Fiji lambasted NZ government travel warning

Fiji's interim government has criticised as baseless a New Zealand government travel warning which says there is a security risk in Fiji.

Fiji's acting Tourism Minister Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum said the advisory posted on New Zealand's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (Mfat) website on Christmas Eve was not based on facts but on "conjecture and political posturing by the New Zealand Government".

But Mr Sayed-Khaiyum said a quick survey showed there had been hardly any cancellations by New Zealand tourists despite the warning.

"Fiji is a safe destination to travel to. In fact, Fiji is a lot safer to travel to than some parts of South Auckland. Many New Zealand tourists currently in Fiji, in particular Aucklanders, will testify to this," he said.

New Zealand and Fiji have expelled each other's high commissioner after a diplomatic row over New Zealand sanctions to pressure Fiji into holding democratic elections.

Self-appointed Fiji Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama told the New Zealand Government that acting High Commissioner Caroline McDonald would be ordered to leave Fiji unless a visa was granted to George Nacewa, the son of a senior official in Suva, so he could finish his studies at Massey University.

source: nzpa

Read More

Statement by Caroline McDonald, New Zealand Acting High Commissioner to Fiji on her return to New Zealand

I am disappointed to be returning home as a result of an arbitrary and unwarranted decision by the Fiji Interim Government.

As the Foreign Minister, Murray McCully, has made clear, there is no basis or justification for the Interim Government's action - which it has failed to substantiate in any way.

Instead, the Interim Government's action should be seen for what it is - retaliation for New Zealand's consistent policy of denying visas to regime supporters and their close families in the absence of any concrete progress toward democracy.

The Interim Government's decision to expel me is especially disappointing because my 11 months in Fiji were marked by a determined effort by successive New Zealand Governments to reach out to the regime. This included substantial support and assistance offered on the basis Fiji took credible steps towards restoring democracy, as Commodore Bainimarama promised Forum leaders in Tonga in 2007.

Despite the disappointment of leaving I am grateful to the people of Fiji, from all backgrounds, who have received me so warmly and have taught me so much about Fiji.

I also want to record my thanks to the many governments, international organisations as well as local groups, who publicly and through diplomatic channels, urged the Interim Government not to proceed with my unwarranted expulsion and expressed their disappointment at this decision.,

Finally, I wish to acknowledge the support I have received directly from Prime Minister Key and Foreign Minister McCully, and from my staff in Suva and colleagues in Wellington, and my husband Simon Mark.

Like them I too hope to see Fiji quickly return to its rightful place as a leader among the family of Pacific nations.

Read More

Obama meet Philippine President GMA

Before the year end, I want to share to you a hilarious commercial from the Philippines. Hope you enjoy!!!

Read More

NZ expelled diplomat returned home

New Zealand's expelled Acting High Commissioner to Fiji will tell her story personally to Foreign Affairs Minister Murray McCully early in the week as the diplomatic stoush continues.

Caroline McDonald arrives back in Auckland this afternoon after she was declared persona non grata by Fiji's self proclaimed leader Commodore Frank Bainimarama.

She was accused of acting inappropriately and not engaging with the Fiji administration.

Cdre Bainimarama ordered the expulsion because the New Zealand Government refused his ultimatum to grant a visa to a student who is the son of a senior official in Suva.

Fiji's interim High Commissioner in Wellington, Cama Tuiloma, was in turn ordered to leave this country.

Mr McCully told NZPA he would not meet Ms McDonald this afternoon but within the next day or two. They had spoken on the phone before she left Fiji.

Along with Ms McDonald, the NZ High Commission had lost her husband Simon Mark, who is the trade commissioner, as well as police and defence attaches. That left just a handful of staff in the commission in Fiji under the Acting Deputy High Commissioner Todd Cleaver.

source:nzpa

Read More

Diplomats tension between Fiji and NZ

Fiji's expulsion of New Zealand's acting high commissioner was a serious step and the Government is not going to rush into sending another representative, Foreign Minister Murray McCully said today.

The relationship between the two countries is in crisis after last night's expulsion of Caroline McDonald and the Government's immediate reaction, which was to order Fiji's acting high commissioner to leave Wellington.

