'Pariah of the Pacific' Has Ham-handed Grip on Fiji
Joel Brinkley

Bainimarama, the self-appointed prime minister of Fiji, is a South Pacific dictator. But he's not very good at it. The State Department says it has seen no reports of 'unlawful killings,' disappearances or political prisoners in Fiji. What kind of dictator is that? But he immediately earned the undying enmity of his largest neighbors, Australia and New Zealand

US Open: Djokovic into third round
NEW YORK - Novak Djokovic reached the third round at the US Open with a 7-5, 6-3, 7-6 (6) victory over 52nd-ranked Philipp Petzschner of Germany on Thursday.Play was delayed in the eighth game while police escorted away three...

Bowls: Indecent exposure ban lifted
A Gisborne bowler says he feels vindicated by Bowls New Zealand's decision to reduce his 10-year suspension to a $500 fine.Former New Zealand representative David File was banned by a Bowls Gisborne East Coast judicial committee...

Rugby: Wallabies try again to end hoodoo
JOHANNESBURG - The Wallabies' last win against the Springboks in Bloemfontein was an awfully long time ago.So long ago, in fact, the VW Beetle design was on the drawing board, the Great Depression gripped the United States and...

Tennis: Davydenko falls in New York
NEW YORK - Sixth seed Nikolay Davydenko has been the biggest casualty on the mens' side of the draw at the US Open in New York today.Roger Federer rolled into the third round and Japanese qualifier Kei Nishikori dumped 11th seed...

Basketball: Tall Blacks stun France
The Tall Blacks have knocked over the highly-ranked French in a big upset at the world basketball championships in Turkey.It gives New Zealand their third win in the group phase. The Tall Blacks converted a second quarter...

Cricket: ICC charges, suspends Pakistan trio
LONDON - Cricket's world governing body charged three Pakistan stars accused in a betting scam with anti-corruption offences and provisionally suspended them today, as the trio protested their innocence.The International Cricket...

Mountainbiking: Dismal day for bikers
New Zealand competitors had a disappointing opening day of action at the world mountainbiking championships in Canada. The relay team finished 16th after lead out rider Mike Northcott's bicycle chain twisted and jammed. In...

Netball: Aussies rocked by demolition job
The battle to be the first holders of the Constellation Cup will be decided in Auckland this weekend after the Silver Ferns breathed new life into the series with a 19-goal demolition of Australia in Wellington last night.There...

Boxing: Holyfield looking for fights
Evander Holyfield wants to fight heavyweight boxing champions David Haye and Vitali and Wladimir Klitschko. Former heavyweight champion Holyfield,who turns 48 next month, defends his lightly regarded WBF title against Sherman...

Rugby: Sonny Bill to get game time
The Sonny Bill Williams roadshow finally gets on the road in the sixth round of the national provincial championship when Canterbury host Bay of Plenty tonight.Williams, sidelined by knee surgery and then a hamstring strain, gets...

Motorsport: Gaunt in Murphy's seat
New Zealand's Daniel Gaunt has firmed as Greg Murphy's replacement for the next round of the V8 Supercars circuit in Philip Island next weekend. Murphy will be given until next week to prove his fitness after suffering a back...

Richie Barnett : Cleary's men leaving little to chance in finals drive
I popped into Warriors training this week with my kids to have a look at what was going on and I was extremely impressed with what I saw.The players appeared relaxed, focused and extremely professional, while behind the scenes...

Top ten cricket scoundrels
1 - Greg Chappell Yes, yes, old hat by now, but the underarm incident in Melbourne in February 1981 remains one of cricket's darkest moments.New Zealand needed six runs to tie the ODI with rugby/cricket double international...

Athletics: Fine tally for US
American sprinter Tyson Gay ran 9.92 seconds to win the 100m at the Zagreb World Challenge yesterday, leaving Jamaican rival Nesta Carter trailing in second in 10.07s. Michael Rodgers of the United States was third in 10.14s....

Rugby: Kahui back
All Blacks centre Richard Kahui is on Waikato's bench for their ITM Cup game against North Harbour at Albany tomorrow, ending an eight-week stint on the sidelines. Kahui has been out of action since injuring his shoulder in the...

