NZ and Russia talk FTA

New Zealand and Russia have had basic initial talks about a possible free trade agreement (FTA), Prime Minister John Key says. Mr Key was in Vietnam for the East Asia Summit at which Russia was a guest ahead of their full membership next year. Mr Key sat next to Russia's foreign minister Sergey Lavrov at lunch yesterday. He said they had an interesting chat. He said initial discussions with Russia over an FTA had been held and if signed it would be one of the first Russia signed. An FTA with Russia would be much like New Zealand's with China and Russia may choose to use it as a test for future agreements.
NZPA

Parcel bomb plot leads to new measures for NZ

A foiled parcel bomb plot originating from Yemen has triggered changes to New Zealand Customs measures. Two packages containing explosives were intercepted on Friday at airports in Britain and Dubai en route from Yemen to the United States, after a tip from Saudi Arabia. New Zealand Customs says it has raised the risk assessments on all sea and air cargo from those destinations. Trade and marine manager Paul Campbell says the elevated assessment also surrounds any cargo that could be of greater risk in the light of events.
Copyright © 2010 Radio New Zealand

Gaza aid group return to New Zealand

Six New Zealanders who took part in a Gaza aid convoy will be welcomed home today. Roger Fowler, Chris van Ryn, Julie Webb-Pullman, Pat O'Dea, Mouser Taher and Hone Fowler were part of a large group which successfully broke Israel's blockade. They delivered medical aid and a message of international solidarity.
Copyright 2002 - 2010, TelstraClear Ltd

Milkmen back in town

By Kieran Nash
Milkmen will be back in neighbourhoods from tonight. After fading away in the past two decades, a new service has begun to compete with supermarkets for customers. The Trusty Delivery Company will deliver milk and other goods to almost 1200 Auckland customers. And there will be no need for tokens or coins. Deliveries can now be ordered online. Managing director Graeme Brown said he believed the idea of the traditional milkman would be welcomed.

Blacklist to protect kids

By Rachel Grunwell
Groundbreaking cellphone technology has been launched in a bid to stop teenagers being harassed by text bullies. The new service allows cellphone users to blacklist up to 20 numbers. To stop text bullies all you need to do is text "Blacklist add" with the offending number to 713 on your Vodafone mobile. This will ban TXT/PXTs - the most common form of communication between youngsters - coming through to the person who doesn't want to receive them. The text bully doesn't know their messages aren't getting through and they are still charged for them. Up to 20 numbers can be banned through a single mobile at a time and any number can be reversed from the blacklist at any time by texting "Blacklist remove" with the number. The texts are cut off immediately. However, the service cannot block phone calls.

Reward offered by NZRU for missing jersey

A reward is being offered by the New Zealand Rugby Union for the return of a stolen 100-year old jersey. The Maori Rugby jersey had been loaned to the union and was taken during centenary celebrations in Rotorua in June. The jersey, dating from 1910, belonged to Maori hooker David Small and was discovered by his family in a garage in 1961. The NZRU would not say how much is being offered for information leading to its retrieval. The jersey is black with a red centre band and a gold fern, and is in a very fragile condition.
Copyright © 2010, Radio New Zealand

Wine makers look to Asia for growth

Wine producers are turning their attention to Asia as growth in the traditional markets of Australia and Britain dries up. Winegrowers New Zealand says demand in China is so impressive that it expects the country to be the number one consumer of New Zealand red wine in five to 10 years. The industry organisation says red wine is particularly popular in China, where it accounts for 80% of the wine sold.
Copyright © 2010, Radio New Zealand

Rugby-Wallabies break All Blacks curse in dramatic fashion

By tvnz.co.nz's Chris Matthews
It's finally happened! After 26 months and 10 straight defeats Australia have beaten the All Blacks 26-24 in Hong Kong tonight. In a thrilling finish, the Wallabies trailed by five points but, with territory and with possession to boot, pressed for the final five minutes before 20-year-old wonder kid James O'Connor stepped through a tackle to level the scores. Fittingly, O'Connor stepped up and nailed the conversion for the Wallabies to end their almighty All Blacks' hoodoo. Despite over two years without a win over the All Blacks, the Wallabies have progressively edged closer to the number one ranked team this season. New Zealand 24 (Jimmy Cowan 1 try, Cory Jane 1 try; Daniel Carter 3 conversion)
Australia 19 (Quade Cooper 1 try, Adam Ashely Cooper 1 try, Drew Mitchell 1 try; Matt Giteau penalty; James O'Connor 1 conversion)
Halftime: 12-17

Auckland streets, bridge lanes to close for marathon

Motorists in Auckland are advised to avoid the central city and parts of the North Shore on Sunday morning, when many streets are closed for the Auckland Marathon. The harbour bridge's two clip-on lanes will be closed from 4am till about 10.30am; Tamaki Drive and several streets in the central city, St Mary's Bay and the Viaduct will be fully or partly closed from about 5am through to midday. The race organiser, Richard Lindroos, says it's the biggest marathon in New Zealand, with 14,500 people expected to take part, including up to a thousand from 37 other countries.
Copyright © 2010, Radio New Zealand

Key invites Ban Ki-Moon to Pacific Islands Forum

Prime Minister John Key says United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is likely to attend the Pacific Islands Forum in Auckland next year. Mr Key extended a formal invitation to Mr Ban at the East Asia Summit in Vietnam early on Saturday morning. He says Mr Ban showed genuine interest in coming to New Zealand for the forum, and he believes that, if the Secretary-General's schedule allows, he will attend. It would be the first time a UN Secretary-General had attended such a meeting, Mr Key says, and a recognition of the increasing importance of the Pacific region.
Copyright © 2010 Radio New Zealand

'Exciting' deal links South Island by air to Asia

The Christchurch International Airport company has beaten rival bidders to win an air link with a new Malaysian budget airline. AirAsia X will run direct flights between Christchurch and Kuala Lumpur, beginning about next March with four return flights a week. The airport company says it headed off bids from cities such as Auckland and Sydney for the deal, which, according to an independent study, will be worth at least $70 million a year to Christchurch. Chief executive Jim Boult says the service will connect Christchurch with many Asian countries using Kuala Lumpur as a hub.
Copyright © 2010 Radio New Zealand

NZ Ballet secures 'rock star' pair

TOM CARDY - The Dominion Post
Two of the biggest names in the dance world are moving to Wellington in an unprecedented coup by the Royal New Zealand Ballet. American dancer Ethan Stiefel will become the company's next artistic director, replacing Englishman Gary Harris, who finishes in December. Stiefel, who trained alongside Rudolf Nureyev and Mikhail Baryshnikov, will be accompanied by his partner, Gillian Murphy. Both are principal dancers with American Ballet Theatre the United States' national ballet company. In ballet circles, the pair have rock star status and are celebrities in the US. They are due to make guest appearances next month on television drama Gossip Girl.

Wreckage of helicopter spotted in Antarctica

Searchers have spotted the wreckage of a helicopter carrying four French nationals which crashed in Antarctica. An Australian air force plane report seeing debris scattered over 150 metres, French officials said. Three bodies were seen near the wreckage. The AS350 Squirrel helicopter had been missing since late on Thursday. It was carrying four men - the pilot, a mechanic and two staff from Dumont d'Urville research base in the French Southern and Antarctic Lands.
Copyright © 2010 Radio New Zealand

Thalidomide victims take legal action

New Zealand and Australian thalidomide victims are suing the German drug company that developed and marketed the drug. The drug, prescribed in the 1950s and 1960s to cure morning sickness, resulted in babies being born with severe limb deformities. Five plaintiffs have launched a class action in Victoria against Grunenthal GmbH on behalf of survivors born in Australia and New Zealand between 1955 and 1964. In a writ filed in the state's Supreme Court, the victims say the company did not adequately test the drug, and knew there was a suggested link between it and a range of adverse health effects five years before thalidomide was withdrawn from sale. The drug was made available in Australia and New Zealand by Distillers Company Ltd from 1958.
Copyright © 2010 Radio New Zealand

Key meets Gillard ahead of Asia summit

In their first formal meeting, Prime Minister John Key and Australian leader Julia Gillard have discussed Australia's proposal to set up a regional processing centre for asylum seekers. The premiers met in Vietnam, where both are to attend the East Asia Summit. Mr Key says a range of matters were discussed, among them the political situation in Fiji, climate change matters and economic issues. He said New Zealand takes the issue of aslyum seekers seriously, but that he told Ms Gillard the country had no interest in hosting such a centre or putting money towards it.
Copyright © 2010 Radio New Zealand

Samoan PM urges NZ-bound workers to behave

Samoa's Prime Minister says bad and illegal behaviour is threatening the opportunity to find seasonal work in New Zealand. Tuilaeapa Sailele Malielegaoi was speaking to the latest group of fruit pickers to go to New Zealand under the Recognised Seasonal Employer scheme. The Prime Minister appealed to the workers not to give the seasonal work scheme and Samoa a bad name, saying continuous problems could cause New Zealand to pull the plug. The scheme reportedly earned the Samoa economy more than $US4 million last year.
Copyright © 2010, Radio New Zealand

Navy's Otago on first deployment in Pacific

One of New Zealand's newest navy ships has left for its first international deployment. HMNZS Otago is going to Samoa, Nuku'alofa, Tokelau, Rarotonga and Niue over three weeks. The ship, which has 79 people on board, will carry out diplomacy tasks, surveillance and continue its sea trials. The delivery of the $110 million offshore patrol vessel was delayed in March this year due to engine problems and developed another fault sailing from Auckland to Dunedin in July. The Otago will also be tested for how it operates in tropical heat.
Copyright © 2010, Radio New Zealand

Kiri's Goldie painting may set sale record

Opera diva Kiri Te Kanawa is selling off one of the finest examples of the work of renowned artist Charles Frederick Goldie. The oil on canvas, Forty Winks, is the keynote piece in an auction of important, early and rare works at the International Art Centre on Auckland next month and could fetch up to $500,000, a record for a Goldie. Centre director Richard Thomson said the work was the finest Goldie painting to go on the market for years and had an impeccable provenance. Dame Kiri was reassessing her collection and the painting was expected to bring in a new record for an auction sale of a Goldie work, Mr Thomson said.
NZPA

NZ Government donates $450,000 to Indonesia

ANDREA VANCE - Stuff
New Zealand will donate $450,000 in emergency aid to Indonesia following the deadly tsunami. Foreign Minister Murray McCully said the grant will add to an initial $40,000 given to non-governmental organisation SurfAid International. The death toll from the tsunami that hit Mentawai has been estimated at 311 with another 400 missing. Up to 4000 people have been left homeless after the disaster on Monday. Mr McCully said the situation is worse than first thought. The money will be used to buy emergency supplies for devastated communities.

