A baby narrowly avoided being born on the side of a gridlocked Auckland motorway on Thursday, with his panicked parents getting a surprise police escort to hospital.
Shradda and Gaurav Patil with their son Aarav. (Source: Supplied)
Constable Shaw (no first name provided) was driving on the Northern Motorway on Thursday afternoon, heading back to Orewa station after finishing his shift, when he saw a vehicle parked in the emergency stopping lane.
“I went and spoke to the driver to make sure everything was okay,” he said in a statement released by police today. “There was a woman in the backseat, clearly in labour.”
The distressed first-time parents, Shradda and Gaurav Patil, had missed the turnoff to North Shore Hospital.
“Unfortunately the motorway was just jam-packed,” said Gaurav. “I started sweating and I called 111. The next minute, Constable Shaw stopped for us.”
After escorting their vehicle a couple of kilometres, Shaw realised the “ridiculous” traffic meant there was a good chance the baby would arrive before they could get to the birthing unit – so he pulled them over and told them to hop in, turning on the lights and siren.
“I walked them up to the suite and left. It was quite cool – a once in a career opportunity,” said Shaw.
Baby Aarav, completely unaware of the commotion he had created, did not end up arriving until 7.30am Friday.
Gaurav said he did not get much time to thank Shaw for his efforts.
“I cannot express how relieved we were to see him. The way Constable Shaw helped us, it was just amazing.”
NZME Advisory has been fined just under $88,000 for supplying unsafe magnetic puzzle toys that a child swallowed and had to have surgically removed.
The Commerce Commission took the company to Auckland District Court where it pleaded guilty and was fined $87,750. Photo: RNZ / Cole Eastham-Farrelly
The toys – known as buckyballs – were made up of small, high-powered magnetic balls and sold via the company’s previously-owned GrabOne website between October 2020 and September 2021.
The company, which has since sold the site, sold 213 of the magnetic toys, which breached an unsafe goods notice which bans the supply of any magnets, sold in sets of two or more, that are a particular size and strength.
NZME recalled the sets and contacted customers to notify them of the recall after being contacted by the Commerce Commission.
The commission’s general manager of fair trading Kirsten Mannix said the magnets were banned for health and safety reasons.
“The ban exists because if more than one of the magnets are swallowed, they can attract to each other within the body which is extremely dangerous,” she said.
“Tragically, we are aware of one case in New Zealand where a child did swallow two of the magnets from one of the magnetic toys supplied by NZME, and significant surgery was required to remove them.”
The commission took the company to Auckland District Court where it pleaded guilty and was fined $87,750.
Mannix said it was vital that businesses understood their obligations when advertising and supplying products for sale.
“Every year we carry out unannounced visits to retailers engaging with them about the product safety laws in place and checking that the toys on the shelves are compliant,” she said.
“Since 2017 we have prosecuted 30 businesses and issued formal warnings to another 32 businesses, relating to the supply of non-compliant products.”
There is concern about shareholder engagement after new research has revealed a sharp fall in attendance at shareholder meetings.
New Zealand Shareholders Association says there are a number of factors which have contributed to falling attendance. (file image) Photo: 123RF
A New Zealand Shareholders Association (NZSA) survey showed the overall average attendance for meetings fell 24 percent since 2019.
It said falling attendance had not been offset by an increase in virtual attendance.
Hybrid meetings, where shareholders can join in person and virtually, have become more common since the Covid-19 pandemic.
NZSA chief executive Oliver Mander said a shareholder meeting remained “a key interaction between a company and its shareholders”.
“For investors, it’s always important to be represented – even if you’ve outsourced your investment decision-making to a [discretionary investment management service] provider, it’s important to be an informed customer,” he said.
Mander said there were a number of factors which had contributed to falling attendance.
“Part of it is you’ve seen an increase in how investors choose to make their investments [by outsourcing investment decisions],” Mander said.
“Another part of the reason actually is that the corporate governance standards in New Zealand have improved over the past two decades. There’s arguably more trust in the corporate environment than there has been in the past.”
But he said engagement remained important both for companies and shareholders.
“For issuers, we think it’s important that the shareholder meeting is regarded as a ‘good cost’ – a cost that shareholders are willing to bear to provide assurance and representation.”
