EAST TIMOR: Airlift - Darwin - UN -- OTHER NEWS: One Tree Hill - Clinton - Zemin - Korea

EAST TIMOR - AIRLIFT: A dramatic airlift is underway in Dili and New Zealand is involved. A NZ Hercules is involved in evacuating the refugees from the UN compound in Dili. In the NZ aircraft's first flight 135 East Timorese were carried out. NZ armed services personnel say it is a, "rewarding task". UN spokesman Ian Martin says the compound has now been closed. NZ Soldier says it was hard for some of the refugees to decide whether to leave. UN is now working on getting food to other refugees.

EAST TIMOR - DARWIN: Steven Parker Live In Darwin: These are simple refugees. They are not UN staff. Five NZ military observers left in Dili are also coming out tonight.

EAST TIMOR - UN: Details of the peacekeeping force are coming clearer. After meeting the UN Ali Alatas says that there will be no. The UN Security Council is likely to authorise an armed force with permission to shoot back if attacked. Indonesian President B..J. Habibe has also promised the UN envoy Mrs Robinson that he will undertake an inquiry into crimes against the people of East Timor.

TIMOR TERROR: New pictures show the terror is still very real for East Timorese refugees. The mother of several crying girls had been gunned down by military and militias. Cameraman who took pictures has been in the hills with refugees for the last three days. Fear is ever present. But food and water is not.

ONE TREE HILL: The pine tree on One Tree Hill has again been attacked by a chainsaw. A foursome were involved in the vandalism and the tree is not expected to survive. The attackers left behind bizarre signs with religious messages. The four attackers videoed their own attack and police have confiscated it.

CLINTON: Queenstown turned on a perfect spring day for the President to play golf. Massive security in Queenstown. 500 yards away was as close as the cameras could get. He played golf with INL boss Mike Robson, Burton Shipley and one other . The President was accompanied by his daughter and mother-in-law. One anti-Apec protestor met the president. Millbrook neighbour had his photo taken. The Clinton's did not leave the resort today. The President is expected to have dinner in Queenstown tonight.

ZEMIN: China's Jiang Zemin is also on a state visit. Pomp and ceremony for the Chinese Premiere at Government House is followed by a formal bi-lateral meeting with Shipley. The leaders discussed the wool trade and regional security issues. Protests and arrests outside premiere's hotel with arrests. Zemin later visited Chiristchurch.

KOREA: South Korea's President is also on a state visit and has signed a trade agreement.

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Alastair Thompson

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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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