DUE TO THE LIVE NATURE OF MIDDAY, WE APOLOGISE FOR THE LACK OF CAPTIONS FOR SOME ITEMS. KIWI WRITER ELEANOR CATTON BECOMES THE SECOND NZER TO WIN THE PRESTIGIOUS MAN BOOKER PRIZE. A TOP EVENT RIDER'S ACHIEVEMENT IS IN DOUBT AFTER HIS HORSE FAILS A DRUGS TEST JUST A MONTH AFTER WINNING AT BURGHLEY. AND WHAT NOW FOR THE SUPER CITY MAYOR? CAN LEN BROWN'S CAREER SURVIVE? NZ AUTHOR ELEANOR CATTON HAS BEATEN THE ODDS TO WIN THE WORLD'S MOST PRESTIGIOUS LITERARY AWARD, THE MAN BOOKER PRIZE. THE 28-YEAR-OLD WAS ANNOUNCED AS THE WINNER AT A GLITTERING FUNCTION IN LONDON THIS MORNING. THE BBC'S WILL GOMPERTZ REPORTS. THE WINNER OF THE 2013 MAN BOOKER PRIZE IS... 'THE LUMINARIES' BY ELEANOR CATTON. ELEANOR CATTON IS A 28-YEAR-OLD WRITER FROM NZ WHOSE WHOOPING 832-PAGE BOOK 'THE LUMINARIES', ONLY HER SECOND NOVEL, IS, ON THE FACE OF IT, A VICTORIAN MURDER-MYSTERY SET DURING NZ'S GOLD RUSH. READS: 'I'M NOT MISTAKEN,' SHE SAID. 'I HAVE AN ALMANAC, 'AND I'M VERY SKILLED AT READING IT. 'THE MOON IS WAXING NOW ABOVE THE CLOUD. 'IT WILL BE FULL BY MONDAY NIGHT, AND ON TUESDAY, 'IT WILL BEGIN TO WANE.' BUT THERE ARE COMPLEXITIES APLENTY WITH BOTH THE PLOT AND THE STRUCTURE, WHICH IS BASED ON ASTROLOGICAL CHARTS. THIS IS A DAZZLING NOVEL. IT'S A LUMINOUS NOVEL. IT IS VAST WITHOUT BEING SPRAWLING. IT IS INTRICATE WITHOUT BEING FUSSY. IT'S EXPERIMENTAL WHILE ALSO GIVING US THE EXTRAORDINARY PLEASURES OF STORYTELLING AND IMMERSION IN ITS WORLD. IT'S ABOUT GREED AND GOLD AND WHAT WE VALUE, AND WHAT WE VALUE, IT TURNS OUT, IS LOVE. ELEANOR CATTON FACED SOME STIFF COMPETITION. THERE WAS THE BOOKIES' FAVOURITE, 'HARVEST' BY JIM CRACE; 'THE TESTAMENT OF MANY' BY THE NOW THREE-TIME NOMINEE COLM TOIBIN; 'WE NEED NEW NAMES' BY ZIMBABWEAN NOVIOLET BULAWAYO; 'THE LOWLAND' BY INDIAN AUTHOR JHUMPA LAHIRI; AND 'A TALE FOR THE TIME BEING' BY THE CANADIAN NOVELIST RUTH OZEKI. THE JUDGES AGREED ON THE WINNER WITHOUT NEEDING A VOTE, COMING TO A DECISION THAT THIS CRITIC THINKS WAS ABOUT RIGHT. A VERY INTERESTING CHOICE. IT WAS A VERY HARD CALL, AND I THINK THE JUDGES HAVE COME UP WITH A FASCINATING WINNER. YES, A GOOD CHOICE. SHE'S A YOUNG WOMAN, AND IT'S A HUGE NOVEL. SO IT WILL BE, UH, THERE'LL BE PLENTY TO TALK ABOUT THERE FOR EVERYBODY. PLENTY TO READ. IT'S 832-PAGES LONG. ELEANOR CATTON'S WIN MARKS THE END OF A CHAPTER FOR THE MAN BOOKER PRIZE AS AN AWARD FOR