New Zealand, Australia and the Pacific Islands ::: A News Blog ::: est 2004



Daily New Zealand News .... http://www.newszealand.blogspot.co.nz ..... Daily New Zealand News




There are currently : visitors online.

Add to Google
Search Daily New Zealand News
Enter a keyword

Traduire/Traducir/Ubersetzen
Website Translation Widget



Friday, February 29

New Kapiti homes must all have water tanks

By KAY BLUNDELL - The Dominion Post
Radical water-saving measures have been introduced on the Kapiti Coast as drought conditions again kick in. All new houses built on the coast must either have a 10,000-litre water tank or a 4500-litre tank and greywater system for garden irrigation. The move by Kapiti Coast District Council should mean that by 2050 more than 40 per cent of homes in the district will have tanks or greywater systems, with potential savings of more than a third of the present town water consumption, water use co-ordinator Ben Thompson said. The change will mean no outdoor taps will be connected to the town supply and rainwater will be used to supply toilets, the laundry and outdoors. If tank water levels fall below 1000 litres, there will be provision for a limited supply of 600 litres of town water a day to top up rainwater tanks.



Politicians draw flak for Wikipedia changes

Politicians and their staff have been criticised for editing MPs' profiles on the internet encyclopedia site Wikipedia. Internet commentator Russell Brown says the profile of National Party deputy leader Bill English was edited last year to remove details about his moral beliefs and family. Mr Brown says the editing was made from a computer address that was be traced to users at the parliamentary complex. He says he has no problem with parliamentary staff updating articles, but such changes should be transparent. Users should not be anonymous if they are going to remove potentially embarrassing material, says Mr Brown.
Copyright © 2008 Radio New Zealand



Sir Ed's ashes scattered in Gulf

Sir Edmund Hillary's ashes are being spread in the waters of the Hauraki Gulf. Family and close friends have gathered on the Spirit of Adventure for the service. The 88-year-old adventure died in Auckland Hospital from a heart attack on January 11. He was cremated during a private service after his state funeral. The Queen has invited the Hillary family to a special service at Windsor Castle in April.
Copyright 2002 - 2008. TelstraClear Ltd



Kakapo produce fertile eggs

The breeding season of New Zealand's most endangered birds - the Kakapo, is off to a great start. At least two fertile eggs have been laid on Codfish Island and two female birds, previously thought to be too young, have started laying eggs. Conservation Minister Steve Chadwick says these are the first eggs laid by Kakapo in three years. She says the discovery is a great surprise as although the eggs may not be fertile, it is big news the eggs have been laid at all. There are only 86 Kakapo in two protected offshore islands.
Copyright 2002 - 2008. TelstraClear Ltd



71 set to contest nine People’s seats in Tonga election

The Tonga supervisor of elections, Pita Vuki, says 71 candidates are set to contest the nine People’s Representative seats in the poll on April 23rd. There will be 22 contesting the two Vava’u seats, 28 for the three seats on Tongatapu and nine for the two seats in Ha’apai. 8 women are standing in the election.
© RNZI 2004



Govt urged to buy day care centres

The government is being urged to buy all the ABC Learning centres across the country, following reports of the Australian-owned chain's financial difficulties. ABC owns 116 centres in New Zealand, catering for 8,000 pre-school children. The union representing early childhood teachers, the NZEI, says the situation reinforces its view that multi-national companies should not be providing pre-school education. It is calling on the Government to step in. ABC's shares were suspended on the ASX yesterday, with the company saying it is in negotiations following an expression of interest in part of the business. The suspension lasts until at least Tuesday.
Copyright 2002 - 2008. TelstraClear Ltd



Storms, wet weather forecast for weekend

The South Island is set for a wet weekend with a low pressure system predicted to bring heavy rain to much of Southland, Nelson and Marlborough tomorrow. The Metservice says the wet weather is also likely to affect the bottom half of the North Island with the Tarankai region expected to be the worst hit. The cold front is also expected to bring rain to Hamilton, Auckland and Wellington tomorrow, with finer weather forecast for Sunday.
NZ HERALD STAFF



Bluff Oysters step back onto the cuisine scene

New season Bluff Oysters will be on the menu in Southland on Sunday - but the rest of country will have to wait. This year's Oyster season officially starts tomorrow and runs though until the end of August. Manager of Barnes Oysters in Southland, Graham Wright, says the phone has been ringing red hot will orders from around the country.
Copyright © TVWorks Limited



Historic hotel sells for more than $1.2

An historic Otago hotel has been sold for more than $1.2 million. The Careys Bay Hotel near Port Chalmers was owned by millionaire publisher Barry Colman and his late wife Cushla Martini, The Otago Daily Times reports. They bought the 1876 hotel in 2001 and spent $1.6 million on the bluestone building. It has been sold to semi-retired Dunedin builder John Kidston who said yesterday his daughter Joanna and son-in-law Rikki Lind, hotel chef for the past 18 months, would manage the hotel when the family took possession next month.
Copyright © TVWorks Limited



Childcare operator says ABC centres will stay open

The Australian parent company of one New Zealand's largest childcare centre operators is confident all its centres will stay open, despite being in financial crisis. ABC Learning Centres' share price plunged as much as 70% on Wednesday, in response to its debt levels and a disappointing half-year profit. The company, which has been in business for 20 years, has 110 centres in New Zealand. An ABC Learning Centres spokesperson, Scott Emerson, says parents have no reason to worry despite the fall in the share price. Shares have been suspended from trade, as the company discusses the sale of part of the business.
© 2008 Radio New Zealand



Farm jobs under threat because of drought

The jobs of farm workers in drought-affected Waikato are under increasing threat as farmers struggle with dry conditions. A drought was officially declared in the region on 6 February. Federated Farmers says milk production is down 25%. Along with herds drying off earlier, farmers are facing cashflow problems. With labour one of the highest costs on a farm, Waikato president Stew Wadey says some farmers will have no choice but to make their employees redundant.
Copyright © 2008 Radio New Zealand



Use Feb's extra day to give blood

People are being urged to use the extra day in February to leap into their nearest blood bank. The New Zealand Blood Bank says the day symbolises the gift of time and believes it should be matched with the gift of life. Approximately 80 percent of people will need a blood product at some stage in their lives but only four percent of the population donates.
Copyright 2002 - 2008. TelstraClear Ltd



Help' scrawled in sand saves missing French tourist

A French tourist missing in the central Australian outback was rescued after scrawling the word "help" in the desert sand. The 22-year-old woman was found Thursday after a search party saw her desperate appeal for help near Kathleen Springs, south-west of Alice Springs. She was taken to the Kings Canyon Medical Clinic for assessment but police said that despite her ordeal she appeared fit and well. The tourist was last seen on Sunday morning, setting off on a trek towards the spectacular Kings Canyon. They believe the woman became lost after straying off the main track.



Chch hospital crisis: 70 nurses needed

By KATE WYLIE - The Press
Christchurch Hospital has 70 nursing vacancies as an acute shortage continues to bite. The shortage is the worst to hit the hospital, and has led to the deferral of elective surgery and a stretched nurse-to-patient ratio. Among the vacancies are five fixed-term paediatric positions, created to cope with higher admissions over the winter. Another eight positions are for Emergency Department nurses, to staff the area which is being rebuilt and enlarged. The acting director of nursing services, Pam Kiesanowski, said the shortage was a "major concern", especially with winter looming.



Bigger fines for jury service dodgers

By NATHAN BEAUMONT - The Dominion Post
Tens of thousands of New Zealanders dodging jury service will face tripled fines under a new crackdown. The Justice Ministry is overhauling the system and is expected to announce changes within three months, including raising the fine to $1000 for those dodging jury duty. Figures obtained by The Dominion Post show 352,952 people were summoned in 2007, but 74,039 did not turn up. Only 68 people were prosecuted for ignoring summonses during the four years to August 2007.



Thursday, February 28

Migrants using NZ as 'transit lounge'

Migrants are using NZ as a "giant transit lounge" to gain citizenship before abandoning it for Australia, NZ politicians say. United Future, which has two MPs in the NZ parliament, issued figures showing that nearly 30 per cent of New Zealand migrants who moved to Australia since 2001 were born overseas. It's a serious concern that many migrants to New Zealand are coming here to gain their citizenship, but then choosing to leave for the greener pastures of Australia," United Future leader Peter Dunne said. "We rely heavily on overseas migrants to bolster and fill the gaps in our workforce. "If we are losing large numbers of skilled migrants to Australia, then our economy is in big trouble." Dunne said New Zealand must ensure migrants were going to make a long-term commitment to the country "rather than treating our country as a giant transit lounge".



China becomes 4th largest visitors source to New Zealand

China overtook Japan to become New Zealand's fourth largest source of visitor arrivals in January, Statistics New Zealand said on Thursday. The 122,000 visitor arrivals from China represented an increase of 15,500, up 15 percent, on the same month last year. In contrast, the 119,500 visitor arrivals from Japan represented a decrease of 14,000, down 10 percent from the previous year. The top three sources of visitor arrivals in January were Australia (956,400), Britain (289,400) and the United States (219,400).
Source: Xinhua



Cuban-trained doctors sorely needed in Solomons

The 25 Solomon Islands students who are attending medical training in Cuba will help ease a doctors shortage. The trip is part of a bilateral arrangement with Cuba, which has indicated its willingness to assist Solomon Islands in the health sector. Another 25 will leave for Cuba in July, and 10 medical doctors from Cuba are expected to arrive in the Solomons at the end of March.



