New age Destiny Church in NZ facing further criticism...

The new age Christian fundamentalist Destiny Church is facing further criticism, after hundreds of men pledged to honour its leader - self-appointed Bishop Brian Tamaki and his church.

At the church's annual conference in Auckland at Labour weekend, about 700 men swore a "covenant oath" of loyalty and obedience to Bishop Tamaki.

But some say the oath goes too far, stifling freedom of speech, with church members ordered to speak of Mr Tamaki in a favourable light.

However, Destiny Church spokesman and oath author Richard Lewis says that is not the case.

"We can't make people do anything, the members of Destiny Church are here because they want to be - there is no obligation for them to stay," he says.

"We have seen a lot of people come into this movement who have, under the influence of Bishop Tamaki, turned their lives around, and done great things."

Under the oath members must also fully support what Bishop Tamaki promotes.

Acknowledgements: Radio LIVE

Destiny church

Bosses to get the right to decide when and if workers can have a break...

Bosses will be able to axe workers’ mandatory breaks and compensate them with pay or time off in lieu if a new government bill is passed.

National's proposed law will include “compensatory measures” which include being able to start work late or leave early, and provision for employees to trade accumulated missed breaks for a day off, the New Zealand Herald reported.

Compensatory measures can include staff pay.

Employers will be give the final say over when and how long breaks will be if an agreement cannot be reached through "good faith bargaining" between bosses and employees, according to the bill.

Labour's employment spokesman Trevor Mallard told the New Zealand Herald the bill posed downsides for vulnerable workers whose breaks weren't protected in collective contracts.

"The idea you could be pushed into taking no breaks at all and pushed into having them outside work hours is not a good idea," Mr Mallard said.

"It means the break is worth nothing if it can be replaced with 'time off' at the whim of their employer."

Labour Minister Kate Wilkinson has said the changes were aimed at assisting businesses by increasing flexibility for employers.

National's bill would dissolve the law passed by Labour last year which gave workers two 10-minute breaks and a half-hour lunch break each day.

Interested parties, including Business NZ and the Council of Trade Unions, have not been consulted about the changes.

Would you be happy to give up your lunch break if you could leave early?


Is this the short end of the stick and a return to an ECA Part 2? Is this part of the pay-off to those who supported the National Party in getting back into power? Whats next - attacks on the Holidays Act?

OSH has already determined that workers should have regular breaks in the interest of health and safety.


Acknowledgements: MSN NZ

Lest I forget - coincidence, happenstance, and a blinking miracle

Lest I forget - coincidence, happenstance and a blinking miracle...

I recalled my grandson's disappearance and reappearance on another site this afternoon.

My grandson’s disappearance on Sunday, May 19 2009, and reappearance this morning suggests too many coincidences.

There is absolutely no comparison to how I felt at 6 am and 7-15 am this morning.

At 6 am I felt deeply concerned and beginning to think of the worst possible scenario in relation to my grandson’s disappearance. I’m not a deeply religious person, but I don’t discount the power of prayer either. I believe a number of prayers were made across the Pacific Ocean to seek a higher power to bring Kellie home to us.

Do you believe in coincidences? How many can possibly go together? Once is a coincidence, twice is a happenstance and thrice is a blinking miracle!

What made Kellie’s grandmother’s niece’s husband decide to go to work this morning after making a decision not to earlier? He became the right person at the right time to drive through that particular roundabout just after 7 am this morning. As he drove through young Kellie was walking through in the other direction. Coincidence? Kellie had apparently been walking back from Wellington City about ten miles away at that time of the morning. Coincidence?

We had all believed that Kellie had gone bush on Sunday afternoon, and was in the eastern hills above Taita, Lower Hutt. Kellie had actually gone into Wellington City on his own for the first time on Sunday and spent the next night and day there, returning to the Hutt Valley early this morning. We don’t know who he met or saw there. He had some money and probably bought something to eat and some Coca Cola, his favourite, to drink. He had also been under cover from the elements somewhere - his clothing was dry but his shoes damp from walking beside the rail line. Another coincidence?