AUTHORS FROM THE UK, IRELAND, ZIMBABWE AND THE COMMONWEALTH AS, FROM NEXT YEAR, ANY NOVELIST WRITING IN ENGLISH AND PUBLISHED IN THE UK WILL BE ELIGIBLE, REGARDLESS OF THEIR NATIONALITY. ELEANOR CATTON HAS HERSELF DESCRIBED THE BOOK AS 'A PUBLISHER'S NIGHTMARE'. SPEAKING AT A PRESS CONFERENCE JUST AFTER THE CEREMONY, SHE SAYS SHE'S DELIGHTED WITH THE WIN. I` IT'S JUST... A WHITE WALL. I DON'T REALLY REMEMBER. I REMEMBERED THAT I'D WRITTEN SOMETHING DOWN AND IT WAS SOMEWHERE IN THE DEPTHS OF MY HANDBAG. LAUGHTER UM, I'VE ACTUALLY JUST HAD TO BUY A NEW HANDBAG BECAUSE MY OLD HANDBAG WASN'T BIG ENOUGH TO FIT MY BOOK. LAUGHTER I FEEL VERY, UM,... HONOURED AND, UH, PROUD TO BE... TO BE LIVING IN A WORLD WHERE THE FACTS OF SOMEBODY'S BIOGRAPHY DOESN'T GIVE THEM THE WAY OF HOW PEOPLE READ THEIR WORK. AND I THINK THAT'S TRUE OF AGE AND ALSO OF ETHNICITY AND ALL SORTS OF OTHER KIND OF, UM, YOU KNOW, FEATURES OF BEING HUMAN, UM, THAT, YOU KNOW... I THINK THAT WHEN PEOPLE CAN LOOK BEYOND THAT AND ACTUALLY CONSIDER THE WORK IN IT OF ITSELF, IT'S ALWAYS A GOOD THING. SO I FEEL VERY LUCKY ABOUT THAT. THE ONLY OTHER NZER TO HAVE WON THE BOOKER PRIZE IS KERI HULME. SHE WON FOR 'THE BONE PEOPLE' IN 1985. BOTH 'THE BONE PEOPLE' AND 'THE LUMINARIES' ARE SET ON THE RUGGED WEST COAST OF THE SOUTH ISLAND. NZ WRITER LLOYD JONES WAS SHORTLISTED FOR THE PRIZE IN 2007 FOR 'MR PIP'. THERE'S SPECULATION THIS MORNING ABOUT THE FUTURE OF NEWLY RE-ELECTED AUCKLAND MAYOR LEN BROWN, WHO YESTERDAY CONFIRMED REPORTS THAT HE'D HAD A TWO-YEAR AFFAIR WITH A COUNCIL ADVISOR. MR BROWN SAYS HE WON'T STEP DOWN AND IS BACK AT WORK TODAY. CHRIS CHANG REPORTS. CAMERAS CLICK ARRIVING AT WORK IN THE SUPERCITY TODAY, LEN BROWN WAS TRYING TO KEEP THINGS BUSINESS AS USUAL, BUT THE MEDIA THRONG SHOWED THERE'S STILL KEEN INTEREST IN YESTERDAY'S REVELATION ABOUT HIS TWO-YEAR AFFAIR WITH COUNCIL ADVISER BEVAN CHUANG. A DAY AFTER INTIMATE DETAILS OF THEIR AFFAIR WERE RELEASED ONLINE, SOME ARE WARNING THERE COULD BE FRESH REVELATIONS IN STORE. AND THERE MIGHT STILL BE MORE TO COME OUT. SO THIS IS COMING FROM THE POLITICAL RIGHT. AND, UM, I THINK, UM, YEAH, WE MIGHT SEE SOME MORE ALLEGATIONS COME OUT TODAY. IF THIS WOMAN DOES, UH, INTEND ON REVEALING A WHOLE LOT OF EXTRA STUFF, UH, THEN I THINK THERE COULD BE A BACKLASH AGAINST HER, BECAUSE I THINK THERE'S AN ELEMENT OF