Howdy, everybody. Today's rain eased back on the East Coast, then pushed around the corner into Wellington, dumping 50mm. Fog cast a blurry veil over parts of Rotorua and Tauranga first thing, and now we have a new challenger in our skies. What an anticyclone means for you coming up. Right now, it's 6 o'clock. Due to the live nature of ONE News we apologise for the lack of captions for some items. This is ONE News, with Wendy Petrie and Peter Williams, and live from London, Simon Dallow. Tonight ` the mystery of who killed the Kahui twins. Their father's been cleared, so why could he now face serious charges? The sympathetic hero behind the mask ` some banter with Batman for movie-massacre survivors. And from the build-up here to the London Olympics, our very own shining light ` Barbara Kendall's star turn as security steps up for the Games. First tonight, the father of the Kahui twins could still face charges six years after they died. Police say they're reviewing evidence following a coroner's report which singles out Chris Kahui as the prime suspect, even though he was cleared of their killings. Lisa Owen has more. No one's ever been held accountable for killing these babies, but now coroner Gary Evans has singled out their father, Chris Kahui, in connection with their deaths. He found that Chris Kahui was the only person who was present when the fatal injuries were inflicted. Specifically, the coroner's report says the head injuries 3-month-old Chris and Cru suffered happened while they were in the... he found Mr Kahui's evidence was... his actions were... and Chris Kahui's allegation that the twins' mother, Macsyna King, hurt them is... I would just like to think that the people across the board in NZ who were so quick to treat her so badly I would just like to think that the people across the board in NZ who were so quick to treat her so badly really look long and hard at themselves. However, despite the coroner's findings, law changes since Mr Kahui's murder trial mean he can't be tried again for the killing of the twins. The double-jeopardy rules mean simply he hadn't be tried again for murder or manslaughter or infanticide of the children. The night the twins were injured, others were at the house with Chris Kahui, but the coroner categorically rules two of them out as suspects. but highlights the fact Chris Kahui was alone with the babies for at least three minutes before they became extremely unwell. I say it's time for Chris Kahui to man up and tell the truth. ONE News wanted to speak on camera to Chris Kahui and ask who he now claims is responsible for the babies' deaths. We couldn't reach him, but briefly spoke to his wife. I just want to know how Chris feels about being singled out as the person who injured his twins. No comment, thank you. In this statement, Chris Kahui rejects outright the coroner's findings, saying they're completely inconsistent with the verdicts in his trial. Chris Kahui continues to deny any involvement in what he describes as the 'tragic and untimely death of the twins'. However, the coroner's report says Chris Kahui did not feed the babies for up to 24 hours and hid the fact they were seriously ill and refused to take them to hospital, which could leave the door open to further criminal charges. They may want to consider charging him with failing to provide the necessaries of life for the twins. The police say they're still reviewing the evidence from the coroner's inquest. Lisa Owen, ONE News. So just to be clear, Chris Kahui cannot be tried again for the murder or manslaughter of the twins. That's because the law changed a month after Mr Kahui was acquitted. The case against Christchurch man George Gwaze is different because he was tried after the change to the so-called double-jeopardy law in 2008. That meant the Supreme Court could order his retrial for the murder and rape of his niece Charlene. Mr Gwaze was found not guilty again at that retrial. Another consequence of the Kahui case is Paula Bennett admitting there needs to be better communication between government agencies. But the Social Development Minister's not so sure about another of the coroner's recommendations that'd make it compulsory to report suspected child-abuse cases. This from Kim Vinnell. Anti-abuse posters now plaster the corridors of Starship Hospital in Auckland, where the Kahui twins spent their final hours. It's an awareness campaign that experts say isn't just for parents. For a lot of health professionals, if they're uncertain they may tend not to report because they don't want to create unnecessary trouble. Child-abuse expert Dr Patrick Kelly gave evidence at the Kahui inquest. Both he and coroner Gary Evans agree health professionals