Yachting: Kiwis prominent in Laser championship
New Zealand sailors feature strongly after the third day of competition at the Laser world championship at Hayling Island, off England. New Zealanders occupy four of the top eight placings, with Josh Junior second, Mike Bullot...

Netball: Ferns spoilt for choice in defence
Heading into the international season, one of the main areas of intrigue was how the Silver Ferns coaching staff would juggle their wealth of defensive talent.And, in the face of such strong competition, who would emerge the frontrunners...

Rugby: Slick Counties beat Tasman
Counties Manukau proved the value of taking points at every opportunity as they beat Tasman 23-3 to notch their fourth win in six rounds of the national provincial rugby championship at Pukekohe tonight.The win not only buried...

Rugby: Auckland lose form flanker
Auckland have lost form flanker Onosai Auva'a for Sunday's provincial rugby clash with Taranaki and maybe for the rest of the season. Auva'a hyper-extended his leg at training but was expected to return to training yesterday....

Giant rugby ball in Sydney
Tourism New Zealand's Giant Rugby Ball has landed in Sydney, where it will spend the next week.The ball - which can accommodate about 200 people - has been travelling the world to promote next year's Rugby World Cup, as well as...

Fast-track consent process for $2b road plan
Auckland's giant Waterview road project is to be the first of its kind to go through the Government's fast-tracking consent process introduced last year.

Middle East talks end in Washington
Israeli and Palestinian leaders have concluded their first direct negotiations in nearly two years, in Washington.

Southerly storm batters Wellington
A violent thunderstorm hit the capital on Friday evening, bringing heavy rain, lightning and hail to Wellington.

NZ sharemarket up
The New Zealand sharemarket's benchmark NZX50 index gained 25 points to close at 3017 on Friday on turnover of $62 million.

Police recover mere taken from tomb
Police have recovered a greenstone mere stolen from the tomb of one of the founders of Parihaka Pa in Taranaki.

Coroner criticises police over fatal siege
A coroner's report has criticized police for a lack of adequate intelligence leading up to a two-day siege in Napier.

Alpine Fault moving faster, say scientists
Research on the Alpine Fault by a team of scientists has revealed it is moving faster than first thought.

Dairy prices tipped to remain strong
An economist is predicting dairy prices will remain strong as economic growth around the world picks up.

Offer to radiographers sensible, says Key
Prime Minister John Key says striking radiographers should take what he calls a sensible settlement of about 2% to settle their pay claim.

Electronic screening for Auckland court
Everyone entering Auckland District Court from Friday will be screened after an upgrade of security.

Panel not unconstitutional, court told
The High Court in Wellington has been told there was nothing unconstitutional in Acting Attorney-General Judith Collins' decision to set up a panel to investigate a senior judge.

Elderly will pay price for SuperGold change - Peters
New Zealand First leader Winston Peters says pensioners will ultimately pay the price for attempts to rein in costs of the SuperGold card scheme he introduced.

Mayoral rival upset at Banks' rejection of TV debates
A contender for the Auckland mayoralty is upset that his rival, John Banks, has declined invitations to appear on two televised debates.

Treasury finds $10b hole in Coalition's costings
Australia's Treasury says there is a hole of more than $10 billion in the costings of the election promises made by the opposition Coalition.

Politicians 'should stay away from MMP campaign'
Justice Minister Simon Power says politicians should be kept at arm's length from any decisions about the design of New Zealand's electoral system if the public indicates it wants a change.

McCully defends cuts to Pacific aid organisation
Foreign Affairs Minister Murray McCully is defending cuts to one of the Pacific's biggest aid organisations.

Pakistan cricketers charged under anti-corruption code
The International Cricket Council has charged Pakistan test captain Salman Butt and opening bowlers Mohammad Amir and Mohammad Asif under its anti-corruption code.

Coalition offer 'reckless', says independent MP
The Australian opposition has rejected independent MP Andrew Wilkie's version of negotiations over $A1 billion to rebuild a hospital.

Explosion on oil rig in Gulf of Mexico
An explosion has ripped through an oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico, setting off a fire. All 13 workers have been rescued.

