Two a penny

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Trampers who were missing in Rimutaka Forest Park have made it out safely.

Police had been considering a search for the group after they failed to return from an overnight tramp to the Ongaonga River yesterday.

A police patrol met them about 3. No one was injured, according to a police statement.30 pm. “They made the right decision to wait for the river level to go down before crossing it. .”

Earlier, a police spokeswoman said one of the trampers had been in contact with their family.

They had managed to cross the river and were making their way out. The family member had said the party was safe and well.

The group, all aged in their 20s, started on the three-hour tramp on Saturday. A police patrol had been dispatched to meet them and the group were expected home before nightfall.

The group had planned to stay at the Shamrock hut.

Acting Senior Sergeant Steve Braybrook said the conditions were bad last night with heavy rain, which would have prevented the group leaving the valley.

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A hunter who was missing in the Southern Alps south of Nelson has made his way to safety, say police. .

He had been hunting alone off the Rotoroa Track while other members of his party hunted the western side of the lake, said Senior Sergeant John Maxwell of Nelson Bays Search and Rescue.

A dog team followed what was believed to be Mr Manson’s foot prints, which led south toward the Sabine Hut.

Mr Manson had hunted the area previously but was ill prepared for the conditions, he said.

The Nelson Search and Rescue helicopter was also called in but was hampered by the inclement weather.

Search and rescue tracking staff continued to brave the conditions into the early hours of Sunday morning before the search was called off, Mr Maxwell said.

About 30 people took part in the search earlier today before Mr Manson walked to safety himself.

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Militants have launched a string of attacks on police in the Pakistani heartland and troubled northwest, killing 31 people after a week of violence in which more than 100 people died.

The attacks on police in Lahore, capital of Punjab province, and a car bomb in Kohat in the northwest, come ahead of an expected military offensive against the Taliban in their South Waziristan stronghold on the Afghan border.

The violence, just days after a daring raid on the army headquarters in Rawalpindi, underscored the risk posed by militants to Punjab, Pakistan’s most economically important province and the country’s traditional seat of power.

Later, a car bomb was set off by remote control in a neighbourhood where government workers live, in the northwestern city of Peshawar, killing a child and wounding about a dozen people, police said.

The government says most attacks are plotted in South Waziristan and carried out by Taliban, often with the help of allies from militant groups based in Punjab province.

“First the (North West) Frontier province was on the front line, now they are playing their games in Punjab,” Interior Minister Rehman Malik told Geo television.

Ten gunmen, some of them teenagers, were killed in the attacks on three police centres in Lahore.

Nuclear-armed Pakistan is under US pressure to crack down on Islamist militancy as President Barack Obama considers a boost in troop numbers fighting in neighbouring Afghanistan. One gunman escaped and one was captured, security officials said.

Seven people, including a gunman, were killed at a regional headquarters of the police’s Federal Investigation Agency.

Gunmen also attacked two police training centres, one a training school attacked this year and the other an elite police academy set in fields in the city outskirts.

A suicide car-bomber attacked the same building in March last year killing 21 people. Three of the black-clad attackers blew themselves up. . Three gunmen blew themselves up and two, including one who was about 16, were shot by snipers, police said.

A policeman, a civilian and five gunmen were killed at the academy.

Pakistan’s stock market had slipped as the violence escalated at the start of the week, but the main index has since recouped the losses and rose 0.

The attacks in Lahore spread fear and sirens from police and other emergency vehicles wailed over the city as hundreds of police and soldiers sealed off the three sites.

.4 percent on Thursday despite the latest bloodshed

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A man tried to snatch a 10-year-old boy just half a kilometre away from where Aisling Symes vanished two days later, can reveal.

The boy’s story has emerged as police announce the investigation into Aisling’s disappearance is to be further boosted by additional police staff. He offered to buy him sweets as he shopped in the Discount Food Mart, on Rathgar Rd, Henderson.

The schoolboy was approached by a man in his 30s two days before two-year-old Aisling’s disappearance, has learned. It made me feel weird,” the boy said.

“I asked the shop person the price of the candy and, when she said $4, the man asked if he could pay for me and said I could go along with him.

The boy’s mum, who is desperately concerned for Aisling, said: “It could have been anyone’s kid and even ours.

He ran screaming from the store, which is close to where two-year-old Aisling disappeared from her late grandparents home in Longburn Rd last Monday.

