LABOUR PLUMMETS IN A NEW TAXPAYERS' UNION POLL, WHILE OPPORTUNITY SLIPS BACK UNDER THE 5% MARK. BUSINESS NEW ZEALAND SAYS WE'RE UNDERINVESTING IN MEDICINES, AND IT'S COSTING THE ECONOMY BILLIONS. THE PRIME MINISTER HAS LIKENED IT TO COMMUNIST RUSSIA ` BUT WHAT DO SUPERMARKET CRITICS MAKE OF THE GREENS' KIWIMART IDEA? AND NO PLACE LIKE HOME ` WARRIORS CEO CAMERON GEORGE TELLS US WHY PLAYING THE FIRST FINALS GAME AT MOUNT SMART IS SO IMPORTANT TO THE PLAYERS. CAPTIONS BY LENA ERAKOVICH AND KATE PERCIVAL. CAPTIONS WERE MADE WITH THE SUPPORT OF NZ ON AIR. WWW.ABLE.CO.NZ COPYRIGHT ABLE 2026 NAU MAI HAERE MAI, WELCOME TO THREE NEWS. THE TWO MAIN POLITICAL PARTIES ARE BOTH DOWN IN THE LATEST TAXPAYERS' UNION CURIA POLL, WITH LABOUR SINKING TO 25.9% ` LOWER THAN ITS 2023 ELECTION RESULT. IN CONTRAST, THE GREENS AND ACT ARE BOTH UP, WITH DAVID SEYMOUR'S PARTY NOW POLLING HIGHER THAN NEW ZEALAND FIRST. HERE'S POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT ZANE SMALL. HOW COOL IS THIS? SO, I'M GETTING ALL THIS INFORMATION ABOUT THIS SPECIFIC BATCH OF THE HONEY. DAVID SEYMOUR LEARNING ABOUT A MANUKA HONEY PRODUCT BY SCANNING A DIGITAL LABEL. YOU CAN GET PRETTY MUCH ANY INFORMATION YOU WANT ABOUT THAT POT OF HONEY, SO POOH BEAR WOULD BE THRILLED. AS MINISTER FOR REGULATION, HE ANNOUNCED A PLAN TODAY TO DEVELOP A DIGITAL LABELLING STANDARD AND ALIGN MEDICAL PRODUCT LABELLING WITH AUSTRALIA. IF IT DOESN'T HAVE THE RIGHT LABEL, IT DOESN'T MEET THE STANDARDS, IT CAN'T BE SOLD. THAT MEANS SOME PRODUCTS THAT NEW ZEALANDERS COULD BE BUYING ` BETTER QUALITY FOR A BETTER PRICE ` ARE NOT ON OUR SHELVES BECAUSE THEY DON'T HAVE THE RIGHT LABELLING REQUIREMENTS. IT SEEMS HIS CONTRIBUTION TO THE COALITION IS PAYING OFF WITH THE LATEST POLL SHOWING A LIFT IN SUPPORT FOR ACT. OH, LOOK, WE'RE GRATEFUL FOR PEOPLE SUPPORTING US, BUT I TELL MY TEAM, 'STAY COOL. STAY HUMBLE.' THE GREENS ARE ALSO GAINING IN THE POLLS. I THINK IT'S A TREND THAT WE ARE SEEING INTERNATIONALLY WHERE LEGACY PARTIES IN PLENTY OF DEMOCRACIES ARE BEING LOOKED OVER BY PEOPLE WHO HAVE SEEN NO REAL CHANGE. THE TWO LARGEST PARTIES ARE BOTH DOWN IN THE LATEST TAXPAYERS' UNION CURIA POLL ` NATIONAL SHEDDING 2 POINTS TO 29%, AND LABOUR DOWN TO 25.9% ` LOWER THAN ITS 2023 ELECTION RESULT. LOOK, POLLS BOUNCE AROUND A LOT, AND THEY CERTAINLY BOUNCE AROUND A LOT IN AN ELECTION CAMPAIGN. OF COURSE EVERYBODY LOOKS AT THE POLLS, BUT THE POLL THAT REALLY MATTERS IS THE ONE ON ELECTION DAY. IN CONTRAST, THE GREENS HAVE RISEN TO 13.9%, UP NEARLY 4 POINTS; WHILE ACT'S SUPPORT HAS ALSO INCREASED TO 10.5%; NEW ZEALAND FIRST IS DOWN TO 8.4%; AND OPPORTUNITY HAS LOST KINGMAKER STATUS, DROPPING TO 4.5% ` BELOW THE 5% THRESHOLD TO ENTER PARLIAMENT. TE PATI MAORI GOT A SLIGHT BUMP TO 2%. PEOPLE NEED TO REALISE WE CAN'T JUST WATCH THE POLLS; WE HAVE TO BE ACTIVELY ENGAGED IN POLITICS IN ORDER TO GET THE COUNTRY THAT WE ALL DESERVE. BUT ON THESE POLL NUMBERS, THE COALITION COULD RETURN TO POWER. CHRISTOPHER LUXON IS ON TOP AS PREFERRED PRIME MINISTER AT 21.2%, BUT HE'S DROPPED 2 POINTS. CHRIS HIPKINS ALSO DOWN NEARLY 3 POINTS TO 16.9%. HAVE YOU GIVEN ANY THOUGHT TO WHETHER YOU'RE THE MAN TO BE LEADING THE PARTY INTO THE ELECTION WITH A POLL BELOW 26%? I WILL CERTAINLY BE LEADING LABOUR INTO THE ELECTION. SEYMOUR SAW THE BIGGEST BUMP AS PREFERRED PM ` UP 4 POINTS TO 7.8%, UP 4 POINTS TO 7.8%, ALTHOUGH, HIS PARTY'S BEEN CALLED OUT ON SOCIAL MEDIA FOR THIS QUESTIONABLE ELECTORAL HOARDING HANDIWORK. I DON'T WANT TO THROW MY VOLUNTEERS UNDER THE BUS, BUT I ACTUALLY DIDN'T DO THAT ONE. AND ANY ONE WHO SAW THE DIFFERENT PARTY LEADERS WITH THEIR HANDIWORK, THERE WAS ONLY ONE WHO WAS SWINGING THE HAMMER AND HITTING THE NAIL EVERY TIME. SEYMOUR WAS AMONG PARTY LEADERS ERECTING BILLBOARDS AT THE WEEKEND, AND IT SEEMS WINSTON PETERS WAS PAYING CLOSE ATTENTION. DID YOU SEE THE OTHER DAY HIPKINS STANDING THERE WITH A HAMMER? (LAUGHTER) HE'S GOT THE HAMMER HALFWAY UP LIKE THAT! (LAUGHTER) MIND YOU, SO WAS DAVID SEYMOUR. BUT IT IS HIS RIVAL DAVID SEYMOUR WHO IS UP IN THE LATEST POLL. ZANE'S WITH ME NOW ` AND ZANE, NATIONAL'S ANNOUNCED ITS NEW CANDIDATE TO REPLACE CHRIS PENK? YES IT HAS BEEN A FEW WEEKS NOW SINCE THAT ALLEGED FAILED LEADERSHIP CHALLENGE FROM CHRIS PENK, AND AT THE TIME HE SAID HE WAS GOING TO QUIT POLITICS AND WOULDN'T BE READY STANDING IN HIS ELECTORATE, AND THE NATIONAL PARTY HAS ANNOUNCED THEIR CANDIDATE, AND SOME PEOPLE MAY RECOGNISE HER, FORMER NEWSHUB REPORTER JESSICA ROWE, SINCE BEING REPORTER, SHE HAS WORKED AT THE MINISTRY OF AFFAIRS AND TRADE, AND SHE IS CURRENTLY A MINISTERIAL ADVISER, AND SHE IS EXCITED TO WORK. WE ARE A FEW MONTHS OUT FROM THE ELECTION AND THERE IS CONCERN THAT NOT ENOUGH PEOPLE ARE GETTING A ROLL TO VOTE, 188,018 TO 24-YEAR-OLDS ARE NOT ENROLLED YET, ENROLMENT CLOSES ON 24 OCTOBER. I ASKED THE DAVID SEYMOUR IF THIS IS GOING TO BE AN ISSUE BECAUSE THE GOVERNMENT HAS MADE IT THAT YOU CANNOT ENROL ON ELECTION DAY THAT YOU CANNOT ENROL ON ELECTON DAY AND HE SAID IT IS AS EASY