The discovery of toxic mould has temporarily closed sections of “ageing” Lower Hutt facilities. The Hutt City Council advised this morning the Hardwick Smith Lounge in Belmont and the first floor of Petone Library had been temporary…
Tag Archives: oceania
Gay conversion therapy to become criminal offence, Justice Minister Kris Faafoi announces
Practices intended to change or suppress someone’s sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression, also referred to as gay conversion therapy, will become a criminal offence under legislation announced today. Minister…
Second-dose blood clot cases deemed 'not linked to AstraZeneca'
An external panel of experts has determined that four cases of a rare blood clotting condition, one of which was fatal, are unlikely to be linked to the vaccine.
'Shark rider' recovering after attack off WA island
A man who previously called himself a "shark rider" is recovering in hospital after he was seriously injured in an attack on Western Australia's Pilbara coast.
Aaron Moir, 32, arrived at Royal Perth Hospital late last night after being flown in from Exmouth in a serious but stable condition.
He was on a fishing charter trip near Varanus Island, about 120km west of Karratha, when the attack happened just after 8am.
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It then took a 15-hour boat ride to get the injured Mr Moir back to shore, with others in his fishing group giving him first aid along the way.
Mr Moir is in a stable condition in Royal Perth Hospital with three bite marks, understood to be on his back, leg and stomach.
Mr Moir's mother said her son was in good spirits.
The Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development believes it was a lemon shark that attacked Mr Moir, unusual for a species that is not typically aggressive.
Mr Moir has previously called himself "the shark rider".
In 2014, he was filmed jumping on a hammerhead shark, an action that experts and his employer condemned.
At the time, Mr Moir admitted his actions were stupid, but said he'd do it again.
"I don't have much experience with great whites at all, so I'd love to jump in with one of them, but I'll wait till I know a bit more about them," he said in 2014.
The latest incident, which has been reported to Worksafe, has prompted a warning from conservationists to treat all sharks with care.
Officers are conducting enquiries before launching their own investigation.
Missing teen Caitlin Blanch 'possibly travelled outside Alexandra'
Police and Land Search and Rescue volunteers are still searching for a teenage girl from Clyde who hasn’t been seen in more than 48 hours.Caitlin Blanch, 17, left her home in Clyde on Tuesday and was last seen getting off the school…
Covid-19 coronavirus: Positive patient from Fiji arrives in New Zealand
A Covid-19 patient being transferred from Fiji to New Zealand for treatment is believed to have arrived at Auckland Airport this evening. The case – understood to be a high-profile World Health Organization (WHO) staffer – was flown…
Bryce Edwards: Political Roundup – How the Government has fuelled rampant increases in wealth
OPINION: Jacinda Ardern’s household wealth increased by an estimated $290,000 over the last year. Although she earned nearly half a million dollars from her job, her windfall was solely due to the value of her Auckland house increasing….
The world's best images taken on iPhones
International contest the 2021 iPhone Photography Awards celebrates images taken on the humble iPhone. Thousands of people from around the world entered, with impressive shots capturing everything from shepherds to sunsets.
NSW Police requests ADF support for Sydney COVID-19 compliance
The NSW Police Force has requested the Australian Defence Force's help in enforcing COVID-19 compliance during the Greater Sydney lockdown.
The state's COVID-19 cases have continued to rise in recent days despite harsh lockdown measures, with today marking a new high of 239 local cases.
NSW Police Commissioner Mick Fuller said authorities had been flooded by thousands of community complaints against those disobeying public health orders.
READ MORE: Sydney man fined for leaving COVID-19 hotspot to 'watch the sunrise'
He confirmed this afternoon that he's formally asked Prime Minister Scott Morrison for 300 ADF personnel to assist police on the ground, particularly in western and south-western Sydney.
"The assistance of the ADF has been essential over the past 18 months – particularly during last year's border operation, the ongoing hotel quarantine operation and the assistance provided with logistics support in the Police Operations Centre," Commissioner Fuller said.
"With an increase in enforcement activity over the coming week, I have now made a formal request to the Prime Minister for ADF personnel to assist with that operation."
READ MORE: 'Things are likely to get worse' as NSW clocks 239 cases
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Commissioner Fuller told this morning's COVID-19 press conference that "thousands" of additional police officers would also be out on the streets in the coming week.
"We all want to come out of lockdown," he said.
"These new powers, the additional police into these areas, it's about getting us out of lockdown sooner.
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"So you can expect to see more police on the ground; you can expect to see more enforcement."
In addition, the NSW government has also handed the police force additional powers to close businesses and shut down illegal construction work.
Fines for failing to abide by the government's mask mandate have also been increased from $200 to $500.
Civil Defence alert: No flooding expected on NZ coastlines after 8.2 Alaska earthquake
Civil Defence has reassessed its tsunami information after an 8.2 magnitude earthquake struck Alaska.The National Emergency Management Agency (Civil Defence) said flooding is not expected however, the possibility of other tsunami…