IT'S MIDDAY. A RESTAURANT IN A BRITISH TOWN IS IN LOCKDOWN AS TWO PEOPLE FALL ILL IN THE SAME CITY HIT BY A NOVICHOK ATTACK. A WINTRY FRONT HITS THE DEEP SOUTH. HEAVY SNOW CUTS POWER, CLOSES SCHOOLS AND CAUSES TRAFFIC MAYHEM IN QUEENSTOWN. AND THE DEATH TOLL CLIMBS AS RESIDENTS BRACE FOR THE DEADLY SUPER TYPHOON IN HONG KONG AND CHINA AFTER BLASTING THROUGH THE PHILIPPINES. CAPTIONS BY CHELSEA BRADY AND MAEVE KELLY CAPTIONS WERE MADE WITH THE SUPPORT OF NZ ON AIR. COPYRIGHT ABLE 2018 AHI AHI MARIE, GOOD AFTERNOON. A RESTAURANT IN THE BRITISH TOWN OF SALISBURY HAS BEEN CORDONED OFF BY POLICE AFTER A MAN AND WOMAN WERE TAKEN ILL. IT'S THE SAME TOWN WHERE A FORMER RUSSIAN SPY AND HIS DAUGHTER WERE POISONED WITH THE TOXIC NERVE AGENT NOVICHOK. BBC CORRESPONDENT DUNCAN KENNEDY IS IN SALISBURY WITH THE LATEST. WHAT WE DO KNOW IS THAT AMBULANCES WERE CALLED TO THE PREZZO RESTAURANT, WHICH IS THE BLACK AND WHITE RESTAURANT OVER MY SHOULDER HERE, AT ABOUT QUARTER TO 6 TONIGHT. THEY WERE THEN FOLLOWED BY THE POLICE SHORTLY AFTER THAT. ABOUT FIVE OR SIX POLICE CARS TURNED UP. A SIMILAR NUMBER OF AMBULANCES TURNED UP. ALSO, SOME MEN WEARING THOSE WHITE HAZMAT CHEMICAL PROTECTIVE SUITS THAT WE'VE SEEN A LOT OF HERE IN SALISBURY, THEY WENT INSIDE THE RESTAURANT AS WELL. WE UNDERSTAND THAT IT INVOLVES A MAN AND A WOMAN WHO BECAME ILL. AN EYEWITNESS HAS TOLD THE BBC SHE WAS IN THE RESTAURANT AT THE TIME, AND SHE SAW THE WOMAN BECOME 'HYSTERICAL', IN HER WORDS. THE WOMAN STARTED STANDING UP AND SITTING DOWN. THE EYEWITNESS DIDN'T SEE THE MAN IN QUESTION, SO SHE DOESN'T KNOW WHAT HAPPENED TO THEM. THE POLICE ARE DESCRIBING THIS AS A MEDICAL INCIDENT. THEY'RE NOT GIVING ANY MORE DETAILS THAN THAT. THEY'RE ALSO SAYING THAT THEY'VE SEALED OFF THE ROADS AROUND HERE AS WHAT THEY CALL A 'PRECAUTIONARY MEASURE'. NOW, PUBLIC HEALTH ENGLAND SAY THEY'VE BEEN INFORMED OF THIS INCIDENT. THEY'RE AWARE OF IT. BUT THERE'S NO SUGGESTION FROM ANYBODY SO FAR TONIGHT THAT THIS IS CONNECTED TO THE NOVICHOK INCIDENT, WHICH, OF COURSE, BEGAN HERE BACK IN MARCH. AIR NEW ZEALAND IS STRONGLY ADVISING ITS PASSENGERS IN AND OUT OF QUEENSTOWN TO DEFER NON-URGENT TRAVEL TODAY. HEAVY SNOW HAS FORCED THE CANCELLATIONS OF A NUMBER OF FLIGHTS AFTER A LATE WINTERY BLAST CLOSED SCHOOLS AND ROADS. JORDAN OPPERT REPORTS. TOO MUCH SNOW TO OPEN. NOT EVEN TWO GRADERS COULD CLEAR THE ACCESS ROAD AT CARDRONA THIS MORNING. THE MOUNTAIN'S ALREADY WELCOMED 50CM TODAY AND STILL COUNTING. IT IS CRANKING DOWN STILL. FORECAST IS FOR IT TO BE SET IN