IT'S MIDDAY ` LABOUR DRAWS A LINE ON TAXES AHEAD OF THE ELECTION. WILL CHRIS HIPKINS GIVE THE TAX SYSTEM A SHAKE UP? PLUS ` THE PM MEETS WITH MORE WORLD LEADERS AT THE NATO SUMMIT, BUT WHY ISN'T UKRAINE HAPPY WITH THE ALLIANCE'S PLAN FOR GAINING MEMBERSHIP? AND BEHOLD ` THE ANTHROPOCENE ERA. HAS CIVILISATION HAD SUCH A BIG IMPACT ON THE PLANET IT COULD BE A NEW GEOLOGICAL EPOCH? CAPTIONS BY DREW WELSH AND KRISTIN WILLIAMS. CAPTIONS WERE MADE WITH THE SUPPORT OF NZ ON AIR. WWW.ABLE.CO.NZ COPYRIGHT ABLE 2023 THE PRIME MINISTER HAS RULED OUT A WEALTH AND CAPITAL GAINS TAX IF LABOUR IS ELECTED FOR A THIRD TERM WHEN NEW ZEALANDERS GO TO THE POLLS IN THREE MONTHS. CHRIS HIPKINS SAYS WITH FAMILIES STRUGGLING NOW IS NOT THE TIME FOR A BIG SHAKE UP OF THE TAX SYSTEM. A CAPITAL GAINS TAX, OR CGT IS A TAX ON PROFITS FROM AN ASSET, SUCH AS A HOUSE. NEW ZEALAND IS THE ONLY COUNTRY IN THE OECD WITHOUT A COMPREHENSIVE CGT. IT WAS PREVIOUSLY RECOMMENDED BY THE TAX WORKING GROUP, BUT IN 2019 WAS RULED OUT BY THEN PRIME MINISTER JACINDA ARDERN. TWO SURVIVORS OF THE 2019 WHAKAARI WHITE ISLAND ERUPTION HAVE TAKEN THE STAND ON THE SECOND DAY OF THE LANDMARK TRIAL. CHARGES HAVE BEEN LAID BY WORK-SAFE AGAINST SIX DEFENDANTS INVOLVED IN TOURISM ACTIVITIES UNDER THE 'HEALTH AND SAFETY AT WORK' ACT. NEWLYWEDS MATT AND LAUREN UREY WERE TWO OF 47 ON THE ISLAND WHEN IT ERUPTED. THE COURT HEARD A DESCRIPTION OF THAT DAY IN EVIDENCE RECORDED IN JANUARY 2020 WHILE MATT WAS RECOVERING FROM HIS BURNS IN HOSPITAL. I REMEMBER FEELING MY FLESH BURNING AND YELLING OUT AT ONE POINT JUST IN PAIN. AND THEN AFTER THAT, I CHECKED AS SOON AS THE CLOUD CLEARED TO SEE IF MY WIFE WAS OK. (SNIFFS) SORRY. IT'S OK, JUST TAKE YOUR TIME. MATT'S WIFE LAUREN IS SCHEDULED TO TAKE THE STAND THIS AFTERNOON. 22 PEOPLE DIED FROM THE ERUPTION. THE TRIAL IS EXPECTED TO TAKE FOUR MONTHS. AUCKLAND IS BEARING THE BRUNT OF AN INCREASE IN COMMERCIAL CRIME NATIONWIDE, WITH A 37% UPTICK IN RELATED INSURANCE CLAIMS LAST YEAR. THE DATA FROM NZI SHOWED ALMOST 3,700 CLAIMS WERE RECEIVED BY THE INSURER LAST YEAR, WITH WAIKATO AND CANTERBURY RECORDING THE NEXT MOST CLAIMS. GARRY TAYLOR SAYS WHILE POPULATION WILL FACTOR INTO THE NUMBERS, IT'S CLEAR BUSINESSES ARE DOING IT TOUGH. WE HAVE SEEN A REAL INCREASE IN CRIME-RELATED CLAIMS ` ABOUT 26%. AND I THINK THERE'S A FEW SURPRISES IN TERMS OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE