Two a penny

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US naval forces have rescued cargo ship captain Richard Phillips from captivity at the hands of Somali pirates in a dramatic shootout that ended a five-day standoff.

Phillips’ life was in danger when naval forces shot the pirates, freeing him unharmed and killing three of four pirates who had held him hostage on a lifeboat after trying to seize his vessel, the navy said. The fourth pirate was in custody.

The US Navy believed that Phillips, who tried to escape on Friday, faced imminent danger amid tense hostage talks with his captors and deteriorating sea conditions.

“I can tell you that he is free and that he is safe,” Navy Lieutenant Commander John Daniels said. William Gortney, head of the US Naval Central Command, said in a Pentagon briefing from Bahrain.

“They were pointing the AK-47s at the captain,” Vice Adm.

President Barack Obama had granted the Pentagon’s request for standing authority to use appropriate force to save the life of the captain, he said.19am NZT and the lifeboat had drifted to about 20 miles from lawless Somalia’s coast.

The US Navy 5th Fleet in Bahrain said the rescue took place at 4.

“We are all absolutely thrilled to learn that Richard is safe and will be reunited with his family,” Maersk Line chief executive John Reinhart said in a statement.

Phillips, captain of the US-flagged Maersk Alabama container ship, had contacted his family, received a routine medical evaluation, and was resting comfortably aboard the amphibious assault ship USS Boxer.

Phillips’ crew let off flares, hoisted an American flag and jumped for joy at news of their captain’s rescue.

CNN showed a photo of a smiling Phillips after his rescue.

“We are very happy.

“We are very happy.

Three US warships had been watching the situation.

Phillips, 53, was the first American taken captive by Somali pirate gangs who have marauded in the busy Gulf of Aden and Indian Ocean shipping lanes for years.

“To achieve that goal, we must continue to work with our partners to prevent future attacks, be prepared to interdict acts of piracy and ensure that those who commit acts of piracy are held accountable for their crimes,” he said in a statement.

PIRATES VOW REVENGE

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Obama, spared from having another thorny foreign policy crisis added to his troubles with the US economic meltdown and Afghanistan, welcomed the rescue, praised the US military and vowed to curb rampant piracy.

“The French and the Americans will regret starting this killing.

Somali pirates were quick to vow revenge over Sunday’s shooting, as well as a French military assault to rescue a yacht on Friday. We shall do something to anyone we see as French or American from now,” Hussein, a pirate, said by satellite phone. We do not kill, but take only ransom.

Phillips volunteered to go with the pirates in a Maersk Alabama lifeboat in exchange for the crew, said Vice Adm.

The Maersk Alabama, a container ship carrying food aid for Somalis, was attacked far out in the Indian Ocean on Wednesday, but its 20 American crew apparently fought off the pirates and regained control.

“The actions of Captain Phillips and the civilian mariners of Maersk-Alabama were heroic.

“The actions of Captain Phillips and the civilian mariners of Maersk-Alabama were heroic. They fought back to regain control of their ship, and Captain Phillips selflessly put his life in the hands of these armed criminals in order to protect his crew,” he said in a statement.

Joseph Murphy, whose son, Shane, was Phillips’s second in command and took over the Alabama after pirates left with Phillips, said in a statement read by CNN, “Our prayers have been answered on this Easter Sunday.”

“My son and our family will forever be indebted to Capt. Phillips for his bravery. If not for his incredible personal sacrifice, this kidnapping – an act of terror – could have turned out much worse,” said Murphy.

“The captain is a hero,” one crew member shouted from the 17,000-ton ship as it docked in Kenya’s Mombasa port under darkness on Saturday. “He saved our lives by giving himself up.”

LEGAL SYSTEM NEEDED

Experts had expected a quick end to the standoff, but the pirates held out for both a ransom and safe passage home. Friends said the gang wanted $2 million.

The saga has drawn world attention to the long-running piracy phenomenon off Somalia that has hiked shipping insurance costs and disrupted international trade.