ATTENTION-SEEKING IN WHAT'S GONE ON TO DATE. JUST DAYS AFTER HE WAS RE-ELECTED TO THE JOB OF RUNNING OUR BIGGEST CITY, LEN BROWN NOW FACES A BATTLE FOR POLITICAL SURVIVAL. SHE SAYS THEY HAD SEX IN COUNCIL CHAMBERS AND WERE ONCE CAUGHT BY A SECURITY GUARD. HE SAYS SHE'S TRYING TO DESTROY HIM. THERE, IN MY VIEW, IS A CLEAR, UH, WILL OR DETERMINATION UH, TO TRY AND FORCE A RESIGNATION. LEN BROWN'S ADMISSION HAS BEEN PRAISED BY SOME. NZERS LOVE A MEA CULPA. THE NZ ELECTORATE IS VERY FORGIVING. THAT'LL BE PUT TO THE TEST OVER THE COMING DAYS. CHRIS CHANG, ONE NEWS. IN WANGANUI, THE STATE OF EMERGENCY IS STILL IN PLACE, WITH RIVER LEVELS IN THE CITY ALARMINGLY HIGH. LOCAL AUTHORITIES WILL BE MEETING THIS AFTERNOON TO DECIDE WHETHER THE DANGER HAS PASSED. WE'LL GO TO REPORTER DANIEL FAITAUA IN WANGANUI SHORTLY. BUT FIRST, HIS REPORT. LES WILSON AND LEE MCINTYRE WERE EVACUATED FROM THEIR ANZAC PARADE HOME LAST NIGHT, AND THEY'VE GOT NO IDEA WHEN THEY'LL BE ALLOWED TO RETURN. IT'S BEEN QUITE SCARY. VERY STRESSFUL, AND WE REALLY JUST WANT TO KNOW WHAT'S HAPPENING AND WHETHER OUR HOME'S ARE ALL OK. 138 PEOPLE HAVE BEEN EVACUATED FROM THEIR HOMES, AND THIS BOAT CLUB HAS ALSO BEEN LEFT COUNTING THE COST. WE LOOK AROUND. THERE IS, UM, JUST A MASSIVE CLEAN-UP. UM, WE'RE COMING UP TO OUR COMPETITIVE SEASON. UM, THE RIVER'S UNROWABLE AT THE MOMENT. PROBABLY` IT'S PROBABLY NOT A GOOD SITUATION FOR THE NEXT TWO WEEKS AT LEAST. THE TOWN'S ICONIC STEAMBOAT, THE WAIMARIE, SURVIVED THE NIGHT, BUT THE WHANGANUI RIVERBOAT CENTRE WASN'T SO LUCKY. APPARENTLY, THIS IS NOT AS BAD AS THE PREVIOUS FLOOD THEY HAD HERE, BUT AS YOU CAN SEE, IT'S SURROUNDED OUR BUILDING. THE MAYOR SAYS THE DAMAGE IS A SIGN THAT MORE NEEDS TO BE SPENT PROTECTING THE CITY. THERE WAS A REPORT DONE, UM, BY THE REGIONAL COUNCIL EARLIER THIS YEAR THAT TOLD US THE STOCKBANKS, UM, WERE LIKELY TO FAIL IN THIS KIND OF FLOOD. UM, MANY PEOPLE SAID THAT THAT WOULDN'T HAPPEN AND MANY PEOPLE WERE OPPOSED TO SPENDING MONEY TO ACTUALLY IMPROVE THEM. THE FLOOD'S CAUSED SEWAGE TO OVERFLOW IN SOME PLACES. CONCERNED? VERY. YES. AS ARE A LOT OF PEOPLE FROM ALONG THERE THAT ARE STAYING IN THE SAME PLACE WE ARE, AND THEY'RE ALL FRIGHTENED. THE COUNCIL'S WARNING RESIDENTS TO STAY AWAY FROM THE WATER. ONE NEWS REPORTER DANIEL FAITAUA HAS BEEN IN WANGANUI OVERNIGHT, FOLLOWING DEVELOPMENTS. THAT HIGH TIDE FORECAST