IT'S MIDDAY. 'INSPIRATIONAL FOR EVERYBODY' ` FA'ANANA EFESO COLLINS IS REMEMBERED BY THOSE WHO SERVED ALONGSIDE HIM. PLUS, HOW GOOGLE MAPS LED TWO GERMAN TOURISTS ASTRAY AND LEFT THEM FACING OFF WITH AUSTRALIAN CROCODILES. AND DRAMA RIGHT AT THE END AS AUSTRALIA SNATCH VICTORY FROM THE BLACK CAPS IN WELLINGTON. CAPTIONS BY DREW WELSH AND MAEVE KELLY. CAPTIONS WERE MADE WITH THE SUPPORT OF NZ ON AIR. WWW.ABLE.CO.NZ COPYRIGHT ABLE 2024 FAMILY, FRIENDS AND COLLEAGUES ARE CONTINUING TO MOURN THE LOSS OF GREEN MP FA'ANANA EFESO COLLINS FOLLOWING HIS SHOCK DEATH. TRIBUTES ARE POURING IN FOR COLLINS, WHO DIED SUDDENLY AT AN AUCKLAND CHARITY EVENT YESTERDAY MORNING. HE SERVED AS CHAIR OF THE OTARA PAPATOETOE LOCAL BOARD AND WAS A MANUKAU COUNCILLOR BEFORE ENTERING PARLIAMENT AS A GREEN MP LAST YEAR. EFESO COLLINS WAS KNOWN AS A CHAMPION FOR SOUTH AUCKLAND AND PACIFIC COMMUNITIES. THOSE HE MENTORED ARE REMEMBERING HIM. I FEEL LIKE HE ALWAYS REALLY KNEW THE ANSWER OF, LIKE, RECONCILING ALL THESE, LIKE, COMPLICATED DYNAMICS BETWEEN YOUNG PEOPLE, OLD PEOPLE IN OUR PACIFIC COMMUNITY. I THINK I FEEL IT REALLY DEEPLY BECAUSE HE WAS, LIKE, THE ICON TO... YEAH. HE WAS JUST AN ICON IN POLITICS, AND IT MADE POLITICS SEXY AGAIN TO OUR YOUNG PEOPLE. ALF FILIPAINA, WHO SERVED ALONGSIDE EFESO COLLINS, SAYS HE LEAVES A STRONG LEGACY. THE WHOLE OF TAMAKI AND AOTEAROA ARE GONNA MISS SOMEBODY WHO ALWAYS STOOD UP FOR THE COMMUNITY, AND NO ISSUE ABOUT DOING THAT. THAT'S FOR EVERYBODY, NOT JUST PACIFIC. FOR ME, HE WAS VERY, VERY INTELLIGENT BUT ALSO A VERY GOOD ORATOR. AND I CAN TELL YOU THAT WHEN HE SPOKE AROUND THAT TABLE WE SAT AROUND FOR SIX YEARS, EVERYBODY LISTENED. HE WAS A GIANT OF A MAN. A CONDOLENCE BOOK HAS BEEN SET UP AT PARLIAMENT; IT WILL BE PRESENTED TO COLLINS' FAMILY. TENS OF THOUSANDS MORE CHILDREN ARE LIVING IN POVERTY COMPARED TO LAST YEAR. NEW DATA RELEASED THIS MORNING SHOWS AN INCREASE IN CHILD POVERTY RATES FOR THE YEAR TO JUNE 2023 ` ONE IN EIGHT CHILDREN, OR AROUND 143,000 KIDS, NOW LIVE IN MATERIAL HARDSHIP. THAT'S AN ADDITIONAL 23,000 CHILDREN. THIS MEANS THEY GO WITHOUT AT LEAST SIX ESSENTIALS, INCLUDING FRESH FRUIT AND VEGETABLES, HEATING AND REGULAR DOCTOR VISITS. PUBLIC HEALTH OFFICIALS ARE WARNING NEW ZEALAND IS ON THE BRINK OF A MEASLES EPIDEMIC. THE BRIEFING, FROM THE PUBLIC HEALTH COMMUNICATION CENTRE, SAYS FALLING IMMUNISATION RATES, IMMUNITY GAPS AND AN INCREASED RISK OF IMPORTED CASES ARE LEAVING AOTEAROA HIGHLY VULNERABLE TO A LARGE AND POTENTIALLY DEADLY OUTBREAK. PROFESSOR