French helicopter missing in Antarctica

A helicopter carrying four people working at a French Antarctic research station has disappeared in bad weather. French authorities say a distress beacon was activated after the aircraft had taken off from a re-supply ship on Friday. The beacon came from an ice field about 60 nautical miles from France's Dumont-d'Urville station, AFP reports. The helicopter was carrying the pilot, a mechanic and two scientists.
Copyright © 2010, Radio New Zealand

US to open aid office in Fiji

The United States Agency for International Development will return to the Pacific next year by setting up a new office in Fiji. This was announced by the US Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, in Honolulu at the start of a two-week tour. Mrs Clinton says the US will be working through the Pacific Island Forum to support the Pacific island nations as they strive to really confront and solve the challenges they face. Her 10-nation tour will include stops in Papua New Guinea, New Zealand, Australia and American Samoa.
Copyright © 2010 Radio New Zealand

Aussie troops use warlord expertise

Sydney Morning Herald
Senior militia fighters loyal to a notorious Afghan warlord have been flown to Australia to train with elite special forces as part of a covert strategy to strengthen military operations against the Taliban. The six fighters are allied to Matiullah Khan, a powerful Oruzgan warlord with whom Dutch forces refused to work because of his alleged connections to murder and extortion. The government did not reveal that the men were in Australia, even though their trip coincided with the parliamentary debate last week on the Afghan war. The Herald can also reveal that the Prime Minister, Julia Gillard, and the Afghan President, Hamid Karzai, discussed their relationship with the warlords at a meeting in Kabul on October 2. A leaked summary of their meeting reveals that Mr Karzai told Ms Gillard tribal leaders had praised Australia's co-operation with ''warlordy types''. The fighters met Australian officers they will work alongside and were shown combat training displays at the Cultana base in South Australia and at Holsworthy Barracks in outer Sydney.

Reading plan brings 11,000 slow learners up to speed

By Elizabeth Binning
More than 11,000 children needed help with reading last year but by the end of their Reading Recovery programme, the majority were at the same level as the rest of their classmates. The findings come from the Reading Recovery annual monitoring report which was released yesterday. The early-intervention programme, in use since 1984, provides intensive, individual help to children who are falling behind in reading and writing after one-year at primary school. Last year, 11,085 children - including 14 per cent of 6-year-olds in state and state-integrated schools around the country - needed that help. By the end of 2009, nearly 60 per cent of students in the programme had successfully finished their series of lessons - the great majority of them reaching the required reading level for a student after two years at school.

Powerful high settling over NZ

Another powerful high is about to settle over the country - one that could come close to breaking records. WeatherWatch says the high is building south east of Dunedin, and will be stronger than the one recorded a fortnight ago. The central air pressure is predicted to be around 1,046 hectopascals - a smidgen above the highest air pressure ever recorded in New Zealand, in Wellington set in 1889. However, because it will remain just offshore it will be away from weather recording equipment.
Newstalk ZB

Bookworms dream

Canterbury bookworms will be heading along to the annual Christchurch City Libraries book sale. The two-day book sale has over 40,000 titles - including DVDs and CDs - most of which are priced around $3. This year's sale also offers 15,000 children's books priced at 50 cents or $1.
Copyright 2002 - 2010, TelstraClear Ltd

Tasty Pot tops

Auckland's Tasty Pot Company has taken out the top title at this year's New Zealand Food Awards. It's beaten more than 90 other entries with its quinoa, mushroom and roast vegetable ready-meals. It was also named winner of the award for Innovation in Food Products and winner of the convenience and meal solutions award. Judges say it's a meal option that combines fresh, high quality, produce with pre-packaged ease - and they couldn't have made better or fresher meals themselves. The awards were presented at a gala dinner last night in Auckland.
Copyright 2002 - 2010, TelstraClear Ltd

Canterbury quake is world's third largest insurance this year

The Canterbury earthquake is the third most expensive event for insurers worldwide this year, the Insurance Council says. Private insurers expect to pay out about $1.5 billion for earthquake damage in Canterbury over the next twelve months. Insurance Council, Chris Ryan, says the earthquake payout is in addition to the approximately $2 billion that private insurers would pay out in a typical year. "There were storms in Europe worth about $3 billion and storms in North America worth about $2 billion," he said.
Copyright © 2010 Radio New Zealand

Student loans exceed $11 billion

The amount of money owed to the Government's student loan scheme has exceeded $11 billion for the first time. The scheme's annual report for the year to the end of June says 587,500 people now have student loans. The report says about 200,000 people borrowed $1.5 billion from the scheme in the last financial year. Repayments totalled $750 million, including $50 million which qualified for the new 10% bonus for voluntary repayments of more than $500.
Copyright © 2010 Radio New Zealand

Cannon fan goes out with a bang

A New Zealand cannon enthusiast is going out with a bang this weekend. The ashes of Wellington man, AK Goss, who died last year after being diagnosed with melanoma, will be shot from a cannon over Wellington Harbour on Saturday, during celebrations to mark Captain Cook's birthday. The unconventional scattering of ashes will honour and farewell Goss, who was an active member of the Wellington Cannon Society, newswire.co.nz reported. "Each time you hear a boom there will be a little bit of AK's ashes in every one," society founder Brian "Gunner" Townsend said. Townsend, who owns about half of the 20 cannons being used on Saturday, has been collecting vintage artillery for more than 20 years.
Source: AAP

Avatar sequels to be made in New Zealand

Source: Reuters/ONE News
Twentieth Century Fox film studio and director James Cameron unveiled plans for two new Avatar movies, which will be made in New Zealand. The announcement today erased any lingering doubt over whether they would again team up for sequels to the biggest blockbuster movie of all time. Wellington's Weta Digital was responsible for all the computer animated effects on the original film. The movie earned nine Oscar nominations and won three, and it was named the year's best movie at the Golden Globe Awards. Production is scheduled to begin in 2011.

Station evacuated over dynamite

The Balclutha Police Station has been evacuated this morning after around 100 sticks of dynamite were left on the steps station around 9.25am. Police said the dynamite was "sweaty, wet and thought to be unsafe". The Southland Times reported a farmer had dropped the dynamite off to police for disposal. Army explosive experts are expected around midday to dispose of the explosives and cordons were in place until about 1pm.
NZHERALD STAFF and NZPA

More help for rare skin condition

Around 120 kids - known as butterfly children due to a debilitating skin condition - will get more treatment thanks to some extra Government funding. Part-time nurses will travel around the country giving support to sufferers of the skin condition Epidermolysis Bullosa. Health Minister, Tony Ryall, says it's so rare, most doctors or nurses would have no experience with it. He says the condition can be so debilitating some people are incapacitated as their skin breaks down and blisters when touched.
Copyright 2002 - 2010, TelstraClear Ltd

Sir Peter 'elated' to make Hobbit here

Sir Peter Jackson is elated the filming of the Hobbit films is to remain in New Zealand. He's this afternoon thanked Government for introducing legislation which will give everyone in the film industry certainty as to their employment status. Sir Peter says the clarification will provide much needed stability and reassurance for film workers as well as investors from within New Zealand and overseas. He says he feels enormous gratitude to the film technicians, actors and fans who have supported keeping the films in New Zealand. The Government introduced its film industry labour law to Parliament on Thursday afternoon.
Copyright 2002 - 2010, TelstraClear Ltd

Parliament goes into urgency over Hobbit law change

Changes to labour laws are being introduced to Parliament on Thursday, following an agreement between the Government and Warner Bros to enable The Hobbit to be filmed in New Zealand. Prime Minister John Mr Key announced on Wednesday the Government had reached a deal in which it offered the studio giant bigger subsidies to make The Hobbit films in New Zealand, costing it another $NZ33.5 million, and agreed to the labour law changes. The House went into urgency on Thursday afternoon to debate the Employment Relations (Film Production Work) Amendment Bill. The legislation, to clarify the status of an independent contractor in a film production versus an employee, will be be pushed through over the next two days. Labour Minister Kate Wilkinson told Parliament the law change does not take rights away from workers or affect any existing employment agreements.
Copyright © 2010 Radio New Zealand

Record sales for Rowing Champs

New Zealand is set to cement its position as a top rowing nation, if ticket sales for the World Rowing Champs are any indication. More than 37,000 tickets have now been sold, and that number's expected to rise considerably with gate sales. Organisers hope to get between 50,000 and 60,000 people to the event in total. Executive Director of the World Rowing Federation, Matt Smith, says if those numbers were reached, it would be a recent record for the event. He says discussions are already underway to have more international rowing events hosted here.
Copyright 2002 - 2010, TelstraClear Ltd

PM to meet with UN Secretary General

ANDREA VANCE - Stuff
Prime Minister John Key is to meet with UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon tomorrow. Mr Key is on route to Vietnam to attend the 5th East Asia Summit in Hanoi. Before attending a gala dinner tomorrow evening, Mr Key will hold a 20 minute bi-lateral meeting. New Zealand is bidding to join the UN's security council and this is likely to be on the agenda. They will also discuss climate change and the Pacific Forum, which New Zealand is hosting next year. Just two hours before Mr Key will have his first bi-lateral with Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard. On Saturday Mr Key will also hold bi-laterals with the leaders of Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia and the Philippines.

