IT'S MIDDAY. THE ACCUSATIONS BEGIN TO FLY FOLLOWING THE AMESBURY POISONING. IS RUSSIA USING THE UK AS A DUMPING GROUND? THE RACE AGAINST TIME AND THE WEATHER IN THAILAND. ARE RESCUERS ANY CLOSER TO BRINGING THE TRAPPED BOYS AND THEIR FOOTBALL COACH TO THE SURFACE? AND IT'S BIG, BLOATED, FULL OF HOT AIR AND ABOUT TO FLY OVER LONDON. WE'LL SHOW YOU THE BLIMP SET TO GREET THE U.S. PRESIDENT. CAPTIONS WERE MADE WITH THE SUPPORT OF NZ ON AIR. COPYRIGHT ABLE 2018 THE BRITISH HOME SECRETARY'S CALLING ON RUSSIA TO EXPLAIN THE LATEST NERVE ATTACK THAT'S LEFT TWO PEOPLE FROM AMESBURY CRITICALLY ILL IN HOSPITAL. THE PAIR WERE FOUND AROUND 13KM FROM SALISBURY, WHERE A FORMER RUSSIAN SPY SERGEI SKRIPAL AND HIS DAUGHTER WERE POISONED IN MARCH. JORDAN OPPERT REPORTS. FOUR MONTHS ON FROM THE SKRIPAL POISONING, POLICE ARE ONCE AGAIN TRYING TO REASSURE THE PUBLIC THAT ALL AREAS IN THE ORIGINAL INCIDENT HAVE BEEN DECONTAMINATED. OUR TOP PRIORITY NOW, AND ALWAYS WILL BE, THE SAFETY OF EVERYBODY ACROSS OUR COMMUNITIES. HOWEVER, POLICE SAY THE ONLY EXPLANATION AT THIS STAGE IS THAT DAWN STURGESS AND CHARLIE ROWLEY MUST HAVE HANDLED SOMETHING FROM THE INCIDENT THAT THE ATTACKERS DUMPED. IT IS COMPLETELY UNACCEPTABLE FOR OUR PEOPLE TO BE EITHER DELIBERATE OR ACCIDENTAL TARGETS OR FOR OUR STREETS, OUR PARKS, OUR TOWNS TO BE DUMPING GROUNDS FOR POISON. IN WILTSHIRE, A NUMBER OF LOCATIONS WHERE IT'S BELIEVED THE COUPLE WERE BEFORE THEY COLLAPSED ARE NOW CORDONED OFF. THIS INCLUDES CHARLIE ROWLEY'S FLAT, A LOCAL BAPTIST CHURCH AND A NEARBY CHEMIST. A HOSTEL IN SALISBURY WHERE DAWN STURGESS LIVES IS ALSO SHUT OFF. THE QUEEN'S GARDENS, CLOSE TO WHERE THE SKRIPALS LIVED, REMAINS CORDONED OFF TOO. IT'S BEEN CONFIRMED THAT BOTH INCIDENTS INVOLVED THE NOVICHOCK NERVE AGENT, BUT SO FAR IT CAN'T BE PROVEN THEY WERE FROM THE SAME BATCH. ONE EXPERT SAYS THE SUBSTANCE COULD BE JUST AS LETHAL FOUR MONTHS ON. IT DOESN'T SURPRISE ME THAT IT'S STILL IN THE ENVIRONMENT FOUR MONTHS AFTER USE. BECAUSE WORK I'VE DONE SHOWED THE PRESENCE OF AGENTS FOUR YEARS AFTER THEY HAD BEEN USED. SO IT MIGHT SUGGEST THAT THERE WAS SOME RESIDUAL CONTAMINATION, OR PERHAPS SOMETHING WAS IN A CONTAINER, FOR EXAMPLE, AND THAT'S WHAT WAS DISCARDED. FORENSIC TEAMS ARE URGENTLY SEARCHING FOR THE SOURCE OF THE LATEST CONTAMINATION. IT COULD ALSO PROVIDE SIGNIFICANT LEADS INTO THE SKRIPAL POISONING AND EXPLAIN ANY CONNECTIONS