IT'S MIDDAY. BILLIONS OF DOLLARS WILL BE POURED INTO A NEW GOVERNMENT SCHEME TO ADDRESS THE HOUSING CRISIS. BUT WILL IT MAKE A DIFFERENCE FOR FIRST-HOME BUYERS? AND THERE'S A NEW COVID CASE AT THE BORDER. WE'LL BRING YOU THE LATEST DETAILS ON THAT LIVE. PLUS ` THE WORLD HEALTH ORGANISATION IS HITTING OUT AT THE GLOBAL ROLL-OUT OF COVID-19 VACCINES. WHY IT COULD LEAD TO MORE STRAINS OF THE VIRUS. CAPTIONS BY KRISTIN WILLIAMS AND JADE FERNANDES. CAPTIONS WERE MADE WITH THE SUPPORT OF NZ ON AIR. WWW.ABLE.CO.NZ COPYRIGHT ABLE 2021 KIA ORA. GOOD AFTERNOON. A MAJOR SHAKE-UP ON THE WAY TO COOL THE OVERHEATED HOUSING MARKET, WITH THE GOVERNMENT TODAY ANNOUNCING A PACKAGE THEY SAY WILL HELP FIRST-HOME BUYERS. IT INCLUDES A $3.8b FUND TO ACCELERATE HOUSING SUPPLY. MORE KIWIS WILL GET ACCESS TO FIRST-HOME GRANTS AND LOANS. IN AN EFFORT TO CURB SPECULATION, THE BRIGHT-LINE TEST WILL BE DOUBLED TO 10 YEARS. ALTHOUGH, THAT WON'T APPLY TO NEW BUILDS AND THE INTEREST DEDUCTABILITY LOOPHOLE WILL BE REMOVED. PLUS, EXTRA SUPPORT FOR TRADES TRAINING IS ON ITS WAY, WITH THE APPRENTICESHIP BOOST INITIATIVE GETTING AN EXTENSION. FOR MORE ANALYSIS, LET'S GO LIVE NOW TO POLITICAL EDITOR JESSICA MUTCH MCKAY. KIA ORA, JESS. WHAT DO YOU MAKE OF TODAY'S ANNOUNCEMENT? THE OTHER LOTS OF DIFFERENT ASPECTS TO THAT. LET'S GO THROUGH AND GIVE YOU A LITTLE BIT MORE DETAIL ON THOSE. WITH A $3.8 BILLION FUND, THAT WILL GO ON THINGS LIKE DRAINS AND ROADS TO MAKE IT EASIER FOR PEOPLE TO GO AND BUILD MORE HOUSES. THEN THERE IS THE BRIGHT-LINE TEST. AT THE MOMENT, IF YOU SELL AN INVESTMENT PROPERTY WITHIN FIVE YEARS, YOU HAVE TO PAY TAX ON THE INCOME THAT YOU MAKE FROM THAT. THAT WILL BE EXTENDED OUT TO 10 YEARS. DON'T FORGET, THAT DOESN'T APPLY TO THE FAMILY HOME. IT ALSO DOESN'T APPLY IF YOU INHERIT A HOUSE AND SELL IT ON. AND IT DOESN'T APPLY TO NEW BUILDS. INCREASING SUPPLY. THEN THERE IS THE FIRST-HOME GRANT. THAT IS WHEN YOU GET $5000 FROM THE GOVERNMENT WHEN YOU BUY YOUR FIRST HOME AND $10,000 IF YOU BUILD A NEW HOME. THE CAP THAT YOU CAN EARN TO BE ELIGIBLE FOR THAT HAS GONE UP AND ALSO THE AMOUNT THAT THE HOUSE CAN BE WORTH HAS GONE UP. IF YOU ARE A PERSON BY YOURSELF, YOU CAN NOW EARN UP TO $95,000 A YEAR AND STILL BE ELIGIBLE. IF YOU ARE A COUPLE, THAT GOES UP TO $150,000 A YEAR TO STILL BE ELIGIBLE. IN AUCKLAND, THE HOUSE CAN NOW BE WORTH $700,000 FOR YOU TO BE ELIGIBLE FOR THAT. IT USED TO BE JUST $625,000. IN WELLINGTON, A HOUSE CAN BE WITH $650,000 BEFORE IT WAS