IT'S MIDDAY. MORE WILD WEATHER LASHES AOTEAROA ` BIG SWELLS CAUSE DISRUPTIONS IN THE CAPITAL AND HIGH WINDS CUT POWER IN CANTERBURY. MORE CALLS FOR EARLY SUPPORT TO PREVENT YOUTH OFFENDING, BUT WILL THE OPPOSITION SOFTEN ITS 'TOUGH ON CRIME' APPROACH? AND POSSIBLE CHARGES AGAINST FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP COULD BE DELAYED AS PROTESTERS BEGIN TO GATHER. CAPTIONS BY KITTY WASASALA AND KATE HARRIS. CAPTIONS WERE MADE WITH THE SUPPORT OF NZ ON AIR. WWW.ABLE.CO.NZ COPYRIGHT ABLE 2023 KIA ORA, GOOD AFTERNOON. FORMER DEFENCE MINISTER RON MARK SAYS HE'S PROUD OF THE NEW ZEALAND SOLDIER BELIEVED TO HAVE DIED IN UKRAINE. REPORTS OF NEW ZEALANDER KANE TE TAI'S DEATH HAVE NOT BEEN CONFIRMED BY THE GOVERNMENT, BUT PEOPLE HAVE ALREADY BEGUN POSTING TRIBUTES TO KANE TE TAI, DESCRIBING HIM AS A 'WARRIOR' AND 'THE REAL DEAL.' A COLLEAGUE SAYS EVEN IN THEIR FIRST INTERACTION, TE TAI DROPPED EVERYTHING TO HELP A VETERAN IN CRISIS. AND THAT IS LITERALLY THE STORY OF KANE. THAT'S HIM AND HIS MASSIVE HEART AND HIS ABSOLUTE WILLINGNESS TO DROP EVERYTHING TO HELP SOMEONE ELSE WHO IS, UM... IN A WORSE SITUATION THAN HIM. IF THE GOVERNMENT CONFIRMS THE REPORTS, IT WOULD BE THE THIRD NEW ZEALANDER TO DIE IN THE WAR-TORN COUNTRY, AFTER THE DEATHS OF DOMINIC ABELEN AND ANDREW BAGSHAW. HEAVY SWELLS ARE TO BLAME FOR DAMAGED ROADS AND COOK STRAIT FERRY DISRUPTIONS IN THE CAPITAL. THESE SWELLS IN EASTBOURNE PEAKED AT 5 METRES THIS MORNING, SWEEPING DEBRIS ONTO THE ROAD. IT ALSO CAUSED THIS ON CAPE PALLISER ROAD ON THE SOUTH WAIRARAPA COAST, WHICH IS HIT OFTEN BY STORMY WEATHER. HEAVY SWELL WARNINGS ARE IN PLACE FOR MOST OF TODAY. 120km/h WIND GUSTS HAVE BROUGHT DOWN TREES AND LEFT HUNDREDS WITHOUT POWER CROSS BANKS PENINSULA IN CHRISTCHURCH. ORION POWER SAYS OUTAGES ACROSS THE REGION AFFECTING MORE THAN 600 RESIDENTS, AND POWER MAY NOT BE RESTORED UNTIL LATE THIS AFTERNOON. THE MAIN ROAD INTO AKAROA, STATE HIGHWAY 75, IS ALSO CLOSED BETWEEN LITTLE RIVER TO BARRY'S BAY DUE TO THE CONDITIONS. ANOTHER SPATE OF SMASH AND GRABS OVERNIGHT IN AUCKLAND. A NUMBER IN THE SUBURB OF TE ATATU PLUS A BURGLARY AT A JEWELLERY STORE IN PONSONBY. DESPITE THE SURGE IN CRIMINAL ACTIVITY, CALLS ARE INCREASING FOR MORE SUPPORT FOR INTERVENTION RATHER THAN PUNISHMENT. DIGBY WERTHMULLER HAS MORE. A WHOLE ROW OF STORES IN THE SUBURB OF TE ATATU HIT OVERNIGHT. GLASS SMASHED, AND TEMPORARY BOARDING BROUGHT IN IN THE EARLY HOURS OF THE MORNING. IN SOME CASES IT SEEMS NO