BETWEEN THE TWO EVENTS. JORDAN OPPERT, 1 NEWS. AUTHORITIES IN THAILAND ARE RACING AGAINST THE CLOCK TO FREE THE BOYS AND THEIR FOOTBALL COACH FROM A FLOODED CAVE BEFORE FURTHER RAINFALL. MORE THAN 128 MILLION LITRES OF WATER HAS BEEN PUMPED OUT OF THE CAVE, ALLOWING RESCUE TEAMS TO WALK FURTHER INTO THE TUNNEL. AND AS THE BBC'S JONATHAN HEAD REPORTS, RESCUE PLANS ARE STILL UP IN THE AIR. HOW LONG WILL THEY STAY DOWN THERE? THE BOYS ARE NOW GETTING CARE AND FOOD, BUT THE THAI AUTHORITIES ARE STILL DEBATING WHETHER TO RISK BRINGING THEM OUT QUICKLY OR WAITING, POSSIBLY FOR MONTHS. DOZENS OF VOLUNTEERS ARE HELPING THE NAVY DIVERS. THIS IS AN EXHAUSTING AND SOMETIMES DANGEROUS OPERATION. TELEVISION ACTOR IS EKAPAN BANLEURIT ONE OF THEM. (SPEAKS LOCAL LANGUAGE) 'WATER IS THE MAIN OBSTACLE,' HE SAYS. 'IF WE CAN GET THE WATER LEVEL DOWN, THE BOYS CAN BE BROUGHT OUT.' BUT WHILE A MASSIVE PUMPING EFFORT IS REDUCING IT IN THE FIRST SECTION OF CAVES, IT'S HAVING LESS EFFECT DEEPER IN WHERE THE BOYS ARE TRAPPED. SO THE THAI ARMY HAS BEEN TAKING EQUIPMENT TO THE OTHER END OF THE MOUNTAINS TO TRY TO LOWER THE WATER TABLE HERE, CLOSER TO THEIR LOCATION. THEY HAVE A NUMBER OF IDEAS THEY WANT TO TRY. BUT THEIR FIRST EFFORT HAS BEEN TO DIVERT THE STREAMS WHICH FEEDS THE UNDERGROUND POOLS. WE FOLLOWED THEM UP, ALONG PIPES THAT HAVE BEEN LAID JUST IN THE PAST FEW DAYS. WELL, THIS CREEK HAS COMPLETELY DRIED UP. A WEEK AGO IT WAS FILLED WITH WATER. SO YOU CAN SEE THAT THIS PROJECT WITH ALL THESE PIPES IS DEFINITELY HAVING AN IMPACT. HIGHER UP, WE WERE SHOWN A NEWLY BUILT DAM. WORK LIKE THIS IS NOW GOING ON ALL OVER THESE MOUNTAINS. NO ONE IS SURE YET HOW MUCH THEY CAN BRING DOWN THE WATER THAT'S BLOCKING THE BOYS' ESCAPE OR WHETHER THEY'LL WIN THE BATTLE AGAINST IMMINENT MONSOON RAIN. THEY JUST KNOW THAT THEY HAVE TO TRY. AND A REPORTER ON THE GROUND SAYS WHILE RESCUERS ARE AT THE MERCY OF THE WEATHER, THERE'S STILL HOPE THE 12 BOYS WILL BE ABLE TO SIMPLY WALK OUT OF THE CAVE. THE RAIN COULD PICK BACK UP ON SATURDAY. WE'RE EXPECTING IT TO GET MORE INTENSE ON SUNDAY. BUT AS OF NOW, SOMEWHAT SURPRISINGLY GIVEN IT'S JULY IN THAILAND ` THIS IS THE RAINY SEASON ` IT'S HOLDING RIGHT NOW, AND THE WATER LEVELS HAVE BEEN SLOWLY COMING DOWN. JUST DOWN THE STREET, ACTUALLY, FROM WHERE WE ARE, YOU CAN SEE THE END OF THE PUMPS THAT HAVE BEEN PUMPING OUT MILLIONS AND MILLIONS AND MILLIONS OF GALLONS