TENA TATOU KATOA, GOOD EVENING. A CANTERBURY WOMAN WAS LEFT BELIEVING SHE HAD INCURABLE CANCER FOR 10 WEEKS BEFORE FINDING OUT SHE'D BEEN MISDIAGNOSED. SHE UNDERWENT INVASIVE MEDICAL PROCEDURES, STARTED PLANNING HER FUNERAL, AND EVEN HAD FAMILY RETURN FROM OVERSEAS TO SAY GOODBYE, BUT THEN SHE WAS TOLD THERE HAD BEEN A MIX-UP IN THE LAB. NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT AMANDA GILLIES REPORTS. ANGIE HAWKINS BREATHES IN THE CHILLED CANTERBURY AIR, FEELING ALIVE. A FEW MONTHS AGO, SHE DIDN'T THINK THIS WAS POSSIBLE; SHE WAS PLANNING HER FUNERAL, BELIEVING SHE WAS DYING OF INCURABLE CANCER. I'D BEEN TOLD THAT I HAD CANCER. THEN I WAS TOLD THAT I DIDN'T HAVE CANCER, AND IT WAS JUST HARD TO WORK OUT WHAT TO BELIEVE, REALLY. SO HOW DID THIS GO SO WRONG FOR THE CANTERBURY MUM? IN AUGUST LAST YEAR, ANGIE HAWKINS DEVELOPED A RASH AND THEN STARTED VOMITING. WHEN SHE BECAME SHORT OF BREATH, AN AMBULANCE WAS CALLED AND SHE WAS RACED TO CHRISTCHURCH HOSPITAL, WHERE SHE HAD BLOOD TESTS AND A CHEST X-RAY, BEFORE A C.T SCAN OF HER CHEST AND ABDOMEN. 15 HOURS LATER IN E.D, A DOCTOR DELIVERED DEVASTATING NEWS. THE E.D DOCTOR TOLD THE BOTH OF US THAT THE C.T SCAN IMAGING WAS LOOKING LIKE I HAD LUNG CANCER. SHE IMMEDIATELY THOUGHT OF HER CHILDREN AND THEN HER PARENTS, THE E.D DOCTOR TOLD THE BOTH OF US THAT THE C.T SCAN IMAGING WAS LOOKING LIKE I HAD LUNG CANCER. SHE IMMEDIATELY THOUGHT OF HER CHILDREN AND THEN HER PARENTS, BOTH OF WHOM HAVE BATTLED CANCER. WE WERE` WE WERE DEVASTATED, YEAH. TWO DAYS LATER, SHE HAD A BRONCHIAL WASHING AND THEN A BRONCHOSCOPY ` ANOTHER BLOW WAS THEN DELIVERED. THEY FELT THAT IT WAS A BREAST CANCER THAT HAD METASTASISED TO MY LUNGS AND MY LYMPH NODES, AND THAT ANY TREATMENT I WOULD BE OFFERED WOULD BE TO EXTEND MY LIFE, AND NOT TO CURE ME. HER ELDERLY MUM TOOK THE NEW DIAGNOSIS ESPECIALLY HARD. MY MOTHER WAS VERY, VERY UPSET THAT IT WAS A BREAST CANCER, BECAUSE SHE'S HAD BREAST CANCER AND SHE THOUGHT THAT SHE HAD GIVEN ME THE BREAST CANCER GENE. WHILE DEVASTATED, ANGIE WAS DETERMINED TO FACE THE CANCER HEAD ON. I WAS JUST KEEN TO GET STARTED, TO FIND OUT WHAT SORT OF BREAST CANCER IT WAS THAT I HAD AND GET STARTED ON THE CHEMO SO THAT, YOU KNOW, I COULD LIVE FOR AS LONG AS I WAS GOING TO LIVE. HER FRANCE-BASED SON MOVED HOME, HER DAUGHTER CANCELLED HER TRAVEL PLANS SO THEY COULD BE WITH MUM FOR WEEKS OF BODY M.R.Is BRAIN SCANS, C.T SCANS, MAMMOGRAMS, NEEDLE BIOPSIES AND MORE BRONCHOSCOPY. AT THE SAME TIME, SHE STARTED PLANNING HER FUNERAL AND GAVE AWAY JEWELLERY AND PERSONAL ITEMS, AND GAVE AWAY JEWELLERY AND PERSONAL ITEMS, BUT THEN A NEW MEDICAL CURVEBALL WAS DELIVERED. TWO MONTHS DOWN THE TRACK, THE ONCOLOGIST SAID TO US THAT HE WAS REALLY CONFUSED ABOUT WHAT WAS GOING ON. THAT'S BECAUSE ANGIE WASN'T GETTING SICKER AND HER TEST RESULTS WERE VARYING. HER DOCTOR WANTED A PATHOLOGY REVIEW OF THE ORIGINAL BREAST CANCER CELLS. THAT'S WHEN ANGIE GOT THE PHONE CALL ` SHE DIDN'T HAVE CANCER AFTER ALL. THERE HAD BEEN A MIX UP IN THE PATHOLOGY LAB ` SHE HAD GOT SOMEONE ELSE'S RESULTS. IT WAS JUST THE MOST SURREAL EXPERIENCE, BECAUSE FOR THE LAST TEN WEEKS, I HAD THOUGHT THAT I WAS DYING AND LIKE, I DIDN'T KNOW WHETHER TO BELIEVE HIM OR NOT. LIKE, THERE WAS OBVIOUSLY IMMEDIATE RELIEF FROM ALL OF US THAT I WASN'T DYING, ESPECIALLY FOR MY PARENTS, BECAUSE NOBODY WANTS TO BURY THEIR CHILD. SHE SAYS A REVIEW OF THE PATHOLOGY DEPARTMENT REVEALED LAB TONGS WERE BEHIND THE CELL MIX-UP. SHE WAS ASSURED THE OTHER WOMAN INVOLVED DID ALREADY KNOW SHE HAD BREAST CANCER. REGARDLESS, ANGIE NO LONGER HAS TRUST IN THE HEALTH SYSTEM. I'M STILL ANGRY. THE SMALL TOWN RUMOURS HAVEN'T HELPED. THERE WAS TALK OF ME BEING A FRAUD, AND THAT I NEVER HAD THIS CANCER DIAGNOSIS AT ALL. SHE DIDN'T LEAVE HOME FOR MONTHS, AND WHILE THE MENTAL AND EMOTIONAL TOLL OF THE MISDIAGNOSIS HAS BEEN DEVASTATING, SHE CAN'T GET PSYCHOLOGICAL SUPPORT FROM THE ONCOLOGY TEAM OR OTHER MEDICAL DEPARTMENTS. WHY? BECAUSE SHE DOESN'T HAVE CANCER. WHAT A HORRENDOUS SITUATION. AMANDA, HAVE YOU HEARD FROM TE WHATU ORA? THEY'VE JUST SENT US THIS STATEMENT, THIS IS FROM CANTERBURY'S CHIEF MEDICAL OFFICER DR RICHARD FRENCH, WE ARE SINCERELY SORRY FOR THE MISDIAGNOSIS, AND THEIR SIGNIFICANT DISTRESS IT CAUSED HER AND HER FAMILY THE CT SCAN REVEALED WHAT THEY THOUGHT WAS POSSIBLE CANCER, THEY THEN HAD TO CONFIRM THAT THERE HAD BEEN AN ACCIDENTAL TRANSFER OF SOMEONE ELSE'S CELLS WE BELIEVE THIS MAY HAVE HAPPENED IN THE TONGS USED TO TRANSFER TISSUE, THIS IS A VERY RARE EVENT, HE THEN APOLOGISES AGAIN TO ANGIE AND HER FAMILY, SOMETHING MIGHT SAY SHE HAS DODGED DEATH, BUT CLEARLY THE EMOTIONAL FALLOUT IS HUGE. POLICE HAVE CONFIRMED THEY ARE MAKING ENQUIRIES INTO THE DEATH OF AN INFANT IN WEST AUCKLAND YESTERDAY MORNING ON BEHALF OF THE CORONER. ALICE WILKINS JOINS US FROM RANUI. ALICE, THIS IS THE SECOND TIME A CHILD HAS DIED AT THE PROPERTY. A FOUR-MONTH OLD BABY DIED HERE IN APRIL 2022, ANOTHER FAMILY IS INVOLVED IN THIS INSTANCE, THE 2022 DEATH WAS ASSOCIATED WITH SUDDEN INFANT DEATH SYNDROME AND UNSAFE SLEEP, THAT BABY HAD BEEN EXPOSED TO METHAMPHETAMINE. NEIGHBOURS SAY THEY HEARD SCREAMING COMING FROM THE PROPERTY, POLICE WERE CALLED TO THE HOUSE JUST BEFORE 8 AM. A SCENE INVESTIGATION HAVE THAT HOUSE TODAY, AND WHILE THE POLICE ARE NOW GONE, THEY SAY THEIR CONTINUING INQUIRIES ON BEHALF THE CORONER. POLICE ARE INVESTIGATING AFTER BONES