JUST $600,000. PERHAPS MAKING THOSE PRICES FOR THE HOUSE VALUE A LITTLE BIT MORE REALISTIC FOR PEOPLE SHOPPING AROUND AND LOOKING. THE PRIME MINISTER IS SAYING THIS WILL MAKE A DIFFERENCE, IT WILL DAMPEN THE HOUSING MARKET. WE WANT OUR FIRST-HOME BUYERS TO BE ABLE TO GET INTO THE MARKET. AND SO MUCH OF WHAT WE ARE DOING TODAY IS ABOUT THEM. SO WE DO HOPE THAT OVER TIME, THIS WILL MAKE A DIFFERENCE. BUT WE'RE ALSO CLEAR ` THIS IS A COMPLEX ISSUE IN WHICH THERE IS NO ONE SILVER BULLET, SO WE ARE PULLING ALL OF THE LEVERS WE HAVE TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE. AND, JESS, THE GOVERNMENT'S CHANGED ITS TUNE OVER THE BRIGHT-LINE TEST. BEFORE THE ELECTION, GRANT ROBERTSON SAID THAT THEY WOULDN'T BE MAKING ANY CHANGES TO THAT BRIGHT-LINE TEST. THAT WAS AN ELECTION PROMISE. NOW THE FINANCE MINISTER IS SAYING THAT THAT HAS CHANGED. IT HAS PROMPTED NATIONAL TO COME OUT AND SAY THIS MORNING THAT IT IS A BROKEN PROMISE. LABOUR'S POLICY WAS CLEAR THAT WE WOULDN'T INTRODUCE ANY NEW TAXES. YOU'RE REFERRING TO A SPECIFIC INTERVIEW THAT I DID. I WAS TOO DEFINITIVE IN MY COMMENTS IN THAT INTERVIEW. BUT WHAT I WOULD ENDORSE IS WHAT THE PRIME MINISTER HAS JUST SAID ` NEW ZEALANDERS EXPECT US TO ADDRESS THE HOUSING CRISIS, AND WE ARE DOING THAT TODAY. THE LABOUR PARTY HAS LIED TO NEW ZEALANDERS. IN TERMS OF NUMBERS, THE GOVERNMENT IS SAYING THAT THIS PACKAGE WILL BE ABLE TO BUILD BETWEEN 80,000 AND HUNDRED AND 20,000 HOUSES OVER THE NEXT 20 YEARS. YOU WILL REMEMBER WITH KIWIBUILD THAT THEY WERE HELD TO THE ACCOUNT EVERY STEP OF THE WAY. THIS ONE WILL BE NO DIFFERENT. IT IS A BIG POLITICAL ISSUE. THANKS FOR THE ANALYSIS. THAT IS OUR POLITICAL EDITOR, TO SUCCUMB AT MACKAY IN WELLINGTON. A STAFF MEMBER AT AN AUCKLAND MANAGED ISOLATION FACILITY HAS TESTED POSITIVE FOR COVID-19, THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH MAKING THE ANNOUNCEMENT LATE LAST NIGHT. VANDHNA BHAN HAS BEEN FOLLOWING DEVELOPMENTS THIS MORNING AND JOINS US NOW LIVE FROM OUTSIDE THE GRAND MILLENIUM IN AUCKLAND CITY. KIA ORA, VANDHNA. WHAT'S THE LATEST? KIA ORA. WE DON'T ACTUALLY KNOW TOO MUCH SINCE LAST NIGHT. THERE HASN'T BEEN AN UPDATE ON THIS NEW CASE WHO WAS A WORKER HERE AT THE GRAND MILLENNIUM HOTEL. THEY RETURNED A POSITIVE TEST DURING ROUTINE TESTING AND HAVEN'T SHOWN ANY SIGNS OF COVID-19 SINCE. THAT IS A GOOD SIGN IN ITSELF. THIS WORKER ALONGSIDE THE HOUSEHOLD FAMILY MEMBERS HAVE BEEN ISOLATING AT HOME SINCE LAST NIGHT. THAT ALL COULD CHANGE