Andrew Mwangura, coordinator of Mombasa-based East African Seafarers Assistance Program, said the rescue would change the stakes in future pirate attacks.

“This is a big wake-up to the pirates. It raises the stakes. Now they may be more violent, like the pirates of old,” he said.

Pirates have generally treated hostages well, sometimes roasting goat meat for them and even passing phones round so they can call loved ones. The worst violence reported has been the occasional beating and no hostages are known to have been killed by pirates.

The drama underscored a need for new international agreements to allow other countries to protect shipments in Somali waters and try pirates, US Coast Guard Commandant Adm. .”

The US Justice Department said in a statement it “will be reviewing the evidence and other issues to determine whether to seek prosecution in the United States.”

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High art or a load of poppycock?

A Spanish artist left some of his Wellington audience bemused after presenting a creation that consisted of a man with his fly undone and penis hanging out.
The work, put on by visiting artist Santiago Sierra, was staged in a Dixon St building for most of Saturday.
Art lovers were told the piece was R18 and to queue outside a door before entering the room alone.
“When I went in the door, there was a man standing there with his fly undone and his penis hanging out.
One woman, a local artist, said her expectations were raised by the queue but the reality was less impressive.
“It was quite a funny thing .”
The man, who may have been the artist, had a “brooding” look, but the woman stayed only “about 10 or 15 seconds”, she said.. In terms of an event, it was quite an occurrence..
“I don’t know about [justifying] it economically .”
However, she said that kind of nudity was boring and she would be concerned if a lot of money had been spent bringing Sierra to town… . that sort of stuff isn’t really that shocking in art circles.
Sierra, who lives in Mexico, left New Zealand yesterday.
One Day Sculpture curatorial director Claire Doherty said the Wellington show was Sierra’s own project and not part of the year-long festival. He once paid drug addicts by giving them the drug of their choice to allow themselves to be tattooed. His works sometimes involve paying people to perform unpleasant tasks.
Et al’s earlier works had included a toilet that brayed like a donkey.
In 2005, an artwork by et al caused a stir when its creator refused to speak publicly about the Venice biennale exhibit.

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Outdoor workers’ health at risk from sun, study finds

By MARK HOTTON – Thursday, 26 February 2009

Outdoor workers are at risk of eye disease and skin cancer because of overexposure and under-protection in the sun, a University of Otago study has found.
The problem of high UV-radiation exposure was made worse with less than a third of the 77 workers in the study applying sunscreen and only 5 per cent wearing a wide-brim hat.
Unless adequately protected, all of them would have received more UV radiation than the recommended level of 1.
The workers in the study, conducted by postgraduate student Vanessa Hammond, included construction, horticultural and road workers employed at 14 Central Otago workplaces.
An exposure of about 1.08 SED (standard erythemal dose).0 SED could cause sunburn to someone with unprotected fair skin.5 to 3.3 SED between 11am and 4pm. The average daily summer exposure of the workers was 5.
Study co-author Dr Tony Reeder, director of the university's Cancer Society social and behavioural research unit, said employers had an important role in protecting their workers from the sun.
Hammond said any opportunity to work in the shade could make a real difference in reducing the risk of a worker developing skin cancer. .
Outdoor work between 11am and 4pm needed to be undertaken in either natural or constructed shade in summer, he said.
"It all sounds very nice but there'd be a big cost with it.
However, Amalgamated Builders health and safety manager David Baker, of Dunedin, said movable shade structures were impractical given the scale of building sites.
"You can provide but it's up to the guys to use the stuff," Baker said."
The company supplied personal protective equipment such as wide-brim clip-on hat options and sunscreen, but it was up to each employee whether they used it.
"I've just put a lid on [the tractor] for that reason.
Gore farmer Hamish Smith said he had taken steps to address his exposure to the sun. But it can just get too hot. There was always sunscreen in the tractor and that was used too.
Builder Barnaby Lamb, who was wearing a sleeveless top on a Queenstown building site yesterday, said sunscreen was supplied on site and he regularly applied it."
Work was started early to avoid the day's heat and a hat was essential.

