Daily New Zealand News

Key meets with UK trade minister

noreply@blogger.com (NZ News) — Sat, 02 Jun 2012 19:44:16 PDT

The Prime Minister has met with Britain's trade minister and other senior business executives as Europe teeters on the economic abyss. John Key's in London for the Queen's 60th Jubilee celebrations. However the state of the economy in that part of the world is a big talking point and Mr Key's not liking what he sees. "Spain is looking increasingly nervous. You've seen unemployment in the Eurozone go through 11 percent now and obviously there's a big test coming up for Greece on June 17 when they have their elections, so overall I'd say the situation's looking extremely vulnerable."
Copyright 2002 - 2012, TelstraClear Ltd

Expert panel to review Maori land potential

noreply@blogger.com (NZ News) — Sat, 02 Jun 2012 19:42:45 PDT

The Government's announced an expert panel will be set up to review the economic potential of Maori land. Around five percent of the total land in New Zealand is under Te Ture Whenua Maori Act. A report by MAF in March last year estimated up to 80 percent of Maori land was under-performing for its owners. Treaty Negotiations Minister Chris Finlayson says he's commissioned a panel of experts to review the Act and make recommendations for enhancing the legislation. Chris Finlayson says he's aware Maori land owners believe Maori land should be retained and passed on to future generations and that cultural value will be protected in any changes to legislation.
Copyright 2002 - 2012, TelstraClear Ltd

Jubilee beacons to be lit in NZ

noreply@blogger.com (NZ News) — Sat, 02 Jun 2012 19:38:44 PDT

Beacons are being lit in New Zealand as part of the Queen's Diamond Jubilee celebrations this weekend. More than 4000 beacons are being lit in the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth to mark the Queen's 60 years on the throne. Marlborough will host the first lighting of a beacon, at 6am on Monday at the Blenheim South Rotary lookout. Scouts New Zealand is organising six lightings in Christchurch and its regional manager says the beacons are being placed along the New Brighton coastline.
Copyright © 2012, Radio New Zealand

Rugby - Seven new caps in All Blacks squad

noreply@blogger.com (NZ News) — Sat, 02 Jun 2012 16:28:44 PDT

Seven new caps have been named in the All Blacks squad for tests against Ireland in New Zealand. Coach Steve Hansen has first All Blacks squad includes three new caps are from the Super rugby competition leaders the Chiefs. They are prop Ben Tameifuna, loose forward Sam Cane and lock Brodie Retallick. The other new cap in the forwards is Crusaders lock Luke Romano. The newcomers in the backs are Hurricanes first five Beauden Barrett and winger Julian Savea, and Highlanders halfback Aaron Smith. Despite their lack of recent form, World Cup winners and Blues players Piri Weepu, Ma'a Nonu and Ali Williams have been included in the 30-strong squad. Other notable inclusions are Highlanders Hosea Gear and Tamati Ellison. The first of the three tests against Ireland takes place in Auckland on Saturday. Hansen will name his side for the first test on Thursday.
Copyright © 2012, Radio New Zealand

Expelled Syrian diplomat leaves Australia

noreply@blogger.com (NZ News) — Sat, 02 Jun 2012 00:40:29 PDT

The Syrian chargé d'affaires and his family have left Australia after being expelled by the Australian government in response to a massacre in a Syrian town last week. Jawdat Ali, who was also accredited to New Zealand, boarded a plane at Sydney's international airport overnight on Friday bound for Doha. The ABC reports a crowd of protesters and a few supporters of the Assad regime had gathered at the airport and clashed as Mr Ali and his family were escorted to their flight. That move was followed by other Western countries, including the US, Canada, Britain and France, who all expelled representatives of the Damascus regime.
Copyright © 2012 Radio New Zealand

Ads in time capsule tell most

noreply@blogger.com (NZ News) — Fri, 01 Jun 2012 20:56:11 PDT

By MARC GREENHILL
A Ballantynes umbrella cost almost as much as a camera in early-1900s Christchurch, a time capsule has revealed. That fact was among the finds in a bundle of century-old newspapers recovered from the demolished foundations of The Press building in Cathedral Square. A bottle, sealed with tar and containing bundled newspapers from April 1907, hand-written notes and coins, was uncovered in April. Included were the names and signatures of the architects and building foremen, but not the newspaper management. The papers showed many advertisements for health remedies and imported goods, lists of people who visited the city, and the cost of land in Merivale and Fendalton. The comparative cost of a camera and an umbrella from the city's high-end department store surprised May. "It really just gives a social picture of the day, but more than anything, it's the advertisements that are so telling," she said. The capsule's contents will probably be displayed at the Canterbury Museum's earthquake exhibition and possibly long term at the new Press House in Gloucester St.
© Fairfax NZ News

