Frank NZ RSS Feed

Govt extends limit on learner licences

bmcdonald+RNZ@pagemasters.com.au (RNZ ) — Mon, 04 Nov 2019 07:26:58 +0000

The government is giving a two-year extension to those with learner and restricted drivers licences that are due to expire soon. Under current rules, those with a learner or restricted car or motorcycle licences have a five-year limit to move on to...

Life expectancy cut in Southern DHB

bmcdonald+RNZ@pagemasters.com.au (RNZ ) — Mon, 21 Oct 2019 09:29:21 +0000

A Southland man is facing terminal cancer after major delays in treatment at Southern District Health Board. The DHB has been forced to apologise to four urology patients for falling short in their treatment and care, after a scathing report from...

Fake visa websites fleecing visitors

bmcdonald+RNZ@pagemasters.com.au (RNZ ) — Tue, 15 Oct 2019 07:43:44 +0000

The tourism industry is calling for vigilance after discovering visitors are being scammed by fake visa processing websites. Up to 1.7 million travellers who previously didn't need a visa now have to use an Electronic Travel Authority (ETA). The...

Lancaster Park demolition in final stage

bmcdonald+RNZ@pagemasters.com.au (RNZ ) — Tue, 10 Sep 2019 08:57:32 +0000

Media outlets have been given a final chance to walk through Christchurch's Lancaster Park before it is completely demolished. The park's grandstands were badly damaged in the 2011 earthquake, and in 2017 $12 million was set aside for it be pulled...

Urgent measles advice sought

bmcdonald+RNZ@pagemasters.com.au (RNZ ) — Tue, 20 Aug 2019 09:13:03 +0000

Associate Health Minister Julie Anne Genter has asked her ministry for urgent advice on how to tackle the measles outbreak. Figures from the Institute of Environmental Science and Research showed more than 100 new cases of measles have been...

NZTA reopens contract investigation

bmcdonald+RNZ@pagemasters.com.au (RNZ ) — Sun, 09 Jun 2019 20:51:58 +0000

The Transport Agency (NZTA) has reopened an investigation into how a senior manager awarded a contract to a company run by a close friend. It has also revealed that the manager, Martin McMullan, was accused of blocking competition for a technology contract. An inquiry found that contract was unfairly awarded. "There was no procurement plan and the strategy or approach ... was not documented prior to a selection process being undertaken by an external working group ... as the selection method was direct appointment, the Group Manager should have approved the procurement plan."

NZ MP payments made public

bmcdonald+RNZ@pagemasters.com.au (RNZ ) — Sun, 09 Jun 2019 19:52:15 +0000

Details of hush money, paid out to parliamentary staffers, to secretly settle employment disputes with MPs, have been revealed to the public. In a highly unusual move, Parliamentary Service has released a year-by-year breakdown of payouts which are usually accompanied by gagging clauses, revealing 15 staff were paid more than $180,000 since 2012. This practice was criticised in the recent Debbie Francis report as contributing to the culture of bullying and abuse of power in Parliament. It's released the amount of money that's been paid out when the so-called "breakdown clause" is invoked, each year since 2008.

Toxic algae found in North Otago river

bmcdonald@pagemasters.com.au (AAP Newswire) — Wed, 10 Apr 2019 05:57:12 +0000

A potentially toxic type of algae has been spotted in North Otago's Kauru River. Otago Regional Council staff spotted Phormidium – a type of algae that forms thick dark brown or black mats on riverbeds – in the river at Ewings, west of Oamaru.

Ebert clients withholding over 'defects'

bmcdonald+RNZ@pagemasters.com.au (RNZ ) — Mon, 01 Apr 2019 05:52:06 +0000

Receivers of failed construction firm Ebert are struggling to recoup $15 million owed to it, meaning subcontractors are unlikely to be paid. Co-receiver Lara Bennett, from PricewaterhouseCoopers, said about 25 of Ebert's former clients were withholding funds, citing defects in Ebert's work. Ebert was owed $18.6m from clients when receivers were appointed in July, but only $3.7m had been paid, Bennett said. "Customers have advised that the cost of remedying the alleged defects will exceed the value of the retentions held against Ebert and as such they do not intend to release any funds," Bennett said.

How to make the perfect pineapple cheesecake

Trent.Wycherley@ubteam.com (Frank. ) — Sun, 02 Dec 2018 21:29:00 +0000

How to make the perfect pineapple cheesecake

Senator slams Haspel's 'outrageous' absence

bmcdonald+AAPNewswire/AP@pagemasters.com.au (AAP Newswire/AP ) — Thu, 29 Nov 2018 03:10:09 +0000

Senator slams Haspel's 'outrageous' absence

What comes next for May and her EU deal

bmcdonald+AAPNewswire/PA@pagemasters.com.au (AAP Newswire/PA ) — Thu, 29 Nov 2018 01:25:00 +0000

What comes next for May and her EU deal

Business Screen

bmcdonald+AAPNewswire/PA@pagemasters.com.au (AAP Newswire/PA ) — Thu, 29 Nov 2018 01:07:00 +0000

We will be leaving the EU as a whole United Kingdom. I've negotiated a Brexit deal

Self-Leadership delivers results

bill.hales@ubteam.com (Bill Hales) — Sun, 25 Nov 2018 19:56:14 +0000

The modern workplace almost seems designed to distract and divert us from delivering desired results! How do we put the focus back where it belongs? Take the initiative and make a periodic appointment with yourself to pause and think through the...

HOW TO: Chocolate Sponge Cake with Ginger

Trent.Wycherley@ubteam.com (Frank. ) — Fri, 23 Nov 2018 22:00:00 +0000

HOW TO: Chocolate Sponge Cake with Ginger. Courtesy: Gordon Ramsey

CURRENCIES

stockset@pagemasters.com.au (Zzzz_AAP Finance) — Fri, 23 Nov 2018 04:56:16 +0000

US Dollar0.681+0.00
UK Pound0.528-0.004
Euro0.596-0.001
Japan Yen76.85-0.03
AU Dollar0.938-0.00

Soar Above Wild Scotland

Trent.Wycherley@ubteam.com (Frank. ) — Fri, 23 Nov 2018 00:00:09 +0000

Filmmaker John Duncan used drones, DJI Inspire 1 and DJI Phantom 3, to capture Scotland's incredible wilderness in this aerial video. Taking you across the country to sites like the Highlands and Islands on the west coast and John O'Groats and North...

RRT continues hay drops

Trent.Wycherley@ubteam.com (Frank. ) — Thu, 22 Nov 2018 23:38:00 +0000

WOW! We have some happy munchers at Walgett and Coolatai! These two regions lie north of Dubbo and have been crippled by Australia's drought as have other areas of NSW. RRT organised a hay drop for Walgett and Coolatai last week. This hay drop was...

Key City Rail Link contractor goes bust

bmcdonald+RNZ@pagemasters.com.au (RNZ ) — Thu, 22 Nov 2018 19:08:50 +0000

UPDATE: The Australian engineering firm that was set to build the Auckland City Rail Link's entire underground network has gone into administration. RCR Tomlinson, in a joint venture with Opus International, was awarded the contract last month. At the time, City Rail Link's chief executive Sean Sweeney said the announcement marked "a major milestone for a project that will deliver significant benefits for Auckland". The Perth-based company had gained $100 million from its shareholders in an equity-raising in late August, and later that month, had released audited financial statements to the ASX claiming to have a positive balance sheet.

California wildfire contained

bmcdonald+AP@pagemasters.com.au (AP ) — Thu, 22 Nov 2018 10:04:00 +0000

Authorities have finally surrounded a Southern California wildfire that destroyed some 1600 homes and other buildings and left three people dead. Fire officials announced that the Woolsey Fire is 100 per cent contained. The wind-whipped blaze...

Interpol's flaws exposed

bmcdonald+AP@pagemasters.com.au (AP ) — Thu, 22 Nov 2018 07:45:16 +0000

The US won, Russia lost and Interpol narrowly escaped disaster – that's the upshot of an unusually high-drama vote for the international police agency's president, dominated by fears that Russia wants to turn Interpol into a tool to hunt down its enemies. While rights groups and Kremlin critics celebrated the surprise victory of South Korean candidate Kim Jong Yang over his Russian rival, the vote exposed flaws within Interpol that won't vanish overnight. Now the pressure is on Kim and Interpol's day-to-day boss, Secretary-General Juergen Stock, to fix them.

Kiwibank customers 'appalled'

bmcdonald+RNZ@pagemasters.com.au (RNZ ) — Thu, 22 Nov 2018 06:41:48 +0000

Kiwibank customers are outraged at news their local branches are being shut. The state-owned bank on Wednesday announced its Johnsonville, Petone and Stoke branches would close. On Friday, it announced the opening of 13 new, stand-alone bank branches, which would not be associated with a post shop. Outside the Johnsonville branch, locals were unanimously against the closure.

Razor wire most visible result of deployment

bmcdonald+AP@pagemasters.com.au (AP ) — Thu, 22 Nov 2018 06:31:08 +0000

The towering metal fence that divides the United States and Mexico at the edge of the Pacific Ocean has an imposing new feature: row upon row of razor wire. The wire that's typically used in battlefields and on prison barriers is the most visible...

Striking midwives stage protest

bmcdonald+RNZ@pagemasters.com.au (RNZ ) — Thu, 22 Nov 2018 05:01:00 +0000

Hospital midwives have taken their protest over pay and recognition to the streets in Hamilton. About 1100 midwives in the Meras union on Thursday began a series of rolling nationwide strikes. At all but six district health boards, they walked off the job for two hours, from 11am until 1pm, and will walk out again for two hours from 8pm. Stoppages will happen at different times every day until December 5, involving different public hospitals.

Dust storm descends on Sydney

bmcdonald@pagemasters.com.au (AAP Newswire) — Thu, 22 Nov 2018 04:41:00 +0000

UPDATE: A thick line of dust that has smothered much of NSW and Sydney has caused air quality to reach a 'hazardous' level with another wave of dust set to come. Strong winds from a low-pressure system have whipped up masses of dirt across the drought-stricken state, which headed towards the coast. The storm stretched more than 500km from the Victorian border, through Canberra and up towards Queensland. Bureau of Meteorology senior meteorologist Simon Louis says more dust is expected to be pushed to the coast late Thursday night or early Friday morning.

Pledge to fix leaking sewage

bmcdonald+RNZ@pagemasters.com.au (RNZ ) — Thu, 22 Nov 2018 04:01:00 +0000

Westland's mayor is confident an upgrade of Franz Josef's sewage ponds will be done in time to meet a deadline imposed by the Environment Court. The ponds were at the centre of a Serious Fraud Office investigation into the council's former operations manager, who oversaw the awarding of a $7 million contract to build a new treatment plant to a company headed by an Auckland cake decorator. The town's ponds were badly damaged in 2016 when the Waiho River burst its banks and infiltrated them.

Employers struggle to find workers

bmcdonald+RNZ@pagemasters.com.au (RNZ ) — Thu, 22 Nov 2018 03:01:00 +0000

Unemployment has dropped to a 10-year low of 4.5 per cent across the country – and in Ashburton, just 1.9 per cent of residents don't have jobs. But the town's employers say they are now dealing with a labour shortage, and the council are looking at ways to solve it. A labour force plan, by the New Zealand Institute of Economic Research, has recorded more than 500 job vacancies in the town. Recruitment firm Canstaff's managing director Matt Jones said it was affecting all sectors of the workforce.

Locating technology to save lives

bmcdonald+RNZ@pagemasters.com.au (RNZ ) — Thu, 22 Nov 2018 02:04:44 +0000

New Zealand's emergency services will be able to save time and lives with improved locating technology. Foreign cell phones can now be found and call takers now have an improved system to pinpoint where all 111 callers are located. At an announcement at the Police's Wellington Communication's Centre, they unveiled the advancements they've made to their Emergency Caller Location Information service (ECLI).

Trade Me bid ‘a solid offer’

bmcdonald+RNZ@pagemasters.com.au (RNZ ) — Thu, 22 Nov 2018 01:01:00 +0000

Trade Me is awaiting its next stage of evolution and the bid of $2.54 billion is a solid offer, its former chief operating officer Mike O'Donnell said. Trade Me, New Zealand's biggest online marketplace is reviewing a non-binding, indicative bid of $2.5 billion from Apax Partners, a British private equity firm. The e-commerce site's former chief operating officer Mike O'Donnell said the offer was a serious one.

ACC to increase rego costs

bmcdonald+RNZ@pagemasters.com.au (RNZ ) — Thu, 22 Nov 2018 00:29:41 +0000

Accident Compensation Corporation is backing down from a plan to hike petrol levies, but will increase the cost of motor vehicle registrations to pay for a rise in road injuries. The state insurer told the government to increase the road user levy...

MPs discuss push for online voting

bmcdonald+RNZ@pagemasters.com.au (RNZ ) — Wed, 21 Nov 2018 22:33:00 +0000

Putting general election papers in the post could be a thing of the past if a proposal to allow people to vote online gets the tick. The idea was put forward by pollster and right-wing blogger David Farrar – one of several suggestions he made to modernise the way people vote. MPs on the Justice Select Committee have met to discuss the results of the inquiry into the 2017 general election and the 2016 local elections. Farrar told MPs that people associate internet voting with hacking, but there were many ways it could be used to encourage a higher turnout. He said it could be as simple as using the internet like a post office – people could scan their ballot paper on a mobile phone and email it to the Electoral Commission, which would print it and count it in the normal way.

