Wellington’s St James Theatre earthquake strengthening project is facing weather tightness problems, lower than expected cashflow, and a construction completion date that’s “continuing to slip”. But Wellington City Council (WCC)…

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A battery fire in an electric car gutted the vehicle and spread into roadside vegetation near Kerikeri yesterday.The blaze started just after 2pm yesterday on Rangitane Rd, just north of town. It appeared the driver of the compact…

Russian President Vladimir Putin will be getting his first vaccination against COVID-19 on Tuesday, but out of sight of the cameras, his spokesman said, prompting questions about whether the gesture will boost comparatively low immunisation rates in Russia.

Dmitry Peskov told reporters during a conference call that "when it comes to getting vaccinated on camera, he has never supported that, he doesn't like that."

Peskov wouldn't reveal whether Putin will go to a vaccination facility or the shot will be brought to him in his office or residence, saying only that "it will done in a way that would the least affect" Putin's working schedule.

READ MORE: What Russia and US escalation could look like following 'killer' remark

Putin announced that he would get vaccinated at a government meeting the day before. The statement came several months after widespread immunisation against COVID-19 kicked off in Russia. Kremlin critics have argued that Putin's reluctance to get vaccinated was contributing to the already existing hesitancy about the vaccine.

Only 6.3 million people, or 4.3 per cent of Russia's 146-million population, have received at least one dose of a vaccine. It lags behind a number of other countries in terms of the vaccination rate. Surveys by Russia's top independent pollster, Levada Centre, have shown that the number of Russians reluctant to get vaccinated with the domestically developed Sputnik V shot has grown in recent months — to 62 per cent in February from 58 per cent in December.

Pressed by reporters over whether Putin should get vaccinated on camera in order to boost slow vaccination rates, Peskov argued that Russians "will hear" about the president's vaccination and that Putin is already doing "a lot" for promoting the vaccination campaign.

"The president … dedicates a rather significant time in his working hours to events, discussions, meetings related to vaccination, production of vaccines and so on. So the president does a lot for propaganda of the vaccines," Peskov said.

READ MORE: Cold War-era submarine once in Harrison Ford film catches fire

The Kremlin spokesman refused to reveal which of the three vaccines authorised for use in Russia Putin will receive, saying only that all three are "absolutely good, reliable, effective."

Russian authorities have given regulatory approval to three domestically developed shots — Sputnik V, EpiVacCorona and CoviVac. All three received the authorisation before completing advanced trials experts say are necessary to ensure their safety and effectiveness in line with established scientific protocol.

However, a recent study in the British medical journal the Lancet showed that Sputnik V is 91 per cent effective and appears to prevent inoculated individuals from becoming severely ill with COVID-19, although it's still unclear whether the vaccine can prevent the spread of the disease. No data on efficacy of the two other vaccines have been released.

Russia has been actively marketing Sputnik V abroad, despite the slow rollout at home and limited production capacities. Dozens of countries have approved the use of Sputnik V, and many signed deals with the Russian Direct Investment Fund that bankrolled the vaccine to get shipments of the shot.

The fund said Tuesday it has submitted a request for Sputnik V to be part of the global vaccine sharing scheme COVAX. The shot first needs to be endorsed by the World Health Organisation, which is still in the process of reviewing data provided by Russia.

READ MORE: Strange striped patterns in Russia snow baffle NASA scientists

Exporting the vaccines has not been without delays and some questioned whether Moscow had the capacity to deliver on its promises. In Russia, state media and government officials boasted about the international success of the shot that came despite initial criticism of Sputnik V's hasty introduction.

Peskov said Tuesday that Sputnik V was "so sought-after" that Russia's production "can't cope with the demand from abroad."

To boost production, the Russian Direct Investment Fund has signed agreements with manufacturers in a number of countries including India, Brazil, South Korea and most recently Italy. Putin said on Monday such agreements amounted to a total of 700 million vaccines a year.