OF WATER. AND IT HAS APPARENTLY HAD AN EFFECT. WE'VE HEARD FROM DIVERS THAT CNN HAS BEEN IN CONTACT WITH WHO SAY THE CONDITIONS HAVE BEEN A BIT MORE FAVOURABLE THROUGHOUT THE DAY TODAY, SO THAT'S WHY YOU HEARD THE GOVERNOR SAY IF THE WATER LEVELS COME DOWN ENOUGH, WALKING OUT WOULD CLEARLY BE THE BEST-CASE SCENARIO. BUT WHETHER THAT'S ACTUALLY POSSIBLE BEFORE THE RAINS PICK BACK UP ` WHICH THEY WILL ` THAT'S THE BIG QUESTION. FORMER PRIME MINISTER HELEN CLARK BELIEVES RUSSELL MCVEAGH'S BOARD SHOULD RESIGN SO THE COMPANY CAN MAKE A FRESH START. THAT FOLLOWS DAME MARGARET BAZLEY'S INDEPENDENT REPORT, WHICH FOUND A CULTURE OF BOOZE, BULLYING AND SEXUAL HARASSMENT AT THE TOP LAW FIRM, WITH STAFF TOO FRIGHTENED TO SPEAK OUT. AND AN EMPLOYMENT EXPERT SAYS INTERNATIONAL RESEARCH SHOWS THE VAST MAJORITY OF WORKPLACE SEXUAL HARASSMENT VICTIMS DO NOT SPEAK UP. MUCH OF IT IS THAT THEY DON'T GET SUPPORT FROM THEIR EMPLOYERS OR FROM ANYONE ELSE, FOR THAT MATTER, OTHER THAN PERHAPS FAMILY MEMBERS AND FRIENDS, AND THAT ALSO CAME THROUGH IN THE REPORT. THE GOVERNMENT STARTED COLLECTING DATA ON WORKPLACE SEXUAL HARASSMENT THIS MONTH. THE GOVERNMENT'S SET ITSELF A TARGET OF GENDER EQUALITY ACROSS ALL STATE SECTOR BOARDS BY 2021. WOMEN CURRENTLY MAKE UP JUST OVER 45% OF THE BOARDS. MINISTER FOR WOMEN JULIE ANNE GENTER SAYS THERE ARE MORE THAN ENOUGH WOMEN AND OTHER UNDER-REPRESENTED GROUPS SUCH AS ETHNIC AND DISABLED PEOPLE WITH THE NECESSARY EXPERIENCE TO SERVE ON THE BOARDS. ORGANIZATIONS MAKE BETTER DECISIONS WHEN THEY HAVE MORE DIVERSE LEADERSHIP AND GOVERNANCE. IF WE WANT A FAIR AND EQUAL AND SUCCESSFUL SOCIETY IN AOTEAROA, WE NEED TO MAKE AN EFFORT TO ENSURE THAT WE HAVE DIVERSITY IN OUR GOVERNANCE. SHE SAYS SHE WANTS THE PRIVATE SECTOR TO INCREASE DIVERSITY, WITH WOMEN MAKING UP ONLY 19% WOMEN OF THEIR BOARDS. THE MAN SUSPECTED OF KILLING TWO TEENAGERS IN A SYDNEY HOME LAST NIGHT HAS BEEN FOUND DEAD. A BOY (15) AND A GIRL (13) WERE KILLED IN THE INCIDENT, WHILE THEIR MOTHER TURNED UP AT THE SCENE SHORTLY AFTER POLICE ARRIVED. THE SUSPECT'S BODY WAS DISCOVERED AT A HOUSE ABOUT 5KM AWAY FROM WHERE THE TEENAGERS WERE KILLED. AUTHORITIES HAVE REMOVED THE BODIES OF THE TWO TEENAGE VICTIMS FROM THE HOME AS OFFICERS CONTINUE TO SCOUR THE PROPERTY. ANOTHER MEMBER OF TEAM TRUMP HAS STEPPED DOWN, THIS TIME THE EMBATTLED HEAD OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY. IN