One man's fight for justice

ajs@cedarcott.com (Alison Spink) — Wed, 21 Nov 2018 22:25:00 +0000

The recent murder of 11 worshippers in a Jewish synagogue in Pittsburgh was the deadliest attack on Jewish people in American history. It was a solemn reminder of the appalling Kristallnacht, 80 years ago, when Nazis burned Jewish synagogues and destroyed thousands of Jewish businesses and homes in Germany, Austria and German-occupied Czechoslovakia. It was an appalling reminder of the Holocaust, in which about six million Jews were murdered, and a warning that even today racism and anti-Semitism can endanger international alliances based on common values and the rule of law and justice.

Republican rift over Saudi response

bmcdonald+AP@pagemasters.com.au (AP ) — Wed, 21 Nov 2018 21:28:59 +0000

President Donald Trump's embrace of Saudi Arabia has exposed a foreign policy rift in the Republican Party, as some of his GOP colleagues warn not punishing the kingdom for its role in killing a US-based columnist will have dangerous consequences. Many Republicans – even Sens. Lindsey Graham and Rand Paul, who share their views on the matter with the president – have denounced Trump's decision not to levy harsher penalties on Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman over the death and dismemberment of Jamal Khashoggi inside the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul. Sen. Bob Corker, the Republican chairman of the influential Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said he was "astounded" by Trump's statement and likened it to a press release for Saudi Arabia.

Town cut off as rivers recede

bmcdonald+RNZ@pagemasters.com.au (RNZ ) — Wed, 21 Nov 2018 21:25:00 +0000

Roads in and out of a small community in Otago will be closed for up to three more days as flooding recedes after heavy rain drenched the region. The region has been drenched by heavy rain, causing road blocks and a boil-water notice to be issued to some areas. However the Clutha and Taieri Rivers are slowly dropping. The clean-up was in the early stages because the river levels were still high, Clutha District Mayor Bryan Cadogan said. A heavy rain watch was no longer in place but further showers were expected over the coming days. Authorities said they had been in touch with people in Henley, south of Dunedin, where road access had been cut, and they had enough food to get them through.

Amazon caves to Aussie pressure

bmcdonald@pagemasters.com.au (AAP Newswire) — Wed, 21 Nov 2018 20:25:23 +0000

Australians will now be able to shop on Amazon's global website in addition to the local online store. The giant online retailer gave in to pressure from local shoppers and the government, opening up access to half a billion products in its global store. “As a result of customer feedback, from November 22, Amazon customers will be able to ship eligible items from amazon.com to Australian delivery addresses,” an Amazon spokesman said. It follows GST changes introduced by the government on July 1 that levies a 10 per cent tax on all low-value overseas purchases and businesses with a turnover of more than $75,000.

Midwives start two weeks of strikes

bmcdonald+RNZ@pagemasters.com.au (RNZ ) — Wed, 21 Nov 2018 20:12:24 +0000

Hundreds of midwives are going on strike, promising "maximum disruption" for District Health Boards while not putting women and babies at risk. Union members on duty were set to stop work for two hours from 11am and then again at 9pm. Midwives Union spokesperson Jill Ovens said the industrial action would continue twice a day for two weeks across various shifts. "The idea of strike action is to cause disruption, but we don't want to cause disruption to women and their babies,” Ovens said. “That's why we're doing just two-hour strikes." Workers would remain at the hospital but would not perform all their usual tasks during each two-hour period, Ovens said.

Principals urge against foreign teachers

bmcdonald+RNZ@pagemasters.com.au (RNZ ) — Wed, 21 Nov 2018 18:30:41 +0000

Principals are urging caution over the thousands of foreign teachers who want to work in New Zealand, saying many will not be good enough to hire. The Education Ministry said more than 3000 had responded to an advertising campaign and 550 had been judged to have the right qualifications to work in New Zealand schools. It said more than 100 of the teachers had already been hired. Secondary Principals' Association president Mike Williams said foreign teachers might help schools avoid the worst of the teacher shortage but it was unlikely the recruitment campaign had attracted only the best and brightest teachers from other countries.

Ikea to add 4000 local jobs

bmcdonald+AP@pagemasters.com.au (AP ) — Wed, 21 Nov 2018 13:19:16 +0000

Swedish home furnishings giant Ikea said the biggest retailer within its franchise system is to create a net 4,000 jobs over the coming two years as it expands its online presence and opens new shops in city centers to complement its trademark larger stores in the suburbs. Ikea said the cutbacks at Ingka Group will allow it to focus "on its e-commerce platform, to better meet the needs of its customers and be more convenient and affordable to many more people." Ingka is to open stores in 30 major city centers to diversify its reach, which it said will eventually create 11,500 jobs over the coming two years. However, it said 7,500 people will be made redundant during the transformation. Ingka currently operates 367 Ikea stores in 30 countries and employs 160,000 of Ikea's total workforce of 208,000.

Pilots stage dramatic wildfire rescue

bmcdonald+AP@pagemasters.com.au (AP ) — Wed, 21 Nov 2018 09:00:50 +0000

Video shows the dramatic moment firefighters rescued three people and two dogs as thick smoke and flames approached in Southern California. The Los Angeles Fire Department video shows one of its helicopter crew rescuing the group from a mountain peak as a humongous wildfire bore down, coming as close as a football field. The video was taken as pilots David Nordquist and Joel Smith battled the Woolsey Fire that was raging through the Santa Monica Mountains toward Malibu.

Migration numbers to be slashed

bmcdonald@pagemasters.com.au (AAP Newswire) — Wed, 21 Nov 2018 08:05:03 +0000

Scott Morrison says a "fair dinkum process" will ensure the immigration cap is lowered in next year's federal budget. The prime minister has signalled he is planning to cut the annual permanent migration intake by 30,000 places. "What I announced the other night was a fair dinkum process to actually get the actual level right," Morrison said. "I do my homework before I make decisions. This year’s migration program is already set and we’ll have to make a decision in next year’s budget." Australia's annual immigration cap stands at 190,000 but only about 162,000 permanent visas were approved last year.

Rain complicates fire search

bmcdonald+AAPNewswire/AP@pagemasters.com.au (AAP Newswire/AP ) — Wed, 21 Nov 2018 07:10:56 +0000

Rain in the forecast could aid crews fighting California's deadly wildfires while raising the risk of flash floods and complicating efforts to recover remains of those killed. Residents in communities charred by the Los Angeles-area fire stacked sandbags as they prepared for possible downpours that threatened to unleash runoff from hillsides left barren by flames. In Northern California, teams continued sifting through ash and debris as they searched for bodies in and around the decimated town of Paradise.

Milkshakes fuel runner, 64

bmcdonald+RNZ@pagemasters.com.au (RNZ ) — Wed, 21 Nov 2018 06:41:59 +0000

Chocolate milkshakes have powered Napier man Perry Newburn to a new record in running the length of the country. Newburn, 64, has reached Bluff, breaking a national record for the 2100km journey. Newburn left Cape Reinga in the early hours of November 3 and arrived in Bluff 18 days, eight hours and 42 minutes later. He beat Siggy Bauer's previous record by 19 minutes, which had stood for 43 years.

Asylum travel ban 'needs consideration'

bmcdonald@pagemasters.com.au (AAP Newswire) — Wed, 21 Nov 2018 06:40:19 +0000

New Zealand’s deputy prime minister says his country’s offer to take in offshore asylum seekers could be seriously reconsidered if the refugees are banned from later travelling to Australia. The comment by Winston Peters appears to contradict Kiwi Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern’s stance that any block on on-travelling was a decision solely for Australia and wouldn’t affect the New Zealand offer. Since 2013, New Zealand has had a standing offer to take in as refugees 150 people held on Nauru.

Banks lead late recovery on ASX

bmcdonald@pagemasters.com.au (AAP Newswire) — Wed, 21 Nov 2018 06:32:08 +0000

A late rally from banking and health care helped lift the Australian share market off a near two-year low but commodity-related stocks and tech shares weighed heavily. The benchmark S&P/ASX200 index was down 29 points, or 0.51 per cent, at 5642.8 at the close, while the broader All Ordinaries was down 0.64 per cent. The market is yet again flirting with the 5640 to 5650 points mark which many analysts view as a floor of resistance, CommSec market analyst James Tao said.

Trump: No new Saudi sanctions

bmcdonald+AP@pagemasters.com.au (AP ) — Wed, 21 Nov 2018 06:14:21 +0000

President Donald Trump has declared he will not further punish Saudi Arabia for the murder of US-based columnist Jamal Khashoggi – making clear in a statement that the benefits of good relations with the kingdom outweigh the possibility its crown prince ordered the killing. The president condemned the brutal slaying of Khashoggi inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul as a "horrible crime … that our country does not condone." But he rejected calls by many in Congress, including members of his own party, for a tougher response, and he dismissed reports from US intelligence agencies that Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman must have at least known about such an audacious and intricate plot.

Face-off over tertiary fees policy

bmcdonald+RNZ@pagemasters.com.au (RNZ ) — Wed, 21 Nov 2018 05:15:00 +0000

Education Minister Chris Hipkins has defended the tertiary fees-free policy as National calls out Labour over what it calls a failed election bribe. The policy, which offers all new students one free year of full-time tertiary study or training, is expected to cost $350 million in its first year, yet enrolments are just 0.3 per cent higher than the same time in June last year. Figures showed there are 2400 fewer students in tertiary education and training than a year ago. Hipkins said that figure was actually a reflection of the strong labour market.

Ice cream firm inks China deal

bmcdonald+RNZ@pagemasters.com.au (RNZ ) — Wed, 21 Nov 2018 04:23:00 +0000

A new dairy-free ice cream company based in Auckland has broken into the Chinese market. WāHiki Creamery, which was founded in late 2016, has signed a deal to supply its coconut ice cream product to Asia's biggest childcare centre. Cathay Future has about 20,000 children enrolled in Tianjin, a major port city in north-eastern China. At least 2000 of the children are at the centre full-time and the rest are enrolled in the after-school programme.

Pair rescued from car roof

bmcdonald+RNZ@pagemasters.com.au (RNZ ) — Wed, 21 Nov 2018 03:14:00 +0000

Emergency services rescued two people from the roof of their car after they were trapped by floodwaters in Otago. Heavy rain which hit Otago on Tuesday is expected to return to the region. MetService has a heavy rain watch in place for areas including Oamaru, Dunedin and Balclutha for 12 hours from 2pm. Two people in the vehicle that got stuck were trying to cross a flooded road between Balclutha and Clydevale.

Libs plan to improve safety

bmcdonald@pagemasters.com.au (AAP Newswire) — Wed, 21 Nov 2018 03:01:00 +0000

Victoria will get a minister for counter-terrorism and legislation to improve safety will be put to parliament before Christmas, if a Liberal-Nationals government is elected on Saturday. In a fortnight that included a deadly terror stabbing and the arrest of three would-be terrorists in Melbourne, Opposition Leader and alternative-premier Matthew Guy announced plans for the new political portfolio. The tough-on-crime leader also announced plans to create a minister for population decentralisation as well as a minister for the regional city of Geelong.

Trump gives answers to Mueller

bmcdonald+AP@pagemasters.com.au (AP ) — Wed, 21 Nov 2018 02:24:00 +0000

President Donald Trump has provided the special counsel with written answers to questions about his knowledge of Russian interference in the 2016 election, his lawyers have said, avoiding – at least for now – a potentially risky Trump sit-down with prosecutors. It is the first time the president has directly co-operated with the long investigation. The step is a milestone in the negotiations between Trump's attorneys and special counsel Robert Mueller's team over whether and when the president might sit for an interview.

No evidence of cyber attacks

bmcdonald+RNZ@pagemasters.com.au (RNZ ) — Wed, 21 Nov 2018 02:00:17 +0000

A cyber security specialist says he's seen no evidence to suggest China has been attacking New Zealand businesses. A joint Fairfax Media/Nine News investigation says it has confirmation that China's Ministry of State Security has been increasing its cyber attacks on Australian businesses. The attack operation is known in cyber circles as "Operation Cloud Hopper" and was first described in detail by the international consultancy PwC in a 2017 report – though it fell short of blaming China outright. The Chinese Foreign Ministry has denied the reports.

Dairy prices to keep falling

bmcdonald+RNZ@pagemasters.com.au (RNZ ) — Wed, 21 Nov 2018 01:06:39 +0000

The latest Global Dairy Auction saw average dairy prices slip 3.5 per cent to $US2727 a tonne. Benchmark whole-milk powder price fell 1.8 per cent, while skim milk powder fell 1.6 per cent and butter fell 9.6 per cent. The fall came a day after analysts forecast such a drop. After the announcement, NZX dairy analyst Amy Castleton said wholemilk volumes were at a peak, with October production volumes at their highest level ever, up 6.5 per cent on last year.

This is what happens when Amazon comes for your business

Trent.Wycherley@ubteam.com (Frank. ) — Wed, 21 Nov 2018 00:49:38 +0000

CNN's Jon Sarlin explains why companies panic when Amazon enters their markets and what unexpected opportunities that can bring

British firm offers to buy Trade Me

bmcdonald+RNZ@pagemasters.com.au (RNZ ) — Wed, 21 Nov 2018 00:05:00 +0000

A British investment company is lining up to make a bid for New Zealand's biggest online marketplace Trade Me. Apax Partners has made a non-binding, indicative bid of $6.40 a share for all of Trade Me, valuing the company at more than $2.5 billion. "The Board of Trade Me, together with its advisers, has reviewed the indicative proposal and has decided to engage with Apax. Trade Me has provided Apax with due diligence access on an exclusive basis until December 12 to facilitate a binding offer," Trade Me said in a statement to the Stock Exchange.