TODAY. THEY COULD BE TRANSFERRED TO THE QUARANTINE FACILITY AT JET PARK HOTEL. THAT'S ACCORDING TO THE GOVERNMENT'S OFFICIAL FACEBOOK PAGE. THE RACE IS ON TO PEN DOWN WHERE THIS CAME FROM. GENOME SEQUENCING AND ADDITIONAL TESTING THING IS RAPIDLY UNDERWAY. WE HAPPEN HEARING REPORTS THIS MORNING THAT THIS WORKER HAS ONLY GOT THE FIRST JAB OF THE VACCINE, THEREFORE NOT GIVING THEM FULL PROTECTION AND THAT THERE ARE NOT MANY LOCATIONS OF INTEREST AND THEY ARE DEEMING AT LOW RISK. ALL OF THIS WILL BE CONFIRMED WITH MORE INFORMATION AT 1 O'CLOCK PRESS CONFERENCE THIS AFTERNOON WITH CHRIS HAPPENS IN ASHLEY BLOOMFIELD WHICH WILL BE AIRED LIVE. TURNING TO SOME DEVELOPING NEWS NOW. AN ACTIVE SHOOTER SITUATION IS UNFOLDING AT A SUPERMARKET IN THE U.S. STATE OF COLORADO. A WARNING AHEAD OF THIS VIDEO COMING NEXT ` SOME PEOPLE CAN BE SEEN MOTIONLESS ON THE GROUND. OH MY GOD. GUYS, WE HAVE PEOPLE DOWN. (GUNSHOT) HOLY (BLEEP). EMERGENCY SERVICES HAVE SWARMED THE SITE OF THE KING SOOPERS STORE IN BOULDER. THERE ARE REPORTS OF MULTIPLE VICTIMS, WITH PEOPLE URGED TO AVOID THE AREA. WITNESSES HAVE DESCRIBED SCENES OF PANIC. WE SAW PEOPLE RUNNING TOWARDS US, LIKE TOWARDS THE BACK, BECAUSE THAT WAS THE SAFEST PLACE. AND WE DID TALK TO SOMEONE AT THE FRONT, WHO HAD JUST WALKED IN. AND HE SAID THAT HE SAW SOMEONE GO DOWN. AND, YEAH, IT'S JUST A TERRIBLE THING. NEARBY RESIDENTS HAVE BEEN TOLD TO STAY INSIDE. ANOTHER NIGHT OF CONSTANT RAIN HAS SEEN MORE EVACUATION ORDERS ISSUED IN NEW SOUTH WALES. DAYS OF DOWNPOURS ARE ONLY SET TO WORSEN AS TWO WEATHER SYSTEMS COMBINE, FURTHER FILLING ALREADY SWOLLEN RIVERS. THE NEXT 24 HOURS ARE CRITICAL. MORE RESIDENTS ALONG THE COLO RIVER ARE BEING EVACUATED RIGHT NOW. A RECORD HIGH PEAK IS EXPECTED LATER TODAY. THE STATE'S PREMIER SAYS ANOTHER 15,000 PEOPLE COULD BE ORDERED TO LEAVE THEIR HOMES; AROUND 18,000 ALREADY HAVE. BUT SOME TOWNS WHERE THE WEATHER HAS PASSED ARE NOW BEGINNING THE CLEAN UP. ABC'S JAMES CARMODY REPORTS. A FAMILY HOME TO MULTIPLE GENERATIONS RUINED IN MOMENTS. ONE MINUTE IT WAS ANKLE DEEP. NEXT MINUTE, WE WERE WALKING THROUGH THE HOUSE TO OUR WAIST. THE RAPIDLY RISING FLOODWATERS LEFT HER IN-LAWS' NEWLY RENOVATED HOUSE UNLIVEABLE AND THE BELONGINGS OF HER 7-MONTH-OLD DAUGHTER UNRECOGNISABLE. ALL OUR BELONGINGS, LIKE, EVERYTHING. ON TAREE'S MAIN STREET, TANYA BROWN'S MUSIC STORE OF TWO DECADES NOW SITS EMPTY. HELPING HANDS MANAGING TO SAVE ABOUT HALF THEIR STOCK. WE HAD ABOUT 50 PEOPLE IN HERE ` SOME