Saturday, November 30, 2013

Killed woman's family make emotional plea

The family of a Miramar woman killed in her home have flown to New Zealand to make an emotional plea for information leading to her killer.
Mei Fan, a 37-year-old Chinese woman, was found in her home earlier this month with multiple injuries consistent with a "violent and brutal attack".
Police say Ms Fan was last seen on November 8 when she dropped off her two children at Miramar Central School, where she also spoke with a teacher.
They believe she left her home and went along Park Rd to the school between 8:30am and 9am.
As part of the investigation, divers were sent to search near the Miramar wharf for evidence related to the death.
Speaking to media today Ms Fan's family, who have flown from Inner Mongolia, said they were shocked to hear of the murder.
"Mei was beautiful, well-taught, helpful, respectful and caring daughter, and loving mother.
"The heartbroken news of her sudden death has brought us enormous grief, and will leave a permanent scar in her parents' and family's lives in China."
The family are appealing for help from "all the kind-hearted people" in New Zealand to come forward with information.
They hope those responsible for the death are held accountable so "her spirit can at last rest in peace".
Police say Ms Fan's two children have provided some information which has been helpful to the investigation, and are now with other family members.
The murder weapon is believed to be a knife that was part of a mass batch, possibly from a supermarket promotion from the 1990s.
Police are appealing for information about where Ms Fan was on November 8 and sightings of her red 2005 Honda hatchback registration GSL128.
Anyone with information should call the dedicated number for Operation Brussels on  0800 348 348 .


Read more: http://www.3news.co.nz/Killed-womans-family-make-emotional-plea/tabid/423/articleID/323046/Default.aspx#ixzz2m7iIgdHh
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Date set for Anadarko court challenge

A date has been set for the High Court judicial hearing into whether the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) was remiss in allowing oil giant Anadarko to drill in New Zealand waters.
Greenpeace filed papers at the High Court at Wellington this week seeking the review on the same day the company began drilling an exploratory well off the coast of Raglan.
The parties will meet in the courtroom on December 9.
Greenpeace says the EPA made an "error of law" because it did not consider a number of documents including Anadarko's reports on oil spill modelling and emergency spill response before allowing the company to drill.
The Oil Free Seas flotilla was at the drilling site before it started, but is now returning to shore.
The Green Party has also called for a moratorium on the drilling until a decision on the review is made.
3 News
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Monkeying around all part of the job

Monkeying around all part of the job

Wednesday 27 Nov 2013 5:00a.m.
http://www.3news.co.nz/Monkeying-around-all-part-of-the-job/tabid/423/articleID/322947/Default.aspx
See the photo gallery
As a general reporter for a national news organisation you have to dress in preparation for almost any situation – court, Parliament, weather chasing - anything.
But yesterday I found myself in an environment I could not have anticipated – the Bolivian squirrel monkey enclosure at Wellington Zoo.  
The zoo has experienced a bit of a baby boom with the birth of at least three different kinds of animals in the past few weeks.
Three-week-old baby Bolivian squirrel monkeys, three South American agouti babies and two meerkat pups are among the throng of newborns frolicking in their enclosures. A pygmy marmoset was also born a few months ago, and zookeepers have their suspicions about other animals which may be pregnant.
Dressed in brown leather shoes, pinstriped pants and an overly large 3 News rain jacket I, along with our cameraman Hans, come prepared to take photos and video from outside the enclosures where the public normally see these exotic animals.
Noting the drizzling rain, zoo staff warn us our chances of getting these animals from out of their warm shelters could be slim.
But we're in luck – in more ways than one. Senior primate keeper Harmony Wallace brings out the keys to the enclosure and lets us get closer to these curious primates than the paying public can.
The group of 24 squirrel monkeys are tucked up inside their shelters, but like most animals, the offer of food is enough to entice them outside.
Most of them rush to the ground foraging for their currant treats, but you also have to keep an eye to the branches above for the more adventurous monkeys. I learned that the hard way.
Busy looking through my camera lens, I feel a sudden weight land on my right shoulder. My head turns slowly. It's a monkey. 
To them, we're just another obstacle to jump on and explore. One crawls down my arm and starts gnawing on the Velcro at the end of my sleeve. Another few want to try their hands at operating Hans' camera. Others use us as a launching pad to get to another branch. 
Harmony says the group are remarkably well-behaved by their standards. Apparently on a sunny day she can't spend nearly as long as we have been in their enclosure without them getting their little monkey paws onto any loose items.
Once the group has finished foraging for food and head back inside to dry off, we decide it's time to leave. But not before checking our pockets – Wallet? Check. Phone? Check. Keys? Check.
3 News
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Monday, November 18, 2013

Protest disrupts Parliament

The parliamentary Question Time was interrupted by a group of protesters this afternoon, demanding justice over an immigration issue.
Two Maori women, with about a dozen whanau supporters, shouted from the public gallery that their husbands were being refused entry to New Zealand.
It took several minutes for security staff to remove them from the gallery, which is above the debating chamber.
The shouts from the gallery came as the Labour Party leader David Cunliffe was grilling the Government over paying compensation to the Pike River families.
The protest forced Speaker David Carter to pause the debate until the protesters were removed by security.
During the interruption, one man yelled: "Bring him back. Fix your immigration up. Her husband is not allowed home. Bring him home. For 12 months they've had no dad".
"You sit in here and get paid all your money, what about our families? You're ripping our whanau apart. All of you are. You're all guilty. Every one of you."
The protest lasted several minutes before the questions resumed.
Immigration consultant Tuariki Delamere, a former immigration minister, said he represented the women and told reporters outside parliament they were both married to Indian men.
He said the men returned to India to visit family, and were being refused re-entry because the Immigration Department said the marriages weren't genuine.
"They don't know what to do, Immigration NZ says the marriages aren't genuine, go away, get lost," he said.
"One of the women has been married for two years, the other for three years, they have young children."
Mr Delamere said they came to parliament because they wanted to make their case known.
"It's a pity there was a bit of shouting in the chamber, but what else could they do?"
3 News/ NZN

Tuesday 19 Nov 2013 3:08p.m.
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Friday, November 1, 2013

International military exercise begins



PHOTOS: International military exercise begins

Saturday 02 Nov 2013 8:00a.m.


The New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) has embarked on the largest international training exercise to be held in the country.
Exercise Southern Katipo will take place until November 29, primarily around Timaru airport and port and will involve nine other countries in a simulation of an unsettled population who have asked for military assistance.
Over the exercise up to 1800 soldiers, sailors and airmen from Australia, Papua New Guinea, Tonga, Singapore, Malaysia, Canada, the US and New Caledonia will take part in the operation. They will also bring with them their own aircraft and ships.
More than 200 NZDF troops and 60 military vehicles were loaded onto the HMNZ Canterbury in Wellington yesterday and will leave for the Timaru on Sunday.
The exercise aims to test the capability of the NZDF to mount a medium-scale amphibious operation that involves land, air and sea forces.
The operation was scheduled to take place in 2011, but NZDF personnel were required to help out following the Canterbury earthquakes.
3 News


Read more: http://www.3news.co.nz/PHOTOS-International-military-exercise-begins/tabid/423/articleID/319765/Default.aspx#ixzz2jQbHg825



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