Middlemore gets $80m upgrade

bmcdonald+RNZ@pagemasters.com.au (RNZ ) — Tue, 20 Nov 2018 23:46:00 +0000

The government is investing $80 million to fix long-standing problems with buildings at Middlemore Hospital and the Manukau SuperClinic. Improving the state of hospitals is a government priority, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said. "Problems with leaky buildings, including rot and mould in the walls and earthquake-prone facilities, are all symptoms of years of neglect and underinvestment," she said. Making the announcement of $80 million in funding to upgrade and repair the hospital's facilities, Ardern spoke highly of the work done by the staff in the Counties Manukau DHB.

Signs of economic slowdown

bmcdonald+AP@pagemasters.com.au (AP ) — Tue, 20 Nov 2018 22:40:00 +0000

After galloping along for the past two years, the global economy is showing signs of weakening, with the United States, China and Europe all facing the rising threat of a slowdown. Few economists foresee an outright global recession within the next year. But the synchronized growth that powered most major economies since 2017 appears to be fading. The risks have been magnified by the trade war raging between the United States and China, the strife dividing Britain over an exit from the European Union and the Federal Reserve's continuing interest rate hikes.

What stopped war in Gaza?

Trent.Wycherley@ubteam.com (Frank. ) — Tue, 20 Nov 2018 22:37:50 +0000

This week's flare-up of violence around the Gaza Strip raised the spectre of another Israeli ground incursion into the Palestinian territory. Despite an intense escalation of violence over less than 48 hours, however, the two sides pulled back from the brink of war, agreeing to a cease-fire that ended the exchange of militant rocket fire and Israeli airstrikes and dissipated fears of further military operations. So why did similar violence in the past lead to an Israeli ground war while this episode did not? What sets apart these escalations and what determines how far they go?

Two critical after truck-van crash

bmcdonald+RNZ@pagemasters.com.au (RNZ ) — Tue, 20 Nov 2018 20:24:19 +0000

Two people are in a critical condition after a crash south of Hamilton. A truck and a van collided on State Highway 1, near Bollard Road in Tamahere. Police said diversions were in place and motorists had been advised to expect delays. The Police Serious Crash Unit was at the scene.

Clean-up begins after flooding

bmcdonald+RNZ@pagemasters.com.au (RNZ ) — Tue, 20 Nov 2018 19:23:45 +0000

Clean-up work is starting today following yesterday's influx of rain but flooding continues to block some South Island roads. Severe weather warnings in the South Island were lifted last night as rain across the Dunedin and Clutha districts eased off. Despite rainfall easing in southern regions, rivers have not yet peaked. The Clutha River is flooding and the Clutha District Council is warning people to avoid all unnecessary travel and stay off the roads if possible.

Row erupts into deadly shooting

bmcdonald+AP@pagemasters.com.au (AP ) — Tue, 20 Nov 2018 17:33:38 +0000

UPDATE: A gunman repeatedly shot an emergency room doctor outside a Chicago hospital, including after she fell to the ground, before he ran into the building and fatally shot a responding police officer and a pharmacy worker as she walked out of an elevator, according to witnesses and investigators. The attacker, Juan Lopez, also died during the shooting Monday at Mercy Hospital on the city's South Side, but it was unclear if he took his own life or was killed by police, Chicago Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson said. "This officer, all of those officers are heroes, they saved a lot of lives because we just don't know how much damage he was prepared to do," Johnson said. The hospital identified the slain staff members as 38-year-old Tamara O'Neal, an emergency room physician, and Dayna Less, 25, a first-year pharmacy resident who had recently graduated from Purdue University.

Tauranga bans begging

bmcdonald+RNZ@pagemasters.com.au (RNZ ) — Tue, 20 Nov 2018 10:00:52 +0000

The Tauranga City Council has narrowly passed a bylaw banning begging and rough sleeping near retail and hospitality premises. Councillors voted six – five in favour of the ban at a meeting this afternoon.

Price casts doubt over KiwiBuild homes

bmcdonald+RNZ@pagemasters.com.au (RNZ ) — Tue, 20 Nov 2018 08:31:49 +0000

Almost 70 Kiwibuild homes are to be built in a neglected New Plymouth neighbourhood more than a decade after a new housing project was first promised. In 2008, 28 Housing New Zealand properties were demolished in Marfell and in 2012, 20 families were forced to move out to make way for a development that never materialised.

Judge blocks US asylum restrictions

bmcdonald+AAPNewswire/AP@pagemasters.com.au (AAP Newswire/AP ) — Tue, 20 Nov 2018 07:53:35 +0000

A US federal judge has temporarily barred the Trump administration from refusing asylum to immigrants who cross the southern border illegally. District Judge Jon S Tigar issued a temporary restraining order after hearing arguments in San Francisco.

Floodwaters threaten Otago township

bmcdonald+RNZ@pagemasters.com.au (RNZ ) — Tue, 20 Nov 2018 06:31:00 +0000

UPDATE: The Taieri River is moving rapidly and rising as floodwaters come increasingly close to topping the banks protecting the township of Henley. Most of the routes out of the small settlement are now cut off, but residents are resolute and say it is nothing they haven't seen before. Most of the houses are elevated and will have some protection if the river tops its banks, but flooding can also come around the rear of the settlement as rainwater pours off the hills and into paddocks.

Aussie housing lull hits Fletcher

bmcdonald+AAPNewswire/Reuters@pagemasters.com.au (AAP Newswire/Reuters ) — Tue, 20 Nov 2018 06:10:00 +0000

New Zealand's largest builder Fletcher Building has forecast weaker earnings for fiscal 2019 due to further headwinds from Australia's slowing residential sector, prompting its shares to tumble to a more than nine-year low. The company has announced refinancing plans, reviewed loss-making businesses and replaced top executives this year, as massive cost over-runs and project delays led to steep losses. Underlying earnings before interest and tax were expected to drop by 10 per cent in the first half of 2019, Fletcher said in a statement ahead of its annual general meeting.

Power cut costs businesses $1m

bmcdonald+RNZ@pagemasters.com.au (RNZ ) — Tue, 20 Nov 2018 04:19:31 +0000

Taupō's mayor says businesses lost at least $1 million as a result of Monday's power cut, which left the popular tourist centre like a "ghost town”. About 16,500 lost power for most of the day as a result of a fault at the Transpower substation, which happened at about 9am. Mayor David Trewavas said most businesses lost a full day's trading, with tourists heading to other nearby towns such as Turangi instead. "We've put it at a cost of a minimum of $1 million when you divide all the businesses up by an average amount per day,” he said. “But then you've got the staff costs as well so ... hopefully they will be covered with their staff costs but not everyone would be."

Space co-operation ‘still strong’

bmcdonald+AP@pagemasters.com.au (AP ) — Tue, 20 Nov 2018 03:43:00 +0000

Russian and US space officials have hailed the joint work of their programs and said co-operation remains strong despite political tensions between their countries. Roscosmos director Dmitry Rogozin and Bill Gerstenmaier, head of NASA's human explorations and operations, said after a conference marking the 20th anniversary of the International Space Station that their agencies plan to collaborate on developing a moon orbiting outpost. Russia is working on a heavy booster rocket and a new spacecraft to complement American projects intended for a future moon mission, Rogozin said. "We absolutely trust each other, and political winds haven't touched us," he said.

Rival unions may lead to strikes

bmcdonald+RNZ@pagemasters.com.au (RNZ ) — Tue, 20 Nov 2018 02:37:19 +0000

Junior doctors are threatening more strikes early next year because of a deal with a rival union. In a first for district health boards, they have agreed to different terms and conditions for two rival unions both representing junior doctors. Thousands of junior doctors took to the streets in 2016 and 2017 to protest against long working hours and hospital rosters that they said were unsafe. A hard-won deal led to new rosters that restricted the number of consecutive days doctors could work from 12 to 10.

A2 Milk raises glass to strong start

bmcdonald@pagemasters.com.au (AAP Newswire) — Tue, 20 Nov 2018 01:06:00 +0000

The A2 Milk Company is off to a FY19 flier, lifting its earnings for the first four months of the year while appearing unfazed by the prospect of higher marketing costs, and the impact of China’s new cross-border e-commerce laws. The expanding dairy and infant formula producer lifted net profit by 64.5 per cent to $NZ86 million ($80.62 million) between July and October while revenues rose 40.5 per cent to $NZ368.4 million. Chief executive Jayne Hrdlicka is sticking by the company's previous guidance for this financial year of more moderate revenue growth while underlying earnings are expected to be broadly in line with last year.

Police claim terror plot foiled

bmcdonald@pagemasters.com.au (AAP Newswire) — Tue, 20 Nov 2018 00:10:37 +0000

Three men arrested over an ISIS-inspired Melbourne terror plot that aimed to kill as many people as possible had tried to source a semi-automatic rifle, police allege. A 30-year-old man from Dallas, a 26-year-old man from Campbellfield and a 21-year-old man from Greenvale were arrested during raids at their homes in the city's northwest. Victoria Police Chief Commissioner Graham Ashton said the trio had been under investigation since March and become "energised" in the past week about activating the plot. "We didn't have a precise time and a precise location," Ashton said. "They were looking at a place of mass gathering.

NZ won't take sides in trade war

bmcdonald+RNZ@pagemasters.com.au (RNZ ) — Tue, 20 Nov 2018 00:02:00 +0000

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern says she isn't taking sides in the trade war between the world's two superpowers after tensions ran high at the APEC summit. The APEC summit held in Papua New Guinea revealed the deep rifts between the United States and China on trade and security. The countries at the summit failed to sign a formal leaders' statement because of those divisions. Ardern, who just returned from Papua New Guinea, said rather than aligning with a certain country, New Zealand's approach was based on principles. "Our application of our values-based approach actually is what an independent forum policy is all about,” she said.

RRT Feilding helps at Whanau Day

Trent.Wycherley@ubteam.com (Frank. ) — Mon, 19 Nov 2018 22:42:05 +0000

Almost 1000 sausages given to the supporters on Saturday! Our RRT Feilding crew was supporting the combined White Ribbon / Whanau Day. A Worthy cause against violence to women. With above 400 people participating it was a busy day. With 13...

Fuel protests 'more violent'

bmcdonald+AP@pagemasters.com.au (AP ) — Mon, 19 Nov 2018 22:40:00 +0000

Citizen protests of fuel tax hikes are choking facilities critical to the French economy, and police have orders to remove the drivers blocking sensitive sites to show their anger, France's interior minister says. In a third day of action, grassroots protesters blocked oil depots with their vehicles and disrupted English Channel traffic in a bid to keep up pressure on President Emmanuel Macron's government. Interior Minister Christophe Castaner said the demonstrations around France had grown smaller while yielding "a multiplication” of violent acts and vandalism.

Morrison mulls population strategy

bmcdonald@pagemasters.com.au (AAP Newswire) — Mon, 19 Nov 2018 22:37:51 +0000

Scott Morrison is considering slashing immigration numbers to prevent over-crowding in Australia's biggest cities. The prime minister said community sentiment was in favour of cutting numbers in Sydney and Melbourne. "The roads are clogged, the buses and trains are full. The schools are taking no more enrolments. I hear what you are saying. I hear you loud and clear," he said. “We have become, especially in Sydney and Melbourne, a victim of our success. The Sydney story on population is not just a migration story. It's also a quality-of-life story." Any changes could see Australia's immigration cap, which stands at 190,000, be cut by up to 30,000.

National's questions 'tactic' criticised

bmcdonald+RNZ@pagemasters.com.au (RNZ ) — Mon, 19 Nov 2018 22:21:00 +0000

A barrage of written questions from the National Party is heaping pressure on ministerial offices, prompting one to restructure and a government agency to hire a new staff member. In the year since forming the government, ministers have received 42,221 written parliamentary questions from National MPs – about 800 a week, or 115 a day, weekends included. Several ministers have been caught tripping up over the process – which the National Party calls incompetence. But Auckland University Emeritus Professor Barry Gustafson said the exercise appeared to be more of a fishing expedition than anything to do with policy.

May flags 'intense week' of talks

bmcdonald+AP@pagemasters.com.au (AP ) — Mon, 19 Nov 2018 21:39:13 +0000

The United Kingdom and the European Union have plowed ahead with plans to have their divorce deal signed, sealed and delivered within days as British Prime Minister Theresa May waited to see whether rebel lawmakers opposed to the agreement had the numbers to challenge her leadership. The draft agreement reached last week triggered an avalanche of criticism in Britain and left May fighting to keep her job even as British and EU negotiators raced to firm up a final deal before a weekend summit where EU leaders hope to rubber-stamp it. The 585-page, legally binding withdrawal agreement is as good as complete, but Britain and the EU still need to flesh out a far less detailed seven-page declaration on their future relations.

California death toll climbs

bmcdonald+AAPNewswire/Reuters@pagemasters.com.au (AAP Newswire/Reuters ) — Mon, 19 Nov 2018 21:16:00 +0000

Authorities have redoubled efforts to find more victims of the deadliest wildfire in California history and to account for nearly 1000 people listed as missing, with forecast rains expected to hinder the search and raise the risk of mudslides. Remains of 79 victims have been recovered since the Camp Fire erupted on November 8 and largely obliterated the Sierra foothills hamlet of Paradise, a town of nearly 27,000 people 280km north of San Francisco.

Fire on plane at airport

bmcdonald+RNZ@pagemasters.com.au (RNZ ) — Mon, 19 Nov 2018 21:02:00 +0000

Fire and Emergency crews have been called to the tarmac after fire broke out on board a plane at Auckland Airport. The fire was on board an Alliance Airlines charter plane. Shift manager Paul Radden said the fire in the auxiliary power unit was put out by on board extinguishers. Firefighters and engineers were standing by. An airport spokesperson said no one was hurt and there were no delays.