At 7-15 am this more I was a much happier man and grandfather after learning he was on his way home in a police patrol car. The local daily newspaper, the Dominion Post, who will be writing a story about Kellie’s disappearance and reappearance tomorrow, sent a camera-man to take a few shots for tomorrow’s issue. Lance, the niece’s husband is the hero of the hour and was photographed with Kellie and his grandmother. Grandfather stayed in the background because getting photographed for newspapers is not his scene.

Coincidence, happenstance and a blinking miracle

Air New Zealand apologises to victims families 30 years after Erebus air crash in the Antarctic...

Air New Zealand apologises to victims families thirty years after 257 passengers and crew died after Mt Erebus aircraft crash in the Antarctic...


Air New Zealand "undoubtedly let down" those affected by the Mt Erebus crash, the airline's chief executive said in the first apology to families of the dead today.

The apology comes nearly 30 years after an Air New Zealand jet slammed into Mt Erebus in Antarctica, killing all 257 on board.

The Air New Zealand DC-10 was on a sightseeing flight when it hit the mountain November 28, 1979.

Chief executive Rob Fyfe made the apology at the unveiling of a sculpture commemorating the disaster at the airline's head office in Auckland this morning.

"Air New Zealand inevitably made mistakes and undoubtedly let down people directly affected by the tragedy," Mr Fyfe said.

"I can't turn the clock back, I can't undo what has been done but as I look forward I'd like to start the next step of that journey by saying sorry.

"Sorry to all of those who suffered the loss of a loved one or were affected by the Erebus tragedy and did not receive the support and compassion that they should have from Air New Zealand."

Mr Fyfe said he hoped that the airline's response to the Airbus crash in Perpignan last year showed that the airline had learned lessons from Erebus.

Prime Minister John Key said the Erebus tragedy brought "shock, disbelief and mourning to our country".

Mr Key said he was 18 at the time of the crash and everyone "knew someone who knew someone who was on board".

"We cannot bring them back but we can honour these brave and true people and we can learn from our past."

The Erebus memorial sculpture - named 'Momentum' - is by Christchurch sculptor Phil Price. It was blessed by the Very Reverend Peter Beck from Christchurch Cathedral.

A seating area was set aside for the family members of those that died in the Erebus and Perpignan crashes for today's memorial.

Kathryn Carter, whose father Captain Jim Collins piloted the doomed plane, said Air New Zealand handled the situation very badly after the crash.

"It has been a hard 30 years for us. It was a culture of blame back then," she said.

"The crew were blamed for the accident, which wouldn't happen today.

"The sculpture represents forward thinking and moving on in a positive way."

The airline earlier said today's apology would take care of some of the "many of the gaps and failings that occurred in the days, months and years after November 28, 1979".

Footnote:
There was a controversial enquiry during which the Judge claimed there was a litany of lies emanating from Air NZ. He was strongly censured for his comments. Pilot error was the original verdict, but the truth won out eventually. The actual cause of the accident was what is called a "whiteout" where the ground is indistinguishable from the mountain itself.

Acknowledgements: NZPA - Msn NZ

Hundreds of mourners attend Aisling Symes' funeral - "little cutie" laid to rest...

Hundreds of mourners at Aisling Symes' funeral today heard she was a "cutie" with a "loving heart" who loved food, funny noises and raspberries being blown on her stomach.

A large crowd gathered outside Ranui Baptist Church, in west Auckland, as Aisling's close-knit family made their final farewells.

Alan and Angela Symes took Aisling's's flag-draped casket from the church to the waiting white hearse as the hymn Amazing Grace was played on a whistle.

The parents of the two year-old clung to each other as a Kuia farewelled their daughter with a karakia.

Family members released white doves and embraced each other before the hearse drove to a private cremation.

Police found Aisling's body in a stormwater pipe close to her deceased grandparents' home in Longburn Road, Henderson, on Monday night. The discovery followed a week-long search by police, family and members of the public.

Eternal significance

Leading the funeral service, Pastor Russell Watts told mourners of a prayer meeting that was happening at the time Aisling's body was found.



"As we were praying, the truth came to light," Mr Watts said.

He said it was a sign from God.

"A level of compassion is coming into the hearts that was not there before," Mr Watts said.

He said neighbours were talking to neighbours and people are working together. He said these were good things that should continue.

"Don't you dare think that effort was not for nothing," Mr Watts said.