FOR THE DAY. WHAT AN AMAZING SPRING STORM! WE NEVER GET SNOW FALLS TO THIS MAGNITUDE IN SPRING, AND WHAT A TREAT IT IS. THE SPRING SNOWFALL IS CAUSING DELAYS AND CANCELLATIONS IN AND OUT OF QUEENSTOWN AIRPORT. SIMILAR SCENES IN PARTS OF CENTRAL OTAGO, SOUTHLAND AND FIORDLAND. THESE TOURISTS ARE TUCKED UP IN THEIR CAMPERVANS, SNOWED IN ON THE CROWN RANGE. AND WHILE IT MIGHT BE PICTURESQUE,... IT'S MAGICAL. IT'S WONDERFUL. ...IT'S ALSO BEEN PROBLEMATIC. MANY WOKE TO NO POWER. AND IT WAS A SNOW DAY FOR OTHERS, WITH SOME EARLY CHILDHOOD CENTRES AND SCHOOLS CLOSING THEIR GATES TODAY. AND WHILST IT'LL STILL BE CHILLY, HOPEFULLY, THERE WON'T BE A SECOND SNOW DAY TOMORROW, AS IT'S SET TO CLEAR BY THIS EVENING. JORDAN OPPERT, 1 NEWS. FOODSTUFFS HAS CONFIRMED IT HAS HALTED THE SALE OF AUSTRALIAN STRAWBERRIES. IT COMES AFTER NEEDLES WERE FOUND IN DIFFERENT BRANDS ACROSS THE TASMAN. BOTH NEW ZEALAND CHAINS COUNTDOWN AND FOODSTUFFS SAY NONE OF THEIR PRODUCTS ARE AFFECTED. A GOVERNMENT UNITED, OR ALL FOR SHOW? NATIONAL'S CRITICISED THE COALITION'S SHARED VISION FOR NEW ZEALAND, SAYING IT LACKED ANY SUBSTANCE. PARTY LEADER SIMON BRIDGES SAYS IT STILL LOOKS LIKE WINSTON PETERS IS IN CONTROL. UNLESS HE AGREES, AND THERE'S A LOT HE WON'T AGREE TO ` MOST OF IT, ACTUALLY ` THEN IT DOESN'T HAPPEN, AND WE'RE STARTING TO SEE AN NZ FIRST-LED COALITION RATHER THAN A LABOUR-LED ONE. BUT ONE POLITICAL COMMENTATOR SAYS THE EVENT WAS NECESSARY TO SHOW A UNITED FRONT. IF YOU'RE A CYNIC, MAYBE IT LOOKED HOLLOW. SO IT WAS A POLARISING SPEECH IN THAT SENSE. BUT I DON'T THINK PEOPLE` YEAH. SUPPORTERS IS JUST WHAT THE GOVERNMENT'S WORRIED ABOUT AT THE MOMENT. THEY JUST WANT TO SHORE UP THOSE PEOPLE THAT ARE HAVING DOUBTS. TYPHOON MANGKHUT HAS BEGUN TO BATTER MAINLAND CHINA AS IT CONTINUES ITS DEADLY PATH THROUGH EAST ASIA. AT LEAST 60 PEOPLE ARE NOW KNOWN TO HAVE BEEN KILLED AS WINDS OF UP TO 200KM/H BROUGHT HEAVY RAIN AND RIPPED BUILDINGS APART. IT'S NOW HIT GUANGDONG, CHINA'S MOST POPULATED PROVINCE, WHERE A RED ALERT'S BEEN ISSUED AND THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE EVACUATED. THE BBC'S JONATHAN HEAD'S REPORT BEGINS IN THE PHILIPPINES. THE SHRIEKING WIND WAS BAD ENOUGH, BUT HEAVY RAIN BROUGHT LANDSLIDES TO THE NORTHERN PHILIPPINES, BURYING VEHICLES, HOUSES AND PEOPLE. THE RIVERS ARE ALSO DANGEROUSLY SWOLLEN. HERE, RESCUERS MANAGED TO PULL A MOTHER AND CHILD TO SAFETY,... YAY! ...FROM THEIR FLOODED HOME. THE STORM HAS PASSED ON, BUT EVERYWHERE, IT'S LEFT A TRAIL OF DESTRUCTION. PEOPLE ARE