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☆ United Airlines to increase flights connecting the US to Australia and New Zealand by nearly 40%
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-18 | by ( Bianca Giacobone | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

United plans to operate 66 flights per week connecting the US and the South Pacific region this winter. That's a 40% increase in United flights to Australia and New Zealand compared to 2022. United Airlines is planning to ramp up its flights connecting the US to Australia and New Zealand by nearly 40%, the carrier announced Tuesday. Additionally, United plans to start offering daily flights between San Francisco and Brisbane, and twice daily flights between San Francisco and Sydney, starting October 28. United currently connects San Francisco to Brisbane three times per week, and San Francisco to Sydney daily.

[1/2] New Zealands' Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern addresses the 77th United Nations General Assembly at U.N. headquarters in New York City, New York, U.S., September 23, 2022. REUTERS/Caitlin Ochs/File PhotoApril 5 (Reuters) - All New Zealanders should feel politics can be a home for them, former Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said on Wednesday, in a final address to parliament after leading the nation through the COVID-19 pandemic and a terror attack in Christchurch. Ardern, who thanked her family, her political party and her supporters, had stepped down as prime minister in January saying she had "no more in the tank" to lead the country. Ardern said she had found herself involved in people's lives "during their most grief-stricken or traumatic moments" in that series of events. New Zealand faced some of the strictest measures globally but also had one of the lowest death tolls.

☆ Former New Zealand PM Jacinda Ardern gives final speech
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-05 | by ( Reuters Editorial | ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

PoliticsFormer New Zealand PM Jacinda Ardern gives final speechPostedAll New Zealanders should feel politics can be a home for them, former Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said on Wednesday (April 5) in a final emotional address to parliament where she thanked family, supporters and her party for a career that included leading through the COVID pandemic and the Christchurch terror attacks.

MELBOURNE, April 4 (Reuters) - Former New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern will take up an unpaid role leading the country's efforts against violent online extremism, the government said on Tuesday. Ardern stepped down as leader earlier this year, in a surprise decision that brought ally Chris Hipkins to power as head of the centre-left Labour Party. Attacks on two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand's second-largest city, in March 2019 left 51 people dead and 40 injured. "The Christchurch Call is a foreign policy priority for the government and Jacinda Ardern is uniquely placed to keep pushing forward with the goal of eliminating violent extremist content online," Hipkins said in a statement. "Terrorist and violent extremist content online is a global issue, but for many in New Zealand it is also very personal."

☆ New Zealand launches global fundraiser for post-cyclone reconstruction
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-27 | by ( Lewis Jackson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

SYDNEY, Feb 27 (Reuters) - New Zealand will launch an international fundraising appeal for the massive reconstruction work needed after Cyclone Gabrielle tore across the country's north earlier this month, forcing thousands of people into shelters and killing eleven. The appeal will fund longer term recovery projects and target wealthy expatriates, businesses and anyone with affection for New Zealand, said Prime Minister Chris Hipkins on Monday. The appeal will be modeled after the 2011 Christchurch earthquake fundraiser, which collected over NZ$94 million ($57.94 million). A national state of emergency, only the third declared in the country's history, will continue in cyclone-hit regions. ($1 = 1.6223 New Zealand dollars)Reporting by Lewis Jackson; Editing by Simon Cameron-MooreOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Super Rugby finally rolls into the post-COVID era
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-22 | by ( Nick Mulvenney | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

SYDNEY, Feb 22 (Reuters) - Finally freed of the COVID travel restrictions that sounded the death knell to the intercontinental edition and fragmented and disrupted the rump competition, Super Rugby returns in its full new normality on Friday. The second season of Super Rugby Pacific will be played with a host of law variations aimed at making the game more attractive to fans but one aspect of the competition is highly unlikely to change -- New Zealand supremacy. The Canterbury Crusaders dominated Super Rugby in the years pre-pandemic and have proved just as hard to beat with or without fans in the stadiums, through lockdowns, biosecurity protocols and in competition hubs. Despite optimistic noises coming from across the Tasman Sea in Australia, the biggest challenge to the Crusaders is likely to come from the North Island of New Zealand. The forgiving and sometimes derided playoff system that offers knockout rugby to eight of the 12 teams will give hope to all but the most hapless outfits.