SECURITY MEASURES ARE ENOUGH. THIS STORES GOT BOLLARDS, SECURITY CAMERAS, FULLY FUNCTIONING ALARMS THAT SOUND, EVERYTHING WE'VE ADVISED TO DO, SUGGESTED TO DO, ALL THE MEASURES, WE'VE PUT THEM IN PLACE ` IT STILL HAPPENS. THIS BOTTLE STORE WAS RAIDED THREE TIMES IN JUST 10 DAYS BY OFFENDERS AS YOUNG AS 12 YEARS OLD. THESE YOUTHS ON SELL IT. TO FIX THIS, REALLY NEED TO WORK OUT WHY THEY ARE DOING IT, AND HOW DO WE GET TO THE BOTTOM OF IT AND GIVE THE POLICE THE TOOLS THAT ALLOWS THEM TO ACTUALLY GET THE KIDS THEY CAUGHT HERE THE FIRST NIGHT, AND NOT HAVE THEM COMING BACK AGAIN AND THEN AGAIN. THE CHILDREN'S COMMISSIONER SUPPORTS THAT. I HAVE TO AGREE ENTIRELY WITH WHAT LIZ SAID. YOU KNOW, WHAT'S THE REASON THESE YOUNG ONES OFFENDING? WHAT ARE THEY CHOOSING TO DO THIS? THE FORMER YOUTH COURT JUDGE SAYS UNLESS WE ADDRESS THAT. THEN WE ARE NOT GOING TO CHANGE ANYTHING. IT WILL JUST GET WORSE. FIGURES RELEASED YESTERDAY SHOW THE NUMBER OF YOUNG PEOPLE APPEARING IN COURT CHARGED WITH SERIOUS OFFENCES REACHED AROUND 5000 BACK IN 2007. LAST YEAR, THAT NUMBER HAD DROPPED TO AROUND 1400, WITH 40 YOUTHS SENTENCED TO RESIDENTIAL SUPERVISED CARE. THE OPPOSITION SAYS WE'RE NOT BEING TOUGH ENOUGH. WHAT WE SEE IS A GOVERNMENT WHICH HAS BEEN SOFT ON CRIME, AS EVIDENCED BY THE SITUATION WE HAVE SEEN WITH RISING LEVELS OF CRIME. THAT IS NOT AN ACCEPTABLE PLACE FOR NEW ZEALAND TO BE. THE NEW POLICE MINISTER HAS SAID THE ISSUE IS ONE OF HER PRIORITIES. DIGBY WERTHMULLER, 1 NEWS. AND CHRISTOPHER LUXON'S PROPOSING A REWRITE OF THE SCHOOL CURRICULUM, IF NATIONAL'S ELECTED. LUXON SAYS THE 'TEACHING THE BASICS BRILLIANTLY' POLICY WILL ENSURE EVERY CHILD HAS THE BASIC SKILLS TO FURTHER THEIR EDUCATION, POINTING TO LOW RESULTS IN A RECENT NCEA LITERACY PILOT. MORE DETAILS ON THE PROPOSAL WILL BE UNVEILED TOMORROW. MORE THAN 100,000 PEOPLE HAVE TRADED THE BENEFIT FOR WORK IN THE PAST YEAR. NEW DATA FROM THE MINISTRY OF SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT SHOWS NUMBERS HAVE DROPPED QUICKLY AFTER AN INCREASE OF SUPPORT DURING COVID-19. DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER CARMEL SEPULONI SAYS RANGATAHI ARE MOVING OFF THE BENEFIT FASTER THAN IN THE AFTERMATH OF THE GLOBAL FINANCIAL CRISIS. YOUNG PEOPLE ON MAIN BENEFITS HAVE DECREASED BY MORE THAN 20% IN THE 18 MONTHS FOLLOWING THE COVID PEAK. FAMILY PLANNING SAYS THEY'RE CONSIDERING CUTTING SOME CONTRACEPTIVE SERVICES TO HELP THEM MEET AN OVERWHELMING LEVEL OF DEMAND. MEDICAL WORKFORCE