Emergency services are responding to a chlorine leak at a Christchurch flour mill.Firefighters were called to the incident at Champion Flour Mill on Moorhouse Ave at 7.40am.A Fire and Emergency NZ spokesman said all staff have…
All posts by FreeNews
Kapiti Hidden Books project encourages kids to discover and read
After a chance conversation with someone they had just met, Y’vonne and John Miller went all the way up to Whangārei to research a project they had only just heard about, after deciding they wanted to start it in Kāpiti.Waikanae…
UK fundraising hero Captain Sir Tom Moore in hospital with coronavirus
British fundraising hero Captain Sir Tom Moore is in hospital with coronavirus.
The Captain's daughter, Hannah, posted on Twitter that the 100-year old, who raised $60m for the National Health Service, needed help with his breathing after being treated for pneumonia.
READ MORE: Perth and other parts of WA head into five-day lockdown
She said last week he tested positive for COVID-19.
"Over the last few weeks he was being treated for pneumonia and last week tested positive for COVID-19.
"He was at home with us until today when he needed additional help with his breathing," she said.
"He is being treated in a ward, although he is not in ICU.
The Army veteran won the attention of the world when he walked 100 laps of his garden in Bedfordshire before his 100th birthday during the UK's first national lockdown.
He was knighted by the Queen, after his modest fundraising target of a thousand pounds spiralled to see him gather millions for the NHS.
https://twitter.com/captaintommoore/status/1355924707816726532?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
He become the largest individual fundraiser in the United Kingdom's history.
https://twitter.com/BorisJohnson/status/1355937035362697217?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
The veteran, who was born in Keighley, served with the 8th Battalion The Duke of Wellington's (West Riding) Regiment, which is now part of The Yorkshire Regiment.
He has since released a book, and topped the music charts with a version of You'll Never Walk Alone.
PM Harris thanks cricket team, birthday-celebrant for participating in Health Walk
BASSETERRE, St. Kitts — Overcast skies shortly before the first light of the day did not deter health-conscious walk enthusiasts from assembling at the bus stop in Bellevue Village, St. Kitts, on Saturday, January 30, in readiness for the first Prime Minister’s Monthly Health Walk for Year 2021.
Regular walk participants welcomed members of the successful Molineux/Cayon Cricket Club (MCCC), who in the spirit of community-bonding joined Prime Minister and the Area Parliamentary Representative Dr the Hon Timothy Harris on the highly-anticipated monthly health walk, which he has been sponsoring since 2007.

Star of the walk was Ms. Lucina Chapman of Clay Ghaut in Gingerland, Nevis, whose birthday was on the previous day, (Friday, January 29), but came dressed as a ‘Birthday Queen.’ At the end of the walk Hon. Harris introduced her to walk participants. He asked them to sing ‘Happy Birthday,’ but to omit the ‘how old are you’ part of the song, which they did lustily.
The walkers were called to order at 5:45 a.m. by Chairman of the Peoples Labour Party (PLP) Warren Thompson. He acknowledged Molineux/Cayon Cricket Club members and hoped that they will take part in the walks on a regular basis. Thompson requested Pastor Glenville Mills to offer a word of prayer after which everyone set off at 5:50 a.m., walking along the Island Main Road towards Ottley’s Village.

Resident Ambassador of the Republic of China on Taiwan, His Excellency Tom Lee, a regular participant, was among those who assembled at the Bellevue bus stop for the walk. He was accompanied by members of the Taiwan Technical Mission in St. Kitts and Nevis.
Regular Health Walk participants included Permanent Secretaries, Dr. Deloris Stapleton-Harris of Health and Mr William Vincent Hodge of Education, Deputy Speaker Senator, the Hon. Dr. Bernicia Nisbett; Deputy Clerk of the National Assembly, Ms. Trevlyn Stapleton, and medical practitioner, Dr. Dail Crawford.
Minister of Health, the Hon. Akilah Byron-Nisbett, joined the participants at the end of the walk. She congratulated them for taking their health seriously and taking part in the walk. The Prime Minister’s Monthly Health Walks are held under the auspices of SKN Moves, which is supported by the Federal Ministry of Health.