Government to fund more weight loss surgery

The Government has announced it will fund an extra 300 weight loss operations over the next four years. Associate Minister of Health Tariana Turia says the additional operations will cost $2 million a year. The number of publicly funded weight-loss operations has more than trebled in the past few years to 262 per year. More than 800,000 New Zealanders are estimated to be obese - with direct costs to the health sector of about $460 million annually.
Copyright © 2010 Radio New Zealand

Pharmac says stop-smoking drug will be closely monitored

Drug-buying agency Pharmac is to fund another treatment to help people quit smoking. The smoking cessation treatment known as Champix will become available next week on prescription for adults. The move is part of a multi-product agreement between Pharmac and the drug firm Pfizer. Pharmac medical director Peter Moodie says Champix will be part of Medsafe's Intensive Medicines Monitoring programme, because of safety concerns. Dr Moodie says anyone wanting to go on Champix should have first tried other simpler treatments, such as nicotine replacement therapy, Zyban, and nortriptyline.
Copyright © 2010, Radio New Zealand

Rugby-All Blacks name top lineup to take on Australia

The All Black selectors have named their strongest lineup to take on Australia in the 4th Bledisloe Cup test in Hong Kong on Saturday night. The team (with test caps) is Tony Woodcock (69), Keven Mealamu (80), Owen Franks (17), Brad Thorn (46), Tom Donnelly (13), Jerome Kaino (33), Richie McCaw - captain (89), Kieran Read (25), Jimmy Cowan (41), Daniel Carter (74), Josevata Rokocoko (66), Ma'a Nonu (52), Conrad Smith (41), Cory Jane (21), Mils Muliaina (89).
Reserves: Hikawera Elliot (uncapped), John Afoa (25), Samuel Whitelock (8), Daniel Braid (4), Alby Mathewson (1), Stephen Donald (19), Isaia Toeava (26).
Copyright © 2010, Radio New Zealand

Samoa passes law making casinos illegal

A bill which makes casinos legal in Samoa has been signed into law, but will not take effect immediately. The government says more research needs to be done on the types of casinos before any are opened. Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sa'ilele Malielegaoi, who is also the Minister for the Totalisator Agency Board, believes the casino law will come into effect the middle of next year. The Opposition Tautua Samoa Party and the National Council of Churches oppose casinos.
Copyright © 2010 Radio New Zealand

Rogers coming to NZ

By Alexia Russell - NewstalkZB
Country Superstar Kenny Rogers is coming to New Zealand. He'll be performing in Auckland in January, accompanied by the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra at Vector Arena. The multi-Grammy legend features in the Top Ten list of Best Selling Male Artists of all Time.
Copyright 2002 - 2010, TelstraClear Ltd

Indonesia tsunami death toll rises

More than 100 people have been killed and scores are missing in Indonesia after a tsunami triggered by a powerful earthquake off the coast of Sumatra. The 7.7-magnitude quake hit 78km west of South Pagai in the Mentawai Islands at 9.42pm on Monday local time. A badly damage house on North Pagai in the Mentawi Islands. Waves up to three metres high swept away 10 villages in the chain of islands. On Wednesday the death rose to 154, with another 400 people missing, AFP reports. The islands of South Pagai and North Pagai are reported as particularly badly affected, with big waves sweeping half a kilometre inland. The Indonesian Red Cross expects the death toll to rise significantly.
Copyright © 2010 Radio New Zealand

Thousands flee erupting volcano in Java

At least 29 people are reported to have been killed as a volcano erupted in Indonesia, prompting terrified villagers to flee and join the thousands already evacuated from its slopes. Mt Merapi on Java island erupted on Tuesday evening, a day after the alert status was raised to the highest level. The BBC cites local media saying emergency teams had found 12 bodies in the area close to the mountain, while AFP says the volcano had claimed the life of a three-month-old baby girl.
Copyright © 2010 Radio New Zealand

Pacific fisheries facing collapse, study warns

Fisheries in the Pacific region face collapse within the next 25 years without urgent concerted efforts to preserve stocks, a major study warns. The study, published by the Secretariat of the Pacific Community, says the projected collapse would make food security impossible in a region where the population is projected to increase by 50% by 2035. It says various coastal fisheries are already overexploited, and highlights signs that offshore resources are being overfished, such as big eye tuna stocks.
Copyright © 2010 Radio New Zealand

Human trafficking campaign launched

Source: ONE News/Newstalk ZB
A new campaign to raise public awareness of people trafficking has been launched by the Department of Labour. From today, the government will distribute brochures in six languages to community groups and organisations, outlining possible signs of human trafficking. The department says although there is no evidence of human trafficking into New Zealand, the public needs to be alert to the possibility of it happening. Head of Immigration New Zealand Nigel Bickle said if people can identify possible indicators, they will be able to report it. He said it is a form of modern day slavery and is punishable in New Zealand by up to 20 years in prison and a $500,000 fine. "New Zealand has zero tolerance for people smugglers who prey on the vulnerable and put lives at risk", Bickle said. "It is also illegal for New Zealanders to finance relatives and friends to join up with people smugglers - they could also face fines and imprisonment," he said.

Hobbit films staying in New Zealand

The Hobbit films are to be made in New Zealand. Prime Minister John Key made the announcement on Wednesday night, following two days of talks with Warner Bros executives in Wellington. Mr Key said an agreement had been reached with the US studio which is financing the two films. They will be directed by Sir Peter Jackson. Warner Bros had warned its concerns over industrial relations issues in New Zealand could see it move the project to another country. One of the films will have its world premiere in New Zealand.
Copyright © 2010, Radio New Zealand

Niue donates to Canterbury quake fund

Niue has donated almost $60,000 to the Canterbury Earthquake Fund. The region was badly damaged in the 7.1 magnitude quake on 4 September. Associate Finance Minister Simon Power says the donation of $59,000 was presented to him on the eve of a meeting of the Pacific Forum Economic Ministers in Niue. The Premier of Niue, Toke Talagi, says he was humbled but delighted to be able to make such a donation. Mr Talagi says the people of Niue have a close affinity with New Zealand and wanted to help Cantabrians as they recover from the quake. Mr Power says Niue's gesture is extremely generous coming from such a small population in the Pacific.
Copyright © 2010, Radio New Zealand

U-turn on kid-resistant containers

By LAWRENCE HAKIWAI - NewstalkZB
National has reversed Labour Government legislation requiring household products such as cleaners to be sold in child-resistant plastic containers. The regulations passed in June 2006 meant that from the end of December this year, household cleaners and washing powders would have had to be sold in more robust containers. Environment minister Nick Smith says the ruling would have banned cardboard containers and plastic scoops. He says such issues separate the common sense of National with nanny state Labour.

Fiji slips to bottom of global list on budget transparency

The organisation, International Budget Partnership, has recommended that Fiji publish budget information on government websites as the country has plummeted to the bottom of a list of 94 countries in its 2010 report. It says Fiji scored zero points out of 100 as it is virtually impossible for citizens to hold the government accountable for its management of the public’s money. The report notes that in the 2008 survey Fiji scored 13 points but since then, the interim regime has clamped down on information. It notes that there are no pre-budget statements, no year-end reports and no audits. The finance ministry is run by the interim prime minister, Commodore Frank Bainimarama, who seized power in 2006, purportedly to root out corruption in government.
© Radio New Zealand International

Free trade deals in sights

There are hopes a regional trade deal could be the eventual outcome from this weekend's East Asia Summit. Prime Minister John Key heads to the meeting in Vietnam today. He says there were real gains last year within ASEAN. Mr Key says further gains are being sought, potentially to secure a free trade deal involving all ASEAN members as well as the really big players - Japan, Korea, India, and China.
Copyright 2002 - 2010, TelstraClear Ltd

Clinton set to make peace in NZ

MARK STEVENS - Stuff
Hillary Clinton's visit to New Zealand next month is expected to mark a virtual end to the 25-year-long split over our "no nukes" policy. According to Washington insiders, the US Secretary of State will make a "major policy announcement" in New Zealand. Ernie Bower, senior advisor and director of the Center for Strategic and International Studies' (CSIS) Southeast Asia Program, said New Zealand was a "friend the US needs right now". "It is a pretty significant visit," he said, adding that the relationship had moved on from our differences over nuclear policy. "She will be setting up a new vision for US/NZ relationships.

Christchurch keeps spot as second largest city

Christchurch has narrowly retained its spot over Greater Wellington as the country's second largest urban centre. Provisional estimates from Statistics New Zealand show there are just 600 more residents in Christchurch. Last year the centres were just 100 people apart. Overall, the figures show 76 out of every 100 New Zealanders live in the North Island. The provisional statistics, based on census information combined with births, deaths and migration data in the year to June, show Auckland's population as 1,272,800, Christchurch 390,300 and Wellington 389,700.
Copyright © 2010, Radio New Zealand

15 countries accept invitation to climate change conference in Kiribati

So far 15 countries, including a number from the Pacific along with China, Canada and the United Kingdom have committed to attend a climate change conference in Kiribati next month. The Tarawa Climate Change Conference aims to consolidate a common position ahead of the next UN conference on global warming in Cancun in Mexico in December. The Kiribati President’s office reports that they expect more countries to accept their invitation to Tarawa. In a release it says the conference will give participants a chance to witness the impact of climate change in an atoll nation.
News Content © Radio New Zealand International

NZ named as least corrupt country

Source: Reuters/ONE News
New Zealand has tied with Denmark and Singapore to be named as the least corrupt country in the world. The three countries topped the Transparency International Corruption Perceptions Index with scores of 9.3 out of a possible ten, which indicates a country with the highest standards. Australia came in 8th with a score of 8.7. New Zealand, Denmark and Singapore topped the index last year as well. The United States fell to 22nd from 19th last year, with its CPI score dropping to 7.1 from 7.5 in the 178-nation index, which is based on independent surveys on corruption.