WERE UNCOVERED IN A HAMILTON BACKYARD. THEY WERE FOUND BY WORKERS USING AN EXCAVATOR AT A HILLCREST PROPERTY YESTERDAY AFTERNOON, AND ARE UNDERGOING TESTS TO SEE IF THEY'RE HUMAN. PERRY WILTON HAS THE STORY. WHAT LIKELY BEGAN AS A HOME RENOVATION HAS NOW BECOME A POLICE INVESTIGATION. OFFICERS WERE CALLED YESTERDAY AFTERNOON WHEN THIS EXCAVATOR UNEARTHED HUMAN REMAINS. I'VE BEEN IN THE NEIGHBOURHOOD FOR A COUPLE OF` OR 20 YEARS, AND I WOULD HAVE NO REASON TO EXPECT THAT THERE'D BE ANYTHING LIKE THAT HERE. WE SAW LIKE, A FEW POLICE CARS OVER THERE ` MAYBE LIKE, MY SON TOLD ME, LIKE, AROUND THREE O'CLOCK WHEN HE CAME BACK FROM SCHOOL. I TOLD MY DAUGHTER AND THEN MY PARTNER, AND THEN THEY WERE SURPRISED AS WELL. SO, YEAH, COS YOU CAN'T EXPECT THAT KIND OF THING TO HAPPEN THE BONES WERE FOUND AT THE BACK OF THE PROPERTY. WITH AT LEAST FOUR POLICE VEHICLES HERE ON CEDAR PLACE, THE EMERGENCY RESPONSE PRESENCE IS STILL STRONG MORE THAN 24 HOURS ON FROM THIS DISCOVERY. AND WHILE POLICE ARE STILL INVESTIGATING WHAT HAS BEEN UNCOVERED, THEY'VE DENIED OUR REQUEST FOR AN INTERVIEW. IN A STATEMENT, POLICE SAID THEY'RE STILL WORKING TO DETERMINE WHETHER THE REMAINS ARE HUMAN AND HOW OLD THEY ARE, AND THE COMMUNITY IN HILLCREST CAN EXPECT TO SEE AN INCREASED POLICE PRESENCE. THE MYSTERY THAT'S LIKELY TO BE THE TALK OF THE NEIGHBOURHOOD UNTIL POLICE HAVE UNCOVERED SOME ANSWERS. PERRY WILTON, NEWSHUB. VLADIMIR PUTIN AND KIM JONG UN HAVE MET IN PYONGYANG, WHERE, ACCORDING TO NORTH KOREAN MEDIA, THEY EXCHANGED THEIR 'PENT-UP INNERMOST THOUGHTS.' THE RUSSIAN PRESIDENT'S VISIT SIGNALS THE TWO COUNTRIES' DEEPENING ALIGNMENT, AND COMES JUST AS NEW ZEALAND ANNOUNCES IT'S DEPLOYING MORE SHIPS AND AIRCRAFT TO MONITOR VIOLATIONS OF SANCTIONS AGAINST NORTH KOREA. ADAM HOLLINGWORTH REPORTS. NORTH KOREA RARELY ROLLS OUT THE RED CARPET FOR ANYONE THESE DAYS, AND THE RUSSIAN PRESIDENT RARELY WALKS ONE OUTSIDE MOSCOW EITHER. BUT IN A SIGN OF RUSSIA AND NORTH KOREA'S GROWING FRIENDSHIP, POMP AND CEREMONY ABOUNDED FOR THIS STATE VISIT. VLADIMIR PUTIN AND KIM JONG UN EMBRACED LIKE OLD FRIENDS, AND TALKED ANIMATEDLY FOR SEVERAL MINUTES. STATE MEDIA REPORTED THE TWO LEADERS EXCHANGED THEIR PENT UP, INNERMOST THOUGHTS AND OPENED THEIR MINDS TO MORE SURELY DEVELOPED RELATIONS. THE STREETS OF PYONGYANG WERE DECKED OUT WITH RUSSIAN FLAGS AND POSTERS OF PUTIN, AHEAD OF HIS FIRST VISIT TO THE COUNTRY SINCE 2000. BOTH COUNTRIES SHARE ANIMOSITY TOWARDS THE WEST. KIM NEEDS FOOD, FUEL AND RAW MATERIALS, WHILE PUTIN WANTS TO SOURCE WEAPONS FROM PYONGYANG TO SUSTAIN HIS WAR IN UKRAINE. TO THAT END, THE LEADERS PLAN TO SIGN A NEW STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP, SOMETHING THE KREMLIN SAYS WILL SHAPE THE ARCHITECTURE OF EQUAL AND INDIVISIBLE SECURITY IN EURASIA, BUT WHICH WASHINGTON VIEWS WITH DISQUIET. ESPECIALLY TO ANYONE THAT'S INTERESTED IN MAINTAINING PEACE AND STABILITY ON THE KOREAN PENINSULA, BUT ALSO SUPPORTING THE PEOPLE OF UKRAINE AS THEY CONTINUE TO FIGHT AGAINST RUSSIAN AGGRESSION. SO WE ARE VERY MUCH CONCERNED ABOUT THIS, BECAUSE THIS IS WHAT'S KEEPING THE WAR GOING. AND THE FASTEST WAY TO END THE WAR IS FOR PUTIN TO BE DISABUSED OF THE NOTION THAT HE CAN OUTLAST UKRAINE, TO COUNTER NORTH KOREA'S NUCLEAR AND BALLISTIC MISSILE PROGRAMS, IS FOR PUTIN TO BE DISABUSED OF THE NOTION THAT HE CAN OUTLAST UKRAINE, AS THE CROWD WENT ON TO SYNCHRONISE RAPTURES, THE RUSSIAN MEDIA QUOTED PUTIN SAYING HE IS SEEKING TO COUNTER THE US AND THE WEST'S IMPERIALISTIC POLICIES. TO COUNTER NORTH KOREA'S NUCLEAR AND BALLISTIC MISSILE PROGRAMS, THE NEW ZEALAND GOVERNMENT YESTERDAY ANNOUNCED IT WILL SEND HMNZS AOTEAROA TO JAPAN AHEAD OF A P-8A POSEIDON AIRCRAFT DEPLOYMENT. (JET ROARS) JAPAN, SOUTH KOREA AND THE WEST ARE HOLDING FIRM AGAINST RUSSIA AND NORTH KOREA, BUT THIS MEETING, ALONGSIDE PUTIN'S TRIP TO BEIJING LAST MONTH, AND AN UPCOMING VISIT TO COMMUNIST VIETNAM, ARE AIMED AT SHORING UP RUSSIA'S TRADITIONAL ALLIES. ADAM HOLLINGSWORTH, NEWSHUB. NORTH KOREA IS NOT THE ONLY RISK IN OUR INDO-PACIFIC BACKYARD, CHRISTOPHER LUXON HAS USED HIS FINAL DAY IN JAPAN TO HIGHLIGHT THE RISKS FACING THE INDO-PACIFIC REGION...INCLUDING THREATS FROM CHINA. POWERFUL STATE, HE SAID NOT 'YET' POLITICAL REPORTER AMELIA WADE IS IN TOKYO. IN TOKYO, JUST 1300KM AWAY FROM PYONGYANG, TENSION FROM NORTH KOREA'S ALLIANCE WITH RUSSIA IS IN THE AIR. NEW GEOSTRATEGIC REALITIES HAVE MADE OUR REGION MORE COMPLICATED, MORE CHAOTIC, AND MORE CHALLENGING TO NAVIGATE. NORTH KOREA'S NUKES SAW CHRISTOPHER LUXON YESTERDAY COMMIT TO SENDING NZDF SHIPS TO JAPAN FOR THE FIRST TIME TO MONITOR U.N. SANCTIONS AGAINST THE ROGUE STATE. ELSEWHERE, IT IS CLEAR THAT A SERIOUS ESCALATION ON THE TAIWAN STRAIT OR IN THE EAST CHINA SEA WOULD HAVE PROFOUND CONSEQUENCES FOR NEW ZEALAND AND JAPAN AND OUR REGION AND THE WORLD. TODAY, LUXON SAID WHAT IS USUALLY THE QUIET BIT OUT LOUD ` THAT ONE OF THOSE THREATS WAS THE 'C-WORD,' CHINA. PRETTY TOUGH NEIGHBOURHOOD WHEN YOU'RE IN JAPAN. YOU'VE GOT FLASHPOINTS, POTENTIALLY WITH RUSSIA, WITH CHINA, WITH NORTH KOREA. JAPAN IS A VOCAL CRITIC OF CHINA. THERE ARE REPORTS IT IS CONSIDERING SANCTIONING CHINESE FIRMS SUSPECTED OF PROVIDING MATERIALS TO RUSSIA, WHICH COULD BE USED IN ITS WAR AGAINST UKRAINE, AND THE HEAD OF NATO HAS SAID THAT THERE WERE ONGOING DISCUSSIONS WITH MEMBER COUNTRIES ABOUT POSSIBLY SANCTIONING CHINA. IS NEW ZEALAND READYING