SEEING AROUND THOSE CLAIMS, WHICH IS A SIGNIFICANT INCREASE OF RAM-RAIDS, AND 75% OF ALL THOSE CLAIMS RELATE TO BURGLARIES. STORES THAT SELLS VAPES, TOBACCO AND CONSUMABLE GOODS ARE BEING TARGETED. WAIKATO COUNCIL WANTS AN URGENT MEETING TO DISCUSS WHY THE HAMILTON TO AUCKLAND 'TE HUIA' TRAIN SERVICE HAS BEEN RESTRICTED, TO THEIR 'BITTER DISAPPOINTMENT'. THE SERVICE HAS BEEN STOPPED FROM RUNNING THROUGH TO AUCKLAND CITY AFTER TWO MAJOR OFFENCES. BOTH TIMES DRIVERS FAILED TO OBEY A RED SIGNAL. COUNCILLOR ANGELA STRANGE SAYS THERE HAVE BEEN 15 OF THESE INCIDENTS, 2 FROM TE HUIA. WE FEEL THAT TE HUIA HAS BEEN SINGLED OUT, AND IT'S QUITE DISAPPOINTING REALLY. OBVIOUSLY SAFETY IS VITALLY IMPORTANT FOR OUR PASSENGERS, AND ANYONE ON THE NETWORK. HOWEVER, FOR OUR TRAIN TO NOT BE ABLE TO ENTER THE AUCKLAND NETWORK IS CRUCIAL TO OUR SERVICE CONTINUING. BUT WAKA KOTAHI SAYS TE HUIA HAS NOT BEEN TARGETED. THE FACT THAT IT'S HAPPENED SO SOON AFTER THE LAST INCIDENT HAS JUST SAID, HEY LOOK, THERE'S SOMETHING GOING ON WITH THIS SERVICE THAT GIVES US SUFFICIENT CAUSE FOR CONCERN, THAT IN THE INTEREST OF THE PUBLIC SAFETY ON THE AUCKLAND COMMUTER RAIL NETWORK, WE WANT THIS PROHIBITION IN PLACE WHILE WE WORK WITH KIWIRAIL TO SEE WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE. KIWIRAIL SAYS IT TAKES SAFETY SERIOUSLY AND IS TREATING THE SITUATION WITH THE HIGHEST PRIORITY. WHILE THEIR STUDENTS ARE LEARNING IN MAKESHIFT CLASSROOMS AND THE HALL, A HAWKE'S BAY PRIMARY SCHOOL HAS HAD GOVERNMENT FUNDING CUT. NOW ONLY 2 OF THE 8 PLANNED CLASSROOMS WILL BE BUILT. ESKDALE PRIMARY SCHOOL SAYS THE CUT COMES PARTWAY THROUGH A MULTI-MILLION DOLLAR REBUILD PROGRAM AND WILL AFFECT 300 CHILDREN. THE PRINCIPAL SAYS ONLY 12 STUDENTS HAVE HAD TO LEAVE ON ACCOUNT OF CYCLONE GABRIELLE. IT SEEMS REALLY UNFAIR ON OUR COMMUNITY AND A REAL KICK IN THE GUTS, REALLY, TO THINK THAT THIS PROJECT HAS BEEN PULLED FOR 12 STUDENTS APPROXIMATELY WHO HAVE LEFT THE SCHOOL. THE MINISTRY OF EDUCATION SAYS FUNDING HAS NOT BEEN CUT, BUT THEY HAVE A REDUCED SCOPE. IT SAYS THE IMPACT OF THE CYCLONE ON THE SCHOOL ROLL IN THE FUTURE IS YET TO BE DETERMINED. FOLLOWING MONTHS OF CONSECUTIVE HIKES, THE OFFICIAL CASH RATE IS DUE FOR A REVIEW TODAY. THE OCR CURRENTLY SITS AT 5.5%. THE RESERVE BANK INDICATED IN MAY THERE WOULD BE NO MORE INCREASES THIS CYCLE, WITH THE CURRENT OCR LIKELY TO REMAIN STABLE. THE