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Friday, March 31

Children's Commissioner opposes lowering criminal age.

The Children's Commissioner has said a bill which would lower the age young offenders can go before adult courts was an over-reaction which could result in more offending. NZ Zealand First MP Ron Mark drafted a member's bill -- which passed its first reading on Wednesday night -- aimed to lower the age of criminal responsibility from 14 to 12 years. Mr Mark said the youth justice system was failing, it was too lenient and more needed to be done to deter young people from a life of serious crime. But Commissioner Cindy Kiro said the Young Offenders (Serious Crimes) Bill could have negative impacts.
Source:NZPA



I believe a ransom was paid, says released hostage.

By Paul Smith
Freed hostage Harmeet Sooden has said he believes a ransom was paid for his release. Mr Sooden, who was held captive in Iraq for four months, said today that he and his fellow hostages thought their rescue was "contrived". The Auckland student, who is a Canadian citizen, said he was grateful to the New Zealand and Canadian authorities for their assistance, but said the invasion and occupation of Iraq were "illegal" and the New Zealand government was complicit in that. Mr Sooden, 32, a member of activist organisation the Christian Peacemakers Teams (CPT), described how he and his two fellow captives were released on March 24.
click HERE for full story
Note:One of his fellow hostages was tortured and murdered...This idiot wants NZ citizenship



Gov't urged to support low emission cars.

There are calls for the Government to cut the price of some cars as a way to beat the the ever-increasing price of petrol. The Business Council for Sustainable Development says the Government should offer a cash grant of up to $3,000 for buyers of fuel efficient, low emission cars. CEO Peter Nielson says the owners of such vehicles would find that their petrol bills have been cut by up to half. He says he wants to see the policy in May's Budget. Mr Nielson says a penalty charge of $2,000 should apply to buyers of first -registered cars using 12 litres or more fuel per 100 kilometres.
copyright 2006 Newstalk ZB News.



Sky transmission being restored.

Sky TV's nationwide digital service is being restored today after a solar eclipse knocked out reception last night. It was halted yesterday shortly before 7pm by an outage on its Optus B1 satellite. Sky said the eclipse blocked sunlight to the solar cells on the satellite requiring the cells to be recharged after the eclipse and before the process of realigning the signal with earth could continue. Sky communications director Tony O'Brien said the satellite signal was established at 8.05am and transmission was "in the process of being restored".
Source: NZPA



Kindy plants poison shrub in its garden.

By SOPHIE NEVILLE
A kindergarten has been ticked off for knowingly planting a poisonous shrub in an "edible garden". Teachers at Moera Kindergarten in Lower Hutt had told children not to eat the toxic daphne plant growing alongside berries and currants, but the Education Review Office has ordered that it be removed. Eating the plant can cause seizures and vomiting. Head teacher Liz Burger was aware that daphne was toxic but did not believe it posed much of a risk. It had been planted with strawberries, blackberries, raspberries and currants for its smell, she said. "We knew the leaves were poisonous but they would have to eat a heck of a lot of it to make them sick."
Source:Dominion Post



Pilot killed in plane crash, say police.

A light plane has crashed at Kaitaia, killing the sole occupant on board, Northland police said today. Police were alerted about 1.50pm to the incident, which occurred near Brass Rd. Civil Aviation authorities had been advised.
Source:NZPA



Thursday, March 30

NZers' right to work in UK 'safeguarded'.

British Prime Minister Tony Blair says young New Zealanders' right to working holidays in his country have been safeguarded. Speaking at a press conference following a meeting with Prime Minister Helen Clark this morning, Mr Blair said New Zealanders were "very welcome" in Britain. Asked if that meant the right to have a working holiday of up to two years would remain, Mr Blair replied; "I think I can say that has been safeguarded." New Zealanders have long enjoyed easy access to Britain, both through the working holiday and ancestral visas.
Source: NZPA



Kiwis among lowest taxpayers.

New Zealanders face among the lowest tax burdens in the OECD and pay less than Australians, a new report shows. Belgium, Germany and Hungary impose the highest taxes among OECD countries on the pay of a single person on average earnings, while Korea, Mexico and New Zealand take the least, according to the latest edition of the OECD's annual report Taxing Wages. In 2005, single individuals without children earning the average wage in services and manufacturing industries faced tax of 55.4% in Belgium, 51.8% in Germany and 50.5% in Hungary. That compared with 20.5% in New Zealand, up from 20% in 2004, 18.2% in Mexico and 17.3% in Korea. In Australia, the figure was 28.3% compared with 28% the year before.
source:TVNZInteractive



Kitten clings to car for 7kms.

A kitten hung on to the underside of a car for seven kilometres. An Awanui woman drove from the seaside town to Kaitaia, not knowing the feline was stuck near the fuel tank yesterday. Firefighters had to lift the car up with airbags to rescue the distressed kitten. Station officer Craig Rogers said the woman noticed the cat only when she hopped out of the vehicle on Commerce St and heard meowing. The kitten did not belong to the woman but passers-by found a home for it.
NORTHERN ADVOCATE (WHANGAREI)



Anger at threat to Islamic course.

By Jarrod Booker
A university's plan to dump its dedicated Islamic studies has come under fire from New Zealand Muslims, who believe it is needed now more than ever when their faith is so often maligned. Canterbury University is proposing to axe its sole position of Islamic studies lecturer, one of eight positions that could go from the university's College of Arts in a bid to save money. It has prompted the lecturer, Dr Ghazala Anwar, to launch her own campaign to save the position, which until recently was the only one of its type in New Zealand.



Bones from huge dinosaur found on Chathams.

Bones from a four-tonne meat-eating dinosaur have been uncovered on the Chatham Islands. Australian palaeontologist Jeffrey Stilwell, of Melbourne's Monash University, found a 2km-long deposit of bones, teeth and claws and has already uncovered more dinosaur fossils in the Chathams than have been unearthed in New Zealand over the past 25 years. Dr Stilwell said his early discoveries on the Chathams - finger, spinal and foot bones, and a single claw - provided further evidence that land-dwelling dinosaurs lived in New Zealand and possibly other isolated islands in the southwest Pacific.
Source:NZPA



ANZ, National banks face hefty fines.

The ANZ and National Banks have been handed down a record punishment in court today. They have pleaded guilty to 45 charges of breaching the Fair Trading Act by failing to properly disclose the fees charged for overseas currency transactions on its credit cards. The Auckland District Court has fined them $1.3 million and ordered them to refund their affected customers a total of $10 million. The fine is the highest ever imposed under the Fair Trading Act, with all of the offences occurring between late 2001 and September 2004.
Copyright 2006 Newstalk ZB News.



SPCA branch wins fight over $1m bequest.

Tauranga SPCA has won its fight to keep a $1 million bequest left by an elderly widow. The Tauranga branch has been embroiled in a dispute with its national office for more than a year over the control of 88-year-old Betty Napier's bequest. The funds were finally handed over to the Tauranga and Waihi branches last week – after being held by the national office since Mrs Napier died on January 5 last year. Mrs Napier's bequest was the largest ever given to the organisation and she stipulated in her will that the money be spent in the Western Bay.
Source:NZPA



NZ looks for deal with Arab bloc.

By SUE ALLEN
New Zealand is trying to make another free trade deal, this time with six oil-rich Arab countries, though existing tariffs are already low. The deal got a kick-start last week when Trade Minister Phil Goff visited trading partners Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. Mr Goff said both countries encouraged New Zealand to enter free trade talks with the Gulf Co-operation Council comprising Saudi Arabia, UAE, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar and Oman. GCC countries no longer negotiate individual deals. At present, New Zealand exports about $500 million of goods to the region each year, mainly meat and dairy products. New Zealand imports mainly oil-related products worth about $1 billion.
Source:Dominion Post



Petrol at record high, dollar at two-year low.

Petrol prices hit a new high of nearly $1.57 a litre yesterday as the New Zealand dollar dropped below US60 cents for the first time in two years. A litre of 92 rose another 3c yesterday and now costs $1.56.9, more than in the wake of last year's Hurricane Katrina. Both 95 and diesel have also risen 3c to $1.61.9 and $1.16.9 respectively.
NZPA



Contestants warm up for NZ-Chinese Pop Idol.

Nearly a hundred contestants are expected to turn out in Auckland for the New Zealand Chinese version of Pop Idol. The wannabes will be performing karaoke hits as part of the New Zealand Chinese New Talent Singing Championships. Event spokeswoman Ling-Ling Liang says about 100 young people from around the country will compete, but only ten will go through to the final. Ling-Ling Liang says the contestants will sing in Cantonese or Mandarin.
Copyright 2006 Newstalk ZB News.



Wednesday, March 29

Running of the sheep this weekend.

More than 2,000 sheep will be rampaging down a King Country main street on Saturday for the world's largest event of its kind. The "running of the sheep" marks the culmination of Te Kuiti's Great New Zealand Muster. Coordinator Liz Fox says the muster has been running for many years and the sheep-running event was dreamed up to rival Spain's running of the bulls. Ms Fox says the safety of visitors is a top priority, but everyone will be able to see and smell the sheep running right past them.
Copyright 2006 Newstalk ZB News.



Dollar continues falling.

There is more pressure on the dollar, after a rise in interest rates in the United States. The Federal Reserve has lifted its benchmark rate for the 15th time in a row, and says further increases may be needed. That has helped push the New Zealand dollar down to 60.33 US cents.
Copyright 2006 Newstalk ZB News.



Raise drinking age says Drug Foundation.

The argument that people can vote at 18 and should therefore be allowed to drink at the same age does not wash with the Drug Foundation. The Foundation is appearing before a parliamentary select committee considering returning the legal drinking age to 20 years. Executive director Ross Bell says since the 1999 law change, 18 and 19 year olds have become the country's heaviest drinkers.
Copyright 2006 Newstalk ZB News.



$1600 fine for Navy captain.

A Royal New Zealand Navy captain was fined $1600 at a court-martial at Trentham Military Camp yesterday for accidentally firing his rifle during a training drill in Afghanistan last month. Gordon Ross Smith, 48, pleaded guilty to prejudicing service discipline after accidentally firing his Steyr rifle into the ground several metres in front of him.
Copyright © 2006, APN Holdings NZ Ltd



Cricket-Windies and Black Caps - draw.

The third and final cricket test in Napier has been abandoned. Both teams and the umpires have agreed to call off the match without a ball being bowled on day five. It is sunny in Napier but the outfield is still soggy. The Windies clearly want to head home, and the Black Caps do not want to pick up any injuries before the South African trip. The match will officially end as a draw, with Brian Lara named Man of the Match. New Zealand wins the series, two-nil.
© 2006 NZCity, NewsTalkZB



Kiwi graduates flee NZ.

