East Timor - Ansett Strike - APEC Chicken Fax Attack - Boarding House Fire - Teenage Satanists Sentenced - Australians Released - Suspensions Soar

EAST TIMOR: Escalation in calls for Indonesia to keep the peace in East Timor. In the last 24 hours two more UNAMET workers have been killed. Possibly a significant break-through with a report that Indonesia is willing to allow a UN security force. Patrick Smellie from Dili says that his hotel was roughed up by the militia who appear to be in charge. Indonesia say they are keeping the peace. Smellie says it seems inevitable that there will be further escalation once the result of the referendum is announced . Protests in Wellington and Auckland. Don McKinnon says that we could send up to 300 soldiers in any peace-keeping force. Steven Parker live: Seems likely that a rifle company based in Palmerston North would go. If this went ahead it would be one of the largest operations NZ has ever been engaged in.

ANSETT STRIKE: The dispute has so far cost Ansett around $3 million and reports that Qantas has dropped plans to purchase the airline. A travel deal worth a million dollars may also be cancelled because a cluster of teacher unions is also threatening to boycott the airline. NBR report says Qantas has cold feet, but the company has rubbished the story.

APEC CHICKEN FAX ATTACK: Faxed documents concerning APEC started arriving last week at an Auckland chicken factory. Factory man says it is all a big laugh. Witches against APEC claim that they were responsible for the fax problem with a spell they cast last week. American presence in Auckland increasing.

BOARDING HOUSE FIRE: Fire in a Christchurch boarding hostel last night leaves residents dazed and scared. Four resident hospitalised. Everyone was eventually accounted for. Owner says she wants to reopen.

TEENAGE SATANISTS SENTENCED: Two Australia teenagers accused of an attack on a Christchurch women were sentenced today after pleading guilty to attempted murder and GBH. They were both self declared satanists.

AUSTRALIANS RELEASED: Two Australians held in Serbia on espionage charges have been released.

SUSPENSIONS SOAR: Education Ministry releases suspension stats showing 80 pupils were suspended each day in term 2 last year. Disobedience, Assaults and Drugs main causes of suspension. Education Minister Nick Smith says new strategies will help to deal with the problem.

© Scoop Media

Alastair Thompson

Scoop Publisher

Alastair Thompson is the co-founder of Scoop. He is of Scottish and Irish extraction and from Wellington, New Zealand. Alastair has 24 years experience in the media, at the Dominion, National Business Review, North & South magazine, Straight Furrow newspaper and online since 1997. He is the winner of several journalism awards for business and investigative work.

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