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Court martial finds officer guilty on one charge

The Wednesday, 25 February 2009

A senior army officer has been found guilty of indecent assault and not guilty on a charge of behaving in a disgraceful and indecent manner.
A court martial panel of five senior officers delivered its verdict at the end of a three-day military trial at Trentham Army Base today.
The charges date back to March 23, 2007, when the officer went to the room of a female officer who was attending a course on which he was a senior instructor.
The senior officer said she had come on to him and invited him to her room for sex and that they kissed before she turned away and said no.
Both had been drinking in the officers' mess that night and the female officer said he came to her room uninvited and that after she fended him off he exposed himself and committed an indecency. .
He denied exposing himself to the officer, who was engaged to one of his closest friends

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Helen Clark’s UN job interview

By ANTHONY HUBBARD – Sunday, 08 February 2009

Former Primeminister Helen Clark is in the running for a top United Nations job, and the National government is supporting her bid.
Clark is a candidate for the post of administrator of the UN Development Programme, third behind UN secretary-general and deputy secretary-general.
It was too early yet to predict whether she would be successful, Key told the Sunday Star-Times.
Prime Minister John Key confirmed yesterday that Clark was a candidate, "and she has all the support of the New Zealand government".
If Clark was successful her appointment would be comparable with former Labour leader Mike Moore's job as director-general of the World Trade Organisation or former National foreign affairs minister Don McKinnon's post as secretary-general of the Commonwealth.
Auckland University foreign policy expert Steve Hoadley said the UNDP post was one of "major international importance".
The present administrator, former Turkish economic affairs minister Kemal Dervis, is due to retire at the end of his four-year term in August this year.
The UNDP had the largest budget of any UN agency, Hoadley said, and was a major presence throughout the world. A government source said she would be "a very strong candidate".
It has long been expected that Clark, a foreign affairs specialist all her adult life and with a wide international network, would try for an international post. It's a very senior position and will be hotly contested by a number of candidates.
Clark said: "This position came up at short notice. Hoadley said the government would have to lobby General Assembly members for the job. .
The UNDC is the UN's global development network, overseeing a budget of $US5 billion. It would be interesting to see how much it was prepared to spend in supporting the Clark candidacy in a time of financial stringency.
The Clark-led government in its final term increased its aid budget to $400 million, about 0. Its head office is in New York, and it has 140 offices around the world.

.3 percentof gross national income

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BOP businessman accused of drugging, raping woman

Friday, 06 February 2009

A Bay of Plenty businessman has been accused of raping a woman after allegedly stupefying her with the party drug ketamine.
The Tauranga man, in his early 40s, who was granted interim suppression of his name and that of his business, faced two charges in Tauranga District Court yesterday of sexual violation by rape.
The man was granted bail by Judge Thomas Ingram despite strong objections from police, the Bay of Plenty Times reported.
He also faced a further charge of trying to intimidate the complainant the day prior to his arrest on February 4, after she was allegedly threatened by a woman known to the accused.
He said without more substantiative evidence to support the allegation, he was prepared to grant bail on the basis that the accused observed a 24-hour curfew to live outside the Bay of Plenty.
The judge said he had real concerns over any allegation involving intimidation of a witness but at this stage there was no evidence linking the defendant to the alleged threat.
Police allege that last weekend the accused and the his alleged victim met at a Tauranga address where she was plied with alcoholic drinks and stupefied with ketamine – a prescription-only sedative – then raped.
The man is also also barred from having any contact with his alleged victim and other police witnesses.
During a search of the man's address police allegedly found a small amount of ketamine. .
Judge Ingram said the issue of bail and the suppression order would be revisited on February 11 when the man is due back in court.
But the accused's lawyer told Judge Ingram the allegations were absolutely denied.
Judge Ingram said on that day he wanted to see a sworn statement by the complainant to substantiate her claim of intimidation, plus an affidavit from the accused setting out the grounds why suppression should continue.