should be required by law to report suspected child abuse. Child protection is complex, it's demanding, it's stressful and it's difficult to do, so health professionals, like everybody else, often tend to avoid it. While the coroner says mandatory reporting of suspected child abuse is the way forward, the Green Party says that could put parents off bringing their children into hospital in the first place. Social Development Minister Paula Bennett also isn't convinced and says there are strong arguments on both sides We currently get about 150,000 notifications, about 50,000 of which need follow-up. That means, actually, 100,000 of them are what we would call false positives and don't need a response. Imagine if you increased that by another 100,000. Coroner Evans also recommends all district health boards have dedicated child-protection teams, although the basis of such teams already exists. Every DHB has a CYFS social worker appointed to the DHB. All DHBs have family-violence programmes. One thing all agree on is the need for better information sharing between welfare agencies. Do you think that all government departments and systems are adequately sharing? No, but we are making significant changes in the next few months. Those changes will be explained in the Government's child-abuse white paper due out later this year. Kim Vinnell, ONE News. A leader who ended up in hospital for opposing Zimbabwe's hard-line president is now pleading for NZ to take it easier on his country. Morgan Tsvangirai is now the prime minister alongside Robert Mugabe and wants us to drop decades-old financial and travel sanctions. Political editor Corin Dann has more. When the then opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai suffered a brutal beating at the hands of the Mugabe regime, NZers were outraged. Five years on, he bears no grudge and wants the world to move on. Revenge should not be an agenda. I think what we should do is reconciliation, rebuilding and reconstruction. But he says Zimbabwe's cash-strapped economy can't grow while financial sanctions are in place. The reason why we are facing this financial squeeze and financial liquidity problems is because of the sanctions. The IMF, the World Bank will not deal with us. The Prime Minister says he'll consider lifting sanctions, but first wants to consult with Australia. However, he accepts Mr Tsvangirai has a compelling case. If there free and fair elections held in Zimbabwe and therefore a free and open voice can be given to the people of Zimbabwe, why wouldn't the global community respond in kind? It was after the disputed election in 2008 that Mr Tsvangirai entered a power-sharing agreement with arch-enemy President Robert Mugabe. Mr Tsvangirai says the two foes have developed a 'working relationship' and they will now contest another election next year. And he's hopeful the reward of sanctions being lifted will be enough of an incentive for President Mugabe to play fair. He will accept the result. I don't see any reason why he should plunge the country gain into another dispute. John Key says it's possible NZ could also help by sending observers to the election. Corin Dann, ONE News. The safety of cyclists on our roads is in the spotlight at the first of a series of nationwide inquests into a spate of deaths. Jane Bishop (27) was killed on Auckland's Tamaki Dr in November after swerving when a car door was opened and falling under a truck. Coroner Gordon Matenga says her death could've been avoided if she'd used a cycle lane. Do you have a view over whether that should be mandatory? My understanding is that the cycle lane provided is OK for people who are just taking it easy, going` going along there. That is not up to carrying vehicles at speed. The coroner's also looking at making it compulsory for road cyclists to wear high-vis gear. People recovering from the movie massacre in America now have real-life pictures of the actor who plays the hero. Batman star Christian Bale spent around two and a half hours visiting victims in a Colorado hospital as more harrowing stories emerged. Here's US correspondent Jack Tame. EMOTIONALLY: I wish I could have protected him the same way he protected me. Amanda Lindgren is a survivor, but her boyfriend, Alex Tevez, was among the 12 people killed on Friday night. In the Denver movie theatre, he shielded her from the gunman. He... held me down, and he covered my head, and he said, 'Shh. Stay down. It's OK. Shh. Stay down.' But there were brighter moments today for the 20 shooting victims still in hospital. Christian Bale, Batman himself, flew to the city to meet the survivors and to thank emergency staff. This is meant to kill as many people as possible in the