They were both given a week to leave.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said its expulsion order was issued against acting high commissioner Cama Tuiloma, although the high commission's official website lists Ponsami Chetty as holding that position.

Fiji's self-appointed prime minister Commodore Voreqe (Frank) Bainimarama ordered Ms McDonald's expulsion because the Government refused his ultimatum to grant a visa to a student who is the son of a senior official in Suva.

Read More

Auckland Airport intends to make follow-up public bond offer

Auckland International Airport Limited (Auckland Airport) is considering following up the bond issue that closed in November 2008 by making a new public offer of $50 million of bonds.

The bonds will be direct, unsecured, unsubordinated debt obligations of the Issuer. The bonds will have a maturity date of 28 February 2014. The fixed rate of interest applying to the bonds will be announced before the issue opens.

It is expected that full details of the offer will be released and the offer will open during January 2009. The offer may remain open until 31 March 2009 or such earlier date that the Issuer may determine.

No money is currently being sought and no applications for the bonds will be accepted or money received unless the subscriber has received an investment statement.

Auckland Airport is seeking preliminary indications of interest. Indications of interest should be made to your financial adviser. No indication of interest will involve an obligation or commitment of any kind.

Read More

Auckland Airport launches new Park & Ride service

Auckland Airport will launch today a new Park & Ride service that offers long-term, low-cost parking for all domestic and international travellers.

Auckland Airport acting general manager retail Paul Divers said, “This new service means that Auckland Airport now has a full range of parking options to meet every customer need, from the long-term and low-cost option of Park & Ride, through to shorter-term deals such as the free 10 minute parking option for express pick-ups and drop-offs.”

The Park & Ride car park is conveniently located close to Auckland Airport terminals on George Bolt Memorial Drive, at the round-about with Verissimo Drive. A free courtesy shuttle will whisk travellers to and from the terminal buildings in a matter of minutes.

Paul Divers added, “With a purpose-built waiting lounge within the car park, full-time parking staff on-site and comprehensive security monitoring, Park & Ride is a safe and secure place to park whilst you are away.”

The new Auckland Airport Park & Ride features great parking deals of a five-day stay for only $59.00, and a seven-day stay for only $69.00. Rates thereafter are only $10 per day. Travellers can check out the details on www.aucklandairport.co.nz.

There are plenty of parks available so there is no need to pre-book a space and no minimum stay is required. Park & Ride will be open 24 hours a day; 7 days a week, and security camera monitoring and car park attendant are on-site 24 hours a day.

The free courtesy shuttle runs 24/7, so customers will not have to wait long to get to the terminal buildings or back to the car park. The environmentally friendly orange and black Euro 4 compliant shuttles are easy to spot, and there is plenty of space for luggage.

The shuttle pick-up and drop-off points are easy to find at the domestic and international terminal buildings and in addition, new GPS technology provides up-to-the-minute information on shuttle arrival times.

The new service also features a range of payment options for customer convenience. The SmartPay^TM credit card payment system has been installed, allowing you to simply swipe your credit card at the SmartPay terminal when entering the car park, then swipe again when exiting. The appropriate parking charges are automatically debited to your credit card and a receipt is issued for you to take away.

Autopay machines are located within the customer lounge in the Park & Ride car park, so you can pay on your return to the car park. The Autopay machines accept cash or credit card and parking staff located in the customer lounge will also be on hand for Eftpos and credit card payments

Read More

Former PM for Diplomatic Post- Keys said

A diplomatic posting for former Labour Prime Minister Helen Clark is a "live option" if she wants such a job, Prime Minister John Key says.

Miss Clark stood down after Labour's loss became apparent on election night, but is still in Parliament as an MP and Labour's foreign affairs spokeswoman.

Mr Key today said he had spoken to Miss Clark for about 20 minutes about foreign affairs issues such as Fiji, while they were at a TVNZ Christmas party recently.

It followed a 45-minute briefing Miss Clark gave to Mr Key before he attended the Apec forum last month.