JUST A FEW HOURS AGO HAS BEEN AND GONE, WITH NO REAL THREAT. AUTHORITIES WILL BE MEETING AGAIN IN A FEW HOURS, AND THAT'S TO REASSESS LIFTING THE STATE OF EMERGENCY. BUT IT ALL DEPENDS ON WHETHER THE RIVER LEVEL'S FULL BY AT LEAST HALF A LITRE THROUGHOUT THE DAY. THAT'S REPORTER DANIEL FAITAUA IN WANGANUI. THE SUCCESS OF A TOP KIWI EQUESTRIAN IS UNDER A CLOUD TODAY AFTER THE HORSE HE RODE TO WIN TWO PRESTIGIOUS COMPETITIONS TESTED POSITIVE FOR A BANNED DRUG. NOW JOCK PAGET, WHO WON THE BADMINTON AND BURGHLEY TRIALS ON 'CLIFTON PROMISE', COULD BE STRIPPED OF THE LAST MONTH'S BURGHLEY TITLE. BUT PAGET SAYS HE HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH ANY DOPING. BRIAR WELLS HAS MORE. JOCK PAGET MADE HEADLINES AFTER WINNING TWO OF THE BIGGEST EQUESTRIAN COMPETITIONS IN THE WORLD. BUT NOW THAT SUCCESS IS UNDER QUESTION. A POSITIVE DRUG RESULT FOR HIS MOUNT 'CLIFTON PROMISE', BUT THE WORLD NUMBER THREE DENIES ANY RESPONSIBILITY ANYBODY WHO KNOWS JOCK WILL UNDERSTAND, YEAH, HE IS A MAN OF THE STRONGEST CHARACTER, AND HE WOULD UPHOLD ALL THE ETHOS OF CLEAN SPORT AND INTEGRITY THAT WE HOLD... HOLD DEAR BOTH IN THE SPORT AND THE COUNTRY. FELLOW KIWI RIDERS ARE STANDING BY HIM. HE'S... HE'S A VERY DOWN-TO-EARTH BLOKE, AND, YOU KNOW, I-I DON'T DOUBT FOR A MINUTE THAT HE DIDN'T KNOWING` KNOWINGLY KNOW WHAT WAS GOING ON. THE HORSE WAS TESTED AS PART OF THE EQUINE CLEAN SPORT PROGRAMME, PRODUCING A POSITIVE SAMPLE FOR RESERPINE, A SEDATIVE. IT'S NOT COMMONLY USED IN COMPETITION HORSES AT THIS LEVEL. IT'S, UM, IT'S MORE OFTEN USED AS A WAY OF TREATING HORSES THAT HAVE LONG-TERM INJURY OR ILLNESS. EQUESTRIAN NZ SAYS PAGET'S HORSE HAS BEEN TESTED SEVERAL TIMES BEFORE AND, UNTIL NOW, HAS ALWAYS BEEN CLEAN. FOUL PLAY ISN'T BEING RULED OUT. IT'S ALWAYS A FACTOR. UM, THE SECURITY OF HORSES AT THESE EVENTS, UH, ESPECIALLY OVERNIGHT, HAS BEEN A WORRY TO THIS ORGANISATION FOR SOME TIME. THEY'LL BE WAITING ANXIOUSLY ON THE RESULTS OF THE NEXT SAMPLE. IF THAT COMES BACK POSITIVE, PAGET FACES LOSING HIS BURGHLEY TITLE AND A LENGTHY BAN. BRIAR WELLS, ONE NEWS. NO CHRISTCHURCH SECONDARY SCHOOLS WILL BE CLOSED AS A RESULT OF THE CANTERBURY EARTHQUAKES, BUT TWO WILL BE SHIFTED. IN THE LAST OF THE MAJOR DECISIONS FOR SCHOOLS UNDER THE GOVERNMENT EDUCATION RENEWAL PLAN, SHIRLEY BOYS' AND AVONSIDE GIRLS' HIGH SCHOOLS WILL BE MOVED TO A SHARED