.
Kiwi undaunted by Mumbai terror attack
Friday, 28 November 2008
Most people would run for the hills, but Neil Ambikar is flying into the Mumbai chaos.
The 25-year-old Wellington public servant had long planned a six-week holiday to visit his brother in India and not even terrorist attacks were going to stop him.
"Maybe I'm a little bit nervous," he said in Wellington before packing, "but I'm not the kind of guy who changes his life plans because of incidents like these.
After following news of the attacks all day yesterday, Mr Ambikar was set to board a plane to Singapore earlier today before landing in Mumbai about 8pm (NZ time).
Mr Ambikar, a New Zealand citizen who arrived here 10 years ago, said he had first thought little of the headlines because bombings were not unusual in India."
After landing in Mumbai, he plans to drive 90 minutes to the nearby city of Pune, where he spent part of his childhood and where his brother now works in IT.
"It's the largest attack I've ever felt, personally. But as more details filtered out, he was struck by the size and toll. It's the extent of it: the Taj hotel is a big landmark, Bombay's the financial capital. Maybe the largest in Bombay. However, he had many friends working in Mumbai and hoped they had been nowhere near the violence."
He had held off calling his brother because the attack happened late at night, but thought he would be safe because of Pune's distance from Mumbai.
.
Plea to take it easy on tenants
– Thursday, 27 November 2008
Landlords are being urged by their national body to show more compassion as the recession starts to bite.
Property Investors' Federation president Martin Evans said the difficult economic times meant some tenants were getting into problems through no fault of their own, and landlords needed to understand that.
Department of Building and Housing figures show Tenancy Tribunal applications have increased 16 per cent in recent months, with most relating to rent arrears.
"We're seeing it across all types of tenancies having problems with rent arrears; it's not just low-income people and beneficiaries," he said.
Evans said the number of properties available to let had increased 13% in the past three weeks, creating a soft rental market where it was hard to find tenants, so it was better to work with existing ones to resolve any problems. They need to talk to them and point them in the direction of people who can help them people like the Tenants Protection Association (TPA) and Work and Income.
"A lot of it is beyond their control, with people losing their jobs, so landlords need to have some leniency."
Evans said landlords needed to contact tenants immediately if they fell behind in rent.
"This is a time when everybody has to help everyone out and be a bit more compassionate, although I'm not saying to put the rent arrears to one side.
"Landlords need to remember they will go through hard times in the next 12 months everyone will be affected," he said."
Christchurch TPA manager Helen Gatonyi urged tenants to contact landlords as soon as they got into difficulty to explain the problem.
"If they've got a good record, don't just jump on them the first time they get behind. "Then there are contacts for people where they can get help to avoid getting into difficulties.
"Our message is very simple: pay your rent first," she said."
Gatonyi said the association had had a big increase in the number of tenants approaching it for help in the past few months and it was important tenants did not leave it too late to ask for help."
Gatonyi said the association had had a big increase in the number of tenants approaching it for help in the past few months and it was important tenants did not leave it too late to ask for help.
"We're seeing what they can do and whether they can just pay some, and giving them advice about what sort of supplements they're entitled to and telling them where they can get help.
Evans, the managing director of A1 Property Managers, said the company had seen more problems than usual with tenants getting behind in rent. ."
Despite the difficulty of finding tenants, Evans advised landlords to tighten their letting criteria. Maybe they just need to drop the rent a little bit.
"But an empty property is better than bad tenants."
.
UK travel tax could hit rugby cup crowds
– Thursday, 27 November 2008
A British move to increase the tax paid by airline passengers on flights to New Zealand could dampen an anticipated boost in tourist numbers during the 2011 Rugby World Cup.
The cup will be the biggest international sporting event to be held in New Zealand, with 60,000 to 70,000 international visitors expected to attend the matches.
However, the British Government is about to increase taxes on long-haul flights to help reduce the amount of carbon emissions from highly polluting jet aircraft.
England, Wales and Scotland are automatic qualifiers for the tournament, and organisers had expected the three teams to be accompanied by many fans.
With half of the World Cup visitors expected to come from Britain and Ireland, any possible disincentive to travel was a concern, Tourism Industry Association chief executive Tim Cossar said.
The duty on a flight to New Zealand will be $155 from next November, with a second increase to $240 in November 2010.
The tourism sector is worried the tax increase will hurt visitor numbers from Britain New Zealand's largest source of holidaymakers after Australia and is concerned other countries will follow Britain's move.
"It doesn't do anything to prime the market or send positive signals to the market," he said.
"We don't want to see our price competitiveness as a destination damaged," he said. . As a country, we have done a lot to try to be a responsible tourism destination.
"It seems to me they are always incentivising short-haul travel by penalising the long-haul markets."
Prime Minister John Key raised New Zealand's objections to the tax changes during his meeting in London with British PM Gordon Brown yesterday.
"We were given an award in Britain for responsible tourism.
"We just indicated we were concerned about it, we didn't think it was fair and we'd like to progress the issue further if we can," he said.
Key said he told Brown there were efficiency differences between airlines and aircraft, and some airlines, including Air New Zealand, were trialling biofuels.
.