OF WHICH WE KNEW, A LOT OF WHICH WE DIDN'T. AND EVERYONE WAS JUST FORMING HUMAN CHAINS AND GRABBING STUFF OFF WALLS AND GETTING IT OUT. TOP OF THE RANGE INSTRUMENTS ARE BEING KEPT SAFE IN HOMES AND BUSINESSES THROUGHOUT THE TOWN. MEANWHILE, FARMERS HAVE NOT STOPPED IN DAYS, COLLECTING ONE ANOTHER'S CATTLE AND MOVING SURVIVING LIVESTOCK TO SAFETY. THE CATTLE LOSSES ARE A BIT HARD. WE PUT A LOT OF EFFORT INTO BREEDING CATTLE. YEAH. SORRY. JUST LOSING THEM IS A BIT HARD. IT COMES AFTER A TOUGH DROUGHT, WHICH ONLY BROKE LAST YEAR. A LOT OF US ARE REALLY AT THE POINT WHERE WE COULDN'T GO ON ANY LONGER. THE EASING OF THE MANNING RIVER HAS REVEALED THE LEVEL OF DESTRUCTION IN TAREE. ALREADY DOWN BY THE RIVER HERE YOU CAN SMELL THE UNMISTAKEABLE STENCH OF SEWAGE. LOCALS ARE CONCERNED ABOUT THE POTENTIAL HEALTH IMPLICATIONS OF THAT AND HOW LONG IT MIGHT TAKE TO CLEAN UP. TO SEE IT LIKE THIS, IT'S JUST DEVASTATING. YEAH. IT'LL BE A LONG TIME BEFORE IT RECOVERS. AND WITH THE BRIDGES INTO TOWN STILL BEING ASSESSED BY ENGINEERS, THAT RECOVERY COULD BE DELAYED EVEN FURTHER. THE HEAD OF THE WORLD HEALTH ORGANISATION HAS FIRED A SHOT AT NATIONS ROLLING OUT VACCINES TO PEOPLE NOT AT HIGH RISK OF COVID-19. THE W.H.O. DIRECTOR-GENERAL IS CALLING THE INEQUITABLE DISTRIBUTION OF JABS A MORAL OUTRAGE, SAYING IT WAS EPIDEMIOLOGICALLY SELF-DEFEATING. HE DESCRIBED THE GAP BETWEEN VACCINATIONS IN RICH AND POOR COUNTRIES AS 'GROTESQUE'. COUNTRIES THAT ARE NOW VACCINATING YOUNGER, HEALTHY PEOPLE AT LOW RISK OF DISEASES ARE DOING SO AT THE COST OF THE LIVES OF HEALTH WORKERS, OLDER PEOPLE AND OTHER AT-RISK GROUPS IN OTHER COUNTRIES. HE WARNED THE LONGER COVID-19 IS RAGING IN OTHER COUNTRIES. THE MORE LIKELY IT IS VARIANTS WILL EMERGE THAT VACCINES CAN'T STOP. SCHOOL'S OUT IN THE U.S., AND THOUSANDS OF STUDENTS ARE MAKING THE MOST OF SPRING BREAK IN MIAMI. BUT THERE'S A PROBLEM. NEARLY 4000 NEW CASES OF COVID-19 WERE REPORTED IN THE STATE JUST YESTERDAY. THE BBC'S PETER BOWES REPORTS ON THE STATE OF EMERGENCY AT MIAMI BEACH. PARTY TIME IN MIAMI. SPRING BREAK, WHEN STUDENTS TRADITIONALLY DESCEND ON FLORIDA TO LET OFF STEAM. THE BARS, BEACHES AND RESTAURANTS ARE PACKED, BUT THIS IS NO TIME TO PARTY. PA: THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH IS CURRENTLY UNDER A STATE OF EMERGENCY. THERE'S A CURFEW IN EFFECT. THESE EXTRAORDINARY SCENES HAVE SHOCKED LOCAL OFFICIALS WHO SAY THEY'VE BEEN OVERWHELMED BY THE NUMBER OF REVELLERS. THERE'S LITTLE SIGN OF