Wellington to host top ballet competition

noreply@blogger.com (NZ News) — Fri, 01 Jun 2012 20:51:24 PDT

By PAUL EASTON
Wellington has been chosen to host the world's premier competition for amateur ballet dancers. The Royal Academy of Dance's (RAD) annual Genee International Ballet Competition will be held in the capital in December. Famous English ballerina and RAD president Darcey Bussell CBE was in Wellington to make the announcement. She said the competition would see up to 80 of the world's best young ballet dancers compete in a 10-day event in the capital in December 2012. The Genee has previously been held in London, Athens, Sydney, Singapore, Hong Kong, Toronto and Cape Town. The Genee was a stepping-stone to a topflight professional career in ballet, Ms Bussell said.
© Fairfax NZ News

Hi-tech bid to lift wine's appeal

noreply@blogger.com (NZ News) — Fri, 01 Jun 2012 20:45:04 PDT

By MATT STEWART
Pimp My Vine could be the next reality TV hit if a Wellington scientist can find the formula to tweak grapes for different global palates. Working out of sophisticated robotics labs at Marlborough's Brancott Estate Wines, Victoria University chemist Robert Keyzers and his team are working on a hi-tech recipe for customised sauvignon blanc. The tinkering is being done with an eye to unlocking Asian markets by understanding a grape's composition. "If we could analyse a grape really early on in the growth cycle, then tell the vineyard manager to give that vine more water, or give that vine more phosphate, for example, they could produce a grape with specific chemical composition that could produce a wine with a flavour and aroma profile to hit specific target markets," Dr Keyzers said. Sauvignon blanc is New Zealand's most successful wine, worth more than 80 per cent of the $1.1 billion of exports in 2011.
© Fairfax NZ News

Countdown's pricing strategies under investigation

noreply@blogger.com (NZ News) — Fri, 01 Jun 2012 17:44:36 PDT

The Commerce Commission is to investigate pricing strategies at the supermarket chain Countdown. It's been forced into action after a Consumer New Zealand member noticed dog roll at Countdown in Lower Hutt marked as being on 'special' but with no saving on the original price. Other similar examples have also been spotted. Consumer CEO Sue Chetwin says the Commission is now looking into how widespread 'false specials' are. She says Countdown has blamed the mistake on human error but there have also been other pricing irregularities reported to them. Ms Chetwin says the inquiry will be good for the industry and for shoppers keen for some pricing transparency.
Copyright 2002 - 2012, TelstraClear Ltd

Golden Guitars gets underway in Gore

noreply@blogger.com (NZ News) — Fri, 01 Jun 2012 17:41:43 PDT

As it gets bigger, it gets more prestigious. That's the word from organisers of the New Zealand Gold Guitars Awards. The country music festival is underway in Gore and spokeswoman Shona Hewlett says there have never been as many entries as this year. She says many artists who've won in the past few years have gone on to make albums, and carve out good careers. "They can get a lot of exposure in Australia from the New Zealand Gold Guitar Awards, which is a bigger market."
Copyright 2002 - 2012, TelstraClear Ltd

Ambulance gifted to Samoa as part of 50th anniversary

noreply@blogger.com (NZ News) — Fri, 01 Jun 2012 17:39:25 PDT

The Counties Manukau District Health Board has gifted an ambulance to Samoa as the country celebrates the nation's 50th anniversary of independence. The ambulance will be based at Lalomanu Hospital to service the region affected by the 2009 tsunami. Governor General Sir Jerry Mateparae says the area has no ambulance and when an emergency transfer is needed people have to rely on cars, taxis and trucks. He says with a dedicated ambulance a person in a critical condition can now be delivered to the national hospital in around 45 minutes.
Copyright 2002 - 2012, TelstraClear Ltd