RETURNING FROM EVACUATION SHELTERS TO FIND THEIR HOMES IN RUINS. TYPHOON MANGKHUT HAS NOW MOVED WEST. WINDS OF UP TO 110 MILES AN HOUR HAMMERED HONG KONG, SHOWING THAT EVEN THIS MODERN AND WELL-BUILD CITY IS NO MATCH FOR ITS POWER. WAVES CRASHED ON TO THE DESERTED CITY STREETS, FLOODING SOME SHOPS AND RESTAURANTS. IN PLACES, THE WATER ROSE MORE THAN 3.5M ABOVE ITS NORMAL LEVEL, TERRIFYING RESIDENTS. MORE THAN 200 PEOPLE WERE INJURED. CHINESE MEDIA HAVE CALLED IT 'THE KING OF STORMS'. THIS IS HOW ITS ARRIVAL ON THE CHINESE MAINLAND WAS SEEN FROM A HOTEL IN SHENZHEN. AFTER TRAVELLING THOUSANDS OF MILES, IT WAS STILL WREAKING HAVOC ` THIS TIME, IN CHINA'S MOST HEAVILY POPULATED PROVINCE. NEARLY 2.5 MILLION PEOPLE HAVE BEEN EVACUATED AND THE AUTHORITIES PUT ON HIGH ALERT FOR FURTHER DAMAGE. HERE, THE WIND HEAVED THE SEA UP AND RIGHT THROUGH A RESTAURANT WINDOW. THE COST OF ALL THIS IS INCALCULABLE, AND THE TYPHOON SEASON IN ASIA ISN'T OVER YET. MEANWHILE, IN THE US, OFFICIALS WARN THE WORST OF FORMER HURRICANE FLORENCE IS YET TO COME. 16 PEOPLE HAVE DIED AS FLORENCE MOVES THROUGH NORTH AND SOUTH CAROLINA, CAUSING INTENSE RAINFALL AND FLASH FLOODING. THE ABC'S TOM LLAMAS WITH THIS. TONIGHT, THE SLOW-MOTION DISASTER IN THE CAROLINAS IS REACHING A BREAKING POINT, WATERS RISING AT RECORD LEVELS, CUTTING OFF TOWNS AND CITIES; ROADS AND HIGHWAYS SUBMERGED AND SEVERELY DAMAGED. THE FEARS OF CATASTROPHIC FLOODING ARE NOW REALISED. NORTH CAROLINA'S GOVERNOR ISSUED THIS DIRE WARNING: THE STORM HAS NEVER BEEN MORE DANGEROUS THAN IT IS RIGHT NOW. THE MONSTER STORM SHEARING SIDES OFF BUILDINGS, GAS STATIONS COMPLETELY LEVELLED, AND SHIPPING CONTAINERS TOPPLED OVER. FLOODWATERS ARE STILL RAGING ACROSS PARTS OF OUR STATE, AND THE RISK TO LIFE IS RISING WITH THE ANGRY WATERS. 1000 RESPONDERS ARE NOW CARRYING OUT HUNDREDS OF RESCUES ` THE COASTGUARD PULLED A MOTHER AND INFANT CHILD FROM DANGER, THE ELDERLY BEING TAKEN TO SAFETY FROM THIS NURSING HOME IN GOLDSBOROUGH, NORTH CAROLINA. AND NOW, THE DEATH TOLL CLIMBING ` AT LEAST 16 PEOPLE KILLED FROM FLORENCE'S WRATH, AND GETTING HELP TO THOSE IN NEED IS BECOMING A GREATER CHALLENGE. MORE THAN 170 ROADS ARE IMPASSABLE ` SOME COMPLETELY WASHED AWAY. EMERGENCY CREWS ARE SCRAMBLING TO BUILD BARRIERS IN THE HOPES OF KEEPING AT LEAST SOME ROADS OPEN, BUT THE TORRENTIAL RAIN IS SHUTTING DOWN SECTIONS OF TWO MAJOR HIGHWAYS. THIS FLOODED STRETCH OF I-95 IN LUMBERTON IS LITTERED WITH ABANDONED CARS, AND TONIGHT, THE POWER IS OUT FOR MORE THAN 700,000 CUSTOMERS. THE