Asked today if he would offer her a diplomatic post, Mr Key said it was an option.

"Look I think if that was a step she wanted to take that would definitely be a live option," he said on TVNZ's Breakfast programme.

"But at this point I think she is just taking stock of what she wants to do -- gathering her own thoughts -- including about what she might want that to be."

source: NZPA

Read More

NZ Catholic Media Office Closed

The New Zealand Catholic Church is closing down its communications office, leaving three people out of a job.

The national media office of the New Zealand Catholic Bishop's Conference would be disestablished at the end of this month, national director of the office Lyndsay Freer said.

A long-time voice for the Church, Ms Freer, said the conference had decided to restructure its operations.

From January, the role of the Church's national communications office would be handled at its secretariat in Wellington with the appointment of a communications advisor, she said.

In the new role the advisor would focus more on internal communications.

She said she did not apply for the new position because she was not entirely happy with the new model, because it was not as engaged with media as she would like.

"I hope it does not lessen the strong relationships we have built up with the media."

Ms Freer told the Weekend Herald that church politics had something to do with the redundancies.

Some people had not appreciated the positions she took when talking to the media, she said.

However, the president of the New Zealand Catholic Bishop's Conference, the Most Rev Denis Browne, said politics did not play a part in the decision.

Source: NZPA

Read More

Budget 2009 set to be a grim affair

Next year's budget is set to be a grim affair with Finance Minister Bill English grappling with dramatic rises in government debt and a dark economic outlook.

Treasury released today its updated fiscal and economic updates which showed growing spending deficits pushing up debt.

Gross debt is set to double from the current levels of 16.8 percent to 33 percent of GDP by 2012-2013 and the long term prospect is for this to rise to 57 percent by 2022/23 if policies do not change.

Mr English said the mid-term levels of debts and cash deficits were beyond prudent levels and his first budget in 2009 would be an austere one.

Unfunded promises of the last government would be dropped and "wish lists" such as large increases in rail infrastructure would have to be re-examined to see if they made sense, he said.

Departmental bosses would be told by Mr English and Prime Minister John Key the upcoming budget would result in ministers focusing on their campaign pledges with little or no room for new spending bids.

There would be an emphasis on controlling growth in the cost of government administration.

Despite the books dripping red ink, Mr English said the economy needed stimulus and in the next five years capital spending would be boosted by $5.8 billion.

Mr English said the Government's relatively low debt meant he was relatively well placed to deal with the economic uncertainty.

source : NZPA

Read More

Diplomat still at her post,Fiji crisis not yet over

he Government has received a "robust" letter from Fiji's self-appointed prime minister Voreqe (Frank) Bainimarama, but no action has been taken so far against acting high commissioner Caroline McDonald.

Cdre Bainimarama last week threatened to expel Ms McDonald unless a visa was granted to a Fijian student who is the son of a senior official in Suva.

He was told yesterday the visa would not be granted, and since then the Government has been waiting to see how he would react.

Foreign Minister Murray McCully told reporters just before 6pm tonight he had received a letter from Cdre Bainimarama which set out his "very firm views" about some issues.

"As things stand at the moment our high commissioner is still at her post and I have no word to the contrary," he said.

"I've had no advice at all on the status of the high commissioner."

Mr McCully said he would continue to "work constructively" to resolve the issue and would reply to the letter tomorrow.

He spoke to Cdre Bainimarama by phone yesterday after the formal message telling the Fijian leader that a visa would not be granted to George Nacewa, the son of Rupeni Nacewa who is a secretary in the office of the president.

source: nzpa

Read More

Here are your shoes? Mr Bush

President George W. Bush has been attacked by an Iraqi reporter, who hurled a pair of shoes at him on a surprise farewell visit to Baghdad.

However, journalist Muntazer al-Zaidi took off his shoes and flung them across the room at Mr. Bush during a news conference with Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki. “This is a goodbye kiss from the Iraqi people, dog,” the television reporter for Al Baghdadia yelled in Arabic as he threw his shoes. “This is from the widows, the orphans and those who were killed in Iraq.”

