TONIGHT ` HURRICANE FLORENCE MAKES HER PRESENCE FELT. THIS IS A POWERFUL STORM THAT CAN KILL. TODAY, THE THREAT BECOMES A REALITY. THE POWERFUL STORM RIGHT NOW SMASHING INTO AMERICA'S EAST COAST. PLUS ` CONTROVERSIAL COMPENSATION. WHY ENTREPRENEUR DEREK HANDLEY'S BEEN GIVEN A SIX-FIGURE PAYOUT AFTER BEING DITCHED AS THE GOVERNMENT'S CHIEF TECHNOLOGY OFFICER. AND THE ONE-OF-A-KIND DOUBLE ACT BOUNCING ITS WAY TO OUR SHORES. HOW THIS HUSBAND-AND-WIFE DUO IS MAKING MAGIC OUT OF THIN AIR. CAPTIONS BY VIRGINIA PHILP AND ALEX WALKER. CAPTIONS WERE MADE WITH THE SUPPORT OF NZ ON AIR. COPYRIGHT ABLE 2018 KIA ORA, GOOD EVENING. WE BEGIN WITH SOME DEVELOPING NEWS. A MAN IS DEAD AFTER BEING INJURED IN AN ASSAULT IN THE LOWER HUTT SUBURB OF TAITA TONIGHT. POLICE SAY THEY RECEIVED REPORTS OF A GROUP OF MEN FIGHTING OUTSIDE A BIG BARREL LIQUOR STORE JUST BEFORE 8. ONE MAN WAS CRITICALLY INJURED BY THE TIME POLICE ARRIVED AND DIED AT THE SCENE. ONE PERSON HAS BEEN TAKEN INTO CUSTODY, AND THE AREA WILL REMAIN CORDONED OFF OVERNIGHT. 'IF YOU HAVEN'T GOT OUT, IT'S TOO LATE.' THAT WARNING IS FROM US AUTHORITIES AS HURRICANE FLORENCE SMASHES INTO THE CAROLINA COAST TONIGHT. THE EYE OF THE CATEGORY-1 STORM IS RIGHT NOW HITTING NORTH CAROLINA AND IS PACKING A MEAN PUNCH. OVER 100,000 HOMES ARE WITHOUT POWER, AND MORE THAN 12,000 PEOPLE ARE IN SHELTERS. HERE'S CHANNEL NINE CORRESPONDENT CHARLES CROUCHER WITH THE LATEST. SLOW, STEADY, BUT STILL FULL OF FIGHT. (WIND WHOOSHES) WINDS WHIPPING UP THE OCEAN, THE SEA SURGING INLAND AS FLORENCE, THE SUPER-SOAKER OF HURRICANES... (WATER RUSHES) ...STEAMROLLS INTO THE CAROLINAS. MAN: OK, WE'RE PACKIN' UP. LET ME SET THE EXPECTATIONS. THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS STORM. WE CALL THEM DISASTERS BECAUSE THEY BREAK THINGS. THE INFRASTRUCTURE'S GONNA BREAK. THE POWER'S GONNA GO OUT. THE STORM ` AROUND 800KM WIDE, THE DISTANCE FROM SYDNEY TO MELBOURNE ` WILL TAKE DAYS, NOT HOURS, TO PASS. THE WORST OF THE STORM IS NOT YET HERE, BUT THESE ARE THE EARLY WARNINGS OF THE DAYS TO COME. 150,000 PEOPLE ARE ALREADY WITHOUT POWER. A NUCLEAR PLANT IN ITS PATH HAS BEEN SHUT DOWN AS THOUSANDS TAKE COVER IN SHELTERS. MY FIRST THOUGHT WAS, 'LORD, DON'T LET IT FLOOD,' BECAUSE I CAN'T SWIM, AND I CAN'T DO ANYTHING ABOUT THE FLOOD. EVEN AS THE WIND PICKS UP, THE REAL THREAT IS GOING TO BE THE RAIN. THEY'RE MEASURING IT IN FEET