Man charged over penis tattoo

An Australian man who thought he was getting a Yin and Yang symbol tattooed on his back ended up with an image of a 40-centimetre penis instead. Queensland police have charged the 21-year-old tattooist from Bundamba, near Ipswich, with two counts of assault, occasioning bodily harm and one offence relating to the public safety act. Police say the man argued with the tattooist before getting the tattoo done, and was then tattooed with an image of a penis and a misspelled slogan implying the man is gay. Ipswich Detective Constable Paul Malcolm said the victim was mortified. "The tattooist started doing the tattoo and there was another bloke standing there watching saying, `Mate, it's looking really good.' "He was told not to go out into the sun and not to show anyone for a few weeks." But police said the victim showed the new tattoo to his girlfriend straight away and she told him the bad news. The 21-year-old tattooist will appear in court on November 15.
Source: AAP/Newstalk ZB

Scores missing after tsunami hits Indonesia

At least 160 people, mostly women and children, are missing from an Indonesian village pounded by a tsunami caused by a major earthquake off the coast of Sumatra. The 7.7-magnitude quake hit 78km west of South Pagai in the Mentawai Islands on Monday night. An official for the Department of Fisheries, Hardimansyah, says says most buildings in Betu Monga, in the Mentawai Islands, have been destroyed. Hardimansyah says of the 200 people living there, only 40 have been found. He says people are crying and telling of children torn from their arms by the waves children. A boat carrying 10 Australians and one Japanese on a surfing trip has been out of radio contact since the quake occurred.
Copyright © 2010 Radio New Zealand

Forest and Bird fight planned mine

The Forest and Bird Society is rallying against a proposal for a new coal mine in the Buller coalfields. Australian company Bathurst Resources hopes to dig an open-cast mine on conservation estate in the Denniston plateau. The mine would produce around 1 million tonnes of coal a year. However, Forest and Bird Society spokeswoman Debs Martin told Radio New Zealand the mine would be extremely harmful to the region's biodiversity, which includes Great-Spotted Kiwi. Ms Martin said New Zealand should be looking to phase out coal-mining rather than expanding the industry.
NZHeraldstaff

Researchers rewarded with fellowships

Twelve of New Zealand's most promising researchers have been rewarded with fellowships. Each researcher will receive up to $270,000 over three years from the Foundation for Research, Science and Technology. Director of Maori, Social and Scholars Reece Moors says the researchers will investigate a number of diverse topics. They include new therapies for eye disease, cancer and schizophrenia.
Copyright 2002 - 2010, TelstraClear Ltd

Samoa gets new weekend paper

A new newspaper has been launched in Samoa. The paper’s editor, Merita Huch, says the Weekender is an expansion of its news services. The veteran print and television journalist, who has also worked in New Zealand and Nauru, says if demand warrants they will publish on other days of the week. The Weekender competes for readership in the weekend with Sunday Samoan published by The Samoa Observer Ltd, which publishes daily, and Newsline.
News Content © Radio New Zealand International

Chimney trouble for Santa in quake-hit Canterbury

BY SHAHRA WALSH - The Press
Santa Claus is coming to town, but in earthquake-hit Christchurch he is going to need some help with the directions. The September 4 magnitude 7.1 quake left many properties in the Canterbury region uninhabitable and claims received by the Earthquake Commission indicate at least one in nine houses suffered chimney damage. To help Santa reorganise his flight plan, a website has been set up for children to let him know if they have moved, and whether safe access to the house was still possible via the chimney. Laurence Ilott, head elf in charge of www.santashelper.co.nz, put the site together on Saturday after speaking to a close friend who lost their house after the quake. Ilott said Santa would personally reply to each message, to reassure any children who were concerned. Despite the extra organisation and planning that would be needed for this year's Christmas delivery run, Santa was confident his team of elves and reindeer were up to the job and wished Cantabrians a safe and happy holiday period.

NZ tigers to call Australia home

Two young Sumatran tigers born in Auckland will fly to Australia today as a part of an international breeding programme for the endangered big cat species. Two males, Jalur and Berani, and their female sibling, Cinta, became the first tigers to be bred at Auckland Zoo when they were born in June 2008. Jalur and Cinta are moving across the Tasman and their new home will be the Symbio Wildife Park, south of Sydney. Auckland Zoo conservation officer Peter Fraser said there were fewer than 160 Sumatran tigers in zoos and fewer than 400 remaining in the wild worldwide.
NZPA

Dutch to honour WWII airmen

Three New Zealand airmen who died when their bomber crashed in Holland during World War 2 will be honoured by the Dutch almost 70 years after their deaths. Trevor Gray of Taranaki, John Black of Christchurch and Eric Lloyd of Fordell, near Whanganui, were killed when their Royal Air Force Wellington bomber was shot down on November 8, 1941. Relatives of the trio will fly to the Netherlands this week to attend the unveiling of a newly built monument commemorating the aircrew in Soarremoarre, the Taranaki Daily News reported. The villagers in Soarremoarre regard the bomber crew as heroes, believing they deliberately missed their settlement as the plane plunged to the ground. Every year since the crash, local children have placed flowers on the crash site to commemorate this bravery.
NZPA

New Zealand population rises

New Zealand's population has grown to more than 4.3 million, data released today shows. In the year to June 30 population grew by 51,900 (1.2 percent) to 4,367,700, Statistics New Zealand said. The growth resulted from a natural increase (excess of births over deaths) of 35,400 and a net permanent and long-term (PLT) migration gain of 16,500 people. New Zealand continued to be a highly urbanised country, with 78 out of every 100 New Zealanders living in either a main or secondary urban area. Over half of all New Zealanders (54 percent) lived in the four main urban areas - Auckland, Hamilton, Wellington, and Christchurch.
NZPA

Groser to travel to South and Central America

Trade Minister Tim Groser will travel to South and Central America this week to promote bilateral trade programmes with Brazil, Costa Rica and Mexico. Mr Groser will be leading a delegation of New Zealand business leaders who will be in Sao Paulo, the commercial engine of the Brazilian economy.
Copyright © 2010, Radio New Zealand

Volunteers will ensure success of world rowing event - organisers

Organisers of the World Rowing Championships which start on Lake Karapiro in Waikato on Saturday, say a huge number of volunteers will ensure the event is a success. About 600 people have vounteered for numerous jobs over the nine day event. Chief organiser Tom Mayo says the volunteers will be working just as hard as the 800 rowers competing. He says the venue will be handed over to the International Rowing Federation on Wednesday. Forty nine countries are taking part. The event is held every year with the exception of a summer Olympic year.
Copyright © 2010 Radio New Zealand

Ten women contesting Tonga poll

There are hopes that two or three women will be voted into the Tongan Parliament next month when the country embraces greater democracy. Of the 147 candidates who’ve registered, ten are women. Five are with the Tonga Democratic Labour Party, including Betty Blake from the NGO, Ma’a Fafine Moe Famili.
She says they expected more than ten women to register, but says it’s a continual struggle convincing them to stand. Betty Blake says they think women can win up to three of the 17 seats to be decided by the people.
News Content © Radio New Zealand International

Auckland stop for sailor

New Zealand yachtsman Graeme Kendall is stopping off at home as he continues his bid for a world first, to sail solo around the world via the challenging Arctic Northwest Passage. He is currently 400 kilometres from Auckland, and due to arrive there late Wednesday afternoon. Mr Kendall left from Greenland and has been at sea for 68 days. He has sailed through the usually daunting Northwest Passage. Mr Kendall then went through the Bering Sea and down the Pacific to New Zealand. He has now sailed more than 16,000 kilometres.
Copyright 2002 - 2010, TelstraClear Ltd

Singapore bourse bids for Australian ASX

The Singapore stock exchange has unveiled a multi-billion dollar bid for the company that owns the Australian Stock Exchange. If approved, the $A8.2 billion takeover would mark the first stock exchange merger in the Asia-Pacific region. The deal would enhance Singapore as a major financial hub in the region and benefit Australian investors by giving them greater access to Asian markets, the BBC reports. A merged exchange would hope to compete more effectively with Hong Kong. It would be the second-largest exchange in the region, SGX chief executive Magnus Bocker said on Monday.
Copyright © 2010 Radio New Zealand

Zespri China sales boom

JAMES WEIR - The Dominion Post
New Zealand kiwifruit sales to China are booming, with exports hitting $100 million from less than $10m five years ago. Kiwifruit marketer Zespri will sell 7 million trays of green and gold fruit in China this year and expects to lift that to 9 million next year, which could raise the value by about $20m a year. China has become one of Zespri's top 10 markets, and it may become Zespri's second largest market within 10 years, the company says. Zespri sells about 100m trays of fruit around the world each year. Its annual sales are worth about $1.5 billion and the group is responsible for most kiwifruit exports.

Aussie soldiers wounded in Afghanistan

Three Australian soldiers were wounded, one seriously, after being shot at during an operation in Afghanistan last week. The soldiers were serving with the Special Operations Task Group in the Shah Wali Kot region of Northern Kandahar Province on October 18 when the incident occurred, the Australian Defence Force said in a statement. The Australian Defence Force said two of the soldiers would return to Australia because of the nature of their injuries. A fourth soldier also suffered some "superficial shrapnel wounds", the ADF said in a statement. "All four soldiers are in a satisfactory condition and are expected to make a full recovery," the statement said.
Sydney Morning Herald

Thousands rally in support of The Hobbit

By Isaac Davison, Derek Cheng and Paul Harper
Sir Peter Jackson has taken a shot at an Australian union for intervening in the New Zealand film industry and unsettling plans to film The Hobbit in this country. In a statement read at "Keep The Hobbit in New Zealand" rallies around the country this afternoon, Sir Peter said that if there were problems with actors' working conditions, New Zealand had guilds to work them out. "We don't open the doors to an Australian union... who destroy everything we have worked to build." He said the intervention by Australian-based union Media, Entertainment & Arts Alliance (MEAA) risked tearing apart "the great big heart that beats inside all our films". His comments were heard by thousands at rallies in Wellington, Auckland, Christchurch, Hamilton, Queenstown and Matamata.