SITE IN EASTERN CHRISTCHURCH. BOTH SCHOOLS HAD EXTENSIVE DAMAGE TO LAND AND BUILDINGS IN THE 2011 QUAKE. THE ACTUAL NEW SITE FOR THE SCHOOLS IS YET TO BE DECIDED. THE LAWYER FOR JOE KARAM HAS TOLD THE HIGH COURT IN AUCKLAND THE LAST FOUR YEARS HAVE BEEN THE WORST OF HIS CLIENT'S LIFE. MR KARAM, A LONG-TIME SUPPORTER OF ACQUITTED MURDERER DAVID BAIN, IS LEGALLY CHALLENGING TWO MEN WHO HE SAYS DEFAMED HIM IN MORE THAN 90 ONLINE STATEMENTS. ONLY ONE OF THE MEN, KENT PARKER, HAS TURNED UP TO COURT. HE ADMINISTERED THE FACEBOOK PAGE 'JUSTICE FOR ROBIN BAIN'. JOE KARAM'S LAWYER MICHAEL REED TOLD THE JUDGE THE SITE WAS SET UP TO ATTACK MR KARAM AND WAS JUST MASQUERADING AS A SUPPORT PAGE FOR ROBIN BAIN. THE DEATH TOLL FROM A 7.2 MAGNITUDE EARTHQUAKE IN THE PHILIPPINES HAS RISEN TO 93. THE QUAKE STRUCK THE CENTRAL ISLAND OF BOHOL, CAUSING CENTURIES-OLD STONE BUILDINGS TO CRUMBLE. A NUMBER OF PEOPLE DIED WHEN A BUILDING AT THE PORT AND THE ROOF OF A MARKET COLLAPSED. MANY ROADS ARE BADLY DAMAGED, MAKING RESCUE OPERATIONS DIFFICULT. AMERICA'S CREDIT RATING IS NOW OFFICIALLY ON THE LINE. A MAJOR RATINGS AGENCY IS THREATENING A DOWNGRADE. IT COMES AS THE DEADLOCK CONTINUES BETWEEN THE PRSIDENT AND HOUSE REPUBLICANS, WITH A LOOMING DEADLINE FOR RAISING THE COUNTRY'S BORROWING LIMIT OR RISK DEFAULT. THE ABC'S REBECCA JARVIS REPORTS IT IS A WARNING SHOT TO THE NATION. FITCH, ONE OF THE MAJOR AGENCIES THAT JUDGES AMERICA'S FINANCIAL HEALTH, SAYING TONIGHT THAT AMERICA'S AAA CREDIT, AMONG THE BEST IN THE WORLD, IS NOW IN DANGER OF BEING LOWERED BECAUSE... ANALYSTS SAY US STILL FACE ISSUES. DOMINIO EFFECTS ARE EXPECTED IN OTHER AREAS. THURSAY WILL BE A EERIE DAY. PRESSURE ON MARKETS. THE OBAMA ADMINISTRATION SAYS THE LOOMING CREDIT DOWNGRADE SHOWS JUST HOW URGENT IT IS THAT CONGRESS FINDS A SOLUTION TO THE PROBLEM. THERE'S A POSSIBLE BREAKTHROUGH IN THE SEARCH FOR THE MISSING YACHT THE NINA. NEW SATELLITE PICTURES HAVE REVEALED FAINT IMAGES OF WHAT APPEARS TO BE A VESSEL DRIFTING AT SEA. THE ABC'S LINSEY DAVIS HAS MORE. THIS MORNING, THE FAMILIES OF SIX AMERICANS MISSING AT SEA FOR FIVE MONTHS SAY THESE GRAINY NEW IMAGES COULD BE PROOF THEY'RE STILL ALIVE. GOOD MORNING, AMERICA. THIS IS DAVID DYCHE ON THE NINA. EXPERIENCED CAPTAIN DAVID DYCHE, SEEN IN THIS DOCUMENTARY, WAS ABOARD THE NINA OFF THE COAST OF NZ ALONG WITH HIS WIFE, THEIR TEENAGE