AS A ORDERING A PIZZA. AND THERE IS NO EXCUSE. CHRISTOPHER LUXON HAS RUBBISHED THE GREENS' PLAN FOR A STATE-OWNED SUPERMARKET CHAIN, BRANDING IT 'SOVIET', BUT SOME OF THE COUNTRY'S LEADING GROCERY MARKET CRITICS SAY THE KIWIMART PROPOSAL HAS REAL MERIT AND COULD PROVIDE THE SHAKE-UP THE SECTOR NEEDS. SENIOR REPORTER JULIET SPEEDY HAS THE STORY. KIWIMART WILL BE A SUPERMARKET OWNED BY NEW ZEALANDERS FOR NEW ZEALANDERS. A $2.8B ANSWER TO A PROBLEM SUCCESSIVE GOVERNMENTS HAVE STRUGGLED TO SOLVE. AND WHILE IT'S A BOLD ONE, GROCERY MARKET WATCHERS AREN'T DISMISSING IT. I THINK ACROSS THE POLITICAL SPECTRUM, EVERYBODY'S TALKING ABOUT DOING SOMETHING TO GET PRICES DOWN FOR ORDINARY KIWIS OR FOR ALL KIWIS, BUT NOBODY'S ACTUALLY COME UP WITH SOMETHING SO FAR THAT WOULD BE EFFECTIVE. AND I THINK THIS SORT OF HAS THE NUB OF A VERY GOOD IDEA. THERE ARE A LOT OF MERITS IN THIS PROPOSAL. OBVIOUSLY IT'S THE BEGINNING OF ELECTION SEASON, AND COST OF LIVING PRESSURES ARE GOING TO GET A LOT OF AIR TIME. THE PLAN WOULD FORCE THE SALE OF AT LEAST 120 EXISTING SUPERMARKETS AND DISTRIBUTION CAPACITY INTO PUBLIC OWNERSHIP ` CREATING A NEW, GOVERNMENT-OWNED COMPETITOR TO FOODSTUFFS AND WOOLWORTHS. THE GREENS SAY BREAKING THE SUPERMARKET DUOPOLY WOULD ULTIMATELY BRING PRICES DOWN, POINTING TO ANOTHER STATE-OWNED CHALLENGER AS PROOF THE MODEL CAN WORK. KIWIBANK WAS ESTABLISHED 20 YEARS AGO TO PROVIDE NEW ZEALANDERS WITH A LOCALLY-OWNED BANK THAT WOULD KEEP MONEY CIRCULATING WITHIN OUR OWN COUNTRY AND ECONOMY. THEY STARTED WITH NO MARKET SHARE, AND NOW HAVE 10%. COMMENTATORS SAY IT'S THE SCALE OF THE SHAKE-UP THAT MATTERS, NOT WHETHER THE GOVERNMENT IS INVOLVED. IT'S NOT SO MUCH THE MATTER OF WHO OWNS IT, IT'S THE FACT THAT YOU'VE INITIATED A THIRD OPERATOR. THE ISSUE HERE IS THAT YOU'VE GOT A SOLUTION TO A BROKEN MARKET. I THINK THE IDEA TO BREAK UP THE SUPERMARKETS IS A GOOD IDEA. WHETHER IT HAS TO BE THE GOVERNMENT RUNNING IT OR ANOTHER OPERATOR IS A DIFFERENT QUESTION. BUT CHRISTOPHER LUXON ISN'T BUYING IT, TELLING NEWSTALK ZB IT SOUNDS LIKE SOVIET-ERA ECONOMICS. IT'S SOUNDING A BIT LIKE COMMUNIST RUSSIA, ISN'T IT? SOME OF US LIVED THROUGH THE 1990S, OR GREW UP IN THAT ERA, AND IT SOUNDS VERY SOVIET TO ME. AND I JUST THINK THE THOUGHT OF HIPKINS AND SWARBRICK RUNNING A GOVERNMENT-RUN SUPERMARKET ` GOD HELP US. BUT WHILE CHRIS HIPKINS SAYS IT ISN'T LABOUR'S POLICY, HE DIDN'T DISMISS THE IDEA ENTIRELY. THAT WOULDN'T BE MY FIRST PORT OF CALL. WE'LL SET OUT OUR OWN POLICY ON SUPERMARKET COMPETITION IN DUE COURSE, BUT THAT CERTAINLY WOULDN'T BE THE FIRST THING I'D BE LOOKING AT. ACT'S QUESTIONING WHETHER A GOVERNMENT-RUN GROCER COULD ACTUALLY DO THE JOB BETTER. ATTACKING BUSINESSES JUST MAKES LESS LIKELY PEOPLE TO INVEST AND GIVE US PRODUCTIVITY. SECOND OF ALL, IF YOU LOOK AT THE COSTS THAT CURRENT SUPERMARKETS FACE AND YOU ASK YOURSELF, 'WHY WILL THE SUPERMARKET RUN BY THE GOVERNMENT 'BE ANY MORE EFFICIENT?' NEW ZEALAND HAS SOME OF THE HIGHEST FOOD PRICES IN THE OECD, AND IT'S A MARKET STRUCTURE THAT GETS NOTICED WELL BEYOND NEW ZEALAND. TEX EDWARDS SAYS INTERNATIONAL INVESTORS LOOK AT OUR SUPERMARKET DUOPOLY WITH SOME ENVY. THEIR EXACT WORDS THEY USE THAT IS THAT NEW ZEALAND AND AUSTRALIA HAS 'LUXURIOUS MARKET STRUCTURE' AND 'GLOBALLY UNPRECEDENTED PROFIT MARGINS'. AND WITH THE COST OF GROCERIES STILL BITING, HOW TO BREAK THE SUPERMARKET STRANGLEHOLD IS NOW FIRMLY ON THE ELECTION MENU. AND JULIET, THE TAXPAYERS' UNION HAS COME OUT SWINGING ABOUT THIS PLAN? THAT'S RIGHT, AND THAT IS AROUND THE COST, THE PRICETAG OF THIS. THE GREENS ARE SAYING THIS WILL COST AROUND $2.8 BILLION BY THE TAXPAYER'S UNION SAYS THIS DOES NOT ADD UP, THIS PUTS THE COST AT OVER $10 MILLION PER SUPERMARKET. AND THEY CITE A SINGLE PACK AND SAVE IN 2021 WAS VALUED AT MORE THAN THAT FOR BUILDINGS. GREENS SAY THAT THE TAXPAYER'S UNION IS RELYING ON AI GENERATED DATA. BUSINESS NZ SAYS WE COULD BE LEAVING BILLIONS ON THE TABLE BY NOT INVESTING ENOUGH IN MEDICINES. A NEW REPORT SAYS SPENDING LESS THAN HALF THE OECD AVERAGE IS COSTING THE COUNTRY BOTH ECONOMICALLY AND IN YEARS OF HEALTHY LIFE. CARLOS NORTON REPORTS. WHILE POLITICIANS FOCUS ON THE COST OF FUNDING MEDICINES, BUSINESS NZ SAYS THE COST OF NOT FUNDING THEM IS GROWING. IT'S A SILENT ISSUE THAT WE HAVE, AND I THINK WE NEED TO SEE REAL BRAVERY FROM OUR POLITICIANS IN STEPPING UP AND DEVELOPING SUSTAINABLE POLICY. CURRENTLY, NEW ZEALAND FUNDS JUST 4.9% OF ITS GDP INTO MEDICINE FUNDING WHILE AUSTRALIA FUNDS 12.2%. AND AS THE GAP REMAINS, IT'S NOT ONLY AFFECTING OUR HEALTH, BUT THE ECONOMY AS WELL. OUR STUDY FINDS THAT INCREASED MEDICINE FUNDING AND BETTER HEALTH SUPPORTS A MORE PRODUCTIVE ECONOMY. A REPORT BY RESEARCH COMPANY BERL FOUND THAT INCREASING MEDICINES FUNDING TO THE OECD AVERAGE OF $2.7B COULD BOOST THE ECONOMY BY BILLIONS. THE REPORT SAYS EVERY $1 THAT'S INVESTED IN MEDICINES RETURNS $1.93 TO THE ECONOMY AND $1.15 TO THE CROWN ` WHICH, OVER A PERIOD OF 35 YEARS, COULD SEE AN ECONOMIC BENEFIT OF $182B AND A FURTHER $29B IN REVENUE FOR THE GOVERNMENT. BERL SAYS THE ECONOMIC BENEFITS COULD OUTWEIGH THE INITIAL FUNDING COST WITHIN THREE YEARS ` AND FOR KIWIS, MORE MEDICINES COULD MEAN MORE YEARS SPENT LIVING WELL, TOO. NEW ZEALANDERS CAN EXPECT TO LIVE FOR AROUND 82 YEARS, WHICH IS ROUGHLY IN LINE WITH THE OECD AVERAGE. BUT WHEN IT COMES TO THE YEARS SPENT IN GOOD HEALTH, NEW ZEALAND FALLS BEHIND. KIWIS SPEND AN AVERAGE OF 70.2 YEARS WITHOUT ILLNESS ` 1.1 YEARS LESS THAN COMPARABLE COUNTRIES. LISA BURNS HELPED THE SUCCESFUL CAMPAIGN LISA BURNS HELPED THE SUCCESSFUL CAMPAIGN TO FUND CYSTIC FIBROSIS MEDICINE TRIKAFTA. WE COULDN'T UNDERSTAND HOW A MEDICINE THAT CAN GIVE ANOTHER THREE DECADES OF LIFE COULD BE NOT PRIORITISED FOR FUNDING. AND ONCE TRIKAFTA WAS FUNDED, SHE SAW THE DIFFERENCE ALMOST IMMEDIATELY. WE WERE SENDING UP HOSPITAL PACKS EVERY WEEK, TO ALL OF A SUDDEN THERE WAS NOBODY IN HOSPITAL. IT WAS INCREDIBLE. BUT BUSINESS NZ ACKNOWLEDGES INCREASING THE BUDGET ISN'T AS SIMPLE AS FLICKING A SWITCH. PHARMAC'S BETWEEN A ROCK AND A HARD PLACE ` IF THEY DON'T GET THE MONEY, THEY CAN'T EXPEDITE THINGS THROUGH THE SYSTEM. WE NEED TO DO SOMETHING NOW, BECAUSE IF WE DON'T, IT WILL KEEP COMING ` IT'S JUST NOT GOING TO GO AWAY. THEY SAY THE REAL COST MAY BE IN DOING TOO LITTLE, TOO LATE. NEW FIGURES FROM QUOTABLE VALUE SHOW THE BIGGEST HOUSE VALUE DROP IN TWO YEARS OVER THE LAST 3 MONTHS. AND IN SOME REGIONS, THE DECLINES ARE EVEN LARGER. STUFF CHIEF PROPERTY CORRESPONDENT JANIKA TER ELLEN IS WITH US NOW. KIA ORA, JANIKA. HIT US WITH IT ` HOW FAR HAVE HOUSE VALUES FALLEN NOW? THAT BIG NATIONWIDE NUMBER IS THAT HOUSE VALUES HAVE DROPPED 1.9% OVER THE LAST THREE MONTHS ` THAT'S THE BIGGEST QUARTERLY DROP AT ABOUT TWO YEARS. THIS PROPERTY PRICE DOWNTURN HAS BEEN SO ONGOING. WE DID START TO SEE A LITTLE BIT OF PRICE RECOVERY BACK AT THE END OF LAST YEAR, THE FUEL CRISIS HIT, AND NOW VALUES ARE FALLING NEARLY 5 YEARS AFTER IT BEGAN. AUCKLAND DROPPED 2.5% IN THREE MONTHS, WELLINGTON DROP 3.5% OVER THE LAST THREE MONTHS AND THAT IS THE BIGGEST QUARTERLY DROP IN ALMOST 4 YEARS. AND WHAT ABOUT CHRISTCHURCH, HAS ALSO DROPPED? CHRISTCHURCH HAD BEEN GROWING FOR ABOUT A YEAR ALONG WITH OTHER PARTS OF CANTERBURY AND SOUTHLAND, OTAGO AS WELL BUT WE COULD BE STARTING TO SEE THE END OF THAT== GROWTH FOR CHRISTCHURCH. SO NOT A HUGE DROP, BUT THE CHANGES INTERESTING. LOCAL REAL ESTATE AGENTS SAY THAT INVESTORS ARE STARTING TO COME BACK A BIT, THEY ARE WAITING TO SEE WHAT HAPPENS WITH THE ELECTION, AND THE AGRICULTURE AND ECONOMY AROUND THE AREA ARE DOING OKAY, WE'RE JUST NOT SEEING THE RUSH OF PEOPLE WANTING TO MOVE INTO THE AREA AS THEY WERE SEEING A FEW MONTHS AGO. THERE IS TWO SIDES TO EVERY STORY, IT'S GREAT FOR FIRST-TIME BUYERS, BUT WITH THE HELP OF REINZ, I FOUND OUT IT WAS 2017, NINE YEARS AGO WHEN YOU COULD GET AS GOOD A DEAL. THE PURCHASING POWER THAT YOU HAVE, YOU CAN GET AS GOOD A DEAL TODAY AT A NATIONAL DEAL TODAY AS YOU COULD NINE YEARS AGO. SO FIRST-TIME BUYERS ARE AT A RECORD SHARE OF THE MARKET RIGHT NOW - INTEREST RATES ARE RISING A LITTLE BIT, YOU MIGHT PAY A LITTLE BIT MORE ON YOUR MORTGAGE, IF YOU ARE PAYING LESS ON THE HOUSE, THERE IS A BIT OF GIVE-AND-TAKE THERE. THANK YOU SO MUCH. STEVE WITKOFF AND DONALD TRUMP'S SON-IN-LAW JARED KUSHNER HAVE DESCRIBED DISCUSSIONS TODAY WITH PRESIDENT ZELENSKYY AIMED AT ENDING THE WAR WITH RUSSIA AS 'MEANINGFUL' AND 'SUBSTANTIVE'. IT'S THE U.S. NEGOTIATORS' FIRST TALKS IN KYIV SINCE THE FULL-SCALE RUSSIAN INVASION BEGAN MORE THAN FOUR AND HALF YEARS AGO, MORE THAN FOUR AND A HALF YEARS AGO, AND FOLLOW TALKS IN MOSCOW WITH PRESIDENT PUTIN. AND FOLLOWS TALKS IN MOSCOW WITH PRESIDENT PUTIN. ITV'S SAM HOLDER HAS MORE. THE U.S. PEACE PUSH HAD BEEN ON THE BACK FOOT WITH FOCUS ON THE IRAN WAR, BUT NOW IT SEEMS FIRMLY BACK ON THE AGENDA WITH A TYPICAL TRUMP-BASED OBJECTIVE. HE'S VERY DETERMINED TO SEE AN END TO THIS WAR, TO SEE THE END OF THE DEATHS, TO SEE THE RELIEF OF THE FAMILIES AND TO HOPEFULLY DO WHAT HE LOVES DOING THE BEST, WHICH IS FOCUSING ON, YOU KNOW, INVESTING IN BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE COUNTRIES TO BECOME CLOSER TOGETHER. BOTH UKRAINE AND RUSSIA HAD AGREED NOT TO FIRE ON EACH OTHER'S CAPITALS DURING THE THREE-DAY U.S. VISIT, BUT THAT DIDN'T STOP ATTACKS ELSEWHERE. STILL, AT LEAST SOME FORM OF LIMITED CEASEFIRE. (SPEAKS UKRAINIAN) 'TODAY, YOU DID AN EVEN BETTER JOB THAN THE PATRIOT MISSILE SYSTEMS 'FOR OUR CITIZENS IN THE CAPITAL,' SAID ZELENSKY. 'THANK YOU ` COME MORE OFTEN, 'AND OUR PEOPLE WILL GET A CHANCE TO LIVE A LITTLE. 