By JANINE BENNETTS
Nearly a quarter of Kiwis with a tertiary qualification live overseas, an international report shows. New Zealand is second only behind Ireland for the number of tertiary-educated people who have moved overseas, according to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) report covering its 30 member nations. New Zealand has 24.4 per cent of its New Zealand-born tertiary-educated population living in other OECD countries.
Source:The Press



Leaders lay wreaths at war memorial.

British Prime Minister Tony Blair and his New Zealand counterpart Helen Clark today laid wreaths to commemorate the two countries' war dead. At a solemn ceremony at the War Memorial Museum in Auckland, the two leaders were accompanied by their spouses and other dignatories. Last night at a welcoming ceremony Mr Blair said that Britain had never forgotten the sacrifice that New Zealand soldiers made during the two world wars while outside protesters reminded him that they had not forgotten his role in the US-led invasion of Iraq.
Source: NZPA



1.24m internet subscibers in NZ.

New Zealand had about 1.24 million internet subscribers by September last year, according to a Statistics New Zealand survey. The survey released today showed there were 1.01 million residential (household) subscribers and 224,400 business and government subscribers. The predominant connection technology was dial-up with 869,300 subscribers. Almost a third of subscribers had broadband connections, an increase of 15 per cent from March 2005. There are now nine broadband subscribers per 100 inhabitants in New Zealand compared to 11.8 subscribers per 100 inhabitants in other OECD countries,
Source:NZPA



Asians most likely race targets - poll.

New Zealanders believe Asians are most likely to face discrimination, according to a new survey from the Human Rights Commission. The survey tested people's perception of discrimination in New Zealand, and 21.7 per cent of respondents identified Asians as the most discriminated group in New Zealand, followed by Maori at 15.5 per cent and Pakeha-Europeans at 12.1 per cent.
Source:The Press



Tuesday, March 28

Cricket-NZ team to tour SA named today.

The 15-man New Zealand cricket squad to tour South Africa will be named at 4.30pm today. Following the third and final test here against West Indies, the Black Caps embark on a three-match tour next week with the first test at Centurion from April 15-19. New Zealand were due to name the team after the final test, but persistent rain which has seen the third and fourth days washed out is set to continue tomorrow as the test heads towards a draw. Match officials called play off today with the McLean Park outfield sodden. Only 78.1 overs were bowled on the first two days leaving West Indies 256 for four in their first innings. New Zealand lead the three match series 2-0.
Source: NZPA



US lifts ban on war games with NZ again.

By Audrey Young
New Zealand will take part in a second military exercise with the United States under the auspices of the US-led Proliferation Security Initiative (PSI), next week in Australia. It is the second time in two years that the United States has lifted its usual ban on military exercises with New Zealand, which it imposed in 1987 as a reprisal against the law banning nuclear armed and propelled ships.



TV gold as million-plus watch Ferns.

By Claire Trevett
The golds at the Commonwealth Games may have been few and far between for New Zealand, but more than one million New Zealanders tuned in to cheer on the Silver Ferns as they beat Australia in the netball final. Figures from AGB Nielsen Media Research showed that just as the game's last quarter began at 6pm on Sunday, 1,027,400 people were watching the game - one quarter of the population and two thirds of everybody watching television at that time.



Texas firm searches for oil in Wairarapa.

Texas oil company Discovery Geo Corp has employed a team of New Zealanders to search for oil in the Wairarapa. The firm is using explosive charges and seismic recordings to test the underground landscape for possible oil and gas fields. Over the past six weeks they have tested 60km of sample territory in Wairarapa to get data from up to 5km underground to see where there might be "structures of interest". New Zealand exploration manager Bruce Morris says it is still early days but the region could yield positive results, as there are "quite regular seeps all along the east coast of the North Island".
WAIRARAPA TIMES-AGE (MASTERTON)



Grape Growers Bullish Despite Rain.

Hawke's Bay grape growers are predicting 2006 will be a very good wine vintage despite the weekend rain. Eighty to 100 millimetres have fallen around the Bay in the past four days, at a time when the region's grape growers would have preferred none at all. Hawke's Bay Grape Growers Association President, Chris Howell, says it means what was shaping up to be an outstanding vintage - almost as good as that of 1998 - will not be so outstanding now.
Copyright 2006 Newstalk ZB News.



Climate debate likely to hot up.

Heated debate is expected at a climate change meeting starting in Wellington today. Climate Change and Governance Conference: Critical issues for New Zealand and the Pacific is attracting a host of international speakers, including scientists and policymakers, who will highlight the impacts of climate change and what can be done about it. British Prime Minister Tony Blair, who will be in Auckland, will deliver a speech via video link.
Copyright 2006 Newstalk ZB News.



Mahy wins world's top children's writing prize.

New Zealand author Margaret Mahy has won the world's premier prize for children's writing, the Hans Christian Andersen Award, it was announced today. Often called the "Little Nobel", the award is given biennially by the International Board on Books for Young People (IBBY) to honour an author who has made a lasting contribution to international children's literature. Mahy, 70, nominated by the Storylines Children's Literature Foundation of New Zealand representing the New Zealand branch of IBBY, joins Australian writer Patricia Wrightson as only the second from Australasia to win the award, which has been bestowed since 1956.
Source:NZPA



Tighter passport checks in store.

By KIM RUSCOE
Efforts to stop the misuse of stolen and lost passports has prompted New Zealand to enter into an information-sharing deal with the United States and Australia. US ambassador William McCormick heralded the deal as "a great sign of co-operation between our two countries". The pilot regional movement alert list programme, which began in September, is likely to be expanded to include other Asian-Pacific Economic Conference countries. The system will ensure that whenever someone tries to travel with a lost or stolen Australian, New Zealand or US passport – to or between the countries – they will be detected and border agencies alerted.
Source:Dominion Post



Clark criticises freed hostage's decision to go to Iraq.

Freed hostage Harmeet Sooden returns to New Zealand today to a warning from Prime Minister Helen Clark not to go back to Iraq. Helen Clark said it was not helpful for Canadian-born Mr Sooden and other members of the Christian Peacemakers Teams (CPT) to go to Iraq. "The New Zealand Government constantly says to Kiwis 'Don't go there. You are walking into a war zone. It is a very, very dangerous place and new Zealand is not represented in Iraq in any shape or form and we are not in a position to help'," she told Newstalk ZB. Mr Sooden and his father Daleep Sooden were briefly reunited in a secret location in Dubai yesterday.
Source: NZPA



Farmers marching on Parliament.

Taranaki farmers plan to march on Parliament to protest the Government's plans to microchip dogs. Farmers had sought an exemption for farm dogs from new legislation which makes microchipping compulsory. Taranaki Federated Farmers president Bryan Hocken says farmers he has spoken to are adamant they will not comply. He says their dogs do not go to town and he is questioning why farmers should spend more money on compliance costs which he believes are a waste of time and money. Mr Hocken says farmers will not be pushed around by Government legislation.
© 2006 NZCity, NewsTalkZB



Monday, March 27

NZ unlikely to host Comm Games.

As the post-mortems begin on New Zealand's performance at the Commonwealth Games in Melbourne, the prospect of a New Zealand city hosting the event looks slim. New Zealand has hosted the Commonwealth Games three times - twice in Auckland (1950 and 1990) and Christchurch in 1974. But with the event now attracting around 4,500 athletes, the cost is getting too great for many countries. A report prepared for the New Zealand Olympic and Commonwealth Games committee forecasts a shortfall of a least $440 million if the country hosted the games in 2014. Sports Minister Trevor Mallard says the likely $1.5 billion cost all but rules New Zealand out. He says Melbourne had an advantage in that it already had the facilities. The Indian capital Delhi will host the next games in 2010. Halifax in Canada, Glasgow, the Nigerian capital Abuja and Windhoek in Namibia are interested in hosting the 2014 Games.
Source:RNZ



International agreement needed to fight spam.

Communications Minister David Cunliffe today called for an international agreement to fight the huge number of spam e-mails cluttering the internet. Parliament is currently considering the Unsolicited Electronic Messages Bill, designed to clamp down on those who create spam – or junk e-mail – messages, but Mr Cunliffe today told an internet conference in Wellington that an international agreement would be far more effective. Opening the Internet Corporation of Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) conference, Mr Cunliffe said it was essential governments were concerned with the health of the net. "A number of countries do have anti-spam legislation. New Zealand is currently in the legislative process but I believe that an international agreement would add credence to this."
Source: NZPA



NZ takes part in exercise to stop spread of WMD.

New Zealand will take part in a multinational military exercise in Australia next week, designed to help stop the spread of weapons of mass destruction. Defence Minister Phil Goff said the United States and several other countries would take part in the exercise, but the US's inclusion did not signal any change in military ties between the two countries. The ground-air interdiction exercise – Pacific Protector 2006 – will be held in Darwin from April 3 to April 6. New Zealand will contribute an Air Force Boeing 757 and crew.
Source: NZPA



Govt open to faster, cheaper broadband.

New Zealanders need better broadband access, but the Government still has an open mind on how that will be achieved, Communications Minister David Cunliffe said today. Mr Cunliffe reiterated to an international internet conference in Wellington that New Zealand needed better, faster, cheaper broadband internet access. It is a theme that has been expounded several times this year by Prime Minister Helen Clark and other senior ministers as they have sought to lever Telecom to open up network access to rival providers. Mr Cunliffe, who is overseeing a review of regulations in the telecommunications sector, said New Zealand's broadband uptake was currently 22nd out of 30 comparable developed nations.
Source:NZPA



Scientists here for climate talks.

By MICHELLE QUIRKE
Climate scientists from around the world are in Wellington to speak on what has been called the biggest threat facing humanity.
The Climate Change and Governance Conference: Critical Issues for New Zealand and the Pacific begins tomorrow at Te Papa amid warnings that urgent international action is needed to deal with global warming, blamed for rising sea levels, an increase in extreme weather and melting glaciers. British Prime Minister Tony Blair, geologist and former Shell chairman Ron Oxburgh, space scientist Ian Axford and Antarctic expert David Vaughan are among more than 30 scientific and policy experts who will speak at the two-day conference.
Source:Dominion Post



Sunday, March 26

Commonwealth Games-Netball

Silver Ferns beat Ausralia for the Gold Medal in netball 60-55.....it doesn't get any better than that !





GOLDEN KIWI: New Zealand's Nick Willis celebrates as he wins the men's 1500m final at the Commonwealth Games in Melbourne.
source:Fairfax NZ



Oyster season starts today.

All the signs are pointing towards a healthy oyster season. Commercial fishers are expected to be out in their droves as the season officially opens today. Warren Conway of the Bluff Oyster Management Company says the weather forecast predicts ideal fishing conditions today. He says reports are the oyster quality appears to be quite good. Mr Conway says the total allowable catch is just under 15 million oysters, although commercial fishers will limit their take to half of that as a conservation measure. The season runs until the end of August.
Copyright 2006 Newstalk ZB News.