SHORTAGES, MORE COMPREHENSIVE CONTRACEPTIVES AND A LACK OF FUNDING ARE ALL PUTTING PRESSURE ON THE SEXUAL HEALTH PROVIDER, ACCORDING TO CHIEF EXECUTIVE JACKIE EDMOND. IN JANUARY, FAMILY PLANNING ESTIMATES THEY RECEIVED MORE THAN 30,000 APPOINTMENT REQUESTS. WELL, IT MEANS THAT WE'VE GOT ACTUALLY QUITE` WE'VE GOT REALLY LONG WAITING TIMES FOR SOME APPOINTMENTS, PARTICULARLY FOR OUR MORE COMPLEX APPOINTMENTS. SO ACTUALLY SOME OF THOSE WAITING TIMES CAN BE UP TO 10 WEEKS IN AUCKLAND TO GET AN IUD OR AN IMPLANT, WHICH REALLY IDEALLY YOU SHOULD BE ABLE TO GET WITHIN 10 DAYS. SO IF YOU'RE A YOUNG PERSON YOU WANT TO GET IN AND GET YOUR SERVICE THEN, YOU DON'T WANT TO BE WAITING SIX, EIGHT OR 10 WEEKS TO GET IN. EDMOND SAYS IF THEY DON'T GET THE FUNDING THEY NEED, THEY WILL NO LONGER BE ABLE TO PROVIDE SPECIALIST GYNAECOLOGICAL APPOINTMENTS. IMPORTERS AND EXPORTERS COULD FACE RISING COSTS ONCE A GLOBAL SHIPPING COMPANY PULLS ITS SERVICES FROM AOTEAROA. MAERSK'S NEW ZEALAND COASTAL SERVICE WILL STOP NEXT MONTH, WITH THE COMPANY UPGRADING IT'S TRANS TASMAN JOURNEY TO A WEEKLY TRIP. BUT THE MARITIME UNION SAYS PUTTING GOODS THROUGH AUSTRALIAN PORTS IS MORE EXPENSIVE THAN NEW ZEALAND PORTS, AND RAISES CONCERNS ABOUT THE COUNTRY'S ALREADY VOLATILE SUPPLY CHAIN. I THINK THEY COULD HAVE LEFT THE INVESTMENT IN NEW ZEALAND, AT A NEW ZEALAND TRADE, AND NEW ZEALAND WORKERS. MAYN SAYS THE MOVE IS DEVASTATING FOR ITS MEMBERS, WHO LEFT JOBS TO JOIN THOSE VESSELS JUST NINE MONTHS AGO. IN MOSCOW, PRESIDENT PUTIN HAS WARNED THAT IF THE U.K GOES AHEAD WITH THE PLAN TO SUPPLY UKRAINE WITH AMMUNITION WHICH CONTAINS DEPLETED URANIUM, RUSSIA WILL BE FORCED TO RESPOND. THE THREAT OF RETALIATION WAS MADE ON THE SECOND DAY OF TALKS WITH PRESIDENT XI JINPING, WHICH INCLUDES BEIJING'S PLAN TO END THE CONFLICT. THE BBC'S STEVE ROSENBERG HAS THE LATEST REPORT. (DRUMS ROLL) TAKE TWO WORLD LEADERS... (ORCHESTRAL MUSIC) ...A DASH OF KREMLIN CHOREOGRAPHY AND YOU GET THIS. THE SYMBOLISM WAS CLEAR. ON THE WORLD STAGE, XI AND PUTIN, CHINA AND RUSSIA ARE COMING TOGETHER TO FORGE WHAT THEY CLAIM IS A STRONG PARTNERSHIP. (TRUMPETS PLAY FANFARE) THE TALK AT THE TABLE WAS ABOUT EXPANDING COOPERATION. BUT EQUAL PARTNERS, THEY ARE NOT. RUSSIA, UNDER PRESSURE OVER ITS WAR IN UKRAINE, IS INCREASINGLY DEPENDENT ON CHINA, AND VLADIMIR PUTIN IS INCREASINGLY CRITICAL OF THE WEST. LATER, HE SLAMMED THE U.K FOR DECIDING TO PROVIDE AMMUNITION TO UKRAINE THAT CONTAINS DEPLETED URANIUM. TRANSLATOR: I WOULD LIKE TO NOTE THAT IF THIS HAPPENS, THEN RUSSIA WILL BE FORCED TO TAKE ACTION ACCORDINGLY. I'M TALKING ABOUT THE FACT THAT THE WEST IS ALREADY STARTING TO USE WEAPONS WITH A NUCLEAR COMPONENT. TONIGHT, THIS WARNING FROM MOSCOW HAS SPARKED A REACTION FROM LONDON. THE U.K MINISTRY OF DEFENCE HAS POINTED OUT THAT DEPLETED URANIUM HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH NUCLEAR WEAPONS OR CAPABILITIES. IT SAYS IT'S A STANDARD COMPONENT THE BRITISH ARMY HAS BEEN USING FOR DECADES AND THAT RUSSIA IS DELIBERATELY TRYING TO DISINFORM. (BOOM!) A CHINESE PEACE INITIATIVE FOR UKRAINE MADE LITTLE HEADWAY. (BOOM!) PRESIDENT PUTIN BLAMED KIEV AND THE WEST. BUT THIS IS A WAR HE STARTED AND HE SHOWS NO SIGN HE'S READY TO PULL OUT HIS TROOPS. MIGHT BEIJING BE READY TO SUPPLY RUSSIA WITH WEAPONS? THAT KEY QUESTION WAS LEFT UNANSWERED. IN ANY CASE, XI'S VISIT IS SEEN HERE AS A DIPLOMATIC COUP. AT LAST, THE KREMLIN HAS SOMETHING TO CELEBRATE. ALSO ON A STRATEGIC FOREIGN VISIT, BUT ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE CONFLICT, JAPAN'S PRIME MINISTER IS IN KYIV WITH UKRAINE'S PRESIDENT VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY. FUMIO KISHIDA'S PROMISED SUPPORT TO THE WAR-TORN COUNTRY, WITH TALKS FOCUSING ON RECONSTRUCTION AND HUMANITARIAN AID. ZELENSKYY DESCRIBES KISHADA AS 'A STRONG DEFENDER OF THE INTERNATIONAL ORDER.' TRANSLATOR: WE HAD A SUBSTANTIAL DISCUSSION OF WAYS OF INVOLVING JAPAN IN THE RECOVERY OF UKRAINE. WE HAVE HUGE OPPORTUNITIES FOR THAT TYPE OF COOPERATION THANKS TO THE POWERFUL TECHNOLOGICAL POTENTIAL OF JAPAN, AND THANKS TO STRONG AID PACKAGES WHICH HAVE AMOUNTED TO MORE THAN $7 BILLION. AND WE ALREADY UNDERSTAND THAT JAPAN CAN BECOME ONE OF THE KEY PARTNERS OF UKRAINE. UKRAINE'S MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS SAYS THE VISIT IS A SIGN OF SOLIDARITY AND STRONG CO-OPERATION BETWEEN UKRAINE AND JAPAN. FORMER PRIME MINISTER BORIS JOHNSON IS EXPECTED TO GET A GRILLING TONIGHT AS HE APPEARS IN FRONT OF MP'S OF CROSS-PARTY PRIVILEGES COMMITTEE. JOHNSON ADMITS HE MAY HAVE 'MISLEAD MPS' ABOUT PARTIES THAT BROKE COVID LOCKDOWN RULES, BUT CLAIMS HE DID SO UNKNOWINGLY. THE FORMER PM WAS FINED BY POLICE FOR ATTENDING A GATHERING AFTER HE CLAIMED NO RULES HAD BEEN BROKEN. JOHNSON HAS PRESENTED A 52 PAGE REPORT IN HIS DEFENCE, INCLUDING NEW EVIDENCE TO PRESENT TO THE COMMITTEE. THE HEARING COULD SEE HIM SUSPENDED FROM PARLIAMENT. NEW YORK IS PREPARING FOR UNREST AHEAD OF THE