Oil tanker runs aground in Northwest Passage
A tanker carrying nine million litres of diesel fuel has run aground in the Northwest Passage in the Canadian Arctic.

New Russia wildfires kill two, destroy homes
A new wave of wildfires swept through villages in southern Russia on Thursday, killing at least two people and destroying hundreds of homes.

Companies push for more credits
Big companies that use a lot of electricity say they are not getting enough compensation for high costs they face under the emissions trading scheme.

Swine flu puts 102 people in intensive care
The Ministry of Health says 102 people have been admitted to hospital intensive care units with swine flu this year.

Treaty claims push up legal aid bill
Treaty of Waitangi claims have led a multi-million-dollar rise in the annual legal aid bill to $161.7 million in the year to July.

Doctor suspended for nine months over sex-abuse images
A doctor found guilty of possessing nearly 300,000 images of sex abuse against young girls has been suspended for nine months.

Tougher drink-drive measures on the way
Tougher penalties for people who kill while driving drunk are to be introduced into Parliament this month.

New cancer drugs funded
The Government drug-buying agency Pharmac has agreed to fund a range of cancer drugs, including a new lung cancer treatment which it says will ease the stress on patients.

Landowners reach compensation deal with Transpower
An agreement to pay standardised compensation for disruption during a lines upgrade project between the Clutha River and the Waitaki River in the lower South Island has been hailed as a major step forward by a landowners group.

Citrus growers vote against mandarin levy increase
Citrus growers attending their annual meeting being held in Gisborne, have voted against a levy on mandarins being increased next year to 1c a kilogram.

Pfizer commercialises AgResearch technology
The world's largest research based pharmaceutical company has commercialised a genetic tool which will allow sheep farmers to predict the performance of their flocks in four key areas.

Farming Systems endorses Olam takeover bid
New Zealand Farming Systems Uruguay has called off talks with a third party and is now recommending that shareholders accept Olam International's $171 million takeover bid.

Allied Farmers' head Rob Alloway to step down
The managing director of Allied Farmers, Rob Alloway will step down at the end of the year.

NZ troops in Afghanistan refused spy plane support
New Zealand troops in Afghanistan have been left without spy drones despite the same planes being used by private companies at home.

Long-time 1080 protester Chris Short dies
A man who once hijacked a helicopter at gunpoint to protest against aerial drops of the poison 1080 has died of cancer.

Man dies in house fire
A 63-year-old man has died in a house fire in Wairoa, police say.

Kumfs rebrands to help reach growth target
New Zealand footwear business Kumfs is rebranding itself in a bid to meet its global growth plans.

Lincoln seed researcher wins award
A Lincoln University scientist has won an achievement award for his work in seed research and development.

Wool prices strengthen
Wool prices continue to improve, despite a strengthening in the value of the New Zealand dollar.

Wool group leader seeks industry cohesion
The newly appointed independent chairman of the Wool Group, Colin Harvey, sees his initial task as achieving cohesion in what's a fragmented industry.

Household debt a risk for New Zealand - economist
The chief economist at major international credit ratings agency Standard and Poor's has drawn parallels between New Zealand and Spain, one of the European economies worst-hit by the global recession.

Motorway pollution studied in Auckland
Scientists using equipment mounted on a Ford Falcon and a pedal bike are assessing the impact of Auckland's Southern Motorway on air quality in Otahuhu.

Silver Ferns level series against Australia
The Silver Ferns have beaten Australia 59 to 40 in the second test in Wellington to level the series 1-1.

Nelson companies fight water rate move
Three of Nelson's biggest companies are fighting a move by Tasman District Council to increase their water rates by more than $1 million a year.

Friday's newspaper headlines
Child support system set for shake-up; backdown on Auckland bus lanes; opposition to foreign investment labelled racism.

Disruption expected during major road closure
The Transport Agency says there will be major traffic delays in central Auckland this weekend if people don't listen to warnings to stay away during the closure of part of State Highway 1.

Perpetual in talks to buy Aegis from ASB
Pyne Gould Corporation's subsidiary, Perpetual, says it's in advanced talks with ASB about buying the bank's investment management business, Aegis.