THE WAKE OF MONTHS OF ETHICS CONTROVERSIES, CITING 'THE UNRELENTING ATTACKS' ON HIMSELF AND HIS FAMILY. THE ABC'S JONATHAN CARL HAS THE LATEST. HE WAS FRONT AND CENTRE AT THE WHITE HOUSE 4TH OF JULY PICNIC JUST YESTERDAY. BUT NOW SCOTT PRUITT, ONE OF THE MOST EMBATTLED CABINET SECRETARIES EVER, IS GONE. IN HIS TWEET ANNOUNCING PRUITT'S RESIGNATION AS THE HEAD OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY, THE PRESIDENT SAID... BY SCANDAL AFTER SCANDAL, INCLUDING A STORY ABC NEWS BROKE EARLIER THIS YEAR CAPITOL HILL FOR JUST $50 A NIGHT FROM THE WIFE OF A LOBBYIST. PRUITT WAS FACING AT LEAST 12 SEPARATE INVESTIGATIONS BY MULTIPLE GOVERNMENT AGENCIES AND WAS REPEATEDLY ACCUSED OF USING HIS POSITION FOR PERSONAL BENEFIT. HE INSTALLED A $43,000 SOUNDPROOF PHONE BOOTH IN HIS GOVERNMENT OFFICE; HE ROUTINELY TOOK FIRST-CLASS FLIGHTS; SPENT MORE THAN $36,000 FOR A FLIGHT ABOARD A MILITARY JET; HE REACHED OUT TO THE CEO OF CHICK-FIL-A TRYING TO SECURE A FRANCHISE FOR HIS WIFE. MY WIFE IS AN ENTREPRENEUR HERSELF. I LOVE, SHE LOVES, WE LOVE` CHICK-FIL-A IS A FRANCHISE OF FAITH AND IT'S ONE OF THE BEST IN THE COUNTRY. HE USED GOVERNMENT STAFF TO PERFORM PERSONAL TASKS ` FINDING HIM AN APARTMENT, RESTAURANT RESERVATIONS, AND EVEN TRYING TO GET HIM A USED MATTRESS FROM THE TRUMP INTERNATIONAL HOTEL. HE ALSO PERSONALLY INTERVENED TO SECURE TWO OF HIS MOST LOYAL STAFFERS LUCRATIVE RAISES, OVER THE OBJECTIONS OF THE WHITE HOUSE. THE PRESIDENT REPEATEDLY PRAISED PRUITT FOR SLASHING ENVIRONMENTAL REGULATIONS. BUT HE EXPRESSED IRRITATION AT THE SCANDALS LAST MONTH. 170 MEMBERS OF CONGRESS, MANY OF THEM REPUBLICANS, AS REPUBLICAN SENATOR JONI ERNST PUT IT, 'HE IS ABOUT AS SWAMPY AS YOU GET HERE IN WASHINGTON.' LONDON'S SKYLINE IS GETTING AN INTERESTING ADDITION ` A 6M DONALD TRUMP BALLOON. THE GIANT 'TRUMP BABY' BALLOON HAS BEEN APPROVED BY LONDON'S MAYOR, MEANING IT'LL BE FLYING CLOSE TO THE BRITISH PARLIAMENT DURING THE PRESIDENT'S VISIT NEXT WEEK. PROTESTS ARE EXPECTED ACROSS LONDON WHEN TRUMP ARRIVES FOR HIS FIRST OFFICIAL VISIT, WHERE HE'S EXPECTED TO MEET THE QUEEN. THE BALLOON STILL NEEDS FINAL CLEARANCE FROM METROPOLITAN POLICE AND AIR TRAFFIC OFFICIALS BEFORE IT CAN TAKE OFF. STILL TO COME ON MIDDAY ` WHY A 92-YEAR-OLD GRANDMOTHER IS FACING LIFE BEHIND BARS. KIWIS MOVE ON AT WIMBLEDON. BUT THE SAME CAN'T BE SAID OF A DEFENDING CHAMPION. AND WHO WILL COME OUT ON TOP IN THIS WEEKEND'S FOOTBALL WORLD CUP QUARTER-FINALS? (SIGHS) Tim woke with a nasty cold. But a cold won't stop him from making her... (DINGS) ..the best costume ever. 