New Zealand

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Locked Out By Predecessor, Leader Takes Oath in a Tent

Samoa's prime minister refuses to turn office over to the new one

(Newser) - The leadership of Samoa was left in doubt Monday after the outgoing prime minister refused to leave and locked his successor out of Parliament. Fiame Naomi Mata'afa, who is to be the nation's first female prime minister, and members of her party took their oaths of office in...

Man Goes on Stabbing Spree at New Zealand Supermarket

At least 4 people stabbed, 3 critically, in apparently random attack

(Newser) - Shoppers and staff at a New Zealand supermarket were being praised for their bravery Monday after authorities said they managed to stop a frenzied man from hurting others after he stabbed four people in a random attack, critically wounding three of them. Some reports put the number injured at five....

Man in Hot Water Over His Pothole Drawings

NZ's Geoff Upson has been depicting penises on dozens of potholes to get them fixed faster

(Newser) - Geoff Upson has had it with the potholes littering the streets of his New Zealand community, but the way he's been handling this grievance now has him facing prosecution. In 2018, the 30-year-old Auckland handyman registered his first complaint with local transportation authorities about one particularly "huge and...

Sydney Man's Surprise Case Prompts New Restrictions

Man tests positive for a variant linked to India, but how that happened is unclear

(Newser) - After a month without local transmission, Australia's largest city is warning of undetected coronavirus cases after a man in his 50s tested positive Wednesday. Authorities don’t know how the Sydney resident became infected with a variant first detected in India, per Reuters . The sample matches that of a...

If You Want a Simple Pine Box, This Coffin Maker Isn't for You

Ross Hall of New Zealand has an array of whimsical designs catered to individuals

(Newser) - When the pallbearers brought Phil McLean's coffin into the chapel, there were gasps before a wave of laughter rippled through the hundreds of mourners, per the AP . The coffin was a giant cream donut. “It overshadowed the sadness and the hard times in the last few weeks,”...

Born After 2004? New Zealand May Never Let You Smoke

Nation considering various proposals as it aims to be smoke-free by 2025

(Newser) - New Zealand has proposed several plans as part of a goal to be smoke-free by 2025, including a permanent ban on sales of any tobacco products to anyone born after 2004, reports the Guardian . Cigarettes are already heavily taxed in the country. But "we need a new approach,"...

NZ OKs Paid Leave for Parents Grieving 'Strange, Secret Birth'

Kiwis approve legislation that gives couples 3 days off to deal with loss after miscarriage or stillbirth

(Newser) - "A miscarriage is a strange, secret birth that is also a death," wrote Kathryn van Beek in 2018 after suffering her own. That's why the New Zealand author is celebrating this week after her country's Parliament gave the green light to legislation that will offer three...

This Is the Happiest Country in the World

It's not the US, which comes in at No. 14, per 'Forbes'

(Newser) - Saturday is marked as the International Day of Happiness , and in some parts of the world, that contentment factor is especially prevalent. Forbes reports on the 2021 World Happiness Report , the ninth installation, which calls the past year a year "like no other." The Gallup World Poll team...

We Are All the Albatross: Face-Plant Video Goes Viral

Crash landing by bird in New Zealand is pretty relatable

(Newser) - We've all experienced that feeling of a grand entrance ruined, our plans to glide gracefully into a crowded room marred by a trip over a shoelace or bump into a fellow partygoer. Now an albatross in New Zealand knows exactly how we feel. CNN reports on a viral video...

After Earthquake, an Order to Move to Higher Ground

New Zealand calls for evacuations after 8.1 quake hits off the coast

(Newser) - A powerful magnitude 8.1 earthquake struck in the ocean off the coast of New Zealand on Friday, prompting thousands of people to evacuate and triggering tsunami warnings across the South Pacific. The quake was the largest in a series of tremors that struck the region over several hours, including...

NZ's Prime Minister Has a Plan to Reduce 'Period Poverty'

Jacinda Ardern announces that free menstrual products are coming to schools in June

(Newser) - Students will soon have access to free period products across New Zealand, following a similar move in Scotland . Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said Thursday that all schools would offer free menstrual products for the next three years, at a cost of about $18 million. The products will be made available...

New Zealand City on Lockdown as Family Tests Positive for COVID

It's not clear how 3 people in Auckland got the coronavirus

(Newser) - New Zealand has instituted a lockdown for the first time since August after three members of an Auckland family tested positive for the coronavirus. It's not clear how the parents and their teenage daughter contracted COVID-19, the first case of apparent community spread in the country in months, but...

It's a Necktie to the Speaker, 'Colonial Noose' to an MP

New Zealand's Parliament kicks Maori lawmaker out of session for dress code violation

(Newser) - The speaker of New Zealand's parliament has thrown a member out of a session for a dress code violation—a dispute the booted Maori Party member said is about cultural identity. Rawiri Waititi twice tried to ask questions during the session but was stopped by Speaker Trevor Mallard because...

'Inappropriate Encounter' Highlights Weak Spot in NZ Quarantine

It started with notes between hotel worker and quarantined traveler

(Newser) - The woman who took a flight back to New Zealand was supposed to avoid all physical contact with others for 14 days as she went into mandatory quarantine. The man working at the quarantine hotel was supposed to be the last line of defense. But the two started passing notes...

New Zealand Has Had It With Your Instagram Shots

New tourism ad urges 'something new'

(Newser) - First, New Zealand wanted to get on the map . Now, it's annoyed that travelers have flocked to its lookouts and lavender fields to post the same photos everyone else is sharing on social media. "People have been seeing those photos on social media, and they're going to...

World 'Poses Too Great a Risk' for New Zealand

Jacinda Ardern says border closures will continue for months

(Newser) - Don't plan on visiting New Zealand anytime soon. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said Tuesday that the country's borders are likely to remain closed to most travelers for the majority of 2021. "Given the risks in the world around us and the uncertainty of the global rollout of...

Teen Killed in Rare Fatal Shark Attack in New Zealand

(Newser) - A young woman has died in what is thought to be New Zealand's first fatal shark attack since 2013. Kaelah Marlow, 19, was swimming with friends at Waihi Beach on North Island on Thursday when she was attacked by what one onlooker described as a great white shark, reports...

Royal Caribbean Moves to Block Volcano Eruption Suits

On NZ disaster, cruise line says it can only be sued in Australia, not US where it's headquartered

(Newser) - One of the world's largest cruise companies is taking legal action halfway around the world to prevent it from being sued in the US over the deadly volcanic eruption on New Zealand's White Island. Most of the 47 people on the island when it erupted on Dec. 9,...

This, Plus a 4-Day Week at Full Pay

Unilever to provide New Zealand employees with more free time

(Newser) - It's not easy to spot positive effects on jobs caused by the pandemic, but here's one. Partly to improve the mental and physical well-being of its workers in New Zealand, Unilever is shortening their workweek to four regular days. They'll work 20% less but keep full pay,...

Charges Filed in Deaths of Tourists After Eruption

Organizations, individuals face health and safety accusations after 22 were killed a year ago

(Newser) - "Those who went to the island, did so with the reasonable expectation that there were appropriate systems in place to ensure they made it home healthy and safe," a New Zealand government agency said Monday. Instead, 22 of the 47 people who were on White Island when a...

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