Kiwirail operating profit falls
Kiwirail is expecting another tough year, after the state-owned rail operator's full-year operating profit fell 11% to nearly $74.5 million.

Hostage drama ends at Discovery building
Police in the United States have shot and killed a gunman to end a hostage situation at the headquarters of the Discovery television channel near Washington DC.

Auckland radiographers set to begin strike
Auckland radiographers are set to strike for three days from Friday after last-minute talks with their district health board employers failed.

Overwhelming opposition to Coromandel beach plan
More than 1000 submissions have been received on a proposed housing development at a secluded Coromandel beach.

Security van robbed in West Auckland
Police are searching for two or three armed men who confronted Armourguard security staff at a bank in West Auckland.

PNG crash survivor recovering in Townsville Hospital
The only person to survive a plane crash in Papua New Guinea is recovering in a north Queensland hospital. He is Kelby Cheyne, a 25-year-old New Zealander who is now an Australian resident.

Pakistan trio dropped from rest of England tour
Pakistan test captain Salman Butt and pace bowlers Mohammad Amir and Mohammad Asif will play no further part in the team's matches in Britain.

NZ rated well placed to handle economic crisis
The International Monetary Fund has assessed the New Zealand Government finances as amongst the strongest in the world, saying it well placed to deal with an economic crisis.

Rich landowners accused of diverting floodwaters
A senior Pakistani diplomat has called for an inquiry into allegations that rich landowners diverted water during recent flooding to save their own crops.

Cullen says NZ becoming a republic inevitable
A former deputy prime minister says it is inevitable that New Zealand will become a republic.

Family calls for tougher laws on repeat drink-drivers
The brother of a woman killed by a recidivist drink-driver is pleading for the law to be made tougher for such crimes.

Identity of The Stig revealed
The BBC has failed in its attempt to ban a book which reveals the true identity of the enigmatic Top Gear test driver -The Stig.

Another toxic slug found on Auckland beach
The Auckland Regional Council is warning people with children and pets to watch out for toxic sea slugs after another one was found on the shores of Manukau Harbour.

Three killed as typhoon hits Korean capital
Typhoon Kompasu has killed at least three people and injured dozens injured more in South Korea.

Woman charged over drugs haul denied bail
Bail has been denied for a Wellington woman charged with the possession of methamphetamine with an estimated street value of $400,000.

Independent MP Wilkie backs Labor
Australian independent MP Andrew Wilkie has announced he will back a Labor minority government.

Judicial Conduct Commissioner's role explained to court
The role of the Judicial Conduct Commissioner is to make preliminary inquiries when a complaint is made against a judge, the High Court in Wellington has been told.

Govt proposes cuts to transport subsidies for elderly
The Government is proposing to cut subsidies to transport operators by 10% to make the SuperGold card scheme cheaper.

Major overhaul of child support system proposed
The Government is embarking on what could be a major overhaul of the child support system. It hopes to make it fairer while helping to reduce the huge debt - currently $2 billion - owed by liable parents.

Changes to disabled homecare funding considered
The Ministry of Health is considering changes to the way it funds the homecare of disabled people.

Hubbard lost control of lending, says old friend
A long-time friend of Timaru businessman Allan Hubbard says he tried to sound the alarm over reckless lending at South Canterbury Finance - the company placed in receivership on Tuesday.

Obama urges leaders to work toward peace deal
President Barack Obama has urged Israeli and Palestinian leaders not to let the chance for peace slip away as he opened a United-States sponsored summit to relaunch direct talks.

Former Lehman head says bank was denied help
The former head of Lehman Brothers has blamed regulators for the collapse of the Wall Street investment bank.

Motueka lease issues still unresolved, says trust
The chair of the Ngati Rarua-Atiawa Trust, Paul Morgan, says there's still a lot of work needed before all issues over its land at Motueka are resolved.

Driver charged over unrestrained children in car
Bay of Plenty police have charged the driver of a crashed car for failing to ensure five children in the vehicle were correctly restrained.

World food prices at their highest in two years
The United Nations Food and Agricultural Organisation says world food prices have risen to their highest level in two years.

Satellite data ready soon for pasture management
Dairy farmers could be using satellite technology within the next five years to estimate pasture production.