Saudi king ignores claims, backs son

bmcdonald+AP@pagemasters.com.au (AP ) — Mon, 19 Nov 2018 20:50:57 +0000

Saudi Arabia's King Salman has given his first major speech since the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi by Saudi agents, expressing support for his son, the crown prince, and making no mention of allegations the young royal ordered the killing. The annual policy speech by the king instead highlighted Saudi Arabia's priorities for the coming year, focusing on issues such as the war in Yemen, security for Palestinians, stability in the oil market, countering rival Iran and job creation for Saudis.

Construction firm in liquidation

bmcdonald+RNZ@pagemasters.com.au (RNZ ) — Mon, 19 Nov 2018 20:09:00 +0000

Another construction company has gone under, owing millions of dollars and leaving a handful of private and public-sector projects in the lurch. All divisions of the Accent On Group are in receivership, while the construction division is also in liquidation. Tony Maginness and Jared Booth, liquidators from Staples Rodway, were appointed by the High Court this month, at the request of the real estate firm Ray White Damerell Group over unpaid debt. Booth said the construction company owed more than $4.5 million to creditors, including $1.8 million to Inland Revenue.

Snow, heavy rain on its way

bmcdonald+RNZ@pagemasters.com.au (RNZ ) — Mon, 19 Nov 2018 19:13:09 +0000

Torrential rain has pounded parts of the South Island overnight and it's looking to be a wintry day ahead, with more snow on the way. 50 millimetres of rain fell overnight, and up to 80mm is on its way today. MetService meteorologist Karl Loots said the rain has been heavy and persistent from Southland to South Canterbury. But the worst affected area is east Otago, where a heavy rain warning is in place until tonight.

Israel avoids an early election

bmcdonald+AP@pagemasters.com.au (AP ) — Mon, 19 Nov 2018 13:03:18 +0000

Israel avoided early elections after a key coalition partner in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government said that he would not withdraw his party, keeping the coalition intact despite a crisis triggered by a violent flare-up with Gaza militants. Education Minister Naftali Bennett said his hard-line, pro-settler Jewish Home party would give Netanyahu another chance to address the security challenges facing Israel, listing off threats from Gaza and Lebanon, among others, which he wanted dealt with more firmly. "I tell the prime minister here: we are withdrawing right now all of our political demands and will stand to help you in this great mission of getting Israel to win again," he said. "If the government would really start leading toward the right path, acting like a real right-wing government, it's worth trying," he added. "The ball is in the prime minister's court."

Trump: No need to hear death tape

bmcdonald+AP@pagemasters.com.au (AP ) — Mon, 19 Nov 2018 12:07:54 +0000

President Donald Trump said there is no reason for him to listen to a recording of the killing of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, which has put him in a diplomatic bind: how to admonish Riyadh for the slaying yet maintain strong ties with a close ally. Trump made clear the audio recording, supplied by the Turkish government, would not affect his response to the October 2 killing of Khashoggi, a columnist who had been critical of the Saudi royal family. "I've been fully briefed on it, there's no reason for me to hear it," Trump said. ''I know everything that went on in the tape without having to hear it."

Saudis banned from European nations

bmcdonald+AP@pagemasters.com.au (AP ) — Mon, 19 Nov 2018 11:41:41 +0000

Germany's foreign minister says Berlin has banned 18 Saudi nationals from entering Europe's border-free Schengen zone because they are believed to be connected to the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. Heiko Maas said that Germany issued the ban...

Berry bandits halt self-service at farm

bmcdonald+RNZ@pagemasters.com.au (RNZ ) — Mon, 19 Nov 2018 10:38:49 +0000

A Whanganui farm has pulled the plug on its pick-your-own berry service after visitors took more than $600 worth of strawberries in one day. Windermere Berry Farm has allowed people to pick their own berries for decades but people are abusing the...

Teen critical after shark attack

bmcdonald@pagemasters.com.au (AAP Newswire) — Mon, 19 Nov 2018 09:28:42 +0000

UPDATE: Medical staff believe a teenager who suffered serious injuries after being attacked by a shark off the Northern Territory coast will likely survive and keep his injured arm but he remains in a critical condition following surgery. Sean Whitcombe, 17, was spearfishing around 40km offshore of Nhulunbuy in the Gulf of Carpentaria when the attack occurred. He was in about five metres of water and is believed to have been bitten on his arm and leg while coming to the surface after spearing a fish.

Stadium report conditions 'justified'

bmcdonald+RNZ@pagemasters.com.au (RNZ ) — Mon, 19 Nov 2018 06:26:00 +0000

Auckland's mayor Phil Goff was justified in only conditionally releasing a $900,000 report on a new Auckland stadium to his councillors, the Chief Ombudsman has found. Goff commissioned the report into the potential for a downtown stadium last year without councillors' knowledge and then only gave them physical, rather than electronic, access to it. His actions caused a rift in the council, with nine councillors writing an open letter expressing their "strong dissatisfaction", and two complaining to the ombudsman. But chief Ombudsman Peter Boshier has found Goff's actions were reasonable.

Wildfire death toll rises to 77

bmcdonald+AAPNewswire/AP@pagemasters.com.au (AAP Newswire/AP ) — Mon, 19 Nov 2018 05:37:51 +0000

Authorities say one more set of human remains has been found, bringing the total number killed in a devastating California wildfire to 77. A state incident report sa the flames destroyed more than 10,500 homes. Over a thousand names remain on a list of those unaccounted for after the so-called Camp Fire swept through the rural town of Paradise on November 8. Authorities stressed that many of those may be safe and unaware they have been reported missing.

Bid to reopen CTV building probe

bmcdonald+RNZ@pagemasters.com.au (RNZ ) — Mon, 19 Nov 2018 04:28:00 +0000

Government lawyers have asked the High Court to order the Institution of Professional Engineers (IPENZ) to resume its investigation into the civil engineer responsible for the CTV building, which collapsed in the 2011 earthquake, killing 115 people. The engineering firm responsible for the building's design was owned by Dr Alan Reay. In December 2012 the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment's chief engineer, Michael Stannard, made a complaint to IPENZ – now known as Engineering New Zealand – about Dr Reay, and the design and construction of the CTV building.

China-US spat frustrating – PM

bmcdonald@pagemasters.com.au (AAP Newswire) — Mon, 19 Nov 2018 04:11:55 +0000

UPDATE: Australia has urged China and the United States to end their trade war, with Scott Morrison saying many other countries are frustrated at their intransigence. China and the US ignored sustained pressure from a series of countries and instead escalated their trade war at the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation meeting. But the prime minister says the first APEC meeting held in Papua New Guinea was a success even though it ended without an official statement. The two superpowers could not agree on the wording, making it the first time an APEC summit has failed to produce an agreed communique.

PNG base ‘to support friends’ – Pyne

bmcdonald@pagemasters.com.au (AAP Newswire) — Mon, 19 Nov 2018 02:09:24 +0000

Defence Minister Christopher Pyne has dismissed suggestions that partnering with the United States to expand a naval base on Manus Island could inflame tensions with China. Australia is working with the US and Papua New Guinea to upgrade the strategically significant deep water port into a key staging point into Asia. Canberra will provide the lion's share of the funding and take the lead on construction at the Lombrum base, with the intention of basing Australian ships there in the future.

Early-learning sector in shake-up

bmcdonald+RNZ@pagemasters.com.au (RNZ ) — Mon, 19 Nov 2018 01:30:00 +0000

Early childhood centres are facing surprise audits and higher minimum staffing requirements after the government unveiled a $3.5 billion overhaul of the sector. The government's draft 10-year strategic plan for early childhood education also suggested regulation of early childhood teachers' pay and greater restrictions on where new services would be allowed to open. Education Minister Chris Hipkins said quality was the focus of the plan, which would be open for consultation until March 15.

Birds Hunt Mayflies for their Chicks

Trent.Wycherley@ubteam.com (Frank. ) — Mon, 19 Nov 2018 01:23:26 +0000

Mayflies only have a matter of hours to lay their eggs before becoming food for hungry chicks. Experience all details in beautiful slow motion

Businesses to bear cost of migrant pay increase

bmcdonald+RNZ@pagemasters.com.au (RNZ ) — Mon, 19 Nov 2018 00:35:00 +0000

Increases in migrant worker pay could exacerbate labour shortages at a time when unemployment is historically low, according to an immigration lawyer. Immigration New Zealand has hiked the minimum hourly wage for migrants by 60 cents to $1 to be in line with the median income. From next week, businesses must pay lower-skilled migrants $21.25, and higher-skilled migrants at least $37.50.

Immigration policy to stay in place

bmcdonald@pagemasters.com.au (AAP Newswire) — Sun, 18 Nov 2018 23:50:33 +0000

The federal government will be sticking to its non-discriminatory immigration policy, Defence Minister Christopher Pyne says. Pyne's comments came after new polling revealed Australians were split on whether to change the nation's intake of immigrants, particularly those from Muslim countries. "We have a non-discriminatory policy, that must remain in place," Pyne said. "We don't need to put a handbrake on population growth, we need to manage our population growth sensibly in a country which, quite frankly, can take a lot more than 25 million people."

Businesses fret as rivers run dry

bmcdonald+RNZ@pagemasters.com.au (RNZ ) — Sun, 18 Nov 2018 23:36:32 +0000

Some businesses and farmers in Central Hawke's Bay may start rationing water as parts of the Waipawa and Tukituki rivers are bone-dry. It comes as figures showed the top six water consent holders in the district are using more than half of all allocated water from the Ruataniwha Aquifer and rivers. Surface water user group chair Alastair Haliburton said about 40 consent holders were considering rationing and rostering their water supplies because of concerns that river levels were so low. His company, Medallion Pet Foods, which employed 14 people in Waipukurau, could go bust if it did not get enough water.

Thousands left without power

bmcdonald+RNZ@pagemasters.com.au (RNZ ) — Sun, 18 Nov 2018 22:06:00 +0000

Most of Taupō is without power due to a switchboard fault at the Wairakei substation. A fault was reported by Transpower to the local supplier Unison. Unison spokesperson Danny Gough said staff were working with haste to repair the fault. "Transpower are there with their staff working with some haste and from what we can gather there appears to be an issue with the switchboard at the substation,” the spokesperson said. "So they're inspecting that, understanding the issue and then they can come up with a plan."

Pyne chides cabinet colleagues

bmcdonald@pagemasters.com.au (AAP Newswire) — Sun, 18 Nov 2018 22:03:00 +0000

Defence Minister Christopher Pyne has chided his cabinet colleagues for debating in public the delicate foreign policy of shifting Australia's embassy in Israel. Treasurer Josh Frydenberg has argued relocating the embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem would be the right decision, while Defence Industry Minister Steve Ciobo said it would be a mistake. Asked whether it was appropriate to express their strong views in public, Pyne said: "Well, you'll have to ask the people who are making those comments." Pyne said the key issue was whether the Israeli embassy should be located in the capital of West Jerusalem.

Merkel, Macron push for unity

bmcdonald+AP@pagemasters.com.au (AP ) — Sun, 18 Nov 2018 21:35:00 +0000

French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel have consulted on migration, fixing the euro currency, Europe's defense, taxing digital companies and other issues as the two leaders looked to preserve their influence abroad while their authority flags at home. Macron, in Berlin to take part in Germany's national remembrance day for the victims of war and dictatorship, urged European government to seize more responsibility for their own fate, especially regarding defense. Macron said the French-German alliance "is invested with this obligation not to allow the world to slide into chaos, and to accompany it on the road of peace”.

Snow blankets lower South Island

bmcdonald+RNZ@pagemasters.com.au (RNZ ) — Sun, 18 Nov 2018 21:00:00 +0000

UPDATE: Snow has fallen to 400 metres in lower parts of the South Island and thunderstorms could be on the cards for the top half. Snow was expected to settle on roads around the South Island and snowfall warnings have been issued. The cold snap was also affecting air travel. The snow has blanketed Queenstown, and the airport there said a flight from Christchurch had been cancelled due to visibility.

No pain, no gain! And no excuses!

bill.hales@ubteam.com (Bill Hales) — Sun, 18 Nov 2018 20:47:00 +0000

When a famous American football coach first walked into the training room of a team he had just taken on, he found it full of players getting treatment for a variety of minor ailments. 'Get this straight', he barked, 'when you are really hurt you...

Bridges: Pike River families not owed an apology

bmcdonald+RNZ@pagemasters.com.au (RNZ ) — Sun, 18 Nov 2018 20:28:00 +0000

National Party leader Simon Bridges doesn’t believe the families of the 29 men who died at Pike River are owed an apology from the government. The Minister Responsible for Pike River re-entry Andrew Little said the government should make a public apology for its failures at the mine. The government’s independent adviser on the mine recovery operation, Rob Fyfe, has called for such an apology to the families of the 29 men who died in the mine explosions in 2010.

Netanyahu takes on new post

bmcdonald+AP@pagemasters.com.au (AP ) — Sun, 18 Nov 2018 20:12:05 +0000

UPDATE: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says he will take on the defense minister portfolio, rejecting calls to dissolve his government even as early elections appeared increasingly likely. Netanyahu said heading to elections now, amid repeated violent confrontations with Gaza militants, was "irresponsible" of his coalition partners, who have been pushing for early polls since the resignation last week of Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman over a Gaza cease-fire. "Today, I take on for the first time the position of defense minister," Netanyahu said from Israel's defense headquarters in Tel Aviv.