Suspending a lawyer accused of misusing his clients’ money was likely to be a last chance for him to prove that he was fit to continue after his suspension, the Supreme Court has been told.
Summing up his case against Siosifa Tu’utafaiva, Lord Chief Justice Whitten said that striking Tu’utafaiva’s name from the Roll of Law Practitioners was not presently warranted.
“He should be given, by way of suspension, what is very likely to be, a last chance to demonstrate his ability and willingness to abide by all the professional, legal and moral obligations of a law practitioner, should he wish to continue as one.
“However, the conditions of his suspension will be sufficiently onerous to reflect the seriousness of his misconduct.”
Lord Chief Justice Whitten said Mr Tu’utafaiva had a history of offending, for which suspension had been recommended twice and ordered once.
As Kaniva News reported earlier, a Supreme Court Order suspended Tu’utafaiva, who has served in a number of high-profile cases and is a former Minister of Police and MP, from practice as a law practitioner for a period of 12 months from July 10, 2013.
That punishment came after the Tonga Law Society’s Disciplinary Committee found him “guilty of two counts of professional misconduct contrary to Section 21(1)(a) of the Act” on October 4, 2012.
The court was told at the time that Tu’utafaiva had received substantial sums through legal fees, that he had not performed the services for which he had been paid and that he had not repaid the money received, despite repeated requests. He later paid back the money.
Misconduct
In the latest case, the Supreme Court was told that between March 8, 2022 and August 11, 2022, the Tongan Law society received three complaints of professional misconduct against Mr Tu’utafaiva. One was subsequently withdrawn.
Lata Motuliki complained that between late 2021 and 2022, she paid Mr Tu’utafaiva a total of $1,400 for legal services which he never provided.
Tom Weston KC, a New Zealand lawyer, complained that in May 2022, he was engaged by Poasi Tei to provide legal advice on certain election petitions. He was to be instructed by Tu’utafaiva. Weston KC, provided a fee estimate for the work of NZ$8,000. That sum was paid into Tu’utafaiva’s bank account. Weston KC provided the advice and issued an invoice for his fees in accordance with the estimate. Tu’utafaiva failed to pay the invoice or respond at all.
Both complaints were referred to the Tongan Law society’s Disciplinary Committee. On April 4 this year the Committee found Tu’utafaiva guilty of two counts of professional misconduct and recommended that his name be struck off the Roll of Law Practitioners in Tonga. The decision was referred to Lord Chief Justice Whitten who has the power to determine what action should be taken in such cases.
Lord Chief Justice Whitten said Tu’utafaiva’s behaviour had fallen below the standards of trustworthiness and integrity required of a lawyer.
In his summing up, the judge said he had breached the expectation of trust when he did not use moneys he had been paid by clients.
“A breach of trust, in the relevant sense, will almost always involve some element or degree of dishonesty,” the judge said.
“There is ample evidence that Mr Tu’utafaiva was aware that he was transgressing ordinary standards of honest behaviour and that his conduct was dishonest by the standards of ordinary decent people.
“Mr Tu’utafaiva’s failure to contradict, explain or even respond to the charges supports that analysis.”
The lawyer had not repaid any money and showed no remorse or insight into what he had done.
He was therefore suspended from practicing law in Tonga from April 26.
Tu’utafaiva will be eligible to apply for a practising certificate after a period of three years commencing from the date on which he provides evidence that he has repaid his clients with interest.
For more information
Lawyer Tū‘utafaiva’s license suspended again, ordered to pay $10,000 after breach over career
Simon and Sally Glass, the parents of Christian Glass who was killed by a Clear Creek County deputy speaking to media about their fight for justice, in the US last year. Photo: Getty Images / Denver Post
Christian Glass called 911 for help after his SUV became stuck in a remote Colorado town last June. During the call Christian said he was being followed, and made other statements that indicated he was suffering from a mental health crisis.
Several police officers were dispatched, and after about an hour of negotiations Glass was shot five times while still in his car.
Simon and Sally Glass told Morning Report they hope the changes that have been promised to police training in Colorado as part of the settlement will reduce the risk of any other families having to lose a child this way.
But Christian’s mum Sally Glass said it had been a long battle to get to this point through the civil case, and they expect a criminal case to ahead early next year.