'Cause even though Tim has a cold... (CHILDREN GASP) ..he won't let it stand in his way, thanks to the powerful relief of Codral. WELLINGTONIANS WILL SOON FIND OUT WHETHER THE MATARIKI, OR MAORI NEW YEAR, FIREWORKS DISPLAY WILL LIGHT UP THE SKY TONIGHT. THE DISPLAY'S CURRENTLY UP IN THE AIR BECAUSE A SOUTHERN RIGHT WHALE'S VISITING THE HARBOUR. A RIGHT WHALE WAS LAST SEEN IN THE HARBOUR EIGHT YEARS AGO. DEPARTMENT OF CONSERVATION STAFF ARE FINDING OUT WHETHER THE LIGHTS AND LOUD NOISES COULD UPSET THE WHALE. NEW ZEALANDERS MAKE UP THE BULK OF RESCUES ON SOME OF OUR GREAT WALKWAYS AND TRAMPS. THE MOUNTAIN SAFETY COUNCIL'S NEW REPORT, 'A WALK IN THE PARK', WAS ABLE TO IDENTIFY WHO, WHERE AND WHEN EVENTS TOOK PLACE. AND CONTRARY TO PREVIOUS BELIEFS, INTERNATIONAL VISITORS AREN'T THE BIGGEST PROBLEM. IT'S ACTUALLY KIWIS, WHEN YOU SCRAPE JUST A LITTLE BIT DEEPER, THAT HAVE A HIGHER PROPENSITY. SO WE'RE ROUGHLY ABOUT A THIRD OF THE RESCUES, BUT ONLY MAKE UP ABOUT A QUARTER OF THE ACTUAL PARTICIPANTS. I KNOW THAT'S A BIT OF MATHS OVER YOUR BREAKFAST, BUT IT MEANS KIWIS ARE ACTUALLY HAVING MORE INCIDENTS AND ACCIDENTS THAN INTERNATIONAL TOURISTS. 19 PEOPLE HAVE BEEN KILLED AND AT LEAST 40 INJURED AFTER A BLAZE IN A FIREWORK FACTORY IN MEXICO. THE DEAD INCLUDES FOUR FIREFIGHTERS AND TWO POLICE OFFICERS WHO RUSHED TO THE SCENE AFTER THE FIRST EXPLOSION, ONLY TO BE KILLED BY A SECOND WAVE OF BLASTS. AUTHORITIES SAY FOUR SMALL BUILDINGS WERE DESTROYED IN THE TOWN OF TULTEPEC. IT'S BELIEVED THE BLAST TOOK PLACE AT AN UNAUTHORISED WORKSHOP. U.S. AUTHORITIES ARE MOVING SOME MIGRANT PARENTS TO DETENTION SITES IN A BID TO START REUNITING THEM WITH THEIR CHILDREN AFTER THEY WERE SEPARATED WHEN ILLEGALLY CROSSING THE US-MEXICO BORDER. IT'S NOW ESTIMATED 3000 CHILDREN HAVE BEEN SEPARATED FROM THEIR PARENTS ` A NUMBER THAT'S JUMPED UP BY ALMOST A THOUSAND FROM THE LAST OFFICIAL FIGURES. THE ABC'S MARCUS MOORE WITH THIS. As cameras capture those rare re unions, there are there are more children separated than at first thought. That number is considerably higher than those previously reported. The secretary reveal the new numbers today. He promised the resulting reunification is will be as compassionate as