DUE TO THE LIVE NATURE OF MIDDAY WE APOLOGISE FOR THE LACK OF CAPTIONS FOR SOME ITEMS. HUNDREDS TURN OUT TO REMEMBER WELLINGTON LAWYER GREG KING. CHINA'S CROSSROADS. CAN A CHANGE IN LEADERSHIP DEAL WITH GROWING DEBT AND RISING DEMANDS FOR DEMOCRACY? AND A FORMER K TV HOST APOLOGISES FOR A BLUNDER IN A CHILD SEX ABUSE SCANDAL. HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE ARE GATHERING AT WELLINGTON'S ST PAUL'S CATHEDRAL TODAY FOR THE FUNERAL OF LAWYER GREG KING. THE 43-YEAR-OLD IS REMEMBERED AS A BRILLIANT LAWYER WITH A GREAT SENSE OF TIMING AND HUMOUR. JAMES RANSLEY REPORTS. MOURNERS HAVE PACKED ST PAULS FOR THE FUNERAL OF GREG KING, A MAN WIDELY RECOGNISED AS ONE OF THE COUNTRY'S TOP DEFENCE LAWYERS. GREG'S DEATH IS A GREAT LOSS FOR NZ. HE WAS ADMIRED BOTH PERSONALLY AND PROFESSIONALLY. A BRILLIANT LEGAL MIND, A GENUINE PASSION FOR THE UNDERDOG, AND A DEEP UNDERSTANDING OF EVERYDAY PEOPLE. MR KING WAS THE YOUNGEST NZ LAWYER TO MOUNT A DEFENCE IN A MURDER TRIAL. HE WENT ON TO REPRESENT A SERIES OF HIGH-PROFILE MURDERERS, INCLUDING CLAYTON WEATHERSTON, JOHN BARLOW AND SCOTT WATSON. MOST RECENTLY HE DEFENDED FEILDING FARMER EWEN MACDONALD, WHO WAS FOUND NOT GUILTY OF MURDERING HIS BROTHER-IN-LAW SCOTT GUY. HIS PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENTS WERE REMARKABLE BY ANY STANDARDS, BUT IN THE CONTEXT OF A LEGAL CAREER WHICH SPANNED ONLY TWO DECADES, THEY ARE ABSOLUTELY EXTRAORDINARY. HE WAS ALSO REMEMBERED AS A KEEN SPORTSMAN, TAKING UP BOXING AS A YOUNG MAN AND LATER SPONSORING THE WAINUIOMATA RUGBY LEAGUE CLUB. HE WAS A GOOD-NATURED PERSON, A KIND PERSON, A PERSON WHO WOULD GIVE UP TIME TO HELP YOU. MR KING'S BODY WAS FOUND IN NEWLANDS AT THE WEEKEND, AND HIS DEATH HAS BEEN REFERRED TO THE CORONER. HE IS SURVIVED BY HIS WIFE AND TWO YOUNG DAUGHTERS. JAMES RANSLEY, ONE NEWS. THE RESCUE COORDINATOR WHO HELPED SAVE TWO YACHTIES IN TROUBLE IN THE SOUTH PACIFIC, SOUTH OF TONGA, SAYS THEY WERE LUCKY THEIR YACHT WAS WELL EQUIPPED. A BRITISH MAN (53) AND A K WOMAN (42) HAVE BEEN LIFTED ON TO A RESCUE VESSEL AFTER THEIR YACHT ROLLED, LEAVING THEM STRANDED AT SEA FOR TWO DAYS. KEITH ALLEN SAYS ROUGH CONDITIONS HAMPERED THE RESCUE, BUT THE TWO HAVE BEEN RESCUED WITH ONLY MINOR INJURIES. ABOUT 9 THIS MORNING, A MOTOR VESSEL WAS ABLE TO GET UP CLOSE TO THE YACHT, AND THE CREW OF THE LARGE BOAT HAD FASHIONED SOME RESCUE SLINGS OUT OF EQUIPMENT THEY HAD ON BOARD THE BOAT. THEY SIMPLY PULLED THEM ON TO THE BOAT. THEY WERE TIRED, IN SHOCK, AND HAVE CUTS TO THEIR FACE AND HEAD. AN INVESTIGATION'S UNDERWAY INTO WHAT CAUSED A HELICOPTER TO CRASH ON A CENTRAL OTAGO HILLSIDE, KILLING THE SOLE OCCUPANT. 