“From what has happened in the last week in this area it is going to make me a lot more careful. I always tell my son not to go off on his own but he doesn’t listen. Who knows if the guy was joking but my son did the right thing.

“I didn’t like hearing about what happened in the shop with my son.

Police spokesperson Noreen Hegarty downplayed the incident.”

Police questioned the boy on Thursday and again last night for several hours.

She said police were not seeking the man. She said police believed the man hadn’t made any attempt to “abduct” or “lure” the boy away from his family.

The boy, who has agreed not to identity, was in the superette around 12. Asked why police then interviewed the boy’s parents, Hegarty said they had to “take everything that comes to this investigation seriously”.

“I was by the candy and the guy came up to me and gave me a really strange look and started talking to me,” the boy said.30pm last Saturday while his mum and aunt were in Creative Cutz hairdressers nearby.

“That made me worried,” said the schoolboy.

He was concerned that the stranger, who described as about 33, Maori or Pacific Islander, wanted to buy him candy.

“I was scared, pretty scared.

“Suddenly I ran out of the store screaming for my mum as I thought he wanted to kidnap me.”

The brave lad knew he had to run away from stranger danger.”

The brave lad knew he had to run away from stranger danger. “I’ve been told that if someone wants to give you something or take you anywhere you just say `no’ and get away,” he said. .

Harrison Williams, the owner of Creative Cutz hairdressing, has also been spoken to by police.

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Controversial American cyclist Floyd Landis, stripped of the 2006 Tour de France title after failing a doping test, is a confirmed starter the Tour of Southland next month.

Landis would compete as part of the Cyclingnz.Cyclingnz.com/Biosport team, Tour of Southland race director Bruce Ross said today.”Although we asked a number of local riders to ride for our team, close toly all of them had already committed to other teams for the tour,” Hudson said.com team manager Wayne Hudson said the decision to approach Landis came about two weeks ago, when one of their original lineup for the Southland tour switched to another team.”We thought, ‘why not?’ All we can do is ask and if we don’t ask, we’ll never know whether or not he might have said yes.He admitted it had been a long shot to ask Landis.”Floyd had just finished his competitive season, so was in pretty good form and Scott was confident Floyd would rise to the occasion.”Hudson said the deal was struck after they were put in contact with Landis’ agent, Scott Thompson.”He said sponsors had reacted positively to help offset the cost of flying Landis in.”Floyd is the kind of guy who will give his best and turn up every day to ride as hard as he can.”Landis will be supported by Auckland riders Nico de Jong, Nick Lovegrove, Jeremy Meech and Southland triathlete Jamie Whyte, all of whom will be racing their second Southland tour.”We got an almost instant response of ‘we’re in’ from two of them.He launched an impressive all out attack on that stage to win by almost six minutes and got the boost he needed to go on take the overall tour title.Landis was trailing leader Tour de France leader Oscar Pereiro by more than eight minutes going into the 17th stage in the 2006 Tour de France.Landis, who has strongly maintained his innocence, was banned for two years and made his comeback this year with the Maxxis team.Then he failed the doping test which showed elevated levels of synthetic testosterone, a performance-enhancing substance.”To my mind, he has served his time, been cleared to ride again and he will be treated the same as any other bike rider will be treated. .

.”Landis helped Lance Armstrong to three Tour de France victories in the US Postal team between 2002-2004 before becoming the headline rider with the Phonak team from 2005

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More New Zealand aid and specialist help has arrived in tsunami-ravaged Samoa today.