possible. Tonight there are questions about how exactly it will be done. Meantime President Trump stead fast. Tonight there are 11 unaccompanied migrant children being cared for at this church facility here in Fort Worth Texas the secretary says they will use DNA screening to determine family relationships A VANDAL WHO SPRAY-PAINTED GRAFFITI ON A MEMORIAL FOR A MURDERED MELBOURNE WOMAN SAYS HE HAS 'NO REGRETS'. THE FORMER COMEDIAN WANTED IT TO BE 'AN ATTACK ON FEMINISM'. ANDY NOLCH HAS NO QUALMS ABOUT HIS CRIME. I APOLOGIZE TO FAMILY IN ANY OFFENSE THAT I HAVE CAUSED, BUT THIS NEEDED TO BE DONE. THE 31-YEAR-OLD IS FACING COURT OVERSPRAY PAINTING AN IMAGE OF MALE GENITALIA AT THE SHRINE FOR EURYDICE DIXON, WHO WAS RAPED AND MURDERED AT THE MELBOURNE PARK. IT WAS A REVENGE ATTACK, NOT AT ALL ON EURYDICE. IT WAS AN ATTACK ON THE MEDIA ON THIS HUGE ISSUE THAT'S BEEN TURNED INTO A WOMEN'S RIGHTS THING AND BLAMING MEN. I JUST THOUGHT, 'ALL RIGHT, YOU GOING TO BLAME MEN? 'WELL, ARE JUST GO AND DRAW A MASSIVE (BLEEP).' ANDY USED TO BE A COMEDIAN LIKE EURYDICE BUT SAYS HE BARELY KNEW HER. HE CONCEDES COPPING BACKLASH FOR SOME OF HIS MATERIAL. I HAD SOME STRONG ANTIFEMINIST BELIEFS AND ALSO SOME STRONG VACCINE-CAUSING AUTISM BELIEFS, WHICH I WAS TRYING TO GET OUT THERE. NOLCH HOSTED A COMMUNITY TV SHOW, AND HIS YOUTUBE CHANNEL IS FULL OF RANTS ABOUT SCIENTOLOGY AND ALIENS. GOVERNMENTS ARE WORKING WITH ALIENS UNDERGROUND, SECRETLY. YOU NEED TO JUST LIVE YOUR LIFE. OH, NO, CHURCHES OR ANYTHING TO DO WITH CHURCH OR RELIGION IS CORRUPT. OH YES. THAT'S NO CHURCHES. RELATIVES HAVE TOLD NINE NEWS THAT A YEAR AGO, ANDY BELIEVED HE WAS A WOMAN AND DRESSED IN WOMEN'S CLOTHES. THEY ALSO SAY ANDY IS AUTISTIC, AS IS JAMES TODD, THE MAN ACCUSED OF KILLING EURYDICE. THERE WAS A LITTLE BIT OF PLANNING. BUT IT WAS SPONTANEOUS AND I WAS UPSET. ANDY SAYS HIS CRIME TOOK MORE THAN 30 MINUTES TO EXECUTE. HE SAYS WHILE PAINTING THE GRASS, HE SPOTTED A POLICE CAR PATROLLING AND RAN ACROSS THE OVAL TO HIDE. ONCE THEY HAD GONE, HE RETURNED TO FINISH THE JOB. DO YOU REGRET IT? I DON'T REGRET ANYTHING. REALLY? YEAH. AN ARIZONA GRANDMOTHER HAS BEEN CHARGED WITH KILLING HER SON. THE 92-YEAR-OLD DIDN'T WANT TO BE PUT INTO A NURSING HOME. BUT AS CHANNEL NINE'S CHARLES CROUCHER REPORTS, SHE NOW FACES LIFE BEHIND BARS. IN A PRISON JUMPSUIT BUT THE MOST UNLIKELY PRISONER. PLEASE STATE YOUR FULL NAME AND DATE OF BIRTH. ANNA MAE BLESSING. 