Focus on European Students

Chinese student numbers have slumped up to 50 per cent nationally this year. Negative publicity about some students' experiences in New Zealand, including the collapse of several language schools and attacks on foreign students, a rising dollar and increased competition for international students have taken a toll. The majority of tourists who seem to favour this region are from Europe, the United States or the UK.

NZ Aid package

New Zealand has increased its aid package to tsunami-affected countries in southern Asia to $5 million. A 10-member team will also head to the hard-hit Thai tourist resort of Phuket to help authorities identify bodies, Foreign Affairs Minister Phil Goff said in a statement today. The Government had earlier donated $500,000 to the Red Cross for aid.

Tsunami News

Concerns continue to grow as 124 New Zealanders believed to be in Thailand's tsunami-devastated area remain unaccounted for, including one couple feared dead. Foreign Minister Phil Goff said today 180 more of the 770 New Zealanders registered in Thailand had been accounted for over the past 24 hours, but at the same time, others had been added to the register.

Source:APN Holdings NZ Ltd.

Cricket...NZ vs Sri Lanka

Stephen Fleming smashed an unbeaten half-century to steer New Zealand to an easy seven-wicket victory over Sri Lanka in their first one-day match at Eden Park.
Fleming made 77 not out from 92 balls to help the Kiwis finish on 144 for three and race past Sri Lanka's modest total of 141 with 17 overs to spare. Sunday's match was the first of five limited-overs internationals between New Zealand and Sri Lanka

Tsunami news

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs says it is not going to be an easy job to find out how many kiwis are affected by the massive earthquake and tidal waves in Southern Asia. The Tsunami produced tidal waves which reached heights of up to 10-metres, swamping coastal communities in Sri Lanka, Thailand and India. People concerned about relatives and friends can contact the Ministry on 04-439-8000.

Breeding like......rabbits.

Farmers are resorting to shooting and poisoning rabbits on their land as increasing numbers of the pests become immune to the controversial calicivirus, introduced illegally seven years ago. Desperate South Island high-country farmers smuggled the virus into New Zealand and systematically released it in 1997 after the Agriculture and Fisheries Ministry refused to import it.

A not so Merry Christmas.

Police in Auckland had to deal with a group of drunken Santas last night. A large group of people, dressed in Santa suits, began fighting in the Victoria Street car park in the central city. About 30 of them, both men and women, were involved, and police said they were heavily intoxicated. A Father Christmas and a MotheChristmas have been arrested and charged with disorderly behaviour, and the Father Christmas has also been charged with resisting arrest and threatening behaviour. Police believe the Santas had been drinking since early morning

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Maori mortgage scheme collapses.

A $20 million government programme to provide affordable mortgages for Maori has collapsed in Northland, with the Nga Puhi company behind it going bust. Maori leader Rudy Taylor was chairman of Kia Ora Nga Puhi Housing Ltd, which was paid $360,000 a year by Housing NZ to teach people how to pay back mortgages.
Once the course was completed, trainees were eligible for government mortgages requiring deposits as low as three per cent. The scheme was championed by Mark Gosche as housing minister, and Te Tai Tokerau MP Dover Samuels.
Source: The New Zealand Herald.

Santa may need the sleigh !

Snow is expected on the desert road today as a very cold front moves over NZ. In the unseasonal weather, the Auckland motorway was white with hail.

Nurses get large payrise.

Nurses have received an about 20% payrise in a deal backdated to last july. The increase will cost the government an extra $380 million. New pay scales are...Registered nurse: (base rate)$40,000, $54,000, $54,000 (including average shift allowances)$46,000 $62,100 $62,100

'Race Based' funding scrapped.

Race Relations Minister Trevor Mallard today announced the first of his reviews to ensure that funding programmes are based on need not race. About 900 schools will be affected by changes to the decile funding for schools that will remove the ethnicity weighting from the formula. The reviews were part of the Government's reaction to National's surge in the polls after National Leader Don Brash attacked race based policies.

News reader salary doubles.