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Mother plans to stalk rapist

– Friday, 23 January 2009

A Christchurch woman has been staking out Rolleston Prison as she prepares to follow the man who raped her daughter.
The woman, who cannot be named as it would identify her daughter, intends to follow Jack Michael Harris, 46, when he is released on Monday.
She also plans to deliver leaflets in the neighbourhood to which he will be released. He was sentenced to six years jail.
Harris was convicted in 2004 for indecent assaults and rapes on the woman's daughter, then aged 12 and 13, over an 18-month period.
The mother said she had three cars of volunteers ready to "stake out" the prison and follow any vehicles leaving.
Rehabilitative experts have condemned the actions, saying this type of "vigilante" action had been shown to have the opposite effects to those sought and increased the rates of reoffending. .
Rather than include his picture, they were thinking of providing the web address of Harris's profile on the trust's sex-offender register.
The mother had been advised by the Sensible Sentencing Trust on how to legally go about alerting the man's new neighbourhood to his presence.
New Zealand Parole Board chairman Judge David Carruthers said Harris would be supported on release.
She had contacted the Parole Board to contest Harris's release but had not made submissions on where he was to be released to.
"In addition, it has imposed conditions to continue for six months beyond his sentence end date.
"In this case, the release is to Salvation Army-supported accommodation, and the board requires the offender to attend an ongoing support programme," he said."
Safe Network chief executive Robert Ford, who works on rehabilitating sex offenders, said leaflet drops were based on the assumption that paedophiles were frequent reoffenders when, in fact, sexual offending had one of the lowest rates of recidivism."
Safe Network chief executive Robert Ford, who works on rehabilitating sex offenders, said leaflet drops were based on the assumption that paedophiles were frequent reoffenders when, in fact, sexual offending had one of the lowest rates of recidivism.
Leaflet drops placed the offender under stress and, under stress, reoffending was more likely, he said.
"A lot of these vigilante concerns are based on a false assumption," Ford said.

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Rally supports Israel’s right to self-defence

Thursday, 15 January 2009

Demonstrators supporting Israel's right to defend itself gathered outside Parliament yesterday, waving Israeli flags and calling on Hamas to end rocket attacks on civilians.
About 100 people gathered to counter the much larger pro-Palestinian rally in Wellington last week when more than 1000 demonstrators marched through the city protesting Israel's military offensive in Gaza. "Israel has a right to self-defence.
"There are two sides to the story of what is happening in Gaza," organisers of yesterday's rally said."
They delivered letters to MPs, including the Green Party's Keith Locke, which stated their case and expressed support for the suffering of Palestinian civilians. Israel seeks peace with Palestinians and an end to the Hamas regime which wants to destroy Israel and targets Jews around the world.
Yesterday's pro-Israeli demonstrators carried placards denouncing Hamas for launching rocket attacks against Israel.
Locke spoke at the pro-Palestinian rally last week, accusing the Government of hypocrisy because it was not speaking against the "terrorist attacks" on the people of Gaza.
Foreign Minister Murray McCully last week called on Israel and Hamas to end their attacks and agree to a ceasefire.
The Government has adopted a neutral stance on the conflict.
"Both sides have obligations to avoid putting civilians in danger.
"It is imperative both sides Israel and Hamas focus on the mounting humanitarian situation for the civilian population of Gaza," McCully said.
"The Rakon parts are supplied to the US which provides the bombs directly to the Israeli military," said Mike Treen, spokesperson for the Global Peace and Justice group, which will march on the company's premises on Saturday."
Meanwhile, protesters critical of Israeli attacks say they will target an Auckland company, Rakon Industries, which is reported to provide crystal oscillators for smart bombs used by the Israeli Air Force.
Rakon -winner of that year's New Zealand Trade and Enterprise (NZTE) export awards – declined to confirm its technology had been used in the US invasion of Iraq. .