ANNOUNCEMENT IS AT 2PM. THE FIRST DAY OF THE NATO SUMMIT IN LITHUANIA HAS WRAPPED UP, WITH A PATHWAY OFFERED FOR UKRAINE TO JOIN THE ALLIANCE. IT'S THE LATEST COUNTRY TO ACQUIRE A PLEDGE OF FUTURE MEMBERSHIP, AN AMBITION IT'S HARBOURED FOR MORE THAN A DECADE. PRIME MINISTER CHRIS HIPKINS IS ALSO THERE, REAFFIRMING NEW ZEALAND'S SUPPORT. COURTNEY HAMMOND HAS MORE. JUST HOURS INTO THE SUMMIT, A ROADMAP'S BEEN LAID OUT FOR UKRAINE TO JOIN THE NORTH ATLANTIC OFFENCE ALLIANCE. WE REAFFIRM THAT UKRAINE WILL BECOME A MEMBER OF NATO. WE AGREED TO REMOVE THE REQUIREMENT FOR MEMBERSHIP ACTION PLAN. NATO WILL LAUNCH A PLAN FOR UKRAINE TO BRING ITS TRAINING UP TO SCRATCH IN LINE WITH ITS ALLIED STANDARDS. THIS IS A STRONG PACKAGE FOR UKRAINE. IT'S A HUGE STEP FOR THE MILITARY ALLIANCE THAT'S MADE IT CLEAR PREVIOUSLY MEMBERSHIP WAS NOT POSSIBLE WHILE ITS WAR WITH RUSSIA CONTINUED. BUT FEARS REMAIN IN THE COUNTRIES OF VENTRAL MEMBERSHIP COULD INFLAME THE CONFLICT. RESIDENTS ARE LENSKI CALLED THE TIMEFRAME ABSURD. YOU'VE GOT A UNIFIED ALLIANCE THAT'S GOING TO DEMONSTRATE ITS ENDURING RESPONSE FOR UKRAINE PRIME MINISTER CHRIS HIPKINS AMONG WORLD LEADERS REAFFIRMING SUPPORT. GLOBAL COMMUNITIES RALLYING AROUND UKRAINE. WE WILL HAVE A STAKE IN THIS CONFLICT. COVERED OF COURSE THERE ARE OTHER AREAS OF NEUTRAL INTEREST INCLUDING ISSUES LIKE CLIMATE CHANGE MY ONE LEADER WHO HASN'T SHAKEN HANDS WITH YET AS PRESIDENT LENSKI SKIM SELF. THAT MEETING DUE TO TAKE PLACE TONIGHT THERE'S BEEN ANOTHER TWIST IN THE ONGOING BBC PRESENTER SAGA, WITH A SECOND SET OF SERIOUS ALLEGATIONS INVOLVING A PERSON IN THEIR TWENTIES. IT RELATES TO THE BEHAVIOUR OF A MALE PRESENTER WHO IS ACCUSED OF SENDING MONEY FOR SEXUALLY EXPLICIT PHOTOS. IT'S NOW BEEN ALLEGED HE SENT MENACING AND ABUSIVE MESSAGES TO A PERSON HE MET THROUGH A DATING APP. AN INTERNAL REVIEW HAS BEEN LAUNCHED INTO THE BBC'S COMPLAINTS PROCEDURE. I THINK THERE'S A VALID QUESTION THAT I'M ASKING, WHICH IS 'HOW ARE COMPLAINTS LIKE THIS RED FLAGGED THROUGH THE ORGANISATION?' AND I WANT THAT IMMEDIATELY LOOKED AT, AND ALSO REVIEW THE OVERALL PROCESS AND PROTOCOLS TO MAKE SURE WE'RE SATISFIED BY THEM. BBC CHIEF TIM DAVIES MAINTAINS HE ACTED SPEEDILY WHEN HE FIRST HEARD ABOUT THE FIRST ALLEGATION ON THE 6TH OF JULY. AT LEAST 49 PEOPLE HAVE DIED IN UNUSUALLY HEAVY DOWNPOURS THAT HAVE PUMMELLED NORTHERN INDIA, CAUSING MAJOR FLOODING. THE MONSOON