Niue News Update for 2001-11-27
Teilweise neu: 2001-11-27 Contents of this issue: 1. Funding Refused 2. Graduation Rounds 3. Costs Awarded 4. Record Fat Old contents were: 1. Pride Restored 2. Pumping Iron 3. Changing Hands 4. Satellite Spin 5. Island Boxing 6. Nature's Fireworks 7. Combating Terrorism November 27th, 2001 1. Funding Refused: New Zealand officials have confirmed this week they rejected a request from the Niue Government to fund the Commission of Inquiry into e mail and internet services on the island. It doesn't fit the criteria for New Zealand Overseas Development aid, said the official. Premier Sani Lakatani has refused to reveal how much the Commission will cost following questions in the Legislative Assembly from former Cabinet Minister Mrs O'Love Jacobsen. Mrs Jacobsen is concerned that no funds for the Inquiry have been appropriated in this year's budget The Premier accused Mrs Jacobsen of attending international internet meetings and supporting the non profit society which provides free e mail and internet services to residents and government departments on the island. The Commission consists of New Zealand Judge David Ongley and a Wellington counsel assisting the Commission, Forrest Miller. At present the Commission is receiving submissions on the terms of reference and will later visit Niue to interview witnesses. The e mail and internet services have been subjected to a long running battle between the government's informational technology committee and the Internet Users Society who is the designated manager of dot nu. The technology committee is headed by Premier Sani Lakatani and has advisors who include Gerald McClurg of Maryland US and Richard Duncan of Auckland, New Zealand. The Society says constant challenges to the management of the top level domain has cost it thousands of dollars in legal fees, money which would best have been spent on providing technology in education and health and for the development of internet services in the community.(Copyright - Niue Economic Review) 2. Graduation Rounds: Niue's premier Sani Lakatani, who is currently Chancellor of the University of the South Pacific is visiting USP centres around the region. He will preside over graduation cremonies. The Premier will return to Niue mid December. He is accompanied by his public relations officer Niu Tauevihi who is also editor of the Niue Star newspaper. 3. Costs Awarded: TVNZ has been ordered to pay costs of $5000 to former Fiji Finance Minister James Ah Koy over a failed appeal relating to pre-trial matters in a defamation case he is bringing against the state broadcaster, reports the NZ Herald newspaper today.. Mr Ah Koy, an Auckland-based businessman, is suing TVNZ over a broadcast by journalist Ewart Barnsley in May last year during the George Speight-led coup in Fiji. The case is to be heard in the High Court at Auckland in February. (NZ Herald). 4. Record Fat: Obesity has increased by more than 50 per cent in the past decade, with Pacific Islanders the fattest people in the world, an international obesity taskforce says. London-based public affairs director Neville Rigby, who is in New Zealand for the Commonwealth Health Ministers Meeting in Christchurch, said the rates of obesity in New Zealand were rising at an alarming rate. Pacific Islanders - who make up 6 per cent of New Zealand's population - had the highest level of obesity in the world. Obesity, which is defined as an unhealthy amount of fat, was a global epidemic that till recently had gone mostly unrecognised. It affected women more than men. New Zealand hasn't been spared the obesity epidemic . . . Never in the history of the human race have so many people been so fat. Latest Health Ministry figures indicated that overall 15 per cent of New Zealand men and 19 per cent of women were obese, but the condition affected 27 per cent of Maori women and 47 per cent of Pacific Island women. This was a 50 per cent increase from 1989. This compared with figures showing 55 per cent of Tongan women, 74 per cent of Samoan women and 77 per cent of men and women living in Nauru were obese. It is not about being rich and well fed. Obesity is most often related to poverty, low economic status, exclusion from the health system, Mr Rigby said. In the Caribbean and many African countries it is disregarded, ignored, neglected. It is just taken for granted that a poor, middle-aged woman gets fat, and then dies from diabetes. In developed countries children were exercising less and spending more time in front of the television and on computer games. Childhood obesity is rising everywhere because children are becoming less active, but have more calories than they need. The amount of hours spent watching TV has a direct effect on the obesity of children, Mr Rigby said. Mothers did not let their children out to play as often because of traffic; children were often driven