shortest period of time. The massacre has fuelled the campaign for tighter control of assault weapons, but no results so far. The massacre may actually have led to an increase in gun sales. Colorado authorities have issued this notice, saying they're facing record numbers of requests for background checks on new gun owners. In the last three days, requests have increased 41%. And as police and the FBI continue to investigate James Holmes, more detail has emerged about some of his unusual behaviour. Reports say he's been spitting at jail guards so frequently, he's been made to wear a face mask. And when investigators put plastic bags on his hands to test for gunpowder, he used the bags as hand puppets. This could all be behaviour that is indicative of some sort of psychotic episode. Insanity is a possible defence. Jack Tame, ONE News, New York. Well, the greatest show on Earth's just over two days away, but there's a last-minute bid to stop it turning into a disaster. With more, let's go to Simon with our Olympics team in Britain. Thanks, Wendy. Yes, police here are insisting athletes and supporters will be safe at these Games, but just to be sure, a huge military contingent's got a late call-up. This from Olympics reporter Garth Bray. Another day, another call-up for Britain's hard-pressed armed forces; though they were smiling as 1200 more troops made their way to the Games. This time, at least, the government isn't blaming the security contractor. What we have coming up is the opening ceremony and one of the busiest weekends of the Games, and we've decided that it's just sensible, uh, to leave nothing to chance at all, and it's better to have those troops on hand. Security was a little more relaxed in West London as they gathered for the passing of the Olympic torch relay and a surprise ring-in. It's a little bit exciting, actually, I hope that, uh, I hope the torch lights and everything goes really well. So, um, really quite excited. It's such a privilege to be able to carry the torch. With all the fuss with getting tickets, getting to the Games, for so many people, this is the closest they'll get to the Olympics. No surprise, then, that more than 9 million people in Britain have turned out see the torch relay. I wonder how many of them know that it's a Kiwi running today. Or that she's a member of the elite Olympic family, entitled to use the city's Games-only lanes whether or not she's carrying a torch. < How did you manage to score this one? < Because this is, like, usually for people who have done stuff in the local community, yeah? It's from the IOC. So because of my, um, role in the IOC, so it's all about the, um, work with athletics. The flame ends its journey where the Games begin, and later they'll stage another rehearsal at the Olympic Stadium. The test crowd is already fizzing within the limits of a strict confidentiality agreement. Absolutely brilliant. I'm not going to tell you a thing about it. (CHUCKLES) You'll have to wait and see it for yourselves. Unbelievable. Made me cry watching it. With temperatures forecast to break through 30 degrees here this week, it looks like the weather may not miss its cue either. Garth Bray, ONE News, London. While the opening ceremony takes place in London on Saturday NZ time, the actual action kicks off in about nine hours. And it'll be Rebecca Smith leading the Football Ferns against the host nation in Cardiff. From there, Olympics reporter Heather du Plessis-Allan joins us now. Heather. THIS IS WHERE THE ENTIRE OLYMPICS KICKS OFF BIG MATCH FOR FOOTBALL FERNS BIG CROWD In a matter of hours, the Football Ferns will swap the lunchtime crowd at this Cardiff park for a massive global Olympic audience. Well, we're excited. I mean, we're honoured to be able to start the Olympic Games and kick off the entire Olympic Games. There's a fair amount of pressure on the squad to kick off NZ's Olympic campaign with a win. But they're counting on the fact their stress is nothing compared to their opponents', Great Britain. Again, again. That's so funny. Yeah, well, that's just it. I mean, being the host nation, I think that all eyes are on them, and they have huge expectations on them. And, for us, we have nothing to lose. So, on paper, we're worse than them by quite a bit. They may only be ranked 23rd in the world, but the Football Ferns know how to surprise. A higher-than-expected Olympic debut in Beijing's earned them four years of extra funding. Add to the mix a new coach and several professional players in the ranks, and you can't write them off. The most I've ever played in front of was maybe 20,000. More importantly, guaranteed to be in the crowd ` I'll you those. So that's our tickets and maps of the stadium. Hannah