Two a penny

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Hip-hop star Savage has revealed he lost 27 relatives in the previous month’s Samoan tsunami.

“It’s really personal for me,” he told the Samoa Observer newspaper.

Savage, real name Demetrius Savelio, hails from Lalomanu, the epicentre of the tsunami which killed 143 people in Samoa.

Savage’s relatives at Poutasi, further along the coast, lost their houses.

He told the newspaper of his connections with the Taufua family which lost 13 members and on his mother’s side which lost 14 members.

Some of the killed relatives and the beach at Lalomanu feature in Savage’s video made earlier this year, I love the Islands.

“All that put in a nutshell is hard to swallow,” said Savage. .

The Samoa Observer said Savage was in tears recalling the memories of pristine sandy beaches and breathtaking views of the south coast when he made the video. He helped organise ther recent fundraising concert in Auckland at Vector Arena, called I Love the Islands.

“It’s a video clip I take a lot of pride in.

“My single I Love the Islands was like the last raw footage of what the beach was like,” he said.

“It’s hard for us Samoans in New Zealand because we’re so far away watching the news in the comfort of our homes to see the devastation of our families and villages. To now see it on TV gives you a bit of sorrow and sadness because you know now what we were standing on back then is all gone,” he told the Observer. It was important for us to come back here. It was important for us to come back here

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A 25-year-old man has been arrested following an hour-long police pursuit of a stolen bread delivery truck through the Manawatu overnight.

The incident began in Foxton shortly before 3am, when a bread delivery man had his truck stolen by a man wielding a hammer, central police communications Inspector Paul Jermy said.

Shortly afterwards, police spotted the truck on State Highway 1, south of Foxton and attempted to stop it.

Despite the tyres deflating, the driver continued driving and the chase returned to SH1. .

The pursuit lasted an hour and five minutes – but did not exceed 110kmh as the truck was incapable of travelling any faster, Mr Jermy said.

The driver eventually stopped when the truck became more difficult to control.

A 25-year-old Palmerston North man had been arrested and faced numerous charges, including breach of bail, dangerous driving, failing to stop, driving whilst forbidden and robbery.

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A tearful 12-year-old girl’s interview about a sexual assault arranged by her father for $40 was all lies to get him in trouble, she told a court today.

The girl, who has name suppression, was the first of five children to give evidence at the High Court at Auckland via CCTV from an adjacent room.

She earlier fled from the room while her police interview was being played to the court, and the jury retired until she was found. He then forced her to go to the men, who placed her up against a wall in a Farmer’s car park and held her there.

During her police interview in September 2007, the girl said she saw her father talking to three men at McDonald’s in Manukau. .

She described one man who masturbated against her, while another man held her down and kissed her neck.

She said her father eventually got out of his car and told them to stop.

“He told me to get in the car and put my head down and stop crying. One of them said “she was good”, the girl said. My dad was really drunk,” she said. He told me not to tell anyone about what happened.

“I don’t want to be with him.

He was paid $40 then spent the cash on cannabis in Otahuhu after his daughter’s ordeal was over. I’m not safe with him,” she said. I’m not safe with him,” she said.

She said she did not know.

Mr Borich asked the girl if she made up the story because she said during the police interview that she wanted her father to go to jail. They have eight children.

Her 37-year-old father and 33-year-old mother, who both have name suppression, are charged with three counts of assault on a child, eight charges of cruelty to a child and one charge of intentional damage to a Housing New Zealand home in Manurewa. He is also charged with two counts of assault on his children.

The man is also charged with sexual conduct with his then 12-year-old daughter and injuring her with intent by inflicting repeated blows with a broom.

The cruelty charges include wilfully ill-treating the eight children in a manner likely to cause unnecessary suffering, physical and mental abuse, generating a climate of fear, providing unsuitable housing, causing and maintaining poor hygiene and allowing them to go hungry. All charges related to events between January 2005 and September 2007.

During her interview in September 2007, the girl spoke about the drinking and drug habits of her mother and father.

The man pleaded guilty to one assault charge, while all other charges are denied. Afterwards, he gets ‘mental as’ and beats us up for no reason. Afterwards, he gets ‘mental as’ and beats us up for no reason. Sometimes he tells me to go up between the ceiling and the roof. I’ve been up there for two days nearly every week this year. I just have to lie down and I’m not allowed to make any noise. I get water but no food. I do a toilet up there too,” she said.

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LATEST:
Flight of the Conchords has received an Emmy nomination for best comedy series.

One half of the comedy duo, Jemaine Clement, has also been nominated for best actor in a comedy.

30 Rock picked up a leading 22 primetime nominations, including best comedy, best actress for its star and creator Tina Fey, and best actor for Alec Baldwin who all took home Emmys last year.

Nominations for United States’ television’s highest honours were announced overnight, with Tina Fey comedy 30 Rock and 1960s period drama Mad Men leading the list.

Another AMC show, Breaking Bad, was also among the drama and best actor nods.

But in a list that reflected the move of some of TV’s best writers to cable channels, last year’s winner Mad Men on AMC seized 16 nominations, including best drama, best actor and four of the five picks for writing.