52-YEAR-OLD JULIANNE KRAMER'S BODY WAS REMOVED FROM THE SCENE THIS MORNING. WITNESSES HAVE DESCRIBED PERFECT FLYING CONDITIONS AT THE TIME OF THE CRASH, AROUND 8.30 LAST NIGHT. THE WITNESS HAD BEEN WATCHING THE HELICOPTER AS IT FLEW THROUGH THE CARDRONA VALLEY, LOOKED AWAY, HEARD A BANG, LOOKED BACK, ESSENTIALLY SAW THE HELICOPTER THEN FALLING FROM THE SKY WITHOUT THE ROTORS MOVING, AND UNFORTUNATELY WITNESSED THE IMPACT FROM SOME DISTANCE AWAY. THE ROBINSON-22 HELICOPTER, SIMILAR TO THIS ONE, WAS FLYING THROUGH THE CARDRONA VALLEY FROM WANAKA TO QUEENSTOWN. MEANWHILE, AN INVESTIGATION BY THE SERIOUS CRASH UNIT IS CONTINUING TODAY INTO THE TRUCK CRASH THAT CAUSED ALARM ON THE DESERT ROAD IN THE CENTRAL NORTH ISLAND. THE BODY OF THE DRIVER (52) HAS BEEN RECOVERED FROM THE STREAM HIS TRUCK CRASHED INTO, AND THE WRECK HAS BEEN REMOVED. THE TRUCK WAS CARRYING HAZARDOUS CHEMICALS, BUT CLEAN-UP CREWS SAY NO TOXINS APPEAR TO HAVE LEAKED INTO THE WATERWAY. THICK BLACK SMOKE THAT HAMPERED RESCUE SERVICES AT THE CTV SITE AFTER CHRISTCHURCH EARTHQUAKE MADE SURVIVAL FOR THOSE TRAPPED VIRTUALLY IMPOSSIBLE, ACCORDING TO ONE OF THE OFFICERS IN CHARGE. THE INQUEST INTO THE DEATHS OF EIGHT PEOPLE KNOWN TO HAVE SURVIVED THE INITIAL COLLAPSE AT CTV IS IN THE LAST DAY OF A TWO-WEEK HEARING. ONE NEWS REPORTER MIKE THORPE JOINS US NOW LIVE FROM CHRISTCHURCH. THIS INQUEST IS ABOUT FINDING BETTER PRACTICES FOR THE NEXT EMERGENCY REPSONSE. A LOT OF TALK HAS BEEN ABOUT PERFECT-WORLD SCENARIOS. WHEN WE WERE DIGGING, SMOKE WAS COMING OUT, AND THE HOLES WERE BECOMING A CHIMNEY. AT TIMES THE MED MEN WERE ASKING WHETHER WE SHOULD BE PUTTING BREATHING APPARATUS ON, BECAUSE OF THE AMOUNT OF SMOKE. I TOLD THEM THAT IF BREATHING APPARATUS WAS NEEDED IN THAT AREA, THEN ANY VICTIM WOULD BE DEAD. THE INQUEST WILL ADJOURN SHORTLY, TILL DECEMBER 3RD THE BREAK WAS INITIALLY BECAUSE OF AVAILABILTY BUT NOW IT'S ALSO FOR THE FAMILIES TO REVIEW EVIDENCE AND COME BACK READY FOR THEIR TESTIMONIES. THE CHINESE PRESIDENT, HU JINTAO, HAS ISSUED A WARNING ABOUT THE URGENT NEED TO TACKLE INEQUALITY AND CORRUPTION IN CHINA. HE WAS SPEAKING AT THE START OF THE COMMUNIST PARTY CONGRESS, WHICH WILL SEE POWER TRANSFERRED TO A NEW SET OF LEADERS WHO'LL RUN THE COUNTRY FOR THE NEXT DECADE. DAMIAN GRAMMATICAS WAS LISTENING TO HIS SPEECH. TWO DAYS AFTER AMERICA ELECTED ITS PRESIDENT, CHINA HAS BEGUN THE PROCESS OF ANOINTING ITS NEXT LEADER. THERE'S NO ELECTION HERE. INSTEAD, 2000 COMMUNIST PARTY DELEGATES, INCLUDING MANY FROM THE ARMY, GATHERED FOR THEIR