Google gets backing in New Zealand

Google hasn't done anything wrong in collecting emails and passwords. That's the view of former Internet New Zealand president Peter Dengate-Thrush. The Internet giant has admitted it captured entire emails and personal passwords with its "Street View" cars...much more information than it's previously owned up to. Peter Dengate-Thrush says all of the material is available for anyone to collect. He says unless you've gone to the trouble of installing additional security and have it encrypted, when you put your email password into a wireless network, you're posting it to the world.
Copyright 2002 - 2010, TelstraClear Ltd

Goff going to meeting with Gillard

Labour Party leader Phil Goff leaves for Australia on Monday to meet Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard. Mr Goff says Australia is New Zealand's biggest trading partner and has a strong economy. He says he is interested to find out what lessons can be learned from Australia's approach to the economy. Mr Goff will also meet Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd and other senior government officials.
Copyright © 2010, Radio New Zealand

Aboriginal opera premieres in Australia

An indigenous opera has premiered to critical acclaim in Australia. Pecan Summer tells the true story of a walk-off by 200 Yorta Yorta men, women and children from the Cummeraganja mission in southern New South Wales, across the Murray River into Victoria in 1939. They left because of harsh conditions and their treatment by the mission manager. The opera has premiered in regional Victoria. The ABC reports Yorta Yorta elders were invited to a preview performance. Singer, composer and creator Deborah Cheetham says she hopes the opera will open the way for future generations of indigenous Australians to get involved in classical singing.
Copyright © 2010 Radio New Zealand

NSW govt to scrap plan for radioactive waste dump

New South Wales Premier Kristina Keneally has announced that she will scrap a plan for a radioactive waste dump in western Sydney. The Government was planning to move thousands of tonnes of waste from an old uranium smelter from a site in Hunters Hill to Kemps Creek near Penrith. The ABC reports that it was indicated last week that the premier would look at relocating it interstate or overseas.
Copyright © 2010, Radio New Zealand

World's rarest parrot shifts home in NZ

The world's rarest parrot has taken a giant hop towards long-term survival. With the population soaring, seven male New Zealand kakapo are being shifted from their present home to give the females some breathing space on Codfish Island. The males will live together on another remote predator-free island, and it is believed that removing the excess males from Codfish Island will benefit the breeding birds there. "We just want to free us some of the home ranges that the birds have there and that just means that there's a bit more space. There's less pressure on the females," said Kakapo operations ranger Jo Ledington. 15 years ago, kakapo totalled just 51, but today the population has more than doubled. "There are only a 122 in the world, so every single one is precious to us," Ledington said.
Source: ONE News

NSW wants to ban energy drinks on tap

The Government in the Australian state of New South Wales says it plans to ban the sale of energy drinks that do not contain warning labels, at pubs and clubs. The National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre says energy drinks mixed with alcohol are a growing danger because they fool people into thinking they are less drunk than they really are. Health experts say the cocktail makes drinkers highly agitated and they are more likely to drink and drive or act violently reports the ABC.
Copyright © 2010, Radio New Zealand

State housing set for overhaul

The Government says it's considering a new approach to the delivery of social and state housing. The Housing Shareholders Advisory Group made 19 recommendations earlier this year to Housing Minister, Phil Heatley, which he now says build a clear case for change. Mr Heatley says the current model is not providing for those most in need, with waiting lists remaining static at around 10,000 people urgently needing homes. He says many state houses are the wrong size, often in the wrong areas, and many are occupied by tenants who don't actually need them.
Copyright © 2010 Radio New Zealand

More boats of asylum seekers intercepted

A boat carrying 26 asylum seekers has been intercepted by the Australian Navy off Ashmore Islands in the Indian Ocean. HMAS Wollongong intercepted the vessel 220 nautical miles east of Ashmore Islands on Friday night. The ABC reports the group will be transferred to Christmas Island. It was the second reported intercept this week. A boat with 88 asylum seekers on board was stopped by the Navy near Christmas Island on Thursday. It was the 108th boat to arrive this year.
Copyright © 2010, Radio New Zealand

Lyttelton restores historic cottage

A Canterbury community is working hard to save one of their cherished landmarks and restore a slice of colonial history. Made of rimu wood 160 years ago, its one of the few original homes still standing, built by one of Canterbury's founding fathers. As a ship builder, John Grubb built and owned the first ship in Lyttelton Harbour, built the first jetty and was on the early council. But fixing it up the cottage cost Christchurch ratepayers a quarter of a million dollars, though the city council did not have any issue about paying such a high amount.
Source: ONE News

Bottle floats to Oz

A message in a bottle thrown into the sea off North Cape has turned up
on a remote Australia beach - a 5000km journey. Former Northlander Blair Milligan tossed the bottle from a yacht halfway between the Three Kings Islands and North Cape in January. This week the 14-year-old received an email from an Australian tramper saying it had been discovered nearly 5000km away at Cedar Bay, near Cooktown in North Queensland.
Copyright 2010, APN Holdings NZ Limited

Queensland gas projects tipped to generate 12,000 jobs

The Queensland Resources Council says federal approval of two giant coal seam gas projects in Queensland will create more than 12,000 jobs and generate billions of dollars. The BG Group and a consortium involving Santos, Petronas and Total will pipe coal seam gas from the Surat and Bowen Basins to Gladstone in central Queensland. There it will be converted to liquified natural gas and shipped overseas. The projects received state approval earlier this year and the Federal Government confirmed them on Friday.
Copyright © 2010 Radio New Zealand

Mass turn out on Mokihinui River

About 120 kayakers and rafters intend to turn out on the Mokihinui River in Buller to highlight the importance of wild rivers on Sunday. Helicopters will ferry people and boats to the head of the river. Meridian Energy plans to build an 85 metre high dam on the river for a hydro scheme. Whitewater New Zealand patron Hugh Canard says the Mokihinui is one of the few remaining wild rivers worldwide which is ecologically intact, from source to sea.
Copyright © 2010, Radio New Zealand

Thousands pack Christchurch park for free concert

Thousands of people have packed into Hagley Park in Christchurch for what's been billed as the biggest free concert in New Zealand. The post-earthquake music festival is being held on Saturday from 11am - 8pm. Police are expecting up to 150,000 people at the Band Together concert in Hagley Park. Dave Dobbyn, Ray Columbus and Midnight Youth are among those performing at the free concert, aimed at lifting morale of people in Canterbury. A temporary liquor ban is in place for the North Hagley Park area and police say there have been no problems so far. The magnitude 7.1 earthquake occurred on Saturday, 4 September.
Copyright © 2010, Radio New Zealand

Old Devonport cinema re-opened

Hundreds of people gathered in the Auckland suburb of Devonport on Saturday, for the reopening of the oldest purpose-built cinema in the Southern Hemisphere. Opened in 1912, the Victoria Picture Palace and Theatre was about to be turned into an apartment complex nine years ago, but community pressure led to the building's restoration. About 300 people gathered for the reopening, marching down Devonport's main street to bagpipe music. The theatre will open for its first public screening on Thursday.
Copyright © 2010, Radio New Zealand

Clinton on Asia-Pacific tour

US Secretary of State Hilary Clinton is to visit New Zealand and Australia as part of an Asia-Pacific tour starting next week. Mrs Clinton will also go to Vietnam, Cambodia, Malaysia and Papua New Guinea. It will be Ms Clinton's first visit to Australasia as secretary of state. The ABC reports she had been planning to do so in January, but the trip was cancelled due to the Haiti earthquake.
Copyright © 2010, Radio New Zealand

Webb Ellis Cup on public display at Te Papa

The final of the 2011 Rugby World Cup will take place this time next year at Eden Park.
To mark the milestone, the Webb Ellis Cup is on public display at Te Papa (National Museum) in Wellington on Saturday. A tournament organiser says it's a rare opportunity to see the trophy up close and personal. Up to 6,000 people are expected to inspect the Cup, a gilded trophy, which is based on an 18th century design. It is under security guard.
Copyright © 2010, Radio New Zealand

Kiwi growers to get more cash

Zespri is forecasting an increase in payments to kiwifruit growers as it enjoys higher returns due to strong demand. It's expecting to hand out an extra 15c a tray over last season's price. Orchard gate returns for green kiwifruit are holding above $4 a tray while gold fruit returns are forecast to be up by 99c to $8.72 a tray.
Copyright 2002 - 2010, TelstraClear Ltd

Invercargill firm upsets Donald Trump

By Nina Burton - NewstalkZB
An Invercargill firm claims it's fought back against attempted bullying by Donald Trump. A letter from the business mogul's lawyers turned up when the outfit trademarked the name "Trumpcard". Part-owner of the company, Neil Selman, says its name relates to trumps, as in the card-playing sense. He says the letter came as a big surprise, "just the nature of it, the fact it was Fedex'd and it was basically 'you've got 48 hours to sort it out', kind of annoyed me a bit. It was like we were being bullied." he told Newstalk ZB. Mr Selman says they had no intention of trading on Donald Trump's reputation.

New Zealand not mentioned in leaked docs

By Tim DOWER - NewstalkZB
New Zealand's deployment to Iraq has escaped the attention of WikiLeaks. Almost 400,000 reports have been uploaded to the site, under the heading 'The Iraq War Logs'. A 60-plus Defence Force reconstruction team was in Iraq from 2003 to 2004, but none of the documents uploaded today contain any reference to the New Zealand presence.

Impending oil shocks may hit NZ hard

An impending cycle of oil "shocks" might hit New Zealand's export industries and tourism, a parliamentary report warns. The report, released by the Parliamentary Library, said there was a risk the world economy was at the start of a cycle of oil-supply crunches, leading to price increases and recessions. "[The country's] dependency on bulk exports and tourism makes New Zealand very vulnerable to oil shocks," the report said. The report, by research analyst Clint Smith, said global oil reserves were still plentiful, but the difficulty was extracting it at ever-higher rates. "As a country that is reliant on oil imports and heavily dependent on cheap oil for its major sources of income, New Zealand is highly exposed to oil shocks."
The Press

Getting the best seat in the house - for free

Having the best seat in the house will no longer be a problem for dozens of Otago theatre lovers who can now experience the comfort of the genuine article in their own homes. In one of the theatrical world's more unusual moves, Dunedin's Regent Theatre is giving away all of its 1800 seats ahead of a $7 million upgrade. The theatre could not find any buyers for the seats but got swamped with its giveaway offer. "Little theatres around the countryside are sort of ringing up and saying 'well, our seats are in much worse condition than yours, so maybe we'll take some of them,'" said administration manager Andrea Ford.
Source: ONE News

Christchurch ready to rock - with music

By Hamish Clark
A crowd of up to 120,000 is expected in Christchurch at the largest ever free concert in New Zealand. 'Band Together' features some of the country's top musicians playing over eight hours to help raise the spirits of earth quake victims. With less than 18 hours till show time, it's down to the last minute sound checks and preparations. The eight-hour concert will feature some of the best-known Kiwi artists - Dave Dobbyn, the Exponents, the feelers, OpShop, Dane Rumble and J Williams - and it is all for free. The concert is alcohol-free with a liquor ban in place around the whole of North Hagley Park.