Wilkinson's parents and brothers, who made the trip out especially. It's well worth it. Been saving the leave up all year, so definitely worth coming over for that. Even more so if the team wins. An upset which would probably cost them a little bit of their popularity in Britain. YOU MAY WONDER IF THIS MATCH IS UP BEFORE THE OPENING CEREMONY SO MANY TEAMS, SO OFFICIALS DECIDED TO START EARLY Heather du Plessis-Allan in Cardiff. The face of football in Britain is still playing a big part, despite his controversial omission from the Olympics team. David Beckham has revealed he has a cameo role in the opening ceremony, but says he's forbidden from revealing details. He's also stunned fans in London at a photo booth set up to support British sporting talent. Oh my gosh! Can I get in? Yes! Yes. Oh my goodness! Oh God. Bless you. You all right? Shall we do some pictures? UPBEAT MUSIC Beckham's also shared the stage with an Olympic and boxing great to present a sports award to an Afghan refugee. Muhammad Ali (70), who has Parkinson's disease, won gold for America at the 1960 Rome Olympics. One other Olympic note, all 205 teams marching at the opening ceremony will be controlled with what organisers are calling a secret device to ensure they keep to time. You can keep up-to-date with news from our team of reporters here in London on onenews.co.nz/olympics And one of them, Paul Hobbs, is with the busker behind our official Olympic song later in the news hour. Still to come on ONE News ` NZ's link to an international spy scandal. Syria's government calls in air strikes as the battle for Aleppo escalates. Tonga turns on to solar power with a helping hand from NZ. And the country's best piemaker reveals the secret to her award-winning recipe. Then at 7 ` fitter, better, faster, stranger. The bizarre ways Olympic athletes are still trying to pass anti-doping tests. NZ's been caught up in an international espionage scandal that's rocked Western security agencies. A Canadian naval officer's allegedly passed highly classified Australian military secrets to a foreign power, believed to be Russia, over a five-year period. For more, we cross to our Australia correspondent Steve Marshall, who's outside the Royal Australian Navy Base in Sydney. Steve, what more can you tell us? IT'S A PLOT RIGHT OUT OF A HOLLYWOOD MOVIE IT SENT SHOCKWAVES THROUGH WESTERN SECURITY AGENCIES. JEFFREY DELISLE (41) FROM THE INTELLIGENCE HUB IN HALIFAX WAS ARRESTED EARLIER THIS YEAR, ACCUSED OF PASSING SECRETS TO RUSSIA OVER THE PAST FIVE YEARS, INCLUDING SIGNALS INTELLIGENCE COLLECTED BY THE SO-CALLED 'FIVE EYES', THE US, UK, CANADA, AUSTRALIA AND NZ. THE INFORMATION WAS MORE HIGHLY CLASSIFIED THAN MILITARY REPORTS HANDED OVER BY PVT BRADLEY MANNING TO WIKILEAKS. DELISLE'S ACTIONS WERE DISCUSSED AT A SECRET INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE HELD IN NZ, WHERE A SECURITY EXPERT SAYS THERE IS POTENTIAL FOR OUR INTEL SYSTEMS TO BE COMPROMISED. They could be compromised in so far as the Russians learn how good we are and where we're operating and what we're actually collecting and what that means in terms of the overall picture that we're contributing to. So what's the official reaction been over there? THE AUSTRALIAN DEFENCE CHIEF WASN'T COMMENTING ON THE MATTER. THE NZ GOVERNMENT SAYS IT WOULDN'T COMMENT ON SECURITY ISSUES. THE NZ GOVERNMENT SAYS IT WOULDN'T COMMENT ON SECURITY ISSUES. IT'S HIGHLY EMBARRASSING FOR ALL CONCERNED. DELISLE WAS DENIED BAIL AND FACES COURT AGAIN IN OCTOBER. HE COULD FACE LIFE BEHIND BARS. Thanks, Steve Marshall, live from Sydney. The Syrian conflict has escalated sharply with the deployment of fighter jets as the government tries to wrest back control of the economic capital, Aleppo. Rebels have claimed large pockets of the city, giving them a significant psychological boost. The BBC's Ian Pannell has been with the rebels in Aleppo. It's the Islamic month of Ramadan, so when the sun goes down, another day of fasting is done. And in Syria, the rebel army comes out to fight. We joined the convoy on a highly dangerous mission to Aleppo, where the battle is at its most fierce. ALL CHANT, SHOUT Many here are desperate for the rebels to succeed, clamouring for freedom denied by their president. But as the rebels take over this district, many fear what you're really seeing is an Islamic takeover that'll unleash a whirlwind of division and bloodshed across this region. It was another day of intensive fighting as the fighters tried to extend their control... SHOUTING GUNSHOTS ...and seek revenge... GUNFIRE ...against men they accuse of being Shabiha ` members of the brutal government militia. There's little justice on either side here. GUNFIRE Losing