CONGRESS. CHINA'S 1.3 BILLION PEOPLE CAN ONLY LOOK ON. THE OUTGOING GENERAL SECRETARY WARNED CORRUPTION COULD PROVE FATAL FOR THE PARTY. TRANSLATOR: WE MUST CRACK DOWN ON CORRUPTION AT ALL TIMES AND THOROUGHLY INVESTIGATE CASES OF MAJOR CORRUPTION. ANYONE WHO BREAKS THE LAW, WHOEVER THEY ARE, MUST BE BROUGHT TO JUSTICE, WITHOUT MERCY. THE SUCCESSOR, XI JINPING, THE CURRENT VICE PRESIDENT, WAS CHOSEN BY PARTY LEADERS FIVE YEARS AGO IN A PROCESS OF BACKROOM DEALS AND COMPROMISES. HE'LL BE INSTALLED AS THE NEW GENERAL SECRETARY AT END OF THE CONGRESS NEXT WEEK. THE COMMUNIST PARTY HAS TIGHTENED ITS HOLD AND BECOME MORE INTOLERANT OF THOSE WHO QUESTION ITS RIGHT TO RULE. THIS WEEK TAXI DRIVERS IN BEIJING HAVE BEEN TOLD TO REMOVE THEIR HANDLES SO NO ONE CAN OPEN THE WINDOWS. FLYING MODEL AIRCRAFT IS BANNED, AND RACING PIGEONS TOO, TO STOP PEOPLE DISTRIBUTING LEAFLETS CRITICAL OF THE PARTY. AND ON THE INTERNET, COMMENTS ABOUT THE CONGRESS ARE BEING CENSORED. SO THIS IS NOW A TWO-SPEED NATION ` POLITICS AND ECONOMY OUT OF SYNCH, BUT WHOSE LEADERS HAVE ONE OVERRIDING MISSION: TO PRESERVE THE COMMUNIST PARTY'S GRIP ON POWER. THE CHINESE COMMUNITY IN NZ IS WATCHING THE CHANGE OF LEADERSHIP IN CHINA WITH INTEREST. HELEN CASTLES REPORTS. THERE MAY BE PROMISES IN BEIJING OF POLITICAL REFORM, BUT THERE'S SCEPTICISM AMONG SOME MEMBERS OF THE CHINESE COMMUNITY HERE. I DON'T BELIEVE THAT, IN TERMS OF THE DIRECTION IN WHICH CHINA HAS BEEN MOVING, AND ITS RELATIONSHIP WITH OTHER COUNTRIES WITHIN THE WORLD ` I DON'T THINK THAT HAS CHANGED. BUT THE DIRECTION TAKEN BY THE NEW LEADERSHIP WILL HAVE AN ECONOMIC AS WELL AS POLITICAL IMPACT. THE NEXT 10 YEARS COULD SEE CHINA OVERTAKE THE UNITED STATES TO BECOME THE WORLD'S LARGEST ECONOMY. BOTH THE LEADERS HAVE BEEN OUT TO NZ; BOTH OF THE PROSPECTIVE LEADERS HAVE BEEN OUT TO NZ; BOTH THE INCUMBENTS HAVE BEEN OUT TO NZ, SO THEY WILL CONTINUE TO VISIT. UNDER CHINA'S OUTGOING GOVERNMENT, THE COUNTRY HAS GROWN SIX TIMES WEALTHIER. BUT THERE'S BEEN NO CORRESPONDING GROWTH IN PERSONAL FREEDOM, AND ANTI-GOVERNMENT GROUPS HERE AREN'T HOLDING THEIR BREATH. WHAT'S OF REAL IMPORTANCE AND WHAT IS OFTEN, UNFORTUNATELY, NOT ADDRESSED IS THE LACK OF RESPECT FOR FUNDAMENTAL HUMAN RIGHTS. KERRY GORE IS A HUMAN RIGHTS LAWYER AND HAS REPRESENTED A NUMBER OF PERSECUTED CHINESE REFUGEES. IT NEEDS TO MAKE A DECISIVE BREAK WITH THE PAST, AND IT NEEDS TO MAKE IT CLEAR TO THE CHINESE PEOPLE, THAT THE CHINESE CONSTITUTION ITSELF IS ACTUALLY RESPECTED AND ACTUALLY HAS SOME MEANING. CHINA IS EXPECTED TO REVEAL ITS NEW LEADERS NEXT THURSDAY, AND PRIME MINISTER JOHN