RAINS HAVE LEFT A PATH OF DESTRUCTION ACROSS THE NORTHERN REGIONS, CAUSING LANDSLIDES AND FLASH FLOODS THAT SWEPT AWAY BRIDGES AND BUILDINGS. THE CAPITAL DELHI IS ON HIGH ALERT FOR A POSSIBLE EVACUATION, WHILE THE INDIAN ARMY AND DISASTER RESPONSE TEAMS SCRAMBLE TO RESCUE PEOPLE TRAPPED IN FLOODED HOMES. THE EAST COAST OF THE U.S. IS EXPERIENCING SOME OF THE MOST SEVERE FLOODING IN MORE THAN A DECADE AFTER DAYS OF TORRENTIAL DOWNPOURS. A STATE OF EMERGENCY HAS BEEN DECLARED IN VERMONT WHERE SOME ROADS AND HOMES ARE COMPLETELY UNDERWATER. EMERGENCY CREWS HAVE ALREADY CARRIED OUT DOZENS OF RESCUES. NORTH OF THE BORDER, CANADA'S NORTHERNMOST TERRITORIES ARE EXPERIENCING AN UNPRECEDENTED HEATWAVE, LEADING TO SOME OF THE HOTTEST DAYS EVER RECORDED. WITH TEMPERATURES SURPASSING 37 DEGREES IN RECENT DAYS, CANADA'S FAR NORTH REGIONS SAW PREVIOUS RECORDS EXCEEDED ` ALL WHILE CANADA BATTLES ITS WORST WILDFIRE SEASON IT'S EVER SEEN. EXTREME WEATHER EVENTS LIKE THOSE ARE SIGNS OF CLIMATE CHANGE AND THE EFFECTS OF CIVILISATION ON THE PLANET. SCIENTISTS NOW BELIEVE OUR IMPACT IS SO GREAT IT COULD BE DEFINED AS A NEW GEOLOGICAL EPOCH, THE ANTHROPOCENE PERIOD. THE BBC'S REBECCA MORELLE EXPLAINS. HEADING TO A SITE THAT RECORDS A TURNING POINT IN THE EARTH'S HISTORY. CRAWFORD LAKE IN CANADA. AND SCIENTISTS ARE LOOKING FOR SIGNS OF A NEW GEOLOGICAL TIME PERIOD ` THE ANTHROPOCENE EPOCH. SO, WHAT WE HAVE HERE IS THE LAKE BED. WE JUST TOOK THE CORE. YOU SEE LIGHT, DARK, LIGHT, DARK LAYERS. THESE LAYERS ARE LIKE TREE RINGS REPRESENTING EVERY YEAR OF OUR PAST. I AM QUITE SURE 1950 IS RIGHT AROUND HERE. THAT WOULD BE THE BASE OF THE PROPOSED ANTHROPOCENE EPOCH. THIS NEW EPOCH DEFINES THE MOMENT HUMANS STARTED HAVING A BIGGER IMPACT ON OUR PLANET THAN ANYTHING ELSE. SO, WE REFER TO THE ANTHROPOCENE AS THE INTERVAL OF TIME SINCE THE MID-20TH CENTURY, WHEN THE GREAT ACCELERATION OF HUMAN INDUSTRY, IT CHANGED THE WAY THE EARTH BEHAVES. IT BASICALLY IS A TIPPING POINT THAT WAS REACHED THAT ALTERED EARTH HISTORY FOREVER. WHAT'S INSIDE THESE LITTLE VIALS DOESN'T LOOK LIKE MUCH ` JUST A SCRAPE OF CANADIAN MUD. BUT EACH ONE OF THESE CONTAINS MATERIAL FROM A PARTICULAR YEAR. AND CRUCIALLY, ONE WILL HELP TO PINPOINT THE EXACT MOMENT WHEN THE ANTHROPOCENE BEGAN. THESE SEDIMENTS CAN BE ANALYSED. THEY HOLD THE FINGERPRINTS OF HUMAN ACTIVITY ` FROM THE BY-PRODUCTS OF FOSSIL FUELS, MICROPLASTICS