SOCIAL DISTANCING, AND FEW PEOPLE WEARING MASKS. FIGHTS HAVE BROKEN OUT, AND BUSINESSES HAVE BEEN FORCED TO CLOSE DOWN. AT ONE POINT, THE POLICE SHOT PEPPER BALLS INTO THE CROWD, URGING PEOPLE TO LEAVE AFTER AN EIGHT P.M. CURFEW CAME INTO EFFECT. I THINK IT IS A GOOD IDEA, EVEN THOUGH IT'S FUN OUT HERE, LIKE WE WANT TO BE OUT HERE AND HAVE FUN. NO ONE'S DOING ANYTHING. PEOPLE ARE JUST OUT HERE ENJOYING THE BEACH. AND, YOU KNOW, IT'S A GOOD VIBE, BUT THEY WANT TO SHUT IT DOWN AT EIGHT O'CLOCK. PEOPLE WILL GO SOMEWHERE ELSE, AND TAKE THEIR MONEY SOMEWHERE ELSE. AND IT IS WHAT IT IS. BUT PEOPLE ARE GOING TO LIVE. CORONA'S OVER, WINTER'S OVER. GET THE VACCINE, GET BACK TO BUSINESS. I'M NOT WORRIED BECAUSE OF COVID. I MEAN, I'M NOT REALLY WORRIED ABOUT THAT, YOU KNOW, WHAT I'M SAYING, LIKE, YOU KNOW, YOU JUST GOT TO BE CAUTIOUS, THAT'S ALL. YOU KNOW WHAT I'M SAYING? IT'S NO GUARANTEES WITH THE COVID THING, YOU KNOW, WHAT I'M SAYING? YOU CAN GET THE COVID FROM YOUR NEIGHBOURHOOD, YOUR BLOCK, YOUR BUILDING. YOU KNOW, WHAT I'M SAYING? I DON'T MATTER, YOU OUT SOMEWHERE ELSE, LIKE WE CHILLING. FLORIDA IS ONE OF THE FEW U.S. STATES NOW FULLY OPEN DURING THE PANDEMIC. LAST MONTH, THE REPUBLICAN GOVERNOR, RHONDA SANTURCE, DECLARED THE STATE AN "OASIS OF FREEDOM" FROM CORONAVIRUS RESTRICTIONS. TOURISTS HAVE DESCENDED ON THE AREA IN LARGE NUMBERS OVER THE PAST FEW WEEKS. IN BOSTON YOU GOT TO WEAR A MASK EVERYWHERE YOU GO. I HAVE THE VACCINE, SO I DON'T CARE. I CAN GO HOME. I CAN GET TESTED. FOR MYSELF, I DON'T REALLY CARE ABOUT. I WOULDN'T WANT TO GET MY PARENTS SICK, YOU KNOW? OFFICIALS HAVE BLAMED ADULTS RATHER THAN COLLEGE STUDENTS FOR MUCH OF THE CHAOS. THE STATE OF EMERGENCY AND NIGHT-TIME CURFEW HAS NOW BEEN EXTENDED FOR UP TO THREE WEEKS. MANY PEOPLE ARE COMING HERE RIGHT NOW, AND TOO MANY PEOPLE ARE COMING HERE WITH BAD INTENTIONS. LAST WEEK, FLORIDA RECORDED MORE THAN 4000 NEW COVID-19 INFECTIONS A DAY. THIS IS A CRISIS THAT'S FAR FROM OVER. STILL TO COME ON MIDDAY ` CAN THE BLACK CAPS WIN TODAY'S POTENTIAL DECIDER AGAINST BANGLADESH WITHOUT A KEY PLAYER? AND THE SILVER FERNS CAPTAIN BEING PRAISED FOR OPENING UP ABOUT LIFE OFF THE NETBALL COURT. PLUS ` AN ORBITAL JUNKYARD. WHY OUR PLANET'S ENCASED BY A FIELD OF METAL SHRAPNEL AND THE PROGRAM HOPING TO CLEAN IT UP. TJ: Have I done enough to wear the jersey? Gotta sweat out that fear because this is bigger than me. I do it for my fans and my family. ION4 hydration. Sweat it out witih Powerade. JARRYD