Kyah’s journey an inspiration for thousands
By GREER MACDONALD Friday, 21 November 2008
DEAN KOZANIC/
FOREVER REMEMBERED: Fundraising websites have gathered close toly $20,000 for the Child Cancer Foundation, in dedication to Kyah Milne. Her battle with cancer ended on Wednesday morning.
Kyah Milne may have drawn her last breath in her fight against cancer, but her battle has inspired thousands to dig deep to provide continuing support for others.
She died peacefully, with her parents and her much-loved stuffed toy "Giraffe" at her side, just over a week before her third birthday.
Fundraising websites have attracted close toly $20,000 of donations toward the Child Cancer Foundation in dedication to Kyah's battle, which ended in her parents' Johnsonville home on Wednesday morning.
Tributes have flowed from around the world to the online journal that was kept by her parents throughout the toddler's 505-day rule-breaking fight with the disease.
Kyah was found to have neuroblastoma, a rare cancer of the adrenal glands, when she was 19 months old.
"She has gone to a place where she can run and play just like any other almost-three-year-old can, where she is surrounded by butterflies and Polly Pockets and where she is no longer in pain," her mother, Shanell Christian, wrote on the site.
"I guess that's just one of the ways that people can help, and that's fantastic – that's what we've always said through this journey, for people not to send gifts, just donate to child cancer or Ronald McDonald House.
Kyah's father, Jason Milne, told The yesterday that the many donations were "absolutely amazing".
Mr Milne said the support the family received from Christchurch and Wellington hospitals and from community nurses was "absolutely amazing", and that staff had become like family."
Donations can also be left at Kyah's funeral service, which begins at 1pm today at the Lychgate Chapel in Johnsonville.
Mr Milne said he hoped the entries would eventually be made into a book so that the couple's two other children, 12-year-old Kaleb and seven-year-old Jordan, would understand "how to treat people, and how people can band together". .
.
Public photos may hold key in pack sex attack inquiry
By CLIO FRANCIS – Wednesday, 19 November 2008
Police investigating a possible pack rape are asking the public to send them any photos taken in Christchurch's Corsair Bay area last Sunday.
Police have begun an investigation into an alleged sexual violation, and want any photographs taken in the popular swimming area between 11am and 3pm on November 16.
"We're particularly interested in any activities around the raft," he said.
Up to half a dozen men, between the ages of 20 and 40, are sought, Detective Sergeant Ross Tarawhiti said."
He said Sunday was a "lovely day" and he imagined lots of photos would have been taken.
"The victim has met these people at the area and the assault has happened somewhere else.tarawhiti@police.
Anyone with photos is asked to email them to ross.nz , karen. .govt.simmons@police.nz or phone 03 344 0661.
.
Smothering trial: Friends tell of death conversations
Tuesday, 04 November 2008
Two friends of Denis Kenny Billesdon have told how he told them years later that he had smothered his elderly sister "to put her out of her misery" because he could not stand her pain.
They gave evidence at a Christchurch District Court depositions hearing where Billesdon, 71, faces a charge of murdering Nola Doreen Billesdon, 77, in February 2001. I smothered my sister.
Colin Slater, a friend for 20 years, said Billesdon told him in about 2004: "I've done a very stupid thing. I couldn't stand to see her suffer. I know I shouldn't have done it."
Mr Slater told the hearing it was sometimes hard to take what Billesdon said seriously. I had to put her out of her misery."
Christine Bamford, another friend, recalled a conversation about 2005 when he said his sister had cancer and he got a pillow and smothered her with it. "He's flamboyant, exaggerates a bit."
Billesdon's wife, Helen, told of him returning to their home on the night Miss Billesdon died, February 18, 2001.
"He said he was not a murderer but couldn't stand her pain. Denis arrived home, turned the light on and said Nola had died. ."
Helen Billesdon suggested he phone an ambulance and hurry back to his sister's house before the ambulance arrived.
"He didn't seem to be upset but he was agitated and not making decisions about what to do next.
"Although she was on a lot of medication, I didn't think she was at death's door.
She was shocked at the news of her sister-in-law's death.
He said Billesdon administered liquid morphine and sleeping tablets to the woman and then went to her room about 8pm and put a pillow over her face."
Earlier crown prosecutor Chris Lange told the court Billesdon had spent the day with his sister on February 18, 2001, and then returned to her home in the evening ready to stay the night. He dialled 111 from his home three hours later.
He then fixed things in the room to make it look as though she had died in her sleep.
Dr William Kirkwood comprehensive a long list of health problems faced by Miss Billesdon, including five hospitalisations and one emergency department visit in the two months before her death.
Miss Billesdon's death was not thought to be suspicious at first, although the doctor would not sign the death certificate because he said no ailment was bad enough to cause death.
Helen Billesdon said the couple had looked after Miss Billesdon during her health problems.
Helen Billesdon said the couple had looked after Miss Billesdon during her health problems.
She also said Billesdon had wanted the contents of his sister's will changed so that he would inherit the house and pass it on to his children. He took Miss Billesdon to a lawyer so that the changes could be made.
The hearing has made fast progress yesterday and has now adjourned to Wednesday to hear the remaining evidence before Margo McKay and Judith Smyth, Justices of the Peace.