POSSIBLE INDICTMENT OF FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP. THE GRAND JURY IS INVESTIGATING ALLEGATIONS OF HUSH MONEY PAYMENTS WITH CHARGES, IF ANY, EXPECTED TOMORROW. THE ABC'S MORGAN NORWOOD HAS THE LATEST. DEMONSTRATORS FROM BOTH SIDES OF THE AISLE STARTING TO GATHER IN NEW YORK CITY AS THE MANHATTAN DISTRICT ATTORNEY'S CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION INTO FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP APPEARS TO BE NEARING ITS END. FENCING GOING UP AROUND THE CAPITOL IN WASHINGTON DC, AND METAL BARRICADES AT THE COURTHOUSE IN MANHATTAN, WHERE THE GRAND JURY WILL DECIDE ON ANY POTENTIAL CHARGES; TRUMP CALLING ON HIS SUPPORTERS TO PROTEST WHEN HE MADE AN UNVERIFIED CLAIM OVER THE WEEKEND THAT HE WOULD BE ARRESTED TUESDAY IN CONNECTION TO THE CASE, WHICH IS LOOKING INTO HUSH MONEY PAYMENTS MADE TO ADULT FILM ACTRESS STORMY DANIELS AHEAD OF THE 2016 ELECTION. INTELLIGENCE BULLETINS OBTAINED BY ABC NEWS WARN OF... WE ARE ALWAYS PREPARED. I CAN SAY THAT FROM HERE. I'M JUST NOT GOING TO GET INTO HYPOTHETICALS OR ANY POTENTIAL SCENARIOS, BUT WE ARE ALWAYS PREPARING. ON MONDAY, ATTORNEY BOB COSTELLO TOOK THE STAND IN DEFENCE OF TRUMP. THE ONLY THING I'M DOING IS TRYING TO TELL THE TRUTH TO THE GRAND JURORS. BUT MICHAEL COHEN IS FAR FROM SOLID EVIDENCE. MICHAEL COHEN, TRUMP'S FORMER FIXER, ALSO TESTIFYING LAST WEEK ABOUT THE $130,000 CHECK HE WROTE TO DANIELS A MONTH BEFORE THE ELECTION. HE SAYS THAT TRUMP'S DIRECTION, LATER SERVING FEDERAL PRISON TIME IN PART FOR THAT PAYMENT. EXPERTS SAY THE PAYMENT MAY HAVE VIOLATED CAMPAIGN FINANCE LAWS. TRUMP'S LEGAL TEAM SAYING HE PAID DANIELS TO PROTECT HIS FAMILY. BUT SOME REPUBLICANS COMING TO TRUMP'S DEFENCE, INCLUDING HOUSE SPEAKER KEVIN MCCARTHY, WHO BLASTED THE MANHATTAN DA. WHAT WE SEE BEFORE US IS A POLITICAL GAME BEING PLAYED BY A LOCAL` LOOK JUST AS` THIS ISN'T NEW YORK CITY. THIS IS JUST THE MANHATTAN. THIS IS JUST A BOROUGH DA. IN THIS INVESTIGATION, JUST ONE OF SEVERAL PROBES INTO FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP, INCLUDING A FEDERAL INVESTIGATION INVOLVING THE POTENTIAL MISHANDLING OF CLASSIFIED DOCUMENTS AND OBSTRUCTION OF JUSTICE. STILL TO COME ON MIDDAY, DRAMATIC SCENES AS A MAN IS TASERED ON A FLIGHT IN AUSTRALIA. AND A NEW ZEALAND OLYMPIAN COPS AN 8-YEAR BAN FOR DOPING. DID HE ALSO TAMPER WITH HIS SAMPLES? (INSTRUMENTAL OF BEN E KING'S 'STAND BY ME') - Thank you. - (GROWLS SOFTLY) - Whether you're just starting out or growing your business, it helps to have someone strong beside you. TWO PEOPLE HAVE BEEN ARRESTED IN SYDNEY AFTER A VIOLENT CLASH OUTSIDE A POLITICAL EVENT IN SYDNEY. 