HAYNE HAS SPOKEN OUT AFTER BEING FOUND GUILTY OF SEXUALLY ASSAULTING A WOMAN IN 2018. THE FORMER NRL STAR WAS GRANTED BAIL AND ORDERED TO HAND OVER $50,000. HERE'S CHANNEL NINE'S KELLY FEDOR. HIS EYES RED WITH EMOTION. THIS WAS NOT THE HONEYMOON JARRYD HAYNE AND HIS NEW WIFE HAD IMAGINED. I'D RATHER GO TO JAIL KNOWING I SPOKE THE TRUTH THAN BE A FREE MAN LIVING A LIE. I WAS STRAIGHT UP FROM THE START. IT'S UNFORTUNATE. IT'S DISAPPOINTING. BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, THAT'S WHAT THEY` YOU KNOW, THEY'VE COME TO THE DECISION. I RESPECT THAT. CLEARLY TAKEN ABACK BY THE GUILTY VERDICT, HIS TIME AS A FREE MAN TICKING AWAY. THE NRL SUPERSTAR WAS AT THE TAIL END OF HIS CAREER IN 2018 WHEN HE WAS CHARGED WITH SEXUALLY ASSAULTING A WOMAN IN HER NEWCASTLE HOME, CAUSING HER TO BLEED HEAVILY AS A TAXI WAITED OUTSIDE. HE ARGUED IT WAS CONSENSUAL. WITH THE TENS OF THOUSANDS MARCHING FOR JUSTICE MIDWAY THROUGH THE TRIAL, THE JUDGE FORCED TO URGE THE JURY TO STAY FOCUSSED ON THE EVIDENCE. THE SECOND JURY TO HEAR THE CASE TAKING THREE DAYS TO FIND HIM GUILTY. HER COURAGE, RESILIENCE AND STEELY NATURE THROUGH THIS PROCESS HAS BEEN SOMETHING THAT THE INVESTIGATORS HAVE WORKED WITH ON A DAILY BASIS WITH HER. THE JURY WASN'T TOLD OF HIS DENIALS THAT HE SEXUALLY ASSAULTED A WOMAN WHEN SHE WAS DRUNK IN THE U.S. HANEY'S RIGHT NOW SORTING OUT HIS BAIL, ORDERED TO HAND OVER $50,000 TO ENSURE HE DOESN'T RUN. THAT'S BECAUSE THE COURT WAS TOLD A JAIL TERM IS INEVITABLE. THE MAXIMUM ` 14 YEARS. I'M BACK ON THE 6TH OF MAY, I THINK. TO SPORT, AND THE BLACK CAPS ARE JUST UNDER TWO HOURS AWAY FROM STARTING THE SECOND ONE-DAYER AGAINST BANGLADESH. THEY'LL BE WITHOUT ROSS TAYLOR THOUGH FOR THE CLASH AS THE VETERAN CONTINUES TO RECOVER FROM A HAMSTRING INJURY. HE ALSO MISSED NEW ZEALAND'S BIG OPENING WIN OVER THE TIGERS ON SATURDAY. VICTORY TODAY IN CHRISTCHURCH WOULD ASSURE THE BLACK CAPS OF AN UNASSAILABLE SERIES LEAD. BLUES FORWARDS OFA TU'UNGAFASI AND KURT EKLUND HAVE BEEN CITED FOR FOUL PLAY DURING SUNDAY'S LOSS TO THE CRUSADERS AT EDEN PARK. TU'UNGAFASI WAS YELLOW CARDED FOR A SHOULDER CHARGE ON SCOTT BARRETT, BUT THAT'S SINCE BEEN RAISED TO A RED CARD OFFENCE BY THE CITING COMMISSIONER. AND EKLUND'S LIFTING TACKLE ON SEVU REECE HAS ALSO BEEN ESCALATED, NOW DEEMED TO HAVE MET THE RED CARD THRESHOLD. AND THE WARRIORS WILL BE WITHOUT TWO IMPORTANT PLAYERS FOR SATURDAY'S NRL CLASH AGAINST THE CANBERRA RAIDERS. JAMAYNE TAUNOA BROWN HAS