Northland in for battering as Cyclone Wati approaches.

People living in Northland are being warned to batten down the hatches today. Cyclone Wati is continuing to creep towards the top of the North Island. Strong winds reaching gale force in exposed areas are forecast, along with heavy rain. Thunderstorms are expected north of Whangarei.
Copyright 2006 Newstalk ZB News.



Illegal logs seized in Hawke's Bay.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry has seized hundreds of cubic metres of rimu logs in Hawke's Bay, which it believes were taken illegally. The Indigenous Forestry unit has searched a property near Wairoa and believes the logs are a result of a significant illegal over-harvest. The Manager, Rob Miller, says the logs have a value of around $100,000, and have a potential sawn value of $300,000. He says it's likely criminal charges will be laid after their investigation.
Source:One News



Restaurant Brands' staff accept offer.

The Unite union says fast food workers have voted to accept the latest pay offer from their employer Restaurant Brands in overwhelming numbers. Workers at KFC, Pizza Hut and Starbucks have been involved in a high-profile campaign of industrial action, aimed at ending youth rates and gaining across-the-board pay increases for the past five months. Restaurant Brands' latest offer will see the 600 or so employees aged 18 and under, who are currently on youth rates, paid 90% of the adult wage. Adult staff will also benefit with an increase of nearly 8%.
Source:RNZ



Karamea tackles petrol crisis.

Residents of the small West Coast town of Karamea are taking measures to tackle a looming petrol shortage, by organising their own tanker deliveries. The town's only petrol station is to close at the end of the month, and ran out of petrol on Thursday. Buller District councillor Rosalie Sampson says as Karamea is the last stop on the road at the top of the South Island's West Coast, they need access to petrol.
Source:RNZ



ANZ hit by 'phishing' campaign.

ANZ Bank is again warning customers not to give out account information over the Internet after being hit by a concentrated "phishing" campaign. E-mail users were bombarded with messages overnight on Thursday from bogus operators pretending to be from the bank's customer services department. The would-be fraudsters requested customers to reply with their account details and passwords. ANZ spokesman Craig Howie said the bank's IT department became aware of the attack and shut down the bogus website.
Source:Dominion Post



Saturday, March 25

Commonwealth Games-Mile race gold medal to NZ

Nick Willis has won the 1500 meters (mile) race to take out the gold medal. ...more soon.



Silver-lined Day For Kiwis At Games.

New Zealand has three silver medals on day nine of the games in Melbourne. Tony Sargisson has picked up a silver medal in the 50km walk, Greg Yelavich has collected a silver in the men's 25 metre centre fire pistol and the Tall Blacks have gone down 81-76 to Australia in men's basketball final.
Copyright 2006 Newstalk ZB News.



Basketball-Tall Blacks pipped in thriller.

Commonwealth Games-The Tall Blacks came within a whisker of grabbing the gold medal in the men's basketball final on Friday but went down 81-76 to Australia in the final minute. After conceding a 10 point deficit early in the first quarter, Pero Cameron and the Tall Blacks came storming back into contention to lead for the majority of the final three quarters. But with less than two minutes on the clock, Australian Jason Smith landed back-to-back three-pointers to bring the Boomers back into control of a thrilling match and force the Kiwis to settle for silver.



Cyclone heads for New Zealand.

Tropical cyclone Wati has moved away from the Queensland coast and is headed for New Zealand and expected to reach here on Monday or Tuesday. The category three cyclone is in the South Pacific Ocean and heading south east towards the Tasman Sea, said Queensland Weather Bureau senior forecaster Jeff Callaghan.



Blair en route to NZ.

British Prime Minister Tony Blair has started his seven day trip to New Zealand, Australia and Indonesia. His first stop is Melbourne, where he will attend the Commonwealth Games. Mr Blair is the first serving British prime minister to visit New Zealand since the 1950s. His wife Cherie is travelling with him.
Copyright 2006 Newstalk ZB News.



Thousands sign petition to save holiday spot.

By Juliet Rowan
Taupo Motor Camp is set to close at the end of next month, and the looming deadline has spurred campers and locals to step up their fight to save the spot they love. A petition with 4000 names has already been submitted to the Taupo District Council by those opposing the camp's closure to make way for a public domain.



Polynesian Spa in top 10.

Rotorua's Polynesian Spa has been voted one of the world's top resorts, for the third time running. The spa complex was placed tenth in the Conde Nast Traveller magazine. Votes were based on ambience, treatments provided, cuisine and service. The Polynesian Spa is the only resort to make the list from the Southern hemisphere. Evian Royal Spa in France was crowned best overall.
© 2006 NZCity, NewsTalkZB



Tests back Chinese map claims.

By GEOFF TAYLOR
Waikato University carbon-dating shows that there might be something in a theory that the Chinese discovered New Zealand before Europeans. The research suggests a 243-year-old map indicating a Chinese explorer discovered New Zealand, Australia and the US before Europeans, is probably not a fake. Before Christmas, the university's carbon-dating unit was asked to analyse a Chinese map allegedly dating back to 1763 and stating that it was a copy of a 1418 map. If authentic, the 1418 map by explorer Zheng He –- which includes portrayals of America and Australasia –- was drawn 70 years before Christopher Columbus became the first European to land in America.
Waikato Times.



Friday, March 24

Armless man caught steering car with foot at 121km/h.

By Rachel Tiffen and Sandra Conchie
A man with no arms was caught speeding at 121km/h yesterday - using one foot to steer and the other to operate the pedals. The man told shocked police he was born with no arms and said he'd never held a driver's licence. The 32-year-old unemployed Waikato man was clocked on State Highway 2 at Papamoa, Bay of Plenty, at 10.30am. He was given a $170 fine and has been forbidden from driving. Police say he will probably also be charged with dangerous driving.
BAY OF PLENTY TIMES



Monkey business at zoo.

Artworks with a difference will be auctioned in a fundraiser at Wellington Zoo this weekend. The Zoo is selling artworks created by Jessie the chimpanzee, who is an avid artist. She chooses the colour and splashes the paint around, while her keeper holds the canvas steady. Money raised will be used to help provide new equipment for a revamped chimp enclosure due to open later this year.
Copyright 2006 Newstalk ZB News.



Cyclone Wati may be headed to NZ.

MetService says a cyclone that is following Cyclone Larry could be heading for New Zealand. Cyclone Wati formed behind Larry which crossed the Queensland coast on Monday. Wati has been slowly building in strength in the Coral Sea off northern Queensland for several days. According to the latest forecast from the US Navy and Airforce Joint Typhoon Warning Center Wati will make a 300 degree turn to the left and head for New Zealand's northern tip. A forecast from the NOAA Global weather computer model shows the cyclone grazing the northern tip of Northland early on Monday. While Wati is unlikely to pack cyclone force winds, it is likely to bring damaging gale force winds and torrential rain.
Source: TVNZ Interactive/RNZ



Judge's artworks fetch up to $1.4m.

By HANK SCHOUTEN
An art collection accumulated over more than 30 years by the retired former president of the Court of Appeal, Sir Ivor Richardson, sold for up to $1.4 million in just three hours last night. The top price of $55,000 was paid for a tiny Colin McCahon painting contested by two anonymous phone bidders for just 50 seconds. More than 200 people packed Dunbar Sloane's Wellington auction room. There was standing room only as the 200 paintings, most of them by early 20th century New Zealand artists, sold briskly. Only a handful were not sold, or sold subject to Sir Ivor's approval.
Source:Dominion Post



Stars support fight against child cancer.


Few illnesses are scarier than cancer and the Child Cancer Foundation has enlisted the support of Kerre Woodham and Temuera Morrison to help youngsters like Connor Hourigan "fight the monster". The animated TV, print and online campaign, which also features the voice of Mikey Havoc, was unveiled at a special appeal week launch function yesterday. The trio voice the characters of Bruce the Bull, Maggie the Morepork and Rex the Rabbit. They meet Connor, the star of this year's campaign, who in real life has overcome a tumour on her kidney. In the advertising campaign, the Carterton four-year-old's animated alter-ego asks these characters to join her in her fight against childhood cancer. The foundation hopes the campaign will inspire New Zealanders to donate during this year's appeal week from Monday to April 2.
Source:Dominion Post



Cabinet moves to trade water.

By VERNON SMALL
The Government is poised to create a market in tradable water rights to help regulate the growing demand for water from rivers and aquifers already under pressure. Environment Minister David Benson-Pope and Agriculture and Forestry Minister Jim Anderton have prepared a Cabinet paper, which is expected to rule out privatisation but allow limited trading of water rights and establish an economic "price" for water. It will go to a committee of ministers next week and then to the full Cabinet the following Monday. Mr Anderton said the paper would deal with all the issues: "Supply of and access to water, and who meets the cost of water and whether there is a price on water."
Source:Dominion Post



Seasonal work permit scheme extended.

The Government is extending a scheme that allows overseas workers to enter New Zealand to meet seasonal peaks in the horticulture and viticulture industries. In December the Government launched a seasonal work permit pilot, intended to run through to July. Today, Immigration Minister David Cunliffe said that would be extended to September. He said feedback from growers indicated the scheme was working well, with about 1100 permits granted so far. Under the extension current permit holders could apply to renew their permits. Overseas workers from visa-free countries, and overseas workers already in New Zealand can also apply for the permits.
Source:NZPA



One dead after legionnaire's outbreak.

An elderly man is dead and another is recovering from legionnaire's disease in the small east Auckland community of Beachlands. Health officials have confirmed the dead man and the sick man both lived in the same street. Auckland regional public health service manager Dr William Rainger said the elderly man died last month. "We initially believed this to be an isolated case, as legionnaire's disease often is," he said in a statement. "We investigated the household water supply as per our normal practice and found legionella bacteria. "Legionella is a waterborne bacteria and there is no reticulated water supply in Beachlands. All of the households rely on roof collection for their water supplies." The second case was a 40-year-old man, who was recovering at home. He lived across the street from the man who died.
Source:NZPA



Thursday, March 23

Heavy rain hits Hawke's Bay.

Heavy rain is forecast across Hawke's Bay from tonight and through tomorrow morning. The heaviest falls are expected east of Wairoa. Forecasters say there could be 100 millimetres in total, falling at up to 20 millimetres an hour in places. They warn there could be surface flooding and streams and creeks could rise quite quickly.
Copyright 2006 Newstalk ZB News.



Harmeet Sooden Freed.

Three Christian aid workers including New Zealand resident Harmeet Sooden are reported to have been freed following months of captivity in Iraq. Sooden, along with with James Loney, Norman Kember, and Tom Fox were abducted in November of last year. Tom Fox was found dead earlier this month in Baghdad and fears for the remaining three hostages had grown since his death.
Copyright 2006 Newstalk ZB News.