Niue News Update for 2001-11-27
Teilweise neu: 2001-11-27 Contents of this issue: 1. Pride Restored 2. Pumping Iron 3. Changing Hands 4. Satellite Spin 5. Island Boxing 6. Nature's Fireworks 7. Combating Terrorism Old contents were: 1. Funding Refused 2. Graduation Rounds 3. Costs Awarded 4. Record Fat November 27th, 2001 1. Pride Restored: Samoa, despite being reduced to 14 men for more than half the game, restored Pacific Islands rugby pride with a 17-9 rugby win over Italy in Italy. Centre Fara'aoni Lalomilo was sent off for a high tackle late in the first half. But the Samoans scored the game's only try and produced a gutsy second half effort. In France, Fiji's miserable tour continued when France scored 12 tries to beat them 77-10, with four tries before halftime and eight in the second half. (PINA Nius Online). 2. Pumping Iron: Niuean weightlifters are preparing for the the Oceania South Pacific Junior Weightlifting Championship to be held in in Tarawa, Kiribati, early next month. The team is hoping to bring back medals in an event they are becoming renowned athletes. The main building where the competition will be held is nearing completion.The Kiribati team is already in camp, where they are undergoing intensive training. 3. Changing Hands: American Samoa's Samoa Air has been sold to the South Seas Group by former owners and operators Jim and Connie Porter. The South Seas Group owns and operates the South Pacific Duty Free Shops in American Samoa and neighbouring Samoa. Its chief executive, Andre Lavigne, has 30 years experience in aviation as a pilot and captain for Air Canada. Samoa Air was first established in the late 1980s to operate flights within American Samoa. Since then it has expanded services to Upolu and Savaii in Samoa and Vava'u in Tonga.It also flew to Niue for several years when a jet service from New Zealand ceased. It has two Twin Otter aircraft and plans to add a third.( Samoa News/PINANius Online). 4. Satellite Spin: Putting up a satellite for free and reaping rich rewards is yet another vote catching ploy by the Niue Premier Sani Lakatani. That's the opinion of leading common roll Opposition member Terry Coe, who along with sitting MP's and other political wannabes, goes to the polls in March. Mr Coe said the Niue Peoples Party three year stint has failed to achieve anything worthwhile. The premier has a very short memory when it comes to grandiose plans.Can't he recall the cyber city scam last year which embarrassed him straight after the Coral Air debacle? said Mr Coe when referring to a statement last week that Niue was getting involved in a $USD300 million deal to launch a satellite for developing its information technology industry. Mr Lakatani said the satellite and its launch would cost Niue nothing but would provide jobs for hundreds of people operating call centres and data transfer systems. It'll be just like they're doing in India, said the Premier who envisages Niueans living abroad will start moving home to participate in the enterprise. Mr Coe has called upon the Premier to name those who are involved in the proposal. The people have a right to know - if things have gone as far as being able to make a public announcement surely he can tell us who the venture capitalists in the United States and even Australia are fronting this very ambitious scheme, said Mr Coe. He suggested the Premier should have remained quiet about the proposal until he was sure the backers were going to get permission from the International Communications Union to launch and position the satellite. Mr Lakatani says the investors and advisors will remain confidential at this stage of the planning. However, Mr Lakatani recently named Mr John Rex Woods a former bank officer in PNG and economic adviser to the government of Niue, now a property developer of Sydney, as being one of the instigators of the project. Mr Rex Woods was named in Parliament two year's ago by Mr Lakatani as being the island's honorary consul in Australia. Others understood to be involved in preparing the proposal for the project are Richard Duncan ( former economic advisor to the Niue government) now living in New Zealand still retained by the government and Maryland US based Gerald McClurg an advisor to the Niue Information Technology Committee.(Copyright - Niue Economic Review). 5. Island Boxing: Samoa (two), American Samoa,Fiji and Tahiti have won gold medals in the finals of the Oceania amateur boxing championships in Suva. Results of finals: !--mstheme--table border=0 width=100% tr td width=12%!--mstheme--48 kg!--mstheme--/td td width=88%!--mstheme--Peter Wakefield (AUS) def Taslim Shah (FIJ) RSC Round 2!--mstheme--/td /tr tr td width=12%!--mstheme--51 kg!--mstheme--/td td width=88%!--mstheme--Emmett Gazzard (AUS) def Raphael Lare (PNG) Points 30 - 27!--mstheme--/td /tr tr td width=12%!--mstheme--54 kg!--mstheme--/td td