Suspicious blaze at Hawke's Bay Opera House

bmcdonald+RNZ@pagemasters.com.au (RNZ ) — Sun, 18 Nov 2018 17:55:00 +0000

A fire in the Hawke’s Bay Opera House and several fires in bins in Hastings last night may have been connected. Firefighters were called to the blaze, on the ground floor of the three-storey Opera House just after 10pm. It was put out about three hours later. There were no reports of injuries.

Bus strike hits Hamilton

bmcdonald+RNZ@pagemasters.com.au (RNZ ) — Sun, 18 Nov 2018 17:45:00 +0000

Some bus services in Waikato have been rescheduled because of planned strike action by some drivers. The region’s bus operator Go Bus announced on Sunday that union members would be locked out after they said they would not be collecting fares from passengers in action relating to a long-running industrial dispute. On Friday FIRST Union announced that its members would not collect fares on the company’s Waikato urban bus services for two weeks.

‘Massive tornado’ near Ashburton

bmcdonald+RNZ@pagemasters.com.au (RNZ ) — Sun, 18 Nov 2018 14:16:00 +0000

A woman has described a tornado in Canterbury as a massive ball of dust coming at the road. Lily Tworogal was driving to Christchurch with her father and was just north of Ashburton when she saw the tornado at about 4pm on Sunday. She said there had been a lightning storm just before she noticed the tornado. “I just see this massive ball of dust swirling around, and very quickly it joins up with the sky to form what looks like a massive tornado basically, and it was moving fast and it was big and it was scary!” Miss Tworogal said she had never seen anything like it before, and that it was extremely close to the road.

Leaders fail to reach consensus

bmcdonald+AP@pagemasters.com.au (AP ) — Sun, 18 Nov 2018 08:08:00 +0000

BREAKING NEWS: An acrimonious meeting of world leaders in Papua New Guinea failed to agree on a final communique, highlighting widening divisions between global powers the US and China. The 21 nations at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Port Moresby struggled to bridge differences on the role of the World Trade Organization, which governs international trade. A statement would be issued by the meeting's chair, Papua New Guinea's Prime Minister Peter O'Neill, instead. "The entire world is worried" about tensions between China and the US, O'Neill told a mob of reporters that descended on him after he confirmed there was no communique from leaders.

Riders evacuated off rollercoaster

bmcdonald+RNZ@pagemasters.com.au (RNZ ) — Sun, 18 Nov 2018 05:25:30 +0000

Thrill seekers on a rollercoaster at an Auckland theme park had to be evacuated off the ride after a safety mechanism caused it to stop. Passengers were stuck on the corkscrew rollercoaster at Rainbow's End for 15 minutes. They were escorted off the ride by theme park staff. Rainbow's End chief executive Karen Crabb said the ride was thoroughly checked and no fault was found.

Promises flow as Victoria election nears

bmcdonald@pagemasters.com.au (AAP Newswire) — Sun, 18 Nov 2018 05:08:23 +0000

With just six days to go until the Victorian state election the major parties are in non-stop pledge-mode in key seats in a bid to win votes. Premier Daniel Andrews was in Clyde, in Melbourne's outer southeast, to announce his government would bring back the free dental van to public schools if re-elected on Saturday. Andrews said the $395.8 million initiative would save families up to $400 per child each year.

Call to apologise for Pike River

bmcdonald+RNZ@pagemasters.com.au (RNZ ) — Sun, 18 Nov 2018 04:42:00 +0000

The Minister Responsible for Pike River Re-Entry Andrew Little says the government should make a public apology for its failures at the mine. The government's independent adviser on the mine recovery operation, Rob Fyfe, has called for such an apology to the families of the 29 men who died in the mine explosions in 2010. Little said there were several failures in the aftermath of the disaster, including by the Department of Labour which was responsible for overall health and safety.

Trump tours fire-devastated areas

bmcdonald+AP@pagemasters.com.au (AP ) — Sun, 18 Nov 2018 03:06:32 +0000

UPDATE: From the ashes of a mobile home and RV park, President Donald Trump said he had to come to the heart of California's killer wildfire to fully grasp the scale of the desolation wrought on the landscape. "We're going to have to work quickly. ... Hopefully this is going to be the last of these because this was a really, really bad one," said the president, who pledged that improved forest management practices would diminish future risks. "I think everybody's seen the light and I don't think we'll have this again to this extent," Trump said in Paradise, the town largely destroyed by a wildfire ignited that he called "this monster."

PM steers clear of Pacific dispute

bmcdonald+RNZ@pagemasters.com.au (RNZ ) — Sun, 18 Nov 2018 02:08:47 +0000

New Zealand appears determined to steer a middle course in the growing competition for influence in the Pacific region between the world's two biggest economies and superpowers. The United States and China clashed at the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Papua New Guinea, with US Vice President Mike Pence tackling China head on. "Know that the United States offers a better option. We don't drown our partners in a sea of debt, we don't coerce, compromise your independence," Pence told the APEC summit.

Petrol price relief – for some

bmcdonald+RNZ@pagemasters.com.au (RNZ ) — Sat, 17 Nov 2018 23:31:00 +0000

Motorists are getting some reprieve from high fuel costs, with one retailer dropping the price of 91-octane to under $2.00 a litre. Waitomo Petroleum service stations, located in North Island towns, are charging $1.99 a litre for petrol until Friday. AA principal adviser Mark Stockdale said global fuel prices and an improvement in the New Zealand dollar had helped drive prices down.

Safety concerns over imported vehicles

bmcdonald+RNZ@pagemasters.com.au (RNZ ) — Sat, 17 Nov 2018 22:46:04 +0000

The way the imported-vehicle system is working is a "potential risk to safety", New Zealand Transport Agency says. This is due to links between companies that both import and certify vehicles. The agency said anyone with safety concerns about their vehicle should get checked by a certifier. It is calling for industry submissions by the end of the month as it begins to crack down on conflicts of interest in the industry.

Ireland stun All Blacks

bmcdonald@pagemasters.com.au (AAP Newswire) — Sat, 17 Nov 2018 21:19:30 +0000

Ireland laid down a massive marker ahead of next year's World Cup by beating holders New Zealand 16-9 in Dublin. The Irish dominated for 40 minutes but led only 9-6. They stretched the advantage when Jacob Stockdale finished off a fine move for his 12th career try.

Bus drivers to face lockout

bmcdonald+RNZ@pagemasters.com.au (RNZ ) — Sat, 17 Nov 2018 21:08:38 +0000

Go Bus says it will lock out Waikato bus drivers from tomorrow after being advised of fresh industrial action. On Friday First Union advised that its members will not collect fares on the company's Waikato urban bus services for two weeks, starting tomorrow. Go Bus said it cannot allow this to happen as the situation could raise serious health and safety issues for its non-union drivers.

Finnish president briefed Trump on forest monitoring

bmcdonald+AP@pagemasters.com.au (AP ) — Sat, 17 Nov 2018 20:21:00 +0000

Finland's president says that he briefed US President Donald Trump amid the California wildfires on how the Nordic country effectively monitors its substantial forest resources with a well-working surveillance system. President Sauli Niinisto said that he told Trump during their brief meeting in Paris on Nov. 11 that "Finland is a country covered by forests but we also have a good surveillance system and network" in case of wildfires. Trump said in northern California that wildfires weren't a problem in Finland because the Finns "spend a lot of time on raking" leaves and "cleaning and doing things." Niinisto said he told Trump "we take care of our forests," but said that he can't recall anything being mentioned on raking.

Farmers pay for 'man-made' flood

bmcdonald+RNZ@pagemasters.com.au (RNZ ) — Sat, 17 Nov 2018 19:37:00 +0000

In the early hours of Monday 10 June (Queen's Birthday), heavy rain pummeled the hill country inland of Tolaga Bay. When the rains hit, forestry debris ('slash') that had been left lying on steep hillsides was swept down towards the sea. On the way, the debris got caught in bridges and trees, creating beaver dams. When these dams burst, logs were sent hurtling through nearby farmland, flattening fences and filling drains with silt.

Seismologists land in Ōamaru

bmcdonald+RNZ@pagemasters.com.au (RNZ ) — Sat, 17 Nov 2018 17:45:00 +0000

A group of leading seismologists from New Zealand, Japan and Taiwan have been in Ōamaru this week to share the latest research. The group of 70 scientists has been based in Ōamaru, but also spent time in Central Otago. Otago University's chair of earthquake science, Professor Mark Stirling, said the meeting took place annually. "We're all in countries where it's extremely important to understand where, and how big, the earthquake hazard is – so getting together each year gives us a chance to share and apply the latest scientific advances."

Rest home building flooding barrier

bmcdonald+RNZ@pagemasters.com.au (RNZ ) — Sat, 17 Nov 2018 17:15:00 +0000

A Dunedin rest home hit hard by two floods in three years is going to build a wall to stop a third from happening. The Radius Fulton home in Hillside Road has twice now had to evacuate its 93 residents during the rain. The home's manager Robin Bowie said it was a relief to have some action taken. "It's 93 people's homes, that's what it is. That's their home and that's devastating for them to have to move from their home and often it's been in the middle of the night under severe conditions. "The first flood in 2015 was a 'once in 100 year' event - or so we thought - and after the repairs had taken place we thought that's great, that's it for 100 years. But unfortunately two years later we had a similar event.

Trump to get briefing on Khashoggi

bmcdonald+AP@pagemasters.com.au (AP ) — Sat, 17 Nov 2018 16:20:00 +0000

President Donald Trump awaited a briefing from the CIA on the death of journalist Jamal Khashoggi after a U.S. official said American intelligence agencies had concluded that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman ordered the killing. The Saudi government has denied that claim. "We haven't been briefed yet. The CIA is going to be speaking to me today," Trump told reporters before leaving the White House for a visit to California. "As of this moment we were told that he did not play a role. We're going to have to find out what they have to say." Trump said he will be talking with "the CIA later and lots of others" while he was on Air Force One, and would also speak with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. In his remarks outside the White House, the president spoke of Saudi Arabia as "a truly spectacular ally in terms of jobs and economic development." "I have to take a lot of things into consideration" when deciding what measures to take against the kingdom.

UK leader fights back against critics

bmcdonald+AP@pagemasters.com.au (AP ) — Sat, 17 Nov 2018 14:06:39 +0000

British Prime Minister Theresa May fought back against critics of her Brexit deal, telling her Conservative opponents that their alternative plans for Britain's departure from the European Union wouldn't work. May is battling to win over rebels in her own ranks and save her leadership after a grueling week, with two Cabinet ministers quitting and other Conservative critics plotting to oust her immediately after Britain struck a divorce deal with the EU. In a public relations offensive, May tried to win support in a Daily Mail interview that revealed how her husband supported her during what she admitted to be "a pretty heavy couple of days." She also laid into political opponents, saying the alternatives they favor to tackle a key stumbling block – the issue of how to avoid a hard border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland after Brexit – wouldn't resolve the problem. "People say 'If you could only just do something slightly different, have a Norway model or a Canada model, this backstop issue would go away.' It would not. That issue is still going to be there," she said in the interview.

Rocket blasts off for space station

bmcdonald+AP@pagemasters.com.au (AP ) — Sat, 17 Nov 2018 12:04:04 +0000

A load of space station supplies has rocketed into orbit from Virginia, the second shipment in two days. Northrop Grumman launched its Antares rocket from Wallops Island before dawn, delighting chilly early-bird observers along the Atlantic coast...

Ardern arrives for APEC summit

bmcdonald+RNZ@pagemasters.com.au (RNZ ) — Sat, 17 Nov 2018 09:28:46 +0000

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has arrived in Papua New Guinea for the APEC leaders' summit, where regional development and trade are expected to be discussed. Ardern is spending less than a day at the annual meeting of the 21 Asia and Pacific...

China infrastructure 'not a trap'

bmcdonald@pagemasters.com.au (AAP Newswire) — Sat, 17 Nov 2018 08:00:14 +0000

UPDATE: China wants Asian and Pacific leaders to know its infrastructure loans aren't a trap, the United States says they are and Australia is walking a fine line between the two. The arms race over funding Pacific projects is ramping up as Australia, the US and Japan take a renewed interest in the region to counter China's growing influence. Chinese President Xi Jinping told an Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation meeting in Port Moresby his Belt and Road Initiative is a co-operative, consultative funding program.

China, US trade barbs at summit

bmcdonald+AP@pagemasters.com.au (AP ) — Sat, 17 Nov 2018 06:48:22 +0000

China's leader Xi Jinping and US Vice President Mike Pence traded barbs in speeches to a summit of world leaders, outlining competing visions for global leadership as trade and other tensions between them simmer. Pence said there would be no letup in President Donald Trump's policy of combating China's mercantilist trade policy and intellectual property theft that has erupted into a tit-for-tat tariff war between the two world powers this year. The US has imposed additional tariffs on $250 billion of Chinese goods and China has retaliated. Pence reiterated Trump administration threats to more than double the penalties.

Motorcycle crashes leave four dead

bmcdonald+RNZ@pagemasters.com.au (RNZ ) — Sat, 17 Nov 2018 06:15:09 +0000

A motorcyclist has died in a crash on the West Coast, with three people dead after two motorcycle crashes. In the latest crash, emergency services were called to the scene on Lower Buller Gorge Road, police said. Earlier, two people were killed in a motorcycle crash in Southland. A third person has suffered critical injuries.

Health project 'making progress'

bmcdonald+RNZ@pagemasters.com.au (RNZ ) — Sat, 17 Nov 2018 03:56:26 +0000

The head of a health research program under the government's National Science Challenges says progress is being made. The government has released another $420 million for the 11 studies under way. The project was launched in 2014, to fund research into the biggest science-based issues and opportunities facing the country.

