Teilweise neu: 2001-09-11
Contents of this issue:
1. Disaster Relief
2. Now Is The Hour
3. Voyage To The Unknown
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Old contents were:
1. Now Is The Hour
2. Voyage To The Unknown
September 11th, 2001
1. Disaster Relief:
A group of 13 US military and civilian disaster assessment specialists
are on Niue reviewing the island's disaster readiness plan. The team is
working in conjunction with the Fiji based SOPAC organisation. Lt
Colonel Robert Sweenney of the US Army who heads the assessment team
said Niue will receive a report on the availability of resources and
recommendations on aspects of disaster management the team considers
needs upgrading. He said natural disasters such as cyclones, fires,
tsunami, drought, infestations and epidemics could effect the island at
any time. The small nation also had to be prepared for an aircraft
crash, an economic disaster, disruption to internet services and even a
terrorist attack, although Lt Col Sweenney rated that as a low
possibility. "We're looking at the island's capabilities of handling
such disasters and will be suggesting things which will benefit disaster
management," said Lt Colonel Sweenney who is an environmental health
specialist. The team which consists of public health officials, a
Pacific Disaster Centre representative from Hawaii, a software
specialist and armed services experts will also produce a database and
map of the island locating all the essential services. This will be
presented to Niue with training material. The US has been assisting a
large number of countries in the Pacific rim with disaster assessment
for the past 14 years. The team leader said he was shocked at the
unbelievable terrorist attack on the World Trade Centree in New York and
the Pentagon today. He said luckily none of his team members had family
or relatives near the disaster zones but they were all concerned at the
ferocity of the attack.
2. Now Is The Hour:
TVNZ is canning its Sunday night 60 Minutes show, in favour of a new
local current affairs programme.The program is popular with Niue
viewers. Television New Zealand spokesman Glen Sowry says the 60 Minutes
contract with CBS is up for renewal at the end of the year, and
management has decided not to go with the US import. He says TVNZ feels
the money spent on the rights to the 60 Minutes format could be better
spent on a new programme with a stronger New Zealand flavour.
The new programme will be launched next year, but the broadcaster is yet
to decide on the format.
3. Voyage To The Unknown:
Hundreds of unwanted asylum seekers faced another sea voyage of
thousands of kilometres across the Pacific after Australia appealed
against a court ruling and ordered them straight to a tiny Pacific
island. The Federal Court seemed to have dealt a blow to Canberra's bid
to slam its doors on illegal immigrants when it ordered the government
to accept 433 mainly Afghan asylum seekers it had rejected after they
were rescued by the Norwegian freighter Tampa in the Indian Ocean. But
the government responded with an immediate appeal, and then defiantly
decided to send a navy troop carrier carrying the illegal immigrants on
a 2350km sea voyage to the Pacific island of Nauru. Australia solved an
eight-day standoff near its Indian Ocean outpost of Christmas Island
last week when it announced a plan to ship the asylum seekers on board
the troop carrier HMAS Manoora to Papua New Guinea. From there, 282 of
the asylum seekers were to be flown to Nauru and 150 to New Zealand.
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