MICHAEL BAKER SAYS URGENT STEPS ARE NEEDED TO CATCH UP THOSE WHO HAVE MISSED OUT ON VACCINATIONS, WITH IMMUNISATION RATES AT THEIR LOWEST SINCE 2009. NEW ZEALAND HAS ANNOUNCED EXTENDED FINANCIAL AND PERSONNEL SUPPORT FOR UKRAINE AHEAD OF THE WAR'S SECOND ANNIVERSARY THIS WEEKEND. UKRAINIAN TROOPS ARE STRUGGLING WITH DWINDLING RESOURCES AMID A RUSSIAN RESURGENCE. BILLIONS OF U.S. FUNDING IS CURRENTLY BEING HELD UP BY THE REPUBLICAN-CONTROLLED HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. NEW ZEALAND'S EXTENDED COMMITMENT WILL BRING OUR TOTAL SUPPORT TO MORE THAN $100m. NEW SANCTIONS AGAINST RUSSIA ARE ALSO BEING WORKED ON. ONGOING ISRAELI STRIKES HAVE REPORTEDLY KILLED 67 PEOPLE OVERNIGHT, INCLUDING ONE PERSON IN RAFAH. THE DENSELY POPULATED REGION REMAINS ON TENTERHOOKS, WITH THE THREAT OF A FULL-SCALE ISRAELI ASSAULT LOOMING. ISRAEL SAYS HAMAS BATTALIONS REMAIN IN THE CITY AND THAT ELIMINATING THEM IS THE BEST WAY TO GETS ITS HOSTAGES BACK. AND A PROTEST HAS BEEN HELD IN TEL AVIV, URGING THE ISRAELI GOVERNMENT TO SECURE THE RETURN OF HOSTAGES IN GAZA. PROTESTERS WORE MASKS OF THE REMAINING HOSTAGES' FACES. AROUND 130 PEOPLE ARE STILL MISSING AFTER THE HAMAS ATTACKS OF OCTOBER 7, BUT REPORTS INDICATE AS MANY AS A QUARTER OF THEM MAY NOW BE DEAD. ALSO IN THE MIDDLE EAST ` FRANCE HAS RELEASED FOOTAGE OF WHAT IT SAYS ARE TWO HOUTHI DRONES BEING DESTROYED DURING PATROLS IN THE RED SEA AND GULF OF ADEN. COMMERCIAL SHIPPING VESSELS HAVE COME UNDER ATTACK BY THE REBEL GROUP, WITH FRANCE SAYING MULTIPLE ATTACKS WERE DETECTED. BRITAIN'S MILITARY IS DEALING WITH AN EMBARRASSING FAILURE AFTER A TEST OF ITS MISSILE SYSTEM DIDN'T WORK FOR THE SECOND TIME IN A ROW. THE UNARMED MISSILE DROPPED INTO THE WATER CLOSE TO WHERE IT WAS LAUNCHED INSTEAD OF FLYING ITS FULL JOURNEY. THE BBC'S JONATHAN BEALE REPORTS. IT'S BRITAIN'S WEAPON OF LAST RESORT ` THE NUCLEAR MISSILES CARRIED ON THESE ROYAL NAVY SUBMARINES. TRIDENT IS THE U.S.-MADE BALLISTIC MISSILE ON BOARD, AND THIS IS WHAT IS SUPPOSED TO HAPPEN. BUT IN THE MOST RECENT TEST, IT DIDN'T GET THIS FAR; IT JUST PLOPPED INTO THE OCEAN ` AND IT'S NOW THE UK'S SECOND TEST-FIRE FAIL. THIS TEST ACTUALLY TOOK PLACE IN JANUARY, BUT ONLY NOW HAVE DETAILS BEEN RELEASED. THE MISSILE WAS LAUNCHED FROM BRITAIN'S HMS VANGUARD OFF THE COAST OF FLORIDA. IT WAS SUPPOSED TO FLY ABOUT 3700 MILES AND LAND HARMLESSLY IN THE SEA OF WEST AFRICA. INSTEAD, THE UNARMED TEST MISSILE HIT THE WATER CLOSE TO THE LAUNCH SITE. SO WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT