Category Archives: New Zealand

Do the Christchurch shootings expose the murderous nature of ‘ironic’ online fascism? | Jason Wilson

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The most terrible livestream in history suggests online fascism is the most dangerous political current in the world today

Before the massacre in Christchurch, New Zealand, in which 49 people were murdered at Friday prayers at two mosques, a man who identified himself as Brenton Tarrant posted notice of his intention to live-stream an “attack” on 8chan, the notorious online messageboard.

It opened with jokey, ironic lingo. “Well lads, it’s time to stop shitposting and time to make a real life effort post … It’s been a long ride and despite all your rampant faggotry, fecklessness and degeneracy, you are all top blokes and the best bunch of cobbers a man could ask for.”

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How the Christchurch attack unfolded – visual guide

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Mass shootings at two mosques in the New Zealand city left 49 dead and many injured

• Christchurch shootings – latest updates

One or more gunmen attacked two mosques in Christchurch, the largest city in New Zealand’s South Island, killing 49 people during Friday prayers. Three people are in custody and one man has been charged with murder. Police also say they have found explosive devices.

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Sonny Bill Williams pays tribute to victims of Christchurch shootings – video

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The New Zealand international rugby player has sent his sympathies to those affected by the Christchurch mosque attack, which left at least 49 people dead. Williams played for the local Super Rugby team, the Crusaders, in 2011. He converted to Islam in 2009, and is the first Muslim to play for the All Blacks

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49 shot dead in attack on two Christchurch mosques

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Forty-nine people have been shot dead and 48 injured in attacks targeting Muslims at two mosques during Friday prayers in Christchurch, in the worst mass shooting in New Zealand’s history.

The prime minister, Jacinda Ardern, described the atrocity as a terrorist attack and said Friday had been “one of New Zealand’s darkest days”. Police commissioner Mike Bush said explosive devices in a car had been defused and urged all mosques across the country to close their doors for the time being.

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Jacinda Ardern says Christchurch mosque shootings were terrorist attack – video

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New Zealand's prime minister has issued 'the strongest possible condemnation of the ideology of the people who did this' after mass shootings at two mosques. The country's terrorism threat level has been raised and flights in and out of Christchurch were cancelled as intelligence agencies worked to secure the city

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Eyewitnesses describe horror of Christchurch mosque shooting – video

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Witnesses Farid Ahmed and Ramzan speak about their ordeal inside the Masjid Al Noor mosque near Hagley Park in Christchurch, New Zealand, after a gunman opened fire upon the hundreds of people gathered there.

• Christchurch shooting: multiple fatalities after mass shooting at two mosques
• New Zealand shooting: what we know so far
• 'Multiple fatalities' after gunman opens fire in Christchurch mosque shooting

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Mass shooting at two Christchurch mosques – video report

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Forty-nine people have been shot dead and 48 injured in attacks targeting Muslims at two mosques during Friday prayers, in the worst mass shooting in New Zealand’s history. A man in his late 20s has been arrested and charged with murder. He will appear in court on Saturday morning. Two other armed suspects are being held in custody. Police said they were trying to determine how they might be involved



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New Zealand in shock after climate change minister attacked in park

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PM Jacinda Ardern says access to politicians could be in doubt after James Shaw was assaulted on his way to Parliament House

The New Zealand climate change minister has been attacked while walking to Parliament House, the first physical assault on a politician in the country in more than 10 years.

James Shaw, who is also the joint leader of the Greens party, was outside the Botanic Gardens in the capital Wellington at 7.30am on Thursday when he was assaulted by an unknown man.

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‘A good day’: New Zealand adds area half the size of Auckland to national park

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Environmentalists ‘stoked’ by expansion they say will protect blue duck, native kaka bird, bats and giant land snails

A national park in New Zealand has been expanded by 64,000 hectares – the largest gain for a national park in the country’s history.

Kahurangi national park is situated in the north-west corner of New Zealand’s South Island, and is already the second-largest national park in the country.

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Renaming the Cook Islands could be a vital step towards true independence | Nalini Mohabir

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It’s a self-governing country with Polynesian heritage and a great seafaring history. So why is it named after British explorer?

Fifty-four years after independence, the Cook Islands, is considering a name change. Named after Captain Cook, the Pacific islands, located between New Zealand and Hawaii, comprise 15 Polynesian islands, each with their own pre-colonial names and histories and complicated dynamics in the present. They are not the colonial fantasies of remote island adventures or tropical sexualities, and more than tourist destinations.

