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EDUCATION: University staff nationwide open employment agreement negotiations next week with a claim for a flat $5000 pay rise.
Eight unions will take part in the negotiations, represented by Marty Braithwaite of the Association of University Staff (AUS).
Mr Braithwaite said the flat rate, rather than a percentage increase claim, was intended to give a proportionally greater increase to lower-paid university staff.
This would include most of the general, or non-academic, staff...
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HEALTH: Maori life expectancy has increased and the health gap between Maori and other New Zealanders is closing, according to one academic.
Otago University epidemiologist Professor Tony Blakely said while Maori had always experienced poorer health and lower life expectancy than other New Zealanders the gap was closing.
"Maori are now living at least 15 years longer than they were immediately after World War 2.
"More importantly the gap between Maori and other groups appears to be...
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FILM: A New Zealand docu-drama has opened to critical praise at the Sydney Film Festival.
Vincent Ward’s feature film Rain of the Children had its world premiere when it screened in competition at the Sydney Film Festival.
The film revisits the life of Puhi, the Tuhoe woman at the centre of Ward’s 1978 documentary In Spring One Plants Alone.
Film industry publications the Hollywood Reporter and Variety have given the film praise and applauded Ward’s fresh take on the...
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CONCHORDS: New Zealand’s "fourth most popular folk duo", Flight of the Conchords, may be stepping up a notch in the calibre of co-stars in their next New York-based TV series.
Wellington-based Jemaine Clement and Bret McKenzie may be joined by Hollywood actress Jennifer Aniston in the next series commissioned for the HBO cable network, the Daily Telegraph reported in Sydney.
"To think that we have had calls from Jennifer Aniston’s people saying she really likes the show and...
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There were three big stories in Parliament last week. One was real, the other two weren’t.
The real one was the signing of the biggest Treaty settlement in history, the $400 million-plus "Treelords" agreement.
Hundreds of central North Island Maori came to Parliament for the signing ceremony, and then crowded into the public galleries to see MPs unanimously vote to pass the first reading of a bill that will enact it.
The settlement hands over 176,000 hectares of Crown-owned forest...
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Tuhua, or Mayor Island as it is also known, is a wildlife refuge with a chequered history of violent volcanic eruptions.
Sitting 26km off the Bay of Plenty coast, the island is prized by Maori as a source of black obsidian – the natural glass formed by the rapid cooling of silica-rich lava – which was used to make cutting and scraping tools.
The volcano has been dormant for 6000 years, but has housed frequent eruptions over the last 120,000. These gave rise to the breathtaking range of...
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VISAS: New Zealanders intending visit the United Kingdom for up to six months will continue to have free visa access, Prime Minister Helen Clark said today.
New Zealanders’ traditional right of entry to Britain was at risk because of the rise in immigrant numbers, but its government had decided to keep the access open.
However a decision on ancestral visas was yet to be made.
"The British Home Office has announced overnight its intention to keep the maximum visa free access for...
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RURAL: The votes of about 9000 farmers -- rebate-receiving suppliers in Silver Fern Farms -- will cast a much wider shadow than the future path of their co-operative.
Their decision on whether the Silver Fern -- formerly PPCS -- co-operative should surrender control of its assets to a corporate board in a "partnership" with listed PGG Wrightson has implications for not only its big rival, Alliance Group, but also the dairy sector.
Fonterra’s 10,000 dairy farmers are wrestling with...
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WORLD CUP: Tourism New Zealand is to run a major tactical campaign in the United Kingdom later this year.
Speaking at an event at Parliament today, TNZ chief executive George Hickton said the campaign would be "very different" from others it had run.
The government agency’s giant inflatable rugby ball would be installed in London from November 25 to December 2 timed to coincide with the campaign launch.
"The first push for Tourism New Zealand’s new UK campaign will end in...
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MORTGAGES: Kiwibank has cut around a quarter of a percentage point off its three-year fixed rate mortgage, as it looks to cash in on home owners refixing loans coming due for renewal.
The state-owned bank today reduced most of its fixed rates, with all those from two to five years now below 9 percent.
For home owners with at least 20 percent equity in their property the three-year rate dropped 0.26 percent to 8.79 percent, although the two-year rate remained unchanged on 8.99 percent....
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WINE: Wild Earth Wines said today one of its wines was judged best pinot noir at the International Wine Challenge in London.
The Central Otago winemaker, owned by Quintin and Avril Quider, said its trophy winning 2006 pinot noir was only the third vintage for the young winery.
The judges assess almost 10,000 in the world’s largest wine competition.
Established in 1998 the vineyard has produced wines under the Wild Earth label since 2004.
- NZPA...
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POLITICS: Environment Minister Trevor Mallard says he wants his embattled ministry to become one of the Government’s key central agencies within five years.
The Government’s central agencies -- Treasury, the State Service Commission and the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet -- wield considerable influence and power over other departments.
Mr Mallard today told Parliament’s environment and local government committee the ministry’s performance in some high...
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EDUCATION: The number of people applying for teaching jobs in the secondary sector has dropped to worrying levels, the Post Primary Teachers’ Association says.
Secondary Principals’ Council chair Graeme Macaan (crrct) said a recent survey completed by 44 percent of the country’s schools showed three quarters of the advertised jobs allowed no choice of candidate with either none or just one person applying for the position.
Mr Macaan said the sector had no problem...
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OLYMPICS: The young brigade were prominent as New Zealand’s Olympic Games contingent neared completion today with the joy of selection for Beijing experienced far and wide.
Showjumper Katie McVean learned she had been chosen in the four-strong team to compete in Hong Kong -- the equestrian venue -- while readying to compete in Belgium.
Across the English channel teenage kayaker Luuka Jones was told she would be New Zealand’s first female Olympian in the slalom competition....
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BLACK CAPS: Brendon McCullum and James Marshall scored maiden one-day international cricket centuries in style today as a rampant New Zealand outclassed Ireland by a record margin in Aberdeen.
McCullum made up for a few quiet ODIs against England with 166 off 135 balls and Marshall 161 off 141 as the Black Caps won by 290 runs in their first match of a triangular series involving Scotland as well.
Both had 11 fours and McCullum 10 sixes and Marshall four against a weakened Irish attack at...
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TRI-NATIONS: Lock Ali Williams remains a touch-and-go prospect for an All Blacks rugby side bracing themselves for a torrid forward battle against South Africa in wintry Wellington on Saturday.
Williams sent a scare through the camp when he went down clutching his already-sore ankle at training this afternoon after landing awkwardly during a lineout drill.
He eventually resumed and completed a session in which he otherwise appeared unaffected as the teams continued preparations for the...
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WARRIORS: The New Zealand Warriors began their rebuilding programme with a character-building National Rugby League (NRL) win over Wests Tigers in Sydney today.
Desperate for success after three successive losses saw them plummet to 13th place, the Warriors prevailed 28-26 in a thriller after at one stage looking set to walk away with the game at Leichhardt Oval.
They survived on a paucity of possession in the second half as West Tigers monopolised the ball but hung firm to attain victory...
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Website TradeMe pulled the auction of a Wanganui man’s soul after a record number of complaints, but the controversial item ended up by being bought by Hell Pizza.
The pizza company paid $5001 for Walter Scott’s soul after the auction was withdrawn because of a raft of complaints it was in bad taste.
The 24-year-old said he had been thinking about selling his soul for ages.
"I can’t see it, touch it or feel it, but I can sell it, so I’m going to palm it off to the...
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