KEY IS DUE TO VISIT EARLY NEXT YEAR. HELEN CASTLES, ONE NEWS. PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA WILL BEGIN TACKLING THE MASSIVE PILE OF CHALLENGES IN HIS IN TRAY TODAY. THE NEWLY RE-ELECTED US PRESIDENT HAS RETURNED TO THE WHITE HOUSE, WHERE HE'S FACING A STRUGGLING ECONOMY AND LOOMING SPENDING CUTS AND TAX RISES. THE REPUBLICANS RETAINED CONTROL OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES AND OBAMA WILL NOW NEED TO DO A DEAL WITH THEM TO AVOID A FISCAL CRISIS. THE HOUSE SPEAKER HAS HINTED AT THE POSSIBILITY OF A COMPROMISE IF THE PRESIDENT AGREES TO TAX REFORM. BARACK OBAMA WILL ALSO HAVE TO TACKLE MEDICARE, THE ENORMOUS GOVERNMENT HEALTHCARE PROGRAMME WHICH IS PROJECTED TO RUN OUT OF MONEY SOON. RESIDENTS IN NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY, STILL REELING FROM THE DESTRUCTION OF SUPERSTORM SANDY, ARE NOW HAVING TO RESUME THEIR CLEAN UP UNDER A THICK BLANKET OF SNOW. A FRESH STORM HAS PULLED AWAY FROM NEW YORK, BUT IT'S LEFT HEAVY SNOW AND FREEZING TEMPERATURES BEHIND. THE SNOW SNAPPED WEAKENED TREES AND DOWNED POWER LINES, KNOCKING OUT POWER TO ANOTHER 300,000 PEOPLE. OFFICIALS SAY THE LATEST STORM WILL ALSO DELAY THE EFFORTS TO RESTORE POWER TO THOSE STILL IN THE DARK. THE DEATH TOLL FROM AN EARTHQUAKE IN GUATEMALA HAS NOW RISEN PAST 50 AND IS EXPECTED TO GO EVEN HIGHER. CREWS ARE CONTINUING TO SEARCH FOR SURVIVORS. RESCUERS HAVE BROUGHT IN HEAVY MACHINERY TO HELP RECOVER BODIES AND SEARCH FOR ANYONE STILL SURVIVING UNDER THE RUBBLE. HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE HAVE BEEN DIGGING DESPERATELY AT A HUGE PIT OF SAND AT A QUARRY WHERE SEVEN PEOPLE ARE BELIEVED TO HAVE BEEN BURIED ALIVE. THE RED CROSS SAYS IT CAN'T COPE WITH THE WORSENING SITUATION IN SYRIA. IT SAYS THE HUMANITARIAN SITUATION IS GETTING BLEAKER DESPITE THE RED CROSS INCREASING ITS OPERATION INSIDE THE WAR-TORN NATION. MEANWHILE, PRESIDENT BASHAR AL ASSAD HAS TOLD RUSSIAN TV HE WON'T LEAVE SYRIA. HE INSISTED THAT HE'S NOT A PUPPET OF THE WEST, AND HE HAS TO LIVE AND DIE IN SYRIA. A FORMER NZ CHILDREN'S TV HOST HAS APOLOGISED AFTER BECOMING EMBROILED IN A CONTROVERSY OVER A LIST OF PAEDOPHILES IN ENGLAND. PHILLIP SCHOFIELD, WHO HOSTED SHAZAM IN THE 1980'S, CONFRONTED THE BRITISH PRIME MINISTER ON LIVE TV WITH THE NAMES OF SIX POLITICIANS HE SAYS MAY BE INVOLVED IN CHILD ABUSE. DAVID CAMERON HAS WARNED THE ACCUSATIONS AGAINST SENIOR TORIES RISK BECOMING A WITCH HUNT AGAINST GAY PEOPLE. THE BBC'S NICK ROBINSON REPORTS. WHAT BEGAN WITH QUESTIONS ABOUT THE ABUSE OF CHILDREN BY JIMMY SAVILE AT THE BBC WAS FOLLOWED