WOMAN ACCUSING DONALD TRUMP'S SUPREME COURT NOMINEE BRETT KAVANAUGH OF SEXUAL ASSAULT HAS IDENTIFIED HERSELF. CHRISTINE BLASEY FORD CLAIMS KAVANAUGH PINNED HER TO A BED AND TRIED TO REMOVE HER CLOTHES WHEN THEY WERE TEENAGERS. KAVANAUGH DENIES THE ALLEGATIONS, WHICH SURFACED LAST WEEK. DEMOCRATS ARE CALLING FOR HIS NOMINATION TO BE PUT ON HOLD. AUSTRALIAN AUTHORITIES ARE PROMISING TO SHUT DOWN A MUSIC FESTIVAL AFTER TWO PEOPLE DIED FROM A SUSPECTED DRUG OVERDOSE. 700 OTHERS SOUGHT MEDICAL ATTENTION FOR DRUG-RELATED PROBLEMS AT SYDNEY'S 'DEFQON-ONE' FESTIVAL, WITH THREE PATIENTS IN A CRITICAL CONDITION. CHANNEL NINE'S GABRIELLE BOYLE REPORTS. THERE'S NO DOUBTING THIS WAS AN EPIC PARTY,... (ENERGETIC TECHNO MUSIC PLAYS) ...BUT WAS IT REALLY ALL WORTH IT? IT WAS A VERY CHAOTIC SCENE. IT WAS QUITE A HORRENDOUS SCENE. TWO PEOPLE ARE DEAD ` A MAN (23) AND A WOMAN (21) ` AND THREE PEOPLE, INCLUDING A WOMAN (26) AND A MAN (19) ARE ALL IN HOSPITAL, FIGHTING FOR LIFE. ALL ARE BELIEVED TO HAVE TAKEN ILLEGAL DRUGS. THERE'S FIVE FAMILIES TO DATE THAT THEIR LIVES HAVE POTENTIALLY CHANGED FOREVER BECAUSE OF A POOR DECISION MADE TO TAKE ILLEGAL DRUGS. 30,000 PARTYGOERS ATTENDED DEFQON, A MUSIC FESTIVAL IN PENRITH, YESTERDAY. A STAGGERING 700 NEEDED MEDICAL HELP, AND IT WAS A BUSY NIGHT FOR THE 180 UNIFORMED AND PLAIN-CLOTHED POLICE, ARRESTING 69 PEOPLE IN POSSESSION OF DRUGS AND CHARGING 10 WITH SUPPLY OFFENCES. LOTS OF PEOPLE, GOOD VIBE. A FEW PEOPLE PASSED OUT, BUT, YOU KNOW, THAT'S A SIGN OF A GOOD PARTY. PARTYGOERS MAY LIKE IT, BUT THE PREMIER HAS HAD A GUTFUL. THIS IS AN UNSAFE EVENT, AND I'LL BE DOING EVERYTHING I CAN TO MAKE SURE IT NEVER HAPPENS AGAIN. THIS MORNING, THREE MEN FROM BANKSTOWN, MT PRITCHARD AND SYDNEY APPEARED IN PARRAMATTA COURT. TWO WERE REFUSED BAIL. THEIR FRIENDS LEFT COURT WITHOUT THEM. (BLEEP) GOT THE CRIMINALS. BUT 33-YEAR-OLD VO DANG PHAN WAS RELEASED FROM CUSTODY. WHAT WERE YOU PLANNING ON DOING WITH THOSE DRUGS, SIR? DEFQON TODAY ISSUED A STATEMENT ` THE CONTROVERSIAL FESTIVAL HAS HAD A BAD TRACK RECORD WITH DRUGS SINCE IT BEGAN IN 2009. WITHIN THE FIRST FOUR YEARS, A YOUNG MAN HAD OVERDOSED AND DIED. TWO YEARS LATER, ANOTHER MAN WAS ALSO KILLED BY DRUGS. WITH THE DEATH TOLL NOW DOUBLED, SOME ARE SAYING ENOUGH IS ENOUGH. IT'S CERTAINLY DEVASTATING, AND THESE LIVES WERE SENSELESS YOUNG DEATHS WHICH AFFECTED EVERYONE INVOLVED. I NEVER WANT TO SEE THIS EVENT HELD IN SYDNEY OR NEW SOUTH WALES EVER AGAIN. STILL TO COME ON MIDDAY ` IS HOMELESSNESS ON THE RISE IN OUR BIGGEST