Teilweise neu: 2001-12-24 Contents of this issue:
1. Restricted Access 2. Crowded Out 3. A Good Bet ======================================================================== Old contents were: 1. A Good Bet December 24th, 2001 1. Restricted Access: The New Zealand government has announced a limited residency access program for Pacific Islanders from Kiribati, Tonga and Tuvalu. The program will allow up to 250 people from Tonga, 75 from Tuvalu and 50 from Kiribati to apply for New Zealand residence each year. The government said the program provides an opportunity for people from the three countries to migrate permanently to New Zealand, provided they meet character, health and age requirements, have basic English language skills and a job offer. 2. Crowded Out: Most of Niue's 1700 residents were at the commercial centre this morning doing last minute shopping. Retailers, open till noon, reported good sales and tellers at the island's only bank Westpac were rushed off their feet. Queues of customers stretched outside the bank building into the commerical centre.Christmas mail arrived on a Freedom Air chartered flight Sunday so the post office spent most of the morning sorting letters and parcels. Tomorrow all village churches are conducting morning Christmas Day services then families and friends will gather for and afternoon of feasting. About 130 visitors spending the holiday season with friends and relatives arrived on the island on a special charter out of Auckland. They are having to adapt to the hot, humid weather Niue is experiencing this week. 3. A Good Bet: A rise in gambling problems among Pacific Islanders has led to the launching of a new service. Pasifica Gambling Problem Helpline was set up this month because last year there had been a 33 per cent increase in the number of Pacific Islanders calling the Gambling Problem Helpline, manager Gary Clifford said. Counsellors for the new helpline were of Pacific Island descent and were able to understand the cultural background of the callers. Pacific Islanders have been among those discovered sitting in casinos all day and night. Some have been reported as leaving their children in car parks unattended while parents go on gambling sprees. __END__