92-YEAR-OLD ANNA MAE BLESSING IS IN A WHEELCHAIR, FACING COURT, ACCUSED OF MURDERING HER SON BECAUSE SHE DIDN'T WANT TO BE PUT IN A HOME. FROM OUR UNDERSTANDING, SHE HAD THOUGHT ABOUT IT FOR A FEW DAYS, BECAUSE AGAIN THERE WAS A DISPUTE REGARDING HER SON WANTING TO PUT HER IN AN ASSISTED-LIVING HOME. POLICE SAY THE 92-YEAR-OLD HID TWO HANDGUNS IN HER DRESSING GOWN, CONFRONTING HER SON. THE COURT HEARD SHE SAID,... ... AND THEN SHOT HIM TWICE BEFORE TURNING THE GUN ON HIS GIRLFRIEND. AND THEY STRUGGLED OVER THE HANDGUN. SHE WAS ABLE TO DISLODGE THE HANDGUN OUT OF HER HANDS, AND BLESSING WAS ABLE TO PULL OUT A SECONDARY HANDGUN, AND THEY STRUGGLED OVER THAT HANDGUN AS WELL. THE GIRLFRIEND BROKE FREE AND WAS ABLE TO CALL HELP. WHEN POLICE ARRIVED AT THE SCENE, THEY SAID THEY FOUND ANNA MAE BLESSING SITTING IN HER RECLINER. THEY SAY THEY FOUND HER SON DEAD IN THE VERY NEXT ROOM. THE ARIZONA WOMAN IS CHARGED WITH FIRST-DEGREE MURDER, AGGRAVATED ASSAULT AND KIDNAPPING. THIS IS DEFINITELY AN ODD ONE. YOU KNOW, THERE'S A LOT OF CIRCUMSTANCES SURROUNDING IT, OF COURSE, BUT IT'S DEFINITELY SOMETHING YOU DON'T SEE EVERY DAY, AND IT'S VERY UNFORTUNATE THAT THIS TOOK PLACE. SPORT, AND KIWIS ARTEM SITAK AND MICHAEL VENUS HAVE MOVED INTO THE NEXT ROUND OF THE WIMBLEDON DOUBLES WITH THEIR RESPECTIVE PARTNERS. VENUS AND RAVEN KLASSEN RETURNED TO COURT THIS MORNING TO FINISH OFF THEIR RAIN-AFFECTED CLASH WITH EASE. BUT THE SHOCK OF THE DAY WENT TO UNSEEDED BELGIAN ALISON VAN UYTVANCK WHO ELIMINATED DEFENDING WOMEN'S CHAMP GARBINE MUGURUZA. OH, THAT IS IT! GAME, SET, MATCH, MS VAN UYTVANCK. WHAT A WIN FOR ALISON VAN UYTVANCK. 24 YEARS OF AGE. ELSEWHERE, MEN'S NUMBER ONE, RAFAEL NADAL, WAS MADE TO WORK FOR HIS VICTORY AGAINST HIS KAZAKH OPPONENT TO MOVE INTO THE THIRD ROUND. KIWI SHOT PUTTER TOM WALSH HAS CLAIMED VICTORY AT THE LATEST DIAMOND LEAGUE MEET IN SWITZERLAND. WALSH'S BELOW-PAR 21.92M THROW WAS STILL ENOUGH TO GUARANTEE HIM TOP SPOT. TO GUARANTEE HIM TOP SPOT. That was big enough for the win for the New Zealander. THE OTHER KIWI IN ACTION THIS MORNING WAS POLE VAULTER ELIZA MCCARTNEY. THE 21-YEAR-OLD WAS AIMING TO BREAK THE 5M BARRIER BUT FELL WELL SHORT. UNABLE TO CLEAR 4.72M, SHE FINISHED TIED FOR FOURTH. KIWI GOLFER RYAN FOX HAS MADE A SPECTACULAR START TO THE IRISH OPEN, WITH A CLEAR LEAD AT FIVE UNDER. FOX'S STRONG PERFORMANCE BACKED BY