THE MISSILE ITSELF? OF COURSE, WHEN THE LAUNCH IS ANNOUNCED IN ADVANCE AND THE DEFENCE SECRETARY IS ON BOARD, ERM, IT DOESN'T LOOK GOOD. AND OF COURSE, IT'S NOT GOOD, I THINK, FOR THE MORALE OF THE CREW, WHICH NOW GOES ON PATROL, AND MORALE ACROSS THE SUBMARINE SERVICE ` ERM, YOU KNOW, TO HAVE THIS KIND OF SCRUTINY. MALFUNCTIONS LIKE THIS ONE IN THE '80s ` THE EARLY DAYS OF TRIDENT ` ARE RELATIVELY RARE, BUT IN 2016, ANOTHER UK TEST MISSILE ALSO VEERED OFF COURSE. ITS LAST SUCCESSFUL TEST WAS IN 2012. SET CONDITION 1SQ... THE M.O.D. STILL INSISTS THE SYSTEM IS SAFE, SECURE AND EFFECTIVE. THIS LATEST MALFUNCTION WON'T CHANGE POLICY. LABOUR, TOO, IS COMMITTED TO TRIDENT; BUT FOR THE PUBLIC, IT MIGHT RAISE DOUBTS, AND BRITAIN'S ADVERSARIES WILL HAVE ALSO TAKEN NOTE. DONALD TRUMP'S ASSETS MAY BE SEIZED IF HE DOESN'T PAY UP THE GIANT FINE HANDED DOWN TO HIM FOUR DAYS AGO. THE ABC'S REENA ROY HAS MORE. IN AN ABC NEWS EXCLUSIVE, NEW YORK ATTORNEY GENERAL LETITIA JAMES SAYS SHE'S PREPARED TO DO WHATEVER IT TAKES FOR FORMER PRESIDENT TRUMP TO PAY THE $355m HE OWES FOR A DECADE OF FRAUD. WE ARE PREPARED TO MAKE SURE THAT THE JUDGEMENT IS PAID TO NEW YORKERS. JAMES BROUGHT THE CIVIL FRAUD TRIAL AGAINST TRUMP, HIS ORGANISATION AND HIS TWO ELDEST SONS. A JUDGE FOUND HE WAS LIABLE FOR EXAGGERATING HIS WEALTH AND INFLATING THE VALUE OF HIS REAL ESTATE SO BANKS WOULD GIVE HIM LOW-INTEREST LOANS. TRUMP INSISTED THE BANKS LIKE DOING BUSINESS WITH HIM. ABC'S AARON KATERSKY QUESTIONED THE ATTORNEY GENERAL. THEY SAID, 'NO VICTIM. NO ONE GOT HARMED. 'THE BANKS GOT PAID BACK. SO... NO HARM, NO FOUL.' WHY IS THAT NOT THE CASE? HE ENGAGED IN THIS MASSIVE AMOUNT OF FRAUD. AND IT WASN'T JUST A SIMPLE MISTAKE, A SLIGHT OVERSIGHT. THE VARIATIONS WERE WILDLY EXAGGERATED, AND THE EXTENT OF THE FRAUD WAS STAGGERING. TRUMP VOWED TO APPEAL, ARGUING THE PENALTY AGAINST HIM WOULD DRIVE OTHER BUSINESSES OUT OF NEW YORK. HE'S ALSO BANNED FROM DOING BUSINESS IN NEW YORK FOR THREE YEARS. WE'LL APPEAL. WE'LL BE SUCCESSFUL, I THINK, BECAUSE FRANKLY, IF WE'RE NOT SUCCESSFUL, NEW YORK STATE IS GONE. JAMES SAYING SHE'S NOT CONCERNED. AND LAST I CHECKED, TOURISM IS UP AND WALL STREET IS DOING JUST FINE. TRUMP'S RIVAL IN THE G.O.P. PRIMARY, NIKKI HALEY, SAYS HIS LEGAL TROUBLES ARE MORE PROOF WHY SHE SHOULD COME OUT ON TOP. I HAVE NO FEAR OF TRUMP'S RETRIBUTION. HE'S GOTTEN MORE UNSTABLE AND UNHINGED. HE SPENDS MORE TIME IN COURTROOMS THAN HE DOES ON THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL. HALEY