The shoes narrowly missed the President’s head as he ducked behind a podium. Mr. al-Zaidi was quickly overpowered and frogmarched from the room by security staff. An Iraqi official was quoted by the Associated Press as saying that he was being interrogated at Mr. al-Maliki’s headquarters. His shoes, the official said, were being held as evidence.


while, Thousands of Iraqis took to the streets to demand the release of a reporter who threw his shoes at President George Bush during a press conference

Read More

Govt faces showdown with Fiji's PM

New Zealand's already tense relationship with Fiji is almost certain to deteriorate within the next 24 hours as the Government defies an ultimatum from self-appointed prime minister Commodore Voreqe (Frank) Bainimarama.

The military leader who seized power in a coup two years ago has threatened to expel New Zealand's acting high commissioner, Caroline McDonald, unless a visa is granted to the son of a senior official in Suva.

If the threat is carried out it will be the second high-level expulsion of a New Zealand diplomat.

High commissioner Mike Green was ordered to leave in June last year as relations worsened over sanctions imposed against the regime.

New Zealand imposed selective travel sanctions on Fiji soon after its elected government was overthrown by Cdre Bainimarama.

In October the Government refused to renew the visa held by George Nacewa, a Massey University student who is the son of Rupeni Nacewa, a secretary in the office of Fiji's president.

source: nzpa

Read More

2008 Year-End Google Zeitgeist

As the year comes to a close, it's time to look at the big events, memorable moments and emerging trends that captivated us in 2008. As it happens, studying the aggregation of the billions of search queries that people type into the Google search box gives us a glimpse into the zeitgeist — the spirit of the times. So Google released today d some of the highlights from Google searches around the globe.

Fastest Rising (Global)

1. sarah palin
2. beijing 2008
3. facebook login
4. tuenti
5. heath ledger
6. obama
7. nasza klasa
8. wer kennt wen
9. euro 2008
10. jonas brothers

Read More

More transparency wanted for herceptin funding

A cancer specialist wants to see more transparency in the way the Government's drug funding agency makes decisions.

The government is bypassing Pharmac by providing a 12 month course of the breast cancer drug Herceptin directly through the Ministry of Health.

Under the Labour Government, Pharmac would only fund a nine week course claiming scientific information did not prove that a longer course was any more beneficial, but during the election, National pledged to extend funding for the drug Her-2 positive from nine weeks to 12 months.

Medical Oncologist Richard Isaacs says he met with the Health Minister in 2006 to discuss the year-long funding and it has taken this long to make what he believes is the right decision.

He says Pharmac needs to be encouraged to work together with specialist groups across the medical profession and clearly define its criteria for drug funding. He says that will ensure the right decisions are made.

source: newstalkzb

Read More

Sky & Vodafone to launch new service for NZ consumers

SKY Television and Vodafone today confirmed that an agreement has been reached to launch a brand new service for Vodafone customers.

The new agreement will allow Vodafone to bundle SKY content, mobile and fixed line voice and internet services, providing an attractive and compelling “quad play” service for their customers.

The new five year agreement is a natural extension to SKY’s current content agreement with Vodafone, SKY Mobile TV, which delivers a variety of entertainment and information channels, including an exclusive made-for-mobile news channel [SKY News] plus live sport to customers across Vodafone’s 3G network.

John Fellet, SKY Television CEO, says, "Our strategy is to offer content to customers anytime, anywhere so that they can watch what they want, when they want to. The extension of the relationship with Vodafone to become our pay television telecommunications partner will greatly benefit consumers with the associated discounted pricing arrangements that bundling will deliver.”

Russell Stanners, Vodafone CEO says, “This is another excellent example of how our two brands are able to work together to provide consumers with the full ambit of communications and entertainment options – either at home, or on the move.”

Read More

Kiwisaver for a change?

An overestimate of the costs of tax cuts and axing the annual $40 KiwiSaver fee subsidy is going to soften the blow for low income workers using the savings scheme, Finance Minister Bill English said today.

The Government today released its final KiwiSaver and tax packages that are to be included in the Taxation (Urgent Measures and Annual Rates) Bill to be passed in Parliament this week.