☆ Heavy rains forecast for cyclone-hit areas of New Zealand
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-21 | by ( Lewis Jackson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/5] A view of flood damage in the the aftermath of cyclone Gabrielle in HawkeÕs Bay, New Zealand, in this picture released on February 15, 2023. New Zealand Defence Force/Handout via REUTERSFeb 21 (Reuters) - Parts of cyclone-stricken New Zealand could see heavy rains from Thursday as relief and recovery efforts continue and tens of thousands remain without power after Cyclone Gabrielle tore across the country's North Island last week. Prime Minister Chris Hipkins has called Gabrielle New Zealand's biggest natural disaster this century. Hard-hit regions across the north east, where 13,000 remain without power and 1,300 are in emergency shelters, are set for heavy rain from Thursday. ($1 = 1.6028 New Zealand dollars)Reporting by Lewis Jackson in Sydney; Editing by Lincoln Feast.

☆ Disasters lower outlook for New Zealand interest rate rise
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-20 | by ( Lucy Craymer | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Then on Feb. 12 to 15 a cyclone hit the North Island, which includes Auckland. When Cyclone Gabrielle hit, picking had just begun on pip-fruit farms, whose production is worth about NZ$1 billion a year. That would normally be a reason for a central bank to lift interest rates further, but some economists expect the RBNZ to look past the sudden rise as being temporary. Still, Kiwibank chief economist Jarrod Kerr said the central bank should pause hikes until the effect of the cyclone can be understood. After the Christchurch earthquake, the central bank cut its policy rate due to concerns about the economy.

☆ Seen Big Ben already? Here's a Londoner's guide to visiting other parts of the city
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-15 | by ( Lucy Handley | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +11 min

Central London's City of Westminster is its political heart, while the City of London is where the capital's financial decisions happen. But be warned: Several paths across Hyde Park are pedestrian-only, and police often fine people who cycle on them. The City of London is a blend of old and new, with St Paul's Cathedral close to skyscrapers as well as Roman ruins. While north London has Hampstead Heath, south of the river is Richmond Park, which dwarfs its northern counterpart in size. There's also a branch in central London's Covent Garden — the flower-filled restaurant The Petersham — that has an sit-down deli and bar.

☆ Unilever says prices hikes will continue into this year, easing in H2
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-09 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Bottles of Dove body wash, produced by Unilever Plc, at an Iceland Foods Ltd. supermarket in Christchurch, UK, on Wednesday, June 15, 2022. Unilever Plc said on Thursday it would continue to raise prices for its detergents, soaps and packaged food to offset rising input costs, and ease up those hikes in the second half of 2023. The packaged goods industry has hiked up prices over the past year to cope with surging costs of everything from cocoa and sunflower oil to wheat. The industry had already been battling Covid-era supply chain issues and raw material expenses when Russia invaded Ukraine, further boosting prices of energy and other commodities. Underlying sales at Unilever rose 9.2% in the fourth quarter, beating a company-provided analyst estimate of an 8.2% increase.

There are "continued calls for violence directed at U.S. critical infrastructure," the agency warned last February, "as a means to create chaos and advance ideological goals." Law enforcement and utility companies, though, say they're working to resolve the open cases and prevent future attacks. Members of accelerationist groups have been charged with several plots in recent years to attack critical infrastructure. "The critical infrastructure element has become one of the core components of neo-fascist accelerationist movements in the US. "They don't really care who is doing the violence, who's doing the critical infrastructure attacks, Lewis said.

☆ Major deadly earthquakes in the past two decades
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

White Helmets/via REUTERSFeb 6 (Reuters) - Some of the world's most deadly earthquakes in the past two decades are listed below, after a 7.8 magnitude quake struck central Turkey and northwest Syria on Monday and killed hundreds of people. - Aug. 14, 2021 - HAITI - A 7.2 magnitude earthquake struck southern Haiti, killing more than 2,200 people and destroying or damaging about 13,000 homes. - April 16, 2016 - ECUADOR - A magnitude 7.8 earthquake hammered Ecuador, killing more than 650 people on the country’s Pacific coast. - Sept 24, 2013 - PAKISTAN - Twin earthquakes, measuring 7.7 and 6.8 magnitude, rattled southwestern Balochistan province, killing at least 825 people. - May 12, 2008 - CHINA - A 7.8 magnitude earthquake hit Sichuan province, killing about 87,600 people.

☆ Former NZ prop Johnstone becomes first All Black to come out as gay
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] Crusaders Campbell Johnstone scores a try during their Super 14 rugby match against the Brumbies in Christchurch May 12, 2006. REUTERS/Simon BakerJan 30 (Reuters) - Former New Zealand prop Campbell Johnstone has become the first All Black to come out as gay, saying on a television programme on Monday he had been "living a lie" and leading "a double life" before acknowledging his sexuality. "If I can be the first All Black that comes out as gay and take away the pressure and stigma surrounding the issue it can actually help other people," Johnstone said. Johnstone made his debut against Fiji and played two tests against the British and Irish Lions. New Zealand Sports Minister and former deputy Prime Minister Grant Robertson, who is gay, thanked Johnstone for "blazing this trail" and said his announcement was "a big moment".