“It’s just been … awful. It’s nearly a year – Christian was murdered nearly a year ago,” Sally Glass said. “But it is the culmination of a lot of work, determination … [from] us and particularly our lawyers, to uncover the truth to get to the bottom of what really happened that night.
“So I feel it’s been a bit of a fight. But what has happened is that our dear son, his name has been cleared of any wrongdoing. The police were completely in the wrong, and the large settlement really sends that strong message.”
Sally Glass said a park would be named after Christian, some of his art would be displayed in the Colorado state capital, and the family would have input into the changes made by police.
“That’s such an important piece, because victims need to be be a part of this so that the police can see their actions cause utter loss and devastation for us that we have to live with.
“And you know, maybe they’ll pause and think – maybe when police officers see another one of their tribe acting horrendously and unlawfully they will step in and say ‘stop, stand down, what are you doing?’
“A rogue cop is a dangerous cop, and if we can, through better highlighting this issue and getting better police training – another family will never have to stand in our shoes.”
Simon Glass said clearing up what had happened after Christian called emergency services asking for help had been a challenge, but the legal facts stood out clearly once light was shed on the events.
“We were told initially that Christian attacked the police and they were forced to defend themselves. I think the body cam footage did help a lot, but the very first thing that happened was once lawyers got involved they went and watched that and immediately they could see that this was murder.
“We’re pleased the body cam footage has shown the truth, and that the agencies involved have in the most part come clean and said ‘yes this was wrong, this was murder’.
“Christian had a very strong sense of justice, he would have been horrified at what was done to him, I’m sure he was, and we feel we must clear his name – initially the account of events was lies…
“So it’s been a long process. … For us it’s been a huge loss and it’s been very difficult.”
Settlement of the civil case was a big step on a long road, Sally Glass said.
“In a way we haven’t really had a chance to grieve… the fight for justice has been quite all-consuming… I think with this ending now, this part of it will give us some space to grieve for our son.
The criminal case would be the next big step and she hoped it would definitively reflect that the officers actions that night were not acceptable.
“It’s our fervent hope and expectation that the bullies that murdered our son will end up behind bars for a very long time.”
Two Aussie teens have paid the price for their cunning attempt to dodge overweight baggage fees while flying home after a girls’ weekend away.
Adelaide teens Emily Altamura (left) and Adriana Ocampo (right) were heading home after a girls’ weekend away in Melbourne
University student Adriana Ocampo and her friend Emily Altamura, both 19, were flying with Jetstar from Melbourne to Adelaide when they realised their carry-on luggage weighed almost twice the airline’s 7kg per bag limit.
Footage of the hilarious ordeal shows the women opening their suitcases in the airport terminal and putting on as many layers of clothing as possible to avoid the $65 fee.
‘Little did we know what was coming for us,’ the video is captioned.
The two women were in hysterics as they filmed their extreme measures to get their suitcases under the weight limit.
Ms Ocampo piled on an impressive 15 garments – most of her suitcase contents.
It included an iPad stuffed in her pant pockets, leaving the pair in stitches while attracting strange looks from other travellers.
Adelaide teens Emily Altamura (left) and Adriana Ocampo (right) were heading home after a girls’ weekend away in Melbourne
But their efforts were to no avail as the pair conceded defeat.
Ms Ocampo’s suitcase was still over the limit after putting on 5.5kg of layers.
The video ends with Ms Ocampo sweating on the plane during the 80-minute flight home while appearing to look like Augustus Gloop from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.
‘We ended up paying the the fine,’ the final caption read.
The women also revealed their flight had earlier been cancelled, adding to the nightmare travel ordeal.
Ms Ocampo admitted she knew her bag was over the weight limit prior to arriving at the airport.
‘We thought the only way we can take the weight off our bags is if we put it on ourselves so we started putting on our jackets and coats but we were still over the limit,’ she told UK media.
‘I looked like a bear. I’m small and petite and I looked the complete opposite. It reminded me of the boy from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.’
‘I only had a couple of things left in my luggage like two pairs of shoes, a bag, a pair of jeans and a a couple of socks. We went over again and were the only people at the gate.’
The pair saw the funny side of the ordeal, despite being each out of pocket.
‘Everyone in line was staring at us and laughing at us, it was kind of embarrassing. People were annoyed that we were holding the plane up,’ Ms Ocampo recalled.