CITY? AUCKLAND GETS READY FOR ITS FIRST HEAD COUNT. PRIME MINISTER UNDER PRESSURE ` WHY THERESA MAY SAYS SHE'S IRRITATED AT ONGOING SPECULATION OVER HER LEADERSHIP. AND THE WORLD'S NEW MARATHON MAN, AS ELIUD KIPCHOGE SMASHES MORE THAN A MINUTE OFF THE WORLD RECORD. HOMELESSNESS IN OUR BIGGEST CITY IS ON THE RISE, AND ONE ORGANISATION IS GEARING UP TO COUNT THE HOMELESS FOR THE FIRST TIME. HUNDREDS OF VOLUNTEERS WILL HIT THE CITY'S STREETS TONIGHT TO FIND THOSE WITHOUT PERMANENT SHELTER IN AN ATTEMPT TO RESOURCE THE PROBLEM, WHICH SOME SAY IS GROWING. IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT THAT WE HAVE A NUMBER AND HAVE SOME ACCURATE INFORMATION THAT WE CAN TAKE UP, TAKE ACROSS AND GET THE COMMUNITY'S HEAD AROUND, BECAUSE WE HAVE A LOT OF STORIES, AND WE HAVE A LOT OF ANECDOTES. AND 1 NEWS HAS LAUNCHED A SPECIAL SERIES ON HOMELESSNESS IN NEW ZEALAND, WHICH YOU CAN CHECK OUT ON OUR WEBSITE ` 1NEWSNOW.CO.NZ BRITISH PRIME MINISTER THERESA MAY SAYS SHE'S IRRITATED WITH ONGOING SPECULATION OVER HER LEADERSHIP POSITION. IT COMES AFTER OPPOSITION MPs MET TO DISCUSS HOW THEY COULD FORCE HER TO STAND DOWN. THE BBC'S NICK HURDLEY REPORTS. AS A COUNSELLOR... AT CHEQUERS, WHERE HER BREXIT PROPOSAL WAS BORN, A SIGHT WE DON'T OFTEN SEE ` THE PRIME MINISTER AT EASE, DEFENDING HER PLAN FOR LIFE OUTSIDE THE EU. THIS WEEK SOME DISCUSSED REPLACING HER OVER THAT POLICY. BUT THERESA MAY SAYS IT'S NOT HER FUTURE THAT'S IMPORTANT; IT'S THE COUNTRY'S. THIS IS WHERE I GET A LITTLE BIT IRRITATED. THIS DEBATE IS NOT ABOUT MY FUTURE. THIS DEBATE IS ABOUT THE FUTURE OF THE PEOPLE OF THE UK AND THE FUTURE OF THE UNITED KINGDOM. THAT'S WHAT I'M FOCUSED ON, AND THAT'S WHAT I THINK WE SHOULD ALL BE FOCUSED ON. SOME BREXIT BACKERS SAY THE PLAN WOULD BE A DISASTER, AND THEY'RE FLEXING THEIR POLITICAL MUSCLES TO TRY AND CHANGE IT. MICHAEL GOVE BACKS THE PRIME MINISTER, SAYING HE'S COMPROMISED. BUT THIS MORNING HE HINTED THOSE COMPROMISES NEEDN'T BE FOREVER. A FUTURE PRIME MINISTER COULD ALWAYS CHOOSE TO ALTER THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN BRITAIN AND THE EUROPEAN UNION. BUT THE CHEQUERS APPROACH IS THE RIGHT ONE FOR NOW, BECAUSE WE'VE GOT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE RESPECT THAT VOTE AND TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE OPPORTUNITIES OF BEING OUTSIDE THE EUROPEAN UNION. BUT WITH SO MANY DIFFERENT VIEWS STILL ON THE TABLE, WHO MAKES THE FINAL CALL? LONDON'S MAYOR THINKS IT SHOULD BE VOTERS IN A REFERENDUM ON THE FINAL DEAL. THE