☆ Airline passengers endured a 13-hour flight to nowhere after their plane to New Zealand was forced to turn back mid-flight
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-28 | by ( Stephanie Stacey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

An Emirates flight from Dubai to Auckland had to turn back halfway through its 8,824-mile journey. The aircraft couldn't land at Auckland International Airport due to major flooding and heavy rains. Auckland International Airport shut its domestic and international terminals on Friday after heavy rain caused widespread chaos and triggered a local state of emergency. Emirates flight EK448 is scheduled to attempt its journey to Auckland again on Sunday. More than 2,000 people stayed overnight within the terminals due to the flooding, Auckland Airport said.

☆ A British youth working from a bedroom at his grandfather's house made 'slick videos' that could have inspired 2 US mass shooters, a court heard
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-28 | by ( Alia Shoaib | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Far-right videos made by a British teen were viewed by two men who went on to commit mass shootings. The court previously heard that his videos had been viewed by two men who went on to commit mass murders in the US last year. Payton Gendron, the then-18-year-old mass shooter who killed 10 Black people in Buffalo, New York, last May, was known to have watched Harris' videos. The Buffalo shooter commented on a video made by Harris about the perpetrator behind the 2019 mass shooting in Christchurch, New Zealand, The Guardian reported. The Buffalo shooter responded: "You are not alone my friend."

☆ Egg shortage sends New Zealanders rushing to buy their own hens
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-20 | by ( Michelle Toh | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

In the United States, egg prices have far surpassed the increase in other grocery items, soaring nearly 60% in the 12 months to December compared to the year before. The trend has prompted animal welfare advocates to warn against making impulse buys. “Egg producers had the option to move to colony cages, barns and free-range systems,” added Hyde, the ministry’s acting national manager of animal welfare and national animal identification and tracing compliance. “It’s a significant change for the egg supply industry,” Emma Wooster, the company’s head of public relations, told CNN in a statement. New Zealand is currently undergoing a major egg shortage, squeezing businesses and sparking a rush in demand for pet chickens.

☆ Mother, politician, trailblazer. How Jacinda Ardern became an icon for millions
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-19 | by ( Aina J. Khan | Aina Is A Freelance Reporter With Nbc News. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +6 min

In the six years since then, she has become an icon of the left and a champion for women in public life, bringing a compassionate and authoritative energy to the hypermasculine realm of world politics. Jacinda Ardern, New Zealand's prime minister, during a news conference in Sydney in June. Data released last year to New Zealand’s Newshub media outlet showed police recorded 18 threats to the prime minister in 2019, 32 in 2020 and 50 in 2021. If that person receives more than two-thirds of caucus support, Ardern said, she will resign soon after and the new leader will be sworn in as prime minister. Ardern said she plans to remain in Parliament until April, avoiding the need for a snap vote in her suburban Auckland electorate.

☆ New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern resigns, saying the job has 'taken a lot out of me'
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-19 | by ( Charles R. Davis | Azmi Haroun | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

New Zealand's prime minister Jacinda Ardern announced her resignation on Thursday. Ardern governed over tumultuous times in New ZealandArdern was elected to her role in October 2017 as New Zealand's youngest prime minister, and as the third woman to serve in the position. By early 2020, the coronavirus pandemic had gripped the world, positioning Ardern as a sensible leader in the face of varied policy reactions. "It's one thing to make a big decision a week, but with Covid, it was constant," Ardern told New Zealand broadcaster 1 News in April 2022. Absolutely," Ardern told 1 News.

☆ New Zealand's Ardern leaves legacy of kindness, disappointments
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-19 | by ( Praveen Menon | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

"Be strong, be kind," New Zealand's youngest prime minister in more than a century repeated through her eventful tenure, but her empathetic leadership and crisis management skills often masked her government's shortcomings. Ardern made global headlines in 2020, presiding over New Zealand's most diverse parliament, with more than half the members women and the highest number of indigenous Maori lawmakers. Ardern said it was "totally unacceptable in 2017 to say that women should have to answer that question in the workplace". Less than three months later, Ardern brought the baby, Neve Te Aroha, to the U.N. General Assembly in New York. “I wonder whether or not anyone ever asked Barack Obama and John Key if they met because they were of similar age,” Ardern said, in reference to the former U.S. president and New Zealand prime minister.