Last day for submissions on Food Bill
Submissions on the Food Bill, which had its first reading in Parliament in late July, close on Thursday with the Primary Production Select Committee.

Farm couple awarded compensation for legal battle
A Canterbury couple have won a legal battle against the company behind a multi-million-dollar irrigation scheme, and will get $46,000 compensation for the costs they incurred.

Missing man was seen in suburban supermarket
Police are focusing their search for a missing Wellington man on a sighting of him at a local supermarket the day before he went missing.

130 keen to provide Whanau Ora programmes
The minister for the new social services policy, Whanau Ora, says 130 proposals have been submitted by providers who want to take part in the programme.

Profit challenge focuses minds of citrus growers
As citrus growers gather in Gisborne on Thursday for their annual conference, chairman Rick Curtis says the biggest issue facing most growers is a lack of profitability.

Wool Group appoints independent chairman
The new Wool Group set up by the Agriculture Minister to develop a strategic direction for the industry has named Colin Harvey as its independent chairman.

Dairy prices rise sharply again
Dairy prices have rebounded after four months of falls. At Fonterra's latest auction they jumped an average of 17%.

Farming Systems coy about third-party talks
New Zealand Farming Systems Uruguay says discussions with a mystery third party willing to inject fresh capital into the company are ongoing, and more should be known early next week.

Torchlight Fund's SCF loan repaid
Pyne Gould Corporation has confirmed that a $100 million loan provided to South Canterbury Finance by George Kerr's Torchlight Fund has been repaid.

Suspension of striking lab workers defended
The head of Canterbury Health Laboratories is defending the suspension of some striking lab workers for five days.

Critical wind shift caused small plane to crash
A Transport Accident Investigation Commission report has found that a wind shift at a critical time caused a small plane carrying five passengers to crash on takeoff.

Curfew-breaker gets stuck in school building
Hamilton police say a woman on home detention who said she was trying to get home ahead of her curfew became trapped in a school.

Masterton survey throws light on social services
A Families Commission report into social services in Masterton has found a strong preference for community-led programmes, which are rated highly by most people who use them.

Collusion among freight forwarding firms alleged
A number of international freight forwarding companies have had proceedings filed against them at the High Court in Auckland, after accusations of price-fixing.

Police find nothing criminal in Google data-gathering
Police say there is no evidence to suggest that the internet giant Google did anything criminal when it collected information from wireless home networks.

Yemeni men freed: no evidence of terror attack
Two Yemenis arrested in Amsterdam on suspicion of planning a terror attack have been released, prosecutors in the Netherlands say.

Northland highway open again after cream spill
A truck spilt cream along State Highway 1 in Northland on Thursday morning, and a northbound stretch of the road was temporarily closed.

Transpower sees 'Smart Grid' as a money-saver
Transpower says new technology limiting electricity demand in the upper North Island will allow it to defer building new infrastructure.

Guarantee scheme adequate - Chris Lee
A stockbroker says the amount of money set aside by the Government to repay investors under its Retail Deposit Guarantee Scheme should be enough, even if more finance companies go under.

Hotel relocated after slowest pub crawl ever seen
Auckland's historic Birdcage Hotel has finished what some people are calling the slowest pub crawl they've ever seen.

Transport Agency stands by closure of Auckland road
The Transport Agency is standing by its decision to close part of State Highway 1 in Auckland this weekend, saying it hopes disruption will be kept to a manageable level.

Drug seizures pushing up price of 'P'
New research shows the street price of methamphetamine has risen sharply - driven up by the large seizures being made of the lethal drug by police and Customs officers.

Te reo revitalisation 'needs Maori leadership'
A Maori teachers training organisation say government-backed programmes to revitalise te reo will succeed only if run by Maori.

Accountants create trans-Tasman alliance
The Institute of Chartered Accountants has created an alliance with its Australian counterpart, in a project aimed at aligning standards and training.

Flawed approach to land seen in SCF collapse
The chair of a South Island Maori incorporation says the type of lending that contributed to the collapse of South Canterbury Finance is symptomatic of a flawed approach to land.