Minimum wage earners in Oz get a boost

noreply@blogger.com (NZ News) — Fri, 01 Jun 2012 00:36:32 PDT

Australia's lowest-paid workers will receive an $AU17.10 ($22) boost to their weekly pay packets after the industrial umpire awarded a "moderate increase" to the minimum wage. Fair Work Australia says it decided against a bigger pay increase to compensate for the expected price effects associated with the federal government's carbon tax. From July 1, workers on the minimum wage will receive $AU606.40 a week, up from $AU589.30.
Source: AAP

Kiwi develops needleless, painless injection

noreply@blogger.com (NZ News) — Thu, 31 May 2012 22:14:09 PDT

By Imogen Crispe
A New Zealand professor is helping lead development of a needleless and painless injection. The device, resembling a Star Trek weapon, administers a high pressure jet of medicine through the skin. Kiwi-born mechanical engineer Dr Ian Hunter has been developing the machine for six years with a team at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in association with the University of Auckland. He says the device works similar to how mosquitoes painlessly pierce human skin. The silent device is computer controlled for accuracy, allowing the right dose to be delivered to the right depth.

NZ citizen arrested for spying

noreply@blogger.com (NZ News) — Thu, 31 May 2012 19:40:56 PDT

A 56-year-old naturalised New Zealander is in custody in South Korea after he was secretly filmed allegedly handing secret military information to North Korea. The man is only named as "Kim" by Seoul authorities who say he has business connections in New Zealand. He is accused of handing details on military equipment and other related information to the North. Allegedly included was intelligence on a radar navigation system and long-range rocket detectors which Korean media say could have seriously compromised South Korea's military. A Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokeswoman said the New Zealand Embassy in Seoul was offering consular support to the man.
© Fairfax NZ News

Name changes for NZ sevens and Maori teams

noreply@blogger.com (NZ News) — Thu, 31 May 2012 18:22:07 PDT

The New Zealand Rugby Union has announced that the New Zealand men's sevens and New Zealand Maori teams are to be officially referred to as the All Blacks Sevens and Maori All Blacks respectively. The changes take effect for the next IRB Sevens World Series beginning later this year for the men's Sevens team and for New Zealand Maori on their Northern Hemisphere tour later this year.
Copyright © 2012 Radio New Zealand

NZ on Air launches music discovery site

noreply@blogger.com (NZ News) — Thu, 31 May 2012 14:51:11 PDT

The fate of up and coming New Zealand musicians is being put in the hands of the public. New Zealand on Air has launched a new file sharing site called theaudience.co.nz. It's a 'music discovery site' which people can use to upload new, previously unheard-of artists, then vote to push them into the Top 10 charts. Every few weeks, the number one track will be up for a $10,000 New Zealand on Air grant. The money could then be used towards a recording and the production of a video.
Copyright 2002 - 2012, TelstraClear Ltd

Festival of Photography kicks off

noreply@blogger.com (NZ News) — Thu, 31 May 2012 14:49:51 PDT

The 9th annual Auckland Festival of Photography kicks off today. It will showcase work by over 400 local and international artists across around a hundred exhibitions, events and talks. Festival spokeswoman Elaine Smith says the highlight will be the Talking Culture symposium tomorrow at the Aotea Centre. She says this year's theme is 'Crossing Borders'. The festival runs until June 24.
Copyright 2002 - 2012, TelstraClear Ltd

Support for rebel army urged by student in NZ

noreply@blogger.com (NZ News) — Thu, 31 May 2012 14:42:57 PDT

A Syrian student living in Auckland says the best way for the world to intervene militarily in Syria is to provide support for the Free Syrian Army currently based in Turkey. A massacre of 108 people last weekend in the town of Houla sparked international outrage, with many Western nations expelling Syrian diplomats. Tarik Al-Diery, 22, who is at Auckland University, came to New Zealand in 1992 when his parents were expelled from Syria. He says a NATO bombing compaign like the one in Libya would not work in Syria because the fighting in the cities and towns is at close quarters. Mr Al-Diery says arms or intelligence could be supplied to the Free Syrian Army to help it remove the Assad regime.
Copyright © 2012 Radio New Zealand