Unique NZ frogs found to be breeding

Thirteen rare finger nail-sized frogs have been born for the first time on one of New Zealand's main islands. The Maud Island frogs were found in the frog enclosure at the Karori Wildlife Sanctuary in Wellington and have been taken to Victoria University. When they have grown they will be released into the wild. Victoria University student Kerri Lukis, who is studying the sanctuary's population for her Master's thesis, said it was an exciting find. "Maud Island frogs have never been found breeding in their natural habitat before, and certainly not on the mainland. It's wonderful timing for 2008 -- International Year of the Frog and a Leap Year," Ms Lukis said. "It's rare to get a good news story about frogs, every year around 35 species of frog become extinct and two of New Zealand's remaining native frog species are on the critical list."
Source:NZPA



Big fine for Talleys

Talleys Frozen Foods has been handed one of the largest fines ever imposed under the Health and Safety Act. Eleven employees became sick after factory produce was exposed to carbon monoxide fumes from a forklift. The company has been told to pay $3,000 to each affected person. On top of that, it was slapped with a $110,000 fine for failing to protect staff from the toxin. The Department of Labour says the fines and reparations reflect the seriousness of the incident.
Copyright 2002 - 2008. TelstraClear Ltd



Finn portrait wins Sydney gallery prize

A portrait of New Zealand musician Neil Finn has been judged the favourite entry of art gallery staff in this year's Archibald prize in Sydney. Martin Ball's portrait of the Crowded House frontman is the winner of the Packing Room prize. The prize is chosen each year by staff who have been unpacking and hanging the entries at the Art Gallery of New South Wales. The gallery's storeman, Steve Peters, says staff chose the portrait because it was a good picture.
Copyright © 2008 Radio New Zealand



Rudd unable to resolve apple issue

Helen Clark admits the dispute between New Zealand apple growers and their Australian counterparts will probably have to be resolved by the courts. The Australians banned apple imports from New Zealand in 1921, when fire blight was discovered here and it was thought apples might be a pathway for the pathogen that causes the disease. New Zealand has been trying to have the ban lifted since 1986, since scientific research showed it was not justified. In March 2007, the Australians finally conceded the possibility of access for New Zealand apples, but with restrictions the Government here still considers scientifically unjustified.
Copyright 2002 - 2008. TelstraClear Ltd



Milford train tunnel planned

Travel time between Queenstown and the Milford Sound could be cut if a proposal for a train running through a 13.5km tunnel is accepted. The Milford Sound Link Rail Ltd proposal would ferry up to 500 people and vehicles on a roll-on, roll-off electric powered train under the Humboldt Mountains from beside the Dart River bridge in Routeburn Rd, to Gunns Camp in the Hollyford Valley Rd, the Otago Daily Times reported today. Passengers would remain in their vehicles while the train travelled through the tunnel.
Source:NZPA



IRD hunts offshore Kiwi tax dodgers

By JAMES WEIR - The Dominion Post
Up to a dozen Kiwi tax dodgers may have cheated the Government out of up to $2 million by salting money away in Liechtenstein, but Inland Revenue is after them. New Zealand tax authorities have joined an international hunt for tax dodgers using Liechtenstein bank accounts to avoid or evade tax. Inland Revenue said yesterday it was aware of New Zealanders, "both past and present" with Liechtenstein bank accounts being used to avoid or evade tax and had evidence to support that.



Wednesday, February 27

Windfarms produce $2m profit

There may not be much gold in them thar hills....but there 's enough wind for NZ Windfarms to turn a profit. Despite delays getting Stage Two of the Te Rere Hau project in the Tararua Ranges up and running, the company has reported a surplus for the six months to December of almost $2 million. It's also in the process of expanding the scheme, by adding another 37 turbines to the 97 it already has consent for.
Copyright 2002 - 2008. TelstraClear Ltd



Health Minister sacks DHB - commissioner appointed

By Paula Oliver
Health Minister David Cunliffe has sacked the Hawke's Bay District Health Board and appointed a commissioner in its place - sparking allegations of "cronyism" and abuse of power. Sir John Anderson will take over the governance of the DHB after Mr Cunliffe today said the board was suffering terminal problems, including internal divisions, scraps with management and a $7.7 million budget blowout.
Source:NZPA



28 jobs go at Fisher and Paykel’s Mosgiel Plant

A slack housing market both here and abroad has resulted in 28 staff losing their jobs at Fisher and Paykel Appliances' Mosgiel manufacturing plant. The staff cuts were "across the board" at the Otago plant, which produces cookware and dishwashers, the company said. Fisher and Paykel vice-president of public relations Paul Brockett said the main reason for the job losses was housing market downturns in the United States, Australia and New Zealand. This had impacted on the company's cooking appliance sales, he said.
Source:NZPA



Perception of crime all wrong - Auck Uni

The rate of reported crime is decreasing, according to a recent study at Auckland University Law School. It suggests there were just over 100 offences for every 1,000 people in the 2006/2007 year, compared with almost 130 per 1,000 in the 1996/1997 year. Researcher and Associate Professor of Law at Auckland University, Julia Tolmie, says the results contradict popular perceptions about crime. She says a lot of published reports on crime focus on trends from one year to the next, or concentrate on the incidence of one particular type of crime.
Copyright 2002 - 2008. TelstraClear Ltd



More smokers despite tighter laws

By Craig Borley
Dramatic changes to smoking laws in 2004 have had no effect on reducing the number of people who smoke. Ministry of Health figures show the number of people smoking is higher than three years ago - 23.5 per cent of the population compared with 23 per cent - despite the ban on smoking in pubs and clubs, introduced in 2004. There is some good news - the number of people taking up smoking and second-hand smoking rates have fallen considerably in recent years.



Anti-depression drugs don't work - study

By Craig Borley Tens of thousands of New Zealanders are swallowing antidepressant pills that don't work, a groundbreaking study shows. The study - one of the largest into popular drugs, including Prozac - has found the pills have no "clinically significant" effect. However, some experts were today continuing to back the drugs if they are prescribed to the right people. The results showed the drugs increased patients' scores on a 51-point depression scale by an average of only two points. And it suggested "talking treatments" should replace drug treatments for clinically depressed people. The drugs were prescribed more than 700,000 times in New Zealand last year at a cost of almost $28 million.



Cricket-Harbhajan an 'obnoxious little weed' - Hayden

Australian opener Matthew Hayden has ensured a spicy finale to a fiery summer of cricket by describing Indian combatant Harbhajan Singh as an "obnoxious little weed". The two sides meet in the best of three one-day final series starting Sunday at the SCG following two months of acrimony between the players. "It's been a bit of a long battle with Harbhajan," Hayden told a Brisbane radio station, according to News Limited newspapers. "The first time I ever met him he was the same little obnoxious weed that he is now. Hayden and Harbhajan exchanged verbal barbs during last Sunday's match at the SCG with the Queenslander saying he called the tweaker a "bad boy" during Australia's innings.
AAP



Hotmail problems affecting Kiwis too

Some users of Microsoft's Windows Live email, also known as Hotmail, are having difficulty accessing their accounts. "We're actively investigating the cause and are working to take the appropriate steps to remedy the situation as rapidly as possible," said a Microsoft spokesman. US and Canadian users are reporting outages of the free web-based email program, which has more than 300 million active users. There have also been reports of some Kiwis and Australians having trouble accessing their accounts.



New Zealand and Australian leaders hold second meeting

The Prime Minister is to hold her second meeting with Kevin Rudd since he became Australia's prime minister. Their first discussion was at his home in Brisbane, shortly after he came to power in November last year. Miss Clark will hold more formal talks with Mr Rudd in Canberra on Wednesday during the annual trans-Tasman leaders' meeting. She says it is an opportunity to ensure New Zealand's priorities are high on the Australian government's agenda.
© 2008 Radio New Zealand



Tuesday, February 26

Army blows up mortar bomb in Canterbury

The army blew up a World War 2 mortar bomb near Rolleston Prison in Canterbury this afternoon. The bomb was dug up in a paddock behind the prison just before 3.30pm today. An army bomb disposal unit from Burnham inspected the bomb, which they believe was a training round, and blew it up as a precaution.
NZPA



Large gas field discovered in Waikato

State coal mining company Solid Energy says it has discovered a potentially large gas field in Waikato. Solid Energy chief executive Don Elder says the methane is locked into coal seams around Huntly and the company has just begun flaring off gas from the field.
Copyright © 2008 Radio New Zealand



Boost to renewable energy

A major expansion of renewable energy manufacturing is in the pipeline. Solid Energy has announced plans to build biomass and biodiesel production facilities in Taupo and Christchurch. The plant in Taupo will be capable of producing up to 150,000 tonnes per year of clean-burning wood-pellet fuel. Biodiesel New Zealand has also begun planning work for a large-scale production facility in Christchurch. It has a three-year target to produce 70 million litres per year of transport fuel, approximately half the Government's total 2012 biofuels target.
Copyright 2002 - 2008. TelstraClear Ltd



Hunting season for pukeko

There is bad news for pukeko on the West Coast, where a special hunting season has been declared for the birds. It will run for a month, kicking off on Saturday. Fish and Game spokesman Chris Tonkin says pukeko are considered by farmers to be a nuisance. He says the birds have become an issue after developing a taste for cranberries at the Cranberry New Zealand farm near Westport. But Mr Tonkin says they also love getting their beaks into aquatic vegetation, clover and worms as well as chicks and eggs.
Copyright 2002 - 2008. TelstraClear Ltd



Backpacker scoops $1m Lotto prize

A backpacker is ditching plans to go fruitpicking in New Zealand after buying a million-dollar Lotto ticket on only his second day in the country. The lucky tourist, who wished only to reveal that he was 'Australasian', claimed his $1 million first division prize from the NZ Lotteries' office in Wellington today. The surprise windfall has meant that the backpacker no longer has to resort to picking fruit to fund his travel plans.



Australian publisher deported from Fiji

The Australian publisher of a newspaper in Fiji has been taken from his home and deported to Australia. Russell Hunter, the managing director and publisher of the Fiji Sun, was taken from his home by two men claiming to be from the immigration department, according to the paper's website. Fiji media report he has been put on a Sydney-bound flight out of Nadi International Airport. The Fiji Sun has recently published a series of articles on allegations of tax evasion against an interim government minister, later identified as Mahendra Chaudhry. Fiji's interim prime minister, Frank Bainimarama, who seized power in a military coup in December 2006, recently accused journalists in Fiji of being unethical.
© 2008 Radio New Zealand



Dollar hits post-float high against US currency

The New Zealand dollar has hit its highest level against the US dollar since the kiwi was floated 23 years ago. The currency traded as high as 81.4 US cents on Tuesday, as investors bought New Zealand dollars to take advantage of the country's relatively high interest rates. The dollar was also firmer against other major currencies, hitting a two-month high against the yen and a four-month high against the euro.
© 2008 Radio New Zealand



Kiwijet launch off until next year

A low-cost airline planning to service eight New Zealand cities has delayed its planned start-up date for a year. Kiwijet was aiming to begin services later this year, but Chief Executive Patrick Weil says after a due diligence process, it has been decided to postpone the launch date until next February. He says the report highlighted the need for Kiwijet to form an alliance with a trans-Tasman partner airline, to provide feeder traffic to and from the main trunk routes. The airline was intending running services late in the evening which would restrict passengers to hand luggage only. This would leave the aircraft hold available for freight, parcels and mail.
Copyright 2002 - 2008. TelstraClear Ltd



Sprinkler ban across Wellington

The use of garden sprinklers and irrigation systems has been banned in all five cities in the Greater Wellington region, as the dry summer continues to bite. The Lower Hutt, Wellington, Upper Hutt and Porirua city councils have today agreed to join Kapiti in imposing a ban, at the request of their water suppliers, Greater Wellington. The ban has been triggered by a long period of low water levels, and a forecast of dry weather for the rest of this week.
Copyright 2002 - 2008. TelstraClear Ltd



Aussies going big on solar energy

Construction of a solar electricity plant big enough to power 45,000 homes each year can begin, after a A$285 million ($326 million) commitment from a Victorian electricity retailer. Solar Systems, a private Melbourne-based company, will develop the A$420 million plant on a number of sites, which are yet to be confirmed, across the Mildura and Swan Hill regions in northern Victoria. The project is expected to provide 950 jobs during construction, which will start in 2009.