TVOne news reader Judy Bailey has had her salary doubled to $800,00 a year. The huge pay rise is thought to have been triggered by a battle between TVNZ, Channel 3 and Prime. Paul Holmes recently left TVNZ and signed with Prime.

$2.5b 4 month surplus.

The Government's coffers are overflowing with a $2.5 billion surplus in just four months - $739 million more than expected on Budget night in May. The booming surplus figures for July to October reflected much stronger than expected tax revenues and lower government spending, according to Treasury Crown Financial figures out yesterday. Economists said the Government was on track for an annual surplus of more than $6 billion, almost as big as last year's record surplus of $7.4 billion.

© Fairfax New Zealand Limited 2004

Anti-smoking laws come into effect.

It will be last call for smokers in pubs and bars across New Zealand at midnight tonight when new anti-smoking laws take effect. Tomorrow it will be against the law to smoke in licensed premises and workplaces. Under the law, individual owners and companies who "fail to take all reasonably practicable steps" to prevent workplace smoking face a fine of up to $4000.

Copyright © 2004, APN Holdings NZ Ltd

Zaoui to be released on bail tonight

Jubilant cheers erupted in the Supreme Court in Wellington today at news that Algerian asylum seeker Ahmed Zaoui will be released on bail tonight. Chief Justice Dame Sian Elias delivered the court's judgment this afternoon, allowing Mr Zaoui's appeal and granting him bail. Bail conditions are that Mr Zaoui reside at the Dominican Friary in Newton, Auckland, and be present there between 10pm and 6am. He must also report to Auckland Central Police Station between 10am and 4pm on Tuesdays and Fridays. Supporters inside and outside the court -- many wearing T-shirts calling for Mr Zaoui's freedom -- cheered at every mention of bail and reacted jubilantly after the court's decision.

Copyright © 2004, APN Holdings NZ Ltd

Civil Union bill passed.

The Civil Unions Bill has been passed by Parliament. From April 26 next year couples can commit themselves to the new civil union. Parliament voted 65-55 to pass the controversial legislation which has polarised opinion and split political parties. The bill also applies to heterosexual couples, but it does not change the Marriage Act which still applies only to men and women. Conservation Minister Chris Carter, who is planning a civil union with his partner Peter Kaiser as soon as the law is implemented, told Parliament history was being created.

Copyright © 2004, APN Holdings NZ Ltd

ACT co-founders resign over party direction.

ACT co-founders Sir Roger Douglas and Derek Quigley have quit as patrons in a public demonstration of their opposition to its leadership and direction. Sir Roger, whose ideas formed the core of the party's philosophy when it was formed 10 years ago, said he had resigned so he could talk more freely.
In a joint statement, he and Mr Quigley said neither had been particularly active in recent years and standing down would give them more freedom to comment on issues.

Cape Kidnappers luxury resort halted.

A victory in the fight to stop an American billionaire building a luxury lodge on iconic Cape Kidnappers has been hailed as a "win for all New Zealanders". Objectors have won a "David and Goliath" battle to prevent Julian Robertson building a lodge near the world-famous Cape Kidnappers gannet colony in Hawke's Bay.
Yesterday, the Environment Court overturned Hastings District Council's resource consent, granted a year ago, for the multimillion-dollar lodge on the developer's sprawling 2000-hectare Cape Kidnappers Station.

Close call for Government on tax bill.

The Government had a close shave last night when it almost lost a vote in Parliament that could have precipitated a general election. Parliament was in the committee stages of the Taxation (Annual Rates, Venture Capital and Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill, when a vote on a general section of the bill was tied 59-59.
Because the bill dealt with tax it is treated as a vote of confidence and supply. If the Government loses such a vote then it is unable to govern. Finance Minister Michael Cullen told Parliament that if such a tie had occurred at the third reading the vote would have been lost and an election called.

Police crack fake passport racket.

Australian police and government agencies have cracked an alleged fake passport racket which aimed to spirit asylum seekers out of the country, possibly to New Zealand and Canada.