Ede and Etherington end shooting woes in style.

By DANIEL GILHOOLY
New Zealand's shooters blasted out of their Commonwealth Games malaise in spectacular style here when Graeme Ede won a trap gold and rifle-toting Juliet Etherington a silver medal.
Source:NZPA



Vili makes no mistake in shot put final.

It was "great shot that" at the Melbourne Cricket Ground tonight, as New Zealander shot putter Valerie Vili made short work of winning Commonwealth Games gold. Vili, 21, fired good shot after good shot. Her best was a Commonwealth Games record 19.66 metres in the second round.
Source:NZPA



Tentative 'yes' to biggest mussel farm.

New Zealand's largest marine farm - spanning 3800ha in eastern Bay of Plenty - has been given the tentative go-ahead by the Ministry of Fisheries. The preliminary decision gave approval for Eastern Sea Farms to create a mussel farm on 80 per cent of the area applied for. It applied for 3800ha of water space for mussel farming and 950ha for mussel farming and spat catching, located between 3 nautical miles (5.5km) and 6 nautical miles offshore from Opotiki.
Source:NZPA



PM's motorcade in city shunt.

By Ainsley Thomson
Prime Minister Helen Clark's motorcade has been involved in another incident, this time on Ponsonby Rd. Police last night confirmed the accident last December on the corner of Ponsonby and Franklin Rds, which attracts thousands of people to see the Christmas lights. A VIP protection car carrying officers charged with protecting the Prime Minister rear-ended the Crown car carrying Helen Clark. Her vehicle was rammed into a private car in front.
Copyright © 2005, APN Holdings NZ Ltd



Chinese Premier to visit in April.

Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao will visit New Zealand, Australia, Fiji and Cambodia from April 1 to 8, according to China's Foreign Ministry. The ministry website said the New Zealand visit would include a meeting with Prime Minister Helen Clark.



Kiwifruit labour shortage in Bay of Plenty.

A labour shortage is expected to be declared today in the Bay of Plenty kiwifruit industry, which is searching for up to 12,000 seasonal workers. Under a new scheme, the Immigration Service will then issue seasonal work permits lasting until the end of September to attract more migrant workers to the Bay.



Thai princess makes flying visit to NZ.

Thailand's Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn yesterday visited the birthplace of writer Katherine Mansfield in Wellington during the first day of a three-day visit. In Palmerston North she will visit Massey University's Palmerston North campus where she will meet Thai students and have the opportunity to discuss research projects being carried out by Thai postgraduate students.
Source: NZPA



Support for single currency.

A survey of 2,000 exporters has found support from trans-Tasman exporters for a single currency. Courier DHL carried out the study and found that 60 percent of Australians and 56 percent of New Zealanders surveyed are in favour of the move. Spokesman Gary Edstein says Australian support for a single currency is surprising given concerns on both sides about New Zealand's slowing economic growth. Mr Edstein says it suggests the need for a simpler trading relationship outweighs any concern about the economic impact of a single currency.
© 2006 NZCity, NewsTalkZB



Wednesday, March 22

Senior defence jobs announced.

Defence Force chief Air Marshal Bruce Ferguson yesterday announced four senior appointments. Commodore Jack Steer will be the new commander of the Headquarters Joint Forces New Zealand, and will be promoted to the rank of rear-admiral. He will take up the position on May 1, replacing Major-General Lou Gardiner, who has been appointed Chief of Army. Captain Tony Parr is the new Deputy Chief of Navy, with a promotion to the rank of commodore. And Colonel Phil Gibbons has been appointed Land Component Commander, and will be promoted to the rank of brigadier.



Bid to extend daylight saving.

Nelson City Council looks set to consider a call for three more weeks of daylight saving in future. Councillor Mark Holmes told The Nelson Mail he had noticed a "general sadness" pervading the community when daylight saving, and therefore summer, ended on the weekend. Yesterday a council committee recommended the full council consider a suggestion from Mr Holmes, who wants to see it seek to have daylight saving extended by two weeks in autumn and a week in spring.
Source:NZPA



Fuel prices 'will go higher'.

By Simon O'Rourke
As the price of diesel rocketed 5c a litre yesterday to hit a record high and the cost of petrol jumped about 3.5 per cent, a top economist warned things would only get worse. Petrol is sitting just 2c a litre below the highest prices seen in this country - just after Hurricane Katrina struck Florida in August. Unleaded fuel now costs $1.53.9 a litre. Fuel prices have been volatile recently. On March 7 there was a 3c-a-litre increase, followed by a 2c-a-litre decrease on March 14. Oil companies have traditionally blamed any price rises on several factors. Yesterday they singled out the plummeting New Zealand dollar and the increased costs of refining



South African family allowed to stay.

A South African family is pleased they have won a reprieve to stay in New Zealand. The Penfolds moved to Whangarei in 2004, but after six weeks, Gavin Penfold moved to Auckland where he took up another job. It was 10 months before he told authorities, resulting in a breach of his work conditions. After later admitting his mistake he was told he faced removal, but has now received a letter from the Associate Immigration Minister giving him permission to apply for a one year work permit as well as permits for his wife and children.
Copyright 2006 Newstalk ZB News.



Kiwibank expands in home loan market.

State-owned Kiwibank is buying into another home mortgage lender. It is purchasing 51 percent of the New Zealand Home Loan Company. The purchase of the shares will be completed in June this year when the price is determined. It is expected to be about $8 million. Kiwibank chief executive Sam Knowles says the purchase will allow it to build market share. He says Kiwibank will continue to support NZHL as a separate trading entity. Mr Knowles says this will allow the bank to reach a broader section of the market with loan structures, credit criteria and rates which he says will compliment the Kiwibank loan range.
Copyright 2006 Newstalk ZB News.



Tall Ferns set up gold medal battle.

By MICHAEL DONALDSON in Melbourne
It wasn't pretty but the New Zealand women's basketball team has hustled their way into the Commonwealth Games gold medal match against Australia tomorrow night. The Tall Ferns beat an unruly and aggressive England 73-67 last night to guarantee themselves at least a silver medal.



Tuesday, March 21

Kiwis flocking to Oz yet again.

By Simon Collins
The flight of Kiwis to Australia is on the rise again - and this time it's looking like a long-term exodus rather than another short-term migration. The net outflow of people across the Tasman has doubled in the past two years to 21,439 in the year to January and is heading towards the peak losses of just over 30,000 a year reached in the late 1980s and again five years ago. But this exodus is different from previous migrations, which coincided with economic slumps at home. New Zealand is losing people despite recent boom conditions and the world's lowest unemployment.



Muslim community looks forward to celebration.

While they are not from any one racial grouping, Wellington's Muslim community is looking forward to celebrating race relations day today. The day is being held to mark this country's cultural diversity and a number of activities are taking place in the capital. Muslim community spokeswoman, Rehanna Ali says despite the recent cartoon debate, those of her faith have generally found New Zealanders extremely welcoming. She says this country is a haven in which people have the freedom to practice their religion in a way which does not happen in many other countries. March 21 is observed around the world as the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination.
Copyright 2006 Newstalk ZB News.



PM quick to accept resignation.

Helen Clark has been quick to accept the resignation of Attorney-General David Parker. Mr Parker offered his resignation after it was revealed he filed false claims for a company with which he was involved. Helen Clark says she accepted his offer to quit as soon as she was told, because she had no alternative. She says keeping him on would not be defensible. Miss Clark says the mistake is not compatible with the role of the country's chief law officer.
Copyright 2006 Newstalk ZB News.



Scientists unveil new look apple.

New Zealand scientists have unveiled a new weapon in the competitive apple market. The colour may surprise, but they say it's all in the name of healthier living. They're red, not just outside but in and not just for looks. HortResearch says the red-fleshed apple has more than the usual disease preventing anti-oxidants. Hopes are high for their future and on their first public outing reaction was mixed - some were impressed and willing to try the new fruit, while others thought it was unnatural.
Source:One News



Monday, March 20

Australia-Cyclone Larry destroying homes.

Destructive Cyclone Larry has caused some casualties in Cairns and there are reports of people missing, the weather bureau says. Cyclone Larry hit the far north Queensland coast this morning as a maximum category five storm, but has since been downgraded to a category four. However, forecasters warn the region has probably not yet seen the strongest winds. The town of Innisfail, south of Cairns, has been hit hard, with wind gusts of up to 290kph tearing roofs of homes. Cairns has also suffered significant property damage. "We have reports of fairly major structural damage around Innisfail area, one from Silkwood which is to the south of Innisfail, and we've had reports of some casualties at Cairns hospital, some 20 or so," weather bureau forecaster Jonty Hall said.



NZ heading for critical GP shortage.

New Zealand is heading for a critical shortage of GPs according to a survey conducted by the Royal New Zealand College of GPs. The latest survey findings show a job involving long hours and high pay along with a mountain of complicated record-keeping, stress and burnout. The Royal College says GPs want better work-life balance and more doctors should be trained to ease their workload. The survey was the second of three membership survey reports and shows almost 30% of GPs - half of them self-employed and working in general practices - plan to get out within five years and try something else. GPs also believe their earning power is declining. Their salaries - $93,000 a year as a mean gross income - are $45,000 less than their counterparts working for district health boards.
Source:RNZ/One News



US official plays down nuclear issue.

The United States believes any any free trade agreement with New Zealand will be decided on mutual economic benefit and not on issues that may been seen as an impediment in our relationship. American assistant Secretary of State for this region, Christopher Hill, has been meeting with Foreign Minister Winston Peters at Parliament. Afterwards he played down the nuclear issue. Mr Hill says both countries are well aware of their views on the topic and they should be working on the areas where they can work together.
Copyright 2006 Newstalk ZB News.



Watchdog probes NZ team supplier.

By David Eames
An Auckland sportswear company that kitted out the New Zealand Commonwealth Games team is under investigation by the Commerce Commission for alleged breaches of the Fair Trading Act. Otara-based Sports Resources Ltd was raided by the commission late last year, after it was tipped off that the company was passing off China-produced sports gear - including Commonwealth Games team uniforms - as New Zealand made. A Sports Resources employee - who did not want to be identified - told the Herald the commission seized garments on December 22, understood to be the day they were to be delivered to adidas. The clothing was eventually returned to Sports Resources by the commission, on the condition it was relabelled as made in China, the employee said.



Plan to give kids ID numbers.

By ANNA CHALMERS
The Government is examining a proposal to have children tagged and numbered in a central database to stem abuse and failure at school. Personal details of every New Zealand child, including welfare and health concerns, would be entered into the database, to be shared by schools, social agencies and health authorities. It would be similar to Scottish and British initiatives, with a single ID number issued for each child, enabling authorities to be alerted to potential problems. Social Development Minister David Benson-Pope said he had sought advice on setting up such a scheme here.
Source:Dominion Post



Couple jailed over $156,000 welfare frauds.