Jail for wood pigeon killing

The jailing of two Northland men for killing the protected kukupa (wood pigeons) has been welcomed by the Department of Conservation. Michael Stanley Sampson, 36, and Murray William Ogle, 33, were handed six week prison sentences after pleading guilty in Kaikohe District Court last week to hunting, killing and possessing kukupa, also known as kereru, last year. DOC, which brought the prosecution, has welcomed the sentence, saying it sent a strong signal to those who hunted the endangered bird.
Source:NZPA



Makeover to pull the birds

The Friends of Mana Island are hoping a lick of new paint will help attract gannets back to the island. Society committee member Jo Greenman said the painted concrete gannets, which were aimed at attracting the birds back to the island, were now 10 years old and in need of a spruce up. "The idea is that they will appeal to live gannets that will come back and start a colony. It's not been very successful, but we thought we would give it another go. Mrs Greenman said they were looking for volunteers to help touch up the paintings, during two three-day periods next month. Volunteers were also being sought for native tree planting in May and June. Attracting the birds back to the island was part of the society's attempts to restore Mana Island's original eco-system, Mrs Greenman said.
Source:Dominion Post



Maori twice as likely to die of respiratory illness

By REBECCA TODD - The Press
Maori are dying from asthma and other respiratory conditions at more than twice the rate of non-Maori, research shows. Researchers at Otago University's Wellington School of Medicine also found that hospital admissions for very young Maori asthmatic children were about 60 per cent higher than for non-Maori. However, Maori and non-Maori have similar rates of asthma and conditions such as emphysema and chronic bronchitis. Canterbury District Health Board (CDHB) Maori and Pacific health director Hector Matthews said the disparity between Maori and non-Maori was largely due to socio- economic conditions.



Top scholarship prizes awarded

Eight students were awarded the Premier Award and will receive $10,000 a year for three years for their results in the 2007 Scholarship examinations. Results were sent yesterday to more than 8000 students who sat the exams. The top scholars will receive a monetary award, ranging from a one-off $500 payment to the Premier Award. The Premier Award is reserved for the top five to 10 students in the country. The winners will be announced publicly at a ceremony in May at Government House in Wellington.
©2008, APN Holdings NZ Limited



Publisher of Fiji’s Sun News Ltd taken from his home

The publisher and chief executive officer of one of Fiji’s major newspaper company, Sun News Ltd, Russell Hunter, is feared missing. While police have yet to confirm receiving a report, the newspaper’s editor Leone Cabenatabua told Fijilive that seven men, who said they were immigration officials, took Mr Hunter from his home in Suva last night. Mr Hunter, his wife Martha and their visiting daughter were at home when the incident happened. He is an Australian expatriate who had just got his contract with the newspaper company for another three years beginning last year. Mr Cabenatabua says the officers had first asked for Mr Hunter’s passport and work permit. He says they are concerned about his safety more than anything else right now. He says they suspected Mr Hunter was taken because of the articles the newspaper published on the tax evasion story against an interim minister.
© RNZI 2004



Maori learning plugs into media players

By Yvonne Tahana
Maori is the first indigenous language freed from the "tyranny" of old technology as Auckland University of Technology leads the push to digitise te reo. AUT students will be the first in the country to use their media players to download for free work and animations based on linguist Professor John Moorfield's Te Whanake textbooks. Other podcasts for students are planned to tie into a Maori Television series under production. They'll also be able to send back oral assessments via their players to tutors - work that is completed in many institutes on tapes.



Fishing crew abandon ship before it explodes

The crew of a fishing boat which caught fire and sank off the West Coast were lucky another vessel was in the area to pick them up, rescuers said. The crew of the Santa Maria II activated an emergency beacon on Saturday afternoon after the vessel caught fire 54km north-west of Westport. The Rescue Co-ordination Centre New Zealand (RCCNZ) sent helicopters from Greymouth and Wellington to help. Shortly after the men had abandoned their vessel, the Santa Maria II exploded and later sank.
Source:The Press



Monday, February 25

Te Reo only on second Maori TV channel

Maori Television's second channel will be exclusively in Te Reo with no advertising. The new channel will be launched at a dawn ceremony at the end of next month and will initially broadcast between 8pm and 11pm seven days a week. Maori Television chief executive Jim Mather says the aim of the channel is to meet the needs of fluent Maori speakers and those viewers keen to have full immersion Maori language households.
Copyright 2002 - 2008. TelstraClear Ltd



Support for Afghanistan discussed

New Zealand's troop commitment to Afghanistan is being discussed at the Beehive (Parliament) today. Defence Minister Phil Goff is holding talks with the Governor of Bamyan Province. Habibe Sarabi is in the country to shore up New Zealand's support for Bamyan, where 107 NZDF personnel have been sent as part of a Provincial Reconstruction Team. The Government doubts the Governor will ask for more troops to be sent, although late last year the chief of the Joint Forces Major General Rhys Jones said troop levels were being reviewed, and may be increased.
Copyright 2002 - 2008. TelstraClear Ltd



Writers oppose kids book censorship

The Society of Authors says too many children's books are being censored. The writers have joined up with Wellington City's 15 libraries to highlight the issue this week. They say a growing number of works are being banned, restricted or sanitised. Spokesman and author Dom Long says the censorship is more underground than it can be overseas, where books are simply burnt. He says the problem is more subtle with publishers turning down potentially controversial books, or diluting their content. Libraries will be hosting a week-long series of readings and displays, along with a celebrity debate. Councillor Ngaire Best says the event will examine whether the impulse to protect children from accessing some materials has been taken too far.
Copyright 2002 - 2008. TelstraClear Ltd



China trade deal signing in April

New Zealand's free trade deal with China is on the brink of being signed, sealed and delivered. Prime Minister Helen Clark will travel to Beijing in April for the signing ceremony. She will be accompanied by a trade delegation, there to take advantage of the opportunities the deal will open up. Miss Clark says it is certainly a significant deal from this country's point of view.
Copyright 2002 - 2008. TelstraClear Ltd



New seabird species found in fossils

Australian palaeontologists have found as many as four new species of seabirds - and possibly new groups of species - in a huge cache of fossils on a remote beach on the Chatham Islands. Some of the fossils are of cormorant-like birds dating back to the late Cretaceous period - around 65 million years ago when New Zealand first separated from the ancient supercontinent of Gondwana, National Geographic magazine reported. The fossils were revealed after storms washed sand away from a rocky platform on Maunganui Beach, where bones in sandstone deposits suggested the birds co-existed with marine and terrestrial dinosaurs. The find had implications for the origin of modern seabirds, excavation leader Jeffrey Stilwell of Melbourne's Monash University told National Geographic.
NZPA



New Zealander misses out on international award

A New Zealander has missed out on winning an international biennial "World Changing Ideas" award. Aucklander Ray Avery was one of 10 finalists for the competition with his Acuset IV, a reusable device to control flows from intravenous drips. But he lost out to Vestergaard Frandsen who won the award worth US$100,000 ($125,000) for his creation, LifeStrawB, a water purification tool to be used in the developing world.
NZPA



Australia's bid to hold 2018 soccer World Cup gets PM's backing

The Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has called on state and territory governments to support Australia's bid to host the 2018 soccer World Cup. Mr Rudd said the federal government would support the Football Federation of Australia's bid to bring the tournament Down Under, but he acknowledged that winning the hosting rights would be a "Herculean" task. Mr Rudd said Australia had shown it could deliver the world's best events, pointing to the Sydney Olympic Games in 2000, the 2003 Rugby World Cup and 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne.
Copyright © 2008 Radio New Zealand



Man falls over 10 metre bank while flying a kite

A 23 year old man is in a serious but stable condition at Wellington Hospital after accidentally walking over a ten metre bank while flying a kite. The incident occurred at about 10:30am on Sunday at Ponatahi in the Wairarapa. The Westpac Rescue Helicopter airlifted the injured man to hospital. A spokesperson, Keith Frewen, says the man was walking backwards watching the kite and didn't see the 10 metre bank which he fell down.
Copyright © 2008 Radio New Zealand



Australia pledges more aid for Nauru

Extra aid is in the pipeline for Nauru from Australia to compensate the Pacific state for the closure of Australia's immigration detention centre on the island. The Foreign Minister Stephen Smith acknowledged the Rudd government's decision to end the Pacific Solution - the offshore processing of asylum seekers - would have an impact on Nauru's fragile economy. Nauru already receives around $10 million dollars a year in assistance through AusAID. Between 2001 and this year, the federal government paid Nauru to house a detention camp, where asylum seekers intercepted enroute to Australia were sent for processing. The policy ended this month when the last remaining refugees on Nauru left the island to be resettled in Australia.
Copyright © 2008 Radio New Zealand



DHB chair worried about midwife shortage

The new chairman of Capital and Coast District Health Board wants action on the midwife shortage. The DHB has been experiencing pressure through lack of staff and shortages in the private sector. Chairman Sir John Anderson says there are questions as to whether the midwifery workforce can be maintained as many midwives are 50 years or older and will soon retire. He says it is a national issue which needs addressing because shortfalls in care at the beginning of life can lead to higher health costs later on. Sir John says allowing registered nurses to take bridging courses to gain midwifery qualifications could be a way of handling the problem.
Copyright 2002 - 2008. TelstraClear Ltd



Peters to give Rice a hand with North Korea

By Claire Trevett
Winston Peters is expected to meet US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice in South Korea today as she tries to revive efforts to curb North Korea's nuclear programme. The Foreign Minister is in Seoul for the inauguration today of South Korea's new President, Lee Myung-bak, and is expected also to have talks about North Korea, which he visited last November. It is believed he was encouraged by the US to meet Dr Rice, who is pushing for progress in the Party of Six talks toward persuading North Korea to end its nuclear programmes.



