NZ at Noon: Democracy Overridden, Starving Baby, All Blacks

All Black Rugby players Maa Nonu, Dane Coles, Dan Carter pictured have a giggle at Flaxmere College during a visit to Hawke's Bay.

Stories making headlines across New Zealand at noon include the Government decision to further delay elections for Environment Canterbury being solely driven by economic benefits to farmers, a stranded couple and their starving baby and top rugby players were making all sorts of appearances yesterday.

Apparently democracy in Canterbury is being deliberately overridden for economic benefits to farmers, who apparently have very good connections in the Beehive. Meanwhile in Hawke's Bay farmers are egging on that regional council to spend hundreds of millions of dollars building a water storage dam for the economic benefit of 70 farmers.

Two Ashburton mates stumbling around in the bush trying to find and win a new ute instead came across a stranded couple and their starving three-month-old baby.

All Blacks Aaron Cruden, Charlie Faumuina, Ali Williams and Tony Woodcock spent yesterday morning reading stories and singing songs. Dan Carter, Ma'a Nonu, Kieran Reid and Dane Coles visited the children's ward at Hawke's Bay Hospital. Meanwhile Ben Tameifuna, who was a teammate this year, appeared in the Hastings District Court.

Apparently sunny weather at the weekend was responsible for the local horror-comedy Fresh Meat flopping at the box office on its opening weekend.

The replica of HMS Bounty sunk by Hurricane Sandy off the North Carolina coast was not the ship built in Whangarei.

Hunger striker Sam Kuha travelled 4km into town in his electric wheelchair and used a sledgehammer to shatter two windows at Kaikohe's Work and Income office.

Tim O'Connor admits there have been a few awkward moments during his first days as headmaster at Auckland Grammar.

Hamilton is proposing to make the common 50km/h speed limit obsolete.

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A 15-year-old Rotorua girl who took Gavin Hayes' car for a joy ride has apologised to the 82-year-old.

When a boy aged about 14 to 15 knocked on Te Puke resident Phyllis Mead's door and asked if she would like to buy a raffle ticket for a breast cancer awareness fundraiser, she asked him for ID.

Police are planning to combat thieves who target tourists in Whangarei Town Basin.

Charges against the Filthy Few have been dismissed on a technicality.

Eleven-year-old Reuben Waihape-Kaaho saw a girl trying to tread water and yelled out to ask his school mate if she was all right. Through her tears Abigail called back "kao" (no).

Bill and Joy Reader's courtship started at the dog trials at Te Popo and when Bill saw her walking home afterwards he offered her a ride in his 1926 Model A Ford, but she said 'no, thank you'.

After his drunken joyride in a stolen car ended in a crash, Ora Neilson ran from the scene leaving behind an injured associate.

Martinborough firefighter Pete Fisher's family are staying positive as they watch their son's condition improve.

Jetstar is apparently offering domestic flights for one cent.

Clinton Watkins found himself half naked on the Rolleston railway station platform.

A woman's tubing expedition down the Ashburton River went very wrong.

A "whole new gateway" to bring drugs and alcohol to school could apparently swing open soon.

Meanwhile former Dunedin resident Jason Tagg watched, in the dark, as lower Manhattan Island started to go under water.

Dunedin dog owners are ignoring dog ban signs at reserves that are home to yellow-eyed penguins.

Catching drivers speeding past Omarama School really is as easy as shooting fish in a barrel.

Meanwhile a pneumatic shipping fender has washed up on the Rapahoe Beach.

Top trending topics on Twitter in NZ at noon were: #100ThingsAboutMe, #ASK1D, Happy Halloween, Star Wars, Lucasfilm, #Happy18thSkip, #hurricanesandy, Little Things, New Jersey and Disney.

- nzherald.co.nz