IS TRAILING TRUMP BY MORE THAN 30 POINTS IN HER HOME STATE ` BUT STILL VOWING TO STAY IN THE RACE. THE SOUTH CAROLINA REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL PRIMARY IS THIS SATURDAY. AND IN AN INTERVIEW WITH FOX NEWS ABOUT THE FINE, DONALD TRUMP COMPARED HIMSELF TO THE LATE RUSSIAN OPPOSITION POLITICIAN ALEXEI NAVALNY. HOW WOULD YOU PUT UP THAT KIND OF MONEY? BECAUSE YOU HAVE A BOND TO PUT UP. EVEN IF YOU APPEAL, YOU GOTTA PUT UP ESCROW MONEY. THAT'S A` IT'S A LOT OF DOUGH. IT IS FORM OF NAVALNY. IT IS A FORM OF COMMUNISM OR FASCISM. TRUMP WENT ON TO SAY THAT NAVALNY'S DEATH WAS 'SAD', BUT HE DIDN'T CONDEMN VLADIMIR PUTIN, WHOSE GOVERNMENT JAILED NAVALNY. AND THE UK HAS SANCTIONED SIX RUSSIAN PRISON BOSSES OVER THE DEATH OF ALEXEI NAVALNY. THE PRISON BOSSES WILL HAVE THEIR ASSETS FROZEN AND BE BANNED FROM TRAVELLING TO THE UK. THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT HAS ALSO CALLED FOR NAVALNY'S BODY TO BE RELEASED TO HIS FAMILY. AUTHORITIES SAY THEY'RE STILL INVESTIGATING WHAT KILLED HIM, SO FAR JUST SAYING IT WAS 'SUDDEN-DEATH SYNDROME'. TWO GERMAN TOURISTS HAVE SURVIVED A WEEK LOST IN HOSTILE AUSTRALIAN BUSH AFTER FOLLOWING GOOGLE MAPS. CHANNEL NINE'S JOSH BABAS HAS MORE. SAFE AND SOUND NOW IN SYDNEY, BUT THIS TIME LAST WEEK, PHILLIP AND HIS FRIEND MARCEL WERE WALKING OUT OF A WILD AND REMOTE PART OF THE CAPE YORK WILDERNESS AFTER A WEEK WHICH NEARLY COST THEM THEIR LIVES. THE GERMAN TOURISTS SPENT DAYS SEARCHING FOR HELP, DODGING CROCODILES AND WILD PIGS, CROSSING OVER RIVERS AND ENDURING THUNDERSTORMS AND HEAT TOO HOT TO WALK IN. THE PAIR WAS TRYING TO DRIVE FROM CAIRNS TO BAMAGA, BUT AFTER REACHING COEN, THEY SAID THEY FOLLOWED THE GOOGLE MAPS DIRECTIONS, TAKING THEM OFF THE PENINSULA DEVELOPMENT ROAD ON TO A DIRT TRACK, AND IN TO NATIONAL PARK. ABOUT 60km IN, THEY BECAME BOGGED AND TRIED TO WALK FURTHER ON FOOT BEFORE REALISING THEY WERE IN SERIOUS TROUBLE. ONCE THEY REALISED THAT THEY WERE BEING LED UP A DRY GULLEY, THEY PULLED BACK AND STAYED WITH THE VEHICLE AS LONG AS THEY COULD BEFORE MAKING THE DECISION TO WALK OUT. THEY SPENT A WEEK WALKING BACK TO COEN, FINALLY MAKING IT BACK TO THE SMALL TOWNSHIP TO FIND HELP. RANGERS HELPED RETRIEVE THEIR FOUR-WHEEL DRIVE. THEY SAY IT'S NOT THE FIRST REPORTED MISHAP IN THE CAPE LINKED TO GOOGLE MAPS. WE'VE GOT NO IDEA WHY THIS IS HAPPENING. A GOOGLE SPOKESWOMAN SAYS THE COMPANY IS GLAD THE MEN ARE SAFE, AND IS INVESTIGATING. THE TOURISTS ARE HEADING HOME SOON, HAPPY TO HAVE MADE IT