Aleppo would be a potentially fatal blow to President Assad, and today the fight-back began, with helicopter gunships firing at rebel positions. But even with a tank they'd captured from the army,... the fighters are vastly outgunned. But what happened next marked a dramatic escalation. For the first time, fighter jets took to the skies, arcing through the air and strafing the ground ` GUNFIRE a mark of how desperate the government's become. And in the last hour, Turkey has announced it's closing all border gates with Syria. Britain's phone-hacking scandal's taken a dramatic turn with the filing of criminal charges against eight former News of the World journalists and senior executives. Two former editors, Rebekah Brooks and Andy Coulson, are among those accused of conspiring to break into the phones of more than 600 people, including murdered schoolgirl Milly Dowler. Both deny the allegations. At News of the World, we worked on behalf of the victims of crime, particularly violent crime. And the idea that I would then sit in my office dreaming up schemes to undermine investigations is simply untrue. The maximum penalty for the offence is two years' jail. A typhoon has blown in to China, which is already waterlogged after five days of torrential rain. Over a hundred are dead and 47 missing as a result of natural disasters caused by the downpours. More than nine million people across the country have been affected. The government's been criticised for spending billions on modernising Beijing while neglecting basics like water drainage around the country. Tonga's dependency on diesel fuel could be about to come to an end now the switch has been flicked on a brand new solar-energy facility. The small island nation imports and burns nearly half a million litres of diesel a year to keep the lights on. Pacific correspondent Barbara Dreaver sent this report. Electricity is a luxury many Tongans just can't afford. Yeah, it's very hard for the people to pay the power. It's expensive. A small community project has provided over 60 underprivileged homes with solar panels which can power three lights and a phone charger. The project is expected to provide around 4% of Tongatapu's power. A major impediment to investment here is the cost of electricity, so it significantly limits the growth opportunities over time. We're going to change that. Up until now, the power grid has been driven by imported diesel alone, and that's come at a huge cost. You're talking about, say, NZ$8m to NZ$9m a year, and that's paid for by our customers. So the more we can reduce, the better. The solar project has meant the first price cut has just been announced ` a reduction of 4% to 6%. Diesel is such an expensive commodity here that moving from fossil fuels to renewable is actually much more viable. In the next six years, the kingdom expects to produce half of its electricity from renewable resources. The cost of electricity here in Tonga is amongst the highest in the Pacific. So solar power will mean savings for those who need it the most. With NZ playing its part in helping provide a better life for Tonga's future generations. Barbara Dreaver, ONE News, Nuku'alofa. To our weather now. The heavy rain's backed off out east? Yep. Good falls in the Ruahine and Tararua Ranges, Rimutaka Hills and Wellington, but the downpours have gone. Just some rain in the east and north. For weather, see onenews.co.nz Rain eased over Raglan today. Get ready for some sunshine. Blue is back in vogue. See you. Still to come on ONE News ` revelations soil under the collapsed CTV building was soft. You've got 315 times more chance of winning Lotto than claiming Olympic gold. So what does it take to produce a winner? # You stand strong. # You stand strong. # And our Olympic songwriter takes her tunes to London. Tonight on Close Up ` the damning report that puts the blame for the Kahui twins' deaths on dad Chris. What this means for the courts and justice for babies Chris and Cru. Plus, will we be watching clean athletes in London 2012? We talk to the Kiwi ensuring we are. Close Up at 7, TV ONE. 1 A delegation from the Japanese city of Toyama's arrived in Christchurch to attend the Royal Commission's hearing into the collapse of the CTV building, which housed a foreign language school. 