'AND OUR PEOPLE WILL GET A CHANCE TO LIVE A LITTLE.' WITKOFF AND KUSHNER MET WITH PUTIN YESTERDAY FOR MORE THAN THREE HOURS. DESPITE FAWNING COMPLIMENTS TO THE RUSSIAN PRESIDENT... WHEN WE RETIRE, WE'LL HAVE ALL THESE INCREDIBLE STORIES AND INCREDIBLE MEMORIES, AND YOURS WILL BE RIGHT AT THE TOP OF IT ALL. ...NO OFFICIAL ANNOUNCEMENT OF ANY KIND ON ANY BREAKTHROUGH OR COMPROMISE, BUT THE NATURE OF THE TRIP, VISITING BOTH CAPITALS, AT A MINIMUM SHOWS THE WAR IS BACK ON TRUMP'S RADAR. IMO'S HERE NOW WITH A LOOK AT TODAY'S WEATHER, AND THERE WAS A CHILL IN THE AIR FOR SOME? THERE WAS INDEED, SAM. WE SAW SOME SINGLE-DIGIT HIGHS IN THE NORTH ISLAND. MASTERTON ONLY MANAGED TO GET TO 7 DEGREES TODAY, 8 IN PALMY, WITH A FEW HITTING 9. THEN, IN THE SOUTH ISLAND ` BLENHEIM, KAIKOURA AND DARFIELD ALSO ONLY GOT TO 9. ALL THE OTHER MAIN CENTRES, THOUGH, CRACKED 10 OR ABOVE. IT'S GONNA BE CHILLY AGAIN TOMORROW. I'LL HAVE MORE DETAILS LATER ON. COMING UP ON THREE NEWS ` A DEADLY PLANE CRASH IN MIAMI ` AN AMAZON CARGO JET OVERSHOOTS A RUNWAY, CROSSES A BUSY ROAD AND SMASHES INTO SEVERAL CARS. A STATE ELECTION SENDS POLITICAL SHOCKWAVES THROUGHOUT GERMANY AFTER A FAR-RIGHT PARTY WINS THE MOST VOTES FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE WORLD WAR II. AT LEAST FIVE PEOPLE ARE DEAD AFTER A CARGO PLANE CRASH-LANDED AT MIAMI INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT. THE AMAZON JET OVERSHOT THE RUNWAY BEFORE SKIDDING ACROSS A ROAD AND HITTING SEVERAL VEHICLES. AVA WHITWORTH REPORTS. THICK BLACK SMOKE FILLED THE SKY AFTER THE BOEING 767 RAN OFF THE RUNWAY. OH SHIT! (BLEEP!) OH MY GOD. IT CROSSED A STREET, HITTING VEHICLES AND SENDING EMERGENCY CREWS SCRAMBLING TO THE SCENE. THE AEROPLANE DID STRIKE A COUPLE OF VEHICLES THAT REQUIRED A COUPLE OF VICTIMS THAT WERE ACTUALLY TRAPPED IN THE VEHICLES. SO A COMPLEX EXTRICATION WITH OUR TECHNICAL RESCUE TEAMS STARTED TO OCCUR. IN ADDITION TO THAT, WE HAD A VERY COMPLEX FIRE ` ENGINE COMPARTMENTS THAT WERE ON FIRE, INCLUDING A SEARCH AND RESCUE OF THE PILOT AND CO-PILOT THAT WERE TRAPPED IN THIS AIRCRAFT. FIVE PEOPLE WERE KILLED, WITH OTHERS RUSHED TO HOSPITAL. AT THIS TIME, WE CAN CONFIRM THAT WE HAVE AT LEAST FIVE DECEASED INDIVIDUALS, AND WE HAVE MULTIPLE INDIVIDUALS THAT WERE TRANSPORTED TO LOCAL HOSPITALS WITH UNKNOWN INJURIES. AUDIO OBTAINED LATER BY TMZ INDICATED ONE PERSON WAS FOUND DECEASED BENEATH THE PLANE'S RIGHT WING. THE CRASH BROUGHT FLIGHTS AT MIAMI INTERNATIONAL TO A STANDSTILL FOR HOURS, WITH AROUND 250 DELAYED. AMAZON TOLD BBC IT'S HEARTBROKEN BY THE DEATHS. NOW INVESTIGATORS ARE WORKING TO PIECE TOGETHER WHAT HAPPENED IN THE MOMENTS AFTER THE PLANE LANDED AND HOW IT ENDED UP OFF THE RUNWAY AND IN FLAMES. A FAR-RIGHT PARTY HAS TAKEN A STEADY LEAD IN A REGIONAL ELECTION IN GERMANY FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE WORLD WAR II. EXIT POLLS SHOWED THE ALTERNATIVE FOR GERMANY, OR AFD PARTY, SURGED INTO FIRST PLACE WITH 44% OF THE VOTE IN THE EASTERN STATE OF SAXONY-ANHALT. CHANCELLOR FRIEDRICH MERZ'S CONSERVATIVES MANAGED ONLY 18.3%. BUT IT'S STILL NOT CLEAR WHETHER THE AFD WILL BE ABLE TO FORM A FAR-RIGHT STATE GOVERNMENT. ITV'S JAMES MATES REPORTS. (CHEERING) THEY KNEW THEY'D HAVE A GOOD NIGHT ` BUT DOUBLING THEIR VOTE? NOW ON THE VERY CUSP OF POWER, THIS WAS BETTER THAN THEY DARED HOPE. SINCE 1945, IT'S BEEN THE ULTIMATE TABOO IN GERMANY TO LET THE FAR RIGHT ANYWHERE NEAR POWER. (CHEERING) NOW, THIS MAN, ULRICH SIEGMUND, A SMOOTH-TALKING FORMER AIR FRESHENER SALESMAN, MAY BE ABOUT TO SHATTER THAT TABOO. HE TOURED THE TV STUDIOS, HAVING WON SO MANY VOTES, IT MAY BE IMPOSSIBLE FOR THE OTHER PARTIES TO COMBINE TO KEEP HIM OUT. ARE YOU A HAPPY MAN TONIGHT? (SPEAKS GERMAN) 'OF COURSE, IT'S A GREAT RESULT,' HE TOLD ME. 'I'M VERY THANKFUL FOR THE TRUST 'THE PEOPLE OF SAXONY-ANHALT HAVE PUT IN ME.' THESE WERE THE FACES OF THE TRADITIONAL PARTIES AS THE EXIT POLL WAS PUBLISHED ` PARTIES THAT HAVE RULED HERE SINCE THE WAR. THEY'VE LOST TO PEOPLE WHO WANT IMMIGRANTS DEPORTED, WOULD LIKE GERMANY OUT OF THE EURO, AND WANT TO NORMALISE RELATIONS WITH RUSSIA. THE TV PROJECTIONS AND RESULTS PROGRAMMES WERE NOT JUST BEING WATCHED HERE IN SAXONY, BUT ACROSS GERMANY AND MUCH OF EUROPE, BECAUSE IT'S NOT JUST THIS SMALL STATE ` MORE FORMER EAST GERMAN STATES VOTE THIS MONTH, AND THIS WON'T BE THE LAST FAR-RIGHT SURGE. SHOULD EUROPE BE WORRIED ABOUT WHAT WE'VE SEEN TODAY? NO. NO. I THINK EUROPE SHOULD BE VERY HOPEFUL BECAUSE WITH THE AFD, WE HAVE A PARTY IN EUROPE THAT IS LIKE A LOT OF OTHER PARTIES IN OTHER EUROPEAN COUNTRIES FROM THE RIGHT WING. AND I THINK, FOR EUROPE, RIGHT GOVERNMENTS ARE THE BETTER GOVERNMENTS. WHETHER OR NOT THIS MAN IS ABLE TO TAKE THE REINS OF POWER HERE IN SAXONY-ANHALT, THIS IS NOT JUST AN EARTHQUAKE FOR GERMANY, BUT A MASSIVE WAKE-UP CALL AS WELL FOR EUROPE, BECAUSE THE TRAJECTORY IN GERMANY OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS HAS ONLY BEEN GOING ONE WAY, AND VERY FAST ` AND ALL THAT MOMENTUM IS TOWARDS THE FAR-RIGHT AFD. WHAT WE SEE HERE ` IT'S NOT AN EASTERN GERMAN PHENOMENON. IT IS NOT A GERMAN PHENOMENON. IT IS A EUROPEAN PHENOMENON. WE SEE IT IN AUSTRIA. WE SEE IT IN FRANCE. THAT HAS TO DO WITH PEOPLE BEING DISSATISFIED WITH HOW DEMOCRACY WORKS FOR THEM. THE WEIGHT OF HISTORY HAS MEANT ALL GERMAN PARTIES HAVE COMBINED TO KEEP THE FAR RIGHT OUT OF POWER. BUT AN AFD WIN THIS BIG MAY MAKE THAT POLICY INCOMPATIBLE WITH THE VERY DEMOCRACY THE TRADITIONAL