OUT ALIVE. STILL TO COME ON MIDDAY ` THE EXPEDITION HEADING TO THE ANTARCTIC, TRYING TO SAVE HUMANITY. PLUS, THE ONE THAT GOT AWAY ` AUSTRALIA GO ONE UP OVER THE BLACK CAPS IN THEIR T20 SERIES. TODAY MARKS 13 YEARS SINCE 185 PEOPLE LOST THEIR LIVES IN THE CHRISTCHURCH FEBRUARY EARTHQUAKES. REPORTER DIGBY WERTHMULLER JOINS US NOW. HOW WILL THE DAY BE MARKED, DIGBY? PEOPLE HAVE SLOWLY BEEN STARTING TO ARRIVE HERE AT THE CANTERBURY EARTHQUAKE MEMORIAL FOR THE CIVIC SERVICE THAT WILL START AT 1251. THAT IS AT THE EXACT TIME THE EARTHQUAKE STRUCK BACK IN FEBRUARY 2011. BY THE MAYOR AND PRIME MINISTER WILL BE ATTENDING. THE MERE WILL BE LAYING A REEF. THERE WILL BE A MINUTE OF SILENCE. LAST NIGHT, THERE WAS A CANDLELIGHT VIGIL. AROUND 40 PEOPLE ATTENDED THAT MEMORIAL, WHICH WAS LED BY THE DAUGHTER OF A WOMAN WHO WAS INSIDE THE BUILDING VISITING THE MEDICAL CENTRE AT THE TIME. IT WAS A VERY MOVING VIOLIN TRIBUTE AS WELL AS HUGS AND TEARS THAT WERE EXCHANGED. MANY OF THOSE ATTENDEES THAT WERE THERE WERE ALSO ACTIVE PARTICIPANTS IN THE CTV FAMILIES GROUP WHICH IS ADVOCATING FOR JUSTICE AND ACCOUNTABILITY. OVER 13 YEARS, THERE IS NO ACCOUNTABILITY FOR THE BUILDINGS COLLAPSE. TRUE HEALING CANNOT OCCUR UNTIL THOSE RESPONSIBLE ARE HELD TO ACCOUNT. A GROUP OF NEW ZEALAND AND ITALIAN SCIENTISTS SAY THEY'RE ON A MISSION TO SAVE HUMANITY. A DOZEN SCIENTISTS HAVE EMBARKED ON A TWO-MONTH ANTARCTIC EXPEDITION TO FIND OUT WHAT'S CAUSING SEA ICE LEVELS TO PLUMMET. CRAIG STEVENS SAYS THE WORLD IS WORKING TOGETHER TO SOLVE A COMMON ISSUE. FOR A LONG TIME, WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO SEE THE SEA ICE WITH SATELLITES, BUT THAT DOESN'T REALLY TELL US ABOUT THE THICKNESS OF SEA ICE AND IT DOESN'T TELL US ABOUT THE HEAT CONTENT IN THE OCEAN BENEATH. WE HAVE TO COME DOWN HERE WITH EQUIPMENT AND GO TO EXTREME LOCATIONS TO MEASURE THE CHANGES. THE UNDERLYING GOAL OF THE VOYAGE IS TO PROVIDE SCIENCE-BASED EVIDENCE TO BETTER INFORM ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY AND GOVERNANCE. SPANISH FARMERS HAVE NOW JOINED IN EUROPE'S GROWING WAVE OF PROTESTS. SCUFFLES BROKE OUT BETWEEN POLICE AND SOME PROTESTERS WHEN THEY TRIED TO TAKE TRACTORS INTO THE CENTRE OF MADRID. 500 WERE ALLOWED IN, AS PER NEGOTIATIONS BETWEEN PROTEST ORGANISERS AND AUTHORITIES, BUT AN ADDITIONAL 150 FARMERS SHOWED UP AND TRIED TO GET PAST POLICE BLOCKADES. THE FARMERS ARE CALLING FOR LOOSER REGULATIONS AND MORE STATE AID, SAYING NEW E.U. RULES WILL MAKE THEIR LIVELIHOODS UNSUSTAINABLE. ITALIAN EMERGENCY SERVICES HAVE WORKED AGAINST THE CLOCK TO RESCUE PEOPLE TRAPPED IN CARS WHICH WERE SWALLOWED BY A SINKHOLE. THE CAVITY OPENED UP ON A STREET IN NAPLES. ONE OF THE SWALLOWED CARS WAS PARKED, WHILE THE OTHER WAS BEING DRIVEN WHEN IT FELL IN. TWO PEOPLE SUSTAINED MINOR INJURIES. 