SON AND FOUR CREW MEMBERS ` THREE OF THEM AMERICANS ` WHEN THEY RADIOED OFFICIALS ABOUT SEVERE WEATHER ON JUNE 3RD. ONE MONTH LATER, AN UNDELIVERED TEXT MESSAGE WAS RECOVERED FROM THE DAY AFTER THE STORM. IT READ: IT'S BEEN A NIGHTMARE. AND I CAN'T WAKE UP OUT OF IT. LOCAL AUTHORITIES CALLED OFF THE SEARCH IN JULY. BUT THE FAMILIES OF THE MISSING SAILORS REFUSE TO GIVE UP, COMMISSIONING THE PRIVATE AMERICAN SEARCH AND RESCUE GROUP THAT SECURED THESE SATELLITE IMAGES. THEY APPEAR TO SHOW A SCHOONER, THE SAME SHAPE AND SIZE AS THE NINA, DRIFTING NEAR WHERE THE CREW DISAPPEARED. BUT THIS MORNING, OFFICIALS IN NZ APPARENTLY ARE NOT CONVINCED, REPORTEDLY TELLING THE CREW'S FAMILIES THEY'LL NEED A BETTER QUALITY IMAGE BEFORE RELAUNCHING THE SEARCH. ONE OF THE WORLD'S MOST WANTED MEN IS SET TO FACE TRIAL AFTER BEING CAPTURED BY AMERICAN SPECIAL FORCES IN LIBYA. AL-QAEDA TERROR LEADER ABU ANAS AL-LIBI IS CHARGED WITH MASTERMINDING ATTACKS ON AMERICAN EMBASSIES IN EAST AFRICA 15 YEARS AGO. BUT IT'S BEEN REVEALED HE'S FACING A LIFE-THREATENING MEDICAL CONDITION. THE ABC'S PIERRE THOMAS REPORTS. AFTER 15 YEARS ON THE RUN, AL-LIBI, ONE OF THE WORLD'S MOST WANTED TERRORISTS, WILL NOW FACE JUSTICE FOR THE DEVASTATING 1998 ATTACK IN EAST AFRICA AGAINST US EMBASSIES. MORE THAN 200 PEOPLE WERE KILLED, INCLUDING 12 AMERICANS. OVERNIGHT, WHILE MOST OF US WERE ASLEEP, THERE WERE TWO HORRIFIC CAR-BOMBING EXPLOSIONS IN THE EAST AFRICAN NATIONS OF KENYA AND TANZANIA. THE FORMER CONFIDANT OF OSAMA BIN LADEN ARRIVED IN NEW YORK SATURDAY, UNDER ARMED GUARD, AFTER US OFFICIALS ATTEMPTED TO QUESTION HIM FOR 10 DAYS. BUT ABC NEWS HAS LEARNED THE INTERROGATION WAS STOPPED BECAUSE OF AL-LIBI'S FAILING HEALTH. SOURCES TELL US HE HAS HEPATITIS C, A VIRAL INFECTION THAT ATTACKS THE LIVER. THE GOVERNMENT PLANS TO NURSE HIM BACK TO HEALTH SO HE CAN FACE TRIAL FOR HIS ALLEGED ROLE OF MASTERMINDING THE PLOT SO MANY YEARS AGO. DESPITE HIS HEALTH, BECAUSE HE'S A TOP AL-QAEDA LEADER CAPTURED IN RECENT MEMORY, AL-LIBI WILL MOVE THROUGHOUT THE NATION'S BIGGEST CITY AMID AN ARMY OF SECURITY, AND IN COURT, HE WILL BE SURROUNDED BY US MARSHALS. ELLA YELICH OCONNOR, BETTER KNOWN AS LORDE, HAS CONTINUED HER RUN OF SUCCESS THIS YEAR. ALONG WITH CO-WRITER JOEL LITTLE, SHE WON THE PRESTIGIOUS SILVER SCROLL AWARD AT THE APRA MUSIC AWARDS LAST NIGHT FOR THE SONG 'ROYALS'. I HAVE TO ADJUST EVERY WEEK, EVERY MONTH TO... KIND OF NEW HEIGHTS, WHICH IS WEIRD, BUT, YOU KNOW, I... I LOVE WHAT I DO, AND I COULDN'T BE HAPPIER ABOUT BEING WHERE I AM, I GUESS. 