Ten years of social welfare frauds totalling $156,000 have earned jail sentences for a Christchurch couple. Elizabeth Cheryl McMillan, 56, and Bruce James McKenzie, 60, were today jailed for 16 months and seven months respectively for what Christchurch District Court Judge Brian Callaghan described as significant offending over a substantial period. McMillan had pleaded guilty to using a Social Welfare Department form to continue getting the domestic purposes benefit, and McKenzie admitted misleading the department for three years so that he would continue receiving the sickness benefit. Both admitted failing to tell the department they were in a relationship akin to marriage so that McMillan could continue to get her benefit, disability allowance, accommodation supplement, special needs grant and benefit advances.
Source:NZPA



Sunday, March 19

Last chance for census.

Today is your last chance to hand your census form back to a collector. Census General Manager Nancy McBeth says census collectors are doing the rounds for the last time today, but she adds all is not lost if you miss them. She says they will be leaving an envelope for people to send forms back themselves. And Ms McBeth also says people can still fill out the form online until the end of March, and district supervisors will be endeavouring to touch base with those who have not handed back their forms. People refusing to complete their forms will be reminded of their legal obligations. Failing to complete the census can incur a fine of up to $500.But Ms McBeth says no one wants it to come to that.
Copyright 2006 Newstalk ZB News.



Thousands run Round the Bays.

Perhaps inspired by the running success of Bevan Docherty at the Commonwealth Games, tens of thousands of hopefuls will race around Auckland's bays today. Round the Bays has been going since 1972, and has grown to around 70,000 thousand participants. The 8.4 kilometre run is on a flat course from Quay Street to St Heliers. Quay Street and Tamaki Drive will be closed until 11 o'clock this morning, and parking is banned along the race route.
Copyright 2006 Newstalk ZB News.



Expats will come home one day.

Some good news for employers. More than half the18,000 New Zealand expatriates in 140 countries who have taken part in an online survey say they plan coming home one day to live. It comes amidst an economic slowdown, tight labour market, and fears the country's best and brightest are boosting overseas economies. The survey is being carried out by the Kiwi Expat Association, KEA. Chief executive Ross McConnell says it shows part of the growth in New Zealand's population will in future come from returning expats.
Copyright 2006 Newstalk ZB News.



Seven more medals for NZ.

New Zealand competitors won two silver and five bronze medals in yesterday's competition at Melbourne. Bevan Docherty won silver in the men's triathlon and Sam Warriner took silver in the women's. Andrea Hewitt took the bronze. New Zealand won its first medal in shooting at the Commonwealth Games. Juliette Etherington and Kathryn Mead won bronze in the 50 metres rifle prone pairs. At the pool, the 4 by 200 metres freestyle relay team has also taken bronze, finishing third behind Australia and England in a new New Zealand record. In something of a surprise, Cameron Gibson has also taken bronze in the 200 metres backstroke final. The men's team pursuit cyclists have beaten Malaysia to earn bronze.
Copyright 2006 Newstalk ZB News.



11,500 on dole for stress, drugs, booze.

By HELEN BAIN
More than 11,500 New Zealanders are unable to work and are claiming benefits because of "stress" or drug and alcohol abuse. Unemployment is at a low of 3.6 per cent, but the number of sickness and invalid beneficiaries continued to grow at a rate of 2.7 per cent last year, totalling 121,362 at the end of the year (74,500 invalids; 46,862 sick). Social Development Ministry figures obtained by the Sunday Star-Times under the Official Information Act show the number of people on benefits because of substance abuse rose from 2879 in 2001 to 4158 at the end of last year. Questions from National welfare spokeswoman Judith Collins have revealed 7468 people are claiming a benefit because they are stressed. Eligibility for sickness and invalid's benefits is determined by doctors, who assess whether a person has an incapacity preventing them from working.
Source:Sunday Star Times



Payout at last for Kiwi Holocaust survivors.

By DEIDRE MUSSEN
Holocaust victims living in New Zealand have gained thousands of dollars in compensation for Nazi war crimes suffered more than 60 years ago. More than 140 Kiwis have received payouts over the past three years from international compensation funds worth $NZ11.5 billion for slave and forced labour, and personal injuries and property loss suffered in World War II.
Source:Sunday Star Times



Whooping Cough Ravages Cadets.

Thirty-four police recruits and 10 staff have been isolated after an outbreak of whooping cough. The Porirua Police College has separated the recruits and told the staff to stay home. Spokeswoman Toni Barlow says only four people have been diagnosed with whooping cough since the beginning of March, but because it's so contagious anyone with a cough or flu-like symptoms has been separated from the others.
Copyright 2006 Newstalk ZB News.



Footpath row goes to court.

The row over outdoor dining space for bars and restaurants on Christchurch's Oxford Terrace will go to the High Court next week. Seven bar and restaurant owners are asking for a judicial review of the Christchurch City Council's process for setting rents, after it increased rentals for dining spaces on the popular strip. They say some rents would double to $9,500 a year, which is twice that paid by similar bars in Auckland and Wellington.
Source:RNZ



NZ's richest literary prize awarded.

New Zealand's richest literary prize has been awarded to the writer Carl Shuker, winning $65,000 Prize in Modern Letters for his 2005 novel, The Method Actors. The book is set in Japan, where Shuker worked as an editor, and tells a story of hedonistic young expatriates caught up in a secret history of Japan. The novel was praised by the judges for its accurate portrayal of different cultures and varying emotional universes.
Source:RNZ



Slim chance for DOC worker.

The chances of a DOC worker having survived the eruption on Raoul Island in the South Pacific are slim. Senior Constable Barry Shepherd accompanied yesterday's evacuation of five workers from the island. He says there is very little chance anyone anywhere near the crater at the time of the eruption could survive, and the missing worker was testing the temperature of the crater lake. DOC is launching a return mission to try to finding the missing staff member. A boat leaving this weekend will take three days to reach Raoul, 1,000 kilometres from New Zealand.
Copyright 2006 Newstalk ZB News.



Campaign gains momentum.

Auckland city's fast food chains came to a standstill this afternoon as youth and minimum wage workers took to the streets in protest. A protest march organised by the SuperSizeMyPay campaign was attended by more than a thousand workers demanding better pay. Unite Union secretary Mike Treen is pleased so many young workers are standing up for themselves and supporting the work of the union. They are demanding employers increase wages to a minimum of $12 an hour, and scrap youth rates.
Copyright 2006 Newstalk ZB News.



Saturday, March 18

Judy's back on the box for Maori TV.

By Julie Middleton
Judy Bailey has landed her first on-camera job since being dumped by Television New Zealand - she will help present Maori Television's unprecedented all-day coverage of Anzac Day. The two-year-old channel announced yesterday that it planned 6am-to-midnight coverage of Anzac Day events on April 25. It hoped to include live coverage from Gallipoli commemorations.



Burmester wins New Zealand's first gold.

By KEVIN TUTTY
A year ago Moss Burmester bit the bullet and moved to Auckland to keep his swimming career alive. Last night the move paid off in gold. Burmester continued a remarkable New Zealand tradition by winning the final of the men's 200m butterfly at the Commonwealth Games, and presenting the 2006 team with its first gold medal.



Cycling-Commonwealth Games-Silver for Roulston in points race.

By CHRIS BARCLAY
New Zealand cyclist Hayden Roulston powered to a stunning silver in the men's points race tonight. Roulston rode a superb race finishing strongly to trail Australian Sean Finning, who led from start to finish.
Source:NZPA



Rugby-Sevens team win gold

The New Zealand sevens team won their third straight Commonwealth Games gold tonight after beating England in the final 29-21.



Last of census forms collected this weekend.

Census collections will wind up this weekend. By midday yesterday collectors had retrieved census forms from more than 1.1 million households and close to 3 million individuals. Of these, more than 100,000 dwelling forms and close to 300,000 individual forms were submitted online. Statistics New Zealand says forms will be collected until Sunday. Government Statistician Brian Pink says he is delighted by the number of people who have taken advantage of the online option. He is encouraging people to get in touch if they still have forms to be collected or are yet to fill out a form. People can call 0800 CENSUS.
Copyright 2006 Newstalk ZB News.



Friday, March 17

NZer missing as island erupts.

A New Zealander is missing as preparations are underway to evacuate Raoul Island after a volcanic eruption. Six Department of Conservation staff are on the remote island, which is part of the Kermadec group, a thousand kilometres north east of Auckland. This morning's eruption sent out a plume of steam,ash and mud in the Green Lake area on the island and was accompanied by an earthquake measuring three to four on the Richter scale. One of the six DOC staff is missing after going on a routine mission to check the water temperature of the lake. A helicopter is being sent to evacuate the team. It will take five hours to reach the Island.
© 2006 NZCity, NewsTalkZB



Health boards fly to Britain for staff.

By HAYDON DEWES
Health Boards have been criticised for wasteful overseas recruitment spending after 10 boards flew up to five staff members each to attend a London jobs expo. One health board spent $45,000 sending three people to the Opportunities New Zealand Expo last October, but recruited just four people, National MP Tony Ryall revealed yesterday. He said health boards were wasting money set aside for overseas recruitment by competing against each other instead of presenting a united front overseas. Stalls alone at the expo cost $13,995 each.
Source:Dominion Post



Britain's olive oil - straight from Hawke's Bay.

One of Britain's biggest supermarket chains has signed a deal to sell extra virgin olive oil from a Hawke's Bay company. The Village Press is New Zealand's largest producer and processor. It has finalised a deal to supply its oil to the UK's Tesco chain. The Village Press says this is a significant breakthrough into the UK's $129 million olive oil market. The initial supply is for 13,200 500ml bottles into 500 Tesco stores, which represents a doubling of the company's previous annual exports to that country.
Copyright 2006 Newstalk ZB News.



Daylight saving ends this weekend.

The Department of Internal Affairs is reminding people to put their clocks back one hour before they go to bed on Saturday night. As well as changing clocks, the department suggests people also check smoke alarms in their homes to ensure they are working. Daylight saving will start again on Sunday, October 1.
Source:NZPA



Country-of-origin labels required for NZ produce.

New Zealand unpackaged fruit, vegetables, nuts and seafood sent to Australia must carry country-of-origin labelling (COOL) from June 8. The labelling was ordered by the Australian Government after farmers across the Tasman complained their produce was being displaced by cheaper vegetables from New Zealand. The complaints were triggered by Tasmanian farmers who lost contracts to supply processors with potatoes for the McDonalds hamburger chain.
Source:NZPA



Thursday, March 16

Drug trial victims hoping for a miracle.