Under changes it announced before the election, contributions to KiwiSaver will be lowered to 2 percent of the weekly wage, matched by the Government.

Under Labour, savers could contribute either 4 or 8 percent with a government subsidy of up to $20 a week and compulsory employer contributions, rising to 4 percent by mid 2011.

However, the changes meant those earning under $52,000 would not get near the $1040 subsidy cap before they reached 2 percent of their income, effectively reducing the incentive for those people to save.

Mr English said instead of limiting the subsidy to 2 percent of wages, there would be a dollar for dollar subsidy of up to $1040 for low and middle incomes.

source:nzpa

Read More

Labour attacked national on new labor laws

Labour leader Phil Goff has attacked as arrogant and undemocratic the Government's decision to "ram through" a 90-day probation period for new workers before Christmas .

The controversial legislation, which would give businesses with fewer than 20 employees the right to instantly sack new staff without fear of a personal grievance, was not on the list of legislation National said on the election campaign it would pass in its first 100 days.

Prime Minister John Key also did not mention the plans when questioned yesterday on what would be included in the Government's urgency motion before Christmas .

A spokesman for Mr Key had no immediate comment today, but the Dominion Post reported it would be pushed through all its stages before Christmas

Read More

To Prime Minister John Key!!!!

This morning I was reading Dominion Post and then I was surprised with this little messages from the front page of the newspaper.

Read More

Historic heart operations to take place this week

Two patients about to have operations at Waikato Hospital will be the first in the southern hemisphere to have aortic valve replacements done through a small incision in the chest.

The operations on an 86-year-old Otorohanga woman and a 77-year-old Thames man will take place on Wednesday.

Leading the surgery will be cardiothoracic surgeon Nand Kejriwal and cardiologist Sanjeevan Pasupati under the watchful eye of a Canadian cardiac surgeon.

"This gives another option for patients who have poor vascular access and suffer from severe aortic stenosis and are considered high risk for surgery," Dr Pasupati said.

Aortic stenosis is the most prevalent heart valve disease in the western world.

It is a condition where the main outflow valve from the heart thickens and does not open fully. As all the blood leaving the heart has to go through this valve, severe narrowing of the valve causes restricted blood flow to the rest of the body.

Restricted blood flow puts a strain on the heart and eventually causes breathlessness, chest pain, blackouts, and heart failure.

source:nzpa

Read More

BurgerFuel hit by rising costs

Gourmet burger chain BurgerFuel Worldwide is posting a first half loss of $669,000, as it continues to invest in expansion.

Chairman Peter Brook said the company had endured "extremely" challenging trading conditions with significant cost increases during the six-month period to the end of September.

Any further roll-out of stores in this country this financial year was uncertain due to current economic conditions, after two new franchised stores were added in the past six months.

In Australia, a "conservative" approach was being taken as the company continued to build the brand in Sydney.

Mr Brook said total system sales were up 12.4 percent from the corresponding six months last year to $12.25 million.

source: nzpa

Read More

National still popular

The National Party continues to ride the crest of the popularity wave with the first opinion polls since the election showing its support virtually unchanged at 44 percent. Labour, however, has suffered a slight dip of one and a half percent to give it a rating of 32 and a half percent.

Political Editor Barry Soper says Prime Minister John Key will take heart from the confidence barometer in the Roy Morgan poll which has seen him climb to a record high of 66 percent, up 12 percent since the election.

Retailers will also take heart from an even divide of 45 percent saying now is a good time to buy major household items with an equal number saying it is not.

The only minor parties to lift their ratings were the Greens and the Maori Party.

source: newstalk ZB

Read More

Oil companies drops petrol price

All the major oil companies have now dropped their petrol and diesel prices following Shell's lead this morning.

From today 91 and 95 octane petrol and diesel will cost 4c a litre less.

Petrol prices now are 91 octane 139.9c a litre, 95 octane 144.9c and diesel 116.9c.

Since July 17, petrol has dropped a total of 79c a litre, while diesel has dropped 69c a litre since July 8.

A Shell spokesman said the price drop was due to the continued decrease in the cost of refined product.