High avalanche risk in Fiordland

The Department of Conservation has warned trampers there is a high risk of avalanche in the southern mountains. Large amounts of snow have fallen across the alpine areas in Fiordland and The Routeburn, Kelper and Milford Tracks will remain unsafe over the long holiday weekend. "The season for snow has arrived late, but in dumps that keep loading the high areas," DOC Te Anau avalanche spokesman Hamish Angus said. "The forecast for this weekend is good weather but the warm temperatures are likely to result in an unsupportive snow pack and more avalanche activity."
NZPA

Pacific economic ministers to meet in Niue

Pacific Islands Forum economic ministers are to meet in Niue next week where they will focus on how to broaden the economic base of Pacific countries. Forum secretary general Tuiloma Neroni Slade says part of the agency's aim is to build the economic resilience of member countries, Radio New Zealand International reports. Mr Slade says discussions will include a report on the progress made in achieving higher returns from the region's fisheries. There will be also be some emphasis on improving revenue collection, with particular reference to addressing the impacts of the global economic crisis and trade liberalisation, he says.
Copyright © 2010 Radio New Zealand

High-level team to look at state of NZ cricket

The board of New Zealand Cricket has appointed a high-level team to investigate all aspects of the game. The move follows the Black Caps' disastrous 4-0 loss in the recent one-day series against Bangladesh. New Zealand Cricket chairman Chris Moller told reporters on Friday the high-level committee will be set up to examine all aspects of cricket, from grassroots to international level. The panel will include former test player Stephen Boock and former judge Sir John Hansen. Mr Moller says Black Caps captain Dan Vettori, coach Mark Greatbatch and management sought an urgent meeting with the NZC board after they returned from Bangladesh - and if they had not sought one they would have been summoned.
Copyright © 2010 Radio New Zealand

Paypal co-founder invests in NZ software firm

A Silicon Valley heavyweight is investing $4 million in New Zealand-based online accounting software company Xero. The co-founder of Paypal, Peter Thiel, who was also one of the first investors in Facebook, will join Xero's advisory board to help the company expand into the United States. Xero chief executive Rod Drury says Mr Thiel's investment is a vote of confidence in the company, and his expertise will help it to boost its presence in the US market.
Copyright © 2010, Radio New Zealand

Activists deliver aid to Gaza

Activists from 30 countries including New Zealand have bypassed Israel's blockade of the Gaza Strip to deliver $7 million worth of medical supplies. The convoy of 150 vehicles entered the Hamas-controlled area through Egypt's Rafah Gate, the only land border not controlled by the Israeli military. Medicine, vehicles, petrol and education supplies were delivered by 400 volunteers, including six New Zealanders, to Gaza City on Friday. New Zealand team leader Roger Fowler says the convoy's success shows Israel that people around the world want an end to the siege on Palestinians.
Copyright © 2010, Radio New Zealand

Refunds for Samoans overcharged by Immigration

The government is offering refunds to Samoans who were overcharged for residency applications but is facing criticism it took too long to fix the problem. In Parliament yesterday Labour MP Su'a William Sio said a problem with overcharging was discovered in August last year and he understood more than 1300 Samoan citizen residence applications were affected. Immigration Minister Jonathan Coleman said his department had identified 741 Samoan citizens of the estimated 1300 who did not get a $90 fee discount they were entitled to and the department had identified and corrected the administrative error which caused the problem.
NZPA

Govt opens first 'simple house'

The Government has opened its first "simple house" today - its answer to streamlining the design and build process to allow first-home buyers affordable housing. Building and Construction Maurice Williamson opened the house designed by Stephen Smith and built by Housing New Zealand in the south Auckland suburb of Otara. He said the Government's new Simple House solution was aimed at making a new house attainable for first-home buyers without sacrificing quality or architectural merit. "Simple Houses can be built anywhere in New Zealand and the layout can be easily changed to suit owners' needs so residents can get the most of privacy and sun," Mr Williamson said. The Government's first Simple House had three bedrooms, a large open-plan dining, kitchen and lounge area, a bathroom and study.
NZPA

Report says Kiwisaver's in good health

By LAWRENCE HAKIWAI - NewstalkZB
An evaluation of KiwiSaver retirement saving schemes is indicating the policy is in good health. Commissioned by the Ministry of Economic Development, the report says the health of the KiwiSaver market is most strongly shown from its profitability. It says profits are being squeezed in the short term, because of the global downturn, but long term profitability for providers appears likely to be positive. Other signs taken as evidence of a healthy market include; good competition between providers, and the ease of transfer between schemes. Currently $2.6 billion, or 53% of KiwiSaver assets are invested in New Zealand.
Copyright 2002 - 2010, TelstraClear Ltd

Diabetes emergency kit recalled for second time

A kit used by diabetics in emergencies has been recalled for the second time this year. The manufacturer, Novo Nordisk, has reported a fault in a component of kits, in a batch first distributed early last month, and has asked for the recall. It's thought as many as 3000 kits may be affected. The GlucaGen Hypokit is used to treat severe low blood sugar. Susan Martindale of the Ministry of Health's Medsafe team says patients should return any kits they've bought since September to their pharmacist.
Copyright © 2010, Radio New Zealand

Push for army doctors and dentists

The army has launched a new scheme to attract doctors and dentists to its ranks. Those who sign up, will get a percentage of their medical fees paid for time served with a cap of $50,000. The job also comes with a chance for post graduate training and overseas deployments which range from disaster relief to Defence Force missions.
Copyright 2002 - 2010, TelstraClear Ltd

Cricket-Greatbatch's job safe despite historic loss to Bangladesh

Mark Greatbatch seems to be secure in his job as New Zealand cricket coach despite the Black Caps' embarrassing 4-0 one-day series loss in Bangladesh. Greatbatch and captain Dan Vettori will have a crisis meeting with the board of New Zealand Cricket on Friday to try and explain what went so wrong. But New Zealand Cricket's general manager Geoff Allott doesn't believe the Black Caps were over confident of success despite having lost only one match previously to Bangladesh. Allott believes they have the right management team and the right players and he hopes the meeting can turn things around ahead of next month's tour of India.
Copyright © 2010, Radio New Zealand

New Zealand gains three travel awards

New Zealand is basking in glory after receiving three international tourism and travel-related awards in just over one week. Tourism New Zealand was named 'Australasia's Leading Tourist Board' at the World Travel Awards - considered the ‘Oscars’ of the industry. Shortly after, New Zealand was crowned ‘Best Tourism Country Outside Europe’ at the Danish Travel Awards in Copenhagen. And in the UK, New Zealand has come third in the ‘Favourite Long-Haul Country' category of the UK's Guardian, Observer and guardian.co.uk Travel Awards 2010. The tourism industry is now one of New Zealand's largest export industries, second only to the dairy industry in terms of foreign exchange earnings.
Copyright 1999-2010 Tourism New Zealand

Fonterra goes ahead with second dairy farm in China

Fonterra has signed an agreement on a new $42 million farm in northern China, its second such venture in the country. The indoor farm in Hebei Province will milk about 3000 cows which will be imported from New Zealand and housed in free-stall barns. The operation will be similar to Fonterra's first pilot farm established three years ago, which is now producing about 25 million litres of milk from more than 6000 cows. The dairy co-operative says its chief executive, Andrew Ferrier, signed the agreement with Chinese officials in Beijing on Wednesday. Fonterra is already looking at sites for a third dairy farm in northern China.
Copyright © 2010, Radio New Zealand

Candidates keen to register for Tongan election

About 30 candidates, including 10 women, signed up for Tonga's historic election within the first hour of registration on Thursday. The election in November will see Tongans vote for the majority of their MPs for the first time. Radio Tonga reports prospective candidates began queuing outside the Electoral Commission in Nuku'alofa before it opened at 9am. Elections supervisor Pita Vuki is anticipating about 170 candidates will register to contest the 17 seats by the deadline at the end of Friday afternoon. Dr Viliami Tangi, the caretaker Prime Minister and Minister of Health, has announced he will seek election.
Copyright © 2010, Radio New Zealand

Rugby-All Blacks won't be hiding any World Cup tricks up their sleeve

The All Blacks say they won't hiding any World Cup tricks up their sleeve as they head off on their northern hemisphere end of year tour. The All Blacks leave for Hong Kong on Satuday night where they'll play Australia a week later, before heading onto Europe to play England, Wales, Ireland and Scotland. Assistant coach Steve Hansen says they need to try new things on this tour so that they know they'll work come World Cup time. He says trying to hide things only seems to come back and bite them.
Copyright © 2010, Radio New Zealand

New television station to be launched in Cook Islands

A new television station is being launched in the Cook Islands. Vaka Television will be the second privately-owned station and provide a 24-hour service of international content, with plans for local programming at a later stage. One of the owners, Greg Parker, says the station is 80 percent Cook Islands-owned and will be free-to-air. He says he hopes all villages will be able to tune in in November.
News Content © Radio New Zealand International

NZ, Netherlands link to tackle food shortage

Agriculture Minister David Carter has launched a joint programme in the Netherlands aimed at addressing food shortages by finding substitutes for animal protein. The project involves a collaboration between Massey University's Riddet Institute and Wageningen University and Research Centre (WUR). Carter said it was an ambitious project that had potential to dramatically improve the world's food supply. "Already there is a long history of cooperation between WUR and Massey, particularly in the context of the Global Research Alliance, in which New Zealand and the Netherlands are working closely together to lead the Livestock Research Group. The project's goal was to find substitutes and extenders for animal protein, increase agri-production efficiencies and extend the range of animal protein products.
NZPA

Immigration officers to get beefed-up search powers

By Lincoln Tan
Immigration officers are to be given greater powers of search and investigation without reliance on police under new laws coming in next month. Officers will be able to investigate and act against offenders without the need to rely on Customs or police under the Immigration Act. They will be able to enter and search places and crafts, inspecting records of educational providers, accommodation providers, employers and even buildings and premises of people liable for deportation. The new act comes into effect on November 29 and, subject to Cabinet approval, officers working for Immigration New Zealand will be given new powers.