20 PEOPLE HAVE BEEN INJURED IN A MASSIVE MULTI-VEHICLE PILE-UP IN THE U.S. STATE OF MISSISSIPPI. FOGGY CONDITIONS SAW MORE THAN 20 CARS AND TRUCKS PLOUGH INTO EACH OTHER ON A MAJOR HIGHWAY, A LOGGING TRUCK AMONG THOSE INVOLVED. NINE PEOPLE WERE TAKEN TO NEARBY HOSPITALS; OTHERS TREATED BY THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. TO SPORT ` THE BLACK CAPS HAVE JUST MISSED OUT ON VICTORY IN THE FIRST T20 WITH AUSTRALIA. NEW ZEALAND POSTED AN IMPRESSIVE TOTAL WITH THE BAT BUT LET THE AUSSIES BACK IN. HERE'S LACHIE McLEOD. A WIN THE BLACK CAPS LET SLIP ` AUSTRALIA LEFT NEEDING FOUR RUNS FROM THE FINAL DELIVERY OF THE MATCH. SWUNG AWAY! SWUNG AWAY AND` OHHH! AUSTRALIA WIN OFF THE FINAL BALL! YEAH, THAT'S CRICKET. THAT'S WHY PEOPLE PAY TO WATCH IT. UNFORTUNATELY, WASN'T OUR NIGHT, WITH SOME MISTAKES IN THE FIELD ` CERTAINLY THE BOYS KNOW THAT, UM, AND IT HAPPENS, BUT THOSE CAN BE THE MAKE-OR-BREAK MOMENTS SOMETIMES. THE BLACK CAPS HAD STARTED WELL... HE'S HAD AS MANY SIXES TONIGHT AS HE'D HAD IN HIS CAREER SO FAR, AND THERE'S ANOTHER! RACHIN RAVINDRA CONTINUING HIS RICH RUN OF FORM, WITH 65 IN NEW ZEALAND'S TOTAL OF 215/3. OH, HE'S DONE IT AGAIN, RACHIN RAVINDRA! ZAMPA HAS BEEN DISPATCHED THREE TIMES IN THE OVER! BUT AUSTRALIA MATCHED THE HOSTS BLOW FOR BLOW. OH, THAT HAS BEEN ABSOLUTELY SMASHED! MITCHELL MARSH AND GLEN MAXWELL KEPT THE AUSSIES IN THE CHASE... SENT. THAT ONE'S GONNA GO ALL THE WAY AS WELL. RIGHT NOW. RIGHT NOW! AND DON'T WORRY ABOUT FOUR ` THAT'S GOT SIX WRITTEN ALL OVER IT. AND JUST AS THE BLACK CAPS LOOKED TO HAVE THE EDGE, A LATE CAMEO FROM TIM DAVID SET UP THE TENSE FINISH ` SOUTHEE FLICKED AWAY! FLICKED AWAY. IS IT FOUR? IS IT SIX? IT'S GONE FLAT. MATE, I RECKON IT'S SIX. I RECKON HE'S GONNA GET SIX OUT OF THIS. 15 NEEDED OFF TIM SOUTHEE'S FINAL OVER BEFORE DAVID COMPLETED THE WIN. CAN YOU BELIEVE IT?! THAT IS UNBELIEVABLE! TIM DAVID, TAKE A BOW. ALL ROUND, I THOUGHT IT WAS JUST A GREAT GAME OF CRICKET. WE STAYED IN IT, AND WE FOUGHT RIGHT TO THE END AND CAME OUT ON TOP. THE TEAMS NOW HEAD TO AUCKLAND FOR GAME TWO; THE BLACK CAPS LOOKING TO PUT THIS RESULT BEHIND THEM. LACHIE McLEOD, 1 NEWS. OLYMPIC BRONZE MEDALLIST MARCUS DANIELL SAYS HE'S DESPERATELY SEARCHING FOR A