ALREADY, AND THE STORM SURGE IN METRES. IT MEANS THOSE BOATS AND SO MANY HOUSES ARE NOW IN JEOPARDY. DRIVING RAIN IS ALREADY FLOODING SEVERAL TOWNS AND WATER LEVELS CONTINUE TO RISE. AUTHORITIES ARE URGING PEOPLE NOT TO BE COMPLACENT OVER ITS NOW CATEGORY-1 STATUS. PLEASE DO NOT LET YOUR GUARD DOWN. THE STORM SURGE FORECAST ASSOCIATED WITH THIS STORM HAS NOT CHANGED. AS MILLIONS OF AMERICANS BRACE FOR EIGHT MONTHS' WORTH OF RAIN IN JUST THREE DAYS,... (WIND WHOOSHES LOUDLY) ...PRESIDENT TRUMP IS DISPUTING THE HURRICANE MARIA DEATH TOLL OF ALMOST 3000, TWEETING IT'S A PLOT BY THE DEMOCRATS TO MAKE HIM LOOK 'AS BAD AS POSSIBLE'. HE'S PLEDGED TO OFFER THE EAST COAST WHATEVER HELP IS NEEDED AS FLORENCE FINALLY ARRIVES. AND A SHORT TIME AGO CHANNEL NINE CORRESPONDENT CHARLES CROUCHER SENT US THIS UPDATE FROM ON THE GROUND IN NORTH CAROLINA. WELL, WE'RE WAITING FOR DAWN HERE IN WILMINGTON, NORTH CAROLINA. IT WILL BRING WITH IT THE FIRST LOOK AT THE DAMAGE CAUSED BY FLORENCE OVERNIGHT. IT'S ALSO GOING TO COINCIDE WITH FLORENCE'S EYE CROSSING OVER US HERE AND HIGH TIDE. THAT OBVIOUSLY BRINGS WITH IT A WHOLE HOST OF CONCERNS. WE'VE ALREADY SEEN A 10FT STORM SURGE THAT'S INUNDATED HOMES IN THE BARRIER ISLANDS AND SOME OF THE ISLANDS CLOSER TO THE COAST. BUT IT'S HERE ALONG THE RIVER OF THE MAIN CITY AND ALL THE WAY THROUGHOUT NORTH CAROLINA, THIS COASTAL AREA HAS RECEIVED A WHOLE LOT OF RAIN SO FAR, AND THAT WILL ONLY GET WORSE IN THE HOURS AND INDEED THE DAYS THAT COME. FLORENCE HAS BEEN DOWNGRADED TO A CATEGORY-1 CYCLONE. THE WINDS EXPECTED HERE IN THE NEXT FEW HOURS ARE UP TO AND ABOVE 150KM/H, BUT REALLY IT IS THAT RAIN THAT IS GOING TO BE THE BIGGEST THREAT AND POSES THE BIGGEST THREAT TO THE PEOPLE HERE AND THE PEOPLE BOTH UP AND DOWNSTREAM. THERE ARE MILLIONS AFFECTED BY THIS AND MILLIONS THAT ARE ABOUT TO GET THEIR FIRST TASTE OF WHAT WILL BE A TOUGH FEW DAYS AHEAD. THE CONTROVERSY CONTINUES OVER THE APPOINTMENT OF THE CHIEF TECHNOLOGY OFFICER, WITH THE TAXPAYER NOW PAYING $100,000 TO THE MAN WHO THOUGHT HE HAD THE JOB. DEREK HANDLEY SAYS HE'LL DONATE THE COMPENSATION, BUT AS KATIE BRADFORD REPORTS, HE'S DISAPPOINTED IN THE WAY IT'S BEEN HANDLED. HELLO. I'M DEREK HANDLEY. A MONTH AGO, TECHNOLOGY EXPERT DEREK HANDLEY LANDED THE ROLE OF NEW ZEALAND'S CHIEF TECHNOLOGY OFFICER. BUT THEN IT WAS REVEALED HE'D HAD A SECRET MEETING WITH THEN-MINISTER CLARE