The airline also saw the funny side of the incident while stressing an emphasis on safety requirements.
‘While we certainly see the funny side, we have limits to carry-on to make it fair for everyone,’ an airline spokeswoman said.
‘Keeping track of how much baggage passengers bring onboard means everyone has room for their belongings and we’re meeting our safety requirements.’
Daily Mail Australia has contacted Jetstar for further comment.
Friend Emily (pictured) also failed in her efforts to avoid paying the $65 excess baggage fee
The video has divided the internet since going viral.
‘Makes no sense since all that weight is still being carried on the plane,’ one viewer commented.
Others shared their own sneaky tactics to dodge the fee.
‘I fly Jetstar a lot and I never not stress over this. I always hide my 2kg laptop under a jacket on the floor when they come around to weigh,’ one woman commented.
Another viewer added: ‘Trick is to go over one by one, take a heap of stuff out of the bag, leave it with yr friend, go get weighed & get the tag, then just put it all back in!’
A male teenager is sentenced for three year’s imprisonment after causing death by dangerous driving in a hit-and-run incident in ‘Eua.
The prisoner’s final 18 months of his sentence had been conditionally suspended for a period of two years.
Photo/Kaniva Tonga News
Henry ‘Esitonia Lakalaka, 21, died in the crash on a road in Pangai on November 11, 2020.
Semisi Mala’efo’ou of ‘Ohonua pleaded guilty to dangerous driving causing death.
At around 1pm Mala’efo’ou started drinking alcohol with others who were preparing food.
When they had finished the alcohol, the prisoner began driving the others to Ha’atu’a in his mother’s vehicle.
Once they turned onto the main road from ‘Ohonua to Ha’atu’a, Mala’efo’ou drove the vehicle at speeds of 80 to 90 kilometres per hour and did not slow down when they approached the village of Pangai which is a 50 kilometre per hour zone.
At that time, Lakalaka from Angahā and ‘Akapei Kefu were walking along the roadside in the same direction the vehicle was heading.
At a turn before the Free Church of Tonga compound past the Pangai Community Police post, the Defendant’s vehicle, which was still speeding, struck Lakalaka from behind and propelled him over 10 metres where he landed on the fence surrounding the church compound.
‘Akapei rushed to Henry, who was unconscious, and his head and face were covered with blood.
The Defendant did not stop at the scene. He continued driving to Ha’atu’a where he dropped off the others.
‘Akapei and another rushed Lakalaka to Niu’eiki Hospital where he died later that evening. Dr Penitani confirmed the cause of death as severe head injury secondary to blunt force impact.
Mala’efo’ou was later arrested. He cooperated with Police and, when interviewed, admitted to the offending.
The Lord Chief Justice Whitten KC convicted Mala’efo’ou of dangerous driving causing death and sentenced him to three years’ imprisonment.
“The final 18 months of the sentence are to be suspended for a period of 2 years on condition that during the said period of suspension, the Defendant is to:
(a) not commit any offence punishable by imprisonment;
(b) be placed on probation;
(c) report to the probation office within 48 hours of his release from prison and thereafter, as required by his probation officer;”
Mr Whitten also said: “I direct that to the greatest extent possible, the Defendant be kept separate from the adult inmate population within the prison and that he receive such counselling and pastoral care from the Prison Chaplain, Rev. Semisi Kava, as may be available and required”.
The prisoner is disqualified from holding or applying for a driver’s licence for a period of 3 years from the date of his release from prison.
A Tongan woman in Euless, US, has been sent to jail for embezzling her Italian employer out of millions of dollars.
Vika Latai Moa worked remotely as an operations manager for Savino Del Bene USA, Inc. (Savino USA), an overseas trucking logistics operation out of Grapevine between June 2016 and October 2019.
Savino USA, headquartered in New Jersey, is the American subsidiary of Savino Del Bene S.p.A., a global logistics and freight forwarding company based in Florence, Italy. Among other things, Savino USA provides transportation services to its customers in the United States by subcontracting local deliveries to third-party trucking companies.
Working remotely, prosecutors say Moa was pretty much on her own as a bookkeeper for the company, and that was fertile ground for mischief.
Court records show that Moa used fake invoices to overbill the company who then paid more than $2.6 million into a bank account that she had access to.