15 TRANS RIGHTS SUPPORTERS WERE PROTESTING A SPEAKING EVENT BY CONTROVERSIAL 'ONE NATION' MP MARK LATHAM, BUT WERE OVERRUN BY HUNDREDS OF LATHAM SUPPORTERS. RIOT POLICE ARRIVED, SURROUNDING THE ACTIVISTS WHO WERE BEING THREATENED BY THE CROWD. GLASS BOTTLES AND PUNCHES WERE ALLEGEDLY THROWN. DRAMATIC FOOTAGE HAS EMERGED OF A CONFRONTATION ON A JETSTAR FLIGHT IN AUSTRALIA, WHERE A PASSENGER WAS DRAGGED FROM HIS SEAT AND TASERED. BUT THE 30-YEAR-OLD FATHER CLAIMS HE'S INNOCENT. CHANNEL 9'S REID BUTLER HAS MORE. CHAOS BEFORE TAKE OFF. THE CRACKLE OF A TASER AND THE CABIN FILLS WITH SCREAMS. STOP RESISTING. (BLEEP) (PERSON SCREAMS) THE TAKEDOWN HAPPENING ON TOP OF THIS TERRIFIED PASSENGER. POLICE SAY BOLIC MALOU WAS REFUSING TO MOVE TO HIS ASSIGNED SEAT ON THE JETSTAR FLIGHT FROM PERTH TO MELBOURNE. BUT HE DOESN'T ` WHILE HIS WIFE AND YOUNG SON LEAVE, MALOU STAYS PUT WHEN THE AFP BOARD. THEY DRAG HIM FROM THE SEAT. OFFICERS FOLLOWING THROUGH ON THE THREAT ` LOOK CLOSELY, AND YOU CAN SEE THE TASER. (PASSENGER SCREAMS) MALOU WRITHES IN PAIN BEFORE BEING PUT IN A HEADLOCK AND ARRESTED. SPEAKING TO NINE NEWS, MALOU MAINTAINS HE WAS IN THE RIGHT. NOT GONNA LEAVE THE PLANE. I HAVE DONE NOTHING WRONG. THE GUY SAID IT'S OK FOR ME TO SIT HERE. HE'S PLEADING NOT GUILTY TO SEVERAL CHARGES, INCLUDING DISORDERLY CONDUCT AND ASSAULTING POLICE. THE AFP SAYS THREE OFFICERS SUFFERED MINOR INJURIES I FELT LIKE AN ANIMAL. IT'S LIKE, NO JUSTICE. DOESN'T FEEL GREAT IN FRONT OF YOUR LITTLE ONE-YEAR-OLD SON. MALOU IS ALSO SUBJECT TO A COURT-APPOINTED NO FLOY ORDER, MEANING HE WON'T BE ABLE TO RETURN HOME HERE TO MELBOURNE UNTIL AT LEAST THE END OF JULY. JETSTAR SAYS POLICE WERE CALLED AFTER THE 30-YEAR-OLD BECAME VERBALLY AND PHYSICALLY ABUSIVE, BUT OTHER PASSENGERS HAVE A DIFFERENT STORY. AT NO STAGE WAS HE BEING PHYSICALLY OF VERBALLY AGGRESSIVE TOWARDS ANYONE. THE ONLY ISSUE THAT I COULD PICK UP WAS THAT HE HAD SWAPPED WITH SOMEONE ELSE. AND IT DOESN'T LOOK LIKE HE HAD INTIMIDATED THEM INTO DOING SO; IT LOOKED LIKE HE HAD COME TO AN AMICABLE AGREEMENT WITH ANOTHER PASSENGER. I AM ASSAULTED AND WRONGLY ACCUSED. MALOU FACES A MAXIMUM SEVEN YEARS JAIL IF FOUND GUILTY OF THE CHARGES. TO SPORT, AND OLYMPIC RUNNER ZANE ROBERTSON HAS BEEN HANDED AN 8-YEAR SUSPENSION BY THE SPORTS TRIBUNAL FOR VIOLATING