AND THE FALLOUTS FROM NUCLEAR WEAPONS TESTING. AND IT'S THE PLUTONIUM FROM THESE NUCLEAR TESTS THAT'S BEING ISOLATED HERE TO DETERMINE WHICH YEAR THE ANTHROPOCENE STARTED. WE'RE LOOKING AT THE PLUTONIUM RADIOACTIVITY IN THE EARLY 1950s. AND THAT WAS THE POINT WHEN THIS ALMOST ENTIRELY ARTIFICIAL PRODUCT WAS GLOBALLY DISPERSED. AND WE PICK IT UP FROM THE EARLY 1950s IN SEDIMENTS ALL OVER THE GLOBE. THE LAST EPOCH CHANGE HAPPENED MORE THAN 11,000 YEARS AGO. A RECORD IS BURIED IN A BOG ON THE ISLE OF WIGHT. THIS IS A REALLY BEAUTIFUL TRANSITION. YOU SEE THE DIFFERENCE IN THE COLOUR OF SEDIMENTS. THE DARKER MUD BELONGS TO THE ICE AGE. THE LIGHTER MUD IS WHERE THE WARMER HOLOCENE EPOCH BEGAN. BUT THERE'S A MAJOR DIFFERENCE COMPARED WITH WHAT'S HAPPENING NOW. THESE ARE NATURAL CHANGES HERE. THIS IS A NATURAL SYSTEM THAT DRIVES THESE CHANGES. WHAT WE ARE DOING RIGHT NOW, WE ARE INCREASING THE SPEED OF THESE CHANGES. AND WE SEE THAT ENVIRONMENTS ARE PRETTY MUCH GETTING DESTROYED, BUT THIS IS THIS IS PART OF THE HUMAN ACTIVITY. IT'S THE FIRST TIME A NEW EPOCH HAS BEEN PROPOSED WHILE WE'RE LIVING THROUGH IT. GEOLOGISTS NOW NEED TO PUT THIS TO A VOTE BEFORE THE ANTHROPOCENE EPOCH IS SET IN STONE. STILL TO COME ON MIDDAY ` CITY VERSUS COUNTRY. THE DIFFERING MORTALITY RATES BETWEEN RURAL AND URBAN COMMUNITIES. PLUS ` ANOTHER TEAM IS WELCOMED TO AOTEAROA FOR THE FOOTBALL WORLD CUP. BUT WHAT'S THE CONTROVERSY HANGING OVER ZAMBIA. (CHATTER, LAUGHTER) - ALL: Hooray! - Hip hip! - Hooray! - Hip hip! - Hooray! - Happy birthday, mate. - It's your bowel screening test. I've done mine. - WOMEN: Me too! - And it's free! Uso, you've got this! - # There's a screening here tonight. # Pull the stick from the test. Put it in the poo. # Just follow the pictures. It's easy to do. - Koro! You can 'poo' it! - # Don't delay or procrastinate. # Put it in the post. Send it away. # Early detection can save the day. (ALL CHEER) # There's a screening # here tonight. # - ALL: Oh yeah! EXPECT DELAYS IF YOU'RE NEEDING A BLOOD TEST. LABORATORY WORKERS IN THE SOUTH ISLAND AND WELLINGTON REGION ARE STRIKING TODAY FOR BETTER PAY. TAKING TO THE PICKET LINES, SCL AND AWANUI LAB WORKERS WILL ALSO WALK OFF THE JOB TOMORROW, AS WELL AS ON MONDAY AND TUESDAY NEXT WEEK. MEMBERS ARE FRUSTRATED THEIR CLAIMS FOR PAY EQUAL TO THAT OF OTHER PROFESSIONAL HEALTH GROUPS ARE BEING DISMISSED BY THEIR EMPLOYER WHO'S YET TO