At the end of the walk, Prime Minister Harris thanked members of the Molineux/Cayon Cricket Club, were led by their Manager Steve Saunders, and coach, the legendary cricket player, Noel Guishard. The team also included media practitioner Loshaun Dixon, who was last year awarded for being the most consistent player to practice.

Students from various schools in and outside the constituency participated and many walked the entire route. Among them was nine-year old, Ms. Sherika Mchayle, a pupil at the Joshua Obadiah Williams Primary School in Molineux, the first of the junior walkers to arrive at the Ottley’s hardcourts – the finishing point.
“My birthday was January 29. I am here on my walk as usual with the Prime Minister,” said Ms. Chapman, a farmer in Nevis. “I am still celebrating. I have had a good time walking with the Prime Minister and all the participants.
“Next year (2022) my birthday will be on a Saturday, yesterday it was on a Friday,” she said. “Next year it will be bigger and greater on a Saturday, the day of Prime Minister’s Monthly Health Walk.”
The post PM Harris thanks cricket team, birthday-celebrant for participating in Health Walk appeared first on The St Kitts Nevis Observer.
Fire crews at two-storey house fire in New Brighton, Christchurch
A man has been taken to hospital with serious injuries after being rescued from a house fire in Christchurch.Emergency services were called to the fire in Curzon Place, Parklands at about 6.10am on Monday.A St John spokesman says…
States lock out WA after snap new COVID lockdown
Hundreds of people on flights out of Perth have landed to news they will be forced into isolation overnight after Western Australian Premier Mark McGowan announced a snap lockdown while they were mid-air.
Politicians returning to Canberra for the beginning of the parliamentary year are among those caught in the interstate chaos after WA recorded a new coronavirus case that is potentially the highly infectious UK strain of COVID-19.
Mr McGowan confirmed the new case and announced a snap five-day lockdown. Here is how states have reacted so far:
Queensland
Queensland became the first state to declare large parts of WA a coronavirus hotspot.
Queensland Health said in a statement that anyone who has been in Metropolitan Perth, Peel or the South West regions of WA who arrives in Queensland from 6pm last night will face 14 days hotel quarantine.
"Anyone who is already in Queensland but has been in Perth or the Peel or South West regions since January 26 should come forward and get tested and isolate until getting a negative result," the statement said.
Queensland Health said the timeframe of the mandatory hotel quarantine may change as it receives more information about WA's COVID-19 situation.

ACT
WA politicians arriving in Canberra have been told they need to immediately self-isolate, throwing the return of the parliamentary year into turmoil.
9News cameras filmed groups of senators and MPs at the airport last night, having been in the air when the WA lockdown was announced.
"We are waiting for further advice from the ACT Government, so we are all going to our accommodation, wearing masks, and isolating until we get further information," Defence Minister Linda Reynolds said.
ACT Health said anybody who has been to the Perth metropolitan area or the Peel and South West regions of Western Australia since January 25 must self-quarantine until Friday and get tested.
"In line with the WA Government's own lockdown we are saying that anyone who has been to one of these regions since 25 January should quarantine until 9pm on Friday 5 February, even after they have received their test results," Deputy Chief Health Officer Dr Vanessa Johnston said.
https://twitter.com/ACTHealth/status/1355839264173420546
Victoria
Victoria is restricting any new arrivals from huge parts of Western Australia beginning from last night.
"From 9pm tonight Perth, the Peel region and South West WA region will be declared red zones under Victoria's traffic light system," 9News' Andrew Lund reports.
"That means people will not be able to enter without an exemption. The rest of WA remains green."
The government says people who have arrived from WA red zones between Monday, January 25 and 9pm today will be required to isolate, get tested within 72 hours of arriving (or as soon as possible if they have arrived more than 72 hours ago) and remain self-isolated until they receive a negative result.
https://twitter.com/andrew_lund/status/1355816015959977987
New South Wales
Any WA travellers arriving in NSW since January 25 face the same "stay at home" restrictions that they would have subject to had they stayed in Western Australia.