Relatives of the men who have fallen seriously ill after taking part in a drugs trial in Britain say they have been told to pray for a miracle. Sky News is reporting that an unidentified New Zealander is one of six human guinea pigs who suffered multiple organ failure within hours of taking the experimental anti-inflammatory medicine. One man who pulled out of the trial at the last minute says he felt uneasy about the whole thing. He says he was left with a lot of unanswered questions and did not feel confident about the study. The men were being paid two thousand pounds to take part in the trial. Two of the six are critically ill in London's Northwick Hospital, while the other four are in intensive care.
Copyright 2006 Newstalk ZB News.



Bird flu campaign begins tonight.

Taking simple steps to prepare for a possible bird flu pandemic is the focus of a $1 million public awareness campaign by the Ministry of Health beginning tonight. Health Minister Pete Hodgson said today information from the health sector on pandemic preparedness had already been seen by two-thirds of New Zealanders, but only one-third had actually taken steps to prepare. "We now need to convince New Zealanders to take simple steps to make sure they're as ready as they can be for a possible flu pandemic." The series of television advertisements will screen on TV1, TV2 and TV3, in conjunction with radio advertisements being aired on stations across the county.
Source:NZPA



Army Museum pays $5000 for Anzac site.

By HANK SCHOUTEN
The Anzac.net website has been bought by the Army Museum for $5050 – more than 10 times the auction reserve set by its previous owner, Brian Duggan of Napier. Sarah Westbrook, executive officer of the Waiouru museum, said it bought the site with the help of a Palmerston North patron, but started bidding just hours before the Trade Me auction closed. Miss Westbrook said the site would be used to help promote the museum. The sale, which sparked a controversy over the commercial use of the word Anzac, has delighted Mr Duggan. Returned Services Association president John Campbell, who was concerned by the sale and the possibility that people might attempt to illegally profit from trading on the Anzac name, was relieved to hear it had been bought by the museum.
Source:Dominion Post



Anti-torture bill introduced to Parliament.

An anti-torture bill was introduced to Parliament yesterday. Justice Minister Mark Burton said the Crimes of Torture Amendment Bill would enable New Zealand to ratify the Optional Protocol to the United Nations Convention against Torture. The protocol establishes a system of regular visits to places of detention by international and national independent expert bodies, such as the Ombudsmen and Police Complaints Authority. "The Bill sends a clear message to all those who commit torture and other forms of ill-treatment that New Zealanders find these practices abhorrent and intolerable," Mr Burton said. "Compliance with the Optional Protocol will reinforce New Zealand's reputation for its strong commitment to human rights and encourages other states to follow New Zealand's lead and stamp out torture." New Zealanders have protection against torture under the New Zealand Bill of Rights Act and the Crimes of Torture Act.
Source:NZPA



Wednesday, March 15

Pay rise for Plunket nurses.

Plunket nurses will get a 13 percent pay rise after settling contract negotiations with their employer. The Nurses Organisation has released details of the deal that was officially ratified yesterday. Spokeswoman Chris Wilson says the increase will be paid out over three instalments and the deal also includes DHB allowances for professional development. She says Plunket is to be congratulated for leading the way in valuing the work of primary health nurses.
Copyright 2006 Newstalk ZB News.



Nile team conquers Ugandan rapids.

Two New Zealand men and their British colleague have become the first people to ascend the monstrous rapids of the Nile River, thanks to a little help from a helicopter. New Zealanders Cam McLeay and Garth MacIntyre and Briton Neil McGrigor are taking part in the Ascend the Nile Expedition, making their way along the world's longest river in a small inflatable craft. In Uganda some of the larger rapids were as big as waterfalls and the men had to be helicoptered, along with their boat, to safer waters. The idea of using the chopper came to the group when it was was emergency airlifted out during their first attempt at the expedition last year. One of their team members was killed in an ambush by Ugandan rebels.
Copyright 2006 Newstalk ZB News.



Doctors expect high flu jab demand.

By NIKKI MACDONALD
Doctors are bracing for high demand for this year's flu vaccination, as fears of a flu pandemic continue to grow. Seasonal flu vaccine has arrived in New Zealand and most health clinics are expected to begin immunisation this week. People at high risk of the potentially debilitating disease – those aged over 65 or with long-term health problems such as asthma, heart disease and diabetes – can get free jabs till June 30.
Source:Dominion Post



Christchurch Muslim community splinters.

By JANINE BENNETTS
Concerned Christchurch Muslims have asked the Office of Ethnic Affairs to step in and help resolve the power struggle dividing their community. The office says it is prepared to give advice and information, but it does not want to get directly involved in the squabble. Christchurch Mayor Garry Moore and the Federation of Islamic Associations of New Zealand (FIANZ) have also been asked to intervene. The Muslim Association of Canterbury (MAC) has been facing challenges from a small breakaway group for months and its latest problems have included the association's bank accounts being frozen and arguments over meetings, membership and management decisions. In early February, about 50 Christchurch Muslims voted no-confidence against MAC and elected an interim committee to operate until elections could be organised.
Source:The Press



Sale of Anzac site prompts warning.

By HANK SCHOUTEN
A Napier man's attempt to sell a website that pays tribute to his father and other soldiers who fought at Gallipoli has prompted a warning from the Culture and Heritage Ministry. But Brian Duggan has hit back, saying he is doing nothing wrong. The website established three years ago, has been put up for auction on Trade Me and as of yesterday the top bid was $199. Bidding is scheduled to close at noon today. The ministry posted a warning on the Internet auction site saying the word "Anzac" was protected by the Flags, Emblems and Names Protection Act 1981. "The permission of Her Excellency the Governor-General must be obtained prior to the use of the word Anzac in connection with any business, trade or occupation. It is not considered appropriate to use the word Anzac in the name of a business." Source:Dominion Post



NZ police aid prosecution of 'international criminal'.

By KENT ATKINSON
New Zealand police have confirmed they are helping Dutch authorities to bring to trial Aidan Madanny Elisha, an Israeli man being held by Indian immigration authorities in connection with a multi-million dollar maoney laundering operation. "Elisha was in New Zealand in 2003," a police spokesman said yesterday. "He is one of a number of identified international criminals that we have shared intelligence on and we will be assisting the Netherlands police in his subsequent prosecution. An Indian court was told last week that documents seized when Wellington premises were raided by New Zealand police allegedly revealed international drug trafficking and money laundering worth 10 million euros ($NZ18.5 million).



Men scarce, so women settle for less.

By KIM THOMAS
A "man drought" is leading New Zealand women to marry less well-educated, poorer men. The trend of "marrying down" has been identified by Department of Labour researchers studying a deficit of men in the 20 to 49-year age group. New Zealand is short of somewhere between 33,000 and 53,000 men in that age group, which means slim pickings for women looking for a mate. Demographer Paul Callister has been investigating what is behind this lack of eligible New Zealand men and looking at the implications. Callister said the most significant finding of his research was a 10 per cent increase in the past two decades in highly educated women marrying men with fewer qualifications and, in many cases, lower-paid jobs. This had happened largely because of a lack of eligible partners of equal educational or economic status, he said. The trend was likely to become more pronounced in the next decade because of higher numbers of women in tertiary education.
Source:The Press



Tuesday, March 14

Tax deal for ex-pat NZers.

New Zealanders coming home could get a tax-free deal on their foreign income. A bill has been reported back to the House with that recommendation after being tweaked by the Finance and Expenditure Select Committee. The Taxation Bill introduces a number of amendments to remove tax barriers getting in the way of recruitment to New Zealand. New migrants and returning kiwis would be able to claim a four-year exemption on foreign income. New Zealanders coming home must have been absent for a continuous period of at least 10 years. If passed, the bill would be dated to April 1 this year.
Copyright 2006 Newstalk ZB News.



Honorary doctorate for Sir Howard.

A Rotorua knight is soon to be a doctor. Sir Howard Morrison will be awarded an honorary doctorate from Waikato University next month. He says he was stunned by the honour as he never expected to be recognised in education. The award honours Sir Howard's outstanding service to the community, particularly in Maori education and business development. The honorary doctorate will be conferred during a graduation ceremony in Hamilton on April 28th.
Copyright 2006 Newstalk ZB News.



Kiwi to face RAF court martial.

The New Zealand airman who refused to return for another tour of duty in Iraq will appear before a court martial panel in Britain later this week. Malcolm Kendall-Smith does not want to go back to the war zone because he believes the conflict is illegal. The RAF doctor was charged back in October. Military sources say the 37-year-old will appear before the court martial on Thursday for a preliminary hearing.
Copyright 2006 Newstalk ZB News.



PM urged to raise human rights in Philippines.

Helen Clark is being urged to use her visit to the Philippines to highlight human rights abuses. The Prime Minister arrived there yesterday to meet with the Government. President Gloria Arroyo declared an effective state of emergency last month, saying it was needed to prevent a coup. That has outraged human rights activists. Auckland University law professor Jane Kelsey, has written two letters to Miss Clark asking her to convey New Zealand's condemnation of such action.
Copyright 2006 Newstalk ZB News.



Mallard off to support Games team.

Forget about participation, the Sports Minister says the Commonwealth Games are all about winning gold medals. Trevor Mallard heads to Melbourne today for the opening ceremony and the first few days of competition. He agrees with the idea that sport is about how you play the game and not always about winning. But he says as far as the Commonwealth Games are concerned, he is more interested in victory. Mr Mallard says the New Zealand team is the largest we have ever sent and is full of young hopefuls with huge futures. He says they are looking for at least 40 medals in Melbourne.
Copyright 2006 Newstalk ZB News.



British PM visit confirmed.

British Prime Minister Tony Blair will visit New Zealand at the end of the month. The British High Commission confirmed the visit to The New Zealand Herald newspaper. Earlier Prime Minister Helen Clark said a visit was likely but did not release dates saying plans could change. He would visit on March 28 departing the next day. Miss Clark said in January she had raised the possibility of a visit with Mr Blair when he phoned to congratulate her after the election and after the formation of the government. Then British Prime Minister Harold Macmillan paid an official visit in 1958 and John Major was here in 1995.
Source:NZPA



Bill asks list MPs to vote themselves out of a job.

By MARTIN KAY
They say turkeys don't vote for an early Christmas. Parliament's list MPs get to test the theory tomorrow. A bill by NZ First's Barbara Stewart would reduce the number of list seats from 51 to 31 – a move she said would lead to greater accountability and smoother decision-making. But it would also effectively require some MPs to vote themselves out of a job in 2008 when the bill, if passed, would become law. At this stage, only NZ First, National and ACT say they will support sending the bill to a select committee – giving Mrs Stewart 57 of the 61 votes needed to get it past its first hurdle. Labour, United Future, the Maori Party and the Greens will decide their positions this morning, though the Greens are likely to vote against the bill in line with previous policy.
Source:Dominion Post



Kiwi researchers find signs of new planet.