SANCTIONS AGAINST CHINA, OR IS THAT SOMETHING WE WOULD CONSIDER? IT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT WE'VE DISCUSSED YET. NO DISCUSSIONS YET. THAT THREE LETTER WORD HAS THE POTENTIAL TO SEND A SHIVER DOWN THE SPINE OF NEW ZEALAND'S ECONOMY. CHINA IS OUR LARGEST TRADING PARTNER, AND IN THE PAST HAS RETALIATED AGAINST SANCTIONS. ITS BAN ON IMPORTING AUSTRALIAN COAL IN 2021 WIPED $1 BILLION OFF THE AUSSIE ECONOMY. I RAISED THE ISSUE PROACTIVELY WITH PREMIER LI IN MY BILATERAL TO SAY THAT WE WOULD BE EXTREMELY CONCERNED IF THERE WAS INTELLIGENCE OR ADVICE THAT ACTUALLY CHINA WAS PROVIDING RUSSIA WITH SUPPORT THAT WAS FUELLING THE WAR IN UKRAINE. SO ARE WE GOING TO BACK UP THOSE WORDS WITH ACTION IF THEY DON'T STOP? WELL, AS I SAID TO YOU, I RAISED MY DIFFERENCES WITH THE CHINESE. OR WITH ANY PARTNER FOR THAT MATTER, CONSISTENTLY, PREDICTABLY, IN PRIVATE OR IN PUBLIC. LUXON'S TIME IN TOKYO CULMINATING IN THE ULTIMATE PRIVATE MEETING TONIGHT WITH THE JAPANESE PRIME MINISTER. AMELIA WADE, NEWSHUB. AMELIA JOINS US LIVE FROM TOKYO. AMELIA, CHRISTOPHER LUXON IS ABOUT TO SIT DOWN WITH JAPAN'S PRIME MINISTER ` DO WE KNOW WHAT THEY'LL DISCUSS? WERE EXPECTING ONE OF THE THINGS TO COME OUT OF THE MEETINGS WILL BE THAT NEGOTIATIONS WILL BE CONCLUDED ON THAT INFORMATION SHARING AGREEMENT, WE ALREADY KNOW ABOUT THAT AGREEMENT AS TALKS HAVE BEEN ONGOING FOR MORE THAN TWO YEARS THIS IS ALL PART OF OUR STRATEGY TO DRAW CLOSER TO JAPAN, ESPECIALLY WITH REGARD TO OUR SECURITY AND DEFENCE TIES, BUT ANOTHER WAY THAT WE CAN DRAW CLOSER WHICH IS THROUGH TRADE, WHICH WILL BE ESPECIALLY IMPORTANT IF SANCTIONS AGAINST CHINA ARE APPLIED BY OUR ALLIES, OR PERHAPS, EVEN US WHETHER NEW ZEALAND HAS LIFTED ITSELF OUT OF RECESSION WILL BE REVEALED TOMORROW WITH THE RELEASE OF THE LATEST GROSS DOMESTIC PRODUCT FIGURES. WHATEVER THE NUMBER, IT'S UNLIKELY TO LIFT WIDESPREAD ECONOMIC PESSIMISM. ONE BIG BANK ECONOMIST IS PREDICTING THE RECESSION WILL KEEP ON ROLLING ALONG. HIS KEY MESSAGE ` JUST MAKE IT THROUGH UNTIL NEXT YEAR. HERE'S BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT SIMON SHEPHERD. THE SIGNS ARE CLEAR ` BE IT QUEEN STREET OR THE GOLDEN MILE, SHOPS ARE CLOSING AS CONSUMERS PUT THEIR WALLETS AWAY. THERE'S MORE TO COME. IT'S A REALLY TOUGH TIME. CASH IS KING RIGHT NOW, SO BUSINESSES' CASH FLOW IS GOING TO BE REALLY CRITICALLY IMPORTANT TO GET THROUGH UNTIL 2025. RETAIL SPENDING HAS NOW DROPPED FOR 18 MONTHS STRAIGHT, TAKING CONSUMER CONFIDENCE WITH IT IN THE LATEST WESTPAC SURVEY IT BASICALLY ERASED ALL OF THE GAINS FOR THE LAST SIX MONTHS OR SO, AND WE'RE BASICALLY SITTING JUST ABOVE THOSE KIND OF POST-COVID SORT OF LOCKDOWN LOWS OF LATE 2022. NEW ZEALAND'S ECONOMY HAS GONE BACKWARDS IN FOUR OF THE LAST FIVE QUARTERS. WE ARE TECHNICALLY IN RECESSION, AND TOMORROW'S GDP FIGURES WILL REVEAL WHETHER WE STAY THAT WAY. KELLY ECKHOLD IS PREDICTING ANOTHER BAD FIGURE THAT WOULD KEEP US IN RECESSION. THAT'S RIGHT. IN FACT, YOU COULD ARGUE THAT WE'RE IN A BIT OF A ROLLING MAUL RECESSION RIGHT NOW. IT'S PROVIDING POLITICAL FODDER AT PARLIAMENT'S SCRUTINY WEEK WITH THE FINANCE MINISTER UNDER THE SELECT COMMITTEE SPOTLIGHT AND NEW ZEALAND HAS NOW AN INFLATION CRISIS THAT HAS BEEN DEEPER AND HAS PERSISTED LONGER THAN IN OTHER COUNTRIES AROUND THE WORLD. INTEREST RATES ARE HIGH, AND THAT HURTS. THE RESERVE BANK IS KEEPING THEM HIGH TO SQUEEZE INFLATION OUT OF THE SYSTEM, BUT WHEN WILL THAT SQUEEZING STOP? I CAN'T SORT OF GIVE YOU THE MAGIC FORMULA FOR WHEN INTEREST RATES ARE GOING TO DECLINE. WHETHER TOMORROW'S GDP FIGURES SAY WE'RE EITHER IN OR OUT OF RECESSION, IT DOESN'T REALLY MATTER ` GROWTH FOR THE REST OF THE YEAR IS TIPPED TO BE VERY FLAT. THE ONLY REAL MESSAGE FOR PEOPLE IS, SURVIVE UNTIL '25. SIMON SHEPHERD, NEWSHUB. TIME NOW FOR A LOOK AT TODAY'S WEATHER ` NORTHLAND'S HAD A WET DAY, HEATHER? AND IT WILL BE WET TONIGHT AND TOMORROW. WE HAVE A LOW OUT WEST, A HIGH OUT EAST, AND THIS IS CHANNELING A FRONT IN BETWEEN THE TWO SYSTEMS WHICH IS CLIPPING THE TOP OF THE NORTH ISLAND. SO, HEAVY RAIN AND SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS LIKELY THERE TONIGHT AND TOMORROW ` ALREADY, THEY'VE RECORDED TODAY'S MOST RAIN AND STRONGEST WINDS, WITH WARNINGS IN PLACE TILL TOMORROW. ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE REALLY IS BIG BUSINESS ` CHIP MAKER NVIDIA RACES PAST MICROSOFT TO BECOME THE WORLD'S MOST VALUABLE COMPANY. JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE POSES FOR A DIFFERENT KIND OF PHOTOSHOOT ` A MUGSHOT. AND A FOSSIL PROVES A SWIMMING REPTILE SIMILAR TO THE LOCH NESS MONSTER WAS ONCE IN NEW ZEALAND. THERE'S MORE CONFUSION OVER HOW THE COALITION GOVERNMENT INTENDS TO MAKE GOOD ON NATIONAL'S PROMISE TO FUND 13 NEW CANCER DRUGS. THE MINISTERS OF HEALTH AND FINANCE HAVE PUBLICLY COMMITTED TO FUNDING THEM, BUT THE MINISTER IN CHARGE OF DRUG-BUYING AGENCY PHARMAC ISN'T GIVING THE SAME ASSURANCE. POLITICAL EDITOR JENNA LYNCH HAS MORE. THE THREE MINISTERS DECIDING WHETHER TO FUND LIFE SAVING CANCER DRUGS ALL HAVE SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT THINGS TO SAY ABOUT IT. WE ARE COMMITTED TO DELIVERING THE CANCER TREATMENTS AS WE DESCRIBE THEM, CORRECT. WE WILL BE MAKING AN ANNOUNCEMENT THAT WILL ENSURE THAT SOME OF THOSE MEDICINES ARE FUNDED THIS YEAR. THE GOVERNMENT PER SE DOES NOT HAVE THAT COMMITMENT. THE GOVERNMENT HAS A COMMITMENT TO ONE OF