MFAT working to bring triplets home

noreply@blogger.com (NZ News) — Thu, 31 May 2012 02:53:32 PDT

The New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs is working to arrange the return of the bodies of the three children who died in a blaze at a shopping mall in Qatar. The fire engulfed parts of the Villagio Mall in the capital Doha on Monday killing 19 people, including New Zealand triplets Lillie, Jackson and Willsher Weekes, aged 2 who were at the Gympanzee day care centre. The New Zealand Consul in Saudi Arabia, Brian Chambers, is providing support to the Weekes family as they prepare to bring the triplets home and is liaising with officials to work through paperwork and logistics. New Zealand's Foreign Affairs Minister Murray McCully says there is quite a lot of pressure on the Weekes family at present and Mr Chambers is providing as much help as he can.
Copyright © 2012 Radio New Zealand

Rugby - Sir Graham Henry confident of taking Argentina to new level

noreply@blogger.com (NZ News) — Thu, 31 May 2012 02:47:40 PDT

The World Cup-winning All Blacks coach Sir Graham Henry is confident he can help Argentina take their play to another level, as they prepare to join New Zealand, Australia and South Africa in the new Rugby Championship. Henry is in Argentina for five weeks to help the Pumas, working as a technical consultant and exchanging ideas with local coaches. He says the Pumas defend well but need to work on their try scoring ability. Argentina will play their inaugural match in the Rugby Championship against South Africa on August 25th in Argentina.

NZ seasonal labour scheme research shows that majority of workers return

noreply@blogger.com (NZ News) — Thu, 31 May 2012 01:35:10 PDT

An inaugural report on return migration under New Zealand’s Recognised Seasonal Employment scheme has found more than half of the participants are returning workers. In the scheme’s four seasons to date there have been nearly 25,000 placements involving just under 14,000 individual workers. Three quarters of those people are from the Pacific and the research found that employers rate their Pasifica workers more highly than all other employee groups.
News Content © Radio New Zealand International

No fracking to tap new gas reserves

noreply@blogger.com (NZ News) — Wed, 30 May 2012 22:21:25 PDT

State-owned coal miner Solid Energy's estimate of potentially recoverable coal seam gas reserves in its onshore Taranaki permit areas has identified a fourfold increase. However, its general manager of gas developments, Steven Pearce, says the company expects to use conventional directional drilling to extract difficult-to-access gas reserves, rather than using the controversial hydraulic fracturing technology known as fracking. While CSG extraction has often involved fracking, Mr Pearce says the low permeability coals in the Taranaki region lend themselves to the use of traditional drilling techniques to release both underground water and gas. "The latest information from Australia is it appears that fracking can be effective in high permeability coals, but with low permeability coals like ours, it is not effective."
NZN

Poor numbers for Maori, Pacific Island students

noreply@blogger.com (NZ News) — Wed, 30 May 2012 19:44:48 PDT

By Felix Marwick - NewstalkZB
The numbers remain poor for Maori and Pacific Island students when it comes to education outcomes. Data compiled by the Tertiary Education Commission shows 34 percent of Maori students are leaving school with no qualifications. It also shows 16 percent of Maori are disengaged from employment, education, and training by the age of 17. Literacy achievement is also poor, 18 percent of Maori and 16 percent of Pacific Island children aren't achieving basic literacy skills by age 10.

Samoa celebrates 50 years independence

noreply@blogger.com (NZ News) — Wed, 30 May 2012 18:42:17 PDT

Visitors are pouring into Samoa for celebrations marking the 50th anniversary of its independence. They include a strong New Zealand contingent, as the friendship treaty between the two countries is also being recognised. There's bunting lining the streets, and the main road from the airport into Apia along with Samoan flags, the colours of red, blue and white. Newstalk ZB's Niva Retimanu is there for the occasion and says those who didn't have flags have cut up lavalavas to hang in the streets, and traffic in Apia is bumper to bumper. NZ Governor General Sir Jerry Mateparae has arrived in Samoa to help celebrate its anniversary.
Copyright 2002 - 2012, TelstraClear Ltd

First ever nationwide earthquake drill

noreply@blogger.com (NZ News) — Wed, 30 May 2012 18:40:02 PDT

Over 100,000 of us have put our hands up to take part in the first ever nationwide ShakeOut earthquake drill. It's taking place at 9.26am on Wednesday September 26, with the aim being for one million people to Drop, Cover and Hold. Civil Defence Minister Chris Tremain says the Canterbury earthquakes have shown we need to be prepared for major earthquakes, and practise how to protect ourselves when they happen.
Copyright 2002 - 2012, TelstraClear Ltd