CURRAN, LEADING TO HER EVENTUAL RESIGNATION. I AM, LIKE THE REST OF YOU, A HUMAN BEING, AND I CAN NO LONGER ENDURE THE RELENTLESS PRESSURE. NOW MR HANDLEY'S LOST THE $400,000-A-YEAR JOB, ALTHOUGH HE WILL BE PAID COMPENSATION; THAT'S $100,000 OF TAXPAYERS' MONEY. WE RECEIVED SOME LEGAL ADVICE THAT WE NEEDED TO HONOUR THE TERMS OF AGREEMENT WITH MR HANDLEY. THIS HAS BEEN APPALLINGLY INCOMPETENT RIGHT FROM THE START. THE PRIME MINISTER NEEDS TO TAKE THE BLAME. SHE NEEDS TO APOLOGISE TO NEW ZEALAND TAXPAYERS AND TO DEREK HANDLEY. IN A LENGTHY STATEMENT, MR HANDLEY SAID HE'S DEEPLY DISAPPOINTED TO LEARN THE GOVERNMENT WILL NOT BE FOLLOWING THROUGH WITH ITS COMMITMENT. HE BELIEVED HE WOULD HAVE BEEN OF UNIQUE SERVICE TO NEW ZEALAND AS THE CTO. AND THE LAST FEW WEEKS HAVE BEEN A DISTRESSING TIME FOR HIS FAMILY, WHO HAD RETURNED TO AUCKLAND FROM A DECADE OVERSEAS. MR HANDLEY ALSO SAYS HE WILL DONATE HIS COMPENSATION MONEY TO A DIGITAL EDUCATION CHARITY. MEANWHILE, THE GOVERNMENT'S PRESSED PAUSE ON ITS PLANS FOR THE ROLE. IT'S AN UNFORTUNATE SET OF CIRCUMSTANCES. WHAT WE'RE INTERESTED IN NOW IS MOVING ON AND MAKING SURE THAT WE CAN GET THIS ROLE THE RIGHT SCOPE FOR IT TO MAKE SURE WE CAN MAXIMISE ALL THE BENEFITS THAT CAN BE THERE FOR NEW ZEALAND IN TERMS OF THE DIGITAL ECONOMY. TECHNOLOGY EXPERTS SAY THERE WERE CONCERNS THE JOB WASN'T CLEARLY DEFINED. THIS ROLE CERTAINLY HAD SOME POTENTIAL. I'M NOT SURE THAT THE JOB DESCRIPTION WAS QUITE RIGHT, BUT IT WAS AT LEAST A START, SO I THINK WE DO NEED TO RE-LOOK AT THIS AND THEN GET ROLLING WITH IT. SO NOW IT'S BACK TO THE DRAWING BOARD FOR EVERYONE. A MAJOR POWER COMPANY HAS DUMPED ITS SO-CALLED PROMPT PAYMENT DISCOUNTS, SAYING THEY SIMPLY PENALISE PEOPLE WHO STRUGGLE TO PAY THEIR BILLS. MERIDIAN ENERGY IS SCRAPPING THE DISCOUNTS AFTER A GOVERNMENT INVESTIGATION FOUND THOSE WHO CAN'T AFFORD TO PAY THEIR BILLS ON TIME ARE BEING CHARGED UP TO 26% MORE FOR THEIR POWER. TRUSTPOWER IS ALSO CONSIDERING THE MOVE, BUT GENESIS, CONTACT AND MERCURY ARE NOT. THEY'VE LISTENED TO WHAT I THINK ARE REALLY COMPELLING ARGUMENTS ` THAT ESSENTIALLY, WE HAD A PENALTY FOR THOSE THAT STRUGGLE TO PAY THEIR POWER BILLS THE MOST. THE GOVERNMENT'S STILL CONSIDERING TAKING FURTHER ACTION TO BRING POWER PRICES DOWN. AN OLD WELLINGTON OFFICE BLOCK IS GETTING A MAKEOVER; IT'S SET TO BECOME AFFORDABLE INNER-CITY HOUSING. THE CONVERSION IS A JOINT