ITS PARTNERS, IN THIS CASE, THE NATIONAL PARTY. YESTERDAY, THE HEALTH MINISTER CATEGORICALLY COMMITTED TO FUNDING THE SPECIFIC 13 DRUGS NATIONAL CAMPAIGNED ON. THE FINANCE MINISTER ONLY COMMITTED TO SOME INITIALLY TODAY. WHY DID YOU USE THE WORD 'SOME?' THAT WAS JUST A USE OF A WORD. WE WILL BE FUNDING THE 13 MEDICINES. ONE PROBLEM ` PHARMAC IS DELIBERATELY INDEPENDENT FROM GOVERNMENT, SO POLITICIANS DON'T START PICKING AND CHOOSING DRUGS FOR POLITICAL PURPOSES THE MINISTER RESPONSIBLE, WHICH IS ME, IS WHOLLY COMMITTED TO THE NEUTRALITY OF PHARMAC'S DECISION MAKING. SOME OF THESE TREATMENTS ARE EASIER TO QUICKLY FUND THAN OTHERS. SEVEN ARE RANKED ON PHARMAC'S OPTIONS FOR INVESTMENT LISTS ` THAT MEANS THEY'RE JUST WAITING FOR THE MONEY ` THREE, THOUGH, ARE STILL UNDER ASSESSMENT OR AWAITING CLINICAL ADVICE. THERE HAS BEEN NO APPLICATION EVEN LODGED FOR TWO OF THEM, AND ONE HAS BEEN DECLINED. ARE YOU WILLING TO MAKE THE COMMITMENT TO FUND THOSE 13 SPECIFIC DRUGS THAT WERE OUTLINED BY NATIONAL? I CAN'T MAKE THAT COMMITMENT. WE ARE COMMITTED TO DELIVERING THE 13 CANCER DRUGS WHICH WE CAMPAIGNED ON. ARE YOU FRUSTRATED THAT THEY'RE DOING THIS? WHY CAN'T YOU GO THAT FAR? WELL, IT'S VERY SIMPLE. I TAKE THE JOB VERY SERIOUSLY. THAT'S BE VERY DISTRESSING FOR PATIENTS. IT'S CLEAR MINISTERS DO NOT AGREE ON WHAT THE GOVERNMENT'S COMMITMENT IS HERE. WHILE NO DECISIONS HAVE YET BEEN MADE, NICOLA WILLIS'S COMMENTS WERE PERHAPS THE MOST INSTRUCTIVE TODAY, SAYING THAT SOME WOULD BE FUNDED THIS YEAR SAYING THAT SOME WOULD BE FUNDED THIS YEAR AND THEY ARE STILL COMMITTED TO THAT 13. THAT INDICATES THE GOVERNMENT IS SEEMINGLY MOVING TOWARDS PUMPING A BUNCH OF MONEY PHARMAC'S WAY, SO THAT THE DRUGS THAT ARE READY TO BE FUNDED CAN BE, AND THE REST, OR PERHAPS EVEN MORE, COULD BE FUNDED OVER THE COMING YEARS. JENNA LYNCH, NEWSHUB. POLICE HAVE FOUND A BODY IN THEIR SEARCH FOR AN AUCKLAND MAN WHO WENT MISSING NEARLY TWO MONTHS AGO, AND ARE NOW TREATING HIS DEATH AS SUSPICIOUS. 60-YEAR-OLD RONNY OKEKE'S BODY WAS FOUND IN THE KAIMAI RANGES AFTER THEY WERE LED TO SEARCH THERE AFTER TALKING TO A PERSON OF INTEREST. THE INVESTIGATION IS CONTINUING, AND POLICE WANT ANYONE WITH INFORMATION TO COME FORWARD. A POST-MORTEM IS BEING CARRIED OUT, AND HIS FAMILY IN NIGERIA HAVE BEEN CONTACTED. JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE HAS BEEN CHARGED WITH DRINK DRIVING IN NEW YORK. HE WAS HANDCUFFED, AND HELD IN A CELL OVERNIGHT AFTER FAILING A SIMPLE SOBRIETY TEST BUT REFUSING TO UNDERGO A BLOOD TEST. OFFICERS PULLED HIS CAR OVER FOR RUNNING A STOP SIGN IN AN UPMARKET SUBURB OF NEW YORK. THEY SAY TIMBERLAKE CLAIMED TO HAVE ONLY HAD ONE MARTINI. HIS LICENCE HAS BEEN SUSPENDED PENDING A COURT APPEARANCE NEXT MONTH. AN INTERNATIONAL TEAM OF SCIENTISTS HAS DISCOVERED A FOSSIL FOUND IN A CANTERBURY STREAM FOUR DECADES AGO IS 246 MILLION YEARS OLD. THAT MAKES THE NOTHOSAUR THE OLDEST ANCIENT POLAR SEA REPTILE. TO BE FOUND IN THE SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE. KAYSHA BROWNLIE REPORTS. A BIT LIKE AN AQUATIC LIZARD, THE NOTHOSAUR ONCE SWUM IN OUR SEAS. A NOTHOSAUR IS A LONG REPTILE WITH A LONG NECK, A LONG TAIL, AND IT'S GOT PADDLES ` FLIPPERS, AND IT'S GOT A RATHER SMALL HEAD, FLATTENED, WITH TEETH OUT THE SIDES. IT WOULD HAVE EATEN FISH OR SQUID, AND MAY HAVE GROWN UP TO 7m LONG ` KEY INFORMATION HELD WITHIN THIS FOSSIL VERTEBRA. IT WAS A SMALL BOULDER, AND I SPOTTED IT WITH MY FATHER IN 1978. I WAS ONLY 25, AND COULD` I COULD SEE IT WAS A COMPLETE WHOLE BONE. THE NOTHOSAUR PREDATES THE PREVIOUSLY OLDEST KNOWN SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE AQUATIC REPTILE BY OVER 40 MILLION YEARS. IT LIVED IN A SHALLOW COASTAL ENVIRONMENT TEEMING WITH A RICH COMMUNITY OF MARINE CREATURES. THIS GROUP OF ORGANISMS, MARINE REPTILES, WERE AROUND FOR 180 MILLION YEARS, AND THIS SPECIMEN IS ONE OF THE EARLIEST KNOWN, AT 246 MILLION. A RICH RECORD OF TRIASSIC TIME HELD WITHIN GREYWACKE ROCKS THAT FORM MUCH OF THE SOUTHERN ALPS. IT'S NOT THE FIRST GLOBALLY SIGNIFICANT FOSSIL DISCOVERED IN CANTERBURY ` GIANT PENGUINS ONCE ROAMED THE AREA AT A TIME WHEN THE WORLD WAS EXPERIENCING EXTREME GLOBAL WARMING. THE REASON WHY CANTERBURY HAS SUCH A RICH FOSSIL RECORD IS BECAUSE OF THE ABUNDANCE OF MARINE SEDIMENTARY ROCK FORMATIONS. WHICH MEANS IT'S LIKELY THERE ARE MANY MORE ANCIENT MYSTERIES WAITING TO BE UNCOVERED. KAYSHA BROWNLIE, NEWSHUB. ANDREW IS IN LATER ON SPORT ` AND KANE WILLIAMSON'S TURNED DOWN NEW ZEALAND CRICKET? HE'S SAID NO TO A CENTRAL CONTRACT THAT'LL SEE HIM LET GO OF THE CAPTAINCY IN THE WHITE BALL FORMATS. BUT IT'S BY NO MEANS THE LAST WE'LL SEE OF HIM FOR THE BLACKCAPS ` WHY NEW ZEALAND CRICKET BELIEVES IT'S A MOVE THAT'LL PROLONG HIS INTERNATIONAL CAREER. AND HOW PATRICK TUIPULOTU'S PULLED OFF A MIRACLE COMEBACK TO BE NAMED IN THE BLUES' STARTING 15 FOR SATURDAY'S SUPER RUGBY FINAL. THE OWNERS OF SOME OF OUR BIGGET SUPERMARKET CHAINS ARE BEING TAKEN TO COURT. FOODSTUFFS IS BEING ACCUSED OF BLOCKING RIVALS FROM SETTING UP SHOP. AND THE BREAKTHROUGH BLOOD TEST THAT COULD HELP IDENTIFY PARKINSON'S YEARS BEFORE THE SYMPTOMS START. IT'S TIME TO TALK MAGIC. RED. DIAMOND. THREE. WHAT DID WE SAY - THREE OF DIAMONDS? (GASPS) UP. HOW DID YOU DO THAT? I DID FROM A DIFFERENT PACK, BECAUSE ALL THE CARDS WERE RED, AND I FORGOT TO SHOW YOU THAT THIS CARD'S THE ONLY BLUE ` THERE'S NO OTHER CARDS AT ALL` I'M SO