He said what the community did meant something and had "eternal significance".

He thanked the community who "stood up while our hearts bled" as well as police and local politicians. "Life is so fragile and is so full of change".

Mr Watts led a prayer in which he said "accidents happen, Lord."

He said the prayers from the community and family came too late because she was "already enjoying heaven".

"For us left back here and the family, it hurts, there is a big hole left here," Mr Watts said.

He said people were "hurting in ways they can't describe".

The Symes family embraced each other as the congregation sang: Be Thou My Vision.

Mr Watts told the congregation that he was told by Aisling's Irish father, Alan, that the hymn was always sung at Irish funerals

Child's body in drain confirmed as Aisling Symes...

Child's body in drain confirmed as Aisling Symes...

Auck police describe thorough search of drain where Aisling Symes' body found; "deeply saddened"; famly request privacy

West Auckland police say they did everything they could to find Aisling Symes on the night the toddler went missing and are deeply saddened about the discovery of her body.

Inquiry head Inspector Gary Davey has confirmed the body found in a drain on a property just a few metres away from the Henderson home where Aisling went missing is that of the two-year-old.

Police removed the body early this morning and a post mortem examination is being carried out.

Mr Davey says police carried out a thorough investigation of the drain shortly after being called to Longburn Rd on Monday last week, when Aisling was reported missing.

He says after speaking briefly to a neighbour, two officers searched 5 Longburn Rd shortly before 6pm that night. One of the officers looked in the manhole immediately on arrival at the scene. Mr Davey says it was daylight and the officer saw that nobody was in the drain.

The officer was then asked to search the stream and within 15 minutes returned to the manhole. The officer borrowed a torch, climbed into the manhole, which was about two metres deep and used his torch to examine the drain. Mr Davey says the officer believed he could see five metres into the drain. He called Aisling's name but could hear nothing but running water.

Mr Davey says drain was searched later in the night by search and rescue members and Aisling's father.

He says with the assistance of Watercare Services, a decision was made to use special search techniques in the drain. Cameras which could search metres into the drain failed to locate Aisling at that stage.

Yesterday, a decision was made to dig up the drain because of blockage issues. A digger and concrete cutters were used and the exercise took five hours.

"Unfortunately once we did open the drain, we were able to see Aisling."

Mr Davey says the family is extremely upset and he asked the media to give them some privacy

"My heart goes out to them for losing their little girl and I know it's going to be a very tough few days. It is small solace to know that at least one small thing is that they can grieve and move on and that they have their little girl home.

"I'm extremely proud of my investigation team. They showed tenacity and commitment to finding Aisling."

Mr Davey says at this stage he believes the case is one of misadventure but says police are keeping an open mind.

Mr Davey says police have identified the Asian woman who was the last person seen with Aisling and are trying to track her down.

It has been reported there has been four complaints lodged about drains in the area. This will be revealed in a later enquiry.

Aisling can be returned to her parents and family once any autopsy is performed. At this stage Aisling has died of misadventure.

Only yesterday, Lord Ashroft, the British businessman who put up a $50,000 reward for the missing military medals stolen from the Army Museum in the Waiuru Military camp a few years ago, offered a similar reward of $50,000.

Acknowledgements: 2009 NZCity, NewsTalkZB

The global rise in breast cancer due to 'western lifestyles'...

The global rise in breast cancer due to 'Western lifestyles'...

Of all the exports from our modern world, breast cancer ranks as among the most dubious. Once thought to be a disease of the rich, it is now a global epidemic.

The rise of the cancer in Europe and America – cases have jumped 80 per cent in the UK since the 1970s – is being mirrored across the world. And scientists say increasing prosperity and the "Westernisation" of traditional lifestyles is to blame.

A richer diet, smaller families, delayed childbearing and reduced breast-feeding have driven the increase in the West, together with rising obesity and increased alcohol consumption, specialists say. Now these trends are being seen everywhere – with a growing burden of malignant disease in their wake.

An estimated 1.3 million new cases were diagnosed around the world last year. It is the commonest cancer in the UK and across Europe, even though it affects almost only one gender. In 2006, it outranked lung cancer, which affects both sexes, for the first time.

NZ Breast cancer news