New Zealand researchers have found evidence of a "super-Earth," a chilly Neptune-sized planet. Using a variant of a technique proposed by Einstein, researchers from Auckland and Massey universities and Auckland's Stardome Observatory, have found signs of a new, icy planet, like a"large, chilly version" of Earth but too cold for life. "The new planet is Neptune-sized and icy, but unlikely to be covered with a layer of gas like Neptune," Dr Philip Yock of the University of Auckland said.
Source:NZPA



$3.4m payout hits taxpayers.

By COLIN ESPINER
The Government employment agency axed for loose spending controls on community grants has cost taxpayers $3.4 million to disestablish after two-thirds of its staff took redundancy payouts. National said the Government lumbered taxpayers with a huge bill by trying to restructure its way out of an embarrassing political problem and warned it could face similar costs over the restructuring of Child, Youth and Family. The Government disbanded the Community Employment Group in 2004 and transferred its $23m budget to the Ministry of Social Development after a string of high-profile grants to community organisations went awry. At the time the group was axed, then social development minister Steve Maharey said all of the group's 110 staff would be transferred to a new transitional agency before being absorbed by the ministry. But the Labour Department's corporate deputy secretary, Brian Sage, said yesterday that 71 of the group's staff had taken redundancy at an average of $46,000 each.
Source:The Press



Monday, March 13

First Asian Governor-General in New Zealand.

New Zealand has offered the prestigious post of official head of state to an Asian for the first time. The New Zealand Press Association said it understood the position of Governor-General has been offered to former Ombudsman Anand Satyanand. An official announcement on who will replace Silvia Cartwright as the British monarchy's official representative in New Zealand is expected in the near future. Sixty-one-year-old Satyanand, of Indo-Fijian parentage, is a district court judge who retired last February as Ombudsman after serving 10 years in the role.



Kiwis are top dogs at Crufts.

Two New Zealand dogs have scored big successes at prestigious international dog show held Crufts. The New Zealand Kennel Club says the wins at the British show are good news for dog breeders here. More than 22,000 dogs from the world's top breeders compete at Crufts for the prestige of being named the best of their type. For the first time, two New Zealand dogs have been awarded the winners' ribbons. Aladin, an Afghan hound owned by William Hansen and Alex Gilchrest, has been named the best dog of his breed, while Shelley Reeves' rottweiler, Ronan, has taken top honours in his class.
Source:RNZ



Court ruling hits Peters in the pocket.

By HELEN BAIN
NZ First leader Winston Peters will not ask his party to bail him out of a $40,000 bill he faces over an unsuccessful bid to wrest the Tauranga seat back from National's Bob Clarkson. The High Court at Tauranga has ruled Peters must pay Clarkson costs of $40,000 - half of what millionaire property developer Clarkson was claiming. The ruling follows an electoral petition taken by Peters against Clarkson, in which he claimed Clarkson exceeded spending limits in his election campaign last year. The 2005 election also resulted in allegations of overspending flung at both main parties. The Electoral Commission has referred Labour to the police after it found the party overspent on its election expenses by $418,000. National also faces allegations of overspending for failing to account for $100,000 in GST for its broadcast advertising.
Source:Sunday Star Times



Stay-at-home mum's $1.7m claim thrown out.

A stay-at-home mum has lost her bid to win $1.7 million from her high-flying corporate ex-husband to compensate for her lost career. Auckland Family Court judge Dale Clarkson has thrown out the claim, saying that one reason it failed was that the mother could have gone back to work when her youngest child went to school, but chose not to. The judge's comments have been criticised by a legal expert as "devaluing" the important role of the homemaker. The case of Aucklander Mrs X vs Mr X is the biggest claim under four-year-old provisions allowing stay-at-home mothers to seek more than 50% of the matrimonial property. Mrs X, a former professional who was at home for 14 years, sought 70% of the couple's $9m asset pool. She will instead receive $4.5m for her half of the couple's joint property.
By RUTH LAUGESEN Source:Sunday Star Times



Clark woos Chilean teachers.

The Prime Minister hopes to entice Chilean English-language teachers to New Zealand to counter flagging interest from the Asian market. Helen Clark was in Chile's capital, Santiago, at the weekend for the inauguration of Chile's first woman president, Michelle Bachelet. The Prime Minister has had a close relationship with outgoing President Ricardo Lagos and said from Chile yesterday that she had gone "in essence to keep New Zealand on the radar screen with the new Administration". Aside from meeting both Mr Lagos and Ms Bachelet, the Prime Minister also had a brief chat with United States Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice at the inauguration, where they had a "cordial" chat, and addressed two business audiences.
By Ruth Berry Source:NZPA



Officials impressed with Games village.

New Zealand officials are describing the Commonwealth Games village in Melbourne as the best they have ever seen. Most of the New Zealand team has now arrived in the city. The opening ceremony is on Wednesday. Chef de Mission Dave Currie says the facilities are first rate and the attention to detail the best of any games village he has been to. He has chosen the flagbearer and will reveal the athlete's name at a team function tomorrow night.
Copyright 2006 Newstalk ZB News.



Sunday, March 12

High Commissioner defended.

The Wellington Indian Association is defending the Indian High Commissioner to New Zealand The Indian government has reportedly recalled Harish Kumar Dogra following protests from the Indian community. Association president Peter Rama says some people have an axe to grind because they were refused visas back in October to visit India. But he says if the High Commissioner was allowing his personality to get between individuals who might demand things, that might get a person's back up. Mr Rama says it may not have been the High Commissioner's fault because visa approval could take time if proper procedures are not followed. Recently Mr Dogra refused a visa to prominent Kenyan-born Indian Harish Bajaj, who this year received a Queen's Service Medal for his work in promoting New Zealand-Indian tourism since the 1970s.
Source:NZPA



Christchurch property dealer arrested in Canada.

A New Zealander involved in millions of dollars worth of business deals in Canada has been arrested. John Gray, from Christchurch, was arrested in British Columbia this week after having entered into large business deals under the pretence he was a billionaire, The Press reported today. An Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada spokeswoman said an admissibility hearing would be held in Vancouver today. Gray, who has debts in the South Island, could be issued with a departure or exclusion order requiring him to leave Canada. He was described by a High Court judge in New Zealand last year as "unscrupulous" and an "awful man", before leaving Christchurch.
Source:NZPA



Family holds new fears for Sooden.

The family of former Auckland student Harmeet Sooden says they are "anxious and tense" after news that an American kidnapped in Iraq with their brother was found dead. The US State Department confirmed the discovery of the body of Tom Fox, 54, of Clearbrook, Virginia, a Christian activist taken hostage with Sooden and two others in November. His body was found near Baghdad and is now en route to the United States. Mark Brewer, Sooden's brother in law, told the Herald on Sunday from his Auckland home that the family was worried.
Source:NZPA



Aussie'bloody'advert sparks a bit of a blue.

Bloody hell, advertising language just keeps getting ruder. After the furore of the "bugger" advertisements, two New Zealanders have lodged complaints against Australia's new tourism campaign which asks: "So where the bloody hell are you?" The advertisement was banned in Britain last week after the Broadcast Advertising Clearance Centre objected to the word "bloody" in the $180 million Tourism Australia campaign. New Zealand's Advertising Standards Complaints Board received two complaints last week from Kiwis objecting to the language. The campaign features Australian beaches and natural attractions, and the TV commercial ends with a woman dressed in a bikini saying, "We've saved you a spot on the beach," before posing the curly question. Tourism Australia regional manager Vito Anzelmi said the British ban was based on out-dated criteria for objectionable words, and more than 100,000 people in the UK had downloaded the ad from the internet. Most New Zealanders had responded positively to the advertisement, which had screened in New Zealand for the past fortnight, Anzelmi said.
By EMILY WATT Source:Sunday Star Times



Pipe down: Noise control calls the tune at pipers'.

Hamilton has hit a few sour notes for a Dunedin band on the eve of the National Pipe Band Championships. John McGlashan College was given a warning from Hamilton City Council's noise control department on Thursday about 3.30pm – for practising too loud at their accommodation, Southern Cross Motel, on Ulster St. A subsequent warning, they were told, would result in pipes being confiscated. In spite of the initial hiccups, more than 1000 turned up for day one of the event with the street march of 50 bands – including five from Australia – on Rostrevor, Vialou and Liverpool Sts. The championships were being held over three days at Claudelands Showgrounds.
By JUSTINE TURNER Waikato Times



Saturday, March 11

Stats show it was a hot summer.

Summer may have seemed to have come and gone too quickly but the latest statistics show it has been a hot one. Temperatures overall were above average - the highest recorded was in Alexandra in the South Island, which saw 36.1 degrees at the end of January. The lowest recorded temperature was at the Chateau, Mt Ruapehu in the central North Island, which dropped to -1.9 degrees. Of the five main centres, Hamilton was the wettest, Wellington was the sunniest and rainfall was below average in Auckland. Sunshine hours were above average in Wellington and Dunedin, near average in Auckland and Christchurch, and below average in Hamilton.
Copyright 2006 Newstalk ZB News.



Another old frigate about to go on the market.

Another navy frigate, similar to the sunken warship ripped in half by a storm in Wellington a week ago, is about to go on the market. The navy expects to out up for tender its 36-year-old Leander-class frigate, the former HMNZS Canterbury. Registrations of interest are likely to be sought next week before the tender is advertised. The 3000-tonne ship has been lying idle at the Devonport Naval Base in Auckland since it was decommissioned a year ago. It was the second Leander-class frigate the navy had built. The first was HMNZS Waikato, now a dive attraction off the Northland coast at Tutukaka, north of Whangarei.
Source:NZPA



More NZ forces in combat, says commander.

Kiwi soldiers will increasingly be sent into combat as part of "coalitions of the willing", rather than United Nations operations, New Zealand's outgoing defence chief says. New Zealand has long been a player in peacekeeping around the world, but a focus on the Pacific and the United States-led war on terror mean most troops overseas no longer serve under the UN flag. "Almost invariably, we will be in a subordinate role to a larger force and bringing to that force a significant niche capability," said Air Marshal Bruce Ferguson. "Judging by the trend, that force won't be a UN force, but a multilateral force of allies ... as Americans call it, coalitions of the willing.
By DAN EATON Source:The Press



Drilling starts for geothermal power station.

Privately owned power generator Geotherm Group is set to drill the first production well for a new $300 million geothermal power station at Taupo. Group chairman Alistair McLachlan said the company's Bolivian-built drilling rig would start the first of 14 production wells on the Tukairangi Rd site, six kilometres northwest of Taupo, on Monday. When fully operating the station would produce 60MW – enough electricity to supply a city the size of Hamilton.
By MIKE WATSON Source:Dominion Post



Air NZ Offers Help To U2 Fans.