BY QUESTIONS ABOUT ABUSE IN HOSPITALS AND CHILDREN'S HOMES. WHAT BEGAN WITH HARD EVIDENCE OF CRIMES COMMITTED BY A BIG-NAME CELEBRITY WHO'S NOW DEAD HAS MOVED ON TO A SWIRL OF INTERNET AND TWITTER RUMOURS ABOUT POLITICIANS WHO ARE STILL ALIVE. IT TOOK ME ABOUT THREE MINUTES LAST NIGHT TO CONTINUALLY FIND A LIST OF THE SAME NAMES. I HAVE THOSE NAMES THERE. THOSE ARE THE NAMES ON A PIECE OF PAPER. YOU KNOW THE NAMES ON THAT PIECE OF PAPER. WILL YOU BE SPEAKING TO THOSE PEOPLE? LOOK, PHILLIP, I THINK THIS IS REALLY IMPORTANT, RIGHT? BECAUSE THERE IS A DANGER, IF WE'RE NOT CAREFUL, THAT THIS COULD TURN INTO A SORT OF WITCH HUNT, PARTICULARLY AGAINST PEOPLE WHO ARE` ARE GAY, AND I'M WORRIED ABOUT THE SORT OF THING YOU'RE DOING RIGHT NOW, GIVING ME A LIST OF NAMES THAT YOU'VE TAKEN OFF THE INTERNET. AS I SAY, IF ANYONE HAS ANY INFORMATION ABOUT ANYONE WHO'S A PAEDOPHILE, NO MATTER HOW HIGH UP IN BRITISH SOCIETY THEY ARE, THAT IS WHAT THE POLICE ARE FOR. DAVID CAMERON WAS OBVIOUSLY NOT IMPRESSED BY WHAT HIS AIDES CALLED A 'SILLY STUNT' ` A STUNT WHICH COULD LEAD TO LEGAL ACTION AGAINST ITV SINCE, IF WE HADN'T BLURRED THIS IMAGE, YOU COULD READ THE NAMES, IF YOU TRIED HARD ENOUGH. TODAY'S ROW WAS TRIGGERED BY THE ALLEGATION THAT A CONSERVATIVE POLITICIAN FROM THE THATCHER ERA WAS ONE OF THE ABUSERS OF CHILDREN AT THIS NORTH WALES CHILDREN'S HOME. A JUDGE IS NOW TO REOPEN THE PUBLIC INQUIRY INTO WHAT HAPPENED. IT'S ONE OF EIGHT DIFFERENT INQUIRIES INTO ABUSE AT THE BBC, IN THE HEALTH SERVICE, AND IN NORTH WALES. PRINCE CHARLES AND THE DUCHESS OF CORNWALL ARE ENJOYING A DAY OF SUN AND SIGHTSEEING IN SYDNEY AHEAD OF THEIR SIX-DAY NZ TOUR. THE ROYAL PAIR WILL TODAY VISIT KEY TOURIST SPOTS LIKE BONDI BEACH AND THE OPERA HOUSE, BEFORE LEAVING FOR NZ TOMORROW. THEY'LL LAND IN AUCKLAND AT AROUND 9.30 TOMORROW NIGHT, AND ON SUNDAY ATTEND ARMISTICE DAY COMMEMORATIONS AT THE AUCKLAND WAR MUSEUM. OTHER HIGHLIGHTS OF THE TOUR INCLUDE A TOUR OF THE WETA WORKSHOP IN WELLINGTON, A RURAL STOPOVER IN FEILDING AND ATTENDING THE CANTERBURY A AND P SHOW IN CHRISTCHURCH. STILL TO COME ON MIDDAY, THE SHAREMARKET AND BUSINESS NEWS. AND WHY NZ UMPIRE BILLY BOWDEN COULD HAVE A TENSE MATCH ON HIS HANDS BETWEEN SOUTH AFRICA AND AUSTRALIA. 