Kiwis flock to internet banking despite risks

Two out of three internet users now access online banking, despite New Zealand banks admitting the sites are exposed to frequent attacks. Figures made public by Nielsen Online Consumer Finance Monitor show online banking has experienced "phenomenal growth" with the proportion of users doubling in three years. Nielsen spokesman Donald Sheppard said online banking had become mainstream with frequently used sites receiving more than half a million unique browsers a month. "Once they use the internet, people of all ages adopt online banking with enthusiasm," Sheppard said. Sheppard said 80 per cent of those under 40 used online banking and it was becoming more common practice for older people, with 62% of those over 55 logging on in the past month. In New Zealand, 84% of people over 15 have access to the internet and 71% use the internet at least once a month.
Source:Dominion Post



Sunday, February 24

Pacific Island women outnumber men in tertiary studies

New Ministry of Education figures show that Pacific Island women outnumber men in tertiary studies, with a big rise in those studying information technology. There were more than 27,000 enrolments in 2006 by Pacific Islanders over 15 years old and the Ministry says six out of ten were female. A guidance councillor Toesulu Brown, from Auckland Girls' Grammar School, says it's thanks to Pacific Island women pushing their children to get better qualifications. She says there are now twice as many Pacific Islanders in tertiary education as there were in 1997.
Copyright © 2008 Radio New Zealand



Smelter gorges on national grid

Lake levels at the hydroelectric station supplying Southland's power-hungry Tiwai Pt aluminium smelter are so low that electricity is being diverted from the national grid to feed it - at a time when industry experts are already warning of a looming domestic power crisis. Last week Genesis Energy chief executive Murray Jackson said hydro lake levels throughout the South Island are even worse than in the leadup to the 1992 power crisis, and Meridian boss Keith Turner said the danger of power cuts this winter is greater than at any time in his 39 years in the industry.
source:Sunday Star Times



$2500 charge to move a loo just 1.5 metres

By Jared Savage
Talk about flushing money down the drain. A man who moved his toilet just 1.5m was charged almost $2500 for council fees and professional plans - double the cost of the standard toilet. Clint, who works in the building industry, had to pay Manukau City Council about $1000 and spend another $1500 on council-approved plans. His bill included $133 for a Project Information Memorandum, $27 for document scanning, $120 for a code of compliance, $298 on professional building fees, $200 for three inspections, $102 for an authority lodgement and $71 for a separate building fee. Clint was astounded at the cost of the red tape, which he described as "bureaucratic theft".



Pilot's nephew works to restore spitfire

For the last four years a team of engineers have been quietly working away in a rural aerodrome, undertaking one of the most complicated and expensive airplane restorations New Zealand has ever seen. They are rebuilding a spitfire – the iconic fighter plane of the battle of Britain in World War 2. Although they still another year before they are finished, the spitfire is already beginning to take shape. Five engineers have been working fulltime on the project so far. All of the structural work has been completed, but they still have 12 moths of work remaining, including fitting the wings, putting in the Rolls Royce Merlin 70 engine and putting all of the plumbing together.
Copyright © TVWorks Limited



Australia wants option to buy US Raptor jet fighter

Australia is to ask the US Government whether it would be able to buy the next-generation F-22 Raptor jet fighter. All overseas sales of the jets are currently banned by an Act of Congress. The ABC reports that Australian Defence Minister Joel Fitzgibbon wants to be able to consider the F-22 as a future part of Australia's air warfare capability. He has launched a review of the controversial $A6bn contract to buy F/A-18F Super Hornet fighter jets, which was signed off by his predecessor Brendan Nelson.
© 2008 Radio New Zealand



Veterans visit Vietnam after official invitation

The Veterans' Affairs Minister Rick Barker has travelled to Vietnam for a landmark meeting between New Zealand and Vietnamese war veterans. The meeting follows the first official invitation from the Vietnamese government for former soldiers from New Zealand to the country. Mr Barker says veterans from the two countries first made contact at an international conference in Malaysia in 2006. He described the trip as part of a long process of reconciliation, and says although the Vietnam war was a long time ago this is the first official contact between veterans.
Copyright © 2008 Radio New Zealand



Cricket-NZ win one dayer to claim series

The Black Caps have won the rain-affected fifth one day international in Christchurch against England to claim the series 3-1. England set New Zealand a target of 243 to win, but rain halted play in the Black Caps' 37th over. A readjustment through the Duckworth Lewis system then saw New Zealand win the game by 34 runs. New Zealand win the National Bank Series by three matches to one, with one match tied.
Copyright © 2008 Radio New Zealand



On yer bike, sunshine

Pedal-pushers of all shapes and sizes are being encouraged to get on their bikes today. Bike Wise Week is officially underway, a nationwide campaign to get more people out cycling. The latest data from the Ministry of Transport's household travel survey shows there are 1.3 million cyclists in New Zealand. According to figures from the Bicycle Industry Association and Land Transport New Zealand, cycle imports outstripped first-time car registrations last year. There were more than 246,000 bike imports, compared with 197,000 car registrations.
Copyright 2002 - 2008. TelstraClear Ltd



Clampdown on taxis

By Jared Savage
Nearly 180 taxis have been ordered off the road as part of an undercover bid to clean up the industry. A Government taskforce was introduced to crack down on rogue operators last year after the Auditor-General slammed "inconsistent and inadequate monitoring" that allowed "unfit" drivers to stay in the industry. Members of Land Transport New Zealand's taxi enforcement hit the streets last July. They checked more than 4500 cabs in 26 stings around the country, 17 in Auckland and the others in Wellington, Christchurch, Dunedin, Gisborne, Napier and Tasman. In the four months to January 31, they issued more than 500 infringement notices, ordered 94 cabs off the road for repairs and reinspection, and another 23 were taken off the road for serious safety defects.



Aust to be hit hard by climate change

Australia stands to be one of the worst hit countries economically affected by global warming, according to a new report. The country is facing a drastic rise in living costs as electricity prices skyrocket and now Australians could be up for the same changes New Zealanders are facing to cut greenhouse gases. With Australians now getting used to dealing with flash flooding, its making it all the more harder to convince them that the future of life on the world's driest continent looks harsher than ever. "Without action we're running towards dangerous points more quickly than a lot of the earlier analysis had suggested," says Ross Garnaut, an economist.
Source:One News



Potential Korea deal sparks optimism

A potential free trade agreement with Korea is being seen as the start of what could become a key economic partnership. An independent study commissioned by the New Zealand and Korean governments says there will be substantial benefits for both countries if we can agree on a deal. Stephen Jacobi of the New Zealand Business Forum says there are already important business links with Korea. He says the overall relationship is already worth about $3.5 billion, and is reasonably balanced between exports and imports.
Source: Reuters



Saturday, February 23

Netball-Ruth Aitken reappointed to coach Silver Ferns

Netball New Zealand has re-appointed Ruth Aitken as coach of the Silver Ferns for a four-year term. However, Leigh Gibbs has decided to stand down as assistant coach after six years to focus on her full time position as coach development manager. Netball NZ chief executive, Raelene Castle, says a thorough review of the team's performance over the past four years has been conducted and the board is confident Aitken is the best coach.
Copyright © 2008 Radio New Zealand



Weather disrupts Starlight Symphony plans

Tonight's Skycity Starlight Symphony in Auckland has been postponed. Organisers have been forced to delay the event by 24 hours due to inclement weather. It will now kick off from 7.30 tomorrow night at the Auckland Domain. One of opera's most celebrated contemporary figures, Dame Kiri Te Kanawa will be appearing for a special performance at the show. It will be her first appearance at the Domain since 1996.
Copyright 2002 - 2008. TelstraClear Ltd



New part of national walkway being opened

A new section of a national public walkway is being opened in the Tararua Ranges on Saturday. Prime Minister Helen Clark and Conservation Minister Steve Chadwick will walk the track, between Mangahao and Makahika. A plaque will mark the opening of the section of Te Araroa, or the long pathway. It's the first newly developed section of the national walkway to be opened since a $3.8 million funding allocation was made by the Government last year.
Copyright © 2008 Radio New Zealand



Nats surge ahead in latest poll

The Labour Party is waking up to more bad news this morning. In a Fairfax Media-Neilsen poll out today, support for the party and the popularity of its leader have both taken a dive. National has now raced to 55 percent support, a 23-point lead over Labour. It is the biggest lead National has held since Labour has been in power. But the sharp drop in support for Helen Clark maybe the biggest worry for party officials. The poll shows only 29 percent of people think Miss Clark is the best person to be PM while 44 percent think John Key would do a better job. It is a huge reversal of fortune from the previous poll in November, which saw Miss Clark holding a slim lead.
Copyright 2002 - 2008. TelstraClear Ltd



Donated yacht to aid conservation

By Mike Rose
A yacht donated by the sister of its late owner will soon be sailing the South Pacific on a humanitarian and conservation mission. Tom Sowerby, an enthusiastic 23-year-old English sailor, was halfway through a world circumnavigation and en route to New Zealand when he lost his life in a free-diving accident in Bora Bora last year. It was this love of the sea and concern for its future that motivated Sowerby's sister, Alice, to donate the long-term use of his 11m Sweden Yacht 340, Magic Roundabout, to OceansWatch. OceansWatch is a new not-for-profit marine conservation and humanitarian trust. Established in 2007 by a group of sailors and divers concerned about marine environments and their associated coastal communities Initially it will be involved in projects in Vanuatu, Tonga and Papua New Guinea, where OceansWatch will be working on marine conservation and education projects in conjunction with organisations such as Reef Check and Project Marc (Medical Assistance to Remote Communities). OceansWatch members' yachts will also distribute resources to local schools and items such as reading glasses to local communities, under the guidance of the local Red Cross.