ANTI-DOPING RULES. THE 2014 COMMONWEALTH GAMES BRONZE MEDALLIST AND TWO-TIME OLYMPIAN WAS FOUND TO HAVE USED THE PROHIBITED SUBSTANCE EPO. THE TRIBUNAL SAYS HE ALSO TAMPERED OR ATTEMPTED TO TAMPER WITH PART OF THE SAMPLING PROCESS. THE TESTING OCCURRED AT THE MANCHESTER GREAT RACE LAST MAY. WE HAVE SUCH STRONG SPORTING INTEGRITY IN NEW ZEALAND. OUR ATHLETES GENERALLY ARE EXTREMELY GOOD AND EXTREMELY CLEAN. SO THIS IS JUST... (STAMMERS) IT'S A BIT OF A SMACK IN THE GUTS, TO BE HONEST. ROBERTSON HOLDS SIX NATIONAL DISTANCE RUNNING RECORDS IT'S BEEN AN EMOTIONAL 24 HOURS FOR INCOMING ALL BLACKS COACH SCOTT ROBERTSON AND THOSE CLOSE TO HIM. ROBERTSON HAD BEEN HIGHLY TOUTED TO TAKE ON THE ROLE AFTER THE RUGBY WORLD CUP. BUT AFTER OFFICIALLY BEING ANNOUNCED YESTERDAY, HE EVEN HAD TO CONVINCE HIS FATHER HE HAD THE JOB. QUIETLY NERVOUS, YOU KNOW? (CHUCKLES) IT WAS AN ENTERTAINING PHONE CALL. I HAD SAY TO DAD THREE TIMES, 'I'VE GOT THE JOB.' 'ARE YOU SURE?' NO, MATE. DAD, YEAH I AM. (LAUGHS) THERE'S A LOT OF CONFIRMATION. NEW ZEALAND RUGBY BOSS MARK ROBINSON SAYS HE LOOKS FORWARD TO WHAT ROBERTSON WILL BRING TO THE ALL BLACKS, BUT THE FOCUS IS ON THE CURRENT TEAM AHEAD OF SEPTEMBER'S WORLD CUP IN FRANCE. SCOTT'S TURN WILL COME AND HE'LL BE ABLE TO LAY OUT HIS VISION FOR WHAT HE WANTS TO ACHIEVE AT THAT TIME. HE'S GIVEN US SOME INSIGHT TO THAT, OBVIOUSLY, THROUGH THE PROCESS. BUT FOR NOW, THAT'S PARKED AND WE GET ON WITH, UM, GOING TO FRANCE AND DOING THE BEST WE CAN. THE ALL BLACKS WILL BE AIMING FOR THEIR FOURTH WORLD CUP TITLE. SOME MORE BAD NEWS FOR SCOTT ROBERTSON THIS MORNING THOUGH, WITH INJURIES TO KEY PLAYERS LIKELY TO IMPACT THE CRUSADERS' SEASON. THE TEAM CONFIRMING THIS MORNING THAT WINGER SEVU REECE IS OUT WITH A SERIOUS KNEE INJURY. CAPTAIN SAM WHITELOCK COULD ALSO BE OUT FOR UP TO EIGHT WEEKS WITH A BROKEN HAND. THE MOST CAPPED WOMAN IN TEST RUGBY WILL RETIRE THIS WEEKEND, AFTER ONE LAST MATCH FOR ENGLAND. SARAH HUNTER (37) BECAME THE MOST CAPPED WOMAN IN RUGBY LAST YEAR AT THE WORLD CUP. IN 140 TESTS, HUNTER HAS A WORLD CUP AND 10 SIX NATION TITLES. IF MORE THAN 3 WEEKS ON A BOAT WASN'T ISOLATING ENOUGH, THE FLEET OF 'THE OCEAN RACE' IS APPROACHING THE MOST REMOTE SPOT ON THE PLANET. THE 4 BOATS STILL IN THE RUNNING ON LEG 3 ARE NEAR WHAT'S KNOWN AS 'POINT NEMO' IN THE PACIFIC OCEAN, SO FAR FROM LAND THE NEAREST HUMANS ARE ON THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION. 24 DAYS AFTER LEAVING SOUTH AFRICA, IT'S A TIGHT