CONFUSED. THAT'S REALLY CLEVER. THE COMMERCE COMMISSION HAS FILED CHARGES IN THE HIGH COURT AGAINST FOODSTUFFS NORTH ISLAND FOR BLOCKING RIVALS FROM SETTING UP SHOP. THE COMMISSION SAYS THE SUPERMARKET CHAIN LODGED ANTI-COMPETITIVE LAND COVENANTS WITH THE AIM OF PREVENTING COMPETITORS FROM OPENING SUPERMARKETS AT PARTICULAR SITES AND FROM DEVELOPING EXISTING ONES. FOODSTUFFS SAYS IT HAS ENTERED INTO A SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT WITH THE COMMISSION TO RESOLVE THE ISSUES. MOVE OVER MICROSOFT, AND ADIOS APPLE, THE WORLD HAS A NEW MOST VALUABLE COMPANY. COMPUTER CHIP MAKER NVIDIA IS NOW VALUED AT OVER $5 TRILLION AS IT CASHES IN ON THE GLOBAL AI GOLD RUSH. BUT EXPERTS HERE WARN WHAT GOES UP, MUST COME DOWN. TECH REPORTER FINN HOGAN HAS THE STORY. AND WE JUST NEED TO CONTINUE WHEN NVIDIA CEO JENSEN HUANG ENTERS A ROOM, HE'S OFTEN TREATED MORE LIKE A ROCK STAR THAN A TECH EXECUTIVE. IS THAT A GOOD IDEA? (LAUGHTER) ARE WE GOING TO HAVE THIS` (MUTTERS) BUT HIS SWAGGER MAKES SENSE; TODAY, NVIDIA DETHRONED APPLE AND MICROSOFT TO BECOME THE MOST VALUABLE COMPANY ON EARTH. THERE IS A GOLD RUSH IN AI, WHICH HAS KIND OF FUELLED A GOLD RUSH ON NVIDIA'S CHIPS THEMSELVES, WHICH HAS BOOSTED THEM TO STRATOSPHERIC LEVELS. NVIDIA STOCK HAS SOARED MORE THAN 3000% IN THE PAST FIVE YEARS, AND 300,000% SINCE IT WAS FIRST LISTED IN 1999. IT'S NOW VALUED AROUND $5 TRILLION NZD; ROUGHLY 12 TIMES OUR ENTIRE GDP. BUT IT'S NOT JUST AI, NVIDIA IS ALSO A MAJOR PLAYER IN GLOBAL POLITICS. CHINA AND THE U.S. ARE COMPETING ON TECHNOLOGY. THEY'RE COMPETING ON COMPUTING POWER. THEY'RE COMPETING ON AI. AND SO HAVING THIS ONE COMPANY THAT IS KIND OF THE TOP PLAYER IN THE GAME AND LARGELY ALIGNED WITH THE U.S. MEANS THAT CHINA IS MOTIVATED TO TRY AND BEAT NVIDIA. NVIDIA IS CLOSELY PARTNERED WITH TAIWANESE CHIP MANUFACTURER T.S.M.C. TOGETHER, THEY PRODUCE THE VAST MAJORITY OF THE WORLD'S MOST ADVANCED COMPUTER CHIPS, OR SEMICONDUCTORS, POWERING EVERYTHING FROM SMARTPHONES TO MILITARY MISSILES. WHOEVER HAS THE MOST ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY IN THE FUTURE WILL KIND OF CONTROL THE FUTURE. AND THE MOST ADVANCED COMPUTING TECHNOLOGY RIGHT NOW IS COMING OUT OF TAIWAN. SO GIVEN THAT VIEW, THERE ARE SOME PEOPLE WHO THINK THAT WHOEVER HOLDS TAIWAN AND THOSE PRODUCTION FACILITIES IS GOING TO HAVE A BIG, BIG GEOSTRATEGIC ADVANTAGE. AND BEFORE ANYONE WATCHING RACES OFF TO BUY NVIDIA STOCK, A WARNING... WE'RE IN THE MIDDLE OF AN AI BUBBLE RIGHT NOW, SO NVIDIA'S STOCK SIMPLY CANNOT CONTINUE TO EXPLODE IN VALUE THE WAY THAT IT HAS. EVENTUALLY, IT IS GOING TO COME BACK DOWN TO EARTH AND BE VALUED MORE ON WHAT THEIR ACTUAL INCOME IS AND WHAT THEIR PRODUCTS ARE ACTUALLY DOING IN THE WORLD. BUT FOR NOW, AS THE AI GOLD RUSH CONTINUES, NVIDIA KNOWS THE REAL WAY TO GET RICH IS BY SELLING THE SHOVELS. FINN HOGAN, NEWSHUB. PARKINSON'S RESEARCHERS ARE HAILING A BREAKTHROUGH IN THE TREATMENT OF THE DISABLING CONDITION. IT'S A BLOOD TEST THAT HELPS IDENTIFY THOSE WHO'LL DEVELOP IT YEARS BEFORE THE ONSET OF SYMPTOMS. AND WHILE THAT'S NOT A CURE, DOCTORS SAY IT'S A TURNING POINT IN THE SEARCH FOR ONE. ITV'S REBECCA BARRY REPORTS. I WAS 29 YEARS OLD WHEN I WAS DIAGNOSED, WHICH WAS VERY YOUNG FOR PARKINSON'S. EMMA HAS TO TAKE MEDICATION EVERY DAY TO MANAGE THE SYMPTOMS OF PARKINSON'S. MY BODY WAKES UP IN THE MORNING AND I'M LIKE, 'LET'S DO THINGS. 'LET'S RUN AROUND AND MAKE CRAFT THINGS AND DO SOME WORK.' OR, YOU KNOW, THE THINGS` OR GET IN THE SHOWER, EVEN, GET DRESSED. AND MY BODY HAS OTHER PLANS, THE WAY MY WHOLE BODY WILL JUST SORT OF GO, 'NO, IT'S NOT HAPPENING,' AND JUST GO INTO SPASM. THERE'S CURRENTLY NO CURE, BUT NOW SCIENTISTS HAVE DEVELOPED A SIMPLE BLOOD TEST THAT CAN DETECT IT YEARS BEFORE ANY SYMPTOMS APPEAR. PARKINSON'S IS A REALLY DIFFICULT CONDITION TO LIVE WITH, AND I'M SURE IT'S A HUGE DRAIN ON THE NHS AS WELL. BUT JUST FROM AN EMOTIONAL PERSPECTIVE, TO BE ABLE TO KNOW THAT YOU COULD POTENTIALLY STAVE IT OFF WOULD BE WOULD BE INCREDIBLE. IN THE UK, AROUND 150,000 PEOPLE ARE LIVING WITH PARKINSON'S. IT'S CAUSED BY THE DEATH OF NERVE CELLS IN THE PART OF THE BRAIN WHICH CONTROLS MOVEMENT. SYMPTOMS CAN INCLUDE A TREMOR, SLOWNESS OF MOVEMENT AND MEMORY PROBLEMS, BUT NOW SCIENTISTS HAVE DEVELOPED A SIMPLE BLOOD TEST THAT USES AI TO IDENTIFY PROTEINS IN THE BLOOD AND ACCURATELY PREDICT PARKINSON'S UP TO SEVEN YEARS BEFORE THE ONSET OF SYMPTOMS. RESEARCHERS HOPE EARLY DIAGNOSIS COULD HELP THEM FIND TREATMENTS. DIAGNOSE THOSE PATIENTS, GIVE THEM A HIGH CHANCE IF THEY'RE GOING TO DEVELOP PARKINSON'S DISEASE ` YOU CAN THEN ENROL THEM ON THESE NEW TRIALS, THE EXPERIMENTAL THERAPIES. PERHAPS IN 5 TO 10 YEARS' TIME, WE MIGHT HAVE HELPED` SOME OF THESE THERAPIES ARE COMING ONLINE THAT WE COULD ACTUALLY PREVENT OR SLOW DOWN PARKINSON'S DISEASE. SO I DON'T THINK IT'S THE BEGINNING OF THE END, BUT PERHAPS IT'S THE END OF THE BEGINNING. WITH ENOUGH FUNDING, IT'S HOPED THE TEST COULD BE USED BY THE NHS WITHIN TWO YEARS. STATE HIGHWAY 1 AT THE BRYNDERWYN HILLS IS SET TO REOPEN FOR MATARIKI WEEKEND AFTER FOUR MONTHS OF ROADWORKS. THE ROAD HAS BEEN CLOSED SEVERAL TIMES SINCE CYCLONE GABRIELLE. IT WAS MEANT TO OPEN IN MAY, BUT WAS PUSHED BACK AFTER TWO SLIPS AT THE SITE. NZTA HAS NOW WIDENED THE ROAD WHICH IT SAYS MEANS ANY FUTURE DAMAGE CAN BE FIXED WITHOUT LENGTHY CLOSURES. TWO-WAY TRAFFIC WILL RESUME AT MIDNIGHT ON THE 