The protesters – who numbered between 1,000 and 2,000, per local media reports – descended on the Auckland Domain on Saturday to demand an end to the lockdowns. A caravan of motorcycles led by Brian Tamaki – a vocal anti-lockdown activist who heads the Auckland-based Pentecostal Destiny Church – was among …
Read More »New Zealand beefs up counter-terrorism law after ‘ISIS-inspired’ knife assailant injured 7 despite weeks of police surveillance
Parliament passed the bill on its third reading on Thursday, voting to amend two previous pieces of legislation that took effect in 2002 and 2012 in order to empower authorities to go after suspected terrorists. Should the law receive final royal approval, anyone determined to be “planning” or making “other …
Read More »‘I’m done’: UFC champ Adesanya fumes at New Zealand government Covid lockdowns and exemptions as he announces move to US
Frustration over the strict lockdowns imposed by prime minister Jacinda Ardern – who this week announced that Auckland, where a third of New Zealanders live, will move down a tier from the highest restrictions available – have been growing, and middleweight king Adesanya’s patience has clearly snapped. ‘The Last Stylebender’ has …
Read More »New Zealand PM says hospital visitors should not have sex with patients during pandemic – or any other time
During a coronavirus press conference on Thursday, Ardern was asked by a reporter about an “allegation of sexual relations between a patient and a visitor at Auckland Hospital,” and whether it could be considered a “high-risk activity in the current climate.” As Ardern’s expression appeared to convey shock and disgust …
Read More »New Zealand police shoot & kill suspect who ‘injured multiple people’ in alleged stabbing attack at Auckland supermarket
“This incident is still unfolding at this time. However, Police can confirm that a man has entered a New Lynn supermarket and injured multiple people,” authorities said in a statement on Friday afternoon, referring to an Auckland suburb. Police have located the man and he has been shot. He has died at the scene. …
Read More »Stabbing in New Zealand supermarket was ISIS-inspired terrorist attack – prime minister
“This afternoon, at approximately 2:40pm, a violent extremist undertook a terrorist attack on innocent New Zealanders in the New Lynn Countdown [supermarket] in Auckland,” Ardern said at a press conference. The suspect was a known threat to authorities and under constant monitoring, she added. Ardern said the terrorist was a …
Read More »New Zealand reports first death linked to Pfizer vaccine, extends lockdown in Auckland despite falling Covid-19 infections
Only 53 new Covid-19 infections were reported in New Zealand on Monday, 30 less than on Sunday and the lowest figure in the last five days, according to the Ministry of Health. But Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern insisted that it was too early to celebrate, saying: “I’m not making any …
Read More »All Whites not all right? Review into New Zealand’s football nickname hints at potential change due to ‘cultural inclusivity’
The ‘All Whites’ nickname has been part of New Zealand footballing culture since they first wore the strip during the country’s bid to qualify for the 1982 World Cup. The idea was launched as a counter-balance of sorts to New Zealand’s famous ‘All Blacks’ rugby team, who, you guessed it, …
Read More »New Zealand extends nationwide lockdown as Covid outbreak tops 100 cases
The epicenter of the outbreak, Auckland, where 99 cases have been detected so far, will remain in lockdown until at least August 31. The rest of the country has seen only eight cases, so restrictions there will be reviewed later this week, Ardern announced. “Six days into the outbreak, we …
Read More »New Zealand’s snap nationwide lockdown triggers protests, as Covid outbreak grows to 7 cases, traced to Australia’s NSW
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said infections reached seven on Wednesday, up from one a day earlier, telling reporters that the new outbreak was likely imported from the Australian state of New South Wales, which is currently facing its own spike in cases and deaths. “Our case has originated in Australia. …
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