13 students from the city died in the collapse. Today's evidence centred on soil conditions at the site. Ali Pugh has more. 13 bore holes were drilled into the CTV building site before construction commenced in the mid-'80s. Mostly, they revealed a thick layer of gravel underground, but not in the north-east corner. That gravel was absent and therefore regarded as a softer area. According to Tonkin & Taylor's Tim Sinclair, that 'softer area' contained more sand and silt than gravel. It showed there just 100mm of gravel and then continuing into sand. He said while there was no evidence of liquefaction under the building, it was still quite possible that it may have occurred. Also under investigation is the impact, if any, of a building fit-out in April 2000 that saw the addition of an internal stairwell. David Falloon signed off the plans, but has said the files for the job could well have been lost after the earthquake saw his office block demolished. We didn't take all of our records with us. < What happened to the balance? Well, they went down with the building. The Commission then heard that the employee who drew up those plans was straight out of university. And can you remember how much experience this fellow had? > He was a` I believe a fresh graduate. As the evidence into the building collapse continued, a delegation from the Japanese city of Toyama was welcomed to the hearings. We're honoured by your presence. 13 students from their city died in the CTV building. It's the first time they've attended this session of the hearings. Ali Pugh, ONE News. A 'gingerbread, peach, pear and Cointreau' pie has been taken out top honours at the NZ Pie Awards. The pie was created by Shane and Kathy Kearns, who run Viands Bakery, just outside of Te Awamutu. But the original idea came from one of their regular customers. He had the idea of a peach and Cointreau, and I thought, 'Oh, that sounds good,' so I played it with it and then put the pear with it and the ginger and` It grew from there. It's the second year in a row the couple have won the Supreme Pie Award. Looking at our top stories tonight ` police are reviewing evidence surrounding Chris Kahui and the death of his twin sons. This follows a coroner's report which singles out Mr Kahui as the only person present when babies Chris and Cru received fatal injuries. Chris Kahui has already been found not guilty of the boys' murder. And NZ's Olympic Games medallist Barbara Kendall has already played her part in these Olympics The board-sailer ran with the Olympic flame in Kew as summer arrived in London. Kendall (44) has the full set of Olympic medals ` gold, silver and bronze. Barbara Kendall is among an elite group. Most of us have a much greater chance of winning Lotto than making the Olympic medal podium. So what does it take to bring home gold? Ruth Wynn-Williams attempts to find out. Sarah Ulmer in 2004, the first NZer ever to win cycling record. And the world record may fall as well. It will! What a moment! 3.5 minutes on the track, but a race that took Ulmer at least nine years to finish. It's everything. You breathe it, you live it, you sleep it, you talk it. Nearly a decade of careful planning, an effort shared by the 13 others who've won gold for NZ in the last 20 years. Danyon Loader going to win this event! Loader wins! Information revealed in a study by performance planner David Slyfield. 12 out of 14 felt they either had the same or less talent than their opposition. Talent was their entry ticket, but it wasn't a winning ticket. You've got around 315 times more chance of winning Lotto in NZ than bringing home Olympic gold. For the 14 athletes that David Slyfield studied, there have been 4500 first-division wins. And with odds like that, nothing's left to chance. Come game day, our athletes say 90% of the work is already done. Try for NZ. You're just constantly strategising to, sort of, produce that perfect performance. No matter what the distraction. Here's what Hamish Carter says he did about being delivered a uniform that didn't fit. He had to cut something down, and he said, 'I'm forever immortalised as winning a gold medal and wearing what is a man bra.' A unique performance, perhaps, but David Slyfield says Olympic moments like these... (YELLS) ...come to those who have already proven themselves against the world's best. They've all been on the podium before, so winning wasn't new to them at all. They learned to win before the game. It's hoped NZ athletes will be back on that podium in just a matter of days. Ruth Wynn-Williams, ONE News. Another who'll be giving the performance of her life is the woman who wrote our official Olympic song. Sam RB's admitting to a few nerves ahead of her gig at the London ceremony where NZ's flagbearer will be announced. Olympics reporter Paul Hobbs caught up with Sam RB as she took in the sights of London. # Gone! # In a city renowned for its street musicians, a busker from Auckland's Queen Street is still pinching herself that she's strolling the streets where the Queen actually lives. Yeah, it's like looking around a three-dimensional postcard, and I came here with images of Coronation