Kiwi OE in danger from UK visa plan

By James Ihaka and Claire Trevett
Thousands of New Zealanders who enjoy the right to live and work in Britain through their ancestry could be left out in the cold as the Government in London considers severing ties with Commonwealth citizens. British officials are proposing abolishing the ancestry visa, which allows people whose grandparents were born in the United Kingdom to live there for four years and eventually apply for residency. If passed into law, it would affect thousands of New Zealanders with British ancestry who go to live and work in the UK every year. In 2006, about 8490 such visa holders entered the UK. Of these, 1940 were New Zealanders. The British High Commission said it received about 4000 applications for ancestry visa applications a year from New Zealanders.



Couple fined for failing to send kids to school

By LANE NICHOLS - The Dominion Post
A couple whose children missed 159 days of school between them through truancy - apparently because they had no raincoats - have been convicted and fined $400. Fiona Murray and Grant Thompson pleaded guilty to two charges each of not ensuring two of their children attended school when they were sentenced in Upper Hutt District Court. The couple's 14-year-old daughter failed to attend class at Upper Hutt College on 90 days last year without reasonable excuse, court documents showed.



Kiwi takes over Falkland Islands Air service

New Zealander Shaun Minto has taken over Falkland Islands Government Air Service (FIGAS). Mr Minto, 43, of Tauranga, has been involved in the aviation industry since 1987, worked with a succession of aero clubs in the Waikato, at Waitemata, and Palmerston North, before joining Eagle Air Ltd in 1991. He is now general manager of FIGAS, at Port Stanley, which operates non-scheduled passenger services throughout the Falklands and aerial surveillance of the economic exclusion zone surrounding the islands. It flies five ageing Britten-Norman BN-2 Islander aircraft delivering mail, vital goods, and people to remote settlements.
Source:NZPA



Australian & New Zealand dairy industry a step closer

Australian and New Zealand dairy farming leaders continued to move closer together, spending last week thinking together about shared global challenges and the strategic directions of their industry. The study tour and conference was part of Australian Dairy Farmers (ADF) annual practice of travelling to different dairying regions within Australia and New Zealand to build understanding and consider key challenges and their solutions. "The tour was part of our sincere effort for the industry on both sides of the Tasman to work together for the betterment of dairying in both countries," ADF president Allan Burgess said.
Copyright © 2008. Rural Press Limited



Sonar implicated in whale stranding

By KERI MOLLOY - The Bay Chronicle
A Northland dolphin tour operator is concerned that low frequency sonar could be to blame for the stranding of three Gray's beaked whales at Taupo Bay. John Chisholm of Mangonui, who watched last week’s stranding at Taupo Bay, says he has noticed a change in the behaviour of dolphins this summer and he is concerned that use of low frequency sonor could be disorientating whales and dolphins in the South Pacific. According to the the International Whaling Commission, evidence linking sonar to a series of whale strandings in recent years is ‘very convincing and appears overwhelming’. Scientists have testified that, under certain oceanic conditions, sound from a single LFA system could be detected across entire oceans. The Royal New Zealand Navy does not use low frequency sonar.



Friday, February 22

Speaker Wilson to retire from politics

Parliament's Speaker Margaret Wilson will retire at the election. The Labour list MP, 60, who has been widely expected to step down, said today the time seemed right to pursue other opportunities. "There is no one reason for my decision," she said. "It just seems the right time to move on and explore opportunities to return to academic research and teaching. "It has been a privilege to serve in Parliament as a minister and as Speaker. I am very appreciative of that opportunity." The third term MP, who is also a past Labour Party president, became Parliament's Speaker in 2005.
Source:NZPA



Tropical storm bearing down on NZ

A tropical storm is deepening to the north of New Zealand and should bring heavy rain to just about all areas. Met Service has has put severe weather warnings in place for Northland, Nelson and the West Coast of the South Island. Wind warnings have been issued, with gusts of up to 90 kilometres an hour expeceted in the Auckland region and up to 100 km/h for Northland. Met Service warns that streams and rivers are likely to rise quickly and that surface flooding could be hazardous to traffic. Northland is expected to bare the brunt of the storm, with Auckland, Coromandel and the Bay of Plenty also in for a lashing.
Source:One News



Buried volcano found in Panmure Basin

A joint research mission between GNS Science and the University of Auckland has uncovered a new volcano buried in Auckland. The discovery was made in the past few days by geologists drilling in the Panmure Basin. The new dome is the first volcano to be found in the basin; it is covered by mud and water that filled the area as sea levels rose after the last glaciation. The GNS web site says the Auckland volcanic field has about 50 volcanoes, within an area of 360 square km.
Copyright © 2008 Radio New Zealand



Prison sentence for immigration consultant in passports case

An immigration consultant who used the birth certificates of dead children to apply for passports, has been jailed for two years at the Auckland District Court. Romney Lavea, 39, and his brother Al Harrington, Lavea, 43, applied for 10 passports using the birth certificates. In seven of the 10 applications, they confirmed they knew the applicants. Romney Lavea was sentenced to two years in prison. His brother was sentenced to six months home detention, and ordered to pay $5000 in reparations to the children's families. Both pleaded guilty to fraud last year.
Copyright © 2008 Radio New Zealand



Alcohol restrictions at Mission concert

The days of unlimited amounts of alcohol being taken onto the Mission Estate Concert site have ended. Concert goers at this year's event in Hawke's Bay will no longer be allowed to bring in wheelie bins or hand trolleys. They will only be allowed to have two bottles of wine each or a dozen cans of beer. Organiser Gary Craft says the Mission concert is one of the few in the world where people are allowed to bring their own alcohol onto the site. Tom Jones is the feature act this year.
Copyright 2002 - 2008. TelstraClear Ltd



Nations to sign cluster bomb treaty

More than 100 countries including New Zealand will be asked to formally declare their commitment to banning cluster bombs, in a step towards a treaty banning the weapons. The 122-nation meeting in Wellington will ask delegations to sign the document, expected to call for a binding legal solution to the problem of cluster munitions. The Wellington conference was a result of efforts by countries frustrated with slow progress by the United Nations to address the problems of cluster bombs. Key countries including the United States, Russia, China, India, Pakistan and Israel have snubbed the meeting.
Source: AAP



International Arts Festival opens in Wellington

The 2008 New Zealand International Arts Festival was launched on the Wellington waterfront on Friday morning. The biennial festival features more than 800 artists from 35 countries over three weeks. It is New Zealand's largest cultural event and ends on 16 March. Performances range from ballet and opera to circus acts to theatre. Artists were welcomed with a traditional powhiri followed by speeches and responded with bagpipes and breakdancing. The first festival was held in 1986.
Copyright © 2008 Radio New Zealand



Drought areas will miss forecast downpour

A deepening tropical storm will bring rain to most of the country today, but it will not be enough to please farmers. Northland is expected to receive most of the rain and will also be whipped by winds reaching 100km/hr. Auckland, the Coromandel Peninsula and the Bay of Plenty will also be battered by high winds and some showers. MetService forecaster Gerard Barrow says the low is moving slowly and will have eased by the time it reaches the Waikato. He says the eastern areas of the North and South island will remain dry, including the Wairarapa where farmers are also struggling with drought conditions.
Copyright 2002 - 2008. TelstraClear Ltd



Thursday, February 21

The wage gap across the ditch

New Zealanders are being lured to Australia in record numbers and the latest wage figures partially explain why. While the gulf between New Zealand and Australian pay packets is narrowing slightly, it's still a no-contest. Australian full-time workers earned an average of $A1162 ($NZ1350) per week in the year to November, according to Australian Bureau of Statistics figures released today. That compares with the New Zealand average weekly income of $957 from the last Statistics New Zealand survey, released in October. Better pay is cited as one of the major reasons for the increasing drift across the Tasman.
Fairfax New Zealand Limited 2006.



Tourists raise $3000 as they skate the length of NZ

A group of young tourists will soon be the first to travel the length of New Zealand on skateboards. The team left Cape Reinga in the mid January and hope to reach Bluff this weekend, all in the name of charity. The group have been skating more than 60 kilometres a day. The skaters have raised more than $3,000 for charity. The team are expecting to reach Bluff by the weekend
Copyright © TVWorks Limited



Seabird deaths prompt crackdown on fishing companies

The Government is cracking down on fishing companies that accidentally catch seabirds while trawling. Fisheries Minister Jim Anderton says seabirds such as albatrosses and petrels are attracted to fishing vessels by bait and fish trimmings thrown overboard, and they get killed by nets or longlines. Mr Anderton says voluntary codes of practice have not been followed consistently, and compulsory measures are to be put in place. They will include requiring that lines are weighted to make sure they sink quickly, or set only at night. It is estimated that fishing in New Zealand's Exclusive Economic Zone causes the death of up to 10,000 seabird each year.
Copyright © 2008 Radio New Zealand



Teens can become addicted after one cigarette, survey shows

New Zealand research suggests that a quarter of teenagers who smoke just one cigarette can have symptoms of addiction. The group, Smokeless New Zealand, says it comes from a survey of 100,000 Year 10 students. Its chairperson, Murray Laugesen, says nearly half of those who smoked one cigarette went on to become regular smokers. Dr Laugesen says teenage girls have a higher risk of addiction because estrogen increases the nicotine in blood levels. He is calling for all cigarette sales to be banned.
Copyright © 2008 Radio New Zealand



East Timor president out of coma

East Timor President Jose Ramos-Horta has regained consciousness from a drug-induced coma since being shot in an assassination attempt and is talking to his family in an Australian hospital. "Doctors are pleased with his progress," a spokeswoman for Royal Darwin Hospital said on Thursday. Nobel laureate Ramos-Horta was shot and critically wounded at his home in the capital Dili last week in an attack by rebel soldiers. Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao escaped injury in another shooting the same day. The attacks are believed to have been carried out by followers of rebel leader Alfredo Reinado, who was killed during the attack on the president.
© 2008 Radio New Zealand



Towed yacht will reach shore this morning

The yacht Groupama III is being towed back to Dunedin. Three rescue helicopters winched the crew off the French trimaran when it overturned in heavy seas off the Otago coast on Tuesday. It was taking part in the Jules Verne Round the World Race. A salvage vessel righted the yacht yesterday and it is expected to reach shore this morning.
Copyright 2002 - 2008. TelstraClear Ltd



Earth Hour gets $30,000 grant

The Government is giving a $30,000 grant to the Earth Hour campaign. The Christchurch-based initiative aims to get as many people and businesses as possible to turn off their lights for one hour on March 29. The idea is to promote energy efficiency and conservation. Sydney held the first Earth Hour last year and at least 24 cities around the world have signed up to take part this year . Christchurch is the first New Zealand city to get onboard.
Copyright 2002 - 2008. TelstraClear Ltd