BEEN BANNED FOR THE NEXT THREE GAMES FOR A CRUSHER TACKLE IN THE WARRIORS' DEFEAT TO THE KNIGHTS. PLAYMAKER CHANEL HARRIS TAVITA WILL BE UNAVAILABLE FOR EVEN LONGER. HE'S HAVING SCANS TODAY TO DETERMINE THE EXTENT OF A FOOT INJURY. SILVER FERNS CAPTAIN AMELIARANNE EKENASIO HAS OPENED UP ABOUT HER ONGOING MENTAL HEALTH BATTLE IN A RAW AND HEARTFELT SOCIAL MEDIA POST. THE 30-YEAR-OLD WROTE ON INSTAGRAM LAST NIGHT THAT SHE WANTS PEOPLE TO KNOW THAT DESPITE BEING A SUCCESSFUL ATHLETE, IT'S NOT ALL AS IT APPEARS BEHIND THE SCENES. MANY OF EKENASIO'S TEAMMATES HAVE BEEN QUICK TO SUPPORT HER, SHARING HER MESSAGE ON THEIR OWN SOCIAL MEDIA ACCOUNTS. IT'S JUST OVER 7 YEARS SINCE THE FORMULA 1 LEGEND MICHAEL SCHUMACHER HAD A SKIING ACCIDENT THAT LEFT HIM WITH A DEVASTATING BRAIN INJURY. HE'S NOT BEEN SEEN IN PUBLIC SINCE, BUT THIS WEEKEND, HIS SON (22) MICK WILL ENSURE THE SCHUMACHER NAME RETURNS TO FORMULA 1, WHEN HE MAKES HIS DEBUT IN BAHRAIN. THE BBC'S DAN ROAN SPOKE WITH HIM. HE'S A ROOKIE LIKE NO OTHER. MICK SCHUMACHER HAS ONE OF THE MOST FAMOUS NAMES IN MOTORSPORT. SON OF LEGENDARY MICHAEL ` THE YOUNGEST IS PREPARING TO CONTINUE A REMARKABLE LEGACY. AND WITH HIS FIRST RACE IN FORMULA 1 JUST DAYS AWAY, HE TOLD ME WHAT IT MEANT TO BE FOLLOWING IN HIS FATHER'S FOOTSTEPS. IT'S BEEN A LIFELONG DREAM TO BE HERE. AND, YOU KNOW, JUST WALKING INTO THE PIT WAS AN AMAZING FEELING, BEING WITH THE TEAM, KNOWING THAT THIS IS IT. I GOT MY PASS, AND IT'S, LIKE, THE PROPER RED F1 PASS. IT'S JUST LIKE, WOW, YOU KNOW? IT'S AMAZING. I REMEMBER, LIKE, SEEING MY DAD HAVING ONE AND I WAS, LIKE, ALWAYS, I WANTED ONE. I HAVE ONE NOW, AND IT'S AMAZING, AND I'M REALLY LOOKING FORWARD TO IT. UNDER THE WATCHFUL EYE OF HIS FATHER, SCHUMACHER JUNIOR BEGAN HIS RACING CAREER AGED JUST NINE. PROGRESSING THROUGH THE RANKS, HE WENT ON TO WIN THE FORMULA 2 TITLE LAST SEASON, EARNING A DRIVE WITH HAAS AT THE TOP OF THE SPORT. HOW DO YOU HANDLE THE INEVITABLE COMPARISONS THAT ARE DRAWN BETWEEN YOU AND YOUR FATHER? I THINK HIS MOTIVATION AND PRIDE, REALLY. YOU KNOW, I'M HAPPY TO BE HERE. I'M HAPPY TO HAVE BROUGHT BACK THE SCHUMACHER NAME INTO FORMULA 1. WE'VE PROVEN THAT I'M ABLE TO DRIVE A RACE CAR, AND I DON'T FEEL A BLINK OF PRESSURE. SCHUMACHER SENIOR DOMINATED F1, WINNING SEVEN WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS. THEN CAME THE TRAGIC SKIING ACCIDENT IN 2013, WHICH LEFT HIM WITH SEVERE HEAD INJURIES. HE HASN'T BEEN SEEN SINCE, AND HIS FAMILY WON'T DISCUSS