MAKE AN OFFER. WE UNDERVALUED, WHERE UNDERPAID FOR MINIMUM WAGES, WE SPOT THE WHOLE OF WELLINGTON. IT IS NOT RIGHT TO WELLINGTON TO BE UNDERSTAFFED, AND MUCH PRESSURE WE CAN'T KEEP RETENTION STUFF. AWANUI LABS RUNS NEARLY EVERY LABORATORY IN THE SOUTH ISLAND, AND ALL IN THE WELLINGTON REGION. A STRETCHED HEALTH WORKFORCE IS PLAYING A SIGNIFICANT PART THIS IN HIGHER MORTALITY RATES FOR RURAL NEW ZEALANDERS COMPARED TO THOSE LIVING IN URBAN CENTRES. THAT'S ACCORDING TO ONE HEALTH EXPERT. THE NEW UNIVERSITY OF OTAGO STUDY CONTRADICTS EXISTING DATA ON DEATH RATES ACROSS AOTEAROA. IT STUDIED AGE, SEX, ETHNICITY AND CAUSE IN MORE THAN 160,000 DEATHS BETWEEN 2014 AND 2018. I THINK WE'RE GOING TO FIND, AS WE LOOK INTO THIS DEEPER, THAT THERE ARE A LOT OF REASONS WHY RURAL PEOPLE ARE DYING SOONER OR DYING YOUNGER. THERE'S LOTS OF COMPLEXITY TO SOCIOECONOMICS IN RURAL AREAS COMPARED TO URBAN AS WELL. SO IT'S NOT ONLY ACCESS TO HEALTHCARE. THE STUDY HIGHLIGHTED MORTALITY RATES AMONG MAORI WERE DISPROPORTIONATELY HIGHER. TO SPORT NOW, AND THE ZAMBIAN FOOTBALL TEAM HAVE BEEN WELCOMED TO AOTEAROA WITH A POWHIRI THIS MORNINGON TO AOTEAROA WITH A POWHIRI THIS MORNING DESPITE MAJOR CONTROVERSY SURROUNDING THEIR COACH. DESPITE MAJOR CONTROVERSY SURROUNDING THEIR COACH. WORLD CUP REPORTER ZION DAYAL WAS AT THE CEREMONY AND JOINS US NOW LIVE. ZION, WHAT'S THE LATEST? GOOD AFTERNOON. FOR ZAMBIA'S NATIONAL WOMAN'S FOOTBALL TEAM, THE BUILDUP TO THE WORLD CUP HAS BEEN OVERSHADOWED BY ALLEGATIONS OF SEXUAL MISCONDUCT OF THEIR COACH. THIS MORNING THEY WERE WELCOMED HERE INTO NEW ZEALAND ON TO A MARAE. THIS WAS FIRST REPORTED BY THE GUARDIAN IN THE UK. THEY SAY THAT A MEMBER OF THE TEAM SAID IT WAS NORMAL FOR THE PLAYERS TO HAVE AN INTIMATE RELATIONSHIP WITH THE COACH AND IF THEY DID SPEAK OUT, THERE WOULD BE CONSEQUENCES. WE WERE MEANT TO SPEAK WITH THE COACH THIS MORNING AT THE POWHIRI. HE PULLED OUT OF THE MEDIA COMMITMENTS. WE DID MANAGE TO GET A WORD INTO HIM AND THE CAPTAIN. HAVE YOU ENJOYED YOUR STAY IN NEW ZEALAND? IT'S OK. DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING TO SAY ABOUT THE ALLEGATIONS? NO, NO, NO. I LOOKING FORWARD TO ANYTHING IN NEW ZEALAND AT THE MOMENT? (CHUCKLES) WHAT DO YOU HOPE FOR THIS TEAM? WHAT'S THIS CONCERN ALL ABOUT? THE ALLEGATIONS MADE BY THE GUARDIAN. NO COMMENT. I AM NOT IN THE POSITION TO ANSWER THAT WITHIN THE LAST FIVE MINUTES, FIFA