PARTIES HAVE BEEN TRYING TO DEFEND. STAY WITH US ` STILL TO COME ON THREE NEWS ` A CORONER HAS RULED THAT A HEAD-ON COLLISION IN JANUARY TWO YEARS AGO THAT KILLED BOTH DRIVERS WAS CAUSED BY A COMBINATION OF SPEED, FATIGUE, EMOTIONAL DISTRESS, AND METH INTOXICATION. FIFA'S CONFIRMED PRESIDENT GIANNI INFANTINO WILL STAND FOR RE-ELECTION NEXT MARCH. AND THE WARRIORS MAY NOT BE MINOR PREMIERS, BUT THEY STILL HAVE EVERYTHING TO PLAY FOR ` WE CATCH UP WITH CEO CAMERON GEORGE. THIS IS THREE NEWS ` IF YOU'VE JUST JOINED US, HERE ARE OUR TOP STORIES SO FAR TONIGHT. THE TWO MAIN POLITICAL PARTIES ARE BOTH DOWN IN THE LATEST TAXPAYERS' UNION CURIA POLL, WITH LABOUR SINKING TO 25.9%, LOWER THAN ITS 2023 ELECTION RESULT. IN CONTRAST, ACT AND THE GREENS ARE BOTH UP. NEW RESEARCH COMMISSIONED BY BUSINESSNZ HAS FOUND THAT EVERY DOLLAR INVESTED IN MEDICINES RETURNS NEARLY $2 TO THE ECONOMY. AND STEVE WITKOFF AND DONALD TRUMP'S SON-IN-LAW JARED KUSHNER HAVE HELD TALKS WITH PRESIDENT ZELENSKYY IN KYIV ABOUT ENDING THE WAR WITH RUSSIA. A TEAM OF POLICE FORENSIC STAFF WERE BACK AT A CHRISTCHURCH PROPERTY TODAY AFTER A MAN WAS FOUND DEAD. SEVERAL STAFF IN FORENSIC SUITS COULD BE SEEN SWEEPING AREAS OUTSIDE THE HOUSE, AND PHOTOGRAPHING POINTS OF INTEREST. EMERGENCY SERVICES WERE CALLED TO THE ADDRESS AT AROUND LUNCHTIME YESTERDAY AFTER THE MAN WAS FOUND UNRESPONSIVE. POLICE SAY HIS DEATH IS BEING TREATED AS UNEXPLAINED, WITH ENQUIRIES BEING MADE ON BEHALF OF THE CORONER TO ESTABLISH THE CIRCUMSTANCES SURROUNDING IT. AN UNLICENSED DRIVER WITH HIGH LEVELS OF METHAMPHETAMINE IN HER BLOOD CROSSED THE CENTRE LINE ON STATE HIGHWAY 1 AND CRASHED HEAD-ON INTO AN ONCOMING VEHICLE KILLING HERSELF, ALONG WITH THE OTHER DRIVER, AND LEAVING HER INFANT SON INJURED. PETA KERR (33) AND BRYAN KERR (51) ` WHO WAS NOT RELATED ` BOTH DIED AT THE SCENE ON ASHWORTHS RD IN LEITHFIELD, NORTH CANTERBURY, IN JANUARY 2024. IN FINDINGS RELEASED TODAY, A CORONER RULED THE FATAL CRASH WAS CAUSED ACCIDENTALLY BY A COMBINATION OF SPEED, FATIGUE, EMOTIONAL DISTRESS, AND DRUG INTOXICATION. PETA KERR WAS DRIVING NORTHBOUND AT AROUND 117KM/H ON A 100 K SECTION OF ROAD WHEN SHE FAILED TO NEGOTIATE A LEFT-HAND BEND AND DRIFTED STRAIGHT INTO THE SOUTHBOUND LANE. HER 7-MONTH-OLD SON, WILLIAM, WAS IN A CAPSULE SEAT AND SUFFERED MINOR INJURIES. A VOLCANO THAT ERUPTED IN INDONESIA YESTERDAY HAS DISRUPTED AIR TRAVEL. IT FORCED THE CANCELLATION OF ALL FLIGHTS OUT OF JAKARTA'S INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT AS ASH DRIFTED ACROSS WESTERN PARTS OF THE COUNTRY. THE VOLCANIC ISLAND OF ANAK KRAKATAU, LOCATED BETWEEN THE MAIN JAVA AND SUMATRA ISLANDS, HAD SHOWN SIGNS OF ACTIVITY SINCE FRIDAY, BEFORE ERUPTING FOR 30 SECONDS YESTERDAY, AND FOR 16 SECONDS ABOUT THREE HOURS LATER. THE WARRIORS MAY HAVE BEEN PIPPED BY THE PANTHERS FOR THE NRL MINOR PREMIERSHIP YESTERDAY, BUT BY FINISHING SECOND, THEY GO INTO THE FINAL SERIES WITH THEIR FIRST TWO GAMES AT HOME. AND WAHS FANS ARE STILL REPEATING THE MANTRA, 'THIS IS OUR YEAR.' NOW, THIS WAS THEM SINGING THE TEAM SONG AT MT SMART AFTER BEATING THE SEA EAGLES ON SATURDAY NIGHT. ALL SING: # WE ARE THE POWER, # WE ARE THE SPEED, # WE ARE THE SKILLS, # THAT'S ALL WE'RE GONNA NEED. # GET UP AND SHOUT. # SAY IT TILL THE END ` # WE ARE THE WARRIORS. 100% # A LOT OF ENTHUSIASM THERE. WELL, JOINING ME NOW IS WARRIORS CEO, CAMERON GEORGE. KIA ORA, CAMERON. SO ARE THOSE PASSIONATE FANS THAT WE JUST SHOWED THERE THE REASON THAT YOU HAVE PUSHED SO HARD TO GET THAT FIRST GAME AT MT SMART? ABSOLUTELY. THEY'RE THE BEST FANS IN THE COMPETITION BY FAR. THEY'VE BEEN SO LOYAL AND PASSIONATE FOR SO MANY YEARS NOW. AND THEY'VE SAT HERE DURING THE GOOD DAYS AND BAD DAYS THIS YEAR, RAIN OR HAIL, SUNSHINE, WHATEVER IT BE. AND TO HAVE IT HERE AT THEIR HOME AS MUCH AS OUR HOME IS REALLY SPECIAL FOR OUR PLAYERS AND FANS. SO THE FIRST GAMES AT MT SMART, ARE YOU ACCEPTING, THOUGH, THAT THE SECOND PLAYOFF WILL ALMOST CERTAINLY BE AT EDEN PARK? WELL, WE'RE REALLY JUST FOCUSSED ON THIS GAME, AND OF COURSE, BEYOND THIS ONE ALL THINGS ARE ON THE TABLE, SO WE'LL TALK WITH THE NRL AT THE APPROPRIATE TIME, UM, AND DISCUSS WHAT OPTIONS THERE ARE THEN. BUT THE NRL DO OWN THE FINALS, AND I UNDERSTAND THAT. AND TO BALANCE THAT OUT, WE'VE ALWAYS COMMITTED TO SITTING DOWN AND TALKING ABOUT THE OPTIONS MOVING FORWARD. AND THEY KNOW MY POSITION AND CLEAR POSITION ON GO MEDIA STADIUM IS OUR HOME, BUT ALSO NEED TO BALANCE THAT OUT WITH THE COMMERCIAL REALITY OF THE GAMES' YOU KNOW, BROADER VISION AND WHAT THEY NEED TO ACHIEVE AS WELL. SO OF COURSE WE'LL BE OPEN MINDED. NOW, IT IS LOOKING GOOD. IS THIS OUR YEAR, AND IF SO, WHY? UH, LOOK, I JUST WANT IT TO BE OUR WEEK, TO BE HONEST, BECAUSE THERE'S A LOT TO GET OUT OF THIS WEEK. AND THEN, LOOK, WE'RE IN THE FIRING LINE WHERE WE NEED TO BE, AND FOR IT TO BE OUR YEAR, WE NEED TO WIN THIS WEEK. AND THAT'S OUR FOCUS. AND WE WANT ALL OF OUR FANS TO BE LOUD AND PROUD THROUGH THE COUNTRY, AND OWN A LITTLE BIT OF OUR JUMPER THIS