Search for man swept off rocks

bmcdonald+RNZ@pagemasters.com.au (RNZ ) — Sat, 17 Nov 2018 03:46:58 +0000

A man has been swept off rocks into the sea at a notorious west coast spot near Raglan. Police said they were alerted at 1.30pm that a man had gone into the water at Papanui Point in Ruapuke. The coastguard and police are searching for him.

Crash victims not wearing seatbelts

bmcdonald+RNZ@pagemasters.com.au (RNZ ) — Sat, 17 Nov 2018 03:25:19 +0000

Passengers involved in two fatal car crashes in Christchurch within 12 hours were not wearing seatbelts. One person died and another three were taken to hospital after a single car crashed on Gloucester Street last night. The car had been involved in a police chase but the crash happened five minutes after the police ended their pursuit.

Two die in motorcycle crash

bmcdonald+RNZ@pagemasters.com.au (RNZ ) — Sat, 17 Nov 2018 01:42:52 +0000

Two people have been killed in a motorcycle crash in Southland. A third person has suffered critical injuries in the crash, which happened at 12.45pm. Three motorcycles and three riders were involved in the crash near the intersection of Fairfax Isla Bank Road and Riverton Otautau Road, police said.

Kiwis getting fatter but smoking less

bmcdonald+RNZ@pagemasters.com.au (RNZ ) — Fri, 16 Nov 2018 23:19:35 +0000

New Zealanders are sadder and fatter – but smoking less. Data from the 2017-18 New Zealand Health Survey also found 88 per cent of adults rated their own health as "good, very good or excellent" and 98 per cent of parents said the same of their children. The latest snapshot of the nation's health shows 8.6 per cent of adults reported mental distress in the previous month – up from 7.6 per cent the year before.

Australia caught in middle

bmcdonald@pagemasters.com.au (AAP Newswire) — Fri, 16 Nov 2018 23:17:00 +0000

Australia is urging Asian and Pacific leaders to focus on free trade but Scott Morrison is now bang in the middle of escalating tensions between the United States and China. The U.S. and Australia will share a naval base in the north end of Papua New Guinea on Manus Island, creating another key staging point close to the contested South China Sea. At an Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation meeting in Port Moresby, Morrison urged nations to embrace free trade and avoid "unsustainable debt". But he also confirmed the U.S. and Australia will share an expanded Lombrum naval base on Manus Island, as the U.S. ramped up rhetoric against China.

HOW TO: The Ultimate Steak Sandwich

Trent.Wycherley@ubteam.com (Frank. ) — Fri, 16 Nov 2018 22:00:00 +0000

HOW TO: The Ultimate Steak Sandwich. Courtesy of Gordon Ramsey

Acosta back at White House

bmcdonald+AP@pagemasters.com.au (AP ) — Fri, 16 Nov 2018 20:45:06 +0000

UPDATE: A federal judge ordered the Trump administration to immediately return the White House press credentials of CNN reporter Jim Acosta, though a lawsuit over the credentials' revocation is continuing. US District Court Judge Timothy Kelly, an appointee of President Donald Trump, announced his decision at a hearing. The judge said Acosta's credentials must be reactivated to allow him access to the White House complex for press briefings and other events. Acosta, CNN's chief White House correspondent, was back in the afternoon. The White House said it would be developing new rules for orderly press conferences.

Diabetes rising in NZ's Polynesian children

bmcdonald+RNZ@pagemasters.com.au (RNZ ) — Fri, 16 Nov 2018 20:07:29 +0000

Research from New Zealand's Liggins Institute shows that a form of diabetes previously found only in adults is increasingly being identified in Polynesian children. The research shows Māori and Pasifika children in New Zealand are 18 times more likely to suffer from Type 2 Diabetes than European children. A paediatric endocrinologist involved in the research, Ben Albert, said it was still uncommon in children but rates had been increasing annually at 3-to-5 per cent over the last 20 years. Both the life-style related Type 2 and auto-immune linked Type 1 diabetes have been climbing at the same rate among children.

Mistake throws doors open to freedom campers

bmcdonald+RNZ@pagemasters.com.au (RNZ ) — Fri, 16 Nov 2018 10:34:16 +0000

New Plymouth residents fear there will be an influx of freedom campers after a bylaw was incorrectly drafted and sent back to the drawing board. A temporary ban expired on October 31 and now freedom camping – including campers without onboard toilets – is again permitted in all of the district except for a handful of locations. Last summer the Waiwhakaiho River mouth was inundated with as many as 120 freedom camping vehicles each night.

Teachers to keep pushing for improved offer

bmcdonald+RNZ@pagemasters.com.au (RNZ ) — Fri, 16 Nov 2018 07:18:32 +0000

Primary school teachers ended a week of rolling one-day strikes with school closures and rallies in the Wellington region today. Teachers at a march and rally in downtown Wellington said they were determined and were unlikely to accept the government's latest offer, which increased the top rates of pay available for many teachers as well as providing three consecutive 3 per cent pay rises. They said they expected to join forces with the Post Primary Teachers Association and hold a combined campaign in 2019 unless the offer was improved further.

Councils adopt controversial waste dump scheme

bmcdonald+RNZ@pagemasters.com.au (RNZ ) — Fri, 16 Nov 2018 04:39:06 +0000

Taranaki's councils have accepted a deal to ship the region's waste hundreds of kilometres away to the Bonny Glen mega-dump near Marton. The Stratford, South Taranaki and New Plymouth District Councils say the move will save ratepayers $25 million over 35 years. New Plymouth District Council chief executive Craig Stevenson said the offer was too good to ignore.

Explosion rattles school, injures two

bmcdonald+RNZ@pagemasters.com.au (RNZ ) — Fri, 16 Nov 2018 03:39:00 +0000

Two people have been taken to hospital after an explosion at Pinehurst School on Auckland's North Shore. Emergency services were called to Pinehurst School. Fire and Emergency shift manager Colin Underdown said reports from the scene were the explosion in a classroom involved perspex.

Council to vote on rough-sleeping ban

bmcdonald+RNZ@pagemasters.com.au (RNZ ) — Fri, 16 Nov 2018 03:28:18 +0000

A plan to ban begging and rough sleeping in Tauranga is one step closer after a city council vote. The ban is proposed for Tauranga, Mount Maunganui and Greerton CBDs and will prohibit begging and rough sleeping within 5m of retail and hospitality premises. The bylaw is due to go to a final vote next week. Tauranga City Councillor Terry Molloy, who proposed the ban, said no-one would be hurt if it was ratified by the council.

US envisions Pacific 'collaboration'

bmcdonald@pagemasters.com.au (AAP Newswire) — Fri, 16 Nov 2018 03:18:12 +0000

The United States is set to urge Australia and other countries in the region to ensure any major investments are transparent and don't represent "empire and aggression", as concerns grow about China's influence. US Vice President Mike Pence will issue the call when he speaks at an Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation meeting in the Papua New Guinea capital Port Moresby, which Prime Minister Scott Morrison is also addressing. Chinese President Xi Jinping received a lavish welcome in Port Moresby, being the first of the APEC leaders to arrive for the annual summit.

Wild weather to hit South Island

bmcdonald+RNZ@pagemasters.com.au (RNZ ) — Fri, 16 Nov 2018 02:46:00 +0000

Unseasonably cold weather is due to lash New Zealand, especially the South Island, over the next week. Temperatures in Christchurch are set to plunge from 23 degrees to around 11 degrees on Monday. Weather forecasters say the southerly storm could arrive in the south of the country, bringing some heavy rain, snow, cold winds and lower temperatures.

Fire refugees facing uncertainty

bmcdonald+AP@pagemasters.com.au (AP ) — Fri, 16 Nov 2018 02:21:00 +0000

Anna Goodnight and her husband were trying to put a good face on a weeklong ordeal that left them uncertain of the fate of their home and now had them camping next to the store with hundreds of others forced to flee from a deadly Northern California wildfire. But William Goodnight finally lost it and began to cry. "We're grateful. We're better off than some. I've been holding it together for her," he said, gesturing toward his wife. "I'm just breaking down finally." With the Goodnights' hometown of Paradise destroyed, thousands of homes gone and untold neighbors dead, uncertainty hangs over survivors like smoke still clouding the sky over Chico. For those who have turned a grassy lot next to the Walmart into an informal campground, the anxiety of what lies ahead is even greater.

Florida election goes to hand recount

bmcdonald+AP@pagemasters.com.au (AP ) — Fri, 16 Nov 2018 00:58:42 +0000

Florida's acrimonious battle for the US Senate headed to a legally required hand recount after an initial review by ballot-counting machines showed Republican Gov. Rick Scott and Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson separated by less than 13,000 votes. But the highly watched contest for governor between Republican Ron DeSantis and Democrat Andrew Gillum appeared to be over, with a machine recount showing DeSantis with a large enough advantage over Gillum to avoid a hand recount in that race. Gillum, who conceded the contest on Election Night only to retract his concession later, said in a statement that "it is not over until every legally casted vote is counted."

Auckland Zoo mourns loss of tiger

bmcdonald+RNZ@pagemasters.com.au (RNZ ) — Fri, 16 Nov 2018 00:42:56 +0000

Auckland Zoo's 18-year-old Sumatran tiger has been put down after an examination showed the animal's age-related health problems were deteriorating. Molek was put down after keepers and vets saw changes in her disposition, movement and appetite. Vets will be performing a post mortem to find out what caused Molek's rapid decline. The zoo said Molek – Malay for beautiful – was a grand old dame who lived a long and full life.

Christchurch crash leaves one dead

bmcdonald+RNZ@pagemasters.com.au (RNZ ) — Fri, 16 Nov 2018 00:22:18 +0000

One person is dead and others have been injured after a car and motorcycle collided in Christchurch. The crash took place at the intersection of Colombo Street and Sandyford Street in Sydenham. Emergency services are working at the scene and diversions are in place. A police officer at the scene said at least one person had died.

frank is going global

Trent.Wycherley@ubteam.com (Frank. ) — Fri, 16 Nov 2018 00:16:00 +0000

Dear readers, Next week we will be moving frank to a new web address: www. franknews. global frank global will merge regional frank websites into one unified international website. It have the same look and features, and will maintain the same quality...

This Renault concept car is a lounge on wheels

Trent.Wycherley@ubteam.com (Frank. ) — Thu, 15 Nov 2018 23:16:48 +0000

See the Renault EZ-Ultimo, an autonomous concept car designed to shuttle occupants around in luxury. Courtesy of CNN Business

Lawyers slam immigration services

bmcdonald+RNZ@pagemasters.com.au (RNZ ) — Thu, 15 Nov 2018 23:09:00 +0000

Immigration New Zealand's services have become inefficient and substandard after it shut down drop-in centres, immigration lawyers have said. The department said it's receiving 60 per cent more calls than it can handle and that's meant average wait times on their phone lines are 44 minutes long. One customer said it took two days for him to speak to a representative. An Auckland-based immigration lawyer with more than 20 years' experience, Richard Small, said Immigration New Zealand's decision to close its global offices, and its front counters in New Zealand, is putting pressure on contact centre staff.

Whitaker: Russia probe to proceed

bmcdonald+AP@pagemasters.com.au (AP ) — Thu, 15 Nov 2018 22:50:00 +0000

Acting Attorney General Matt Whitaker told Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham that special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation will proceed, according to a person familiar with the meeting. The meeting with Graham and Whitaker comes as a bipartisan group of senators is pushing legislation to protect Mueller's job. The senators are concerned about Whitaker's past criticism of the Mueller probe, which is looking at Russian interference in the 2016 election and ties to President Donald Trump's campaign. Those concerns were only amplified after Trump appointed Whitaker as acting attorney general last week. Whitaker told Graham the investigation would be allowed to proceed, the person said. The person wasn't authorized to speak publicly about the meeting and spoke on condition of anonymity.

Brexit talks have yielded an agreement. What's next?

Trent.Wycherley@ubteam.com (Frank. ) — Thu, 15 Nov 2018 22:23:00 +0000

The European Union and the United Kingdom have reached an agreement on two critical Brexit-related documents: The withdrawal agreement, which sets the terms of the United Kingdom's exit from the European Union, and a political declaration outlining...

Union urges pay talks after brawl

bmcdonald+RNZ@pagemasters.com.au (RNZ ) — Thu, 15 Nov 2018 21:00:00 +0000

The union representing court staff is standing firm on continuing industrial action saying the Ministry of Justice needs to come back to the bargaining table. The Law Society says industrial action by court staff is making courts unsafe. It said a brawl at the Christchurch District Court would not have happened had it been possible for the defendant to appear by video link.

Ardern plays down China criticism

bmcdonald+RNZ@pagemasters.com.au (RNZ ) — Thu, 15 Nov 2018 20:31:34 +0000

The Prime Minister has had a taste of sweet and sour in her final meetings at a regional leaders' summit in Singapore. Jacinda Ardern held her two final meetings at a regional summit with Japan Prime Minister Shinzō Abe and Malaysia's 93-year-old leader, Mahathir Mohamad. The 15-20 minute meetings, known as bilaterals, are usually chances for the two countries to talk generally about big issues which affect them directly, such as trade or agreements to co-operate in various activities, or to discuss broader regional and global issues such as security.

Singapore eases access for Kiwis

bmcdonald+RNZ@pagemasters.com.au (RNZ ) — Thu, 15 Nov 2018 19:33:00 +0000

New Zealand visitors and businesses will get improved access to Singapore under an upgraded free trade deal with the island state. The two countries have unveiled an update for the 18-year-old trade agreement at a meeting between Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and Singapore leader Lee Hsien Loong at the East Asia Summit in Singapore. New Zealanders will now get three months visa-free entry compared with the previous one month, and New Zealand companies with offices in Singapore will also be able to send staff to work there longer. "New Zealands relationship with Singapore is our closest in South East Asia. As small advanced economies we share an interest in maintaining international trade rules... This upgrade makes it easier for New Zealanders to do business in Singapore," Ardern said.

