OPINION: By Bernard Walker, University of Canterbury A crucial delivery of 150,000 doses of the Pfizer vaccine has arrived in New Zealand this week, ahead of schedule. But at the same time, the vaccination of most people…

By RNZ The South Island is in for another battering from the weather, as MetService issues a severe weather warning for central and southern New Zealand.Gale-force winds are forecast, followed by heavy rain and then snow over…

This time last year, July 4th was anything but a celebration. But in 2021b the picture is quite different

As the sun sets over an unidentified picturesque lake, Mark Zuckerberg somewhat effortlessly zooms and floats above the water's surface on an e-foil board holding the Stars and Stripes.

How do we know? The Facebook billionaire posted the video to Instagram to celebrate Independence Day just three hours ago, and more than half-a-million users have watched.

"Is that a robot?" one confused Instagram user asks.

READ MORE: Facebook is testing AI to get you to stop fighting in its groups

Captioned "Happy July 4th!", the rather odd footage of Zuckerberg surging across the lake, with the US flag flapping in the breeze, is set to John Denver's iconic track "Take Me Home, Country Roads".

"This is some meme materials," another Instagram user commented.

Zuckerberg's love of e-foiling shot to prominence last year after a photo of him, face covered in an inexplicably large amount of sunscreen, went viral.

The 37-year-old's net worth is estimated to be US$127.7 billion.

READ MORE: 'A total disgrace': Facebook board upholds Trump's ban

Employees of the fireworks company behind the July 4th celebration received minor injuries on Sunday after the fireworks accidentally exploded on a US beach.

First responders initially thought a car was on fire, but when they arrived at the scene in Ocean City, Maryland. They discovered there was "an unintentional discharge of fireworks" being set up for the show, the Ocean City Fire Department said in a Facebook post Sunday morning.

The employees declined transport to a local hospital, and no other beach or boardwalk visitors were injured as a result of the explosion, the fire department said.

READ MORE: Vaccination disparities reflect 'two Americas' this July 4th

"Prior to the fireworks being off-loaded from the vehicle, Fire Marshals secure a safe zone around the fireworks and put other safety protocols in place," Ocean City Fire Chief Richie Bowers said in the statement.

"It is this very zone and safety protocols that kept anyone else from being injured."

Fire marshals are on scene and continue their investigation into the fireworks discharge.

All fireworks celebrations in Ocean City have been cancelled out of "an abundance of caution," the Ocean City Fire Department confirmed on Facebook.

https://www.facebook.com/OCMDFD/posts/10159248525674509

"At this time, the cause of the fireworks discharge is unknown," the fire department said. "A perimeter around the fireworks site has been established and will remain in place until the safety inspections are complete, which could take several days."

Areas of the boardwalk will also remain closed to pedestrians until safety inspections have been completed.

It is another chilly start for much of the country today, as fog is also expected to cause some delays on Auckland and Hamilton roads this morning. Aucklanders are waking up to a crisp morning, with 3C recorded just after 6am. …

From RNZ Australians from three states and the ACT are able to travel to New Zealand quarantine-free again, with the partial reopening of the travel bubble.As of this morning, those in Victoria, South Australia, Tasmania and…

A crucial delivery of 150,000 Covid vaccines has arrived in New Zealand two days early.The shipment – the largest in this country to date of the Pfizer vaccine – arrived on Sunday afternoon, two days ahead of schedule.Covid-19…

Whanganui District Health Board has apologised for a privacy breach that accidentally disclosed the email addresses of about 200 people.The health board has been inviting people in Group 3 for their Covid-19 vaccine via text, letter…

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