHILE McDORMAND WAS REUNITED WITH HER GOLDEN STATUE. NOW TO TOMORROW'S WEATHER, WITH GERRY RAFFERTY. (GERRY RAFFERTY'S 'BAKER STREET') FOR WEATHER, SEE TVNZ.CO.NZ THAT'S IT FROM US HERE ON TONIGHT. THANKS FOR WATCHING. GOODNIGHT. CAPTIONS BY JAMES BROWN AND FAITH HAMBLYN. CAPTIONS WERE MADE WITH THE SUPPORT OF NZ ON AIR. COPYRIGHT ABLE 2018.