WEEK, AND, YOU KNOW, UNDERPIN OUR GREAT FOOTY TEAM, AND HOPEFULLY WE CAN GET THE WIN FOR THEM. YEAH, THERE HAVE BEEN SOME INJURY ISSUES. CAN YOU TELL US WHO'S COMING BACK THIS SATURDAY? OH, THERE'S BEEN A FEW OUT LATELY. SO, LOOK, I THINK WE JUST HAVE TO WAIT AND SEE UNTIL TOMORROW WHEN WE NAME THE TEAM. AND THERE'S BEEN A LOT TRAINING WELL LATELY, SO HOPEFULLY, HOPEFULLY WE GET A FEW OF THOSE INJURED STARS BACK. FINGERS CROSSED. NOW, SOME FANS HAVE BEEN WAITING 31 YEARS FOR A GRAND FINAL VICTORY. HOW MANY THINGS HAVE TO GO RIGHT FOR THIS DREAM TO BECOME A REALITY, CAMERON? THREE WINS, SAM. STARTS THIS WEEK, TWO WEEKS TIME AND THEN THE BIG DANCE. SO THAT'S ALL IT TAKES, UH, BUT IT'S A LOT OF WATER, A LOT OF GOOD LUCK NEEDS TO GO OUR WAY. BUT WE'RE DOING IT FOR EVERYONE AS BEST WE CAN. I CAN PROMISE YOU, THE EFFORT WILL BE THERE. YOU MAKE IT SOUND EASY. LET'S HOPE IT GOES YOUR WAY. GOOD LUCK. THANKS SO MUCH FOR JOINING US TODAY. WARRIORS CEO, CAMERON GEORGE, THERE. TENA KOE. THANK YOU. OLLIE'S IN NEXT WITH SPORT, AND AS CAM GEORGE SAID, A BIG WEEK AHEAD FOR THE WARRIORS. A PRETTY SIMPLE FORMULA FOR THE WARRIORS. THEY WILL BE FOCUSING ON THE DOLPHINS THIS WEEKEND. SOME OF THEIR WINDS HAVE BEEN REALLY DOMINANT, SOME HAVE BEEN QUITE TIRED. WE'LL HAVE MORE ON PENRITH'S RESULT AFTER THE BREAK. PLUS, THE ALL BLACKS ARE AGAIN PICKING UP THE PIECES AFTER THEIR SECOND STRAIGHT DEFEAT AS THEY TRY SALVAGE A SERIES DRAW AGAINST SOUTH AFRICA. AND IT TOOK UNTIL THE LAST RACE, BUT SCOTT MCLAUGHLAN FINALLY GETS HIS FIRST INDYCAR VICTORY OF THE SEASON. THE ALL BLACKS HAVE ARRIVED IN THE U.S. AHEAD OF THIS WEEKEND'S GREATEST RIVALRY SERIES FINALE AGAINST THE SPRINGBOKS. THEY'RE 2-1 DOWN AFTER YESTERDAY'S LOSS, AND HAD PLENTY TO REFLECT ON IN THEIR 18-HOUR FLIGHT, INCLUDING A CRUCIAL PERIOD IN THE SECOND HALF WHEN THE BOKS SCORE 17 UNANSWERED POINTS. MITCH REDMAN REPORTS. PUTTING THE SPRINGBOKS EFFORTS TO ONE SIDE, THE ALL BLACKS WILL BE RUEING MISSED OPPORTUNITIES AND MISSED MOMENTS FROM THE THIRD TEST. WE'RE NOT GOING TO BEAT OURSELVES UP TOO MUCH, BUT AT THE MOMENT, IT STINKS. WE COME IN SECOND TO THIS CREW, AND WE TRIED BLOODY HARD TO GET THE RIGHT RESULT FOR OUR COUNTRY, AND IT HURTS. THE ALL BLACKS HAD THEIR CHANCES AT SET PIECE, BUT THE SPRINGBOKS WERE THE ONES DOMINANT AT THE DEATH. THEY GET A GRAVY TRAIN OF PENALTIES FROM IT. I'M NOT GOING TO SAY THEY'RE ALL LEGIT, BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, WE'VE GOT TO CHANGE THE PERCEPTION FOR THE OFFICIALS AS WELL SO WE GET A FAIR RUB OF THE GREEN. THE ALL BLACKS MISSED ONE-ON-ONES ON DEFENCE, WHICH ULTIMATELY LED TO TRY SCORING MOMENTS, BUT THE TEAM WILL STAND BY THEIR DEFENSIVE STRATEGY IN BALTIMORE AND BEYOND. LAST THING YOU WANT TO DO IS REINVENT THE WHEEL. AT THE END OF THE DAY, WE TURNED OVER TOO MUCH BALL, MADE MISTAKES AT THE WRONG TIME, AND YOU PAY FOR IT AGAINST THE BEST TEAMS IN THE WORLD. ARDIE SAVEA, LUKE JACOBSON AND QUINN TUPAEA AREN'T THE ONLY ONES HITTING HOME WITH INJURY. IN TOTAL, NINE PLAYERS AREN'T REQUIRED IN THE U.S. REGARDLESS OF THE RESULT, THERE WERE SPECIAL SCENES IN SOWETO. INCREDIBLE ATMOSPHERE. UM, I'VE NEVER PLAYED ANYTHING QUITE LIKE IT, TO BE FAIR. RUNNING OUT, TOOK A MOMENT JUST TO KIND OF HAVE A LOOK AROUND AND I GUESS PUT A BIT OF A SMILE ON MY FACE. YOU KNOW, OFTEN YOU CAN FORGET THAT THIS IS WHERE YOU ONCE DREAMED OF BEING. THE ALL BLACKS STILL CONFIDENT ON WHERE THEY'RE AT. I THINK WE'VE CREATED ENOUGH. WE'VE CREATED A LOT OF OPPORTUNITIES THROUGHOUT EVERY TEST MATCH WE'VE PLAYED. IT'S ANYONE'S GUESS AS TO WHETHER THE CHANGE OF SCENERY COULD PLAY INTO THE ALL BLACKS FAVOUR. WHO KNOWS? UM, I'VE BEEN MARRIED A LONG TIME, AND I'VE ALWAYS FELT I IF YOU DO THE JOB PROPERLY, YOU GET THE RIGHT RESULTS FOR YOU, EVERYTHING RUNS PRETTY WELL, SO I DON'T NEED A CHANGE OF SCENERY TO MAKE THINGS BETTER. IN THE EYES OF NEIL BARNES, IT'S A CLEAR CUT FIX... WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO EAT HUMBLE PIE AND BE HONEST IN OUR REVIEWS AND BE SOLUTION-BASED. THE ALL BLACKS HAVE LESS THAN A WEEK TO SORT THE SPRINGBOKS OUT, AND TRAILING 2-1, THE ALL BLACKS COULD BE THE ONES HAVING THE LAST LAUGH. THERE WAS NO NRL MINOR PREMIERSHIP FOR THE WARRIORS THIS YEAR, FINISHING THE REGULAR SEASON IN SECOND PLACE ON POINTS DIFFERENTIAL AFTER THE PANTHERS' 38-10 DEMOLITION OF THE TIGERS LAST NIGHT. ONLY NEEDING TO WIN BY TWO POINTS OR MORE TO SECURE THE MINOR PREMIERSHIP, THE PANTHERS WERE AT THEIR RUTHLESS BEST LAST NIGHT, BURYING THE TIGERS WITH FIVE TRIES BEFORE HALF-TIME. HE TWISTS, TURNS, GETS HIS BODY ELEVATED ENOUGH AND GETS THE BALL DOWN. THE WARRIORS WILL HOST THE DOLPHINS AT MT SMART STADIUM IN THEIR QUALIFYING FINAL ON SATURDAY NIGHT. SCOTT MCLAUGHLIN'S MORE THAN TWO-YEAR WINLESS DROUGHT IS OVER. THIS MORNING, TEAM PENSKE LED FROM START TO FINISH TO WIN INDYCAR'S SEASON-ENDING GRAND PRIX OF MONTEREY. WHILE ALEX PALOU HAD ALREADY CLAIMED THIS YEAR'S CHAMPIONSHIP, THERE WAS STILL PLENTY FOR THE KIWI CONTINGENT TO RACE FOR. GORDON FINDLATER