Neu: 2001-09-30 Contents of this issue:
1. Islands Dependent 2. Terrorist Suspects Grabbed 3. Readers Rush 4. Green Light ======================================================================== September 30th, 2001 1. Islands Dependent: Niue and Tonga would be in a state of crisis if Air New Zealand collapses but former Royal Tongan Airlines general manager Jim Bradfield now an airline consultant says the New Zealand government would not let that happen. Air New Zealand faces massive financial problems as the government grapples with option to save the ailing international carrier. Air New Zealand operates an Auckland to Tonga service four times a week - two flights link with Royal Tongan Airline light plane services to Niue. Jim Bradfield told Radio Australia's Pacific Focus on Business program that national airlines within the Pacific need major international carriers servicing them. If Air New Zealand collapsed the NZ government would obviously have to step in. Meanwhile Niue faces re-negotiating a services agreement with Tonga this month. 2. Terrorist Suspects Grabbed: Two men suspected of links with the American terror attackers are being held in New Zealand's toughest jail writes Joseph Lose of the New Zealand Sunday News. The pair were swooped on by armed anti-terrorist police and SIS officers on Friday after a tip-off from American security agencies. The two men - understood to be of Arabic or central Asian descent - were escorted to Auckland's Paremoremo jail in a high security convoy shadowed by the police Eagle helicopter. A police source told Sunday News: "The SIS has been asked by the Americans to take any suspicious characters into secure confinement and interview them." The pair were not among the 131 asylim seekers who arrived last week. A team of top police is being set up in Auckland tomorrow to investigate possible links between Afghan terrorist organisations and New Zealand. Australian police have interviewed numerous people and executed search warrants following the American terror attacks. But they haven't identified any specific threat.(Sunday News) 3. Readers Rush: Niue News website reaches 60,000 hits this weekend. The independent publishers say there has been tremendous interest in the site from media and communications specialists around the world. Niue News is affiliated the Pasifika Times, published in New Zealand and circulated around the Pacific weekly in association with the Niue Economic Review. The publishers say they're hoping to top the magic 100,000 mark early next year. 4. Green Light: Fiji will be represented in 10 sports at December's Mini South Pacific Games on Norfolk Island. Earlier last month there were doubts about Fiji's participation because Australia which administers Norfolk Island had yet to repeal a series of sanctions imposed on Fiji after last year's coup. Tom Lloyd of the Mini South Pacific Games Organising Committee says Fiji entered 121 athletes, adding that their attendance will ultimately be decided by Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs. Now Fiji has been given the green light to attend and says it will be entering teams in athletics, archery, basketball, bodybuilding, bowling, golf,netball, squash, tennis and triathlon. Most of the sporting bodies have finalised their squads and their names have been given to the justification committee. Fiji contingent general manager J. D. Maharaj believes his country will grab more gold medals this year and will claim top spot. Teams from around the region, including Niue and Tonga are undergoing training and fundraising to ensure full participation at the mini games. __END__