Air New Zealand is lending a sympathetic hand to inconvenienced U2 concert goers following the postponement of the group's New Zealand tour. It will allow ticket holders who have booked non-refundable fares to Auckland for the two concerts to transfer to another flight once a new concert date is announced. It will also waive any fees for changing flights.
Copyright 2006 Newstalk ZB News.



Top Spy - Now Hiring.

Advertisements for one of New Zealand's top spy jobs will begin publicly on Saturday. The State Services Commission is looking for a new Director of Security for the Security Intelligence Service. The current director, Richard Woods, will retire in October. The SIS is responsible for sniffing out terrorists and spies and investigating covert activities in New Zealand.
Copyright 2006 Newstalk ZB News.



No NZ Warning Over Fiji.

New Zealand will not be following Australia in warning travellers about Fiji. Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs has issued an advisory warning travellers of the tensions between Fiji's military and government. Negotiations in the Pacific nation between the army and Laisenia Qarase's government have broken down, with the military leader slating them as "useless". New Zealand's Foreign Affairs Ministry says it sees no need to look at warning travellers going to Fiji.
Copyright 2006 Newstalk ZB News.



Friday, March 10

Police must arrest nude riders, says mayor.

Tasman Mayor John Hurley claims Takaka police will look "utter fools" if they do not arrest nude cyclists taking part in Golden Bay's third annual naked bike ride on Sunday. Mr Hurley, who on Friday signed a petition against nude cycling, said the naked ride was "abhorrent" to many in the community. Petition organiser Ron Swan was to present the petition containing 200 signatures to Takaka police on Friday. About 100 people are expected to take part in the clothing-optional ride from Tarakohe to Pohara. It has been organised to highlight the issue of safer cycling and to promote the use of alternative forms of energy. Sergeant Arthur Clarence of the Takaka police said that following legal research into the issue, police concluded that nude cycling was not illegal.
By HAYLEY GALE The Nelson Mail.



Overstayers deported.

Twelve overstayers found at a South Island lodge on Wednesday have left the country. Department of Labour spokesman Steven May says the Eastern Europeans boarded a plane this afternoon and are returning to their respective countries. He says the dozen were served with removal notices after being found without current immigration permits at the Takaro Peace Resort near Te Anau.
Copyright 2006 Newstalk ZB News.



ISPs step up fight for faster internet.

Internet service providers Ihug and Slingshot have taken a bold step in the fight for faster broadband. The companies have asked the Commerce Commission to force Telecom to wholesale broadband at 7.5 megabits per second, the fastest its technology currently allows. Telecom has offered Ihug 3.5 megabits, which is an improvement on the current two megabits, but Ihug says it is not enough. Ihug spokesman David Diprose says Ihug and Slingshot are leading the charge on behalf of all internet service providers and New Zealand internet users. He says smaller ISPs cannot afford to go through the Commerce Commission process.
© 2006 NZCity, NewsTalkZB



Call to halt 'ethnic plunder'.

National is calling on the Government to stop the "ethnic coastal plunder" of fisheries. Official figures on the ethnic makeup of fisheries breaches, released by National fisheries spokesman Phil Heatley, show Maori have overtaken Asians as the ethnic group most prosecuted for fishing offences. Maori, Asian and Polynesian people make up by far the bulk of the 314 people prosecuted for illegal fishing last year, although they are a minority of the population. Maori made up 30 per cent per cent of the prosecutions, Asians 15 per cent and Polynesians 11 per cent. Caucasians, who make up 80 per cent of the population, were involved in 9 per cent of the prosecutions. The number of Asians prosecuted for illegal fishing has dived from 167 in 2003 to just 46 last year. The total number of prosecutions has also halved from 655 in 2003 to 314, despite fisheries officials vowing to crackdown two years ago. In 2004, the Government said Maori were abusing customary fishing rights and regulations would be tightened.
By COLIN ESPINER Source:The Press



Judge tipped as new governor-general.

New Zealand is poised to get its first ethnic Asian governor-general, with former ombudsman and judge Anand Satyanand the frontrunner to replace Dame Silvia Cartwright. All governors-general so far have been of European or Maori extraction. Dame Silvia's five-year term was extended by four months last year so the selection of her replacement did not coincide with the general election. Her term will now end on August 4.
By VERNON SMALL Source:Dominion Post



$5.5b Govt surplus ahead of forecasts.

The Government's operating surplus rose to $5.54 billion – $2.3 billion ahead of forecast – for the seven months of the financial year to January 2006. Treasury said the ahead of forecast result was driven by previously announced factors such as the sale of assets by Meridian Energy ($0.7 billion) and higher investment returns ($1.3 billion) and lower than expected spending in health and education ($0.3 billion). After taking into account bookkeeping items and revaluations the surplus was running at $3.7 billion – $0.4 billion more than forecast.
Source: NZPA



Thursday, March 9

PM says Barratt-Boyes an inspiration.

The Prime Minister is paying homage to one of New Zealand's and the world's greatest surgeons. Sir Brian Barratt-Boyes died in the United States yesterday from complications after a double heart valve replacement operation he underwent two weeks ago. Helen Clark says the 82-year-old pioneer heart surgeon leaves behind an immense legacy. She says he built a world class heart unit at Green Lane Hospital, put it on the map and brought great fame to New Zealand.
Copyright 2006 Newstalk ZB News.



Kiwi UK OE safe.

Britain is adjusting its immigration regulations again, but the great Kiwi OE is free from threat. The British High Commission in Wellington says essentially things will remain as they are for New Zealanders looking to head to the UK. Press Officer Bryan Nicolson says Britain is proposing condensing its 70 different schemes into five tiers of migration. At the top are the highly skilled migrants such as scientists and then others including nurses and teachers. He says there is also a category for students and what is currently known as the working holiday visa will be called the youth mobility and temporary workers visa. Mr Nicolson says the revamp will not affect the ancestry visa.
Copyright 2006 Newstalk ZB News.



Cullen warns of downturn.

The Finance Minister has told a Masterton business group that the economy is set to experience a downturn like no other in recent history, but he insists it is not heading for a recession. Michael Cullen says New Zealand faces a slowdown in growth but it is simply a dip in the economic cycle. He says the rate of growth remains very healthy, and at worst, New Zealand will forfeit a small part of the gains it has made in recent years. Dr Cullen says the dip is being accompanied by continued strength in the labour market and New Zealanders will work through the downturn.
Copyright 2006 Newstalk ZB News.



Huge hail storm closes Wellington Airport.

Wellington Airport was closed this morning after a huge hailstorm. The runway was shut down at 9am after what an airport spokesman described as "humungous" storm. Some flights were delayed and others diverted to Palmerston North.
Source: NZPA



250,000 go online for Census.

More than a quarter of a million people had completed their census forms online by 3pm yesterday. Statistics New Zealand spokesman Adam Kearney said 254,362 individual forms had been completed online and 93,710 dwelling forms.
Copyright © 2005, APN Holdings NZ Ltd



Wednesday, March 8

Persecuted Father and Daughter Find Freedom in New Zealand.

Huang Guohua and his four-year-old daughter Huang Ying still can't believe they were fortunate enough to make it to the paradise of New Zealand, following the nightmare they were put through in China where Mr Huang's wife was tortured to death in a Chinese prison for practicing Falun Gong while three months pregnant. On a sunny afternoon in an East Auckland park, Mr Huang calmly tells his story of persecution, tragedy and heartbreak at the hands of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), as the sound of hope for the future carries over from the children little Ying plays with in the playground. Now he is in New Zealand and very grateful to the NZ people for not forgetting about human rights and justice. "Kiwi's are so friendly and they touch my heart," he said, "I would like to thank the NZ government and people, for helping me resettle here and giving me a home and freedom to practice Falun Gong, freedom to continue my belief."
Epoch Times International
click HERE for full story



NZ contributes to $65m aid for Palestinians.

New Zealand has made a contribution towards an aid package to help the cash-strapped Palestinian Authority. The World Bank approved a US$42 million ($65 million) aid package to help the Authority until Islamic militant group Hamas forms the next government. An NZAID spokeswoman said the $500,000 from New Zealand was a standard humanitarian assistance allocation.
REUTERS, NZPA



Shady Lady back in Florida.

The yacht Shady Lady and her skipper Bill Kimball are back home in Florida, after a marathon solo journey from Dunedin. The pair left in October, and arrived home this week, almost two years after Mr Kimball first left Florida to sail around the world. His plans were interrupted when he had to be rescued off Stewart Island. Dunedin became his home for six months in a wrangle over the salvage of the Shady Lady. The 71-year-old says despite this, he will always have a soft spot for Dunedin. Bill Kimball and his wife Colleen now plan to spend time cruising around the warmer waters of the Bahamas.
Copyright 2006 Newstalk ZB News.



Prosecution for not filing in census form.

People who decided not to fill in a census form may have to pay the price. The penalty for not filling in a form is a fine of $500 plus court costs and Statistics New Zealand says it will not be shy when it comes to prosecuting people Census General Manager Nancy McBeth says the survey is important when it comes to making decisions for the whole country. She says over the past two censuses 40 people have been prosecuted and those who do not fill in forms this time can expect the same treatment.
Copyright 2006 Newstalk ZB News.



New Zealand HIV infection rate hits record high in 2005.

New Zealand's rate of HIV infection rose 17 percent last year with a record 183 people diagnosed with the sickness -- half of them as a result of gay sex, an AIDS research group said Tuesday. The figure, the highest total since records began in 1985, was up 26 on 2004 when 157 cases were diagnosed, the AIDS Epidemiology Group at Otago University said. Of the 183 new cases diagnosed, 89 were from homosexual sex (up 19 percent on 2004), and 73 (35 men and 38 women) were infected through heterosexual contact, the group said. Six new sufferers were children diagnosed with HIV through mother-to-child transmission. The causes of the 15 remaining new cases were classified as "unknown."



International women's day a reality check for NZ.

Some countries celebrate today's International Women's Day with a national holiday – but not New Zealand. Human Rights Commissioner Judy McGregor says the day doesn't receive the same recognition here as in other parts of the world. "There is a myth in New Zealand that New Zealand is a standout country for gender parity and all is well." She said complacency about the issue was to a large extent ironic, because it was born of the success of Prime Minister Helen Clark, former Prime Minister Jenny Shipley, Chief Justice Sian Elias and "a few (other) women at the top". Dr McGregor, who is also the Equal Employment Opportunities Commissioner, said 39 of the current 121 MPs were women, the largest number in New Zealand's parliamentary history, ranking the country 15th in an Inter-Parliamentary Union survey of women's representation in national parliaments.
By Janna Hamilton Source: NZPA


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