HAS MORE. AFTER 735 DAYS BETWEEN DRINKS, BUT SCOTT MCLAUGHLIN IS BACK IN INDYCAR'S WINNERS CIRCLE. HE SNAPS A 35-RACE WINLESS STREAK. SCOTT MCLAUGHLIN ENDS THE SEASON ON A HIGH. SHOOTS IT TO THE MOON! HIS LAST WIN COMING IN MILWAUKEE IN 2024 ` A LOT'S CHANGED SINCE THEN. MY LITTLE GIRL HASN'T SEEN ME WIN YET, AND SHE FINALLY HAS. SO DAD'S COMING HOME WITH A TROPHY, BABY ` LETS GO, LUCE! PRE-RACE, ALL THE TALK WAS ABOUT ANOTHER SCOTT FURTHER DOWN THE GRID. TODAY'S RACE SCOTT DIXON'S LAST WITH CHIP GANASSI, A 25-YEAR RELATIONSHIP COMING TO AN END BEFORE HE JOINS MCLAREN NEXT SEASON. WE HAD A PRETTY EMOTIONAL PRE-RACE MEETING TOO. ALL THESE PEOPLE ARE FAMILY. SO IT WAS NOT A DECISION THAT WAS TAKEN LIGHTLY BY ANY MAN. THE RACE ITSELF WAS FAIRLY UNEVENTFUL. FOR ONE FINAL TIME, WE'RE RACING IN THE INDYCAR SERIES. A GREAT START FROM MCLAUGHLIN. STARTING FROM POLE, MCLAUGHLIN NEVER LOOKED IN DANGER OF LOSING HIS LEAD ` THE ONLY SLIGHT PRESSURE COMING LATE FROM KYLE KIRKWOOD. WITHIN A COUPLE OF LAPS, THIS COULD BUNCH UP. FURTHER BACK, IT WAS A FRUSTRATING GANASSI FINALLY FOR DIXON FINISHING 17TH. A DISAPPOINTING YEAR ON THE WHOLE, WHICH SAW HIM PLACE 12TH IN THE CHAMPIONSHIP ` HIS WORST RESULT SINCE 2005. HE'LL LOOK FORWARD TO NEW BEGINNINGS AT MCLAREN, WHILE FOR MCLAUGHLIN, TODAY'S WIN IS SURE TO GIVE HIM PLENTY OF CONFIDENCE FOR MOUNTING A TITLE CHALLENGE NEXT YEAR. THAT'S WHAT'S IT'S GONNA TAKE TO WIN A CHAMPIONSHIP. WHAT A GREAT WARM-UP WE HAD ` SO, YEAH ` BRING ON 2027. A LONG OFF-SEASON NOW AWAITS BEFORE THE KIWI CONTINGENT GET ANOTHER CHANCE TO SPREAD THEIR WINGS. IT'S BEING HAILED AS ONE OF THE MOST INCREDIBLE WINS IN FORMULA ONE HISTORY. CHAMPIONSHIP LEADER KIMI ANTONELLI STARTED FROM 19TH BECAUSE OF A GRID PENALTY, BUT SHOCKED THE FIELD TO WIN HIS HOME ITALIAN GRAND PRIX. AND WHILE LIAM LAWSON FINISHED 14TH FOR RED BULL, IT WAS ANTONELLI (20) WHO PROVED ONCE AGAIN HE'S DESTINED FOR GREATNESS. ANTONY STEVENS REPORTS. AN ITALIAN JOB AT MONZA. HE IS THE FIRST ITALIAN TO WIN HIS HOME GRAND PRIX SINCE 1966! IT WAS SIX CAREER WINS. NOW IT'S SEVEN! KIMI ANTONELLI WINS THE ITALIAN GRAND PRIX! YEAH! OH MY GOSH! THE 20-YEAR-OLD, STARTING FROM 19TH ON THE GRID TO WIN HIS HOME GRAND PRIX, A VICTORY THAT WILL GO DOWN IN FORMULA ONE FOLKLORE. IT'S A DREAM COMING TRUE, AND, UH, WHAT AN INCREDIBLE DAY. MONZA WAS A SEA OF RED BEFORE THE RACE FOR THE OTHER HOMETOWN HERO, FERRARI. IT'S LIGHTS OUT AND AWAY WE GO. BUT WHEN CHARLES LECLERC AND TEAM-MATE LEWIS HAMILTON TANGLED ON JUST THE SECOND CORNER, THE WRITING WAS ON THE WALL. THE VERY NEXT LAP, LECLERC WAS IN IT. AND HE'S OFF INTO THE BARRIER! CHARLES LECLERC IN DRAMATIC FASHION! LECLERC WALKING AWAY BUT LEFT DAZED AND CONFUSED. ANTONELLI, ON THE OTHER HAND, HAD TUNNEL VISION, MIXING RAW PACE AND BRAZEN OVERTAKES TO CHARGE THROUGH THE FIELD. BY THE 18TH LAP, HE OVERTOOK TEAM-MATE GEORGE RUSSELL TO TAKE THE LEAD. KIMI ANTONELLI LEADS THE ITALIAN GRAND PRIX! THE PAIR EXCHANGED THE LEAD SEVERAL TIMES, BUT WITH FOUR LAPS LEFT, ANTONELLI WAS SO NEARLY A VICTIM OF FRIENDLY FIRE. WELL, THAT WASN'T VERY WELL EXECUTED AT ALL! WHAT THE (BLEEP!) HAPPENED THERE? THE PAIR GETTING A TELLING OFF. KEEP IT CLEAN. NO RISKS HERE. A LAP LATER, ANTONELLI RECLAIMED THE LEAD. HE'S GOT HIM. HE'S GOT HIM! THAT COMPLETED A RECORD 26 OVERTAKES FOR A LEAD HE WOULDN'T SURRENDER. THE ITALIAN, NOW 66 POINTS CLEAR OF RUSSELL IN THE CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS, AND ONLY NINE POINTS SHY OF A THREE-WIN CUSHION. I'M GOING TO ENJOY THIS MOMENT AND THEN FOCUS ON THE NEXT ONE, AND THEN FOCUS ON THE NEXT ONE AGAIN UNTIL THE END OF THE SEASON. ANTONELLI, ON TRACK TO BECOME THE YOUNGEST WORLD CHAMPION IN FORMULA ONE HISTORY, AND A CROWN IN THE WAITING KING KIMI. DEFENDING CHAMPIONS ARSENAL HAVE CONTINUED THEIR PERFECT START TO THE PREMIER LEAGUE SEASON. THE GUNNERS FOUND THEMSELVES ON THE BACK FOOT AFTER JUST TWO MINUTES, BUT KAI HAVERTZ PUT THE HOSTS ON THE BOARD MIDWAY THROUGH THE FIRST HALF BEFORE MARTIN ODEGARD GRABBED THE WINNER IN THE SECOND. AND THEY DO. FOR THE FIRST TIME TODAY, ARSENAL LEAD! ELSEWHERE, MANCHESTER UNITED HAD TO SETTLE FOR A 2-2 DRAW WITH EVERTON AFTER CONCEDING A LATE EQUALISER IN THE FOURTH MINUTE OF STOPPAGE TIME. FIFA'S CONFIRMED THAT PRESIDENT GIANNI INFANTINO WILL STAND FOR RE-ELECTION NEXT MARCH, BUT HE COULD FACE A TOUGH BATTLE TO STAY IN THE JOB AFTER HIS PLANS TO SELL OFF PARTS OF THE WORLD CUP SPARKED A HUGE BACKLASH. LAST WEEK, UEFA FILED LEGAL PAPERS WHICH COULD LEAD TO A CRIMINAL COMPLAINT AGAINST HIM. HE'S GOT A TOUGH JOB ON HIS HANDS. HE IS GOING TO STICK AROUND FOR A WHILE YET. NEW ZEALAND HAS BAGGED AN EARLY EMMY AWARD ` WITH WETA FX WINNING A PRIZE FOR THEIR WORK ON THE FINAL SEASON OF STRANGER THINGS. WETA FX WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR MOST OF THE VISUAL EFFECTS IN THE FIFTH SEASON OF THE NETFLIX SERIES, CRAFTING MORE THAN 1185 SHOTS ACROSS EIGHT EPISODES. THEIR WORK INCLUDED DIGITALLY DE-AGING THE CHARACTER OF WILL BYERS AND BRINGING