'ROYALS' HAS GAINED LORDE WORLDWIDE ATTENTION, AND SHE SAYS SHE WANTS TO TOUR AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE TO BACK UP HER SUCCESS. STILL TO COME ON MIDDAY ` THE SHAREMARKET AND BUSINESS NEWS, INCLUDING THE LATEST INFLATION FIGURES. THEN IN SPORT, WAYNE ROONEY LEADS ENGLAND TO THE WORLD CUP FINALS. PRICES ARE RISING AT THE FASTEST PACE IN TWO YEARS ACCORDING TO THE LATEST DATA. A SPIKE IN PETROL PRICES IN THE SECOND QUARTER AND A 20% JUMP IN VEGETABLE PRICES SAW THE CONSUMER PRICE INDEX RISE 0.9%, THAT TAKES ANNUAL INFLATION TO 1.4%, BACK WITHIN THE RESERVE BANK TARGET OF 1% TO 3%. THE COST OF INSURING A HOME HAS SPIKED 19% IN THE PAST YEAR. LET'S TAKE A LOOK AT THE MARKETS NOW. WITH ME NOW IS PAUL VALK FROM CRAIGS INVESTMENT PARTNERS. THIS ITEM WILL BE CAPTIONED LIVE. FOR MORE, GO TO ONENEWS.CO.NZ AND CLICK ON 'BUSINESS'. FLETCHER BUILDING'S ANNUAL MEETING WAS ON TODAY. ANY ANNOUNCEMENTS OF SIGNIFICANCE? NOTHING OF HUGE SIGNIFICNACE. SLIDE HAD BEEN RELEASED BEFORE. IT DOES APEPAR THAT GOOD RECOVERY IN NZ IS HELPING FLETCHER BUILDING. A BIT OF HINDRANCE IN THE MINES. THE DEADLINE IS LOOMING FOR THE US GOVERNMENT AND THE DECISION THEY HAVE TO MAKE ABOUT THE DEBT CEILING. MARKETRS DON'T LIKE UNCERTAINTY. DOWN TO THE LAST DAY TO GET IT SORTED OUT. NOTHING NEW. CERTAIN A SOLUTION TO BE FOUND OVERNIGHT. INTEREST RATES IN AUSTRALIA STEADY FOR THE TIME BEING? STILL 2.5% THERE. COMFORTABLE TO STAY THERE. NZ OCTOBER 31 TO BE REVIEWED. COMMENTSTAORS SAYING WE'LL LIKE TO STAY STABLE TOO. THANK YOU, PAUL VALK, FROM CRAIGS INVESTMENT PARTNERS. IN MIDDAY SPORT ` ENGLAND HAVE QUALIFIED FOR NEXT YEAR'S FOOTBALL WORLD CUP FINALS IN BRAZIL. THEY BEAT POLAND 2-0 AT WEMBLEY THIS MORNING TO EDGE PAST UKRAINE AS WINNERS OF THEIR QUALIFYING GROUP. BUT, AS THE BBC'S DAN ROAN REPORTS, THE MATCH IN LONDON FELT AT TIMES LIKE AN AWAY GAME FOR ENGLAND. ENGLAND ` UNNERVED, PERHAPS, BY HOSTILITY HERE ON THEIR OWN TURF ` LIVED DANGEROUSLY. ROBERT LEWANDOWSKI SQUANDERED THE KIND OF CHANCE THE PREDATORY STRIKER USUALLY BURIES. THE HOSTS HAVE BEEN WARNED AND SLOWLY GOT A GRIP. ANDROS TOWNSEND CONTINUED WHERE HE LEFT OFF LAST WEEK. DANIEL STURRIDGE UNABLE