DOUBLES PARTNER AS HE RAMPS UP HIS BID FOR THE PARIS GAMES. THE NEW ZEALAND TENNIS STAR'S COME BACK FROM A LONG INJURY LAY-OFF AND HAS PLEDGED TO DONATE 50% OF HIS MATCH WINNINGS TO CHARITY IN WHAT WILL BE HIS FINAL YEAR ON TOUR. I'M JUST ASKING PEOPLE TO COME ALONG ON THAT JOURNEY WITH ME AND PLEDGE WHATEVER IS COMFORTABLE. A TINY AMOUNT PER POINT THAT I WIN DURING THIS YEAR. EVEN IF YOU ONLY PLEDGE SOMETHING LIKE TEN CENTS PER POINT, AT THE END OF THE YEAR, AS A COLLECTIVE, IF ENOUGH PEOPLE COME ALONG ON THIS JOURNEY, THEN WE DO A HUGE AMOUNT OF GOOD IN THE WORLD AS A GROUP. HE'S HOPING TO TEAM UP WITH MICHAEL VENUS AGAIN FOR THE OLYMPICS. LIVERPOOL HAVE SOLIDIFIED THEIR PLACE AT THE TOP OF THE ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE, THUMPING LUTON TOWN THIS MORNING. THE RELEGATION-THREATENED HATTERS SURPRISED THE LEAGUE LEADERS, OPENING THE SCORING IN THE 12th MINUTE, BUT THE REDS RESPONDED WITH FOUR GOALS OF THEIR OWN. OH, AND IN IT IS! IN A FLASH, LIVERPOOL LEADS! DIAZ... SUPPORT FROM ROBERTSON. HE DOESN'T WANT IT! HE DOESN'T NEED IT! HE ONLY HAS EYES FOR GOAL! THE RESULT PUSHES LIVERPOOL FOUR POINTS CLEAR OF MANCHESTER CITY. MEANWHILE, MANCHESTER UNITED OFFICIALLY HAS A NEW CO-OWNER. BRITISH BILLIONAIRE SIR JIM RATCLIFFE'S MINORITY STAKE IN THE CLUB HAS BEEN APPROVED AND WILL TAKE CONTROL OF FOOTBALL OPERATIONS. THE BBC'S DAN ROAN TAKES A LOOK AT WHAT IT WILL MEAN FOR ONE OF THE BIGGEST BRANDS IN WORLD SPORT. ALREADY ONE OF THE COUNTRY'S WEALTHIEST BUSINESSMEN, PETROCHEMICALS BILLIONAIRE SIR JIM RATCLIFFE IS NOW INTENT ON LEADING A REVIVAL AT MANCHESTER UNITED. AND TODAY, SPEAKING FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE OFFICIALLY BECOMING CO-OWNER OF THE CLUB HE SUPPORTED SINCE CHILDHOOD, THE INEOS FOUNDER TOLD ME JUST HOW MUCH IT MEANT TO HIM. YOU KNOW, YOU DO HAVE TO PINCH YOURSELF, REALLY, BECAUSE IT IS A BOYHOOD DREAM, BUT THEY NEVER COME TRUE NORMALLY, DO THEY? THIS IS THE EXCEPTION TO THE RULE, AND IT'S A NICE ONE TO ME. BUT WHILE UNITED HAVE ENJOYED A RECENT IMPROVEMENT IN FORM, 11 YEARS HAVE NOW PASSED SINCE THEY WON THE PREMIER LEAGUE. THE ONLY REASON I GOT INVOLVED WITH MANCHESTER UNITED IS BECAUSE I WANT TO SEE MANCHESTER UNITED RESTORED TO WHERE IT SHOULD BE. IT'S NOT SWITCHING ON A LIGHT SWITCH, IT'S NOT ABOUT A NEW COAT. IT'S A TWO- TO THREE-SEASON CHALLENGE TO GET THAT ORGANISATION AND ENVIRONMENT RIGHT. RATCLIFFE HAD WANTED TO BUY THE CLUB OUTRIGHT, BUT HE'S HAD TO SETTLE FOR A MINORITY SHARE THAT SEES HIM TAKE CONTROL OF FOOTBALL