“We don’t repeat ourselves, which every season gets a lot harder,” he said.

Mad Men creator Matt Weiner told that his writing staff worked hard to take the characters to deeper human levels each season.”

The number of nominations was expanded this year, allowing new contenders like the HBO polygamy series Big Love, AMC’s Breaking Bad, CBS comedy How I Met your Mother and HBO’s Flight of the Conchords to grab a piece of the Emmy action in a contest often criticised for getting stale. “You try to bring in new stuff and in a weird way, we’re getting better at it all the time.

“There is so much good work, we have really recognised the diversity on television today,” said John Shaffner, chairman and CEO of the Television Academy, which gives out the Emmys. . Broadcaster NBC earned 67 nominations, followed by ABC (55), CBS (49) and Fox (42).

Among networks, cable channel HBO lead with 99 nominations, while Showtime had 29 and AMC 23. But the fresh faces meant some old favourites were snubbed.

OUT WITH OLD, IN WITH NEW

The Academy said 41 of the 83 nominations for comedy and drama programs for the June 2008-May 2009 season were different from the previous year.

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Kiefer Sutherland of 24 got a single miniseries acting nomination for Fox’s 24: Redemption special, while Katherine Heigl of Grey’s Anatomy (ABC) got nothing despite supporting actress recognition for co-stars Sandra Oh and Chandra Wilson

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Two teenagers have pleaded guilty to bashing to death a New Zealand man at a Sydney sporting oval.

The offenders, who were 16 at the time of the man’s death in 2007, were originally charged with murder but pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of manslaughter in the NSW Supreme Court.

A court had previously been told Christopher Leichester, 20, was on his way to a party in Woolooware in Sydney’s south on November 24, 2007.

According to a police statement of facts, Mr Leichester suffered a severed artery between his brain and central nervous system.

As the New Zealander crossed an oval he was set upon by a group of teenage boys who punched him to the ground and kicked him several times in the head.

Court documents revealed the attack appeared to have occurred because the teenagers mistakenly believed Mr Leichester had abused them a short time earlier. .

But a witness told police it was two other men who chased and hurled abuse at the teenagers’ car.

– AAP

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Both youths remain in custody

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An inquest into the death of a loader driver on a Taranaki farm has been adjourned after the coroner took the unusual step of urging the Department of Labour to reconsider laying charges.

The inquest into the death of Paul Edwin Orin Robinson, 36, of Tapawera, 58km south-west of Nelson, was due to be heard in the New Plymouth Coroner’s Court yesterday.

She told the court she was “surprised” no charges had been laid by the department and put Mr Robinson’s former employers, Nelson-based South Pacific Movements Ltd, as well as the owners of the land where the fatal accident happened “on notice” that they might need to take legal advice. .

Forestry workers jumped into the water in an unsuccessful attempt to save their trapped colleague.

Mr Robinson died after his machine tumbled off a farm bridge and into the Mohakatino River, near Mokau, in June last year.

Ms Nagara said she was not prepared to proceed with the inquest, given the amount of evidence she had in front of her, and was concerned that proceeding with the hearing could prejudice the case.

Farm owner Ben Hutchinson was cleared in December of any blame, following an investigation by the Department of Labour, while no charges were laid against South Pacific Movements Ltd.

“The features of this case are such that I’m surprised that charges were not laid.

“I don’t consider I would do Paul any justice if I was to rush it [inquest] through,” she said.

Mrs Gichard then asked if the coroner had fresh evidence that the department was not in possession of.”

Department of Labour health and safety inspector Gail Gichard responded in court by telling the coroner that the case had been extensively peer reviewed before the decision not to lay charges was made.

“My concern is very much to do justice to Paul and get to the bottom of what happened,” she said, before adding that it was a difficult decision to adjourn the case, knowing that a number of Mr Robinson’s family had travelled from Nelson.

Ms Nagara responded that she was not prepared to discuss that in open court.

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Mrs Robinson said she did not want to comment on the coroner’s decision until after the case was closed.

Barbara Robinson, Paul’s mother, said after the adjournment that she “just wanted closure” to the case.

“The next step will be to discuss a number of issues with the coroner, and that’s pretty much as far as I can go,” he said.

Department of Labour Taranaki manager Brett Murray was also reluctant to talk about the decision.”

South Pacific Movements Ltd director Anthony Bamford, of Nelson, was not available for comment. “I don’t really want to say any more until I’ve discussed it with her.

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New car rescue method tested

Monday, 16 February 2009

Crash victims trapped in cars could have a better chance of survival, with the fire service testing a new method of pulling wrecks apart.
Five fire stations in Hawke's Bay, Wairarapa and Porirua areas with some of the highest front-impact-crash rates are involved in the trial.
It involves anchoring the wreck to a tree or truck before chains attached to the fire truck's hydraulic system pull away sections of the vehicle as its roof and door pillars are cut with the jaws of life.
Masterton station officer and trial coordinator Garry Nielsen said the rescue method was revolutionary.
A Masterton firefighter was sent to Norway last year to learn the new technique, which was tested in Wairarapa last week at a bad car crash. This is ground-breaking. "In the past, the techniques we have used could take up to an hour or more to free someone. We can have them out in 15 minutes. Every second is critical. For every 10 minutes someone is trapped, there is 10 per cent less chance of survival. ."
On Wednesday, Greytown firefighters used the chains to free a 74-year-old woman trapped in her car after it crashed into a bridge on Cape Palliser Rd close to Ngawi.