An Air Force Boeing 757 landed at the Pacific Island today carrying police dog search teams, medical personnel and a surgical team, including Samoan-speaking doctors and nurses.”We are working closely with Australian and Samoan health authorities, as well as the New Zealand Defence Force, to put people with the right mix of skills in place in a planned and managed fashion.”The timing is at the request of the Samoan authorities, so that the team will relieve some of the Australian team, and also allow local staff to take a break to be with their own families,” Health Minister Tony Ryall said.Their arrival will boost the numbers of New Zealand Defence Force personnel helping with the aftermath of Wednesday morning’s earthquake and tsunami to 99, Radio New Zealand reported.”The surgical team would take with it medical equipment and supplies requested by Samoa.HMNZS Canterbury was expected to sail from New Zealand on Tuesday with more aid and equipment.Medical and food supplies were also aboard.Yesterday the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade confirmed two New Zealand children died in the tsunamis and a third was missing, presumed dead.Meanwhile, the Defence Force said a water purification system delivered on yesterday should be operational by today.”Grave concerns” were held for Matamata sisters Petria and Rebecca Martin, who were staying at Taufua Lodge resort in Lalomanu, the worst-hit area.Two adult New Zealanders had also died as walls of water swamped the island nation: Raglan woman Mary Ann White and an unidentified person, the ministry said.South Auckland woman Tauaavaga Tupuola – the 84-year-old grandmother of Kiwis rugby league star Matt Utai – was swept to her death with her granddaughter, Bula Okei, 28, and three-year-old great-granddaughter Sima, The reported.Also staying at the resort was two-year-old Auckland toddler Alfie Cunliffe, who is missing and believed to have died when he was swept out to sea as the tsunami hit.Hopes were also fading for Matamata sisters Petria and Rebecca Martin, who have been missing since Wednesday.The ministry was investigating earlier today whether Mrs Tupuola was a New Zealand passport holder, a spokesman told today. It was expected to rise further.The death toll stands at 189 – 149 in Samoa, 31 in American Samoa and nine in Tonga.He has since returned to New Zealand, but has promised the nation more aid to help in the disaster’s aftermath.Prime Minister John Key arrived in Samoa yesterday to see firsthand the devastation wreaked by the tsunamis. The title, given as he drank kava in the village’s meeting house, meant he would be known as “To’osavili Sione Key”. reported he had been made a chief, or “ali’i”, of the devastated village of Poutasi.”We are keeping a register of skilled health professionals and co-ordinating our resources with Australia to ensure that we provide the most effective help possible in conjunction with the Samoan health service,” he said.Meanwhile, more than 250 New Zealand health professionals had volunteered to help in Samoa, Mr Ryall said.Medical help would be needed for weeks to come and Mr Ryall asked that health professionals able to assist phone (09) 263 1381, fax (09) 261 3396 or email Incident.Medical help would be needed for weeks to come and Mr Ryall asked that health professionals able to assist phone (09) 263 1381, fax (09) 261 3396 or email Incident.Controllermiddlemore. .nz outlining their details.

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Three New Zealanders have been confirmed as killed in the Pacific tsunami, with another presumed dead and grave concerns held for two others.

The only New Zealander so far identified isMary Ann White, 54, of Raglan, whose family was trying last night to get her body home.

The injured are being accompanied by six family members, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade said. .

Acting Prime Minister Bill English said earlier today that three Britons and two Germans who were also injured would also be evacuated.

They are expected to arrive at Auckland’s Whenuapai Airport early tomorrow morning and will then be transported by a fleet of ambulances to local hospitals for treatment.

There were initially reports that a two-year-old Auckland boy had been officially identified as one of those killed.

The confirmed death toll from Wednesday’s tsunamis, caused by an 8 magnitude undersea quake, stood at 149 in Samoa, 31 on American Samoa and nine on neighbouring Tonga.

The toddler was swept out to sea as he was playing on the beach with his parents at Lalomanu when the 6m wave came ashore on Wednesday. This is incorrect, and it is understood he remains missing, presumed dead.

MFAT earlierconfirmed it was providing support to the toddler’s parents. His parents swam to safety.

The husband and wife, originally from Britain, now live in Auckland.

They were taken to hospital yesterday with minor injuries and later discharged and are staying at the New Zealand High Commission in Samoa. Tsunami warnings were given and they were trying to escape to higher ground when the waves struck. The family was holidaying at a resort close to the village of Lalomanu.

GRAVE CONCERNS

MFATsays grave fears are held for two New Zealanders who had been staying at the Taufua Resort, Lalomanu.

Plans are underway to medi-vacinjured New Zealanders on a RNZAF plane to New Zealand as soon as possible.

However, the Martin family of Wardville, outside Matamata, was this morning preparing to fly out to Samoa in search of their two daughters who flew to Samoa on Monday for a holiday. The ministry has not released details of the pair.

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The sisters, Petria, 22 and Rebecca, 24, were holidaying with their cousin, a Hamilton travel agent and her friend, and had been due back tomorrow

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MPs found guilty of serious criminal offences will lose their travel perks, a decision sparked by Taito Phillip Field’s recent conviction for corruption.