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NZ storms harbingers of climate change

By CHARLIE GATES – Wednesday, 14 January 2009

The storms, droughts and floods that hit New Zealand last year could be a harbinger of climate change, weather scientists say.
New Zealand's weather extremes in 2008, from droughts in January to storms in July and August, are comprehensive in asummary published yesterday by the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (Niwa).
The July and August storms that wreaked havoc across New Zealand caused $68 million damage and killed five people, Niwa said.
Niwa principal scientist James Renwick said the extremes could be a preview of how global climate change would affect New Zealand weather.
The drought in the west of the North Island early last year cost $1 billion, it said.
"The idea of a sunny year, but with some pretty violent storms, is consistent with climate change.
"I am not saying 2008 was a result of climate change, but we should expect to see more years like that," he said.
"We should expect to see more of those rainfall extremes.
"It is really quite a challenge for agriculture."
Renwick said the extreme weather expected to be sparked by global climate change would affect New Zealand agriculture.
"There will have to be some thought about where the different activities take place. The good conditions you need to grow certain crops and raise stock will move around the country," he said.
"They will probably be quite viable in the South Island in the close to future. For example, kiwifruit were first grown in the Bay of Plenty, then Hawke's Bay."
The South Island had some of the most dramatic weather of 2008."
The South Island had some of the most dramatic weather of 2008.
Canterbury recorded the highest temperature of the year with 34.
Christchurch was also the driest of the five centres, with just 704 millimetres of rain compared with the 1662mm that made Wellington the wettest.
The sunshine and arid conditions were occasionally broken by violent rainstorms in the South Island.8 degrees celsius at Timaru Airport on January 12 and March 19. . Marlborough, Canterbury and eastern Otago had more than three times the normal rainfall in July.5C at Mount Cook on August 20.
Weather extremes:
Coldest temperature minus 9.8C at Timaru Airport on January 12.
Highest temperature 34.
Highest rainfall catchment Cropp River, in the Hokitika River catchment, had 10,940mm of rainfall for the year.
Highest rainfall catchment Cropp River, in the Hokitika River catchment, had 10,940mm of rainfall for the year.
Heaviest snowfall Arthur's Pass closed three days after 1 metre fell, August 15-17.

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Petrol prices too high – minister

By KATHERINE NEWTON Monday, 29 December 2008

Energy minister Gerry Brownlee has called for petrol companies to make immediate price cuts, accusing them of holding prices to capitalise on the peak holiday driving period.
"I would be disappointed if the oil companies are waiting until after the holiday season and high volume sales period before deciding to act," Mr Brownlee said.
New Zealand petrol companies cut the price of 91 octane petrol to 139.
However, record low prices internationally for crude oil, combined with a slight rise in the value of the New Zealand dollar, gave petrol companies even more room to move, Mr Brownlee said.9 cents a litre on December 5, taking it to its lowest since February 2007."
Mr Brownlee's comments mirrored a call from the Automobile Association two weeks ago for companies to drop their prices by a further 5 cents.
"I can't help but think the time for further price reductions has arrived.
Reserve Bank governor Alan Bollard has also called for petrol prices to come down, saying oil companies should play their part in easing the burden on consumers.
"There's no intent on our part to hold the price artificially as a result of the holiday period," Chevron spokeswoman Sharon Buckland said.
Petrol companies took offence at Mr Brownlee's suggestion that they were waiting for consumers to return from holiday before dropping their prices. As soon as we can make changes at the pump, we will.
"During the holiday period we monitor the price of petrol every trading day. ."
The price of refined fuel on the Singapore market, which was creeping up again, was a much more important factor in New Zealand pricing than the cost of crude, Ms Buckland said.
ExxonMobil spokesman Alan Bailey also denied Mr Brownlee's implication, saying petrol prices were dictated by retail conditions and everyone was looking for competitive advantage.
ExxonMobil spokesman Alan Bailey also denied Mr Brownlee's implication, saying petrol prices were dictated by retail conditions and everyone was looking for competitive advantage.

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Shell spokeswoman Jackie Maitland said she was "not going to pre-empt what might happen", but Shell was reviewing petrol prices daily and would lower prices as soon as it was possible to do so