Hawke’s Bay residents are being advised to stay out of the water on Friday after a massive 7.1 magnitude earthquake struck off the east coast.The quake hit at 2.27am about 95km out to sea from Te Araroa, on the east coast of the…

It came in the dead of night. With no warning and, say some who did happen to be awake, very little noise.The 7.3 quake at 2.27am soon shook thousands of more New Zealanders awake, a jolt that lasted what seemed, for many, like…

QUAKE LATEST* A massive 7.3 magnitude quake has struck off New Zealand’s east coast* The quake struck at 2.27am and was widely felt across the North Island and parts of the South Island* ‘Terrifying’, ‘Oh my god’, ‘Biggest one…

QUAKE LATEST* Swarm of earthquakes off NZ coast spark Civil Defence warnings* 7.4 magnitude shake strikes at 6.41am off Raoul Island, the largest of the Kermadec Islands* Tsunami activity advisory for east coast of Northland -…

There are tributes tonight for a much-loved couple killed in a joy flight tragedy at Exmouth in Western Australia.

The pilot, Mal Watts, and his wife, Samantha Nuttall, failed to return late on Wednesday, the aircraft coming down just kilometres from the town's aerodrome.

It had been during a romantic flight above the canyon, which the couple had done many times before, when tragedy struck.

They were out on their privately-owned microlight plane when something went horribly wrong.

The aircraft's wreckage was spotted form the air, police on ground forced to hike to the crash site.

The tragedy has rocked the Exmouth community.

READ MORE: 'Streets like rivers': WA towns swamped by ongoing deluge

"Exmouth is coming to terms with the devastating loss of such a well-known, well-respected, and much-loved long-time local couple," Shire President Matthew Niikkula said.

Friends have taken to social media to pay tribute, describing the pair as "two genuinely beautiful people who lived life to the absolute full".

Investigators are trying to piece together how the tragedy happened.

A Gold Coast health worker was hospitalised after having an adverse reaction to the COVID-19 vaccine.

The person had an anaphylactic reaction when they were given the Pfizer vaccine at Gold Coast University Hospital today.

READ MORE: Queensland slowest in Australia to administer COVID-19 vaccine

A Gold Coast Health spokesperson confirmed the person has a history of anaphylaxis and recovered quickly from the reaction.

"The response was prompt and effective and the patient received the appropriate treatment and has since recovered," they said.

"Anaphylaxis has been identified as a possible side effect from any vaccination. Staff are well prepared for this and stringent processes are in place to manage such reactions."

They confirmed the worker received the appropriate treatment and has since recovered.

Not the first reaction to the COVID-19 vaccine

Health authorities have assured the COVID-19 vaccine is safe and effective and will protect you from the virus.

Gold Coast Health advise that you must not get a COVID-19 vaccine if you have had a severe allergic reaction to a previous dose of the same COVID-19 vaccine or any kind of anaphylaxis after exposure to any ingredient of the vaccine.

"All vaccines given in Australia have passed tests to prove they are safe and work well," they confirmed.

While this is believed to be the first case of an Australian having an adverse reaction to an approved coronavirus vaccine, there have been other incidents internationally.

READ MORE: 'No serious concerns' for newly approved COVID-19 vaccine

In December, UK regulators were tasked with investigating two incidents of allergic reactions to the Pfizer vaccine on the first day it was approved for a mass rollout.

The two affected people were staff members with the National Health Service who had a history of allergies, however they both recovered immediately from their symptoms.

"As is common with new vaccines it is advised on a precautionary basis that people with a significant history of allergic reactions do not receive this vaccination after two people with a history of significant allergic reactions responded adversely,'' Professor Stephen Powis, medical director for the NHS in England, said in a statement.

Two Alaskan healthcare workers were among six Americans who also experienced allergic reactions to the Pfizer vaccine in the first days of its release, being hospitalised immediately after receiving it in December.

Security forces were seen firing slingshots at demonstrators, chasing them down and even brutally beating an ambulance crew.

Myanmar security forces dramatically escalated their crackdown on protests against last month's coup, killing at least 34 protesters yesterday in several cities, according to accounts on social media and local news reports compiled by a data analyst.

That is highest daily death toll since the February 1 takeover, exceeding the 18 that the UN Human Rights Office said were killed on Sunday, and could galvanise the international community, which has responded fitfully so far to the violence.

Videos also showed security forces firing slingshots at demonstrators, chasing them down and even brutally beating an ambulance crew.

READ MORE: Aung San Suu Kyi hit with another charge as protesters return to Myanmar streets

The toll could even be higher; the Democratic Voice of Burma, an independent television and online news service, tallied 38 deaths.

Demonstrators have regularly flooded the streets of cities across the country since the military seized power and ousted the elected government of leader Aung San Suu Kyi.

Their numbers have remained high even as security forces have repeatedly fired tear gas, rubber bullets and live rounds to disperse the crowds, and arrested protesters en masse.

The intensifying standoff is unfortunately familiar in a country with a long history of peaceful resistance to military rule — and brutal crackdowns.

The coup reversed years of slow progress toward democracy in the Southeast Asian nation after five decades of military rule.