She pleaded guilty to embezzlement charges last year and was sentenced to 4 years in prison on Friday. As part of the plea agreement, she also agreed to pay restitution in the amount of $2,623,888.44.
More and more people are applying to release their KiwiSaver funds as the cost of living and the aftermath of extreme weather events hit hard.
In March, 3000 people withdrew funds – almost double the number in January, and for the first time on par with those using their savings as a deposit for a first home. A fifth of all applications were for weather-related expenses.
But many more were turned down.
Anyone who feels their KiwiSaver supervisor has unfairly declined a hardship application can bring their complaint to Financial Services Complaints Limited (FSCL), a free service.
Financial ombudsman and Financial Services chief executive Financial Services told Checkpoint on Monday there was a high bar to cross to get approval for a withdrawal due to hardship.
“We’ve recently issued a guide to help consumers understand what they may need to be able to show in order to get their money out early, and what other methods they should perhaps explore before applying for their KiwiSaver funds.”
Taylor said applicants would be expected to have hit “rock bottom”, having exhausted all other avenues, before trying to get their KiwiSaver early.
“They have to basically show they are no longer able to meet their basic living expenses. So for example, if they were having trouble paying their mortgage or a loan, and a bank or lender is threatening to take mortgagee sale action or debt recovery action; or they’re just not able to provide the basic necessities for themselves and their families.
“They do also often have to show they have explored other means of finance before they reach out to the KiwiSaver provider. For example, we’ve had a few cases where people have got other assets, perhaps an investment property. They could look at selling in order to relieve their financial hardship, rather than tapping into their KiwiSaver.”
Providers would then typically only look at releasing enough to get them through the next few months, she said.
So before applying, Taylor said people should seek advice.
“[Talk] to their bank or their lender if they think they’re in trouble paying the next loan payment. The earlier they speak to the lender, the more likely the lender is going to be able to help them and put a hardship package into place for them.”
And if they still decline, the FSCL might be able to help. In a release earlier on Monday, it outlined one case where it agreed with the supervisor’s decision not to release funds.
A solo mother applied to get her KiwiSaver money to clear a debt on a car so it would not be repossessed. But the law does not allow funds to be withdrawn for that.
“Although the supervisor did not release the funds that Tina wanted, they were prepared to release some funds to assist Tina to buy her daughter a school uniform and to fix her broken washing machine,” Taylor said.
“Because Tina’s budget was in surplus and the act does not allow the supervisor to release money to repay a debt, we were satisfied the supervisor had not made a mistake when assessing Tina’s application. We told Tina that we were unable to ask the supervisor to reconsider her application.”
Opinion – Chris Hipkins is blazing his way through New Zealand’s foreign policy.
Chris Hipkins at Gordon’s Market, Papua New Guinea. Photo: RNZ / Samuel Rillstone
The New Zealand Prime Minister’s fast-but-furious visit to Papua New Guinea this week – which saw Hipkins spend just 23 hours in Port Moresby, the PNG capital – was the PM’s fourth such rapid international trip since he took office.
But after two quick visits to Australia and one to the United Kingdom, this was Hipkins’ first foray into the Pacific.
Moreover, Monday’s trip to PNG put the Prime Minister at the heart of the new ‘Great Game’ for control of the Pacific. And in the geopolitical battle between the US and China, New Zealand is increasingly being asked to pick a side.
Hipkins responded to yet another new superpower security deal – this time between the United States and Papua New Guinea – by saying that New Zealand did not support the “militarisation of the Pacific”.
At first blush, this might seem like some surprising, even eviscerating criticism of the US, an increasingly close partner of New Zealand.
But Hipkins went on to argue rather unconvincingly that “having a military presence doesn’t necessarily signify militarisation”.
Effectively, this was Hipkins giving Wellington’s green light to Washington’s new pact.
It is an agreement that Beijing has already sharply criticised as ‘geopolitical games’.
To some extent, the PM’s linguistic gymnastics are only to be expected, given New Zealand’s gradually more US-friendly approach to foreign policy that has unfolded under the leadership of both Chris Hipkins and his immediate predecessor, Jacinda Ardern.
However, ambiguity remains over just how far this new approach will go.