Foreign teachers may struggle

bmcdonald+RNZ@pagemasters.com.au (RNZ ) — Thu, 15 Nov 2018 18:09:00 +0000

Hundreds of foreign teachers recruited to tackle the teacher shortage face a culture shock in New Zealand classrooms, principals warn. The Education Ministry said more than 3000 overseas teachers had responded to a recruitment campaign and about 550 had completed screening of their qualifications and were ready to be hired. School principals said it was good that schools had a bigger pool of teachers to consider for their 2019 vacancies, but they warned that overseas-trained teachers sometimes struggled with the New Zealand way of teaching. Secondary Principals Association president Mike Williams said some of the teachers simply would not adjust to the New Zealand system.

Migrants arrive at US border

bmcdonald+AP@pagemasters.com.au (AP ) — Thu, 15 Nov 2018 10:48:38 +0000

The first members of a caravan of Central Americans to reach the US border slept in overcrowded shelters and in tents with a view of armed US Border Patrol agents, with many saying they will wait for other migrants to join them before making their next moves. Hundreds of migrants have arrived by bus in Tijuana, occupying the little space still available in the city's shelters and spilling onto an oceanfront plaza sandwiched between an old bullring and a border fence topped with recently installed concertina wire.

May faces mutiny over Brexit deal

bmcdonald+AAPNewswire/Reuters@pagemasters.com.au (AAP Newswire/Reuters ) — Thu, 15 Nov 2018 10:22:27 +0000

UPDATE: British Brexit Secretary Dominic Raab has resigned, thrusting Prime Minister Theresa May's government into turmoil after she clinched a Brexit deal that was mauled by opponents, allies and mutinous members of her party. "I regret to say that...

New calls for shark inquiry

bmcdonald@pagemasters.com.au (AAP Newswire) — Thu, 15 Nov 2018 09:19:40 +0000

A kayaker's ramming by a tiger shark and the sighting of another big shark off Queensland's Sunshine Coast have prompted new opposition calls for a parliamentary inquiry. The kayaker was sent flying after a four-metre tiger shark rammed and then sank its teeth into his tiny craft off Moffat Beach. The man, aged in his 30s, was fishing when flung into the water, surfacing to find the shark with its jaws still clamped around one end.

Long wait for Immigration

bmcdonald+RNZ@pagemasters.com.au (RNZ ) — Thu, 15 Nov 2018 06:15:57 +0000

People trying to contact Immigration New Zealand are waiting on average 44 minutes for their calls to be answered, as the department tries to cope with "unprecedented" demand for its services. Immigration New Zealand (INZ) said it was receiving 60 per cent more calls than it could handle and it was struggling to find staff because of low unemployment. The average waiting time over the last month was 44 minutes, a spokesperson said. But one couple has described waiting two days to get through to a phone operator. John and his British wife, Lillian*, who is a permanent resident in New Zealand, needed to get immigration information for superannuation applications this week.

Twins’ personality shining through

bmcdonald@pagemasters.com.au (AAP Newswire) — Thu, 15 Nov 2018 04:31:19 +0000

Bhutanese twins Nima and Dawa still can't bear to be apart after undergoing separation surgery. The 15-month-old sisters spent their whole lives joined at the torso until they were successfully separated at the Royal Children's Hospital last week. Nurse co-ordinator Kellie Smith said the pair were a delight to look after and their personalities were shining through. “We try to have them a little bit apart, but they manage to bum shuffle back together and have their legs intertwined, always,” Smith said.

New vision for Pacific communities

bmcdonald+RNZ@pagemasters.com.au (RNZ ) — Thu, 15 Nov 2018 04:23:12 +0000

The New Zealand government has a new vision for Pacific communities in New Zealand. For the first time in almost 20 years the Ministry for Pacific Peoples met with 350 Pacific community leaders from around New Zealand to announce the new vision with the Pacific Aotearoa Lalanga Fou Report. The vision says Pacific values are the anchor, each generation weaves the foundations for the next, with Pacific communities innovating within Aotearoa, the Pacific region and the world. Minister for Pacific Peoples, Aupito William Sio said with 60 per cent of the community now born in Aotearoa, it was time the government's Pacific vision reflected this.

Overseas teachers a 'band-aid'

bmcdonald+RNZ@pagemasters.com.au (RNZ ) — Thu, 15 Nov 2018 03:28:25 +0000

An international recruitment drive appears to have headed off a looming teacher shortage crisis, but a principals' association spokesperson has warned it is only a band-aid. The Ministry of Education launched the drive last month after predictions primary and secondary schools would be 850 teachers short at the start of the new school year in 2019. The ministry says 550 foreign teachers have already been screened and are ready for principals to hire. "Our recruitment drive to attract teachers to New Zealand is already helping to cover the extra 850 primary and secondary teachers we need for 2019," said Ellen MacGregor-Reid, the Ministry of Education's deputy secretary for early learning and student achievement.

Incentives to Amazon could top $2.8b

bmcdonald+AP@pagemasters.com.au (AP ) — Thu, 15 Nov 2018 02:40:58 +0000

The total value of the incentive package New York is using to lure Amazon could top $2.8 billion. Amazon announced that it would build new headquarters in New York City and Washington D.C.'s Virginia suburbs, each of which would host about 25,000 workers. The New York City headquarters, built on the East River waterfront in Queens, would vault Amazon into the ranks of the city's top private-sector employers while transforming a site now mostly occupied by industrial buildings and parking lots. Snagging the online retailer, though, comes at a cost. In addition to nearly $1.53 billion in tax credits and grants offered by the state, Amazon would also qualify for two big tax breaks from the city.

Dolphin Calf Catches Fish for the First Time

Trent.Wycherley@ubteam.com (Frank. ) — Thu, 15 Nov 2018 00:57:00 +0000

A dolphin calf is hold enough to go hunting on the first time, and wanders away too far from his mother

May gets backing for Brexit deal

bmcdonald+AP@pagemasters.com.au (AP ) — Thu, 15 Nov 2018 00:31:00 +0000

Prime Minister Theresa May says she has won her Cabinet's backing for a draft divorce deal with the European Union after a "long, detailed and impassioned" marathon meeting. The breakthrough came as pro-Brexit lawmakers raged against a draft agreement they said would make the UK subservient to the bloc indefinitely. May's Cabinet debated whether to support the deal after negotiators from Britain and the European Union broke a months-long logjam and reached agreement on divorce terms.

Kiwis make list of young guns

bmcdonald+RNZ@pagemasters.com.au (RNZ ) — Wed, 14 Nov 2018 23:45:07 +0000

Forbes Magazine has named two young New Zealanders in its annual "30 under 30" rankings, designed to showcase 30 people under the age of 30 the world needs to watch. Jake Millar and Yuuki Ogino, both 23-year-olds from Christchurch, were included in the education category for their start-up Unfiltered. Unfiltered is described as a “global education platform democratising the knowledge and wisdom of the world's most successful business leaders”. Sir Richard Branson, Rocket Lab founder Peter Beck, Karen Walker, Sir John Key and Sir Michael Hill are just some of the people interviewed for Unfiltered. Millar said it came as a surprise to be included in the list.

Macron responds to Trump criticism

bmcdonald+AP@pagemasters.com.au (AP ) — Wed, 14 Nov 2018 23:01:00 +0000

French President Emmanuel Macron has said France and the United States must respect each other, in a response to a flurry of critical tweets by US counterpart Donald Trump. Macron said "the French don't expect from me to answer to tweets”. Trump lit into Macron over his suggestion for a European defense force, French tariffs on US wine and even Macron's approval ratings. Asked whether Trump's four tweets were unpleasant and inelegant, the French leader answered: "You summed up everything."

An early election in Israel?

bmcdonald+AP@pagemasters.com.au (AP ) — Wed, 14 Nov 2018 22:40:00 +0000

Israel's defense minister has abruptly resigned to protest a new cease-fire with Hamas militants in Gaza, throwing the government into turmoil and pushing the country toward an early election. Avigdor Lieberman's decision was ostensibly a show of anger over the informal truce with Israel's Hamas enemies. But in many ways, it was the opening round of a new political campaign. His defection leaves Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu with the narrowest of parliamentary majorities – only 61 of 120 seats in his coalition. In theory, Netanyahu can continue to govern until parliamentary elections scheduled for a year from now. But with another coalition rival, Naftali Bennett, threatening to leave the coalition if he doesn't get the defense portfolio, the days of Netanyahu's government appear numbered.

Christian acquitted, lawyer flees

jc.a.browning@kpnmail.nl (John Browning) — Wed, 14 Nov 2018 22:25:00 +0000

A Christian woman, Asia Bibi, who has spent eight years in prison in Pakistan under charges of insulting the prophet Muhammad, has been acquitted of charges of blasphemy and has been released from prison. While there are conflicting reports of her current whereabouts, her lawyer, Saif ul-Malook, has fled the country in fear of his life. He has been granted temporary refuge in the Netherlands under the country’s Shelter City programme, which aims to help human rights activists whose lives are at risk in their own countries.

House prices forcing out families

bmcdonald+RNZ@pagemasters.com.au (RNZ ) — Wed, 14 Nov 2018 22:03:00 +0000

Young families are leaving Central Otago and Queenstown Lakes due to the losing battle with housing affordability. Statistics show the average asking price in the districts is more than $1 million and the area is the least affordable in New Zealand. Central Otago Mayor Tim Cadogan said he came to the district more than two decades ago and a person in the position he was at the time would not find it possible today. "I came here as a solo father on what was then the DPB – on the benefit with a two-year-old and a three-year-old. About three years later, I bought my first house with a $10,000 deposit that my parents lent me, and that was on one income – forget about it … people like I was then just can't afford to survive here," he said.

Consultants coming at big cost

bmcdonald+RNZ@pagemasters.com.au (RNZ ) — Wed, 14 Nov 2018 20:25:46 +0000

Government figures show some departments are spending up to 50 per cent more on consultants this year than last. The State Services Commission (SSC) has the job of cutting back spending. Ministry of Social Development (MSD) said it had chopped its contractor spending by more than half, from $33 million last year to just $17 million this year. Chief financial officer Bruce Simpson said this was "a genuine decrease”. But a few days later, after reporting on Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) and Inland Revenue's big spending, MSD said if it adopted MBIE's approach then its actual spending was $69 million in 2018, not $17 million; and $94 million in 2017, not $33 million.

Wildfire near LA flares up again

bmcdonald+AP@pagemasters.com.au (AP ) — Wed, 14 Nov 2018 17:32:45 +0000

Southern California's huge wildfire flared before sunrise in rugged mountain wilderness as winds buffeted parts of the region, but forecasts called for a decline in the withering gusts. The flare-up occurred near the western end of the Santa Monica Mountains, sending a huge column of smoke out to sea, but was burning in uninhabited wilderness parklands well away from communities. The National Weather Service said winds would slack off sufficiently during the afternoon to allow authorities to lower wildfire warnings from their highest "red flag" levels. Forecasters cautioned, however, that very low humidity levels would keep danger levels at "elevated," or a notch below the red flag level. The weeklong blaze in Ventura and Los Angeles counties was 47 percent contained after scorching more than 152 square miles (394 square kilometers), engulfing homes, scenic canyon getaways and celebrity estates, officials said.

E-scooter safety campaign begins

bmcdonald+RNZ@pagemasters.com.au (RNZ ) — Wed, 14 Nov 2018 16:07:44 +0000

More than a month after hundreds of Lime e-scooters rolled out in Auckland, the city council has kicked-off a campaign to promote their safety. ACC has received more than 80 claims relating to e-scooter injuries in Auckland and they've proved polarising among pedestrians and motorists. Auckland Council has now paid $10,000 for 40 large posters and 50 dozens of bus stop posters and large footpath stickers to encourage people to wear helmets and ride safely. Goff said the campaign was just the beginning and the council would be making a submission to the Transport Ministry by the end of the week, pushing for greater controls on e-scooters.

Bainimarama on track for victory in Fiji

bmcdonald@pagemasters.com.au (AAP Newswire) — Wed, 14 Nov 2018 13:47:00 +0000

UPDATE: Fiji's incumbent prime minister Frank Bainimarama and his FijiFirst party are on track for a convincing election win as vote counting continues. With about half of the votes counted, FijiFirst was ahead with 53 per cent while closest rival the Social Democratic Liberal Party, led by Sitiveni Rabuka, was at 37 per cent. The margin was closer than in the last election, when FijiFirst won almost 60 per cent of the vote. Voters in the Pacific nation went to the polls for only the second time since Bainimarama seized power in a military coup in 2006. There are six parties running this year for 51 proportionally allocated seats. The third-placed National Federation Party is on 6.88 per cent. Counting will continue through the night.

November 14-15

bmcdonald@pagemasters.com.au (AAP Newswire) — Wed, 14 Nov 2018 12:37:22 +0000

Click here to download the November 14-15 print edition of frank analysis.

NZ enters sausage sizzle debate

bmcdonald@pagemasters.com.au (AAP Newswire) — Wed, 14 Nov 2018 10:22:43 +0000

Scott Morrison and Jacinda Ardern have cemented their trans-Tasman ties over the most unlikely of items: the humble sausage sizzle. Bunnings appears to have offended not just Australians but New Zealanders too after issuing an unusual decree. The hardware giant is demanding barbecues hosted outside its stores must serve onions under the sausage because it poses a slipping threat.

