Two a penny

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Police want to hear from anyone who sees unexplained damage on a four-wheel-drive vehicle with bull bars following an incident which left a Tokoroa teen in hospital. .

Detective Sergeant Kevan Verry said it appeared the incident happened after an altercation in the centre of the Waikato township between two groups.30am yesterday.

It was not known if the vehicle had sustained any damage in the incident.

Police were treating the incident as a serious assault.

The scene examination had been completed and several witnesses spoken to.

“If any person knows of someone who drives or owns a vehicle of this type that has some unexplained damage, they are urged to contact police,” Mr Verry said.

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The teenager remains in a critical condition in Waikato Hospital

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OPINION:
The official website of the mayor of Wanganui is a fascinating monument to a man who simply cannot get enough of himself. It is a site absolutely awash in self-love.

Visitors to the cosily titled mayormichael. .co. Oh, and there’s some stuff about Wanganui, too. The site’s latest thrilling additions are magazine photos of Michael Laws’ family dating back to 2003 – just in case any of us neglected to cut them out at the time of publication – but there are also shots of his kids’ birthday parties, updates on the state of his relationship with his partner, and photos of Laws that stretch back to boyhood.

If there is any glimmer of a redeeming feature in this exercise in narcissism, it is that Mr Laws appears to have almost as soft a spot for children as he has for himself.

All of which makes it a surprise to see the level of contempt with which he treated a group of Otaki children who had the temerity to write to him last month. Mr Laws clearly adores his own kids, and has written in the past about the evils of child abuse.

In response, he wrote the girls a letter suggesting their teacher be sacked, urging them to control their anger, and saying he wouldn’t take their views seriously unless they first looked at the rate of child abuse and murder within Maori society.

The seven students of Otaki School’s kura kaupapa unit, aged from 11 to 13, wrote to Mr Laws in Maori to say what they thought about the controversy over whether Wanganui should have an “h” in its name. But here’s the thing: whatever.

There has since been much debate about whether the Maori word used by all seven students in their letters and translated by Mr Laws’ team as “anger” should instead have been “frustration”. It shouldn’t be news to Mr Laws, father of many, that pre-teen girls are stroppy, and that 12-year-olds have yet to learn the social bullshit that enables us to express our opinions in a detached manner. It shouldn’t be news to Mr Laws, father of many, that pre-teen girls are stroppy, and that 12-year-olds have yet to learn the social bullshit that enables us to express our opinions in a detached manner. Children of their age should, he said, care only about Harry Potter.

Firstly, this champion of direct democracy argued that “it’s wrong for kids to be angry about something inanimate”.

AN ARGUMENT this ludicrous doesn’t fly for long, so Mr Laws then argued that their teacher had put them up to it. In others words, it’s not just that their views are wrong; they shouldn’t be allowed to have views. As any parent knows, it’s impossible to convince a 12-year-old girl to turn her music down if she doesn’t want to. Who is this classroom Svengali? Again, I come back to the legendary stroppiness of pre-teen girls.

. The thought of a teacher being able to persuade seven of them to write letters against their will is simply inconceivable, unless electric cattle prods were involved

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The Government is planning a stocktake of valuable minerals in the conservation estate but it isn’t going to dig up pristine landscape, Energy and Resources Minister Gerry Brownlee says.

Conservation land is protected by Schedule Four of the Crown Minerals Act and Mr Brownlee said he wasn’t considering changing the legislation.”What we’re examining at is the type of land that needs to be in Schedule Four,” he told reporters today.”Mr Brownlee mentioned the stocktake at a mining conference in Queenstown yesterday.”All we’re saying is there may be some places where the conservation values of the land are significantly less than the high standard put on Schedule Four.The estimated value of untapped minerals in New Zealand has been put at about $140 billion and around 70 percent of that involves conservation land.He said today there seemed to be “a degree of panic” about it which was not warranted.”New Zealand has some of the most pristine landscape in the world.”What we’re saying is where there are new lands added to that we need to balance both aspects of economic and conservation values. It is recognised in Schedule Four of the Crown Minerals Act as being impenetrable,” Mr Brownlee said. This is a stocktake, which is perfectly reasonable. .”What New Zealanders need to know is that New Zealand is similarly endowed,” he said.”He said the previous government spent nine years explaining the economic gap between Australia and New Zealand was as a result of Australia’s mineral wealth.”It’s going to be a very public process.”It’s going to be a very public process

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A man was crushed to death in an elevator shaft at the Fonterra plant in Edendale, Southland, this morning.

An ambulance communications spokesman said it received a report at 11.08am of a worker gone missing in an elevator shaft.

A Fonterra spokeswoman said the man was a contractor working on installing the plant’s ED4 drier, as part of a $212 million expansion due to be commissioned in the next two weeks.

The man was found dead by ambulance services, from a “crushing injury,” the spokesman said.

The Labour Department has confirmed it is investigating the fatal accident.