Westlife to perform in NZ

For the first time Kiwi fans will be able to see the group, known for their soppy ballads and pop singles (Flying Without Wings, Swear It Again, The Rose) in concert. Westlife, who have sold 36 million records worldwide, will perform four shows in NZ in May:
Christchurch - Westpac Arena, May 7
Wellington - TSB Arena, May 9
Auckland - Vector Arena, May 10
New Plymouth - TSB Stadium, May 13
Tickets go on sale to Visa cardholders on February 25 and the general public on March 1.
NZHERALD STAFF



McDonald's drive-thru taken literally

A South Auckland woman has taken a very literal approach to a McDonald's drive-thru. After misjudging the bend before the first window at the Manukau restaurant, she drove her company car through parts of the complex. James Junior was one of the two workers who came out to help her, when she drove her vehicle up onto a low wall. The woman and her two passengers decided not to order breakfast.
NEWSTALK ZB



NZ youths' skills too low - OECD report

A high proportion of New Zealand school leavers quickly find work, but more needs to be done to lift their skills, a major international report says. The report, which the Government received a draft of in October, makes several recommendations which appear to have been absorbed into the Schools Plus package outlined by Prime Minister Helen Clark last month. The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) report, Jobs for Youth, finds New Zealand youths find work easier than in most other developed countries. However it says 11 per cent of youths are neither in work or training, in line with the OECD average, but almost twice as high as the best-performing countries.
Source:NZPA



Listeria found in patients' food at Waikato Hospital

By KIM RUSCOE - Fairfax Media
Listeria, a potentially deadly form of food poisoning, has been found in beef fed to patients at Waikato Hospital. Waikato Hospital group manager Hayley McConnell said the packaged cold beef from an outside supplier was used in sandwiches and salads and given to patients on the ward and sold at the Upper Deck and Hockin cafes between February 11 and 13. The bug, a notifiable disease, was detected during routine testing at Waikato Hospital last week as part of its food safety programme, Ms McConnell said. Pregnant women, their babies and people with lowered immune systems were particularly vulnerable to listeria, as it could cause miscarriages and stillbirths and, in newborn babies, breathing difficulties, chest infections, meningitis and in some cases death.



Ex-All Black steps up to fight blindness in Pacific

By ERIN PARKE - Fairfax Media
Weeks after losing their long-time patron Sir Edmund Hillary, the Fred Hollows Foundation has launched its annual fundraising appeal with an All Black great stepping up to front it. This year, Michael Jones fronts the campaign to raise money to fight blindness in the Pacific. Jones presented the inaugural Sir Edmund Hillary Pacific Eye Scholarship in a ceremony in Auckland today as part of the official launch. Jones said he was saddened to learn there are 80,000 blind people in the Pacific Islands, and 70 per cent could be cured with a 20 minute operation that can cost as little as $25. I am shocked by the numbers of blind in the Pacific. It is essential that we invest in Pacific medical leaders so that they can restore sight to our Pacific brothers and sisters."



Wednesday, February 20

NZ agency warns ships debris may fall from satellite shootdown

Maritime New Zealand is warning ships in the Pacific that at some point tomorrow there may be falling debris from American attempts to shoot down a crippled spy satellite. The warning has been passed on by the agency after United States authorities said their destruction of the highly classified satellite will be accompanied by a tiny possibility of the strike misfiring. The US Navy is expected to fire its first $US10 million ($NZ12.6 million) SM-3 interceptor missile about 4.30pm tomorrow, and wants ships and planes to stay clear of a large area of the Pacific Ocean west of Hawaii. The International Space Station regularly uses a piece of ocean between New Zealand and Chile as a graveyard for the cargo shuttles used to supply astronauts, usually filling the vehicles with garbage before dumping them.
Source:NZPA



Cricket-Thrilling Napier one-dayer ends in draw

New Zealand and England played out a thrilling draw in their fourth one-day cricket international at Napier on Wednesday. Both teams finished on 340 runs, leaving New Zealand with a 2-1 lead in the series with one match to play. England batted first and made 340-6 with four players scoring half-centuries. New Zealand are one of only two teams to have chased more than 240 runs to win a one-day international, achieving that feat against Australia a year ago.
© 2008 Radio New Zealand



QE2 to sail into Auckland for the final time

The iconic Queen Elizabeth 2 is visiting Auckland for the last time tomorrow, as part of her final world voyage. The luxury liner is retiring at the end of 2008, after 41 years of service. She is the longest-serving Cunard ship in history. The QE2 has travelled 5.6 million nautical miles in her lifetime, crossed the Atlantic more than 800 times and carried 2.5 million passengers.
Copyright 2002 - 2008. TelstraClear Ltd



NZ short film receives special mention at Berlin Film Festival

Roseanne Liang's short film Take 3 received a special mention in the Generation 14plus competition of the 58th Berlin International Film Festival. The award ceremony was held in the Babylon theatre in Berlin on Friday night. Writer/director Liang was in attendance at the ceremony along with producer Owen Hughes and New Zealand Film Commission short film manager, Juliette Veber. Take 3 is a short film about three Asian actresses who transcend professional rivalry in one gleeful act of solidarity. The youth jury commented that "the three charismatic actresses and the fresh and wacky approach communicated with great ease by this film inspired us immensely".
Copyright © TVWorks Limited



Ultimatum for Hawke's Bay DHB

Health Minister David Cunliffe has issued an ultimatum to the Hawke's Bay District Health Board. He is giving the board a week to address what he describes as a deteriorating governance situation, saying he will otherwise consider replacing it with an independent commissioner. Mr Cunliffe says he is concerned at the DHB's financial situation, its failure to discharge its responsibilities and dysfunctional relationships within the board and with himself. The board has a week to give a written response and the Minister says he will not meet with it in the meantime.
Copyright 2002 - 2008. TelstraClear Ltd



Vili named NZ Sportsperson of the Year

World shot put champion Valerie Vili was named New Zealand's Sportsperson of the Year at the Halberg Awards held in Christchurch. Her coach, Kirsten Hellier, was named coach of the year. Vili also took the sportwoman of the year category, with world champion rower Mahe Drysdale winning the sportsman title. The men's rowing coxless four named Team of the year. Marathon runners Lorraine Moller and Mark Ryan were both inducted into the Sports Hall of Fame.
© 2008 Radio New Zealand



Horse dentists in short supply

Waikato is planning in advance to address skills shortages in the region. The Waikato Institute of Technology is working with industries to match employers' needs with training requirements to fill the jobs. Spokeswoman Mary Jensen says there are some specialised areas with urgent skill shortages including the equine industry which is short of horse dentists. Ms Jensen says there are also gaps in the hospitality sector with an acute shortage of chefs.
Copyright 2002 - 2008. TelstraClear Ltd



Dragon accompanying Olympians to Beijing

A two metre tall dragon will travel with to Beijing with New Zealand's Olympians. The sculpture is being given to the team by members of the New Zealand-Chinese community and a model was unveiled at Parliament last night. The dragon will be made of stainless steel, with eyes made of pounamu. Ethnic Affairs Minister, Chris Carter, says the honour is a sign of the pride Chinese-New Zealanders have in their home countries. The Chinese community is now the third largest in New Zealand, behind Europeans and Maori.
Copyright 2002 - 2008. TelstraClear Ltd



Fears pirates may snatch high-tech buoys

There are concerns that planned tsunami warning buoys will be stolen when they are placed between Australia and Indonesia. Dr Ray Canterford from the Australian Bureau of Meteorology says pirates may target the high-tech devices. The buoys are worth $500,000 each. Australia is holding negotiations with Indonesia to put in place security measures.
Copyright 2002 - 2008. TelstraClear Ltd



Winemakers expect bumper year

By Keith Perry
Chris Ward, vineyard manager at Waiheke Island's Stonyridge, says this could be the best year they have ever seen. While New Zealand's dairy farmers are praying for rain, winemakers are expecting a bumper, high-quality harvest this year thanks to the prolonged dry weather putting the industry on track for record export earnings. New Zealand Winegrowers said the grape harvest had just started and was expected to be as much as 245,000 tonnes, up 20 per cent on last year from increased plantings. Chris Ward, vineyard manager at Stonyridge, one of New Zealand's top boutique wineries, said this could be the best year they have ever seen in the Waiheke vineyard's 25-year history.



Kiwis expect to work longer than Aussies

By David Eames
More New Zealanders expect to be working at age 65 than their Australian counterparts, and more expect to need government support when they do retire, a study has found. The report, by consulting and investment company Mercer, reveals 65 per cent of New Zealanders expect they will still be at work at retirement age, compared with 44 per cent of Australians. Some 39 per cent of New Zealanders wanted to retire by age 60, compared with 51 per cent of Australians
Source:NZPA



Ditching pilot saved by beacon picked up in NZ

An emergency beacon picked up in New Zealand has saved the life of an eccentric pilot who crash-landed his vintage plane in shark-infested waters in the Caribbean. The Briton, Maurice Kirk, 62, ditched during his attempt to fly round the world in the World War 2 spotter aircraft, a Piper Cub, The Times newspaper reported in London. Kirk, a vet who claims Scots ancestry, was rescued at the weekend after coastguards picked up a signal from his emergency beacon from the New Zealand Rescue Co-ordination Centre. New Zealand officials notified the US Coastguard in Miami, which sent a helicopter that found Mr Kirk near dusk sitting on the floating wreckage with blood pouring from a head wound.
Source:NZPA



150,000 pupils 'failing at school'

By LANE NICHOLS - The Dominion Post
Up to 150,000 pupils are failing at school and thousands of teachers may not have the professional skills needed to lead classrooms, a parliamentary report suggests. Its findings were released yesterday after a two-year inquiry into the schooling system by the education and science select committee. Thousands of children drop out without basic literacy and numeracy skills each year, or with no formal qualifications. The gulf between the brightest and worst pupils is big, compared to other countries. The inquiry was sparked by a 2005 Education Review Office report suggesting that one in five pupils was failing.