The death toll from yesterday was compiled by a data analyst who spoke on condition of anonymity because he feared for his safety.

READ MORE: At least 18 anti-coup protesters killed in Myanmar

He also collected information where he could on the victims' names, ages, hometowns, and where and how they were killed.

The Associated Press was unable to independently confirm most of the reported deaths, but several square with online postings.

The data analyst, who is in Yangon, the country's biggest city, said he collected the information to honour those who were killed for their heroic resistance.

According to his list, the highest number of deaths were in Yangon, where the total was 18.

In the central city of Monywa, which has turned out huge crowds, eight deaths were reported.

Three deaths were reported in Mandalay, the country's second-biggest city, and two in Salin, a town in Magwe region. Mawlamyine, in the country's southeast, and Myingyan and Kalay, both in central Myanmar, each had a single death.

As part of the crackdown, security forces have also arrested hundreds of people, including journalists.

On Saturday, at least eight journalists, including Thein Zaw of The Associated Press, were detained.

A video showed he had moved out of the way as police charged down a street at protesters, but then was seized by police officers, who handcuffed him and held him briefly in a chokehold before marching him away.

He has been charged with violating a public safety law that could see him imprisoned for up to three years.

The escalation of the crackdown has led to increased diplomatic efforts to resolve Myanmar's political crisis — but there appear to be few viable options.

It's not yet clear if the soaring death toll could change the dynamic.

The UN Security Council is expected to hold a closed meeting on the situation tomorrow, council diplomats said, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to make the information public before the official announcement.

The United Kingdom requested the meeting, they said.

Still, any kind of coordinated action at the United Nations will be difficult since two permanent members of the Security Council, China and Russia, would almost certainly veto it.

Some countries have imposed or are considering imposing their own sanctions.

https://twitter.com/AustraliaUN/status/1365380104453558272?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

Yesterday, UN special envoy for Myanmar, Christine Schraner Burgener, told reporters at UN headquarters in New York that she receives some 2,000 messages per day from people inside Myanmar, many "who are really desperate to see action from the international community".

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations, of which Myanmar is a member, held a teleconference meeting of foreign ministers on Tuesday to discuss the crisis.

But there, too, action is unlikely.

The regional group of 10 nations has a tradition of non-interference in each other's internal affairs.

A statement by the chair after the meeting merely called for an end to violence and for talks on how to reach a peaceful settlement.

Ignoring that appeal, Myanmar's security forces yesterday continued to attack peaceful protesters.

In addition to the deaths, there have been reports of other violence.

In Yangon, a widely circulated video taken from a security camera showed police in the city brutally beating members of an ambulance crew — apparently after they were arrested.

Police can be seen kicking the three crew members and thrashing them with rifle butts.

Security forces are believed to single out medical workers for arrest and mistreatment because members of the medical profession launched the country's civil disobedience movement to resist the junta.

In Mandalay, riot police, backed by soldiers, broke up a rally and chased around 1,000 teachers and students from a street with tear gas as gun shots could be heard.

Video from the AP showed a squad of police firing slingshots in the apparent direction of demonstrators as they dispersed.'

By Harry Lock of RNZ Wellington City Council has finalised its budget for the next 10 years, proposing a rates increase next year of 13.53 per cent, and an average increase of 5.77 per cent over the next decade.The marathon…

Brittany Higgins has demanded an apology from Defence Minister Linda Reynolds after reports the minister called her a "lying cow".

Ms Higgins, a former Liberal staffer, came forward last month with allegations she was raped in Senator Reynolds' office by a colleague in 2019.

Today, The Australian reported the defence minister, who is currently on medical leave, made the remark in front of staffers on the day Ms Higgins went public with her allegations.

Now, a law firm representing Ms Higgins has issued a demand for "an immediate and unequivocal public withdrawal of (Ms Reynolds') comments and (an) apology to our client for the hurt and distress caused".

The letter reads: "The demeaning and belittling statement, in which you refer to our client as a member of the animal kingdom and declare her to be untruthful, is highly defamatory of our client's good character and unblemished reputation."

The firm, Company (Giles) said the letter constituted a "Concerns Notice" under defamation legislation.

A Concerns Notice is a communique sent to a person who has made allegedly defamatory statements, prior to commencing legal proceedings for defamation.

Ms Higgins earlier today issued a statement saying Ms Reynolds' comments were evidence of a "toxic culture" in Parliament House.

"I appreciate that it has been a stressful time but that sort of behaviour and language is never excusable," she said.

In a statement earlier today, Senator Reynolds did not dispute using the term, but sought to clarify the context of the comment.

"I have never questioned Ms Higgins' account of her alleged sexual assault and have always sought to respect her agency in this matter," she said.

"I did however comment on news reports regarding surrounding circumstances that I felt had been misrepresented.

"I have consistently respected Ms Higgins' agency and privacy and said this is her story to tell and no one else's."

Prime Minister Scott Morrison earlier condemned the remarks but defended Senator Reynolds, saying she regrets the comments and the last few weeks had been "traumatic" for many people, resulting in high tensions.

"She has deeply regretted them, she made them in a private office," Mr Morrison said.

"She immediately apologised."