Two a penny

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A bomb has killed up to 80 people and wounded more than 200 in a busy market area in the Pakistani city of Peshawar.

The blast came several hours after US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton arrived in Pakistan pledging a fresh start in relations with an increasingly embattled and sceptical partner in the struggle against Islamic militancy. Clintonwas in Islamabad, three hours drive away, when the blast hit. North West Frontier Province Information Minister Mian Iftikhar Hussain says 200 were wounded in Wednesday’s attack in Peshawar city.

A government official says the death toll has risen to at least 80 people.

Pakistan is on high alert amid fears of retaliatory strikes by Pakistani Taliban militants as the army attacks their strongholds in South Waziristan on the Afghan border.

The bomb went off in the busy Peepal Mandi market street in Peshawar’s old city, sparking a fire that engulfed several buildings.

The offensive came after a series of brazen attacks on the United Nations, army headquarters, police and general public, in which more than 150 people were killed.

The army launched the offensive on October 17 and says it is making steady progress as soldiers push towards the al Qaeda-linked militants’ bases in the region’s rocky mountains and patchy forests.

There have been several bomb attacks since the offensive began.

“Several buildings and a mosque have been badly damaged while a fire has engulfed a building,” witness Aqueel-ur-Rehman told from the scene.

Wednesday’s blast caused serious damage in the neighbourhood of old wood and brick buildings, busy streets and narrow lanes.

CLINTON: WE’RE TURNING THE PAGE

Clinton told reporters the United States was “turning the page” as she began her first visit to Islamabad as the the top US diplomat on Wednesday amid rising anti-American sentiment in Pakistan and an expanding US-led war in neighbouring Afghanistan.

“I can see three bodies lying under the debris,” he said.

Clinton acknowledged that misunderstandings dogged US ties with Pakistan and pledged to refocus the relationship on the “needs of the people” including strengthened economic assistance and development of democratic institutions.

Clinton acknowledged that misunderstandings dogged US ties with Pakistan and pledged to refocus the relationship on the “needs of the people” including strengthened economic assistance and development of democratic institutions.

Clinton’s three-day visit, kept secret out of security concerns, comes amid a surge of anti-US feeling in Pakistan, which is increasingly bloodied in a campaign against Islamic fundamentalists that is being closely followed by the United States and other Western powers already embroiled in the conflict in neighbouring Afghanistan.58 billion) over the next five years.

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A bout of freezing weather is set to cover the country from later today with a “very cold” southerly flow forecast to move up from the South Island, prompting warnings for farmers to move their stock to sheltered ground.

The southerly airstream is forecast to head north over Southland and Otago this afternoon and Canterbury and Marlborough this evening, the MetService said.

The MetService said snow levels should slowly rise up to over 1000m on Thursday evening, with snow showers expected to clear from most inland areas during the morning.

“Over the South Island, snow showers are expected to lower to 300 or 400 metres in many southern and eastern areas later today,” the agency said in a statement.

Wellington, Wairarapa and Manawatu are forecast to receive snow dumps as low as 500 metres early on Thursday morning.

The southerly change was set to cross over the Cook Strait around midnight tonight before blanketing the North Island on Thursday morning, with snow showers likely to be as low as 700 metres south from Taihape and Hawke’s Bay.

“However snow is likely to affect many higher roads and passes in the South Island later today and also the Desert Road, Napier Taupo road and Rimutaka Hill road during Thursday morning. .

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“The combination of cold temperatures and strong southerly winds in exposed areas may affect livestock, and farmers are advised to move any stock at risk to sheltered areas,” the MetService said

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A bank customer is being praised by Hamilton police after he responded to a call for help and chased a robber today.

Police said the robber, believed to be unarmed, demanded money from a teller in the Hamilton East branch of the BNZ about 10.

As the robber fled with his money, the teller called for help and a man in a queue behind the robber chased him. .

Detective Dion Bennett said it was a gutsy call by the customer.

He pursued the robber down Grey St but lost him when he turned down an alleyway to the rear of Sacred Heart school, said police.”

Mr Bennett said the customer’s first reaction was impressive.

“He realised something was wrong and turns and gives chase, it was really pleasing.”

However, he said police were also wary about urging people to chase offenders because someone could get hurt.

“We take our hat off to him.

The robber was a medium built Maori or Polynesian, between 180-185cm tall.

Details of how much money the man got were not available.

Mr Bennett said anyone with information on the robber could call him direct on (07) 834 9476. He wore a dark top and dark track pants.

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New Zealand is seen as a soft target by gangs, which launder millions of dollars through this country, says the head of an Australian police unit set up to combat Melbourne’s criminal underworld. .

New Zealand needed to target organised crime rings, or risk reaching a crisis point of its own, he said.

Mr Edwards heads the Purana Taskforce, set up after a “crisis” of gangland killings in Melbourne, on which the television drama Underbelly was based. You will get shootings, you will get killings – if you do nothing about it. “Hopefully you realise that you need to stop it before the problems start. She said examples included:

Killer Beez gang owned the hip hop record label Colourways.”