Historic recognition for 'gold rush' road

A landmark road which played a key role in the Central Otago gold rushes has been recognised by the New Zealand Historic Places Trust. The Old Dunstan Road was the main route for gold prospectors travelling to the Dunstan goldfields in the 1860s. It is 120km long and covers four mountain ranges. NZHPT Southland area manager Owen Graham said today the road was added to the trust's national register because it was of outstanding heritage and historic significance. "It is one of the country's longest and oldest heritage roads and has remained in a largely original state nearly 150 years after its formation by the earliest pastoralists," Mr Graham said.
NZPA

Lions on the move

By STACEY WOOD - The Dominion Post
Wellington Zoo staff have spent the morning on high alert, carefully transporting their three female lions across the zoo back to their home. The three lionesses, each weighing more than 120kg, have been in a temporary enclosure for the last eight months while their home was being redeveloped. The zoo's male lion, who is on holiday at Orana Wildlife Park in Christchurch while the work is underway, is expected to return before Christmas.

Rare kiwi being released at South Island sites

The Department of Conservation says it will release more than half a dozen of a critically endangered kiwi species into a sanctuary in Otago next week, the first time the breed has been released in the region for 130 years. The Department of Conservation (DoC) says there are only 350 of the Haast tokoeka left in the wild. The birds will be released on 30 October at Orokonui Ecosanctuary, a fully-fenced, predator-proof reserve north of Dunedin. The juvenile kiwi will come from a population on Rona Island, a predator-free island in Lake Manapouri. DoC says the transfer is a huge step in ensuring the survival of the species.
Copyright © 2010 Radio New Zealand

Kiwis first to get Windows phone

By CHRIS GARDNER - Waikato Times
New Zealand has become the first country in the world to take delivery of Microsoft's answer to the iPhone, the Windows Phone 7. Vodafone New Zealand made the HTC 7 Trophy phone, one of nine Windows Phone 7 models to be sold worldwide, available online at 12.01am today and was selling the phones from its retail stores from noon today. The Microsoft release is in stark contrast to Apple's release of the iPad, earlier this year, which saw New Zealand tech heads wait months for the model while other countries lapped it up. The Windows Phone 7 includes special versions of Microsoft's Office productivity suite including the Outlook email program, as well as the Internet Explorer web browser, and Windows Media Player for playing digital music and video.

Fiji out of favour with Kiwi travellers

BusinessDay.co.nz
New Zealanders are taking far more overseas trips than a year ago, mainly to Australia, but Fiji is dropping off the holiday radar. The number of foreign tourists coming to New Zealand is up only slightly. New Zealand residents took 210,000 overseas trips in September up 9 per cent from the same month last year Statistics New Zealand said. New Zealand residents took more trips to Australia, China, the United States, Samoa, and the United Kingdom, but fewer to Fiji.

Don't worry about the seals

The Department of Conservation says people shouldn't be concerned for the welfare of seals resting on Wellington beaches. DOC's had a spate of calls from people misinterpreting the behaviour of seals. Biodiversity Programme Manager, Peter Simpson, says for seals, coughing, sneezing, regurgitation, weepy eyes and immobility are perfectly normal. And don't worry if you see them lying on the beach, "seals of course don't strand like whales or dolphins, most of the time they just want to come ashore have a good sleep."
Copyright 2002 - 2010, TelstraClear Ltd

Hundreds turn out for Hobbit march in capital

Up to 1500 people from New Zealand's film industry have marched through the capital to voice concern about the future of The Hobbit films. Sir Peter Jackson's production company and the actor's union, New Zealand Actors' Equity, have been at loggerheads over a collective pay agreement. The dispute has led to uncertainty over whether the two films will be shot in New Zealand. The film industry workers earlier held their own meeting in the Wellington suburb of Miramar, organised by Sir Richard Taylor from Weta Workshop. One of the main messages in chants and on placards was for Australian union Media, Entertainment and Arts Alliance to stop interfering in the New Zealand film industry.
Copyright © 2010 Radio New Zealand

Maori language in danger of dying out - tribunal

By Janika ter Ellen
The Waitangi Tribunal says the Maori language is in crisis, and the Government is not doing enough to keep it alive. It says Te Reo is dying out and needs life support, but the Government's Maori language strategy has done little to stop steadily declining numbers of Te Reo speakers. Older Te Reo speakers are dying off, while the young aren't picking it up. In the last 17 years, the number of Maori children in Maori language schools has halved. In 2006, Te Puni Kokiri estimated $226 million was spent on the retention of Maori language across all areas, including education, broadcasting, and community planning.

Minister believes closer defence ties with Britain likely

The Minister of Defence believes it is likely New Zealand's armed forces will have increased co-operation with Britain following major cuts to its defence spending. British Prime Minister David Cameron on Tuesday announced cuts to the army navy and air force over the next five years. Some 17,000 personnel cuts will be made. Defence Minister Wayne Mapp says he has spoken to his UK counterpart who wants to increase Britain's involvement with Australia and New Zealand. A review of New Zealand's defence policy and spending is due in about three weeks.
Copyright © 2010 Radio New Zealand

Project aims to revive neighbourhood spirit

Child and family protection network Jigsaw says an initiative it has launched to encourage people to take more interest in their neighbours, particularly children, is a return to the community spirit of old. Jigsaw's Linking Communities project has begun in Thames, the first in a nationwide roll-out. The network's co-chief executive, Liz Kinley, says it is about people helping other people raise their children and looking after each other. She says by building a community spirit, people start to look out for each other at an early stage before things start to go wrong. Ms Kinley says the project will next be launched in Whangarei.
Copyright © 2010, Radio New Zealand

"All Together Now" concert

By GLENN CONWAY - The Press
A more musically refined version of this weekend's Band Together is planned for Christchurch music lovers next month. "All Together Now -- A Musical Celebration of the Spirit of the People of Canterbury'' will be held at the Issac Theatre Royal on November 3. The one-off event will feature the Christchurch Symphony Orchestra, Christchurch Cathedral Choir, Christchurch City Choir, the Army Band, the cast of the Court Theatre's summer production of Cabaret, Showbiz Christchurch, the Hagley Dance Company and performers Rachel Doig, Ali Harper, Mark Hadlow and more. The joint TelstraClear and Court Theatre event is billed as a free gala concert for the many organisations and people who worked tirelessly to keep the province moving in the aftermath of the earthquake. Cantabrians can apply from 9am on Thursday October 21 for two tickets per person by registering their details on the Court Theatre website -- www.courttheatre.org.nz

NZ in top 10 for media freedom

New Zealand is among the top 10 countries in the world for media freedom but its Pacific neighbours still rank poorly, according to media watchdog group Reporters Without Borders. The ninth annual World Press Freedom Index, released today, ranked New Zealand eighth of 178 countries surveyed. It is the third time New Zealand has appeared in the top 10 since the index began in 2002. Fiji was ranked lowest in the Pacific region, at 149th, reflecting the military regime's continual assault on media freedom. Australia was ranked 18th, down two from last year but ahead of Pacific neighbours Papua New Guinea at 42nd, Tonga at 87th and Samoa at 111th. Ranked first-equal overall were northern European countries Finland, Iceland, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden and Switzerland, which all received perfect scores.
NZPA

Major study of fish oil finds no benefit

It's promoted as beneficial to mum and baby, but a major Australian study has found no noticeable effect among women who took fish oil capsules during pregnancy. The research, conducted over five years, looked at 2400 pregnant women who were given fish oil capsules or an identical vegetable oil placebo during the latter phase of their pregnancy. The outcome was the same for both groups despite the benefits of fish oil being widely promoted on the internet and by some medical professionals and pregnancy health guidelines. "There was no significant difference in either the incidence of post-natal depression (for mums) or neuro developmental outcomes of their children," said Professor Maria Makrides from the University of Adelaide. "These results show that recommendations to increase omega 3 fatty acids in pregnancy are being made without sound evidence."
Source: AAP

Diabetes concerns raised

Concerns have been raised by the Health Minister that not enough people are getting much-needed diabetes checks. The Diabetes Get Checked programme saw just 55 percent of diabetes patients get their free annual check last year. Minister Tony Ryall says that's not high enough and he's appointed a National Clinical Director of Diabetes. Dr Brandon Orr-Walker will be asked to fix the poor uptake of services for people with diabetes.
Copyright 2002 - 2010, TelstraClear Ltd

Higher cyclone risk for NZ this season

New Zealand is at a higher risk of being affected by tropical cyclones this coming season. On average, nine cyclones occur in the southwest Pacific each cyclone season, from November through to April. Up to 12 cyclones are expected this season, and National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research principal scientist James Renwick says because of La Nina conditions there's more chance of cyclones crossing New Zealand. He says New Zealand is expected to be at risk of experiencing the effects of between one and three cyclones. Dr Renwick says New Caledonia, Solomon Islands and Vanuatu are at an increased risk while French Polynesia, Tonga and Samoa are at a reduced risk.
Copyright © 2010, Radio New Zealand

