TV1 6pm News Headlines (First Segment)
George Speight Is Arrested: - NZ Reaction - NZ Pilots Taken Hostage - Armed Extremist Group - Amateur Video Captures The Concorde’s Last Flight - Windy Wellington Weather - Trapped Down A Manhole
GEORGE SPEIGHT IS ARRESTED: A military crackdown early this morning led to the arrest of coup leader George Speight and over three hundred supporters. Soldiers raided a complex killing one rebel supporter who was overcome by tear gas and physical injuries. Thirty others were injured. They are now considering charging Speight and his supporters for treason – for threatening the life of the current president, and for not surrendering all their arms.
- NZ REACTION: Prime Minister Helen Clark has urged the Fijian government to return to the elected democracy before the coup, although she has remained pessimistic about George Speight ever seeing trial. Meanwhile, Air NZ has cancelled its stopover flight into Fiji tonight.
- NZ PILOTS TAKEN HOSTAGE: Two New Zealand pilots were taken hostage by George Speight supporters from Suva airport shortly after they landed their Fiji Air aeroplane. The two pilots are said to be held unharmed at a village near Suva, while negotiators from the airline ask for their release.
- ARMED EXTREMIST GROUP: There has been a court appearance for an armed extremist group, and a statement made by the group which says the country is on the verge of civil war - which the group is training for. The group is backed by the Federation of Maori Tribes who say they want "one law for Maori and one for everyone else."
- AMATEUR VIDEO CAPTURES THE CONCORDE’S LAST FLIGHT: An amateur video taken on the highway shows what investigators expect, that the reason for the Air France Concorde Crash was from catastrophic engine failure.
- WINDY WELLINGTON WEATHER: The wet windy weather in Wellington has caused roofs to fly off, roads to be closed and vehicles to be blown off the road. The winds are now easing. A fatal crash on the desert road has closed the highway for 2 hours.
- TRAPPED DOWN A MANHOLE: A son had to watch and wait while rescuers searched for his father, trapped down a storm water drain in Auckland, after a sudden surge swept him away. However the father rescued himself, dragging himself up a nearby man hole to safety.