Street and Come Dine With Me, so it was always going to be special. It's the first visit to London for Sam RB, whose song Stand Tall was chosen over 300 other entries to be our official Olympic song. # Cos you stand tall. # You stand strong. # Today she plied her trade in Piccadilly Circus, having performed throughout Europe on her four-week trip. But her biggest challenge ` performing at the black-tie dinner later this week where our Olympic flagbearer will be announced. I think it's going to be quite scary. But for a woman who's overcome mental-health issues, London's all about breaking new ground. So, let's try it from the beginning up until that point, please. She's done her share of gigs and busking, but Sam wanted something a little different and persuaded a leading London choir to join her in singing Stand Tall. # Cos you stand tall. # You stand strong... I think we'll be arrested for treason, in fact, you know, cheering on the Olympic team. # We wish you well. # A sentiment for a nation. Paul Hobbs, ONE News, London. SUMMMER HAS CERTAINLY ARRIVED. IT'S GOING TO HIT 30 DEGREES. Andrew's here with sport, and the rowers have opened their doors? CORRECTION: ALL BLACKS CENTRE OUT. So, what hard and fast ground rules have they set up? Plus, the Crusader waiting to prove the national selectors wrong on the biggest stage. And is there life in the old pig yet? Scott Styris goes berserk in England. At OPSM, we use precision technology for a 3-D view of the retina, helping us better detect eye disease such as macular degeneration. Just one of the ways we look deeper. Talk to OPSM about an eye-health check-up today. Two days out from the start of the Olympics, and our champion rowers are taking no chances. Everyone, including family, must undertake a 48-hour quarantine before getting anywhere near them, and they have good reason for the paranoia. Olympics reporter Craig Stanaway's with the rowers. In medieval times, the British employed food testers. NZ's rowing king isn't enlisting one of those yet, but you can understand the quarantine. The bug that crippled world champion single-sculler Mahe Drysdale in Beijing cost him gold, athough now it's not a virus that's the worry. It's his shoulder, injured after being knocked off his bike in Munich six weeks ago. At the high rates, you know, sometimes it just catches, uh, every now and again on a stroke, and, you know, it just is a little bit painful. Drysdale insists he's still on track despite being forced out of the boat for three weeks. Where I am better is mentally. I think I can cope with those things, and, you know, I'm four years more experienced and ready to deal with those sort of issues. Obviously, you can never completely eliminate the possiblity of someone arriving here and passing on a bug. However, it's interesting to note the rowers are the only ones in the NZ team insisting on this stand down. Paranoia it's not. It's team policy wherever they go. What we've tried to do in our preparation is to put ourselves, hopefully, that far in front of anybody else that if a situation like that does arrise that it's not really going to affect us too bad. Eric Murray and Hamish Bond remain NZ's hottest favourite for gold. Our results over the last three years have, um, led to the situation we're in at the moment where, if we don't win, it will be deemed disappointing, and, you know, we realise that. For two guys under enormous pressure to deliver, they remain ridiculously relaxed. Craig Stanaway, ONE News Surprisingly, Mahe Drysdale isn't among the five gold medals NZ is tipped to win by esteemed American publication Sports Illustrated. The magazine's picking 16 medals in all, with Drysdale's fellow rowers dominating gold. Hamish Bond and Eric Murray in the pair, double scullers Joseph Sullivan and Nathan Cohen, and lightweights Peter Taylor and Storm Uru are all tipped to win. BMX rider Sarah Walker is also tagged to top the podium. And no surprise in the fifth gold medal pick ` shot-putter Valerie Adams. One gold medal many see as a forgone conclusion is in the men's basketball. Favourites the USA have trounced Spain in their last pre-Olympic hit-out in Barcelona. NBA finals foes LeBron James and Kevin Durant joined forces and toyed with the Spanish defence. A triple hand-off by LeBron. Gets it back. Good ball movement. And that time no doubt about the finish. LeBron finished with 25 points. The 100-78 scoreline raised suspicion Spain were holding back. The two sides are predicted to meet in the Olympic final on August 13th. Jamaica's team management has moved to quash speculation that superstar sprinter Usain Bolt is battling injury. Bolt failed to show at a public training session in Birmingham after