Bomb attacks kill 25 in religious procession
The death toll from three bomb attacks in the Pakistani city of Lahore has reached at least 25, with more than 170 wounded. The bombs exploded during a Shi'ite religious procession.

Trapped miners get piping hot meal
The miners trapped underground in Chile are having their first hot meal in nearly four weeks. Lunch is being piped through a tube to them.

Dozens of whales die after 58 are stranded on New Zealand beach
A beachgoer in a remote area of northern New Zealand found a horrific sight Friday morning -- 58 pilot whales stranded on Karikari Beach.

3 dead, 3 missing after South Korean boat sinks in New Zealand
Three people died and three others were missing after a South Korean fishing boat sank Wednesday morning in the waters off New Zealand, officials said.

New Zealand suffers its first combat fatality in Afghanistan
New Zealand has suffered its first combat fatality in the war in Afghanistan, the New Zealand Defense Force reported Tuesday.

Stefan Fatsis: New Zealand fans rejoice after historic draw with defending champ Italy
NELSPRUIT, South Africa -- After the referee's final whistle sounded, the pockets of New Zealanders in Mbombela Stadium here went nuts. Actually, they'd been going nuts since New Zealand scored against Italy in the 7th minute on Sunday, then thwarted wave after Italian wave and dive after Italian dive -- though they couldn't avoid a dive-enhanced penalty that tied the game in the 29th minute -- and hung on for what I hadn't realized was a historic 1-1 draw.

Ever volunteered on holiday? Share your trips of a lifetime with CNN
If you're the kind of person who's happiest spending your two weeks off helping to look after elephants in Thailand or working for free on an organic farm in New Zealand, then perhaps you've been on a volunteer vacation.

Why the U.S. can learn from New Zealand when it comes to taxes
Paul Volcker fired the shot heard around the world -- or at least around tax circles-last week when he delivered some bad news for anyone paying taxes. It's time, he said, to consider one more: the value-added tax -- the consumption tax used widely across the Atlantic.

Lady Gaga Nearly Collapses at New Zealand Concert
The singer, in the midst of a grueling tour, struggles to close Saturday's show

Massive icebergs floating towards coast of New Zealand
New Zealand is preparing for some rare spring visitors.

Major quake strikes off New Zealand
A major earthquake struck off the coast of New Zealand's South Island Wednesday night, rattling residents and prompting a tsunami warning that was later canceled.

Olympic hopeful opens brothel to pay for training
A cash-strapped Olympic hopeful in New Zealand says he has been forced to open a brothel to fund his bid for taekwondo glory in 2012, but officials say his entry into the sex trade could mean his exit from international sport.

Strong quake rattles New Zealand region
A 6.7-magnitude earthquake rocked New Zealand's remote Kermadec Islands region Saturday afternoon, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

Killer gunman found dead inside New Zealand home
A killer gunman at the center of a two-day standoff with police has been found dead inside his home, New Zealand police said Saturday.

Dollar gains on swine flu concerns
The dollar and yen strengthened broadly Monday on rising risk aversion as concern grew that an outbreak of swine flu in Mexico could become a global pandemic, while the Mexican peso fell sharply.

Woman gives birth on airliner, leaves baby in trash
Fate, police say, saved baby Grace from being tossed out with the trash.

Recent history of cricket and terrorism
The ambush by up to a dozen gunmen of a bus carrying members of the Sri Lankan cricket team in Lahore is the realization of fears long held by the sport's leading players.

NZ PM's mishap is lucky break for charity
An Internet auction to sell off the plaster cast that New Zealand Prime Minister John Key wore when he broke his right arm has raised close to NZ$ 20,000 for charity.

Prehistoric-Age Reptile Found in New Zealand
A rare reptile with lineage dating back to the dinosaur age has been found nesting on the New Zealand mainland for the first time in about 200 years

Wacky new airline stunts
If your November travel plans include a flight out of Los Angeles, don't be surprised to find yourself standing behind a bald, tattooed human billboard.