Development fears for reserve

bmcdonald+RNZ@pagemasters.com.au (RNZ ) — Wed, 14 Nov 2018 07:51:10 +0000

Residents of the new Hobsonville Point housing development fear part of the 24 hectares of green space they were promised could instead become another development. The stoush is over a former munitions area known as Bomb Point, which is slated to be turned into an 11.2 hectare reserve. After the land was re-zoned as residential, some residents now fear it risks being turned into more houses, although the company which runs the site denies this. While the houses may be closer together than most in Auckland, Hobsonville Point is marketed as somewhere with massive amounts of green space.

Court staff strikes ramp up

bmcdonald+RNZ@pagemasters.com.au (RNZ ) — Wed, 14 Nov 2018 06:07:51 +0000

Court staff around the country are stepping up industrial action, as a top judge warns that the disruption and delays could cause a miscarriage of justice. The pay dispute has been dragging on for two months as workers push the Ministry of Justice for better pay and conditions. As the sitting hours in courts are slashed, a backlog of bail applications, sentencings and trials is building in courts across the country. More than 2000 Public Service Association (PSA) members are working to rule and periodically walking off the job over stalled negotiations with the Ministry of Justice.

Car crashes into office, 20 hurt

bmcdonald+AP@pagemasters.com.au (AP ) — Wed, 14 Nov 2018 05:40:04 +0000

Police say 20 people were injured when a car crashed through the front of a Social Security office in New Jersey. Egg Harbor Township police said the crash happened when 56-year-old Donna Woodall was attempting to park. Authorities said the Atlantic City woman crashed her car into the lobby of the building where many people were waiting. One of those injured was in critical condition, one was in serious condition and the rest sustained minor injuries.

Paramedics put on private events

bmcdonald+RNZ@pagemasters.com.au (RNZ ) — Wed, 14 Nov 2018 04:23:33 +0000

Frontline emergency crew are being replaced with less experienced staff so trained paramedics can cover private events, the union representing St John ambulance staff says. About 1000 frontline staff have gone on strike and are refusing to come off the frontline to attend non-emergency private event work, which St John gets a private income stream for. First Union said the ambulance workers were striking to get paid shift allowances, which would reflect the unsociable nature of the job. It said St John was taking emergency staff from the frontline and transferring them to cover private sporting and commercial events. First Union spokesperson Jared Abbott claims St John was then replacing these frontline staff with volunteers and casuals who are often in-training.

Air NZ plane grounded in LA

bmcdonald+RNZ@pagemasters.com.au (RNZ ) — Wed, 14 Nov 2018 03:37:04 +0000

Air New Zealand engineers have arrived in Los Angeles to help repair a plane that was damaged on Tuesday. An Air New Zealand flight from Los Angeles had been stood down after the plane was clipped by another aircraft while on the tarmac. The airline said the Boeing 777-300 was at the gate and ready for boarding when the horizontal stabiliser on its tail was clipped by another aircraft being towed causing significant damage. A replacement part is being brought in from Dubai.

Teacher strike 'not about money'

bmcdonald+RNZ@pagemasters.com.au (RNZ ) — Wed, 14 Nov 2018 02:23:25 +0000

Teachers burnout because they are asked to do the impossible, say primary and intermediate teachers striking in Canterbury today. The teachers are marching from Horncastle Arena to Hagley Park as part of nationwide strikes this week. Chanting and waving signs, while they are protesting pay, teachers say it's also working conditions that are causing burnout. Sherilee Herangi-Harrison, a teacher from Beckenham School says schools are struggling to retain staff because nobody wants to do the job anymore.

More sales as house prices rise

bmcdonald+RNZ@pagemasters.com.au (RNZ ) — Wed, 14 Nov 2018 00:16:00 +0000

More houses available on the property market has not cooled prices as buyer demand continues to grow. The Real Estate Institute's latest industry figures show the national house price index rose 3.8 per cent, to a record-high in October, compared to the year earlier. Seasonally adjusted sales increased 11.5 per cent over the year as hundreds more homes were snapped up in the regions. The market was almost exactly split between buying homes below and above $500,000. The national median house price rose 6 per cent, to a record $562,000, over the year before.

Pedestrian killed by train

bmcdonald+RNZ@pagemasters.com.au (RNZ ) — Tue, 13 Nov 2018 23:32:00 +0000

A person has died after being hit by a train in Upper Hutt. The Serious Crash Unit was investigating the incident, which took place in Wallaceville, Upper Hutt. Buses replaced the train services between Trentham and Upper Hutt.

King named to Australia post

bmcdonald+RNZ@pagemasters.com.au (RNZ ) — Tue, 13 Nov 2018 23:03:12 +0000

Former Labour MP and Cabinet minister Annette King has been confirmed as New Zealand's new High Commissioner to Australia. Foreign Minister Winston Peters said Dame Annette needed no introduction given her long career as a parliamentarian, where she held a number of senior Cabinet portfolios. She left Parliament in 2017 after 33 years, and was made a dame in this year's New Year's Honours. She has long been tipped for the job, and is expected to start in her new role at the end of the year. Peters, who has been critical of political appointments to diplomatic roles, said this one was notable as, of the 25 Head of Mission appointments, Dame Annette was the only former MP. He said Australia was one of New Zealand's most significant relationships, but not one the country took for granted, and Dame Annette's task was to keep the connection strong.

RRT Responds to Wildfires

Trent.Wycherley@ubteam.com (Frank. ) — Tue, 13 Nov 2018 22:36:55 +0000

See how RRT Los Angeles is responding to the California Wildfires!

Amazon to split second HQ

bmcdonald+AP@pagemasters.com.au (AP ) — Tue, 13 Nov 2018 21:52:01 +0000

Amazon has set its sights on two of the nation's largest and most powerful metro areas, announcing it has chosen a buzzy New York neighborhood and a suburb of Washington for its new East Coast headquarters. The online shopping giant ended its 14-month competition for second headquarters by selecting Long Island City, Queens, and Arlington, Virginia, as the joint winners. Both are waterfront communities away from overcrowded business districts, giving Amazon space to grow. Amazon could have picked a struggling city desperate for new jobs. Instead, it went with two of the nation's largest and most powerful metropolitan areas. The reason Amazon gave: they are best suited to attract the high-skilled workers the company wants. The two cities will each get 25,000 jobs that Amazon said would be paid an average of $US150,000 a year.

Ardern to talk tariffs with Pence

bmcdonald+RNZ@pagemasters.com.au (RNZ ) — Tue, 13 Nov 2018 21:40:00 +0000

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern is set to renew New Zealand's case to be exempted from US tariffs on steel and aluminium in a meeting with the US Vice President. Ardern is in Singapore for three days at the East Asia Summit and has been specifically requested to sit next to Mike Pence at the summit leaders' dinner. Pence is standing in for President Donald Trump at the summit, and Ardern said along with talk of regional security issues she expected to raise why a strong friend such as New Zealand was being punished by the tariffs, which were brought in to protect the US steel industry from cheap Asian and European makers.

Trump hits out at Macron

bmcdonald+AP@pagemasters.com.au (AP ) — Tue, 13 Nov 2018 21:20:01 +0000

Nursing grievances from a weekend visit to France, President Donald Trump has hit out at French President Emmanuel Macron over his suggestion for a European defense force, over French tariffs on US wine and even over Macron's approval ratings. The litany of tweeted complaints served to underscore tensions between the once-chummy leaders and laid bare Trump's irritation over criticism stemming from his latest trip abroad. Trump's tweets included a fresh complaint about Macron's recent suggestion that Europe build up its militaries because the continent could no longer depend on the US for defense. He misrepresented the French leader's comments along the way, even though the two presidents had talked through the issue while Trump was in France for events marking the 100th anniversary of the end of World War I.

Pike River re-entry to proceed

bmcdonald+RNZ@pagemasters.com.au (RNZ ) — Tue, 13 Nov 2018 20:17:00 +0000

Friends and family of the 29 men killed in the Pike River Mine disaster say an agreed plan to re-enter the mine is a historic moment of truth and justice. Minister Responsible for Pike River Re-Entry Andrew Little announced a plan to re-enter the West Coast mine's access tunnel would proceed, as promised by the new government. “Re-entry of the Pike River Mine will proceed. To the Pike River families, to New Zealand, we are returning,” he said. It would involve what Little said was the simplest and safest option, of re-entry using the existing single-entry access tunnel, in February. Little said preparation work had been under way for the past few months and a nitrogen plant at the site would now be bought into service.

Search for the dead in wildfire

bmcdonald+AP@pagemasters.com.au (AP ) — Tue, 13 Nov 2018 11:42:00 +0000

UPDATE: More than a dozen coroner search and recovery teams looked for human remains from a Northern California wildfire that killed at least 42 – making it the deadliest in state history – as anxious relatives visited shelters and called police hoping to find loved ones alive. Lisa Jordan drove 1000km from Yakima, Washington, to search for her uncle, Nick Clark, and his wife, Anne Clark, of Paradise, California. Anne Clark suffers from multiple sclerosis and is unable to walk. No one knows if they were able to evacuate, or even if their house still exists, she said.

Beekeeping creates buzz

bmcdonald+RNZ@pagemasters.com.au (RNZ ) — Tue, 13 Nov 2018 10:26:00 +0000

Beekeeping has been hailed as the country's new goldrush – so much so that the industry is now on the skills shortage list. But there's a scheme in place to get the unemployed skilled up, and back into work as part of a new batch of beekeepers.

Delay on digital exams

bmcdonald+RNZ@pagemasters.com.au (RNZ ) — Tue, 13 Nov 2018 06:54:24 +0000

The New Zealand Qualifications Authority is unlikely to reach its target of having NCEA exams completed online by 2020. A computer glitch interrupted a pilot Level 1 digital English exam on Monday – which more than 3500 students were registered to take part in. But a secondary school principal said technical difficulties were not the only hurdle to achieving the 2020 goal. About 46,000 students sat Monday's Level 1 English exams. But for the 3600 students doing the digital pilot, things didn't all go to plan.

Brexit prompts Ireland embassy

bmcdonald+RNZ@pagemasters.com.au (RNZ ) — Tue, 13 Nov 2018 04:04:00 +0000

The first New Zealand embassy in Ireland has been opened by Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters in Dublin overnight. The embassy, on Merrion Row in Dublin's city centre, will help shore up existing ties and benefit future trade relationships between Ireland and New Zealand, officials said. It was opened with a traditional Māori blessing and performance by cultural group Ngāti Rānana. In his speech at the opening Peters said New Zealand had a great deal at stake in its relations with Europe, and having people on the ground in Ireland made sense after the United Kingdom's exit from the European Union.

California fire toll rises to 44

bmcdonald+AP@pagemasters.com.au (AP ) — Tue, 13 Nov 2018 03:44:35 +0000

Authorities have reported 13 more fatalities from a blaze in Northern California that destroyed a town, bringing the total death toll so far to 42 and making it the deadliest wildfire in recorded state history. The search for bodies was continuing. Hundreds of people were unaccounted for by the sheriff's reckoning, four days after the fire swept over the town of 27,000 with flames so fierce that authorities brought in a mobile DNA lab and forensic anthropologists to help identify the dead. The statewide death toll from wildfires over the past week has reached 44.

Dems ride high on slow roll of wins

bmcdonald+AP@pagemasters.com.au (AP ) — Tue, 13 Nov 2018 02:10:00 +0000

No, it wasn't a blue wave. But a week after the voting, Democrats are riding higher than they thought on election night. As vote counting presses on in several states, the Democrats have steadily chalked up victories across the country, firming up their grip on the US House of Representatives and statehouses. The slow roll of wins has given the party plenty to celebrate. President Donald Trump was quick to claim victory for his party on election night. But the Democrats, who hit political rock bottom just two years ago, have now picked up at least 32 seats in the House – and lead in four more – in addition to flipping seven governorships and eight state legislative chambers.

$160,000 of seedlings mulched

bmcdonald+RNZ@pagemasters.com.au (RNZ ) — Tue, 13 Nov 2018 01:53:42 +0000

About 400,000 seedlings bought by the government to plant in Northland have gone to waste after the land was too wild to plant on. Forestry Minister Shane Jones said the cost to the taxpayer was about $160,000. A deal was done between the Crown and the Ngāti Hine Forestry Trust in the Far North earlier this year and 1.2 million seedlings were bought to be planted. Jones said only 200,000 seedlings were successfully planted because the land wasn't up to scratch.

This beach house is designed to survive a hurricane

Trent.Wycherley@ubteam.com (Frank. ) — Tue, 13 Nov 2018 01:15:27 +0000

After Hurricane Sandy's devastating floods in 2012, homeowners Valari and R.C. Staab wanted their beach-front home designed with rising sea levels in mind

Workers to get most of what's owed

bmcdonald+RNZ@pagemasters.com.au (RNZ ) — Tue, 13 Nov 2018 00:04:00 +0000

The majority of subcontractors owed money by the failed Ebert Construction will be paid at least 75 per cent of what they're owed. A judgment by Justice Peter Churchman said Ebert's retention fund of $3.7 million was insufficient to pay 152 subcontractors all of the $9.3 million they were owed. That was because Ebert "simply defaulted on all of its legal obligations”, when putting some money from contracts aside, Justice Churchman said. Ebert was the first construction firm to fail since a law enacted in April required companies to put funds in a trust account, to be paid as a security if it failed. The receivers of Ebert Construction – John Fisk, Lara Bennett and Richard Longman of PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) – had to apply to the High Court in Auckland to be made receivers of the retention fund, to be allowed to distribute funds to subcontractors.