VENTURE BETWEEN THE WELLINGTON COMPANY AND THE CITY COUNCIL, WHO WILL LEASE THE 35 APARTMENTS FOR 15 YEARS. RENTS WILL RANGE FROM $400 TO $700, AND ANY INCREASES WILL BE TIED TO THE CONSUMER PRICE INDEX AND NOT MARKET RATES. IT'S HOPED KEY WORKERS, SUCH AS POLICE AND NURSES, WILL LIVE IN THE BLOCK. AND THERE'S NO COST TO RATEPAYERS. SO THIS WASHES ITS FACE. IT'S FINANCIALLY SUSTAINABLE. WE WANT TO DO MORE OF THIS. WE WANT OTHER OPPORTUNITIES TO PROVIDE THIS TYPE OF ACCOMMODATION IN THE CITY. WELLINGTON IS CURRENTLY SHORT OF NEARLY 4000 HOUSES. CHARGES HAVE BEEN LAID AGAINST THE DRIVER OF A BUS WHICH STRUCK AND KILLED TWO MEN IN SOUTH AUCKLAND IN APRIL. THE MEN HAD JUST PICKED UP TAKEAWAYS IN PAPATOETOE WHEN THEY WERE HIT BY THE BUS NEAR AN INTERSECTION. A WOMAN (72) WILL APPEAR IN MANUKAU DISTRICT COURT NEXT MONTH, FACING TWO CHARGES OF CARELESS DRIVING CAUSING DEATH. TWO RUSSIAN SUSPECTS IN THE SALISBURY CHEMICAL ATTACK HAVE APPEARED ON STATE TELEVISION, CLAIMING THEY WERE 'JUST TOURISTS', NOT ASSASSINS. ALEXANDER PETROV AND RUSLAN BOSHIROV APPEARED ON KREMLIN-FUNDED TELEVISION STATION RT, INSISTING THEY WERE IN SALISBURY TO VISIT THE CATHEDRAL. IT'S THEIR FIRST PUBLIC COMMENTS SINCE FORMER RUSSIAN AGENT SERGEI SKRIPAL AND HIS DAUGHTER YULIA WERE POISONED BY NOVICHOK IN MARCH. TRANSLATOR: OUR FRIENDS HAD BEEN SUGGESTING FOR A LONG TIME THAT WE VISIT THIS WONDERFUL TOWN. TRANSLATOR: SALISBURY? A WONDERFUL TOWN? YES. A TOURIST TOWN. THERE'S THE FAMOUS SALISBURY CATHEDRAL ` FAMOUS NOT JUST IN EUROPE BUT THE WHOLE WORLD. IT'S FAMOUS FOR ITS 123M SPIRE. ACCORDING TO THE INVESTIGATION, THE PAIR ONLY SPENT A TOTAL OF AN HOUR AND 10 MINUTES IN SALISBURY TOWN ITSELF. THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE ARE BEING EVACUATED TONIGHT AS A SO-CALLED 'SUPER TYPHOON' HURTLES TOWARDS THE PHILIPPINES. TYPHOON MANGKHUT IS EXPECTED TO BRING WINDS OF AT LEAST 280KM/H AND HEAVY RAIN. MORE THAN FOUR MILLION PEOPLE LIVE IN THE PATH OF THE CATEGORY-5 STORM THAT'S PREDICTED TO MAKE LANDFALL TOMORROW. IN THE US, ONE PERSON HAS DIED AND AT LEAST ANOTHER SIX HAVE BEEN INJURED AFTER DOZENS OF GAS EXPLOSIONS NORTH OF BOSTON. 