A threat to harm a family and burn down their house was behind an Armed Offenders Squad callout in South Hokianga on Tuesday.While the offender initially gave police the slip, the search sparked up again later in the day when he…
Tag Archives: oceania
Why ultra-rare lightning storm above Peru shocked locals
Storms and lightning might go together like beetroot and burgers for Australians, but a recent electrical display in the skies above Peru was a genuine weather event for the locals.
Lightning split the skies above the capital city of Lima overnight, with shocked residents posting tweets of the action.
"Lightning and rain in Lima," one man wrote. "That's new."
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The country's National Service of Meteorology and Hydrology (SENAMHI) said in a press release the rare weather event was generated by a system of storms over the sea.
"This anomalous event for Lima had not been registered since 1960, when another electrical storm developed that generated lightning over the capital city," the organisation said.
"SENAMHI remains vigilant in the event of a possible repetition of these events in the coming days and will continue to report on the evolution of meteorological conditions, in order to develop preventive actions against these phenomena."
Weatherzone reported that lightning was so rare on the Peruvian coast due to the extreme stability of its atmosphere.
Guest limits, mask rules: All the new restrictions for Melbourne
Melbourne residents are facing a wave of new restrictions as Victoria races to contain another COVID-19 outbreak.
From 6pm today, all residents of Greater Melbourne are allowed no more than five visitors to their home.
Public gatherings will be limited to 30 people.
LIVE BLOG: Two Melbourne COVID-19 cases 'closely linked'
READ MORE: New restrictions in Victoria after fifth COVID-19 case
Face masks will again be mandatory indoors for everybody over the age of 12.
Schools and workplaces will remain open, subject to current restrictions.
Visits to hospitals and aged care centres will be restricted statewide.
No lockdown has yet been announced, and Melbourne residents are allowed to travel, however, if a Melbourne resident visits regional Victoria, the restrictions travel with them.
This means that if a Melbourne person visits a home in regional Victoria, that home can have no more than five visitors that day, and if a Melbourne person attends a public gathering in regional Victoria, that gathering will be limited to 30 people.
The new restrictions will be in place until June 4.
READ MORE: More exposure sites added after Melbourne positive cases
Acting Premier James Merlino said the new measures were necessary to protect residents.
"This is about giving our contact tracers the time they need to track this matter down and get on top of it," he said.
"This is a responsible step that we need to take to get on top of this outbreak but importantly, the genomic sequencing has confirmed that this case, these cases, originate from the South Australia hotel quarantine outbreak."
READ MORE: How other states and territories are reacting to Victoria's new COVID-19 cases
The Victorian Government is seeking advice as to whether there will be any changes to capacity for weddings and sporting and cultural events.
"We will work through those and provide further advice when that is finalised," Mr Merlino said.
Density requirements at restaurants and bars will remain unchanged.
However, the government has put a pause on further easing of restrictions which were due to be relaxed on May 28.
Black Lives Matter activist critical after shooting
British Black Lives Matter activist Sasha Johnson is in critical condition after being shot in the head in London, her political party said.
"It is with great sadness that we inform you that our own Sasha Johnson has been brutally attacked and sustained a gunshot wound to her head," the Taking the Initiative Party (TTIP) said in a statement.
"She is currently in intensive care and in a critical condition."
READ MORE: Brisbane's first statue defaced with Black Lives Matter messages
The party said the attack happened "following numerous death threats as a result of her activism."
London's Metropolitan Police responded to reports of gunfire in southeast London about 3am local time Sunday morning, it said in a statement.
Police said paramedics transported a 27-year-old woman with gunshot wounds to a south London hospital, and that the incident appeared to have happened near a house party in Southwark.
The police statement said that at this early stage of investigation there was no evidence to suggest a targeted attack or that the woman "had received any credible threats against her prior to this incident."
Detectives from the Met's Specialist Crime Command (Trident) are conducting an investigation and looking to speak with anyone who was at the party in the Consort Road area of London, it added.
"A dedicated team of detectives is working tirelessly to identify the person or persons responsible for this shooting," said Detective Chief Inspector Jim Tele.
He added that "they need the public's help," and urged people to come forward if they witnessed or had heard information about the incident.
Mr Tele said that while he recognised the incident "will have shocked those in the local community and further afield" he called on the public to "avoid speculating as to the motive or the circumstances behind it."
Ms Johnson rose to prominence last year during the Black Lives Matter protests, as a leader of the TTIP, which has been called "Britain's first Black-led political party."
She is a mother of three, and also works to deliver food and groceries to families in need, according to the party, which called her "a strong, powerful voice for our people and our community" in its Sunday statement.
Black Lives Matter UK will host a vigil for Ms Johnson on Monday afternoon (Tuesday am, AEST) outside Kings' College Hospital in south London.
The organisation said it is holding the event to "show support for her recovery and take a stand against senseless violence." It asked people to "please share and show up to support if you can."
In a separate tweet Black Lives Matter UK hailed Ms Johnson as a "young mother and fearless political campaigner who was at the forefront of many BLM protests last summer."
Two men found dead on Awarua farm by Northland police called to shooting knew each other
A serene stretch of Awarua farmland was the scene of a double tragedy yesterday as Northland police, while responding to a shooting, discovered the bodies of two men.Police were not looking for anyone else in relation to the shooting…
Elderly woman dies at Timaru rest home after substandard care
From RNZ An elderly woman, who died at a Timaru rest home, suffered broken bones in a suspected fall when staff should have been supporting her.Deputy Health and Disability Commissioner Rose Wall found the Radius Elloughton Gardens…
Mt Ruapehu climber with severely broken leg found just before dark
A solo climber slipped and severely broke his leg on Mt Ruapehu, sparking a near seven-hour search and rescue operation with crew desperate to find him before nightfall. The man activated his personal locator beacon around 1.45pm…
Westpac Bank reissues elderly woman's credit card after husband's death
Westpac Bank has reversed its hardline decision to strip an elderly widow of her credit card – which prevented her from accessing her cash – following her husband’s death. And the bank says it is now reviewing internal processes…
Bowel Cancer: Young survivor takes up 'Move your Butt' challenge
Tamsyn Cornwall knew the news wasn’t good as soon as the doctors asked if she was bringing a support person with her – even though they were in lockdown and visitors weren’t allowed at any of her previous appointments.The Auckland…
Wellington businesses 'bloody offended' by Courtenay Place taxi stand trial
A temporary taxi stand on Courtenay Place could have been mistaken for a crime scene with orange cones and people wearing hi-vis turning cars away, a business group says.Wellington City Council has recently trialled changing 11…