Govt launches children's website to tackle obesity

The Government has launched a new website ( http://www.mission-on.co.nz ) that uses online games to try and get children to be more active in the real world. Prime Minister Helen Clark and Sports Minister Clayton Cosgrove launched the website today. It is part of the Government's four-year $67 million anti-obesity campaign announced in 2006. The website, aimed at 5-12-year-olds also teaches children about the importance of healthy food and drinks. The website uses online interactive characters to convey positive messages about healthy living and encourages children to log-off and actually do the activities, in order to earn points.
Source:NZPA



Tuesday, February 19

Combat veterans to make first formal visit to Vietnam

Six New Zealand veterans will make their first formal visit to Vietnam with Veterans' Affairs Minister Rick Barker at the end of the month. Mr Barker said the invitation to go had come from the Vietnamese Government-sponsored Veterans' Association of Vietnam. The purpose was to explore possible connections between veterans' groups in both countries. Veterans' groups had welcomed the "opportunity to reach across the divide of history and to meet as veteran-to-veteran", Mr Barker said. The delegation will depart on February 24 and return on February 29.
Source:NZPA



MPs call for teacher registration to be granted on ability

A long-running parliamentary inquiry into the school system says teachers should get full registration only if they raise the achievement of their students. The education select committee today released its unanimous findings after its inquiry on making the school system work for every child. MPs said New Zealand had one of the finest school systems in the world, with many high achieving students. "However, a disproportionately large number of students leave school with little or nothing to show from compulsory schooling, with underachievement among Maori and Pasifika students a particular concern," their report said. The cross party committee said its members had agreed on a range of recommendations it believed would increase achievement rates in schools significantly. Among them was "teachers should be awarded full registration after two years' employment only if they have demonstrated that they are able to raise consistently the achievement of their students".
Source:NZPA



Praise for 2011 Rugby World Cup preparation

The International Rugby Board has given the planning for the 2011 World Cup in New Zealand an "A-plus" rating. Representatives of the board, Rugby World Cup Limited and the organisers of the 2007 tournament in France are in the country for meetings with the 2011 Cup organisers. The delegation met Prime Minister Helen Clark and the Rugby World Cup minister Clayton Cosgrove in Wellington on Tuesday. International Rugby Board chief executive Mike Miller says everything is on schedule and there is a great team working on the Cup.
Copyright © 2008 Radio New Zealand



Pressure on Fiji at NZ ministers' meeting

New Zealand will play host to a meeting of Pacific Island foreign ministers next month. The forum will be attended by foreign representatives from Pacific governments, including Fiji. Prime Minister Helen Clark says pressure will go on the Fijians to ensure they follow through with the claim by coup leader Frank Bainimarama that elections will be held. She says the Fijian foreign minister attended the last such meeting in Vanuatu last year and it is expected the same will happen next month.
Copyright 2002 - 2008. TelstraClear Ltd



Russian sailor battles 'monstrous seas'

A Russian solo yachtsman battled "monstrous seas" in the Southern Ocean southeast of New Zealand overnight. Fedor Knoyukov was hit by the same extreme low which affected the French trimaran Groupama III when it capsized yesterday. In his last satellite phone call to the organisers of the Antarctica Cup yacht race at 1am (NZ time) today, Knoyukov said at 52 degrees South he was experiencing "very harsh conditions with winds 50-55 knots, gusts up to 65 knots, and monstrous seas. "Some of the waves are half the height of my 110ft mast.
Source:NZPA



Fake optometrist fined $60,000

A man who prescribed glasses and contact lenses while posing as a optometrist has been ordered to pay $60,000. Auckland man Peter Sang Wook Park pleaded guilty to six charges representing a year's worth of offending. Ministry of Health workforce manager Dr John Marwick says computer records obtained by investigators show Park conducted more than 477 consultations with patients, despite having no optometry qualifications. He says Park has been ordered to pay $60,000, with fines making up $48,000 of the total.
© 2008 NZCity, NewsTalkZB



Refinements likely to New Zealand’s seasonal labour scheme for Pacific workers

There are calls for refinements to be made to New Zealand’s Recognised Seasonal Employers scheme. The policy, which started last year, aims to give employment opportunities to Pacific Islanders whiloe satisfying demand for seasonal workers, especially in horticulture and viticulture. Officials from New Zealand, the five Pacific nations so far involved - Tuvalu, Kiribati, Tonga, Samoa and Vanuatu, along with the World Bank, and New Zealand employers attended a forum on the RSE scheme last week in Wellington. Korupi Tavita says there’re a number of changes needed. “Some of the lessons that we’ve learned are, how we see pastoral care, the type of pre-departure information that we give off shore and the type of information that both, the employee and the employer require here in New Zealand, to assist in the transition and also about having flexibility in our policy.”
© RNZI 2004



Rugby: Argentina test may be added to ABs schedule

The All Blacks look set to play an extra test against Argentina during the Tri-Nations. International Rugby Board (IRB) chief executive Mike Millar has confirmed Sanzar has officially invited Argentina to play against the All Blacks, Springboks and Wallabies this year. It is on the condition Argentina would have to field their strongest side and get players released from their European clubs.
NEWSTALK ZB



NZ on fence over Kosovo independence

New Zealand would neither recognise nor not recognise an independent Kosovo, Prime Minister Helen Clark said today. There has been day of celebration in the Kosovo capital Pristina after its parliament adopted a declaration of independence from Serbia and proclaimed the new Republic of Kosovo a sovereign state. Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd today backed an independent Kosovo, after the former war-torn Yugoslav state declared its independence overnight. Mr Rudd said Australia would offer official diplomatic recognition in the near future. Miss Clark told reporters the New Zealand Government was not intending to make a formal statement of recognition.
Copyright 2002 - 2008. TelstraClear Ltd



Monday, February 18

Sports followers to enjoy free public transport

By Mathew Dearnaley
Sports fans heading to three big matches in Auckland in the next two days will be offered free public transport if they show their event tickets when boarding buses or trains. The Eden Park Trust Board has secured a deal with the Auckland Regional Transport Authority for free rail travel to be included in tickets to tomorrow's one-day cricket international between the Black Caps and England, and to the Blues-Chiefs Super 14 rugby match on Saturday night.



Jurists barred from entering Fiji

A delegation of senior jurists from Australia and Malaysia has been barred from entering Fiji. The group from the International Bar Association had planned to visit the military-ruled republic this week. It says it was going with an open mind to assess the country's current state of justice and to look at the rights and freedoms of its citizens. It had planned to talk to people from all walks of life and says it would not limit its meetings in any way.
Copyright 2002 - 2008, TelstraClear Ltd



Rescue underway off Dunedin coast

The Rescue Coordination Centre has confirmed it is trying to retrieve 10 crew members from a French racing yacht. The vessel has capsized off the Dunedin coast. The Rescue Coordination Centre has been speaking to the crew via satellite phone. It says all 10 people onboard are uninjured and are dressed in survival gear. Four rescue helicopters are en route and planning to winch them to safety.
Copyright 2002 - 2008, TelstraClear Ltd



National birth rate at 44-year-high

Last year saw the highest number of births in the country since the baby boom years, Statistics New Zealand says. There were 64,040 babies registered by the end of December, the highest number since 1963. The year ending December 1961 saw the highest number of births recorded in New Zealand, with 65,390 registered. Government Statistician Geoff Bascand said the birth rate was now 2.2 per woman. Over the last 30 years the birth rate had been stable at roughly two births per woman.
Source:NZPA



Western Australia bracing ahead of approaching cyclone

Residents of Exmouth in north Western Australia are bracing themselves for the approach of Cyclone Nicholas. Gale force winds of up to one hundred and eighty five kilometres an hour are expected to hit the town. Experts however say Exmouth will be spared a direct hit.
Copyright © TVWorks Limited



Sharemarket turmoil bites into Government finances

Turmoil on world sharemarkets has cut into the Government's finances. The operating surplus in the six months to December was just $815 million, well down on the forecast surplus for the period of $2.5 billion. Losses on investments by government-owned financial institutions are largely behind the lower-than-expected operating surplus. Once the losses on investments are removed the situation looks better, with a surplus of $2.5 billion in line with earlier predictions.
Copyright © 2008 Radio New Zealand



Villagers in parts of Fiji said to be running out of food after Cyclone Gene

Villagers in the Naitasiri and Tailevu North and Ra areas of Fiji are reportedly running out of food supplies after their plantations were destroyed by Cyclone Gene. One villager near the Wailoa Power Station said told the Fiji Times they had enough food to last them for a week and after that they would be at the mercy of Government who had yet to assess the area. A local village leader in the area, Waisake Turuva, said all their plantations were damaged during the cyclone and plantations that used to feed students at the school in Laselevu were also badly damaged also.
© RNZI 2004



Heart patients in for treatment shakeup

By DONNA CHISHOLM - Sunday Star Times
Thousands of heart patients have been wrongly diagnosed with angina when they have actually suffered a heart attack. And new definitions of what constitutes a heart attack now being put in place at all New Zealand hospitals are expected to have widespread ramifications for treatment options and patient recovery. The changes follow a report from an international taskforce, co-chaired by leading Auckland cardiologist Harvey White, which establishes a new "universal definition" and five categories of heart attack. White says about 20 per cent of heart patients are being misdiagnosed as a result of outdated diagnostic blood tests or the correct tests not being done at all. About 10 per cent are told they've had an attack when they haven't, and 10 per cent are diagnosed with angina when they've had a heart attack.