26TH OF JUNE. THE ROYAL NEW ZEALAND NAVY HAS SPENT HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS TO UPGRADE ITS SHIP, TE KAHA, TO ENSURE IT'S COMBAT-READY. IT'S NOW IN ITS FINAL STAGES OF TESTING THE NEW EQUIPMENT AND SYSTEMS AND UPSKILLING THE CREW. LEIGHTON HEIKELL WENT ABOARD. IT'S BEEN A BUSY FEW YEARS FOR HMNZS TE KAHA ` THE NAVY'S FIRST FRIGATE HAS UNDERGONE AN EXTENSIVE UPGRADE. SHE'S BEEN UP TO CANADA, SHE'S CONDUCTED A FRIGATE SYSTEMS UPGRADE. SHE'S THEN GONE THROUGH A PROPULSION CHANGE-OUT OF ENGINES. AND NOW WE'RE GETTING HER BACK TO SEA AND GENERATING FOR OPERATIONS AGAIN. BECAUSE IT'S MOST LIKELY ABOUT TO GET BUSIER. WE'RE FACING FAR GREATER CHALLENGING TIMES THAN WHEN I FIRST JOINED 24 YEARS AGO, AND NOW THE WORLD HAS GREATER CHALLENGES TO FACE, PARTICULARLY NEW ZEALAND AND OUR REGION. FIONA JAMIESON LEADS THE 179-STRONG CREW, WHO SOMETIMES HAVE TO WORK, EAT AND SLEEP ON BOARD FOR MONTHS AT A TIME. BELIEVE IT OR NOT, THIS IS ONE OF THE MORE SPACIOUS ONES. IT MIGHT BE COSY, BUT THE WORK IS CRUCIAL, PARTICULARLY IN THE CURRENT GEOPOLITICAL CLIMATE. WHERE WE'RE GOING TO GO IN THE NEXT 12 TO 18 MONTHS, IS TO OPERATE WITH OUR PARTNERS INTO THE INDO-PACIFIC AREA, HELP BUILD CAPACITY OF ALL OF OUR PARTNER NATIONS SO THAT WE'RE ABLE TO SECURE THAT STABILITY IN OUR REGION. BUT BEFORE THAT, THE CREW IS IRONING OUT ANY ISSUES WITH ITS REFIT AND MAKING A QUICK STOP IN WELLINGTON. THIS BAD BOY HERE, CURRENTLY POINTING AT THE SKY, IS CIWS ` IT'S OUR CLOSE-IN WEAPONS SYSTEM. SHOWING OFF ITS NEW EQUIPMENT TO THOSE IN THE CAPITAL AT AN OPEN DAY ON SATURDAY, BEFORE READYING ITSELF FOR WHATEVER THE WORLD MIGHT THROW ITS WAY. LEIGHTON HEIKELL, NEWSHUB. BRITISH PM RISHI SUNAK HAS LEARNT THE HARD WAY THAT WOOING SHEEP CAN BE JUST AS HARD AS WOOING VOTERS. AND NOPE, THAT'S NOT HER BAG ` AND SHE SHOULDN'T BE POURING WATER INTO IT. WE LOOK AT WHO MIGHT REPLACE KANE WILLIAMSON AS BLACK CAPS CAPTAIN AFTER TURNING DOWN A CONTRACT WITH NEW ZEALAND CRICKET. PLUS, JOSEPH PARKER HAS A NEW JOB AS HE TEAMS UP WITH DAVID NYIKA FOR HIS NEXT FIGHT. AND THE 19-YEAR-OLD KNOWN AS THE 'TURKISH MESSI' LIGHTS UP EURO 2024 WITH AN EARLY CONTENDER FOR GOAL OF THE TOURNAMENT. 'GET OVER IT AND GET USED TO IT' ` THAT'S THE MESSAGE TO KIWI CRICKET FANS FOLLOWING NEWS ONE OF THE COUNTRY'S GREATEST EVER PLAYERS, KANE WILLIAMSON, HAS TURNED DOWN A CENTRAL CONTRACT FROM NEW ZEALAND CRICKET FOR THE UPCOMING SEASON. IT'S A MOVE THAT'LL SEE HIM RELINQUISH THE CAPTAINCY OF THE BLACK CAPS' WHITE BALL TEAMS, BUT THE 33-YEAR-OLD'S MADE IT CLEAR HE REMAINS COMMITTED TO NZC, AND COULD EVEN FEATURE AT THE NEXT T20 WORLD CUP IN FOUR YEARS' TIME. AND THAT WILL BE VICTORY FOR NEW ZEALAND. THE FORGETTABLE OCCASION OF A DEAD RUBBER VICTORY OVER PAPUA NEW GUINEA ` THESE APPEAR TO BE THE FINAL MOMENTS OF KANE WILLIAMSON'S DISTINGUISHED REIGN AS CAPTAIN OF THE BLACK CAPS. WHAT WE'VE GOT FROM KANE IS A COMMITMENT TO PLAY FOR NEW ZEALAND FOR AS LONG AND AS OFTEN AS POSSIBLE, SO WE ACTUALLY SEE THIS AS A VERY POSITIVE DEVELOPMENT. WE WILL SEE HIM PLAY FOR NEW ZEALAND FOR LARGE PARTS OF THE YEAR, SO IT'S NOT THE END OF THE WORLD. I THINK IT'S A` IT'S A GOOD OUTCOME GIVEN THE CIRCUMSTANCES. PLAYERS OFFERED CENTRAL CONTRACTS BY NEW ZEALAND CRICKET MUST COMMIT TO BEING AVAILABLE FOR BOTH THE BLACK CAPS AND THE DOMESTIC SUPER SMASH COMPETITION DURING THE HOME SUMMER. IN A STATEMENT, WILLIAMSON SAID: IT'S UNDERSTOOD WILLIAMSON WILL HEAD FOR THE SOUTH AFRICAN T20 COMPETITION IN THE NEW YEAR. WORLD CRICKET IS CHANGING, CHANGING DRAMATICALLY, AND WE JUST NEED TO CONTINUE TO BE DYNAMIC WITH OUR CONTRACTING SYSTEMS. (CHEERING) OH, HE GOT ANOTHER ONE! PACE BOWLER LOCKIE FERGUSON HAS ALSO INDICATED HE WON'T ACCEPT A CONTRACT WHEN THE PROCESS OPENS. IT'S A MOVE THAT FOLLOWS THE LEAD OF TRENT BOULT AND JEMMY NEESHAM, AND THERE'S A SIMPLE MESSAGE FOR KIWI CRICKET FANS. GET OVER AND GET IT USED TO IT ` ABSOLUTELY. IT'S GOING TO HAPPEN MORE, AND AS I SAID THAT WILL PROVIDE MORE OPPORTUNITIES. NEW ZEALAND CRICKET THEN NEED TO DECIDE, DO WE NEED THAT MANY NATIONAL CONTRACTS? IN THE CASE OF WILLIAMSON, IT MAY NOT BE FOREVER. NEW ZEALAND CRICKET BELIEVE THERE'S EVERY CHANCE HE'LL BECOME A CENTRALLY CONTRACTED PLAYER AGAIN IN THE FUTURE, BUT IT DOES LEAVE THEM SEARCHING FOR A NEW CAPTAIN OR CAPTAINS IN WHITE BALL CRICKET. LOOK, I THINK IN PROBABLY T20, YOU KNOW, I THINK MITCH SANTNER IS PROBABLY THE GUY WHO'S GOT A REALLY GOOD UNDERSTANDING OF THAT. YOU KNOW, IN ONE DAY CRICKET, IT'S PROBABLY TOM LATHAM. WILLIAMSON WILL SPEAK UPON HIS RETURN FROM THE WORLD CUP TOMORROW MORNING, BUT FOR NOW, IT'S THE BEGINNING OF THE END OF AN ERA FOR ONE OF OUR ALL`TIME GREATS. THREE DAYS OUT FROM THE SUPER RUGBY FINAL, THE BLUES HAVE RECEIVED AN ENORMOUS BOOST, WITH CAPTAIN PATRICK TUIPULOTU DEFYING ALL EXPECTATIONS TO BE NAMED IN THE STARTING LINEUP. DESPITE SUFFERING A SERIOUS KNEE INJURY IN THE QUARTER-FINAL WIN OVER THE DRUA, THE ALL BLACKS LOCK WILL RETURN FIVE WEEKS EARLIER THAN ANTICIPATED. ALEX CHAPMAN JOINS US NOW WITH MORE DETAILS ` AND ALEX, HOW HAS HE PULLED THIS OFF? CRAZY, LET ME TALK YOU THROUGH THE TIMELINE FROM WHAT THOSE WITHIN MEET BLUES HAVE TOLD ME. PATRICK TUIPULOTU HAS BEEN TRYING TO PROVE HIS FITNESS DURING THE WEEK, HE TOLD THEM HE WANTED TO PLAY IN THE FINAL, THEY SAID IT IS ALL WELL AND GOOD, GOODBODY HAD TO GET THROUGH A GYM SESSION AND A FIELD SESSION AND HE DID