The price for a barrel of oil plunged below $US44 overnight, the lowest level for almost four years.

Read More

Kiwibank, ASB and Westpac drop rates

Competition has begun between banks to to see who can offer the lowest interest rates, following todays drop in the official cash rate by 1.5 percent.

ASB was first off the block, reducing its variable rate by 0.75 percent to 7.95 percent.

Kiwibank has followed by dropping both its one year fixed rate and variable rate. Chief executive Sam Knowles says the one year rate is down to 6.49 percent and variable rate has dropped to 7.45 percent. He says both are cuts of 0.5 percent, which follow on from rates cuts late last month.

Westpac has since cuts its rates by between 0.25 percent and 0.55 percent.

source: Newstalk ZB

Read More

SBS,ASB cuts rate

Invercargill-based SBS Bank was the first bank to announce a mortgage rate reduction in reaction to the Reserve Bank's cash rate cut today.

The Reserve Bank cut the Official Cash Rate by 1.5 basis points to 5 percent.

SBS, the former Southland Building Society, dropped its floating rate mortgage 195 basis points to 7.20 percent - a four-year low.

ASB announced a drop in its variable term home lending rates by 0.75 percentage point, saying its total reduction was 1.5 points as it had already cut 0.75 off in anticipation of the Reserve Bank's actions.

source : nzpa

Read More

New Zealand Reserved Bank slashes interest rates by 1.5 percent

The Reserve Bank today pushed official interest rates to their lowest level in five years, slashing them by a remarkable 1.5 percentage points to 5 percent.

The central bank presented a grim picture of the economy caught up in global financial turmoil, while sounding largely relaxed about inflation risks, as well as indicating that today's interest rate decision would be the last big cut.

Reserve Bank Governor Alan Bollard said ongoing financial market turmoil and a marked deterioration in the outlook for global growth played a large role in today's decision.

Activity in most of New Zealand's trading partners was expected to contract or grow only very slowly in the next few quarters, meaning economic activity in this country would be further constrained than the Reserve Bank thought it would be in October.

source: tv 3

Read More

Sir Ed top Google NZ hit list

Internet search engine giant Google released the New Zealand' s top Web searches this year, and Sir Edmund Hilary is topping the Kiwi celebrity Web searches of 2008.

While Prime Minister John Key was the most searched "John" in the web, just ahead of Elthon John.

According to Google spokesman Annie Baxter, the results also showed New Zealanders were looking for quite useful things- often going online to check the weather or search a map.

Heath Ledger was number one in "died" searches, while Elvis and 'The Crocodile Hunter' Steve Irwin also made the list.

American singer Chris Brown and US President-Elect Barack Obama topped New Zealanders' most searched celebrities on Google this year.

Here are some of the top 10 lists for most searched terms in 2008:

Top 10 searches on google.co.nz in 2008
1. games
2. bebo
3. youtube
4. Trade Me
5. lyrics
6. google
7. map
8. hotmail
9. tv
10. weather

Fastest rising searches of 2008
1. olympics
2. facebook
3. youtube
4. lotto
5. wiki
6. seek
7. miniclip
8. asb
9. tvnz
10. large hadron collider
11. heath ledger
12. obama
13. gossip girl
14. jonas brothers
15. miley cyrus
16. euro 2008
17. mathletics

Most popular 'tickets' searches for 2008
1. rugby tickets
2. all blacks tickets
3. warriors tickets
4. chris brown tickets
5. sevens tickets
6. cricket tickets
7. big day out tickets
8. rihanna tickets
9. super 14 tickets
10. westlife tickets

Most popular 'died' searches for 2008 (or rumours of)
1. heath ledger died
2. ishmeet died
3. soulja boy died*
4. bob marley died**
5. bernie mac died
6. sir edmund hillary died
7. freddy mercury died**
8. miley cyrus died*
9. elvis presley died**
10. steve irwin died**
*still very much alive
**died before 2008

Most popular celebrities searched in 2008
1. chris brown
2. obama
3. miley cyrus
4. rihanna
5. heath ledger
6. britney spears
7. sir edmund hillary
8. leona lewis
9. amy winehouse
10. lauren conrad