TO TAKE ADVANTAGE. WITH UKRAINE WINNING AND THE PLAY-OFFS LOOMING, SOMETHING WAS NEEDED, AND THEN CAME THIS. WAYNE ROONEY RELIEVED THE TENSION. SUDDENLY WEMBLEY FELT LIKE HOME AGAIN. ENGLAND HAD LIFT-OFF. BUT, FOR AS LONG AS IT STAYED 1-0, THE GAME REMAINED ON A KNIFE EDGE, AND AT TIMES, IT WAS PANIC STATIONS. JOE HART DEFYING RECENT POOR FORM TO DENY TO DENY THE MARAUDING LEWANDOWSKI. BY NOW, ENGLAND WERE GRIMLY HANGING ON, DREADING A POLISH EQUALISER. BUT THEN, FINALLY, HER CAPTAIN PUT THINGS TO BED. STEVEN GERRARD HAD SENT HIS TEAM TO THE PROMISED LAND. ENGLAND HAD SEIZED THE DAY AND WON THE RIGHT TO TAKE THEIR PLACE ON THE SPORT'S GRANDEST STAGE OF ALL. JOB DONE. BRING ON BRAZIL. THE ALL WHITES WILL LEARN THEIR WORLD CUP QUALIFYING FATE THIS AFTERNOON, WITH SEVERAL RESULTS SET TO DETERMINE THEIR NEXT OPPONENT IN THE FINAL PLAY-OFF FOR A PLACE IN BRAZIL. NZ WILL PLAY THE FOURTH-PLACE FINISHER IN THE AMERICAN AND CARIBBEAN FEDERATION FOR A PLACE AT NEXT YEAR'S WORLD CUP. MEXICO LIE FOURTH BUT CAN CLIMB TO THIRD IF THEY BEAT COSTA RICA BY TWO GOALS AND HONDURAS LOSE TO JAMAICA, IN WHICH CASE THE ALL WHITES WOULD PLAY HONDURAS. IF MEXICO LOSE TO COSTA RICA AND PANAMA BEAT THE UNITED STATES, THE ALL WHITES WOULD MEET PANAMA. THE MOST LIKELY SCENARIO, THOUGH, IS A PLAY-OFF AGAINST MEXICO. NZ PLAY TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO THIS AFTERNOON, BUT THE RESULT HAS NO BEARING ON THE WORLD CUP. STILL TO COME ON MIDDAY ` I'LL BE BACK WITH THE AFTERNOON WEATHER. AND A WEATHER SURPRISE AT AN AUSSIE BEACH. UPBEAT MUSIC The Meridian share offer is closing in two days. Make sure you apply for your shares now. Visit meridianshares.govt.nz or call 0800 90 30 90 before the offer closes. NOW TO THE WEATHER. FOR WEATHER, SEE ONENEWS.CO.NZ WHILE NZ BATTLES WIND AND RAIN, ACROSS THE TASMAN, THERE HAVE BEEN WEATHER ISSUES OF A DIFFERENT TYPE. RESIDENTS OF MALUA BAY, 300KM SOUTH OF SYDNEY, WERE STUNNED TO FIND THEIR BEACH COVERED IN SNOW. IT CAME JUST DAYS AFTER RECORD HEAT FANNED BUSH FIRES IN THE AREA. METEOROLOGISTS SAY THE STORM WAS A ONCE-IN-A-GENERATION EVENT, AND THE TEMPERATURE'S EXPECTED TO HIT 30 AGAIN TOMORROW. THANKS FOR JOINING US. THE ONE NEWS HOUR WILL BE HERE AT 6. GOOD AFTERNOON. CAPTIONS BY AMY PARK AND JOHN LING. CAPTIONS WERE MADE POSSIBLE WITH FUNDING FROM NZ ON AIR. COPYRIGHT TVNZ ACCESS SERVICES 2013