OPERATIONS FROM THE AMERICAN GLAZER FAMILY, WHO PUT THE CLUB UP FOR SALE AFTER YEARS OF PROTESTS FROM FANS OVER THE CLUB'S DEBT AND DECLINE. SO DO YOU UNDERSTAND THOSE` THAT ANGER OF THE FANS? I UNDERSTAND THE FRUSTRATIONS AND THE ANGER, BUT WHERE I SIT TODAY IS LOOKING FORWARD, NOT LOOKING BACKWARDS. WHAT I'D LIKE TO SAY TO THE FANS IS GIVE US A LITTLE BIT OF TIME. TRY TO BE PATIENT, AND WE'LL TRY TO BUILD MANCHESTER UNITED BACK TO WHERE IT SHOULD BE. 20 YEARS AGO, LEGENDARY FORMER MANAGER SIR ALEX FERGUSON FAMOUSLY VOWED TO END LIVERPOOL'S DOMINANCE, AND NOW RATCLIFFE WANTS TO DO THE SAME TO BOTH THEM AND CHAMPIONS MANCHESTER CITY. I'M ON EXACTLY THE SAME PAGE AS ALEX FERGUSON ` I WANT TO KNOCK THEM ALL OFF THEIR PERCH. HOW FAR BEHIND ARE YOU TO THEM? A LONG WAY BEHIND THEM AT THE MOMENT, YEP. STILL TO COME ON MIDDAY ` A SURPRISE FOR A COUPLE OF UK LOTTERY PLAYERS; PLUS, I'LL HAVE YOUR AFTERNOON WEATHER. A BRITISH COUPLE HAS HAD THE SHOCK OF ALL SHOCKS, THINKING THEY'D WON �2.60 ON THE EURO MILLIONS LOTTERY, WHEN THEY HAD IN FACT WON �61m. THAT'S MORE THAN NZ$125m. WHEN YOU DREAM ABOUT WINNING THE LOTTERY, YOU'RE THINKING, 'I WILL DO THIS AND I WILL DO THAT 'AND I WILL BE SUPER CALM,' AND WHEN YOU ACTUALLY DO WIN THE LOTTERY, YOU'RE IN SUCH A DAZE BECAUSE THE NUMBERS ARE SO HUGE. WE WILL HAVE NICER THINGS, AND WE WILL DO NICER THINGS, BUT WE WILL STILL BE THE SAME PEOPLE. STILL BE US. WE'LL HAVE OUR FRIENDS AND FAMILY AROUND US. THEY WILL HELP TO KEEP US SANE. TIME NOW TO TAKE A LOOK AT TODAY'S WEATHER. (THE MAINE'S 'CRUEL SUMMER') # FEVER DREAM HIGH IN THE QUIET OF THE NIGHT. # YOU KNOW THAT I CAUGHT IT. # BAD, BAD BOY, SHINY TOY WITH A PRICE. # YOU KNOW THAT I BOUGHT IT. # KILLING ME SLOW, OUT THE WINDOW. # I'M ALWAYS WAITING FOR YOU TO BE WAITING BELOW. # DEVILS ROLL THE DICE, ANGELS ROLL THEIR EYES. # WHAT DOESN'T KILL ME MAKES ME WANT YOU MORE. # AND IT'S NEW, THE SHAPE OF YOUR BODY. # IT'S BLUE, THE FEELING I'VE GOT. # AND IT'S OOH, WOAH-OH. # IT'S A CRUEL SUMMER. # IT'S COOL, THAT'S WHAT I TELL 'EM. # NO RULES IN BREAKABLE HEAVEN. # BUT OOH, WOAH-OH, # IT'S A CRUEL SUMMER WITH YOU. # HANG YOUR HEAD LOW IN THE GLOW OF THE VENDING MACHINE. # HANG YOUR HEAD LOW IN THE GLOW OF THE VENDING MACHINE. # I'M NOT DYING. THANKS FOR JOINING US. YOU CAN KEEP UP WITH ALL OF TODAY'S NEWS ONLINE AT 1news.co.nz. FROM THE WHOLE MIDDAY TEAM, HAVE A GOOD AFTERNOON. CAPTIONS BY DREW WELSH AND MAEVE KELLY. CAPTIONS WERE MADE WITH THE SUPPORT OF NZ ON AIR. WWW.ABLE.CO.NZ COPYRIGHT ABLE 2024