Prime Minister Helen Clark and Defence Minister Mark Burton have extended their sympathies to the family and colleagues of the naval technician who died today on board the HMNZS Te Mana.

Helen Clark and Mark Burton said they were very saddened to learn of the death of 21-year-old Shane Michael Stratton.

"This is deeply distressing news for the family, colleagues and friends of Able Marine Technician Stratton and our thoughts tonight are with them.

"It adds to what has been a tragic beginning to 2001 for the New Zealand Defence Force after the recent deaths of New Zealand servicemen in East Timor, Australia and Kuwait."

Helen Clark and Mark Burton said the Royal New Zealand Navy would begin an investigation after the Te Mana berthed tomorrow at Devonport Naval Base.

Ends

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Gordon Campbell: On the Sony cyber attack

Given the layers of meta-irony involved, the saga of the Sony cyber attack seemed at the outset more like a snarky European art film than a popcorn entry at the multiplex.

Yet now with (a) President Barack Obama weighing in on the side of artistic freedom and calling for the US to make a ‘proportionate response’quickly followed by (b) North Korea’s entire Internet service going down, and with both these events being followed by (c) Sony deciding to backtrack and release The Interview film that had made it a target for the dastardly North Koreans in the first place, then ay caramba…the whole world will now be watching how this affair pans out. More>>