Virgin Blue – Freedom Air – Qantas Lay-Offs – 14B On Sale – Dash8 – Rape Charges – Police Rapist – Py Plane – Wahid
Censure – IMF Meeting – Pilot Hero – Airport Explosives – Shopping Site – Tryless Triers
- VIRGIN BLUE: Transport Minister Mark Gosche says the cut price airline Virgin Blue could take off in New Zealand
within three months, but there are still issues to be worked through. Virgin Blue says they will halve domestic fares.
- FREEDOM AIR: Freedom Air’s General Manager says it has been fielding thousands of calls about its no frills service
which will start operating tomorrow.
- QANTAS LAY-OFFS: The Engineer’s Union plans to meet with DWI to see if stand down provisions could be relaxed for the
1100 laid off Qantas NZ staff.
- 14B ON SALE: While Auckland police investigate the country’s first Fantasy drug death, an importer of a similar drug,
14B, admits he is still selling the drug.
- DASH-8: A jury in the Palmerston North High Court has heard the black box recording from the Ansett Dash-8 flight that
killed four people. Pilot Gary Sutheran is charged with manslaughter and injuring.
- RAPE CHARGES: A former police officer, Tyler Stevens, is on trial on charges of rape and sexual violation at the
Auckland High Court.
- POLICE RAPIST: Police Minister George Hawkins wants an explanation as to why a Maungakino police officer found guilty
of rape has applied for a benefit under the police early retirement scheme.
- SPY PLANE: The United States has welcomed an offer to inspect its spy plane stranded in China and is preparing to send
a technical team.
- WAHID CENSURE: Today’s session of the Indonesian Parliament will almost certainly issue a second censure against
President Wahid.
- IMF MEETING: Divisions have emerged at the Spring meetings of the IMF and the World Bank about how best to help
countries whose economies are in crisis.
- PILOT HERO: A pilot is being hailed hero after a fatal skydiving accident north of Melbourne yesterday. The Pilot
managed to keep the plane flying while 10 skydivers parachuted to safety before bailing out himself. One person died
when his parachute caught in the tail section of the Cessna.
- AIRPORT EXPLOSIVES: Rotorua police are trying to find out why two home made explosive devices were left at Rotorua
airport. A woman received minor injuries when one of the devices was set off when a car ran over it.
- SHOPPING SITE: The Automobile Association says the launch of a major shopping web site comes at no cost to its members
and will benefit them through its existing reward system.
- TRYLESS TRIERS: The Whakatane Marist women’s rugby team remain undaunted despite the sixth huge loss in a row.