Remains found in Solomons not NZ airmen

New Zealand police are to return skeletal remains of two people to the Solomon Islands, satisfied they are not of New Zealand servicemen killed in a plane crash during World War 2. New Zealand police serving with the Regional Assistance Mission to the Solomon Islands (Ramsi) took over the remains last year after they were discovered on Malaita Island. Villagers suggested they could have been from a crash on the island in May 1942. Five servicemen were killed when a Royal New Zealand Air Force Ventura bomber aircraft crashed and exploded on the island. An RNZAF party located the crash site and some remains at the time. All the men were presumed to have perished. The search party at the time buried the remains and a service was conducted for the servicemen.
Source:NZPA



Cluster bomb conference begins

A conference which it is hoped will help lead to the banning of damaging cluster munitions begins in Wellington this morning. Representatives from more than 100 countries are attending the meeting - the biggest disarmament gathering of its kind ever held in New Zealand. It is aimed at developing a treaty forcing countries to stop using the weapons, which are deployed by aircraft aimed at killing an enemy during wartime. They have recently been used by the US in Iraq, and by the Israelis in Lebanon.
Copyright 2002 - 2008. TelstraClear Ltd



Peters sets off for Africa

Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters has left for a week-long visit to Africa. During the trip, he will hold talks in South Africa with the country's deputy President and Foreign Minister. Mr Peters says South Africa is New Zealand's most important trading partner in the region, particularly with so many South Africans now living in this country. Winston Peters will also meet with the President and Foreign Minister of Zambia, where he will visit several aid projects New Zealand contributes to.
Copyright 2002 - 2008. TelstraClear Ltd



Sunday, February 17

National maintains lead

The National Party has maintained its 19-point gap over Labour in the latest One News-Colmar Brunton political poll released tonight. National now has 53 per cent support, while The Labour Party is on 34 percent. National Party leader John Key has widened his lead as preferred prime minister from five to nine points over Helen Clark. The Greens are up to six percent support, the Maori Party up to three point three, while New Zealand First has slumped to just one point seven.
Copyright 2002 - 2008. TelstraClear Ltd



10,000 race round the bays

Ten thousand people should feel a whole lot fitter after taking part in today's Wellington Round the Bays - the tenth year the event has been held. People walked, ran and strolled around the waterfront under overcast skies. Rees Buck was the first man to complete the event, and Sara Christie the first woman.
Copyright 2002 - 2008. TelstraClear Ltd



France commemorates NZ heroes

A museum has been opened in France to commemorate the work of 450 New Zealanders during World War One. Associate Minister of Arts, Culture and Heritage Mahara Okeroa says the New Zealanders built a network of tunnels between Arras and the German front lines. Mr Okeroa represented this country at the opening of the museum in Arras this weekend. The museum is based around the old tunnels, and is 22 metres underground.
Copyright 2002 - 2008. TelstraClear Ltd



NZ money to help Cook Islands combat global warming effects

New Zealand will pay more than quarter of a million dollars to help the Cook Islands stave off the effects of global warming. Together, the New Zealand Government, Japan and the Asian Development Bank will provide the Cooks with nearly $900,000 to plan climate-proofing projects. The money will be used to upgrade infrastructure - particularly power, water and sanitation services.
Copyright © TVWorks Limited



PM protests over Afghan death sentence

The New Zealand Government has protested to Afghanistan over the death sentence handed down for an Afghan journalism student. Sayed Parweiz Kambakhsh was sentenced to death last month for distributing a report considered to be blasphemous and offensive to Islam. "We are deeply concerned by the sentence passed on this young man for exercising freedom of speech," Prime Minister Helen Clark said this morning. Clark said the New Zealand ambassador in Tehran had made representations to the Afghanistan government. The student had used a report on women's rights in Islam during lectures at Balkh University in Mazar-i-Sharif in northern Afghanistan. He is appealing the sentence and his case has been taken up by the United States and Britain.
NZPA



Helicopter and plane collide over Paraparaumu

A helicopter and a small plane have crashed after colliding over Paraparaumu, north of Wellington. The police are reporting serious injuries. Emergency services are attending two separate crash scenes. Radio New Zealand's reporter at the scene of the plane wreckage says the light aircraft came down over Dennis Taylor Court, and that the pilot of the small plane has been pulled from the wreckage alive.
Copyright © 2008 Radio New Zealand



Milestone kiwi chick arrives

The country has racked up another national icon. The one thousandth kiwi chick hatched under the Kiwi Rescue programme finally broke through its shell this morning. The chick has been named Hupai, which means 'overcome', and is resting with its mum at the Rotorua Kiwi Encounter. The birds are facing extinction, with fewer than 100,000 left nationwide.
Copyright 2002 - 2008. TelstraClear Ltd



Vanuatu PM begins visit

Vanuatu's Prime Minister begins an official visit to New Zealand today. Ham Lini is here to discuss bilateral and regional issues of interest to both nations. New Zealand currently provides $15 million in aid to Vanuatu, a figure which is set to increase in the future.
Copyright 2002 - 2008. TelstraClear Ltd



Details announced of Sir Edmund Hillary service at Windsor

The Queen has announced the date of a thanksgiving service for Sir Edmund Hillary, to be held at Windsor Castle in Britain. A Buckingham Palace statement says the service will be held in St George's Chapel on 2 April. Prime Minister Helen Clark says it will include the "laying up" of Sir Edmund's Knight of the Garter banner. Miss Clark says there will be opportunities for several hundred members of the public to attend the service, with a small number of seats available inside the chapel. The New Zealand High Commission in London will assist Buckingham Palace staff with a ballot system for tickets.
Copyright © 2008 Radio New Zealand



Flu jab encouraged

New Zealanders are being encouraged to get vaccinated against flu before the annual epidemic sets in. It follows an announcement by the World Health Organisation, which says the three most common influenza viruses circulating globally have changed significantly. Virologist Dr Lance Jennings says this year's vaccination may not prevent a new strain of the flu, which was recently discovered in the United States. But he says it is still better to get the jab than not. The New Zealand vaccination campaign begins in March. The flu epidemic usually peaks in June or July
Copyright 2002 - 2008. TelstraClear Ltd



Carpenters raking it in

By Anna Rushworth
Skilled tradesmen are raking in $2000 a week, thanks to an industry shortage that's pushing up wages and causing long delays to home renovations. Builders and carpenters are still in high demand, despite construction consents dropping to a six-year low. The situation could get worse if significant Auckland building projects such as the Western Ring Route tunnel and the harbour redevelopment go ahead.
©2008, APN Holdings NZ Limited



Heart patients in for treatment shakeup

By DONNA CHISHOLM - Sunday Star Times
Thousands of heart patients have been wrongly diagnosed with angina when they have actually suffered a heart attack. And new definitions of what constitutes a heart attack now being put in place at all New Zealand hospitals are expected to have widespread ramifications for treatment options and patient recovery. The changes follow a report from an international taskforce, co-chaired by leading Auckland cardiologist Harvey White, which establishes a new "universal definition" and five categories of heart attack. White says about 20 per cent of heart patients are being misdiagnosed as a result of outdated diagnostic blood tests or the correct tests not being done at all.



Saturday, February 16

PNG rice giant begins exports to Australia, NZ

Papua New Guinea's biggest rice processing company has begun exporting to Australia and New Zealand and is looking at further expansion. Trukai Industries employs about 640 people in Lae and has just completed a major upgrade of its facilities to allow 24 hour production. The company has just expanded its exports to include Australia and New Zealand and is also looking at new markets in Pacific island countries. Trukai managing director, Phil Franklin, has told Radio Australia's Pacific Beat program the opportunities came about partly because of drought-effected crops in the Australian state of New South Wales.



Festival sets record

More than 8,000 people turned up to the Devonport Food, Wine and Music Festival in North Shore city. Organisers say it is the largest crowd in the event's 19-year history. Hollie Smith, Greg Johnson and Nesian Mystik entertained. Day two is on tomorrow, and spokesman Ian Bailey says they should have realised $2 million by then for national and local charities..
Copyright 2002 - 2008. TelstraClear Ltd



Nelson celebration 'magical'

Dame Kiri Te Kanawa is performing in Nelson tonight at the Sealord Opera in the Park. The event has been running for ten years and on this occasion celebrates the 150th anniversary of Nelson being granted city status by Queen Victoria. Dame Kiri says she is particularly pleased the organisers have managed to secure mezzo soprano Helen Medlyn (Arts Foundation Laureate 2002), bass Jonathan Lemalu and tenor Simon O'Neill (Arts Foundation Laureate 2005) for this very special occasion.
Copyright 2002 - 2008. TelstraClear Ltd


IF YOU FOUND NZ NEWS USEFUL PLEASE EMAIL TO A FRIEND. Tell a Friend


KIVA LOANS. HELP SOMEONE IN THE DEVELOPING WORLD
CLICK ME
Kiva - loans that change lives

New Zealand Information
View information options by clicking on a region
New Zealand Tourism Online, regional information for Northland New Zealand New Zealand Tourism Online, regional information for Auckland New Zealand New Zealand Tourism Online, regional information for Coromandel New Zealand New Zealand Tourism Online, regional information for Rotorua New Zealand New Zealand Tourism Online, regional information for Taupo New Zealand New Zealand Tourism Online, regional information for Waikato New Zealand New Zealand Tourism Online, regional information for Bay of Plenty New Zealand New Zealand Tourism Online, regional information for Eastland New Zealand New Zealand Tourism Online, regional information for Taranaki New Zealand New Zealand Tourism Online, regional information for Ruapehu New Zealand New Zealand Tourism Online, regional information for Northland New Zealand New Zealand Tourism Online, regional information for Hawke's Bay New Zealand New Zealand Tourism Online, regional information for Manawatu New Zealand New Zealand Tourism Online, regional information for Wairarapa New Zealand New Zealand Tourism Online, regional information for Wellington New Zealand New Zealand Tourism Online, regional information for Nelson New Zealand New Zealand Tourism Online, regional information for Marlborough New Zealand New Zealand Tourism Online, regional information for Wanaka New Zealand New Zealand Tourism Online, regional information for Christchurch New Zealand New Zealand Tourism Online, regional information for Mt Cook New Zealand New Zealand Tourism Online, regional information for West Coast New Zealand New Zealand Tourism Online, regional information for Canterbury New Zealand New Zealand Tourism Online, regional information for Queenstown New Zealand New Zealand Tourism Online, regional information for Fiordland New Zealand New Zealand Tourism Online, regional information for Southland New Zealand New Zealand Tourism Online, regional information for Otago New Zealand New Zealand Tourism Online, regional information for Dunedin New Zealand New Zealand Tourism Online, regional information for North Island New Zealand New Zealand Tourism Online, regional information for South Island New Zealand New Zealand Tourism Online, regional information for New Zealand






Need some fresh air? try CHRISTCHURCH (balloon available)
Just click the pic..
Chinese/Japanese/Korean options

This page was last modified:

Creative Commons License
Daily New Zealand News is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 New Zealand License.

This blog uses some copyright material. This blog has no commercial value and does not use material for monetary gain or profit in any sense. NZ News is based on my interest in New Zealand, Australia and the South Pacific Islands news and current affairs. It is a personal interest blog. Mention of a person or organisation in this blog does not imply approval, support, participation in, or any connection with this blog. Links and organisations displayed in the blog are intended to help people seeking information about New Zealand. News sources are always attributed and there is full recognition of copyright holders. Anyone with a genuine interest in the material used and who may object to its use, please email me (contact address in sidebar) and it will be immediately removed from this blog.

Map IP Address
Powered byIP2Location.com


Daily New Zealand News