HAS SET A RELEASE IN RELATION TO THIS MATTER. THEY SAID THAT THE ETHICS COMMITTEE DOES NOT COMMENT ON WHETHER OR NOT INVESTIGATIONS ARE UNDERWAY INTO ALLEGED CASES AND IF THEY DO HAVE ANYTHING TO SAY, THEY WILL AT THEIR DISCRETION. THIS IS NOT THE BUILDUP THAT THE ZAMBIAN TEAM WANTED. THEY HAVE COME OF A HIGH BEATING GERMANY. THEY ARE TWO-TIME WORLD CHAMPIONS. FOR THEM, THEY WANT TO GET ON WITH RUNNER WILL STEDMAN HAS CLAIMED SILVER AT THE PARA ATHLETICS WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS IN PARIS. THE FOOTBALL AND GET ON WITH IT. RUNNER WILL STEDMAN HAS CLAIMED SILVER STEDMAN FINISHED SECOND IN THE T-36 400m FINAL, AT THE PARA ATHLETICS WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS IN PARIS. PRODUCING THE SECOND FASTEST TIME OF HIS CAREER. STEDMAN FINISHED SECOND IN THE T-36 400m FINAL, PRODUCING THE SECOND FASTEST TIME OF HIS CAREER. THE 23-YEAR-OLD JUST 0.07 SECONDS OFF HIS OWN NATIONAL RECORD. THE SPRINGBOKS HAVE NAMED A FULL STRENGTH SIDE TO TAKE ON THE ALL BLACKS FOR THE FIRST TIME THIS YEAR. BOTH TEAMS ARE COMING OFF DOMINANT FIRST UP WINS IN THE RUGBY CHAMPIONSHIP. TOWERING LOCK EBEN ETZEBETH WILL MAKE HIS RETURN AFTER INJURY. DESPITE SOUTH AFRICA GETTING THE BETTER OF THE ALL BLACKS IN A FEW MATCHES IN RECENT TIMES, THE BOKS AREN'T RESTING ON THEIR LAURELS. FOR ME, IT WILL ALWAYS BE ONE OF THE BIGGEST TEST MATCHES IN THE WORLD. AND FOR US, I THINK. YOU KNOW, THE RIVALRY HAS BEEN OVER A HUNDRED YEARS, A HUNDRED TEST MATCHES, A HUNDRED YEARS THAT WE'VE PLAYED AGAINST EACH OTHER. SO THE RIVALRY IS ALSO MASSIVE. FOR US, NEW ZEALAND HASN'T LOST THEIR AURA. YOU KNOW, THEY ARE STILL A FORMIDABLE SIDE. THAT'S WHY THEY ARE RANKED HIGHLY AND CONSISTENTLY HIGH IN THE WORLD. THE ALL BLACKS HOST SOUTH AFRICA ON SATURDAY AT A SOLD OUT MT SMART STADIUM. AUSTRALIAN FORMULA ONE DRIVER DANIEL RICCIARDO'S HIATUS BEHIND THE WHEEL IS OVER. HE'LL FINALLY MAKE HIS RETURN TO THE GRID. RICCIARDO IS RED BULL'S RESERVE DRIVER BUT WILL GET BEHIND THE WHEEL FOR SISTER TEAM 'ALPHA TAURI' ON LOAN FOR THE REST OF THE SEASON. THE 34-YEAR-OLD REPLACES NICK DE VRIES, WHO SITS AT THE BOTTOM OF THE DRIVER STANDINGS. MICHEAL VENUS HAS PROGRESSED THROUGH TO THE DOUBLES QUARTER-FINALS AT WIMBLEDON AFTER A STRAIGHT SETS VICTORY. ON CENTRE COURT, UNSEEDED ELINA SVITOLINA HAS SHOCKED THE TOP SEED TO BOOK HER SPOT IN THE SEMIS. THE BBC'S ANDY SWISS HAS THE