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If the trial is successful, it will be rolled out nationwide at a cost of about $500 per set of chains for each rescue fire-truck

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Murder accused Xue back in court

– Tuesday, 03 February 2009

The man accused of murdering his wife then dumping his daughter in a Melbourne railway station will be forced to give a dna blood sample in 10 days time.
Nai Yin Xue, 55, is in custody awaiting trial for the murder of his 27-year-old wife An An Liu in September 2007.
Xue went on the run in the United States for more than four months but was captured in February last year and returned to New Zealand.
Her body was found in the boot of the family car outside their rented house in Mt Roskill, Auckland, four days after he allegedly abandoned his daughter, Qian Xun Xue – dubbed Pumpkin by Australian police.
Xue did not oppose the order, which would be carried out on February 13.
He appeared in the High Court at Auckland yesterday after the Crown sought a suspect compulsion order that would force Xue to provide a dna blood sample. .
The Crown was also seeking permission to allow hearsay evidence on the state of Xue’s relationship with his wife, and to allow overseas witnesses to give evidence via video link.

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Cop had ‘seconds’ to decide

Tuesday, 27 January 2009

Aformer top policeman who led a team in one of New Zealand's most infamous gun battles has backed the police involved in a fatal motorway shootout.
As debate rages about whether the police officer who fired the shot that killed 17-year-old courier driver Halatau Naitoko should be prosecuted, former armed offenders boss Murray Forbes has urged critics to lay off the police.
Mr Forbes, who led the team that killed mass murderer David Gray at Aramoana, close to Dunedin, in 1990, said the officer who fired the shot in Auckland on Friday had only a few seconds to make a decision. It happens so quick and it's all very well us talking about it a few days later, but he only had a few seconds to make a decision.
"The officer clearly thought the gunman was a danger. It was a huge mistake and the officer has to wear that.
"It would be devastating for the police. Whether it was justified, they've still got to wear it. But he should lose his job if it was proved he was "drastically wrong"."
It would be wrong to prosecute the officer, he said. Former police inspector and MP Ross Meurant also wanted the officer charged.
Tongan Advisory Council chairman Melino Maka said that, though the incident was not premeditated, it was still an unlawful killing. "I don't see how the Naitoko family are going to get any form of justice in this situation.
"In my dictionary, that means manslaughter," Mr Maka said.
"I think most New Zealanders would like to think that a law-abiding citizen, minding their own business, could not be shot to death by police in this country. .
"He'll be feeling guilty, he'll be full of remorse, he'll be second-guessing himself and he'll be wondering what impact this will have on his family. The incident would stay with him for the rest of his life. It doesn't take it away.
"These officers are extremely highly trained, but the training only reduces the risk.
The authority is called in to investigate whenever police have caused or appear to have caused a death or serious injury while carrying out their duties."
The Independent Police Conduct Authority has started an investigation, but a spokesman said he did not know how long it would take. The chairwoman is a high court judge.
The authority is independent from the police.

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Cop had ‘seconds’ to decide

Tuesday, 27 January 2009

Aformer top policeman who led a team in one of New Zealand's most infamous gun battles has backed the police involved in a fatal motorway shootout.
As debate rages about whether the police officer who fired the shot that killed 17-year-old courier driver Halatau Naitoko should be prosecuted, former armed offenders boss Murray Forbes has urged critics to lay off the police.
Mr Forbes, who led the team that killed mass murderer David Gray at Aramoana, close to Dunedin, in 1990, said the officer who fired the shot in Auckland on Friday had only a few seconds to make a decision. It happens so quick and it's all very well us talking about it a few days later, but he only had a few seconds to make a decision.
"The officer clearly thought the gunman was a danger. It was a huge mistake and the officer has to wear that.
"It would be devastating for the police. Whether it was justified, they've still got to wear it. But he should lose his job if it was proved he was "drastically wrong"."
It would be wrong to prosecute the officer, he said. Former police inspector and MP Ross Meurant also wanted the officer charged.
Tongan Advisory Council chairman Melino Maka said that, though the incident was not premeditated, it was still an unlawful killing. "I don't see how the Naitoko family are going to get any form of justice in this situation.
"In my dictionary, that means manslaughter," Mr Maka said.
"I think most New Zealanders would like to think that a law-abiding citizen, minding their own business, could not be shot to death by police in this country. .
"He'll be feeling guilty, he'll be full of remorse, he'll be second-guessing himself and he'll be wondering what impact this will have on his family. The incident would stay with him for the rest of his life. It doesn't take it away.
"These officers are extremely highly trained, but the training only reduces the risk.
The authority is called in to investigate whenever police have caused or appear to have caused a death or serious injury while carrying out their duties."
The Independent Police Conduct Authority has started an investigation, but a spokesman said he did not know how long it would take. The chairwoman is a high court judge.
The authority is independent from the police.