☆ Viking cruise passengers tried to maintain their sense of humor after marine growth on the ship's hull left them trapped onboard for 10 days: 'It was a plot twist'
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-12 | by ( Erin Snodgrass | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Passengers aboard the Viking Orion missed several port stops due to marine growth on the ship. It was to be the "trip of a lifetime," Heydrick told Insider. The Viking Orion made headlines last month after the cruise ship missed several planned port stops due to "marine growth" found in the ship's hull. Cruise liner Viking Orion (L) is moored in Melbourne's Port Philip Bay on March 24, 2020. "Viking Orion" cruise ship under the flag of Norway is seen anchored at Bodrum Cruise Port in Bodrum district of Mugla, Turkey on April 18, 2021.

☆ Cruise passengers spent New Year's stranded after their ship was rejected by 4 ports because of 'marine growth' on its hull
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-01 | by ( Jyoti Mann | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Passengers were left stranded on New Year's Eve due to marine growth that stopped ship from docking. The Viking Orion cruise ship was turned away from 4 ports and had to get its hull cleaned. The ship ultimately headed to Adelaide to get its hull cleaned, and is expected to finally arrive in Melbourne on Monday. He added: "Our @VikingCruises trip to NZ & Australia missed 4 of 8 ports b/c of dirty/biohazard ship hull. Viking said in a statement that the small amount of "standard marine growth" was being removed on Sunday, and that it was working directly with guests on compensation.

☆ Elon Musk has divided Silicon Valley friendships in the same way Donald Trump divided American families, according to former Facebook executive
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-14 | by ( Tom Dotan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Musk's fans and critics in Silicon Valley find it increasingly hard to get along, according to Alex Stamos, Facebook's former CISO. Stamos, who helped oversee content moderation at Facebook during the turbulent post-2016 election period, compared the situation to Donald Trump's divisiveness. "There's a scary impulse in the valley right now [to defend Musk]," Stamos said. "The fact that he has become this pied piper for otherwise serious people...it feels in Silicon Valley like after Trump was elected and families got a little riven." Stamos also predicted that as the Musk-Twitter experiment continues to unravel, Musk's Silicon Valley supporters will recant their position if his free-for-all approach results in real-world consequences.

☆ Why extremism experts say it's worth discussing the Colorado shooting suspect's pronouns
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-10 | by ( Jo Yurcaba | Jo Yurcaba Is A Reporter For Nbc Out. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +12 min

Attorneys for the alleged gunman in the deadly shooting at an LGBTQ club in Colorado said in court filings the suspect is nonbinary and uses “they” and “them” pronouns. In court appearances this week, Aldrich’s lawyers and District Attorney Michael Allen used he/him pronouns for Aldrich, but Aldrich’s attorneys referred to their client as “Mx. It’s unclear whether the public defenders were accidentally using he/him pronouns for Aldrich, and their office has not returned a request for comment. A spokesperson for the district attorney’s office said, regarding the suspect’s pronouns, “The defendant will be identified as the defendant throughout proceedings,” but declined to comment further on both legal teams using he/him pronouns for Aldrich in court. Holt said the response from Carlson is another part of why he believes it’s worth questioning the suspect’s claim.

☆ F.B.I. asking about videos and racist website in connection with Colorado shooting
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-06 | by ( Jo Yurcaba | Jo Yurcaba Is A Reporter For Nbc Out. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +7 min

The former neighbor, Xavier Kraus, said an FBI agent asked him about the two websites at an FBI field office in Colorado Springs last Thursday afternoon after an agent called him earlier that day. The website allegedly created by Aldrich is a forum-type “free speech” site where people have anonymously posted racist and antisemitic memes, language and videos. The videos appear to have gone up from 9:28 p.m. to 11:43 p.m. local time on the night of the shooting. Kraus said the agents asked whether Aldrich posted the “Wrong Targets” video on the homepage. After listening to the voice in the videos, Kraus said it “sounds very, very similar” to Aldrich, but he could not confirm this with certainty.

When the United States' national men's team faces England at the Qatar World Cup later on Friday, one thing will be missing: medieval knights. Soccer’s governing body FIFA has told English soccer fans to ditch imitation chain mail, shields and swords or miss the game, according to the Times of London. England fans have worn similar outfits at previous tournaments while watching other sports. Press photos and social media footage show that England fans wearing Crusader gear were allowed into the stadium to watch their team's match against Iran. "As soon as you know anything about crusading history, you know it would produce a reaction like this in the Islamic world," he said.

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