ACTION. SHE IS THE FEELGOOD STORY OF THESE CHAMPIONSHIPS. ELINA SVITOLINA ` UNSEEDED, UNSTOPPABLE. A PROUD UKRAINIAN, SHE SAID SHE WANTS TO BRING HAPPINESS TO HER COUNTRY HERE, BUT SHE WAS UP AGAINST THE TOP SEED IGA SWIATEK. (CHEERING, APPLAUSE) ROARED ON BY THE FANS, THOUGH, SVITOLINA SEIZED THE FIRST SET. BUT THEN SWIATEK, WHO WORE THE UKRAINIAN COLOURS ON HER CAP IN SOLIDARITY, HIT BACK. NOTHING WRONG WITH THAT ONE. SUDDENLY, IT WAS ONE SET ALL BUT CARRIED ON A WAVE OF EMOTION. SVITOLINA WAS SPECTACULAR. (CHEERING, APPLAUSE) AND SOON, A DREAM WIN WAS REALITY. SHE'S DONE IT. SVITOLINA, WHO ONLY RETURNED TO TENNIS THREE MONTHS AGO AFTER HAVING A BABY, HAD KNOCKED OUT THE WORLD NUMBER ONE. HOW DO YOU CELEBRATE THAT? WELL, FIRST OF ALL, I'M GOING TO HAVE A BEER, PROBABLY. (CHUCKLES) (LAUGHTER) AT THE BEGINNING OF THE TOURNAMENT, IF SOMEONE WOULD TELL ME THAT I WILL BE IN THE SEMI-FINAL AND BEATING WORLD NUMBER ONE, I WOULD, YOU KNOW, JUST SAY THAT THEY ARE CRAZY. (CHUCKLES) DEFENDING CHAMPION NOVAK DJOKOVIC WAS UP AGAINST ANDREI RUBLEV. STRAIGHTFORWARD? CERTAINLY NOT. RUBLEV TOOK THE FIRST SET, BUT HIS HOPES OF AN UPSET WERE SOON SNUFFED OUT AS DJOKOVIC ULTIMATELY LEFT HIM FOR DUST. AND THAT'S IT. AND FOR HIS RIVALS, WELL, HE HAD THIS MESSAGE ` I KNOW THAT THEY WANT TO GET A SCALP, THEY WANT TO WIN, BUT IT AIN'T HAPPENING STILL. (LAUGHTER) FAIR TO SAY THE REST HAVE CERTAINLY BEEN WARNED. STILL TO COME ON MIDDAY ` I'LL BE BACK WITH THE AFTERNOON WEATHER. IF YOU'RE STILL THINKING ABOUT WHAT TO HAVE FOR LUNCH, HERE'S AN EXTREMELY CHEESY SUGGESTION. BURGER KING HAS ADDED THE 'REAL CHEESEBURGER' TO ITS MENU, FEATURING NO MEAT AND AS MANY AS 20 SLICES OF AMERICAN CHEESE. NOT SO GOOD FOR THE ARTERIES, BUT IT'S SO POPULAR THE OUTLET HAD TO STOP TAKING DELIVERY ORDERS. TIME NOW TO TAKE A LOOK AT TODAY'S WEATHER, ACCOMPANIED BY GERMAN ELECTRONIC MUSIC PIONEERS 'KRAFTWERK', WHO'VE ANNOUNCED TWO SHOWS IN AOTEAROA LATER IN THE YEAR (KRAFTWERK'S 'DAS MODELL') (SYNTH MUSIC) # SIE IST EIN MODEL, UND SIE SIEHT GUT AUSTRALIA. # ICH NAHM SIE HEUT GERNE MIT ZU MIR NACH HAUS. # SIE WIRKT SO KUHL, AN SIE KOMMT NIEMAND RAN. # DOCH VOR DER KAMERA DA ZEIGT SIE WAS SIE KANN. (ELECTRONIC INTERLUDE) THANKS FOR JOINING US. FROM THE WHOLE MIDDAY TEAM, GOOD AFTERNOON. CAPTIONS BY DREW WELSH AND KRISTIN WILLIAMS. CAPTIONS WERE MADE WITH THE SUPPORT OF NZ ON AIR. WWW.ABLE.CO.NZ COPYRIGHT ABLE 2023