Insulation scheme taken up by 76,000 households

More than 76,000 households have taken advantage of the Government's home insulation and energy efficiency programme. Under the Warm Up New Zealand Programme, homeowners with houses built before 2000 can receive up to $1300 towards insulation and a further $500 towards heating. Energy and Resources Minister Gerry Brownlee says 41,275 of the 76,005 households that took part in the programme in the past 15 months are on low incomes.
Copyright © 2010, Radio New Zealand

Civil Defence exercise tests tsunami procedures

Emergency operations centres have been activated throughout the country for one of the country's largest ever civil defence exercises. Known as Tangaroa, the exercise is testing and evaluating response procedures when a mock tsunami warning is issued. The Ministry of Civil Defence says while it is a nationwide exercise, participation is at the discretion of individual local bodies. Director John Hamilton says it includes the testing of warning sirens, and evacuations of some facilities will take place, including a school in Wellington.
Copyright © 2010 Radio New Zealand

Maori gift canoe to the Netherlands

Maori have recognised New Zealand's special relationship with the Netherlands, gifting them a specially designed waka (canoe) in the hope that it will promote Maori culture in Europe. Dutch explorer Abel Tasman first sighted New Zealand 350 years ago, and has since played an important part in the country's history. Maori and Dutch are now honouring their friendship through the gifting of the waka. The 14 metre waka is on permanent loan to the National Museum of Ethnology in Leiden as part of the museum's new exhibition of Maori art and culture. It has taken a million dollar grant from the Dutch lottery board and two years of negotiations to get the waka to the Netherlands.
Source: ONE News

Snow warning overnight

The MetService has issued snow warnings for a number of roads around New Zealand overnight. The Desert Road, Lewis Pass, Arthurs Pass, Porters Pass and Milford Road will all be affected by snow. Porters Pass will be the worst with up to 8cm of snow expected down to 500 metres.
Source: Newstalk ZB

Gillard says staying in Afghanistan in national interest

Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard says it is the national interest to keep the country's troops fighting in Afghanistan. Federal MPs today began the first ever Parliamentary debate on the war, nine years after Australian troops were first deployed there. Ms Gillard and Opposition Leader Tony Abbott opened the debate by reiterating their bipartisan support for the commitment as vital to combating the terrorist threat. Ms Gillard said the goal is to make sure Afghanistan does not again become a haven for terrorists and Australia must stand by the alliance with the United States, the ABC reports. The Prime Minister said Australia's main military mission should be completed by 2014, but warned that other support would be needed for at least the rest of this decade.
Copyright © 2010 Radio New Zealand

Cricket-Vettori and Greatbatch to explain Bangladesh tour debacle

Captain Dan Vettori and coach Mark Greatbatch have called a crisis meeting with the board of New Zealand Cricket to discuss the fallout of the disastrous tour of Bangladesh. The meeting will take place on Friday after the Black Caps returned home last night from the four-nil series loss in Bangladesh. The result has been desribed as the lowest point in New Zealand cricket history, worse than the 26 run innings total New Zealand scored against England in a test 55 years ago and which still stands as the lowest score in test history. The pair will be joined by the side's high performance manager Roger Mortimer and will make a presentation to the board as part of the tour review. They'll also discuss the next month's three test and five one day match tour of India.
Copyright © 2010, Radio New Zealand

Magnitude 5.0 aftershock near Christchurch

A powerful aftershock has struck near Christchurch. The magnitude 5.0 tremor struck at 11:32 am, 10 km south-west of Christchurch, at a depth of 9km, GNS Science reports. Some power outages have been experienced. TelstraClear says there are issues placing calls to and from Christchurch and its cabinets are on back-up batteries. Planes will not be taking off from Christchurch Airport until the runways and terminals are checked.
Copyright © 2010, Radio New Zealand

Cardiac team off to save Fijian lives

Fijians with life-threatening heart conditions are to receive free treatment this week thanks to a mercy mission by 40 New Zealand health professionals. Two cardiac surgeons, anaesthetists, nurses and other health professionals have taken annual leave from their jobs to perform 25 operations in Fiji. The group is part of a New Zealand-based charity, the Friends of Fiji Heart Foundation, that annually raises $270,000 for free medical care for impoverished patients in the islands. The foundation - founded in 2006 by Auckland-based cardiac surgeon Parma Nand - takes about five tonnes of medical equipment to Fiji, including bypass and heart and lung machines.
Copyright 2010, APN Holdings NZ Limited

Kiwis in hunt for 'deadliest catch'

New Zealand fishermen are pressing ahead in the hunt for "the world's deadliest catch" - giant crabs that inhabit the seabed a kilometre below some of the roughest patches of ocean in the world. Fisheries Minister Phil Heatley yesterday approved an exploratory permit to see if deepwater king and red crabs can be caught at commercial levels. The permit allows Crabco, an umbrella company representing deepwater crab quota-holders to increase their annual take from about 60 tonnes to more than 1000 tonnes. King crabs, which grow up to 1.2m long, are a valuable commodity in the Northern Hemisphere. Twenty-three varieties of king crabs are found in the New Zealand, Australian and Ross Sea regions, leading one National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research scientist to proclaim New Zealand as the "king crab capital of the world" this year.
By Adam Bennett - additional reporting: NZPA

NZ activists set sail with aid for Gaza

Six New Zealand humanitarian workers are taking to the Mediterranean waters where nine people were killed by Israeli soldiers as their flotilla tried to break the Gaza blockade in May. An international aid convoy of about 400 people and 150 trucks carrying medical and other supplies has travelled in three groups from England, North Africa and the Arab east and linked up in Syria. The convoy was yesterday loaded onto ships on the Mediterranean. The New Zealand contingent, Kia Ora Gaza, includes Nicci Enchmarch, who was on the Turkish flotilla ship Mavi Marmara during May's fatal boarding. Their destination is the Egyptian port of Al-Arish, 19km from the Rafah Gate, the only land entrance to Gaza not under Israel's control. Kia Ora Gaza co-organiser Grant Morgan said it took a battle of wills before they were granted safe passage.
NZPA

Botanic congress for Dunedin stadium

Dunedin's new covered stadium has had its first international conference confirmed - the 2013 Global Botanic Gardens Congress. Dunedin City Council was successful in its bid to hold the four-day conference, which will see 300 international delegates fly in to the city. Dunedin's bid for the congress was supported by the Dunedin Conference Bureau and the Conventions and Incentives New Zealand (CINZ) conference bid fund.
NZHERALD STAFF

$4 Million for new pest trap

There's high praise for a world first pest trap soon to be trialled in New Zealand. The Government's pumping $4 million into the pilot project that will test a new trap designed to catch possums, stoats, and rats. Forest and Bird spokesman Kevin Hackwell says they'll be more effective because they automatically reset. "Potentially you don't have to come back and reset and re-bait the station as much as you used to, so therefore you can cover a bigger area with the same amount of labour." He says it's clever, simple technology that's got people all over the world excited.
Copyright 2002 - 2010, TelstraClear Ltd

New asparagus operation announced

The countrys asparagus industry is getting a multi-million dollar boost. A joint venture's been announced between Turners & Growers and its subsidiary Delica, to set up a new asparagus operation in the Waikato. The venture involves 40 hectares of prime asparagus growing land, which is expected to be in full production for both the domestic and international markets in four years. Once in full production, the operation is expected to produce 300 tonnes of asparagus each season, and will employ around 50 staff in the peak picking season.
Copyright 2002 - 2010, TelstraClear Ltd

Kids say no to veges

Two thirds of New Zealand children are not eating enough fruit and vegetables, a new survey suggests. About 2500 young people were involved in the national survey of children and young people's physical activity and dietary behaviours in New Zealand. Results from the survey showed that less than one third of those surveyed were eating the recommended daily fruit and vegetable intake of five servings per day. Vegetable intake was particularly poor with under 40 percent eating three or more servings per day. "The best way to get children eating vegetables is to start with one they like and use this as a base to introduce other types," Glenda Gourley, a nutritionist with Potatoes New Zealand, said.
NZPA

Cruise industry predicts boom season

The cruise industry says it's expecting a record season this year and is predicting next year will be even better. The season has just kicked off and Cruise New Zealand is expecting 134,000 passengers to visit port destinations throughout the country. The industry body expects this season to contribute more than $220 million to the economy over the next six months - an increase of about $30 million on the previous season. Cruise New Zealand chairman Craig Harris says many more ships are now basing themselves in the South Pacific.
Copyright © 2010 Radio New Zealand

Gaps in law allow illegal arms trade - Oxfam

A report by charity group Oxfam says illegal arms dealers are able to operate in New Zealand and the Pacific because of gaps in the law. The report is aimed at highlighting the need for a global Arms Trade Treaty, and examines the case of the Auckland shell company, SP Trading, which was used to lease a ship carrying an illegal shipment of arms from North Korea to Iran. The report says so far only one person in New Zealand has been held accountable. Lu Zhang, listed as SP Trading's Director, last month faced multiple charges of making false statements in company registration forms. Oxfam's report says the New Zealand system will be open to abuse until commercial regulations are tightened.
Copyright © 2010 Radio New Zealand

Two NZ films get awards nods

New Zealand films Boy and Home by Christmas have both received nominations for this year's Asia Pacific Screen Awards (APSA). Boy was nominated for best children's feature film and Home by Christmas received a nomination for best performance by an actor for the role played by Australian actor Tony Barry. A total of 31 films from 15 countries, from as far afield as China and Iran, have been recognised in 2010 with APSA nominations. Boy, directed by and starring Taika Waititi, took home seven awards at the Qantas New Zealand Film and Television Awards, while Home by Christmas, directed by Gaylene Preston, won two awards including for best lead actor.
NZPA

Expert gives education system top marks

By Audrey Young
Leading educationist Professor John Hattie has given a more glowing assessment of the education system than the Government often gives it. He told the Labour Party conference in Auckland on Saturday that parents often underestimated where the New Zealand system stood internationally and thought it was about average when it was among the best in the world "We are way up there at the top. Something is going right." Professor Hattie, an assessment specialist, has recently advised Prime Minister John Key and Education Minister Anne Tolley on the implementation of National's contentious national standards policy in primary schools, which National says will lift standards.