Police have identified a 21-year-old man as the suspect who opened fire inside a crowded Colorado supermarket in an attack that killed 10 people, including an officer, and sent terrorised shoppers and employees scrambling for cover.

Authorities said Ahmad Al Aliwi Alissa was from the Denver suburb of Arvada and that he engaged in a shootout with police inside the Boulder store. The suspect was being treated at a hospital and was expected to be booked into the county jail later in the day.

Investigators have not established a motive, but authorities believe he was the only shooter, Boulder County District Attorney Michael Dougherty said.

READ MORE: US cop killed in Colorado shooting remembered as father-of-seven

https://twitter.com/AmeliaAdams9/status/1374370265916870656

A law enforcement official briefed on the shooting told The Associated Press that the gunman used an AR-15 rifle, a lightweight semi-automatic rifle. Officials were trying to trace the gun. The official was not authorised to speak publicly and spoke to AP on condition of anonymity.

Officials also identified the nine other victims after previously naming the officer. The dead ranged in age from 20 to 65.

Hundreds of police officers from throughout the Denver area responded to the attack, converging on a King Soopers supermarket in a busy shopping plaza in southern Boulder.

SWAT officers carrying ballistic shields slowly approached the store as others escorted frightened people away from the building, which had some of its windows shattered. Customers and employees fled through a back loading dock to safety. Others took refuge in nearby shops.

Officers had escorted a shirtless man in handcuffs, blood running down his leg, from the store during the siege. Authorities would not say if he was the suspect.

"This is a tragedy and a nightmare for Boulder County," Dougherty said. "These were people going about their day, doing their shopping. I promise the victims and the people of the state of Colorado that we will secure justice."

Boulder Police Chief Maris Herold identified the slain officer as Eric Talley, 51, who had been with the force since 2010. He was the first to arrive after responding to a call about shots fired and someone carrying a rifle, she said.

"He was by all accounts one of the outstanding officers of the Boulder Police Department, and his life was cut too short," Dougherty said.

Dozens of police and emergency vehicles, their lights flashing, escorted an ambulance carrying the slain officer from the shooting scene after nightfall. Some residents stood along the route, their arms raised in salute.

The attack in Boulder, about 40km northwest of Denver and home to the University of Colorado, stunned a state that has seen several mass shootings, including the 1999 Columbine High School massacre and the 2012 Aurora movie theatre shooting.

Monday's attack was the seventh mass killing this year in the US, following the March 16 shooting that left eight people dead at three Atlanta-area massage businesses, according to a database compiled by The Associated Press, USA Today and Northeastern University.

It follows a lull in mass killings during the coronavirus pandemic in 2020, which had the smallest number of such attacks in eight years, according to the database, which tracks mass killings defined as four or more dead, not including the shooter.

Rep. Joe Neguse, a Democrat whose district includes Boulder, said Tuesday on "CBS This Morning" that "enough is enough" when it comes to political impasses that keep gun control laws from passing Congress.

"The time for inaction is over. It does not have to be this way. There are common sense gun legislation reform proposals that have been debated in Congress for far too long," Neguse said. "The gun lobby and so many others have stopped the ability to make meaningful reforms in the past, but that's no excuse. I think the American people are tired of excuses."

Speaker Nancy Pelosi said the US House stands with gun violence victims who say "enough is enough."

"Action is needed now to prevent this scourge from continuing to ravage our communities," she said in a statement Tuesday in which she cited House passage of two background checks bills. Those bills are now pending before the Senate.

"While we await further information on the details of this heinous crime, we continue to stand with victims, families and young people across the country saying, 'Enough is enough.'"

Sarah Moonshadow and her son, Nicolas Edwards, had just bought strawberries inside the supermarket when they heard gunfire. Moonshadow told The Denver Post they ducked and "just ran." Outside, Edwards said, arriving police pulled up next to a body in the parking lot.

"I knew we couldn't do anything for the guy," he said. "We had to go."

Video posted on YouTube showed one person on the floor inside the store and two more outside on the ground. What sounds like two gunshots are heard at the beginning of the video.