7.3 Quake Strikes Outer New Zealand Islands
A 7.3-magnitude earthquake struck near New Zealand's remote and largely uninhabited Kermadec Islands early Tuesday, New Zealand's GNS Science geological agency said

Tainted Milk Fears Spread to Britain, New Zealand
The British supermarket chain Tesco pulled a Chinese candy from its shelves and New Zealand said Wednesday it found dangerously high levels of the industrial chemical melamine in the same brand, as fears over tainted milk spread beyond Asia

NZ judge backs girl over 'embarrassing' name
A New Zealand judge has made a 9-year-old girl a ward of the court so that her name can be changed from Talula Does the Hula From Hawaii, the country's national news agency reported Thursday.

Earpiece girl, 8, ejected from tennis tournament
An eight-year-old girl was ejected from a junior tennis tournament in New Zealand when officials discovered she was wearing a hidden radio earpiece to receive instructions from her father.

Scientists Discover Volcano Starfish
Marine scientists surveying a large undersea mountain chain were amazed to find millions of tiny starfish swirling their arms to capture food in the undersea current

Canyoning Tragedy in New Zealand
Six college students and a teacher are killed by a "rain bomb" while on a school-sponsored outdoor adventure

U.S. deports wife killer suspect
A man accused of killing his wife in New Zealand and then abandoning the couple's 3-year-old daughter at an Australian train station has been deported to New Zealand to face murder charges, U.S. immigration officials announced Sunday.

'Pumpkin's' dad to be extradited
A man arrested in the U.S. after a months-long, intercontinental manhunt will be deported to New Zealand to face murder charges in the death of his wife, authorities told CNN Friday.

'Pumpkin's' fugitive father caught in U.S.
A man accused of killing his wife in New Zealand and then abandoning the couple's 3-year-old daughter at an Australian train station has been captured in suburban Atlanta, authorities said.

New Zealand rocked by huge quake
Buildings collapsed, power lines were knocked out and gas pipes ruptured when a powerful earthquake hit the northeastern coast of New Zealand late Thursday.

New Zealand warns on Chinese toothpaste
New Zealand on Wednesday asked retailers and consumers to dispose of 11 brands of Chinese-made toothpaste after tests confirmed they contained toxic chemicals.

Walking -- but not roughing it -- in New Zealand
Something keeps drawing me back to New Zealand. I suspect something always will.

Volcano erupts in NZ, one missing
One person was missing Friday after a volcano erupted on a largely uninhabited New Zealand island, according to television reports.

Eating with food miles in mind
Next time you are out for dinner on a business trip, you may find that the food on your plate has traveled further than you have.

Spy blunder?
It started with two Israelis convicted of trying illegally to obtain a New Zealand passport -- a valuable commodity in the world of international spy craft that can open up doors often closed to Israeli passport holders.

New Zealand's Neil Finn: 'I'm a lifer'
The musical dynasty of the Finns represents rock royalty in New Zealand.

Vacations For The Soul Forget fruity rum drinks. Here are six ways to have fun and still do some good.
Count Dolphins EARTHWATCH INSTITUTE www.earthwatch.org; 800-776-0188

HOW TO FIND IT ON THE INTERNET THERE'S A VAST AND GROWING TROVE OF ONLINE INFORMATION YOU CAN USE TO TRACK THE
Ever get a sneaking suspicion that the only difference between you and an economic pundit is that the pundit has all the facts and figures, and you don't? Like maybe the world economy could be your...

YIELD OF THE MONTH FOR SAVERS WILLING TO TAKE A LITTLE RISK A LONG-DISTANCE TELEPHONE CALL
Based in one of the smallest industrial nations, Telecom Corp. of New Zealand (recently traded as an American Depositary Receipt on the New York Stock Exchange at $48; symbol: nzt) is no small comp...

UP FROM DOWN UNDER Can Australia and New Zealand run with Asia's sprinters? They're both trying, but the Kiwis
AUSTRALIA and New Zealand, two daughters of Mother England perched on the Pacific's southern rim, are desperately seeking answers to two tough questions. First, who are they? Says Nobby Clark, mana...

A Bond Voyage to High Yields For a shot at double digits, try one of the new foreign fixed-income funds.
How does a 25% yield on 30-day New Zealand bank bills grab you? Or 14.3% on a three-year Australian government bond? To be sure, those are extreme examples of risky recent returns in foreign bonds ...