That means anyone from those areas now locked down in WA who have arrived in NSW must stay at home until 9pm on Friday. They will be required to get tested within 48 hours of arriving in the state, NSW Health said.
"Passengers who arrived in Sydney on a flight from Perth this evening have been screened for symptoms of COVID-19, and asked if they attended any of the venues of concern identified by WA Health. None of the passengers have reported being at any of those venues.
"The new Public Health Order requires all new arrivals to complete an interstate traveller declaration confirming whether they attended any of the venues listed on the WA Health website, and providing contact details.
"Any travellers who have been at places of concern will be required to be tested and isolate for 14 days if they attended any of the named venues."
https://twitter.com/JohnBarilaroMP/status/1355790125054132230
One passenger who flew into Sydney from Perth told 9News they had just completed 14 days' quarantine after travelling from the UK to WA.
"I just completed 14 days of quarantine in Perth, having arrived from the UK. So the prospects for another 14 days was pretty daunting but luckily we're able to self-isolate at home."
Northern Territory
The Northern Territory's Chief Health Officer has declared Metropolitan Perth, the Peel Region and the South West Region of Western Australia as COVID-19 hotspots from 7.30pm last night.
Anyone travelling to the Northern Territory from a COVID-19 hotspot must undertake 14 days of mandatory, supervised quarantine at the Alice Springs or Howard Springs quarantine facilities at a cost of $2500 per person. Quarantine will be undertaken at the first urban centre you arrive at, including for transit.
Any person who has arrived in the Northern Territory between 25 January and 31 January 2021 from a declared hotspot in WA must have a COVID-19 test and undertake self-quarantine until a negative test is returned, the government said.
"If you are intending to travel to the Northern Territory from a COVID-19 Hotspot you are advised to rethink your plans. If you are a Territorian intending to travel to a hotspot you are advised to rethink your plans."
South Australia
South Australian authorities are monitoring the situation in WA but yet to announce any new restrictions.
"SA authorities are monitoring the WA COVID-19 situation & urging South Australians to seriously consider if travel to WA today or in the coming days is essential, & says those now travelling in WA should consider returning ASAP," 9News reporter Harvey Biggs tweeted.
https://twitter.com/HarveyBiggs/status/1355771794834083842?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
Tasmania
Tasmania is yet to decide how it will react to WA's outbreak, but all 108 passengers on a flight from Perth that landed in Hobart yesterday afternoon have been asked to self-isolate.
Those passengers have been asked to wait for contact by Public Health," Premier Peter Gutwein said.
"We are also reviewing details around travellers who have arrived in the state recently via Perth and will make contact with them if Public Health determines it's necessary to ask them to take any action to help minimise any risk.
"I am mindful that the WA Premier is encouraging people from other states and territories not to travel to WA at the moment so I would ask Tasmanians to heed that message and to defer their travel."
Pōkeno house fire: Drivers pull off State Highway 1 as home engulfed
Motorists on State Highway 1 just south of Auckland witnessed a massive fire that engulfed a home on Sunday.Firefighters were at the house fire for almost six hours, with the cause of the blaze under investigation. There were no…
End of petrol cars: NZ must ban fossil-fuelled imports by 2032, says Climate Change Commission
New Zealand must ban the import of petrol and diesel cars by 2032 in order to reach its climate change targets and decarbonise the economy, new advice recommends.And Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern says the Government “will not hold…
Waka, episode 2: Moment of truth for NZ waka carver Billy Harrison
The Herald, E-Tangata and Tawera productions have joined forces to bring you Waka, a six-part online video series which traces the cultural revival of traditional canoe building skills through four teams from across the Pacific. Today…
Covid 19 coronavirus: 'Deeply concerned' Jacinda Ardern calls EU's vaccine export move 'wrong'
New Zealand received welcome news on Sunday after Australia decided not to extend its quarantine-free flight suspension and the Ministry of Health reporting another day of no new Covid-19 cases in the community.However, it’s not…