Investigators had just started sorting through the crime scene and conducting witness interviews, Dougherty said.

Matthew Kirsch, the acting US attorney for Colorado, pledged that "the full weight of federal law enforcement" would support the investigation. He said investigators from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives were at the crime scene, along with FBI agents.

White House press secretary Jen Psaki tweeted that President Joe Biden had been briefed on the shooting.

Colorado Gov. Jared Polis said in a statement that the state had seen "the face of evil. I am grieving with my community and all Coloradans."

The King Soopers chain said in a statement that it was offering prayers and support "to our associates, customers, and the first responders who so bravely responded to this tragic situation."

A Banksy painting honouring Britain's health workers in the pandemic has sold for a record £16.8 million ($30.18 million), auction house Christie's said Tuesday.

Proceeds from the sale will be used to fund health organisations and charities across the UK, it said.

The work by the mystery street artist, titled "Game Changer", first appeared on a wall at Southampton General Hospital in southern England in May, during the first wave of the pandemic.

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The black-and-white picture depicts a young boy sitting on the floor playing with a nurse superhero toy, as Batman and Spiderman toy figures lie in a wastepaper basket next to him.

At the time it went up, the hospital said Banksy left a note for workers there saying: "Thanks for all you're doing. I hope this brightens the place up a bit, even if it's only black and white."

Christie's said the sale price was a world auction record for Banksy. The auction house said it will donate a "significant portion" of the buyer's premium to health organisations.

A reproduction of the picture will stay at the hospital for patients, visitors and staff, Christie's added.

READ MORE: Banksy shares video revealing himself as artist behind prison piece

"Banksy is an extraordinary artist who is a constant barometer of nationwide sentiment," said Katharine Arnold, who heads the European post-war and contemporary art division at the auction house.

"With the perfect image of a little boy playing with his superhero doll, a nurse sporting the international Red Cross, he perfectly captured the essence of this moment in time."

The sale came on the day Britain held a minute's silence to mark one year since Prime Minister Boris Johnson ordered the first national lockdown.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison says he deeply regrets his "insensitive response to a question from a News Ltd journalist" today claiming a staffer at the media company was subject to a misconduct complaint.

News Corp denied Mr Morrison's claim, describing it as "extraordinary".

"In the course of today's media conference when responding to further questions I deeply regret my insensitive response to a question from a News Ltd journalist by making an anonymous reference to an incident at News Ltd that has been rejected by the company," Mr Morrison said in a statement tonight.

"I accept their account. I was wrong to raise it, the emotion of the moment is no excuse.

"I especially wish to apologise to the individual at the centre of the incident and others directly impacted.

"I had no right to raise this issue and especially without their permission."

The comment came this afternoon after Sky News reporter Andrew Clennell challenged Mr Morrison on the issue of workplace harassment during an emotional press conference addressing systemic issues relating to the treatment of women within Parliament House.

"Right now, you would be aware that in your own organisation that there is a person who has had a complaint made against them for harassment of a woman in a women's toilet and that matter is being pursued by your own HR department," Mr Morrison replied.

"So let's not all of us who sit in glass houses here start getting into that."

READ MORE: Emotional PM asks Parliament to 'get house in order'

News Corp Australasia Executive Chairman Michael Miller released a statement in response.

"Prime Minister Scott Morrison was wrong today to claim an investigation is under way into a complaint accusing an employee of harassment against a woman in a female toilet," the statement said.

"No complaint has been received and News Corp and Sky News are not dealing with a complaint."

Mr Miller said News Corp normally does not comment on private matters but felt compelled to reply.

"However given the Prime Minister's extraordinary claims made at a press conference broadcast live across the nation, I want to put to rest any suggestion that an employee of our company is being investigated for conduct suggested by Mr Morrison," he said.

Mr Miller did say there had been a "verbal exchange" between two News Corp employees in Parliament last year.

"The exchange was about a workplace-related issue, it was not of a sexual nature, it did not take place in a toilet, and neither person made a complaint," he said.