Police Minister Judith Collins told the conference gangs had infiltrated businesses, and turned legitimate enterprises into money-laundering outlets.

- Gangs increasingly attended public and community celebrations, projecting themselves as harmless groups with a strong community spirit. Its music videos were thinly disguised recruitment advertisements for the gang and played on mainstream television.

- Gangs partnered with businesses in finance, transport, private security, entertainment, real estate and various trade-related industries. They had run lotteries, and uniformed police had been sent to oversee the draws.

Mrs Collins said gangs existed to make money and gain power, and their new level of sophistication was presenting a serious challenge. These partnerships help facilitate their real businesses – violence, extortion, drug-dealing and money-laundering.

Mr Edwards cited one of his taskforce’s cases, the busting of a cannabis-growing operation run by an organised gang.

But the Criminal Proceeds Recovery Act, which made possible the seizure of any assets that were probably gained illegally, would help dismantle organised crime.5 million was found to have been sent to New Zealand bank accounts from Australia. A$2.

Police Association president Greg O’Connor said the drug trade here was already leading to money-laundering and violence by organised groups. It was then sent to Vietnam and its value eventually returned to Australia in the form of drugs.”

Police tackling organised crime needed to be tasked with targeting those at “the highest level”, he said, but that could mean no tangible results in the short term. “All the things he’s talked about are already here.

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Money-laundering – by which criminals try to hide the origin of money or property gained illegally – was the result of gangs making large sums from the methamphetamine trade and needing to find legitimate places for it

.Iran’s President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has denied that a second nuclear enrichment plant that his country disclosed only yesterday was a secret.
Iran revealed the existence of the plant to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) just hours before it was made public by US President Barack Obama.
The plant is not yet operational as it is still under construction. .
Mr Obama said the facility is close to the city of Qom and that building it started several years ago.
He said the existence of the second enrichment plant deepens a growing concern that Iran is refusing to live up to its international responsibilities.
US officials say Mr Obama went public with the explosive new allegation after the Iranians discovered Western intelligence had breached their security.
He said the plant must now be opened to inspectors.
Mr Brown said it was more evidence of Iran’s “serial deception of many years”.
“We expect the IAEA to immediately investigate this disturbing information and to report to the IAEA board of governors,” Mr Obama said, calling the new plant a “direct challenge” to international non-proliferation rules.
Mr Sarkozy said the Iranians had until December to come clean or face much tougher sanctions.
“The international community has no choice today but to draw a line in the sand,” he said.
“Everything must be put on the table now.
“We cannot let Iranian leaders gain time while the motors are running,” he said.”
Prime Minister Kevin Rudd says the revelations that Iran has been secretly building a nuclear power enrichment plan are highly disturbing.”
Prime Minister Kevin Rudd says the revelations that Iran has been secretly building a nuclear power enrichment plan are highly disturbing.
“It’s troubling that Iran continues to be unwilling to meet its obligations under the IAEA requirements and the relevant UN Security Council resolutions.
“This, in our view, represents a challenge to the core of the nuclear non-proliferation regime.
He denied it was a secret, saying the plant was constructed within the framework of the IAEA.”
Mr Ahmadinejad confirmed the plant existed but claims it will not be functional for 18 months.
“We have no secrecy, and we work within the framework of the IAEA, and based on specific regulations and pre-determined time frames, we disclose information about our operations and facilities to the IAEA - not that anyone forces us to,” he said.
In an interview with Time magazine, he said Iran is not obliged to inform Mr Obama of every facility it has.
“They wanted to set up a sort of media game, take the stage to sort of set up the upper hand,” he said.
He accused the Western countries of trying to stack the table against Iran before an October 1 meeting between Iranian and Western negotiators on the nuclear issue..
“This is not nice . this kind of behaviour goes back to what was done in the past. this kind of behaviour goes back to what was done in the past.”
- ABC/BBC/AFP/

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Winter is expected to have one last hurrah with snow forecast over much of the country until the weekend.

The MetService said strong cold winds were expected to spread snow showers down to 200 metres over Otago overnight, and over Banks Peninsula and the Kaikoura Coast down to 400 metres tomorrow morning. .

Snow showers should lower to about 400 metres on the eastern ranges of Wellington, 500 metres for the central North Island and Hawke’s Bay, and to about 600 metres over Gisborne tomorrow.

Up to 20cm could fall on the Catlins through to late Thursday morning.

Severe frosts were expected on sheltered basins and valleys in the South Island on Friday morning and again on Saturday.

Showers south of Napier should clear on Friday but rain and strong winds were expected in Gisborne and Hawke’s Bay on the weekend.

Motorists were warned to take care in icy conditions.

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Cold southerlies were expected over the North Island late on Thursday, and farmers were warned the wind, cold showers and snow could be stressful for newborn lambs and calves

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A man, who boasted about being “the youngest don in Christchurch”, was today committed for trial for kidnapping and beating another man.