RACE WITH THE BOATS WITHIN SIGHT OF EACH OTHER. THEY'RE DUE IN BRAZIL IN JUST OVER A WEEK. STILL TO COME ON MIDDAY, WHY ARE THERE CALLS FOR MORE WOMEN TO BE IMMORTALISED AROUND SYDNEY? PLUS, I'LL BE BACK WITH THE AFTERNOON WEATHER. - (CAR ENGINE DRONES) - (HUMS) - BOTH: # Ooh, yeah. - # Chicka-chicka oh, oh, oh, yeah. - (BOTH SCAT) (BOTH SCAT) - Magic. Oh no! Oh, they spilled out. Thank you, Dad. (BEEPING) Whoa! ECHOES: Voila! 'IT'S A SAUSAGE FEST' ` THAT'S THE ASSESSMENT OF THE GENDER BALANCE, OR RATHER IMBALANCE, WHEN IT COMES TO MEMORIALISING PUBLIC FIGURES IN SYDNEY'S CBD. STATUES AROUND THE CITY ARE PREDOMINANTLY MALE, BUT THINGS ARE CHANGING, WITH THREE NEW STATUES OF WOMEN FAST-TRACKED. 9'S MIKE DALTON HAS MORE. THEY STAND ASTRIDE THEIR CONCRETE PLINTHS, AND FOR THE MOST PART ARE BLOKES. WHEN IT COMES TO SYDNEY STATUES, UNFORTUNATELY, IT IS A BIT OF A SAUSAGE FEST. BUT LAST NIGHT, SYDNEY CITY COUNCIL PLEDGED TO FAST-TRACK THREE NEW STATUES SANS SAUSAGE. IT'S TIME FOR CHANGE. IT'S TIME FOR SOME MORE STATUES OF GREAT SYDNEY WOMEN. IN THE OLDEN DAYS, YOU WERE A CHANCE IF YOU WERE A QUEEN OR A SAINT, BUT THE REALITY IS THERE ARE MORE STATUES OF WOMEN AT THE SCG THAN THERE IS IN THE CBD. THIS COPPER AND CULTURAL IMBALANCE BEING MET BY A PUSH FOR STATUE EQUALITY. WE'RE REALLY MISSING THE MARK IN TERMS OF COMMEMORATING AND HONOURING THE FULL BREADTH OF INDIVIDUALS WHO'VE CONTRIBUTED. AT STATUE WORKSHOP CRAWFORD'S CASTING IN STRATHFIELD, SCULPTOR JULIE HASELER REILLY IS WORKING ON JUST THAT ` A TRIBUTE TO CHARLOTTE ATKINSON, AUSTRALIA'S FIRST CHILDREN'S AUTHOR. SHE'S HAD AN EXTRAORDINARY` HAD AN EXTRAORDINARY LIFE, AND WE ALL SHOULD KNOW ABOUT HER. SHE'S GOING TO BE IN A PARK IN BERRIMA. AND JULIE SAYS THERE ARE NOW FAR MORE WOMEN THAN FELLAS WITH THE SCULPTING TOOLS IN THEIR HANDS. AND NOW THE FEMALE GAZE IS COMING INTO BEING, AND IT'S LOOKING AT ART AND CREATIVITY THROUGH A FEMALE LENS. WE'VE GOT STATUES OF PIGS AND DOGS IN SYDNEY. WE LOVE THEM. I THINK WE CAN FIND SOME GREAT SYDNEY WOMEN AND CELEBRATE THEIR LIVES. I THINK WE CAN DO BETTER. TIME NOW TO TAKE A LOOK AT TODAY'S WEATHER ACCOMPANIED BY LIZZO, WHO TODAY ANNOUNCED THAT SHE WILL BE PERFORMING IN NEW ZEALAND THIS JULY. (LIZZO'S 'GOOD AS HELL') THANKS FOR JOINING US. OUR NEXT NEWS IS TE KARERE AT 4, AND THE ONE NEWS TEAM WILL BE HERE AT SIX. GOOD AFTERNOON. CAPTIONS BY KITTY WASASALA AND KATE HARRIS. CAPTIONS WERE MADE WITH THE SUPPORT OF NZ ON AIR. WWW.ABLE.CO.NZ COPYRIGHT ABLE 2023