Of late, Hipkins has been dialling down expectations set by his defence minister, Andrew Little, that New Zealand is considering joining the ‘second pillar’ of the ultra-hawkish AUKUS arrangements.
These currently link Australia, the United Kingdom and United States, but other partners are being sought.
In response to media questioning on New Zealand’s potential role in AUKUS on Monday, the prime minister would only say “that’s not clear”.
But it can be assumed that US Secretary of State Antony Blinken privately put some AUKUS pressure on New Zealand when he met with Chris Hipkins on the sidelines of the summit in Papua New Guinea.
Another major highlight of Hipkins’ one-day mission to Port Moresby was a chance for his first meeting with Narendra Modi, the Prime Minister of India.
Positively, Modi tweeted of an “excellent meeting” with Hipkins, adding that the pair had discussed “how to improve cultural and commercial linkages”.
Wellington has been playing catch-up in its relationship with New Delhi ever since India’s external affairs minister, Dr Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, was the subject of a rather underwhelming reception during his visit to New Zealand in October last year.
In response to the criticism, Nanaia Mahuta, New Zealand’s foreign minister, flew to India in February for her first overseas trip of 2023.
In the meantime, a pledge by Hipkins’ main political rival – opposition National Party leader Christopher Luxon – to make the relationship with India a priority has probably also focused minds in Hipkins’ Labour Government.
While any progress is to be welcomed, New Zealand still lags far behind its bigger neighbour when it comes to ties with India. Following his stop in Port Moresby, Modi is heading to Australia for talks with his counterpart Anthony Albanese and a sell-out address to 20,000 people at Sydney’s Olympic Park.
Although Jacinda Ardern issued a public invitation to Narendra Modi to visit New Zealand, the Indian PM has made no plans for a side-trip to Wellington while on his rare visit Down Under.
If Hipkins needed any further encouragement of India’s importance, he needed only to listen to James Marape, Papua New Guinea’s Prime Minister.
On Monday, Marape was effusive in his praise of Modi during his counterpart’s visit to Papua New Guinea, describing him as “the leader of the Global South”. Calling on Modi to continue to speak up for countries such as PNG in meetings with superpowers, Marape vividly depicted developing countries as the “victims of global power play”.
The remarks by Marape will be a salutary lesson for some of the bigger Pacific players.
It is a warning that countries such as Papua New Guinea expect to be treated with genuine respect and interest, rather than as mere geopolitical pawns.
Indeed, the PNG prime minister’s comments contrasted starkly with the ostensibly inclusive, yet ultimately exclusionary ‘Pacific family’ language that Canberra and Wellington have frequently deployed over the past year.
Above all, Narendra Modi’s presence was a reminder that Port Moresby has options.
And to be fair, New Zealand has been putting in some effort with PNG – despite its location in Melanesia, further away from New Zealand’s traditional Polynesian heartland. Well before Hipkins headed to Port Moresby, Mahuta made a special trip to Papua New Guinea in September last year.
That visit came in the context of the Pacific travel push by Western leaders following the Solomon Islands-China security deal signed in early 2022.
But the same cannot be said for a partnership between New Zealand and Papua New Guinea signed in 2021 – or a visit by James Marape to Wellington just prior to coronavirus lockdowns in February 2020.
The recent appointment of Peter Zwart as New Zealand’s new High Commissioner to Papua New Guinea provides further justification for some optimism.
The job is Zwart’s first ambassadorial-level position, but Wellington’s new man in Port Moresby brings a strong track record in Pacific development. He has also previously been posted to China. Prior to becoming a diplomat, Zwart was the international programme manager for the New Zealand arm of Catholic aid agency Caritas.
In the current geopolitical context, Zwart will need to draw upon all of his previous experience while representing New Zealand’s interests.
Whatever happens, Port Moresby will remain a key regional capital on Wellington’s radar.
Chris Hipkins has now had his first taste of the Pacific as New Zealand’s prime minister.
With under 24 hours on the ground, it was the definition of a flying visit.
But it was just the beginning.
* Geoffrey Miller is the Democracy Project’s geopolitical analyst and writes on current New Zealand foreign policy and related geopolitical issues. He has lived in Germany and the Middle East and is a learner of Arabic and Russian. He is currently working on a PhD on New Zealand’s relations with the Gulf states.