1 WITH ME NOW IS GRETCHEN WILLIAMSON FROM CRAIGS INVESTMENT PARTNERS. THIS ITEM WILL BE CAPTIONED LIVE. FOR MORE, GO TO ONENEWS.CO.NZ AND CLICK ON 'BUSINESS'. INTRATEL HAS WRITTEN ITS SHARE PRICE? THEY HAVE WRITTEN THEIR ASSETS DOWN. THEY ARE MAKING A PLAY FOR A NEW AIRPORT. THEY ARE TRYING TO TRADE FOR A PROFITABLE AIRPORT. JOB DATA AND HOUSE PRICE DATA SEEM TO BE AT ODDS AT THE MOMENT? YES, ABSOLUTELY. THERE'S A CONFLICT THERE. HOUSE PRICES ARE AT A RECORD HIGH. IT DOESN'T MAKE SENSE AND MAKES THINGS QUITE TRICKY. THE RESERVE BANK WON'T WANT HOUSES TO GET MUCH FURTHER AHEAD. OFFSHORE MARKETS HAVE BEEN WEAK SINCE OBAMA WAS RE-ELECTED. IS IT HIM? (LAUGHS) IT'S A LARGE FACTOR. WE WERE CONCERNED ABOUT ANGRY REPUBLICANS. FISCAL CLIFF IS ON OUR DOORSTEP NOW. THE ENEMY TO MARKETS IS UNCERTAINTY, AND WE HAVE PLENTY. MIDDAY SPORT ` NZ UMPIRE BILLY BOWDEN COULD HAVE HIS HANDS FULL EASING TENSION AS THE FIRST TEST BETWEEN SOUTH AFRICA AND AUSTRALIA GETS UNDERWAY IN BRISBANE AT 1 O'CLOCK THIS AFTERNOON. THERE'S A POTENTIAL FOR FIREWORKS AFTER LEAKED DOCUMENTS REVEALED AN AUSTRALIAN PLAN TO UPSET THE SOUTH AFRICANS BY SLEDGING. VERBAL AGGRESSION IS NOTHING NEW FOR THE AUSTRALIAN SIDE, BUT TARGETING HASHIM AMLA, WHO'S MUSLIM, HAS CAUSED CONTROVERSY IN THE CRICKETING WORLD. AUSSIE CAPTAIN MICHAEL CLARKE SAYS IT'S COMMON PRACTICE TO PREPARE REPORTS ON OPPONENTS, AND DIDN'T SEEM EMBARRASSED BY THE LEAK. ALL BLACKS COACH STEVE HANSEN IS EXPECTED TO MAKE SWEEPING CHANGES TO HIS TEAM WHEN HE NAMES THE SIDE TONIGHT TO PLAY SCOTLAND THIS WEEKEND. OF THE TEAM WHICH DREW THE LATEST TEST WITH AUSTRALIA, ONLY CAPTAIN RICHIE MCCAW AND A HANDFUL OF OTHERS ARE EXPECTED TO KEEP THEIR STARTING ROLES. SCOTLAND HAVE NEVER BEATEN THE ALL BLACKS SINCE THEY FIRST MET IN 1905. DEFENDING CHAMPION ROGER FEDERER HAS CEMENTED HIS PLACE IN THE LAST FOUR OF THE ATP WORLD TOUR FINALS THIS MORNING, WITH A STRAIGHT-SETS WIN OVER DAVID FERRER. THE SPANIARD HAD NEVER BEATEN THE WORLD NUMBER TWO IN THIRTEEN PREVIOUS MATCHES, AND FEDERER AGAIN PROVED TOO STRONG. HE SQUANDERED A BREAK IN THE FIRST SET, BUT THEN REGROUPED TO WIN IT 6-4. CHEERING A RUN OF SEVEN CONSECUTIVE POINTS SEALS THE OPENING SET FOR THE DEFENDING CHAMPION. FERRER, WHO'S RETURNING TO THE HEINEKEN OPEN IN AUCKLAND THIS SUMMER, WAS MORE COMPETITIVE IN A TIGHT SECOND SET, BUT FEDERER ALWAYS HAD THE EDGE. FINAL SCORE, 6-4, 7-6. FEDERER'S FINAL OPPONENT IN THE ROUND ROBIN IS JUAN MARTIN DEL POTRO. THE OLYMPIC GOLD MEDALLIST AND WINNER OF THE TOUR DE FRANCE, BRADLEY WIGGINS, HAS BEEN RELEASED FROM HOSPITAL AFTER BEING KNOCKED OFF HIS BIKE. THE CYCLIST BRUISED HIS HAND AND RIBS AFTER A COLLISION WITH A VAN NEAR HIS HOME IN LANCASHIRE. AND THE BRITISH CYCLING TEAM'S HEAD COACH HAS ALSO BEEN KNOCKED OFF HIS BIKE IN SIMILAR CIRCUMSTANCES. THE BBC'S DAN ROAN REPORTS. EVEN IN THIS SUMMER OF UNPARALLELED BRITISH SPORTING SUCCESS, HE STOOD HEAD AND SHOULDERS ABOVE THE REST. BRADLEY WIGGINS WAS