"Following those inquiries, our HR team wrote to one of the people involved and the matter was resolved."

Today the Prime Minister gathered all government staffers into a meeting at Parliament to address the issue of sexual harassment.

In Question Time today, before the News Corp statement, Labor's Tanya Plibersek challenged Mr Morrison on his remarks.

"Today the Prime Minister sought to use a confidential complaint about alleged workplace misconduct inside a media organisation to dismiss questions," Ms Plibersek said.

"Is it any wonder victims of sexual assault and harassment in this building and around Australia are afraid of coming forward when the Prime Minister of this country uses a confidential complaint in a nationally televised media conference as a way to try to stop journalists asking questions about these important issues?"

READ MORE: Morrison blasts 'disgusting, sickening' reports alleged lewd acts

But Mr Morrison said he was making a broader point on sexual misconduct.

"These issues are not combined to one side of politics," Mr Morrison said.

"The problems that we are experiencing in this country are not confined simply to the offices of member for senators and ministers in this place, and go well beyond that."

He said he invoked the media organisation's allegation in an "an anonymised way".

Ms Plibersek probed him further.

"Why is it Prime Minister knew about the confidential complaint in a media organisation but claims he didn't know about the reported sexual assault, that allegedly occurred just metres from his office, for two years?" she asked.

The Prime Minister answered: "Because it's the truth, Mr Speaker."

Later in Question Time, Mr Morrison was questioned about reports which surfaced last night that staffers had allegedly brought sex workers into Parliament House for government MPs, including a minister.

"I understand the report referred to a former minister, not a current minister, so I would simply make that point," Mr Morrison said.

"Obviously we're seeking to pursue those matters with those who are already known to us, and there is only one individual that was subject of the reports yesterday and that person has had their employment terminated."

Mr Morrison said that last night's allegations of lewd acts performed in Parliament took place before he was Prime Minister.

A robbery has occurred tonight in Kawaha Point, Rotorua. Police were called to the report of a robbery in Bellvue Rd at 7.50pm, a media spokeswoman said. “Police are speaking with the victim and working to establish what took…

Australia's Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) has approved the release of more than 832,000 doses of locally-made AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine to be administered.

This evening the TGA confirmed it had approved the release of four batches totalling 832,200 doses.

The clearance follows last Sunday's TGA approval for the vaccine to be manufactured in Australia by CSL-Seqirus at its Broadmeadows facility.

READ MORE: TGA approves AstraZeneca vaccine for Australians

The Australian-produced AstraZeneca vaccine has been widely touted as the solution to inoculating Australians against serious disease as a result of COVID-19.

"TGA testing of the vaccine batches in our Canberra laboratories plus review of extensive manufacturing documentation, has ensured that the locally-manufactured vaccine has the exactly the same composition and performance as the overseas-manufactured vaccine, the same quality, and is free of contaminants," the TGA confirmed in a statement.

"The TGA's clearance of the vaccine for local manufacture is a major step in Australia's response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

READ MORE: AstraZeneca says US trial data shows vaccine 79 per cent effective

"We will now be able to provide secure access to large numbers of doses of a domestically-produced vaccine, with the Australian government having procured 50 million doses for delivery in the coming months."

The Australian-produced AstraZeneca vaccine will be progressively rolled out to more than 4,000 distribution points including general practices, respiratory clinics and Aboriginal Health Services.

Further approval will be required for each and every batch supplied and made in Australia.

READ MORE: How do I get my coronavirus vaccine? What to do if you're part of 1B

"TGA approval is required for each and every batch of any vaccine supplied in Australia," the TGA said in a statement.

"All subsequent batches of the Melbourne-manufactured vaccine completed in the coming weeks and months will go through the same individual batch testing and release process by the TGA."

Emergency services remain at the scene of a massive three-floor building fire in Tūākau where at one point flames were shooting 30 metres into the air.At its height, huge plumes of toxic black smoke could be seen drifting…