MAGICAL PLAYS LIKE THIS PUTT. AND A LOVELY PUTT TO FINISH HIS DAY. (APPLAUSE, CHEERING) AND RYAN ROUNDED IN 67. THE KIWI SAYS HE'S ENJOYING HIS TIME IN IRELAND. A LOT OF HOME, ACTUALLY. AND THE GOLF COURSE IS A REALLY GOOD TEST OF GOLF. THANKFULLY I'VE MANAGED TO CONQUER IT WELL ENOUGH TODAY. BUT ESPECIALLY WITH THE WEATHER WE'VE HAD IN THE LAST FEW DAYS, IT LOOKS LIKE IT'S GOING TO CONTINUE. EVERYONE IS ENJOYING IT, AND I'M CERTAINLY ONE OF THEM. FOX IS COMFORTABLY IN FRONT OF FORMER WORLD NUMBER ONE RORY MCILROY, WHO IS THREE SHOTS BEHIND. TO THE NRL, AND THE MELBOURNE STORM HAVE BATTERED ST GEORGE ILLAWARRA TO MOVE WITHIN TWO POINTS OF THE LADDER LEADERS. THE DRAGONS LOOKED SET TO SEAL THE CLASH AS THEY HELD A SLENDER LEAD WITH LESS THAN 20 MINUTES TO GO. BUT FOUR UNANSWERED TRIES IN 10 MINUTES CHANGED MELBOURNE'S FORTUNES. CHANGED MELBOURNE'S FORTUNES. The tough job tonight. He busT them! He can't get there! It's an avalanche of points! THE STORM STEAMROLLED THE DRAGONS IN THE END, 52-30. THE INFLUX OF VISITORS TO RUSSIA FOR THE FOOTBALL WORLD CUP IS PUTTING A STRAIN ON SOME SERVICES. IN THE CITY OF SAMARA, WATER USAGE HAS INCREASED BY 10%, LEADING AUTHORITIES TO ASK PEOPLE TO SHOWER IN PAIRS TO CONSERVE SUPPLIES. SAMARA IS DUE TO HOST ENGLAND'S QUARTER-FINAL WITH SWEDEN ON SUNDAY MORNING. AND FINALLY, A NEW ZEALANDER ` OF SORTS ` HAS RUFFLED A FEW FEATHERS AHEAD OF TOMORROW'S QUARTER-FINAL BETWEEN FRANCE AND URUGUAY. NEWTON THE NATIVE NEW ZEALAND KEA HAS PREDICTED A FRENCH VICTORY IN TOMORROW'S CLASH AT HIS NEW HOME AT A PARIS ZOO. SO FAR, NEWTON'S CORRECTLY PREDICTED SWEDEN'S WIN OVER SWITZERLAND BUT FAILED TO CALL ENGLAND'S HISTORIC PENALTY SHOOTOUT VICTORY. STILL TO COME ON MIDDAY, I'LL BE BACK WITH THE AFTERNOON WEATHER. YOUR WEATHER'S NEXT, BUT FIRST LET'S LOOK AT OUR TOP STORIES. THE INVESTIGATION CONTINUES INTO WHERE AND HOW ANOTHER COUPLE WERE POISONED IN AMESBURY, LEAVING THEM CRITICALLY ILL IN HOSPITAL. THE GOVERNMENT'S SET ITSELF A TARGET OF GENDER EQUALITY ACROSS ALL STATE SECTOR BOARDS BY 2021. AND IN SPORT, KIWIS ARTEM SITAK AND MICHAEL VENUS HAVE MOVED INTO THE NEXT ROUND OF THE WIMBLEDON DOUBLES. TIME NOW TO TAKE A LOOK AT THE REST OF TODAY'S WEATHER. FOR WEATHER, SEE TVNZ.CO.NZ THANKS FOR JOINING US. THE 1 NEWS HOUR WILL BE HERE AT 6. GOOD AFTERNOON. CAPTIONS BY TRACEY DAWSON AND GLENNA CASALME CAPTIONS WERE MADE WITH THE SUPPORT OF NZ ON AIR.