“Our thoughts are with the contractors family, colleagues and friends at this terrible time,” the spokeswoman said. . Theodorus Rangihu Blake, 52, of New Plymouth, was crushed to death at the company’s Hawera, Taranaki, plant in January.

It it the second incident this year where a Fonterra employee died while at work.

-By MICHAEL FORBES and DEBBIE JAMIESON,

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Wellington City Council has warned of areas of flooding “right across the city” as wind and rain buffet the capital.

Do you have wild weather pics? Email:

Severe winds today lashed the lower North Island, with the worst expected to bring down trees and powerlines.

Drainage crews had been dispatched to fix blocked drains, while other council crews were attending to low-hanging power lines in Hataitai and Mt Cook.

There were reports of blocked drains causing flooding in parts of Island Bay, Newlands, Ngaio, Cuba St, Roseneath, Rongatai and the Hutt Rd.

No one was injured in the minor incident, which happened around 2.

WET WEATHER ACCIDENT

A four-car nose-to-tail accident on State Highway 2 near Horokiwi caused delays for motorists in the capital this afternoon.

WILD WEATHER

The biggest gust recorded in the region this morning was 109 kmh on the Rimutaka Hill, but forecasters were warning that the worst weather will arrive this afternoon. .

He warned that the wild weather is likely to bring down trees, lift unsecured roofs and make driving difficult in exposed places.

MetService duty forecaster Ian Miller said gusts of 130kmh would hit Wellington, Wairarapa and parts of the Hawke’s Bay from midday and continue throughout the day.

“We’re expecting heavy falls in the Hutt Valley and the warning includes Tararua ranges.

“Coupled with rain, which we are expecting in the Wellington region, there is a greater chance the odd tree might get toppled,” he said.”

The real cold change was not going to affect the region till early tomorrow morning when snow would fall to around 500m in Wellington and Wairarapa.

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Prime Minister John Key has struck turbulence in Niue over aid.

The island’s premier, Toke Talagi, today ratcheted up the stakes by threatening to seek aid money from China if New Zealand did not release funds which he said Niue desperately needed to put its economy on a sounder footing.

“It makes sense for us to look at other forms of support to ensure that we can do the things we want to do for our economy as quickly as possible,” he said. If we don’t do that in a timely manner we are wasting our time, therefore we’ve got to look elsewhere if we can’t access those funds from New Zealand.

“The opportunity that is available to us at the present moment is to build our economy, build accommodation for example so we can get a second [Air New Zealand] service from New Zealand.

At issue is about $4 million in aid money which falls outside the annual aid assistance provided by New Zealand to Niue.”

But Mr Key said he was waiting for the arrival of a special envoy from New Zealand to consider how the aid money should be spent before it was released. It is tagged for economic development aimed at making the island’s economy more sustainable.

Mr Key said the money would be released as long as the Government was confident the funds would be deployed in the right places.

The island, which has a population of fewer than 2000, is heavily dependant on aid.

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LATEST:
Lock Jason Eaton and wing Hosea Gear have been handed international recalls as Graham Henry today unveiled his 30-strong All Blacks squad for the Tri-Nations.

The selection of Eaton and Gear, who both toured with the All Balcks at the end of last year, and the return from injury of experienced performers Richie McCaw, Rodney So’oialo and Sitiveni Sivivatu are the features of the squad named this morning by Henry and his assistant coaches Wayne Smith and Steve Hansen.

Dropped from the Iveco Series squad is exciting young Counties Manukau wing Lelia Masaga, who could claim to be hard done by after being given only a fleeting chance to shine, and Waikato loose forward Liam Messam who seems to have paid the price for a shoddy performance in Dunedin against France.

Toeava has been named in the squad but Henry confirmed he will miss the first three tests of the Tri-Nations with a stress fracture in his foot.

The squad has a 17-13 forwards-backs split, but it continues to be dogged by injury with utility back Isaia Toeva the latest to join the list of walking wounded.

The return of All Blacks captain McCaw will be a massive boost, with the skipper now fully recovered from the knee injury that kept him out of the Iveco Series. Five-eighth Stephen Donald is also carrying a hamstring strain that may put his participation in the July 18 competition opener against the Wallabies in doubt. .

Both last played for the All Blacks on the 2008 Grand Slam tour, with the pair returning to New Zealand yesterday after helping the Junior All Blacks to victory in the recent IRB Pacific Nations Cup in the Pacific Islands.

The big movers have been 26-year-old Hurricanes and Taranaki lock Eaton and 25-year-old Hurricanes and Wellington winger Gear who have both been whistled up out of the Junior All Blacks. They will then reassemble in Auckland next Sunday to start preparations for the competition opener.

The All Blacks squad will get together in Wellington for a two-day camp next week (Wednesday and Thursday) with four players added as cover.