HIS CURRENT CONDITION. BUT THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THIS WEEKEND IS NOT LOST ON HIS SON. IT'S 30 YEARS SINCE MY DAD HAS DRIVEN HIS FIRST RACE, AND WE'VE BEEN EXACTLY THE SAME AGE. SO IT'S GONNA BE AN EMOTIONAL WEEKEND. SCHUMACHER'S PREPARING TO DEFY THE WEIGHT OF EXPECTATION FROM NECK-STRENGTHENING EXERCISES IN THE GYM TO BEING MEASURED UP FOR HIS NEW CAR. BUT FEW DEBUTS IN SPORT WILL HAVE BEEN QUITE SO EMOTIVE. STILL TO COME ON MIDDAY ` I'LL BE BACK WITH THE AFTERNOON WEATHER. AND ` CLEANING UP OUR ACT AND OUR ORBIT. THE PEOPLE TIDYING UP AFTER OUR SPACE PROGRAMS. ONE OF THE WORLD'S BIGGEST DUMPING GROUNDS IS OUT OF THIS WORLD ALTOGETHER. THERE ARE TONS OF DEBRIS FLOATING IN THE ORBIT AROUND EARTH FROM YEARS OF SPACE ACTIVITY. BBC'S JONATHAN AMOS WITH THE EFFORT TO CLEAN IT UP. IS THIS THE START OF A NEW ERA? A RUSSIAN ROCKET FLIES SKYWARD ON A MISSION TO SHOWCASE HOW THE SPACE INDUSTRY CAN FINALLY START TO DEAL WITH ITS DIRTY SECRET, ORBITAL DEBRIS. MORE THAN 60 YEARS OF SPACE ACTIVITY HAVE LEFT MILLIONS OF DISCARDED PIECES OF METAL AND OTHER MATERIALS LITTERING THE SKIES OVERHEAD, EVERYTHING FROM OLD ROCKET SEGMENTS TO ACCIDENTALLY DROPPED ASTRONAUT TOOLS, EVEN FLECKS OF PAINT. THE SPACE INDUSTRY IS FINALLY REALISING THAT UNLESS WE START REMOVING SOME OF THE BIGGER JUNK ITEMS, WE RUN THE RISK OF COLLISIONS THAT WILL DESTROY THE ACTIVE SATELLITES THAT PROVIDE OUR COMMUNICATIONS AND WEATHER FORECASTS. ENTER THE ASTRA SCALE COMPANY WITH A DIVISION IN THE U.K. WHICH LAUNCHED ITS CLEAN UP DEMONSTRATION ON MONDAY'S ROCKET. IT'LL USE ONE SATELLITE TO MAGNETICALLY GRAB ANOTHER, A DUMMY IN THIS INSTANCE AND PULL IT DOWN TO EARTH. THE MANOEUVRES INVOLVED WILL BE COMPLEX. THE KEY IS TO CAPTURE A TUMBLING OBJECT. SO IF A SATELLITES FAILS, IT CAN QUITE EASILY START TUMBLING, AND THAT MAKES IT CONSIDERABLY HARDER TO CAPTURE IT SO THAT IS OUR KEY TECHNOLOGY. ASTRA SCALE BELIEVES A VIBRANT MARKET WILL EMERGE THIS DECADE IN WHICH SPACECRAFT OWNERS CONTRACT OTHER OPERATORS TO EITHER SERVICE AND REPAIR HARDWARE IN ORBIT, OR TOW IT OUT OF HARM'S WAY. THEY SHOULD KEEP ORBITS FREE AND SAFE FOR EVERYONE TO CONTINUE USING TIME NOW TO SEE HOW THE WEATHER'S SHAPING UP AT YOUR PLACE. THANKS FOR JOINING US. OUR NEXT NEWS IS TE KARERE AT 4, AND THE 1 NEWS TEAM WILL BE HERE AT 6. HAVE A GREAT AFTERNOON. CAPTIONS BY JADE FERNANDES AND KRISTIN WILLIAMS. CAPTIONS WERE MADE WITH THE SUPPORT OF NZ ON AIR. WWW.ABLE.CO.NZ COPYRIGHT ABLE 2021