THAT WITH RELATIVE EASE, AND BOTH COACHES WERE HAPPY. WE WERE AT BLUES TRAINING YESTERDAY AND THERE WAS NO INDICATION HE WAS STRUGGLING WITH A KNEE INJURY ASIDE FROM THAT MASSIVE AMOUNT OF STRAPPING ON IT. I AM NO DOCTOR, BUT HOW IT HAS BEEN EXPLAINED TO ME AS BOTH THE SIZE AND STRENGTH OF HIS QUAD MUSCLES TAKE THE PRESSURE OFF THE RIGHT KNEE WHICH HAS BEEN TO TROUBLING HIM. SO HE COULD WAKE UP CAPTAIN AND BACK IN THE ALL BLACK SQUAD. THANK YOU DR CHAPMAN. HEAVYWEIGHT BOXER JOSEPH PARKER HAS TURNED PROMOTER, TEAMING UP WITH FELLOW KIWI DAVID NYIKA TO PROMOTE HIS NEXT FIGHT IN AUCKLAND LATER THIS YEAR. THE 28-YEAR-OLD HAS BEEN TRAINING ACROSS THE DITCH AND IS CURRENTLY RANKED 14TH IN THE CRUISERWEIGHT DIVISION, BUT HE'S READY TO START BUILDING TOWARDS A SHOT AT A WORLD TITLE. IT COULDN'T COME SOONER. IT COULDN'T COME SOONER. I REALLY WANNA BE ABLE TO GET IN FRONT OF MY PEOPLE AGAIN AND SHOWCASE WHAT I'VE BEEN WORKING ON. WHILE PARKER IS USUALLY IN THE RING HIMSELF, HE'LL BE WORKING ALONGSIDE DUCO BOXING AS A PROMOTER, ADMITTING IT'S SOMETHING HE'S ALWAYS BEEN INTERESTED IN. AND FOR ME TO BE A PART OF THIS EVENT, TO CO-PROMOTE IT, PARKER PROMOTIONS, IT'S A GREAT WAY FOR ME TO LEARN ABOUT THE BOXING BUSINESS WHILE I DON'T HAVE A FIGHT LOCKED IN YET. NYIKA'S OPPONENT FOR HIS FIRST CLASH WILL BE REVEALED IN THE COMING WEEKS, BUT A DATE IS SET FOR SEPTEMBER 14TH. DEFENDING NBL CHAMPIONS THE CANTERBURY RAMS ARE ON A HOT STREAK, WINNING THEIR LAST 12 MATCHES, WITH ONLY TWO LOSSES THIS SEASON. BUT ONE PLAYER, THOUGH, HAS A RECORD THAT'S EVEN MORE IMPRESSIVE ` 20-YEAR-OLD AUSSIE IMPORT LACHLAN OLBRICH IS UNDEFEATED IN ALL OF HIS GAMES AS A RAM. AS GORDON FINDLATER REPORTS, THERE'S A HEARTBREAKING REASON BEHIND MISSING THE SIDE'S ONLY LOSSES. LACHLAN OLBRICH HAS HAD QUITE THE START TO HIS CAREER WITH THE CANTERBURY RAMS. WHAT DOES IT FEEL LIKE TO LOSE? I WOULDN'T KNOW, MAN. I WOULDN'T KNOW. YES, THE 6'10" AUSSIE IS CURRENTLY 13-0 AS A RAM. LACHLAN OLBRICH ANNOUNCES HIMSELF TO NEW ZEALAND. HOWEVER, THE SAME EVENING AS MAKING HIS RAMS DEBUT, OLBRICH WAS GIVEN THE HEARTBREAKING NEWS HIS FATHER HAD PASSED AWAY, SUFFERING A CARDIAC ARREST DURING A SOCIAL BASKETBALL GAME IN SOUTH AUSTRALIA. YEAH, MAN, LIKE, I'M A BIG FAMILY GUY, UM, MY DAD MEANT THE WORLD TO ME, LIKE, MY BIGGEST ROLE MODEL, SO IT WAS REAL DEVASTATING, UM, BUT, NAH, THE CLUB DID AN AMAZING JOB AT GETTING ME HOME QUICK, AND, YOU KNOW, BEING ABLE TO GRIEVE FOR THE, YOU KNOW, AMOUNT OF TIME I HAD. SINCE RETURNING TO CHRISTCHURCH... OLBRICH! BANG! ...HIS PERFORMANCES HAVE BEEN AWE-INSPRING. ON THE DRIVE, AND HE'S FOULED! YEAH. YOU FORGET, JUST` HE'S 20-YEARS-OLD, AND WHAT HE'S HAD TO DEAL WITH. I MEAN, THE GUY JUST` YOU WOULDN'T KNOW, JUST DEALING WITH HIM ON EVERYDAY LIFE. HE'S SUCH A POSITIVE CHARACTER. OLBRICH HAS LOFTY GOALS, HOPING TO BE DRAFTED INTO THE NBA NEXT YEAR, BUT FOR NOW, HIS FOCUS IS ON CREATING MORE HIGHLIGHT REELS WITH THE RAMS. LACHIE OLBRICH UPSTAIRS! I DUNNO, MATE. WHENEVER THE KNEES ARE HEALTHY, WE'LL RUN IT, EH. HE MIGHT JUST BE THE X FACTOR THE RAMS NEED IF THEY'RE TO MAKE IT BACK TO BACK NBL TITLES. GORDON FINDLATER, NEWSHUB. FINALLY,. ANOTHER OF THE PRE-TOURNAMENT FAVOURITES HAS SURVIVED A BIG SCARE TO KICK OFF THEIR EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIP CAMPAIGN WITH A WIN. RONALDO'S PORTUGAL WERE LEFT STUNNED AS A CRACKING STRIKE GAVE CZECHIA THE LEAD 15 MINUTES INTO THE SECOND HALF OF THEIR GROUP F CLASH. THEY WERE BACK ON LEVEL TERMS JUST TEN MINUTES LATER, THOUGH, WITH A CALAMITOUS OWN GOAL, AND MANAGED TO EXTEND THEIR PERFECT RECORD THROUGH QUALIFYING WHEN FRANCISCO CONCEICAO FOUND A WINNER IN THE SECOND MINUTE OF ADDED TIME. CONCEICAO. CONCEICAO! OFF THE BENCH AND INTO THE HEADLINES, ONE KICK OF THE FOOTBALL, AND HE'S WON IT! AND A COUPLE OF CRACKING STRIKES PUNCTUATED TURKEY'S 3-1 OPENING WIN OVER GEORGIA, INCLUDING WHAT'S BEING DESCRIBED AS AN EARLY CONTENDER FOR GOAL OF THE TOURNAMENT FROM ARDA GULER (19), A RISING STAR DUBBED THE "TURKISH MESSI". I AM SURE THAT COMES WITH ABSOLUTELY NO PRESSURE WHATSOEVER. GOOD ON HIM. SIR IAN MCKELLEN IS HOPING TO BE BACK IN ACTION ON THURSDAY AFTER HOSPITAL TREATMENT FOLLOWING HIS FALL OFF A STAGE DURING A SHAKESPEAREAN SWORDFIGHT. HE HAD BEEN EXPECTED TO RESUME WEDNESDAY, BUT THE SHOW WAS CANCELLED AS HE FELT HE NEEDED A LITTLE MORE TIME TO RECOVER. SIR IAN SAYS DOCTORS HAVE ASSURED HIM HIS RECOVERY WOULD BE BOTH COMPLETE AND SPEEDY. AN ELECTION CAMPAIGN PHOTO OPPORTUNITY AT A FARM HAS BACKFIRED BADLY ON BRITAIN'S BELEAGUERED PRIME MINISTER. RISHI SUNAK AND HIS FOREIGN SECRETARY DAVID CAMERON ATTEMPTED TO FEED A FLOCK OF SHEEP, BUT THE ANIMALS LOOKED ALARMED, AND FLED EVEN FASTER THAN THE POLLS SAY VOTERS ARE. AND FLED EVEN FASTER THAN THE POLLS SAY VOTERS ARE. YOU GOT THERE. THE WORLD OF U.S. POLITICS HAS BEEN STUNNED BY ANOTHER WATERGATE SCANDAL, BUT THIS TIME A DEMOCRAT'S THE VILLAIN. MARY MORRISSEY, A DEMOCRAT LAWMAKER IN VERMONT, WAS CAUGHT REPEATEDLY POURING WATER INTO A BAG BELONGING TO HER REPUBLICAN RIVAL JIM CARROLL. CARROLL SET UP A SPY CAMERA OUTSIDE THE COMMITTEE ROOM AFTER BECOMING SUSPICIOUS, AND HE THEN LEAKED - TO THE MEDIA. LAUGHS: THE MATTER HAS NOW BEEN REFERRED TO THE HOUSE ETHICS PANEL. WATERGATE. SHOCKING. OUR TOP STORIES TONIGHT ` A CANTERBURY WOMAN WAS LEFT BELIEVING SHE HAD INCURABLE CANCER FOR 10 WEEKS BEFORE FINDING OUT SHE'D BEEN MISDIAGNOSED. ANGIE