QUESTION SHOULD BE A CHOICE BETWEEN THE DEAL DONE BY THIS GOVERNMENT OR STAYING IN THE EUROPEAN UNION. AND THE DEAL DONE BY THIS GOVERNMENT, WE CAN NOW SEE WHAT, ACTUALLY, THE CONSEQUENCES WOULD BE. LABOUR'S LEADERSHIP REMAINS TO BE CONVINCED ON ANOTHER REFERENDUM. THE PRIME MINISTER INSISTS IT WON'T HAPPEN, AND SHE SAYS SHE'LL FIGHT FOR HER PLAN. YOU KNOW WHAT SOME PEOPLE SAY? THEY RATHER LIKED IT WHEN YOU JOKED ABOUT BEING THAT 'BLOODY DIFFICULT WOMAN'. THEY LIKED THAT. AND THEY SOMETIMES SAY, 'WHERE'S SHE GONE? WE WANT HER BACK.' (CHUCKLES) WELL, SHE'S STILL THERE, BUT I THINK THERE'S A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THOSE WHO THINK YOU CAN ONLY BE BLOODY DIFFICULT IN PUBLIC AND THOSE OF US WHO THINK, ACTUALLY, YOU BIDE YOUR TIME, AND YOU'RE BLOODY DIFFICULT WHEN THE TIME IS RIGHT AND WHEN IT REALLY MATTERS. AND IT'S THAT RESOLVE THAT WILL BE TESTED IN THE COMING MONTHS. TO SPORT NOW ` AND DISAPPOINTMENT FOR NEW ZEALAND ON THE FINAL DAY OF THE ROWING WORLD CHAMPS IN BULGARIA. THE KIWIS RELINQUISHED ALL THEIR WORLD TITLES, WHILE HOT FAVOURITE SINGLE SCULLER ROBBIE MANSON FAILED TO DELIVER FOR THE SECOND TIME AT A WORLD CHAMPS. THE TEAM ARE ON THEIR WAY HOME WITH TWO SILVERS AND A BRONZE, BUT AS EUROPE CORRESPONDENT JOY REID EXPLAINS, THERE'S NO NEED TO PANIC. FIGHTING BACK THE TEARS ` LIV LOE AND BROOKE DONOGHUE WERE CONSOLED BY FAMILY AFTER LOSING THEIR DOUBLE SCULLS WORLD TITLE. WE WERE DEFINITELY GUTTED. WE CAME HERE TO WIN. INSTEAD, THE DUO PICKED UP SILVER. NOT EVEN THEIR SIGNATURE SPRINT FINISH COULD CLOSE THE GAP ON THE LITHUANIANS. A FEW CREWS REALLY JUMPED OUT ON US, AND WE WORKED INCREDIBLY HARD THROUGH THAT MIDDLE, TRYING TO GET IT BACK. TO BE HONEST, IT'S NOT QUITE WHAT WE WANTED, BUT WE ARE HAPPY WITH OUR RACE. WHOO! YOU DID IT! THE MEN'S DOUBLE ALSO LOST THEIR WORLD TITLE, PICKING UP BRONZE. THEY WERE A STRONGER SIDE, WHICH MADE IT A BIT WOBBLY. OUR PLAN WAS TO COME OUT AND STAY WITH THE PACK AS MUCH AS WE COULD AND SEE IF WE COULD SPRINT THROUGH AT THE END. MAYBE LEFT A LITTLE TOO MUCH TO DO IN THAT LAST 500. THE FINAL SPRINT EARNED THEM A MEDAL, THOUGH ` AND A SOFT TOY, PERHAPS FOR THEIR FIRST CHILDREN ` BOTH DUE IN JANUARY. MEANWHILE, A DISAPPOINTED ROBBIE MANSON WAS CONTEMPLATIVE AS HE CAME OUT OF THE WATER AFTER WHAT WAS PROBABLY NEW ZEALAND'S MOST DISAPPOINTING RESULT OF THE DAY. THE WORLD BEST TIME-HOLDER AND HOT FAVOURITE CAME FIFTH WHILE NORWAY TOOK THE TITLE. THE WATER CONDITIONS IN THAT INSIDE OF THE COURSE WERE LESS FAVOURABLE, AND THE