Players not considered for selection due to injury include lock Ali Williams (Achilles), wing Rudi Wulf (shoulder), flanker Adam Thomson (hand), centre Richard Kahui (shoulder), lock Anthony Boric (toe), halfback Andy Ellis (ribs), hooker Corey Flynn (forearm), flanker Scott Waldrom (back) and first-five eighths Daniel Carter (Achilles).

They are: Hurricanes and Wellington utility back Tamati Ellison, Crusaders and Canterbury first five-eighths Stephen Brett and 2008 All Blacks Ben Franks and Anthony Tuitavake, who were all members of the victorious Junior All Blacks squad.

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About 500 residents of a tiny East Coast community are expected to be isolated tonight as rivers continue to rise and heavy rain continues to pound the region.

Do you have photos of the wild weather on the East Coast? Click here to send us your feedback

Gisborne’s Civil Defence emergency operation was activated about 9.

The rising Waipaoa River at Te Karaka, 32km northwest of Gisborne, was expected to reach 9.30am today as rivers around the Poverty Bay and Uawa catchments rose past warning levels, in the face of continuing south-easterly rain.

About 500 people at Te Karaka were expected to be isolated tonight, she said.5m this evening, and was expected to cut off the two access roads into the community, Gisborne District Council spokeswoman Toni Lexmond said.

Nine residents from Mangatuna, 65km northeast of Gisborne, were evacuated earlier today as the Hikuwai/Uawa River ran high.

While there was no danger to houses or people, residents who wanted to get out of the area should do so before 4pm, Ms Lexmond said.

Tolaga Bay, Whangara, Ngatapa, Waerenga-o-Kuri and Mangatuna schools were closed, and school buses were sent out to pick up rural children from city schools and get them home before more roads closed.

Rainfall totals reached the 180mm mark in both the Waipaoa and Uawa catchments, with a further heavy rain warning for another 150mm-200mm in the hills around Gisborne and Tolaga Bay from 8am today until 2pm tomorrow.

A Civil Defence emergency had not been declared at this stage, she said.

The rain was expected to create a number of road closures through slips and flooding and areas of surface flooding over the next few days, Ms Lexmond said.

Yesterday’s storm brought more than 1000 bolts of forked lightning to Auckland and Northland, while heavy rain caused slips and flooding, resulting in road closures in the central North Island and Manawatu.

Heavy rain warnings were earlier lifted for the Coromandel Peninsula as severe weather that brought slips and flooding yesterday moved away.

The MetService said today the vigorous low that had caused the storm was now sitting north of the Bay of Plenty and was predicted to move slowly east or southeast.

Rain also caused slips in the Manawatu Gorge and contractors were called in to keep the road open.

Snow warnings were also issued for the Desert Road in the central North Island and Porters Pass in central Canterbury. .

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A Poverty Bay teenager found dead in his
bed yesterday suffered head injuries in an fight at a party last week,
police say.

A homicide investigation has been launched, Detective Senior Sergeant Craig Scott of Gisborne CIB said.

Family members found Waylin Te Rau Aroha Ngarangione, 19, dead at his family home in Manutuke, 13km southwest of Gisborne, about 9am yesterday.

`We’re still trying to work out exactly what’s happened,” he said.

The teen had been involved in an fight during a small party at the house in Manutuke last Wednesday night, Mr Scott said. It was at a party of about eight to 10 people, a small group of family and friends.

“I think it was just a minor argument.

“We’re still working through it, talking to all the people who were there, just putting a picture together.

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– Next Crime story: –
Body may be that of missing man

– National Homepage –

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India were 349 for five in the second innings when bad light forced an early end to the third day of the third and final cricket test against New Zealand at the Basin Reserve.

Stumps were drawn 8. .1 overs before the scheduled close with India leading by 531 runs.
New Zealand captain Daniel Vettori took two for 2-88 and seamer Iain O’Brien two for 77.
Opener Gautam Gambhir topscored with 167, his sixth test century.
India have an unbeatable 1-0 lead in the series after winning the first test in Hamilton by 10 wickets before the second test in Napier was drawn.
New Zealand conceded an initial 182-run deficit yesterday after being dismissed for 197 in reply to India’s first innings of 379.5 overs) 349 Fall: 14 (Sehwag), 184 (Dravid), 208 (Tendulkar), 314 (Gambhir), 319 (Laxman).
Scoreboard at stumps on the third day:
India : First innings 379
New Zealand: First innings 197
India Second innings (overnight 51-1)G Gambhir lbw b O’Brien 167V Sehwag c Taylor b Martin 12R Dravid c McCullum b Vettori 60S Tendulkar c Taylor b Vettori 9VVS Laxman b O’Brien 61Yuvraj Singh not out 15MS Dhoni not out 16Extras (5lb, 4nb) 9 Total (for 5 wkts, 97.5-5-50-1 (2nb), I O’Brien 22-6-77-2, J Franklin 13-3-50-0, J Ryder 6-1-21-0 (1nb), D Vettori 29-4-88-2 (1nb).Bowling: T Southee 12-2-58-0, C Martin 15.
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