Most popular 'diets' searches for 2008
1. detox diet
2. lemon diet
3. free diet
4. soup diet
5. atkins diet
6. diet recipes
7. low carb diet
8. healthy diet
9. blood type diet
10. gluten free diet

Most popular 'john' searches in 2008
1. john key
2. st john
3. elton john
4. john cena
5. john deere
6. john mayer
7. john mccain
8. john lennon
9. john paul
10. dr john

Read More

Govt says $1 billion ACC hole

National ministers fear a $1 billion hole in the ACC budget could signal a much wider problem, putting huge pressure on accident compensation levies.

Prime Minister John Key said yesterday the corporation was seeking $297 million more for the current 2008/2009 year and similar figures for the next two years to fund the non-earners account.

The $1 billion account pays for the accident treatment of those not in the workforce and is paid from government coffers.

"We are facing major challenges across all the accounts," ACC Minister Nick Smith said.

The non-earners account was the only one that urgently needed cash and he was receiving advice on the state of the other accounts.

"The initial reports are very concerning."

Asked if suggestions of a 25 percent increase in medical costs were being faced by ACC, Dr Smith said he was getting advice from Labour on "substantial cost increases in other accounts".

source:nzpa

Read More

Hercules saves Kiwis

As tension grows in Thailand, Prime Minister John Key last night sent the Air Force to help evacuate more than 200 New Zealanders from Bangkok.

But his decision came after the Government initially appeared to have no contingency plan.

The aircraft will be deployed on Tuesday night, and will be available to fly 65 passengers at a time from a military base outside Bangkok to either Singapore or Malaysia.

An Air Force Hercules left Whenuapai last night, making New Zealand the first country to call in its military to help citizens stranded by unrest in Thailand.

On the other hand in Bangkok,Demonstrators said they would end their siege at Bangkok's major airport after Thailand's top court banned the prime minister from public office for five years and dissolved his ruling party after finding it committed electoral fraud.

Read More

Google's Street view lunches in New Zealand

Today ,Google launched Street view on Google Maps in New Zealand. The free software lets internet users walk down city streets and view the scene from any angle on their computer screen.

The imagery was collected by a team of Googlers who travelled all over Ne Zealand to document every single public road in the country over the past year. The team drove Holden Astras, which had camera mounted on a pole on the roof.

According to Google New Zealand product manager Andrew Foster, Google had consulted the Privacy COmmission and offered to blur people's faces and car's plate numbers.

Street view is already available in six country and New Zealand is the seventh country featured since it was first lunched in the United States in May 2007.

Read More

Govt considers options for getting Kiwis out of Bangkok

The Government is considering ways to get New Zealanders out of Bangkok if violence erupts in the Thai capital, Prime Minister John Key says.

"Clearly we're monitoring the situation and it's fair to say it's not improving," he said at his first post-cabinet press conference today.

"It makes sense to consider contingency options that we might want to invoke if violence erupts and escalates in Bangkok."

Internal political conflict in Thailand saw Suvarnabhumi International airport occupied by anti-government protesters on Tuesday and the smaller Don Muang domestic airport since Wednesday.

Thousands of travellers were unable to leave, and Mr Key said the latest estimate was that about 200 New Zealanders were stranded.

source" nzpa

Read More

Air NZ biofuel test flight postponed

In a wake of the Airbus crash off the French coast, A biofuel-powered test flight due to be carried out by Air New Zealand on Wednesday has been postponed.

Air NZ was planning to put a Boeing 747-400 in the air for two hours in a test flight from Auckland using a jatropha-based fuel, which has been certified by engine maker Rolls-Royce.

The jatropha plant produces seeds that contain inedible lipid oil, which is used to produce fuel.

The company now says the flight and its preparation would now take place in early January.

"The full efforts and resources of Air New Zealand will be focused over the coming days on providing support to the family members of the missing New Zealanders and to our people, and assisting in the investigation of the A320 accident in France," the company says.

The date of the biofuel test flight would be confirmed later in the week.

Read More