Niue News Update for 2001-11-27
Teilweise neu: 2001-11-27 Contents of this issue: 1. Pride Restored 2. Pumping Iron 3. Changing Hands 4. Satellite Spin 5. Island Boxing 6. Nature's Fireworks 7. Combating Terrorism Old contents were: 1. Combating Terrorism November 27th, 2001 1. Pride Restored: Samoa, despite being reduced to 14 men for more than half the game, restored Pacific Islands rugby pride with a 17-9 rugby win over Italy in Italy. Centre Fara'aoni Lalomilo was sent off for a high tackle late in the first half. But the Samoans scored the game's only try and produced a gutsy second half effort. In France, Fiji's miserable tour continued when France scored 12 tries to beat them 77-10, with four tries before halftime and eight in the second half. (PINA Nius Online). 2. Pumping Iron: Niuean weightlifters are preparing for the the Oceania South Pacific Junior Weightlifting Championship to be held in in Tarawa, Kiribati, early next month. The team is hoping to bring back medals in an event they are becoming renowned athletes. The main building where the competition will be held is nearing completion.The Kiribati team is already in camp, where they are undergoing intensive training. 3. Changing Hands: American Samoa's Samoa Air has been sold to the South Seas Group by former owners and operators Jim and Connie Porter. The South Seas Group owns and operates the South Pacific Duty Free Shops in American Samoa and neighbouring Samoa. Its chief executive, Andre Lavigne, has 30 years experience in aviation as a pilot and captain for Air Canada. Samoa Air was first established in the late 1980s to operate flights within American Samoa. Since then it has expanded services to Upolu and Savaii in Samoa and Vava'u in Tonga.It also flew to Niue for several years when a jet service from New Zealand ceased. It has two Twin Otter aircraft and plans to add a third.( Samoa News/PINANius Online). 4. Satellite Spin: Putting up a satellite for free and reaping rich rewards is yet another vote catching ploy by the Niue Premier Sani Lakatani. That's the opinion of leading common roll Opposition member Terry Coe, who along with sitting MP's and other political wannabes, goes to the polls in March. Mr Coe said the Niue Peoples Party three year stint has failed to achieve anything worthwhile. The premier has a very short memory when it comes to grandiose plans.Can't he recall the cyber city scam last year which embarrassed him straight after the Coral Air debacle? said Mr Coe when referring to a statement last week that Niue was getting involved in a $USD300 million deal to launch a satellite for developing its information technology industry. Mr Lakatani said the satellite and its launch would cost Niue nothing but would provide jobs for hundreds of people operating call centres and data transfer systems. It'll be just like they're doing in India, said the Premier who envisages Niueans living abroad will start moving home to participate in the enterprise. Mr Coe has called upon the Premier to name those who are involved in the proposal. The people have a right to know - if things have gone as far as being able to make a public announcement surely he can tell us who the venture capitalists in the United States and even Australia are fronting this very ambitious scheme, said Mr Coe. He suggested the Premier should have remained quiet about the proposal until he was sure the backers were going to get permission from the International Communications Union to launch and position the satellite. Mr Lakatani says the investors and advisors will remain confidential at this stage of the planning. However, Mr Lakatani recently named Mr John Rex Woods a former bank officer in PNG and economic adviser to the government of Niue, now a property developer of Sydney, as being one of the instigators of the project. Mr Rex Woods was named in Parliament two year's ago by Mr Lakatani as being the island's honorary consul in Australia. Others understood to be involved in preparing the proposal for the project are Richard Duncan ( former economic advisor to the Niue government) now living in New Zealand still retained by the government and Maryland US based Gerald McClurg an advisor to the Niue Information Technology Committee.(Copyright - Niue Economic Review). 5. Island Boxing: Samoa (two), American Samoa,Fiji and Tahiti have won gold medals in the finals of the Oceania amateur boxing championships in Suva. Results of finals: !--mstheme--table border=0 width=100% tr td width=12%!--mstheme--48 kg!--mstheme--/td td width=88%!--mstheme--Peter Wakefield (AUS) def Taslim Shah (FIJ) RSC Round 2!--mstheme--/td /tr tr td width=12%!--mstheme--51 kg!--mstheme--/td td width=88%!--mstheme--Emmett Gazzard (AUS) def Raphael Lare (PNG) Points 30 - 27!--mstheme--/td /tr tr td width=12%!--mstheme--54 kg!--mstheme--/td td width=88%!--mstheme--Gyan Kumar (FIJ) def Benjami Jnr (PNG)