The former Mangere MP was last month found guilty of bribery and obstruction of justice after being found to have accepted work on properties in return for immigration assistance.Under the Electoral Act, an MP convicted of serious criminal offences must vacate their seat.An amendment to the rules would require MPs convicted of serious criminal offences to give up their travel privileges, Speaker Lockwood Smith announced today.However, they are not required to give up travel entitlements available to former MPs .”I have followed a process that included consultation in arriving at my final decision.”I felt it was appropriate that the travel privileges of former members be stopped where someone was convicted of an offence that would require them to vacate their seat in Parliament,” Dr Smith said. .The decision would apply to travel entitlements available to former MPs who entered Parliament before 1999.The amendment was expected to take effect by the end of next month, Dr Smith said.He could also have claimed a 90 percent discount on international travel, as long as it did not exceed the cost of a return business-class flight to London on Air New Zealand – about $10,000.Having entered Parliament in 1993, Field could have claimed up to 12 free domestic return air fares a year.

.Former MPs have come under fire for the ir travel expenses after they were revealed last month

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The recession ended in the June quarter, with the economy growing by the barest of margins, up just 0.1 per cent, according to official figures.

Most economists and the Reserve Bank expected a slight fall in the June quarter, but that growth would return in the September quarter.

Economist said yesterday that a better than expected result for the economy could see the kiwi dollar continue to rise against the US dollar. The recession began at the start of 2008.06c, its highest level since August 4, 2008 after the release of the GDP data.

The New Zealand dollar rose as high as US73.

Economic activity, as measured by Gross Domestic Product (GDP), was up less than 0.

This growth in economic activity follows five quarters of contraction in the New Zealand economy.1 per cent in the June 2009 quarter, Statistics New Zealand said.5 per cent in the June 2009 quarter, mainly driven by forestry and logging (up 8.

Activity in the primary industries was up 1.

The increase in forestry and logging production was related to an increase in exports of logs to the People’s Republic of China.0 per cent).

Activity in the goods-producing industries contracted 0.

Activity in the goods-producing industries contracted 0.3 per cent) and construction (down 1.

The manufacturing (down 1. A 5.9 per cent) industries both declined.

Activity in the services industries was flat this quarter.9 per cent increase in electricity, gas and water partly offset these declines.5 per cent) and communications (up 1. Service industries that increased were real estate and business services (up 1.

Offsetting these increases were declines in wholesale trade (down 2.7 per cent).3 per cent), and government administration and defence (down 0.3 per cent), and government administration and defence (down 0.4 per cent).

The expenditure measure of GDP, released concurrently with the production measure, was up 0.4 percent in the June 2009 quarter.

Household consumption expenditure, which measures the volume of spending by New Zealand households, was up 0.4 per cent.

This increase in household spending was driven by non-durables (mainly motor fuel) and services. Household spending on durable items fell.

Export volumes were up 4.7 per cent in the June 2009 quarter, with exports of dairy and wood products the main contributors.

Import volumes decreased 3.8 percent in the same period, with the largest declines in intermediate goods, and machinery and plant equipment.

The combination of higher exports, lower imports, and a decline in manufacturing led to a large, $1. .

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Police have launched an investigation into allegations of sabotage and assault at a Waikato cheese factory where a pay and contracts dispute between workers and management is turning increasingly dirty.

Open Country factory union members have been barred from returning to the Waharoa plant by management while an inquiry into alleged sabotage of factory equipment by a worker is investigated.The Dairy Workers Union members have been trying to return to work this week at the end of an eight-day strike but the company is refusing allow them on the premises. .It was too risky to allow the striking employees back to work until a police investigation had sorted out who was guilty for the alleged sabotage, he said.Factory chairman Laurie Margrain claimed that just before the industrial action started, somebody had loosened fittings, turned off valves and altered pressure gauges.”They’re presenting themselves for work and we’re paying them,” he said.But workers who did turn up for their shift were being sent home on full pay, he said.Mr Margrain said a disgruntled employee was behind the dumping.Police are also investigating an allegation of sludge dumping from the factory into close toby the Waitoa River.But Dairy Workers Union national secretary James Ritchie said untrained workers hired by the company during the strike had released the sludge into the Waitoa river, causing environmental damage.