THE GARGANTUAN MIND FLAYER CREATURE TO LIFE FOR THE FINAL BATTLE. FANS OF DOLLY PARTON HAVE HELD A PARADE TO CELEBRATE HER LIFE IN HER HOME STATE OF TENNESSEE. THE COUNTRY MUSIC LEGEND (80) DIED LAST WEEK. THE CITY OF KNOXVILLE, WHICH HELD THE PARADE, WAS WHERE PARTON USED TO SING REGULARLY FROM THE AGE OF 10 ON LOCAL RADIO AND TELEVISION PROGRAMMES. PARTON ALWAYS SANG LOVINGLY ABOUT HER CHILDHOOD HOME IN THE NEARBY TENNESSEE MOUNTAINS, AND SPARKED A TOURISM BOOM FOR THE REGION. IMO'S BACK NOW ` SO HOW IS THE WEEK LOOKING SO FAR? WELL, NOT TOO BAD FOR THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS, SAM ` APART FROM TEMPERATURES REMAINING ON THE CHILLIER SIDE. TOMORROW IS DEFINITELY THE PICK OF THE BUNCH NATIONWIDE ` WEDNESDAY, WE SEE THAT BAND OF RAIN TRACK ACROSS THE TOP OF THE COUNTRY, WHILE THIS FRONT CREEPS ON TO THE BOTTOM OF THE COUNTRY AND STARTS ITS TREK NORTH. I'LL HAVE YOUR FULL FORECAST NEXT. WHATEVER THE WEATHER BRINGS, HRV MAKES HOME FEEL BETTER. HRV, BRINGING YOU THREE NEWS WEATHER. KIA ORA, WELCOME BACK ` I HOPE YOU HAD A GREAT MONDAY. TODAY'S SOGGY STUFF'S GOING TO CONTINUE ITS TREK EAST TONIGHT ` COULD BE LOOKING AT SOME FROST FIRST THING FOR PARTS OF THE SOUTH ISLAND, THANKS TO THAT RIDGE OF HIGH PRESSURE CLEARING THOSE SKIES UP, AND OVERALL, TOMORROW'S LOOKING PRETTY GOOD COMPARED TO WHAT WE'VE BEEN DEALING WITH. GET THOSE WINTER WOOLIES BACK OUT, OTAGO AND CANTERBURY ` YOU'LL BE WAKING TO FROSTS. THEN TUESDAY'S LOOKING PICTURE-PERFECT OUT EAST WITH A DECENT SERVING OF CLOUD AND A FEW PESKY SHOWERS KICKING ROUND OUT WEST. A BIT OF CLOUD AND EARLY SHOWERS STILL HOVERING ROUND EASTERN AREAS OF THE NORTH ISLAND, BUT AS THE DAY TRUCKS ALONG, YOU'LL NOTICE THAT'S A PRETTY CLEAR-ISH PICTURE, WITH SOUTHERLIES KEEPING A LID ON TEMPERATURES. CLOUDY AND A FEW EARLY ISOLATED SHOWERS AROUND UP TOP, BUT THINGS CLEAR UP FOR A VERY NICE-LOOKING AFTERNOON. STRONG SOU'WESTERLY WINDS ABOUT ` AN OVERCAST START AND POTENTIALLY SOME PRE-DAWN DRIZZLY STUFF HERE TOO. CLOUD LIFTING NICELY FOR TOKOROA AND ROTORUA ` SOUTHERLIES AND SOU'WESTERLIES THIS WAY. RAIN FIRST THING FOR GISBORNE AND HAWKE'S BAY, EASING TO SHOWERS, BUT THE CLOUD WILL HANG ROUND. A LOT OF CLOUD DOWN THE BOTTOM HERE TOO, AND YOU'LL PROBABLY ALL NOTICE A CHILL IN THE AIR. COULD BE SOME PRE-DAWN RAIN SKIRTING ACROSS THE TOP, BUT LOVELY TUESDAY STARTS FOR THE REST, CLOUDING OVER IN THE AFTERNOON DOWN THE BOTTOM. SOUTHERLIES AND SOU'WESTERLIES, AND SOME QUITE LOW LOWS. IT'S CLOUD AND THE ODD SHOWER FOR ALL HERE THROUGHOUT THE DAY, EVENTUALLY CLEARING OUT BY EVENING. LIGHT WINDS FOR ALL. THOSE CRISPY-LOOKING LOWS WILL MEAN FROST ON THE GROUND ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE ISLAND, BUT HOW'S THAT FOR A TUESDAY? CRACKERS ALL ROUND, WITH NOR'EASTERLIES KICKING ABOUT. NOT TOO BAD DOWN COUNTRY ` A SPRINKLING OF FROST FOR QUEENSTOWN AND ALEXANDRA. ANY EARLY SHOWERS CLEAR, AND THERE'LL BE A GOOD SERVING OF CLOUD TO GO ROUND. A LOVELY, SUNNY, CHILLY START FOR DUNEDIN, THEN CLOUD ROLLS IN AFTER LUNCH WHICH COULD SPRING A SHOWER. AFTERNOON SOU'WESTERLIES. CHRISTCHURCH, HAPPY TUESDAY ` FROSTS IN SHELTERED PLACES WITH THAT 1-DEGREE LOW. LOTS OF SUN, ONLY MANAGING TO GET TO 13. GREAT MORNING IN THE CAPITAL, BUT THE AFTERNOON WILL CLOUD OVER. SOUTHERLY WINDS. 13 ALSO YOUR HIGH. HAWKE'S BAY ` STILL SOME WET STUFF TO FILTER THROUGH, CLEARING BY THE AFTERNOON, BUT STILL CLOUDY, AND A BIT NIPPY TOO. YOU ARE LOOKING AT AN OVERCAST DAY, TAURANGA ` STILL WARM, THOUGH, WITH SOU'WESTERLIES KICKING AROUND. HAMILTON ` YOU'LL BE OVERCAST TO START, BUT THAT CLEARS TO A GREAT AFTERNOON. SOU'WESTERLY WINDS FOR YOU AS WELL. CLOUD AROUND IN THE MORNING FOR AUCKLAND AS WELL ` FINER STUFF AFTER LUNCH. WHICH IS WHEN THE SOU'WESTERS WILL BE GUSTY. A LOT OF CLOUD ACROSS THE DITCH TOMORROW AS WELL, WITH SHOWERS FOR BRISSIE AND TASMANIA, AND DRIZZLE FOR SYDNEY. AND TUESDAY'S LOOKING QUITE SOGGY ACROSS THE PACIFIC ` SOME LOVELY SUNSHINE, THOUGH, FOR NIUE. LOOKING INTO THE FUTURE BACK HOME NOW AND WE'VE GOT SOME SHOWERS HEADING FOR NORTHLAND THAT'LL SPREAD DOWN TO THE WAIKATO, WITH SOME ON THE CARDS FOR PRETTY MUCH THE ENTIRE ISLAND FOR THURSDAY AFTERNOON. SOU'WESTERLIES STICKING ROUND MEAN THOSE COOLER TEMPERATURES FOR AT LEAST ANOTHER COUPLE OF DAYS. AS FOR THE SOUTH ISLAND, WE'VE GOT A STRONGISH FRONT APPROACHING FROM WEDNESDAY, WHICH WILL SPREAD UP THE WEST COAST, INTO SOUTHLAND AND OTAGO AS WELL, AND BEHIND THAT IS THAT SOU'WESTERLY FLOW WHICH WILL KEEP THINGS SHOWERY AND COOL ACROSS THE ISLAND ON FRIDAY. WE'VE GOT OUR FIRST LAMB PICS, SAM, FROM OUR FRIEND BRUCE! HARD TO PICK A FAVOURITE OF HIS TODAY, BUT I THOUGHT THIS CURIOUS WEE DUO WERE PRETTY CUTE. THAT IS THREE NEWS FOR TONIGHT. THANKS FOR JOINING US. YOU CAN STAY UP TO DATE WITH ALL THE LATEST NEWS ON STUFF.CO.NZ I'M SAMANTHA HAYES. KA KITE ANO, AND I'LL SEE YOU AGAIN TOMORROW AT 6. CAPTIONS BY LENA ERAKOVICH AND KATE PERCIVAL. CAPTIONS WERE MADE WITH THE SUPPORT OF NZ ON AIR. WWW.ABLE.CO.NZ COPYRIGHT ABLE 2026