Wellington, Aug 30: Schools in Christchurch, New Zealand are teaching their children with the help of movies – a move that they believe would raise their reading levels.

During the Audio-visual Achievement in Literacy, Language and Learning (Availll) programme, pupils watch films with subtitles, based on popular children's books. They watch for about 10 minutes each period and do exercises such as checking words in dictionaries and reading the novel.

Wellington  - The Maritime Union of New Zealand slated Friday a free trade agreement negotiated between New Zealand, Australia and the 10-member Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN), saying it was bad for workers because it included Myanmar.

Union general secretary Trevor Hanson said it would boost the "violently anti-worker regime in Myanmar and threatened workers rights."

He said the union had many concerns about the treatment of Myanmarese maritime workers, some of whom worked in New Zealand waters and had been mistreated and abused in the past.

Nearly after a span of six years, the Indian cricket team will tour New Zealand in March to play two tests and five one-day internationals.

According to a press release by the cricket board, the tour would last from March 6 to April 7, 2009.

Before playing the one-day series against the host Kiwis, the Indian team will open its tour with a 20-20 international at Wellington on March 6.

The two nations will play five ODI’s at Napier, Hamilton, Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch.

The Indians will also feature in a three-day match against New Zealand XI in Christchurch before tests at Hamilton from March 26 and Wellington from April 3.

The Indian team last visited the island nation in 2002-03.

Wellington - New

Singapore - The Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN) has reached tentative free trade agreements with three major trading partners - India, Australia, and New Zealand - after years of negotiations.

Though the full terms the agreements reached Thursday in Singapore during a meeting of ASEAN ministers would not be made public until the signing in December, they cover more than 400 goods with India and goods, investment, services and intellectual property with Australia and New Zealand.

"This is the most comprehensive free trade agreement that ASEAN has ever entered. It is the largest free trade agreement that Australia has ever negotiated," Australian Trade Minister Simon Crean told reporters in Singapore.

Wellington, Aug 28 : When it comes to driving, women are better than men, according to a new survey.

The latest survey AA Insurance found that while men were more confident in their driving, it didn''t make them better than the opposite sex.

In the poll of 2573 drivers, aged between 18 and 75, a quarter of men described themselves as impatient drivers, compared with 19 per cent of women.

"Men are more inclined than women to exhibit a range of risk taking behaviours while on the road," the NZPA quoted AA Insurance chief executive Chris Curtin, as saying.

"Men are more inclined to speed, show aggression, fall asleep behind the wheel and to identify themselves as impatient,” he added.