If you thought decolonisation in the Pacific was a mid-20th-century moment that ended with political independence, you would be wrong. Decolonisation is a continuing undoing of the legacies of colonialism. It involves re-examining names and categories, but it is not always about going back to the past to claim some authentic identity. Hence, Danny Mataroa, chair of the Cook Islands name change committee, has suggested a name that encompasses Christian faith (which arrived after colonialism) and Māori heritage (which predates colonialism).

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Holy mola: huge sunfish washes up in northern waters for first time in 130 years

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Beached hoodwinker sunfish, which is two metres long, baffles locals on California beach

A giant sunfish has washed up on a beach in California, the first time this particular species of the animal has been sighted in the northern hemisphere in 130 years.

The sunfish measuring 2.05 metres (6ft 8 in) and weighing several hundred kilograms, or more than 600lb, was found on the beach of the Coal Oil Point Reserve in California.

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Sale of portable cabins booms in New Zealand amid housing crisis

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People turn to tiny structures that can be placed in the gardens of family or friends’ properties

The sale of portable cabins is booming in New Zealand, where a housing crisis means hundreds of thousands of Kiwis can no longer afford a home, or even a rental.

Soaring property prices in New Zealand’s largest cities and a slow pace of new builds has seen many low and middle income New Zealanders struggling to afford basic housing, with some forced to sleep in shipping containers, tents and cars.

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Lime e-scooters temporarily banned in two New Zealand cities

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Auckland and Dunedin suspend the two-wheelers after a series of accidents resulting from technical glitch

Lime e-scooters have been temporarily suspended from two New Zealand cities after a technical glitch caused the front wheel of some scooters to lock, throwing riders onto the pavement.

Last week Auckland council gave the company until noon on Friday to present evidence that the scooters were safe, after some riders suffered serious injuries such as broken jaws and collarbones when the scooters malfunctioned.

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Auckland threatens to eject Lime scooters after wheels lock at high speed

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Transport chief in New Zealand’s biggest city delivers safety ultimatum: ‘We cannot let cool trump safety’

The head of transport in New Zealand’s largest city is threatening to pull every Lime scooter off the footpaths if the company does not address a technical glitch causing scooters to brake suddenly at high speed.

Lime e-scooters hit the streets of Auckland in October last year, followed by mass roll-outs in Christchurch, Dunedin and the Hutt Valley.

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Data breach and delay: survivors lose faith in New Zealand’s landmark child abuse inquiry

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A year after it was announced – and more than a month after it was scheduled to begin – there has been little action

Abuse survivors are beginning to lose faith in New Zealand’s nascent royal commission after months of poor communication, delay, at least one privacy breach and one survivor’s details being lost twice.

In February 2018 the New Zealand government announced it would hold a royal commission or judicial inquiry into abuse in state care, which it said would begin in January 2019.

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Bulk carrier runs aground on Solomon Islands reef spilling oil

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Cyclone delays cleanup after ship runs aground in rough seas near Rennell Island

Solomon Islands authorities are scrambling to clean up an oil spill caused after a bulk carrier came aground about a fortnight ago on a coral reef on the southern coast.

Category 2 cyclone Oma and rough weather had delayed efforts to salvage the ship, MV Solomon Trader.

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James K Baxter: venerated poet’s letters about marital rape rock New Zealand

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Collection of writings just released includes references to rape of then-wife Jackie Sturm, herself an acclaimed poet and author

A new collection of letters from one of New Zealand’s most significant poets, James K Baxter, that includes a blunt admission of marital rape is causing shockwaves through the literary community.

Baxter died in Auckland in 1972 but remains one of New Zealand’s literary giants. He achieved international attention in the late 1950s after Oxford University Press published his poetry collection, In Fires Of No Return.

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Huawei tells New Zealand: banning us is like banning the All Blacks

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Chinese tech company uses full-page ads to push for inclusion in 5G rollout despite concerns it is a security risk

China’s Huawei has taken out full-page ads in major New Zealand newspapers in which they equate the idea of ban on the company to a rugby tournament without the All Blacks.

The advertisement reads: “5G without Huawei is like rugby without New Zealand”, referring to the upcoming nationwide rollout of the mobile technology.

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New Zealand wildfires set to worsen as thousands flee

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Week-long blaze engulfs 2,300ha on South Island, leading to largest aerial firefight in country’s history

Strong winds are expected to fan forest fires that have been burning for a week through New Zealand’s South Island, forcing thousands of people from their homes.

Early on Sunday, 155 firefighters were battling the blaze on the ground with air support from 23 helicopters and three fixed wing planes, making it the largest aerial firefight on record in New Zealand.

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