WIND WAS STRONGER, IT WAS ROUGHER, AS WELL. SO IT DID AFFECT HIS CHANCES ` NO DOUBT ABOUT IT. THE LAST TIME NEW ZEALAND LEFT A WORLD CHAMPS WITHOUT A WORLD TITLE WAS BACK IN 2001. AND TO PUT THINGS IN PERSPECTIVE, THIS TIME FOUR YEARS AGO, THE SAME TIME IN THE OLYMPIC CYCLE, NEW ZEALAND CAME AWAY WITH NINE MEDALS. SIX OF THEM WERE GOLD. IT IS DISAPPOINTING, BUT, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE BEEN ACCUSED OF PEAKING TOO EARLY. GOING INTO RIO ` THAT WAS A PROBLEM FOR US. I THINK WE'RE IN A PRETTY GOOD POSITION RIGHT NOW, WITH EIGHT A FINALISTS ALL IN OLYMPIC EVENTS. THE ATHLETES, HOWEVER, SAY THERE'S WORK TO DO... GO BACK HOME AND WORK HARDER. ...SO THAT NEXT YEAR, THE KIWI FLAG CAN TAKE CENTRE STAGE. JOY REID, 1 NEWS ` PLOVDIV, BULGARIA. IT'S ALL GOING TO PLAN FOR KIWI INDYCAR DRIVER SCOTT DIXON AT THE FINAL SERIES ROUND IN SONOMA. HIS MAIN CHAMPIONSHIP RIVAL, ALEXANDER ROSSI, WAS PUSHED TO THE BACK OF THE GRID AFTER SLAMMING INTO THE BACK OF HIS TEAMMATE. HE TAGGED THE BACK OF HIS TEAMMATE MARCO ANDRETTI. HERE IT IS. OH! JUST AN AWKWARD INCIDENT. AND ENDED UP GETTING A FLAT FRONT-RIGHT AND WING DAMAGE AS WELL. THE COLLISION MEANS DIXON JUST NEEDS TO FINISH HIGHER THAN ROSSI TO CLAIM HIS FIFTH TITLE. THE KIWI, A SHORT TIME AGO, WAS IN SEVENTH WITH 22 LAPS TO GO WHILE ROSSI IS IN 9TH POSITION. KIWI HAYDEN PADDON'S FINISHED THIRD IN THE RALLY OF TURKEY ` HIS FIRST PODIUM OF THE YEAR. THE HYUNDAI DRIVER ENDED UP MORE THAN A MINUTE AND A HALF BEHIND THE WINNER, ESTONIA'S OTT TANAK. PADDON SAYS HE'S WRAPPED WITH HIS RESULT DESPITE A TORRID RALLY FOR HIS HYUNDAI TEAM. OBVIOUSLY, REALLY HAPPY TO BE ON THE PODIUM FOR THE FIRST TIME THIS YEAR. IT'S BEEN A WHILE, BUT... REALLY TOUGH RALLY. GLAD THAT OUR STRATEGY PAID OFF. IT WAS TOUGH HOLDING YOURSELF BACK ALL WEEKEND, ESPECIALLY TODAY. TOUGH WEEKEND FOR THE TEAM. OBVIOUSLY NOT THE RESULT THEY WANTED, BUT, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE WORKING REALLY, REALLY HARD. KIWI FORMULA 1 DRIVER BRENDON HARTLEY'S FINISHED A DISAPPOINTING 17TH AT THE SINGAPORE GRAND PRIX. CHAMPIONSHIP LEADER LEWIS HAMILTON DOMINATED FROM START TO FINISH TO CLAIM THE CHEQUERED FLAG AHEAD OF MAX VERSTAPPEN. THE WIN EXTENDS HAMILTON'S SERIES LEAD AFTER HIS MAIN RIVAL SEBASTIAN VETTLE FINISHED THIRD. KENYA'S ELIUD KIPCHOGE HAS SMASHED THE MARATHON WORLD RECORD BY NEARLY A MINUTE AND 20 SECONDS. THE OLYMPIC CHAMPION CLOCKED A TIME OF TWO HOURS AND ONE MINUTE, 39 SECONDS IN BERLIN. THE BBC'S JO CURRY REPORTS. SHOCK AND SURPRISE ` PERHAPS NOT THAT IT WAS ELIUD KIPCHOGE WHO LED THE WAY, OR THAT IT WAS ON THE FLAT STREETS OF BERLIN, WHERE MANY OF THE FASTEST TIMES HAVE BEEN RUN BEFORE. WHAT WAS A SURPRISE, THOUGH, WAS THE MARGIN BY WHICH HE SMASHED THE MARATHON WORLD RECORD. THE KENYAN'S TIME OF TWO HOURS, 1 MINUTE AND 39 SECONDS WAS OVER A MINUTE FASTER THAN ANYONE ELSE IN HISTORY. I'M REALLY GLAD THAT I'M 2 HOURS 1 MINUTE AND 39 SECONDS. SO I'M REALLY HAPPY, AND I'M GRATEFUL TO THOSE WHO ACTUALLY WALKED WITH ME CLOSELY. THE 33-YEAR-OLD IS NO STRANGER TO MARATHON SUCCESS. HE CLAIMED GOLD AT THE OLYMPICS IN BRAZIL TWO YEARS AGO... KIPCHOGE IS THE OLYMPIC CHAMPION. ...AND IN APRIL, HE WON THE LONDON MARATHON, CLAIMING HIS THIRD TITLE. KIPCHOGE WAS ALREADY REGARDED AS ONE OF THE GREATEST MARATHON RUNNERS OF ALL TIME ` PERHAPS NOW THE GREATEST. ALL WHITE CHRIS WOOD'S BURNLEY HAVE SUNK TO THE BOTTOM OF THE ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE. THE KIWI WAS UNABLE TO INSPIRE THE CLARETS OFF THE BENCH AGAINST WOLVES AS THEIR TORRID CAMPAIGN CONTINUES. BUT BURNLEY'S 1-0 DEFEAT WAS WEST HAM'S GAIN, AS THEY EARNED THEIR FIRST POINTS OF THE SEASON. AND NOW ONCE AGAIN ` AND NOW TEVICH! THE TWO GOAL LEAGUE RESTORED, AND MAYBE THIS IS TO BE WEST HAM'S DAY AT LAST! THE 3-1 VICTORY OVER EVERTON SEES THE HAMMERS JUMP OUT OF THE RELEGATION ZONE INTO 16TH POSITION. CRISTIANO RONALDO'S FIRST TWO GOALS FOR JUVENTUS HAS BEEN OVERSHADOWED BY TEAMMATES' UNSAVOURY ACTIONS. SUBSTITUTE DOUGLAS COSTA WAS SENT OFF BY THE VIDEO REFEREE AFTER REPLAYS SHOWED HE HAD SPAT IN AN OPPONENTS' FACE. THE BRAZILIAN'S SINCE APOLOGISED, SAYING HE MADE A 'MISTAKE' IN HIS SIDE'S 2-1 WIN. STILL TO COME ON MIDDAY, I'LL BE BACK WITH THE AFTERNOON WEATHER. * Vodafone TV allows you to switch easily from your TV to your tablet or your mobile phone, giving you freedom like never before. YOUR WEATHER'S NEXT, BUT FIRST, LET'S LOOK AT OUR TOP STORIES. POLICE HAVE CORDONED OFF A RESTAURANT IN SALISBURY IN THE UK AFTER TWO PEOPLE WERE TAKEN ILL ` THE SAME TOWN WERE THE NOVICHOK POISONINGS OCCURRED. SNOW'S CAUSED MAJOR DISRUPTIONS IN THE DEEP SOUTH, CLOSING ROADS, SCHOOLS, AND CUTTING POWER. AND MORE THAN 60 PEOPLE HAVE BEEN KILLED BY TYPHOON MANGKHUT, AS THE STORM SWEEPS INTO SOUTHERN CHINA. 'SOAKED' BY BENE ACCOMPANIES YOUR AFTERNOON WEATHER. (BENE'S 'SOAKED') THANKS FOR WATCHING. FROM THE 1 NEWS MIDDAY TEAM, E NOHO RA. GOOD AFTERNOON. CAPTIONS BY CHELSEA BRADY AND MAEVE KELLY. CAPTIONS WERE MADE WITH THE SUPPORT OF NZ ON AIR. COPYRIGHT ABLE 2018