HAWKINS UNDERWENT INVASIVE MEDICAL PROCEDURES, STARTED PLANNING HER FUNERAL, AND EVEN HAD FAMILY RETURN FROM OVERSEAS TO SAY GOODBYE, BUT THEN SHE WAS TOLD THERE HAD BEEN A MIX-UP IN THE LAB. POLICE HAVE CONFIRMED THEY ARE MAKING ENQUIRIES INTO THE DEATH OF AN INFANT IN WEST AUCKLAND YESTERDAY MORNING ON BEHALF OF THE CORONER. COMING UP ` NEWSHUB WEATHER, AND IT'S A STORMY NIGHT IN THE NORTH, HEATHER? YES, ALL FOCUSED ON THE VERY, VERY TOP ` A WELL DEFINED RAIN BAND HAS PARKED UP OVER NORTHLAND AND DOESN'T WANT TO MOVE. AND THAT'S THE PROBLEM ` SITTING STATIONARY, IT WILL DUMP A LOT OF RAIN, WITH AN ORANGE RAIN WARNING OVERNIGHT. AND ON TOP OF THAT RAIN, THUNDERSTORMS HAVE ARRIVED, WITH LOCALISED DOWNPOURS AND HAIL. THE FULL FORECAST IS NEXT. NAU MAI ANO, WELCOME BACK. WHAT YOU SEE IS WHAT YOU GET FOR THE NEXT FEW DAYS, WITH A YIN AND YANG SITUATION. TO THE WEST, OVER THE TASMAN, WE HAVE THAT LOW-PRESSURE SYSTEM THAT'S BEEN PARKED UP THERE FOR A WHILE NOW. IT'S BLOCKED FROM DOING ANYTHING OTHER THAN SPINNING; IT'S BLOCKED BY A HIGH OUT TO THE SOUTHEAST. SO WITH THAT HOLDING FIRM, THE FRONT THAT DRENCHED NORTHLAND TODAY, EXTENDS ALL DOWN THE WEST OF THE COUNTRY, AND THAT WILL HANG AROUND FOR ANOTHER DAY OR SO. SO TONIGHT FOR THE SOUTH ISLAND, IT'S CLOUDY OUT EAST, WITH SCATTERED SHOWERS RETREATING INLAND. FINE ELSEWHERE, WITH PATCHES OF FOG INLAND. TOMORROW, FROST AND FOG FIRST UP FOR SOUTHLAND, CLUTHA AND CENTRAL OTAGO. IT'S CLOUDY WITH SHOWERS FOR CANTERBURY, MARLBOROUGH, NORTH OTAGO. LATE SHOWERS FOR GOLDEN BAY, AND FRESH NOR'EASTERS ALONG THE COAST. FOR THE NORTH ISLAND, NORTHLAND IS BEARING THE BRUNT OF THIS FRONT. HEAVY RAIN, THUNDERSTORMS, DOWNPOURS AND HAIL TONIGHT AND ALL DAY TOMORROW. THERE'S OCCASIONAL SHOWERS FOR THE EAST OF THE COROMANDEL, AND FOR AUCKLAND NORTH OF OREWA, AND YOU CAN SEE SHOWERS BUBBLING UP FOR WESTERN BAY OF PLENTY, ROTORUA AND TAUPO IN THE AFTERNOON. SO THE HEAVY RAIN FOR KAITAIA WON'T EASE TILL TOMORROW NIGHT. JUST SHOWERS FOR WHITIANGA AND NORTH OF OREWA, INCLUDING WHANGAREI, WITH EASTERLIES. CLOUDY AROUND HERE FOR THE DAY, WITH THE CHANCE OF SHOWERS EVERYWHERE, MOSTLY IN THE AFTERNOON OR EVENING. WINDS WILL BE FROM THE EAST OR SOUTHEAST. SHOWERS OUT EAST ALL DAY, ON AND OFF WITH SOUEASTERLIES FOR GISBORNE, AND EASTERLIES SOUTH OF GISBORNE. SOME MORNING FOG FOR TAUMARUNUI ` ONCE THAT LIFTS, YOU'LL JOIN THE REST OF THE REGION WITH FINE SKIES AND MOSTLY LIGHT WINDS, SOU'EASTERLIES FOR NEW PLYMOUTH, AND EASTERLIES FOR WHANGANUI. FINE WITH MORNING FROST AND POSSIBLE FOG FOR REEFTON. THEN IT'S FINE FOR EVERYONE IN THE NORTHWEST. HIGH CLOUD ROLLS IN, THOUGH, ALONG THE WEST COAST WITH EASTERLIES. MOSTLY CLOUDY OUT EAST, AND WITH A FEW SHOWERS TOO, ON AND OFF ALL DAY. EAST TO NOR'EAST WINDS DEVELOP FROM THE MORNING, WITH ALL OF CANTERBURY WARMING TO NO HIGHER THAN 11. FINE AND FROSTY FOR THE LOWER SOUTH. ALEXANDRA, YOU MAY HAVE FOG AND FROST. WINDS WILL BE FROM THE NORTH OR NORTHEAST AND DIE DOWN IN THE AFTERNOON. OAMARU, YOU MAY HAVE THE ODD SHOWER. THERE'S NOT A LOT OF SUN OUT TOMORROW FOR DUNEDIN ` BLEEK AND COLD, WITH A FRESH NOREASTERLY IN THE AFTERNOON. THE HIGH OF 11 WILL FEEL MORE LIKE 6. CHRISTCHURCH, SIMILAR ` A LITTLE ON THE GREY SIDE, WITH CLOUD AND SHOWERS AND A FRESH NOREASTERLY. EXPECT MORE AFTERNOON SHOWERS THAN MORNING SHOWERS, AND A 'FEELS LIKE' HIGH OF 6. WELLINGTON, YOU ARE LOOKING STUNNING; FINE SKIES, VERY LITTLE CLOUD. LIGHT WINDS FOR THE CITY CENTRE, HUTT VALLEY AND ALONG AND UP TO KAPITI, AND A HIGH OF 13. SHOWERS FOR THE ENTIRE THURSDAY AROUND TE MATAU-A-MAUI, HAWKE'S BAY. THERE'S AN EASTERLY TOO, AND THE HIGH OF 14 WILL FEEL LIKE ONLY 9. TAURANGA - ALSO A LITTLE CHILLY. 'FEELS LIKE' 11 YOUR HIGH, WITH SHOWERS ACROSS THE DAY AND A SOU'EASTERLY BREEZE. KIRIKIRIROA, HAMILTON - A FEW CLOUDS AROUND, OTHER THAN THAT, NOT MUCH TO REPORT ` NO RAIN, JUST AN EAST TO SOU'EAST BREEZE WITH A HIGH OF 15. AND AUCKLAND ` A MIX OF CLOUDS AND SUN TOMORROW, WITH THE CHANCE OF SHOWERS, ESPECIALLY FOR ALL NORTH OF OREWA. WINDS ARE FROM THE EAST, WITH A HIGH OF 15. THE LOW-PRESSURE SYSTEM THAT'S PARKED UP IN THE TASMAN IS THE SAME LOW-PRESSURE SYSTEM THAT'S CAUSING SHOWERS FOR THE SOUTHEASTERN CITIES OF AUSTRALIA. AND MOST IN THE PACIFIC WILL HAVE A FEW SHOWERS TOMORROW, BUT IT'S WARM ` VERY LOVELY AND WARM. HOME TO US, NOT A LOT CHANGES FOR A COUPLE OF DAYS, WITH THE HIGH OUT EAST AND THE LOW OUT WEST. THE HIGH LOOKS TO GIVE UP ON SUNDAY, AND THIS ALLOWS THE LOW TO MOVE ON OVER, LEAVING THE TASMAN, AND MOST OF THE SYSTEM CROSSING THE NORTH ISLAND. SO THIS DISHES UP THE NEXT ` WIDESPREAD RAIN AND WIND SO THIS DISHES UP THE NEXT WIDESPREAD RAIN AND WIND SPREADING IN FROM THE WEST FROM SUNDAY. IT WILL IMPACT THE SOUTH ISLAND TOO ` ESPECIALLY THE NORTHERN HALF OF THE ISLAND, BUT SOUTHLAND AND CENTRAL OTAGO CAN EXPECT MORNING SHOWERS ON SATURDAY. FINALLY TONIGHT, OUR END OF WEATHER PHOTO GOES TO STELLA FROM CHRISTCHURCH, AGE 9, SNAPPING ANOTHER BEAUTIFUL RAINBOW. LOOK HARD ENOUGH, IT IS A DOUBLE RAINBOW. BIG FAN OF DOUBLE RAINBOWS. IT IS A DOUBLE RAINBOW. BIG FAN OF DOUBLE RAINBOWS. WE HAVE HEARD ABOUT TRIPLE RAINBOWS AS WELL. THAT'S NEWSHUB LIVE AT 6 FOR TODAY. YOU CAN GET IN TOUCH WITH THE NEWSHUB TEAM AT NEWS@NEWSHUB.CO.NZ I'M MIKE MCROBERTS. AND I'M SAMANTHA HAYES. PO MARIE. CAPTIONS BY JOHN GIBBS AND LENA ERAKOVICH. CAPTIONS WERE MADE WITH THE SUPPORT OF NZ ON AIR.