THE SPORTING HERO OF 2012. BUT AFTER MAKING HISTORY WITH THE YELLOW JERSEY AND OLYMPIC GOLD, HIS STELLAR YEAR HAS ENDED PAINFULLY. THE MOMENTS BEFORE THIS VEHICLE KNOCKED THE CHAMPION CYCLIST OFF HIS BIKE LAST NIGHT AS IT LEFT A LANCASHIRE PETROL STATION. TODAY A BROKEN WING MIRROR WAS THE ONLY CLUE THAT THERE'D BEEN A COLLISION. WIGGINS HAD BEEN ON A TRAINING RIDE CLOSE TO HIS HOME. BUT IN A REMARKABLE AND CRUEL TWIST OF FATE, JUST A FEW HOURS AFTER BRADLEY WIGGINS WAS INJURED HERE CAME A SIMILAR INCIDENT INVOLVING HIS MENTOR. SHANE SUTTON HAS PLAYED A KEY ROLE HELPING WIGGINS TO CONQUER HIS SPORT. BUT AS BRITISH CYCLING'S HEAD COACH RODE TO WORK IN MANCHESTER THIS MORNING, HE WAS HIT BY A VAN. HAVING SUFFERED BRUISING AND BLEEDING TO THE BRAIN, HE'S EXPECTED TO STAY IN HOSPITAL FOR SEVERAL DAYS. WIGGINS HAS SUFFERED FOR HIS SPORT BEFORE, CRASHING OUT OF LAST YEAR'S TOUR DE FRANCE WITH A DAMAGED COLLARBONE. THIS AFTERNOON HE TRIED TO KEEP A LOW PROFILE AS HE RETURNED HOME FROM HOSPITAL TO NURSE A BRUISED HAND AND RIBS. ANOTHER REMINDER OF THE PERILS OF CYCLING, EVEN WHEN YOU'RE THE BEST IN THE WORLD. TO GOLF ` DENMARK'S THOMAS BJORN HAS HAD AN IMPRESSIVE FIRST ROUND AT THE SINGAPORE OPEN, FIRING A FIVE UNDER-PAR 66 TO CLAIM A ONE SHOT LEAD. PLAY AT THE $7.3M TOURNAMENT WAS SUSPENDED EARLY DUE TO LIGHTNING THREATS. THOSE WHO WERE HELD UP INCLUDED K MICHAEL CAMPBELL, WHO'S CURRENTLY ONE OVER-PAR AFTER SIX HOLES. STILL TO COME ON MIDDAY ` I'LL BE BACK WITH THE AFTERNOON WEATHER. NOW TO THE WEATHER. FOR WEATHER, SEE ONENEWS.CO.NZ TO THE TOP STORIES ON OUR WEBSITE. HUNDREDS OF MOURNERS HAVE GATHERED IN WELLINGTON TO FAREWELL HIGH-PROFILE LAWYER GREG KING, WHO DIED LAST WEEKEND. HOUSE PRICES ACROSS NZ ROSE TO A RECORD HIGH LAST MONTH, ACCORDING TO THE REAL ESTATE INSTITUTE. A 95-YEAR-OLD HIP-HOP DANCER IS PLANNING TO SURPRISE PRINCE CHARLES WHEN HE VISITS NZ. FINALLY, A JUDGE IN THE UNITED STATES HAS COME UP WITH AN UNUSUAL AND RATHER HUMILIATING PUNISHMENT FOR A DANGEROUS DRIVER. SHENA HARDIN WILL HAVE TO HOLD UP A SIGN SAYING 'ONLY AN IDIOT WOULD DRIVE ON THE SIDEWALK TO AVOID A SCHOOL BUS.' AND IT'S BECAUSE SHE ROUTINELY DID JUST THAT. HERE SHE IS DRIVING ON THE FOOTPATH SO SHE DIDN'T HAVE TO WAIT BEHIND A SCHOOL BUS AS IT STOPPED TO PICK UP AND DROP OFF CHILDREN IN CLEVELAND, OHIO. SHE'S ALSO LOST HER LICENCE FOR 30 DAYS AND BEEN FINED, ON TOP OF THE PUBLIC EMBARRASSMENT SHE FACES. 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 LAUREN STRAIN AND TRACEY DAWSON. CAPTIONS WERE MADE POSSIBLE WITH FUNDING FROM NZ ON AIR. COPYRIGHT TVNZ ACCESS SERVICES 2012