pulling out of a race in Monaco last week. But manager Don Quarrie is adamant Bolt is fine. He's 101%. He's ready. Bolt's been plagued by a chronic back problem, and his season best 100 time is actually slower than training partner Yohan Blake's. Back here, the All Blacks' Four Nations rugby championships plans have hit a major snag. Veteran centre Conrad Smith has been ruled out for the next six weeks after eye surgery. Smith needed treatment for a detached retina after the win over the Chiefs two weeks ago. At this stage, he'll miss at least the two Bledisloe Cup matches next month. Smith's unavailability opens the door for a player like Tamati Ellison. Before then, rugby is focused on Friday night's Super semi-final in Hamilton. The battle of the star-studded inside backs looms as one of the key deciders between the Chiefs and the Crusaders. Here's Blair Norton. It's certain to be one of the key match-ups ` Andy Ellis versus the impressive Tawera Kerr-Barlow. I think it's going to be a real battle of the halfbacks this weekend. You know, there's, you know, two big... two big players in both sides and the key to getting on the front foot. Ellis and Kerr-Barlow have been two of the Super 15's form players; the Crusaders targetting the youngster this week. Uh, strong ball runner. I suppose. Good at putting pressure at ruck time on the opposition an-and at set pieces, as well at the back of the scrum. Their battle having extra spice with Kerr-Barlow one of the biggest barriers to Ellis's All Black recall. You know, I'm just so focused on the weekend. How's that for a cliche answer? Ellis's teammates a little more forthcoming. I think he was hurt by it and very disappointed to miss out, and, uh, he's rechannelled and redirected that energy into making sure that, you know, he's the best player he can be. He's a real competitor, so he lives for this time of the year. You know, when it's all on the line, you know, he'd do anything to win. Carter himself has that ruthless edge as well as a healthy dose of respect for Cruden, who's come of age this season. He's really sharp with ball in hand, so he, uh, he attacks the line well and creates a lot of opportunities for the guys around him. But after a slow start returning from injury, Carter's recently turned back the clock. Dan, particularly, and even, uh, Andy at times, have really shown glimpses of their absolute best, and, uh, it bodes well for this weekend. The Crusaders pairing with play-off pedigree on their side. Well, I suppose you look at, perhaps, experience of being in finals before and playing together. But, uh, you know, the two we're up against are pretty sharp with what they've been doing this year. So it's going to be a good old battle. That and the forward battle likely to decide the final outcome. Blair Norton, ONE News. The Chiefs have revealed their team for Friday night's semi-final in Hamilton. They've made four changes to the starting 15 from their last outing, the last-minute loss to the Hurricanes in Wellington. Try-scoring prop Sona Taumalolo returns to bolster the front row. From our point-of-view, where a few guys are battered and bruised after a couple of physical games and, um, so those guys are freshened up and to let us get a bit of clarity around some key areas. Test flanker Sam Cane plays off the bench this Friday. The Chiefs have only beaten the Crusaders once in Hamilton in their last eight matches there, stretching back 12 years. Former Blackcaps all-rounder Scott Styris has earned a place in the record books. His unbeaten century off 37 balls is the third-equal fastest in T20 history. The 37-year-old helped Sussex to a win over Gloucestershire, plundering 38 runs from a single over. I'm really happy with the fact that I didn't try and overhit too many of them and the striking of it was good. It was nice to get a good total, you know, after being under the pump, I guess, at the start. Styris hit nine sixes in his century. Sussex posted 230/4, the county competition's highest total of the season. PROBABLY NEEDED AGAINST THE WEST INDIES. Thanks, Andrew. After the break ` Jim's here with your weather, as the rain pulls away. Next on Close Up ` the devastating new coroner's report into the Kahui twins' murders. Why he believes Chris Kahui is to blame. It's time for Chris Kahui to man up and tell the truth. And faster, stronger and stranger ` you won't believe the bizarre ways Olympic athletes are still trying to get around anti-doping tests. Close Up's here next, TV ONE. Hi again. The rain's backed off eastside, but a wee low in our northern trough wants to party tonight. For weather, see onenews.co.nz and turning out in the team's colours is a must for rugby-loving mums and kids.