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Dear
homesick Kiwi,
It's
official; summer is definitely over. The country went
on to winter
time last weekend, which means it gets dark one hour
earlier in the evening. Remember to add on an extra
hour when you're phoning home!
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| NEWS |
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Key
Maori MP, Tariana Turia, has been threatened
with the sack by her boss, Helen Clark, if
she votes against the Government's proposed foreshore
legislation. She has hinted that she would vote
against the legislation, despite being told that she
would not be punished if she just abstained from voting.
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| The
PM cut
funding to a Government agency which paid for
a $26,000 tour of the US for hip-hop researchers, among
other things. |
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| The
Maori language TV channel finally
launched this week, after years of controversy,
some expensive underpants and a con-man chief-executive.
Costing $45 million a year, opposition MPs have criticised
this choice of funding; others claim it's crucial for
the preservation of Maori as a living language. |
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The Women's Affairs Minister controversially
referred to a female National MP as a 'tart.' |
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| Kiwi
singer-songwriter Bic Runga labelled NZ 'racist'
in an interview with a foreign newspaper, but has since
protested she was still proud of New Zealand
and upset about the way her comments have been reported. |
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Also,
Lomu's
kidney replacement is still a way off
The
King of Soul needed special permission for his coming
NZ visit
And the British High Commission in Wellington may
soon be replaced by a 'laptop ambassador.' |
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| SPORT |
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| In
the Super 12, Wellington drew with Auckland, Canterbury
beat Otago, and Waikato beat New South Wales. Details>> |
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| New
Zealand came within a whisker of a first-ever test
series victory over South Africa. After the first
test was drawn, New Zealand comfortably won the second
test. However, two NZ batting collapses put South Africa
on a comfortable track to victory and hopes of rain failed
to materialise. Series
drawn 1-1. |
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| And
it seems unlikely that English rugby hero Jonny Wilkinson
will be match-fit
in time for England's tour of NZ later this
year. What a shame. |
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| ONLY
IN NEW ZEALAND |
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KIWI
RUGGED MAN STORY 1
Two Northland spear fishermen, trapped on a small rocky
outcrop, fought
off sharks in the rising tide until a helicopter
rescued them. |
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KIWI
RUGGED MAN STORY 2
A West Coast tramper set his own broken leg, hobbled 6km
to a hut and waited
six days for rescuers to arrive. |
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| And
walkers in the town belt above Wellington have been accused
of setting
booby-traps for mountain-bikers, ranging from
drawing pins on the tracks to trenches around sharp corners. |
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