70 FIRES RAGED ACROSS THE AREA AS A RESULT OF THE EXPLOSIONS, FORCING HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE TO EVACUATE THEIR HOMES. IT'S UNCLEAR WHAT CAUSED THE GAS LINE TO RUPTURE, BUT POWER AND GAS SUPPLIES HAVE BEEN CUT OFF TO THE WHOLE AREA WHILE AUTHORITIES INVESTIGATE. JUST AHEAD ` TASMAN VERSUS TARANAKI. THE MIGHTY MAKOS ARE BACK IN FINE FORM IN THE MITRE 10 CUP. AND MAKING MAGIC OUT OF THIN AIR ` WE MEET THE CIRCUS DUO TAKING THEIR BALLOON ACT TO NEW HEIGHTS. TASMAN HAVE ALL BUT FORGOTTEN THEIR TOUGH LOSS TO AUCKLAND LAST WEEK, COMFORTABLY BEATING TARANAKI 53-17 AT TRAFALGAR PARK TONIGHT. DESPITE THE SCORELINE, THE OPENING 20 MINUTES OF THE MATCH WAS QUIET UNTIL THE HOSTS BARGED OVER THE LINE WITH TYREL LOMAX TO SCORE. AND THINGS WENT FROM BAD TO WORSE FOR TARANAKI IN THE SECOND HALF AS DAVID HAVILI GOT THE MAKOS GOING ONCE AGAIN WITH A PERFECTLY-TIMED INTERCEPT NEAR HIS OWN LINE, WHICH HE RAN 90M TO SCORE AT THE OTHER END. AND DAVID HAVILI,... (WHISTLE TRILLS) ...MOMENTS AFTER A HEROIC PASS OF DEFENCE. THE WIN KEEPS TASMAN IN THIRD PLACE IN THE MITRE TEN CUP, BEHIND AUCKLAND AND CANTERBURY. TARANAKI SIT SECOND-TO-LAST WITH JUST TWO WINS FROM SIX MATCHES. THIS YEAR'S MAORI LANGUAGE WEEK'S BEING HAILED AS ONE OF THE BEST EVER, WITH MORE EVENTS CELEBRATED ACROSS DIFFERENT COMMUNITIES THAN EVER BEFORE. BUT IT STILL HAD ITS CONTROVERSIAL MOMENTS. ANEI TE PURONGO A YVONNE TAHANA. # I TE WAKA! # HE MANO RANGATAHI MAI I TAMAKI KI TE TONGA E HIKOI NGATAHI ANA. KOINEI TETAHI O NGA HIKOI E WHA, PUTA NOA I TE MOTU, HEI WHAKANUI I TE WIKI O TE REO MAORI. HE TINO PAI KI TE HIKOI ME TO MATOU AO MAORI, TE ATAWHAI TO MATOU REO ME TE AO, AE. E HIKOI NEI TATOU TE WHAKANUI NGA MATUA TUPUNA MA RATOU I TIMATA I ENEI MAHI. KUA KITEA RAWATIA TE AROHA MO TENEI KAUPAPA. ALL: # TUTIRA MAI NGA IWI. AUE! # KEI TE HIKOI HOKI TE REO KI NGA ARA HOU O TE WA ` IT SHOULD BE EVERYONE'S LANGUAGE. IT'S A VERY GOOD LANGUAGE. KO NGA KAITAKARO RUA WIKI E KAWE ANA I TE REO KI TE MURA O TE AHI. MAN: URU-MA-TONGA. HE WHAKATAIRANGA KUPU HAURARO KORE. TE TAUPAANGA HOU A KORA, WHAKAAHUANGIA HE MEA, KA HOMAI TE KUPU MAORI MO TAUA MEA. KIA AU NEI HE TOHU ENEI MAHI KATOA KEI TE MAHORAHORA HAERE TO TATOU REO MAORI. AHAKOA TE WAIRUA WHAKANUI I TE WIKI O TE REO MAORI. E WHAKAHAAWEA ANA ETAHI I TE WHAKAUUNGA O TE REO MAORI KI ROTO I NGA KURA. KO TENEI PAKIWAITUHI I KITEA I ROTO I TE NIUPEPA O OTAKOU. KO ETAHI I TAHURI KI TE TAATAA I TE HAKA. IT IS BASICALLY A WAR DANCE, AND VIOLENCE, PARTICULARLY DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, IS ONE OF OUR MAJOR HEADACHES IN NEW ZEALAND. AHAKOA E