Tasi Faitala Selini, 29, who police said represented himself as a leading figure in the criminal underworld, was remanded him in custody to a pre-trial conference in the High Court on October 2.

Selini faces 10 charges of kidnap, threatening to kill and assault using an assortment of weapons including a knife, a bar stool, a fire extinguisher, and num-chukkas.

They hung out together, getting up in the afternoons and smoking cannabis.

The alleged victim told the court today of meeting Selini through a friend and moving into his house.

The witness said he was initially impressed by Selini’s stories including him being “the youngest Don in Christchurch”.

They got on well for about a week but then the relationship deteriotated.

He thought this was a reference to “some type of high ranking gang member”.

When the deal went slower than expected the money was used on other expenses and Selini blamed his flatmate and threatened to kill him if his mother was affected. .

The witness said that on February 13 Selini accompanied him as he set off to Brighton to pick up cannabis.

She had also borrowed to provide the money.

The attack continued as they drove across Christchurch to Rolleston and flared when a person Selini was to visit proved to be out.

He said Selini had become “psycho” by then, and threatened him with nunchukkas and repeatedly punched him in the head.

Selini sat in the car making growling noises at him.

Selini sat in the car making growling noises at him.

He and Selini drove to Selini’s mother’s home in Bromley early next day.

Two people visited the house, but did not remark on his state and he said nothing to them about the continuing attack because they were Selini’s friends.

The witness said Selini then cried about it being a jail sentence and got his mother to take him to hospital. The attack continued on the way and at the house Selini stabbed him in the right leg with a knife.”

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Defence counsel Rupert Glover questioned the witness’s evidence about the timings of the travelling and the beating but he replied: “You don’t take notice of times when you have someone yelling and screaming and hitting you

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Maori Party MP Hone Harawira has proposed a novel way to cut his travel costs - he will hitch-hike around his electorate.

Te Tai Tokerau MP Mr Harawira, who with travel expenses totaling $67,000 in the first six months of the year was one of Parliament’s more prolific travelers, said hitch-hiking was one way to cut costs but it carried a number of other benefits.

He said that by travelling this way he would run into people that he would not otherwise meet and it allowed him to relax and “enjoy the day”.

“It’s not a big deal, I’ve been doing it for the last three years,” he told Radio New Zealand.”

He said it was the best way to talk to people about what was important.

“You get into a car and sooner or later they’ll start talking to you about the issues that are important to them.

“It doesn’t matter who picks you up, you get to enjoy talking to everyone,” he told the broadcaster.

Mr Harawira said it wasn’t difficult to know who was potentially one of his voters and who was not, but it wasn’t necessarily important. .

The MP for the northern-most Maori electorate defended his high expense bill, saying his home was remote and it took him two planes and a taxi ride to get to work.

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A woman who six years ago mowed down and killed a teenage girl is now accused of pushing a woman into the path of a car.

In Whangarei District Court today Julie Anne Johnson, 25, entered no plea to two new charges of assault with intent to injure and was returned to jail to await a further appearance on September 2. At her trial in May, 2004, she was acquitted of Miss Brown’s murder but found guilty of manslaughter and jailed for seven years.

Johnson was convicted of killing 16-year-old Renee Brown in February, 2003, when she drove a car into a group of partygoers in Kamo.

The new serious assault charges relate to an argument between Johnson and a 21-year-old woman over a cellphone last month.

In March this year, Johnson was paroled after being assessed as a low risk by the Parole Board.

After initially being charged with assault, Johnson was recalled to prison to continue serving her sentence for manslaughter. It is alleged Johnson grabbed the woman’s throat and pushed her in front of an oncoming car.

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. Today her counsel indicated Johnson would defend the charges

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A New Zealand man jailed in China over the death of a Chinese man has been told he faces a longer prison term unless he pays the man’s family $90,000 today.

Danny Cancian, from Kapiti Coast, was sentenced to five years jail in December. He said he was attacked a group of men in a south Chinese restaurant, and during the resulting fight, a man was killed.Cancian’s wife Amanda told One News her husband’s attackers had admitted they were the ones to start the fight.Cancian was in the country supervising manufacture of his invention, the ShowerBuddy, which helps disabled people shower.However the judge ruled Cancian had gone too far and sentenced him to five years in prison.”It was self-defence,” she said.Now, a new appeal court ruling from China has ordered Cancian will serve a longer term unless he pays the dead man’s family $90,000 compensation by Friday.”We’ve paid a lot of money over to China so far and we’re finding it very, very hard to find money,” Mrs Cancian said.But the Cancian family said it could not afford to pay.”We need help,” she said.She appealed to the public for donations.He died after he was hit on the head several times with a softball bat in his Lower Hutt home in 1983.Cancian’s father, Robert was murdered in a gangland killing 26 years ago.And five years ago, Cancian’s brother, Tony, fought off two attackers in the family’s Lower Hutt home while another man was holding his wife and four daughters captive.