South Africa Falls Victim to New Zealand in Final 2 Minutes
The South Africa captain, John Smit, put the blame on himself for his team's last-gasp 29-22 rugby loss to the All Blacks that allowed New Zealand to claim the Tri-Nations crown.

Women’s Rugby World Cup Set to Kick Off
The United States and Canada are among the favorites in the 12-nation Women’s Rugby World Cup that begins in England on Friday.

Victory Over Australia Moves All Blacks Closer to Trophy
New Zealand retained the Bledisloe Cup when it beat Australia 20-10 in a hard-fought rugby test.

All Blacks Make It 8 in a Row Over Australia
Flyhalf Dan Carter scored one try, set up another and kicked 14 points as New Zealand beat Australia for the eighth straight time with a comprehensive 49-28 Tri-Nations rugby victory.

South Africa Turns to Next Big Event
While the eyes of the sporting world are on Johannesburg this weekend, a fair few South African eyes will be gazing elsewhere, to Auckland, where the Tri-Nations tournament will start.

Jubilation for New Zealand and Despair for Italy After Draw
The meaning of a World Cup draw could not be more opposite than in the defending champion Italy’s tie with New Zealand.

For All Blacks, the Shadow Knows
Rugby union is to New Zealand what ice hockey is to Canada, cricket is to India and soccer is to much of the world.

Long-Lost Silent Films Return to America
A John Ford film from 1927 is among the treasures found in a New Zealand archive that are being returned to the U.S.

Trying to Turn the U.S. Into a Cricketing Nation
The U.S.A. Cricket Association will take a significant step in converting America to cricket when two of the top eight teams in the world play international matches in Florida this weekend.

Debate Continues Over Foreign Ownership in New Zealand
A lobby group is continuing to criticize foreign ownership of some land, saying the singer Shania Twain's purchases on the South Island have done little, if anything, the country.

Japan Indicts Anti-Whaling Activist
Peter Bethune, a New Zealander, was charged with five criminal counts for illegally boarding a Japanese whaling vessel in February.

Playing to the Tune of Broken Records
Setting and reaching milestones has become second nature for Daniel Vettori, New Zealand’s national cricket team captain.

California Tribe Hopes to Woo Salmon Home
A trek to New Zealand by the Winnemem Wintu tribe centers on an apology to the Chinook salmon.

Clinton, Starting Trip, Acknowledges Possible Tensions With China
Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, embarking on her first diplomatic trip of year, acknowledges that relations with China may be entering rough period as US pledges to sell weapons to Taiwan and Pres Obama plans meeting with Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama; nine-day trip will include stops in Honolulu to meet with Japanese Foreign Min Katsuya Okada as well as Papua New Guinea, New Zealand and Australia

125 Beached Whales Die in New Zealand, but Rescuers Coax 43 Others Back to Sea
The surviving polit whales were wrapped in sheets to keep them dry until they could be refloated at high tide.

Capital: Wellington

Largest City: Auckland

New Zealand is a country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two large islands (the North Island and the South Island) and numerous smaller islands, most notably Stewart Island / Rakiura and the Chatham Islands. The indigenous Ma-ori named New Zealand Aotearoa, which is usually translated into English as The Land of the Long White Cloud. The Realm of New Zealand also includes the Cook Islands and Niue, which are self-governing but in free association; Tokelau; and the Ross Dependency (New Zealand's territorial claim in Antarctica).

New Zealand is notable for its geographic isolation, being separated from Australia to the northwest by the Tasman Sea, approximately 2000 kilometres (1250 miles) across. Its closest neighbours to the north are New Caledonia, Fiji and Tonga.

The population is mostly of European descent, with the indigenous Ma-ori being the largest minority. Asians and non-Maori Polynesians are also significant minorities, especially in the cities. Elizabeth II, as the Queen of New Zealand, is the Head of State and, in her absence, is represented by a non-partisan Governor-General. The Queen 'reigns but does not rule.' She has no real political influence, and her position is largely symbolic. Political power is held by the democratically-elected Parliament of New Zealand under the leadership of the Prime Minister, who is the Head of Government.

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NewZealand