KUARE ANA RATOU KI NGA AHUATANGA O TE AHUREA MAORI. KAARE IA I TE HIA HIA NA REIRA KI TE KORE E HIAHIA ANA ME MOUMOU TAIMA ME KAWE MOUMOU TAIMA KI A RATOU. ANA ME MOUMOU TAIMA ME KAWE MOUMOU TAIMA KI A RATOU. EHARA I TE MEA KA TAHAENGIA ETEHI E MEA I A KOUTOU KA KOHA KE TETAHI MEA KIA KOUTOU. (ALL CHANT HAKA) HE KOHA E HAERE AKE NEI MO ENEI PIPI PAOPAO. YVONNE TAHANA, KARERE TAHI. A CIRCUS SHOW THAT'S BEEN PERFORMED IN MORE THAN 20 COUNTRIES IS NOW SET TO TOUR NEW ZEALAND. THE SPECTACLE'S PERFORMED BY A HUSBAND-AND-WIFE DUO AND INCLUDES AN ACT WHERE THEY'RE TRAPPED INSIDE GIANT BALLOONS. LAURA TWYMAN EXPLAINS. IT'S A CIRCUS MAKING MAGIC OUT OF THIN AIR. THE SHOW IS HUGE. IT TAKES UP THE ENTIRE STAGE. IT GOES UP 10M OR 13M, BECAUSE WE HAVE A RING OF FANS THAT BLOWS FABRICS AND BALLOONS AND UMBRELLAS... AND CONFETTI. ...AND CONFETTI WAY UP HIGH. THIS HUSBAND-AND-WIFE DUO FROM NEW YORK SPENT FIVE YEARS PUTTING TOGETHER THEIR SHOW CALLED 'AIRPLAY' AND HAVE TOURED FIVE CONTINENTS. THIS YEAR ALONE... OOH, YEAH, LET'S DO THIS YEAR! ...WE STARTED IN THE UK. WE WENT TO THE NETHERLANDS. WE WENT TO THE US. WE DID A LONG TOUR OF THE US. WE WENT TO AUSTRALIA. WE THEN WENT TO HONG KONG, AND NOW WE'RE HERE. THE SPECTACLE INCLUDES THE COUPLE INFLATING AND THEN CLIMBING INSIDE GIANT BALLOONS. THE DOUBLE ACT'S THE ONLY ONE OF ITS KIND IN THE WORLD. IT'S KIND OF LIKE BEING IN A SAUNA THAT BOUNCES. HONESTLY, YOU CAN'T LEARN THIS TRICK AT HOME, BECAUSE IT'S THE MOST DANGEROUS ACT THAT WE DO IN THE SHOW. EVERY SINGLE TIME I'M ONSTAGE, I LOOK AT SETH, AND I'M LIKE, 'ARE WE REALLY DOING THIS AGAIN?' BUT WEARING BALLOONS ISN'T A FOREIGN CONCEPT FOR THIS COUPLE. MY LIFE IS COVERED IN LATEX. I EVEN GOT MARRIED IN BALLOONS. HER WEDDING DRESS WAS DESIGNED BY A BALLOON SCULPTOR AND MADE TO HER EXACT MEASUREMENTS. THESE OUTFITS ` A BIT DIFFERENT. THEIR NEW ZEALAND STAGE DEBUT WILL BE IN DUNEDIN IN TWO WEEKS. LAURA TWYMAN, 1 NEWS. NOW TO TOMORROW'S WEATHER. (HENARE WAITOA'S 'HOKI MAI') # HOKI MAI E TAMA MA # KI ROTO # RINGA RINGA # E TUWHERA ATU NEI, # KEI TE KAPAKAPA MAI # TE HAKI # INGARANGI I RUNGA TIAMANA E. # HOKI MAI, HOKI MAI # KI TE WA KAINGA # E TUTUKI TE TUMANAKO # KEI TE KAPAKAPA MAI # TE HAKI, TE HAKI # INGARANGI I RUNGA TIAMANA E. # HOKI MAI E TAMA MA # KI ROTO THAT'S IT FROM US HERE ON TONIGHT. THANKS FOR WATCHING. PO MARIE. CAPTIONS BY VIRGINIA PHILP AND ALEX WALKER.