Topic: New Zealand
Top galleries, list articles, quizzes
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Briefing
Gay marriage laws around the globe
There is no national gay marriage legislation in the pipeline in the US, however, numerous countries around the globe already recognize same-sex marriage or the right to civil unions. Here’s the breakdown by region.
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Top 5 ways to save on your summer vacation
If you're pining for a summer vacation but worried about costs, consider how Wayne and Pat Dunlap of Del Mar, Calif., managed to tour 51 countries over two years, marvel at the Egyptian pyramids, scale a New Zealand glacier, and visit Laotian Buddhist monks all for less than $100 a day. "We often stayed at guesthouses and hostels, ate at local family restaurants, took public transportation, and in some cases, traveled on cruise ships offering reduced rates," says Mr. Dunlap, author of the travel book "Plan Your Escape." This year amid price worries and higher summer airfares, especially to Europe such ingenuity could prove essential. Here are five cost-cutting strategies that can help:
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International Women's Day: How it's celebrated around the globe
International Women's Day has served for more than a century as a day to honor the achievements of women globally. Here are some ways people are celebrating:
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Kim Dotcom: Are such Internet sensations pirates or hactivists?
Copyright law and its enforcement have dominated the news lately, first with the Internet blackout protests against SOPA, and more recently with the arrest of Kim Dotcom in New Zealand. Here are five international file-share players who have been targets of copyright enforcement.
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Thirty ideas from people under 30: The Entrepreneurs
They are explorers and activists, artists and educators, farmers and faith leaders – even mayors. And they have trenchant suggestions on how to improve the world.
All Content
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Milk prices could double if Congress doesn't act (+video)
Milk prices are poised to move higher next year unless Congress passes legislation to supersede a 1949 law. That law would boost milk prices by forcing up the price at which government buys milk to keep it off store shelves.
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'Extinct' whale found: Odd-looking pygmy whale traced back 2 million years
Extinct whale found? Well, sort of. Scientists have traced the lineage of the pygmy right whale back to an ancient family of whales called cetotheres, who were thought to be extinct.
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Nations extend weaker Kyoto Protocol
UN climate conference approves extending Kyoto global-warming agreement through 2020. But new Kyoto phase will cover only 15 percent of greenhouse gases.
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Greece seen as most corrupt European nation, survey says
Transparency International ranks Greece, along with other European countries racked by the financial crisis, poorly in its 2012 Corruption Perceptions Index.
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Terrorism & Security
And the most corrupt nation this year is.... (+video)It's a tie between Afghanistan, North Korea, and Somalia. Elsewhere, bankrupt Greece, one-party China, and various 'Arab Spring' nations stand out in Transparency International's annual rankings.
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Fuel subsidies get scrutiny at Doha talks
Nations spend more than $500 billion to keep fossil fuel prices low, which is popular with voters but harms the climate. Removing fossil-fuel subsidies would lower carbon emissions by more than 10 percent by 2050, the OECD calculates.
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Opinion: Enrique Peña Nieto's 'economy first' strategy for Mexico would also help US
Mexico's President Enrique Peña Nieto, who took office on Saturday, wants to put the economy first, which will require addressing the onslaught of the narco mafia in a very different way from his predecessor. This new approach has great potential for Mexico. The US should embrace it.
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Chapter & Verse
'Hobbit' premiere draws thousands in New ZealandThe premiere of the first film in the 'Hobbit' series, 'The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey,' took place in Wellington, New Zealand and was attended by director Peter Jackson and actors Martin Freeman, Richard Armitage, and Cate Blanchett, among others.
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Chapter & Verse
As 'The Hobbit' premiere nears, the movie team works around the clock (+ video)The film production team is in the home stretch working to get the first 'Hobbit' film finished, as seen in director Peter Jackson's new video.
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Why the Church of England rejected female bishops
Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams said the vote against female bishops was 'not intelligible' to the British or global public. The proposal was passed by the bishops and priests, but not by the Church of England's laity.
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What happened while Obama was in Asia? (+video)
President Obama's whirlwind Asia trip saw some surface compromise on disputed territorial issues, and the set up of a new Asian trade bloc.
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Change Agent
Confronting bullying, one drumbeat at a timePrograms that get junior high school students drumming together cut down on bullying in Utah and Australia.
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Solar eclipse delights Queensland (+video)
Thousands flocked to Australian beaches to watch a solar eclipse as darkness descended for a couple of minutes early Wednesday morning. The solar eclipse was predicted to bring millions to the area's tourism industry.
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Prince Charles assault thwarted in New Zealand
Prince Charles assault? Not quite. New Zealand police arrested a 76-year-old man who was allegedly planning to assault Prince Charles, and his wife Camilla, with a bucket of horse manure.
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Chapter & Verse
'Hobbit' in the skies: Air New Zealand creates a Middle-earth-themed safety videoWorking with the 'Hobbit' production team, the airline produced a new safety video that features Peter Jackson and Gollum.
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World's rarest whale seen for first time in New Zealand
Rarest whale: Two spade-toothed beaked whales, a mother and calf, were stranded on a beach in New Zealand. This is the first time this species of whale has ever been seen as a complete specimen.
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Reverse brain drain: How three siblings recreated a century-old Polish resort
The Mankowski siblings were born and educated in France. But they returned to Szczawnica, Poland, and have restored their great-grandfather's resort to its former glory.
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Opinion: In quest for jobs, Fed chair Bernanke's money spigot hurts economy in long run
US unemployment fell to 7.8 percent (a possible boon to President Obama, whose economic leadership Mitt Romney criticizes). But job growth remains slow. Fed Chair Bernanke's quantitative easing policies aim to boost the economy, but they will more likely spur inflation and capital flight.
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Global News Blog
How higher education may be easing the global recessionA new OECD report on education in the world's top economies highlights the importance of higher education, which includes vocational schooling, during an economic downturn.
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Ireland's gaelic football final: playing for glory, but not a paycheck
On Sunday, Ireland's attention will be focused on the final match of its most popular sport, gaelic football. But not one of the men on the field will earn wages for playing – it's all amateur.
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American Idol judges: Nicki Minaj and Keith Urban sign, ahead of New York auditions (+video)
American Idol judges: American Idol is paying pop rapper Nicki Minaj $12 million to judge. No word on what country star Keith Urban is making. The American Idol auditions begin today at the Lincoln Center in New York.
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Panetta warns against 'provocations' over Asian islands (+video)
US Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta said that is concerned that territorial disputes between East Asia countries could result in violence.
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Tiny wasps snack on deadly spiders
Researchers have recently described the spider-eating habits of a previously little-known Australian wasp. The new study was spurred by the curiosity of a 9-year-old boy.
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Birthplace of most European and West Asian languages traced to Turkey
Using methods borrowed from epidemiology, researchers have identified Anatolia, a peninsula that is now part of Turkey, as the origin of the major language families of Europe and West Asia.
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Horizons
Microsoft shaves $40 off price of KinectThe Xbox Kinect will now retail for $109.99, Microsoft announced today.
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