TEHRAN (IQNA) – A group of survivors of the 2019 mosque attack in Christchurch, New Zealand, are travelling this week to an annual Islamic pilgrimage for the first time since the tragedy. Families have been grieving since a white supremacist stormed a Christchurch mosque in March 2019, killing 51 people. One of the survivors travelling, Farid Ahmed, said he would carry his wife Husna's memory to the Hajj. “Every day I think about Hajj I think about her, and I have to carry her,” he said. Ahmed said he viewed the Hajj as a peace conference.
Source:Stuff
July 04, 2022 06:12 UTC
Rob Sangster (left), Chris Sangster and Miro Kollar, of Sanga's Pies in Cromwell. What Mr Sangster did discover was how sought after a good pie was. Asked what their point of difference was amid a plethora of pies on the market, Mr Sangster said they "aren’t just your run-of-the-mill pie". Mr Sangster is still involved in the business side of the construction firm which Rob Sangster continues to run. They endeavoured to source as many local ingredients as possible and had their own garden to provide fresh produce, Mr Sangster said.
Source:Otago Daily Times
July 04, 2022 04:35 UTC
A young Dunedin butcher will go to the United States in September to take on the world. Gardens New World Butcher Isaac Webster, of Dunedin, said he was honoured and proud to have been selected to represent New Zealand on the world stage, as part of the ANZCO Foods Young Butchers of New Zealand team. The four-person team will compete against 10 other countries at the 2022 World Champion Butcher Apprentice and Young Butcher Competition in Sacramento on September 2. In 2020 he won his first regional butchery competition, and the next year he won the ANZCO Foods Butcher Apprentice of the Year. His favourite cuts of meat were some ‘‘slightly more unusual’’ varieties, including hammer steaks, skirt steaks, flat-iron steaks and flank steaks.
Source:Otago Daily Times
July 04, 2022 04:35 UTC
By Geoffrey Miller Is New Zealand suddenly softening its more pro-Western foreign policy – and its tougher line on China? Ardern followed up on her opening remarks by pointing to New Zealand’s ‘fiercely held independent foreign policy’ that she said should not be judged against ‘political ideology’. Did New Zealand effectively blink last week and return to its old, pre-Ukraine hedging strategy of satisfying the West one week – and China the next? On the Pacific, Ardern has sided with the Western position that essentially seeks to keep China out of the region. There is no Plan B. Geoffrey Miller is the Democracy Project’s international analyst and writes on current New Zealand foreign policy and related geopolitical issues.
Source:Stuff
July 04, 2022 04:30 UTC
The Southland Sharks interim head coach has fended off a claim some players look disinterested and lack pride in the orange singlet. The Sharks’ 2022 National Basketball League playoff hopes look shot as it sits last in the standings. Robyn Edie Southland Sharks interim head coach Leyton Haddleton. Sharks coach Haddleton said he hasn’t listened to a lot of the noise that might be bubbling away outside the camp. At the same time Haddleton is also juggling his second role as the Southland Basketball Association’s development officer.
Source:Stuff
July 04, 2022 04:00 UTC
Some Murchison locals are concerned the part of SH 6 collapsing could take out both lanes if it’s not repaired but Waka Kotahi assure residents work will begin on it in spring. A part of State Highway 6 in disrepair has some residents worried if it’s not fixed soon, it could leave the tiny town cut off from tourists and services. State Highway 6, six kilometres south of Murchison township, is down to one lane while the northbound lane has large cracks in it, metres away from where the road drops off into the Buller River below. “We realise that there would be lengthy diversions should this section of highway need to close. “Thanks to all local residents and daily road users for taking care around this one-lane section until it can be returned to two lanes.”
Source:Stuff
July 04, 2022 04:00 UTC
OPINION: If you are a cat person, you’ll know the fun that can be had with a bit of catnip. If you’re not a cat person, catnip is a plant – Nepeta cataria – that sends most cats into a sort of temporary, drugged state. It turns out that not only are cats getting a natural and non-addictive high from it, but they are also covering themselves in mosquito repellent. The researchers started by making extracts from silver vine leaves to isolate the compounds present. The researchers were also curious as to why cats bite and chew at silver vine leaves.
Source:Stuff
July 04, 2022 04:00 UTC
Megan Percy and Robert Allum were awoken in the early hours to the sound of smashing glass and rumbling as a car hit their home. A Mercedes-Benz skimmed the power pole outside the South Dunedin house at about 3.45am on Saturday. Senior Sergeant Anthony Bond, of Dunedin, said there were no injuries to either the occupants of the bedroom or the 30-year-old driver. She had heard the sound of smashing glass and rumbling, but could not see what was going on without her glasses. Megan Percy and Robert Allum look over the damage done to their Dunedin home after a car crashed through the wall beside their bed.
Source:Otago Daily Times
July 04, 2022 04:00 UTC
Scott Barrett avoids citing for clean out on Ireland's Peter O'MahonyScott Barrett avoids citing for clean out on Ireland's Peter O'Mahony[Image: The Roar]All Blacks lock/flanker Scott Barrett is free to play for the remainder of the Ireland series. Barrett faced calls to be cited following his clean out on opposite Peter O’Mahony in the 74th minute of the All Blacks’ 42-19 win against Ireland on Saturday. The citing officer had until 1am on the night of the test to identify incidents that may have passed the red-card threshold but that deadline has passed. Barrett was penalised for the incident by English referee Karl Dickson. The All Blacks will face Ireland at 7.05pm this Saturday.
Source:Stuff
July 04, 2022 03:04 UTC
Video / NZ HeraldThere are 6498 new Covid community cases today as health officials warn that visitors to hospitals are infecting patients. The Ministry of Health reported a further eight Covid-related deaths. Today's seven-day rolling average of community cases is now 7046 - while this time last week it was 5129. Experts are now warning New Zealand is facing a second wave of coronavirus infections as cases of the Omicron subvariant BA.5 spread around the country. Yesterday there were 4924 community cases of the virus and 11 deaths, but the seven-day rolling average has grown to 6895, almost 2000 more than a week ago.
Source:New Zealand Herald
July 04, 2022 02:44 UTC
On Sunday the ministry of reported 4924 new Covid-19 community cases on Sunday. (File photo)The Ministry of Health has reported 6498 new Covid-19 community cases, 487 people in hospital, and the deaths of eight people with the virus. The seven-day rolling average of community case numbers on Monday is 7046. The eight deaths reported on Monday took the total number of publicly reported deaths with Covid-19 to 1567, while the seven-day rolling average of reported deaths was 14. On Sunday, the ministry reported 4924 new Covid-19 community cases, 424 people in hospital, and 11 deaths of people with the virus.
Source:Stuff
July 04, 2022 02:17 UTC
Barfoot and Thompson had their lowest level of sales for the month of June in 12 years last month, while the total number of homes the agency had available for sale was at its highest level in 11 years. That was the lowest number of residential properties the agency has sold in the month of June since 2010. That increase came after two consecutive declines in April and May, but June's median price remains down by $92,500 (-7.5%) from its November 2021 peak of $1,240,000. Barfoot & Thompson Managing Director Peter Thompson said no one saw the modest increase in the June median price coming and it was likely to be a statistical blip. "Sales of properties for the month were the lowest they have been in a June [month] since 2010, when the market was recovering from what economists termed a technical recession.
Source:Stuff
July 04, 2022 01:27 UTC
Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 12:34 pm, July 4th, 2022 - 47 commentsCategories: australian politics, Europe, International, jacinda ardern, Media, politicans, uk politics, uncategorized, us politics - Tags:Jacinda Ardern has just completed three overseas trips. The cumulative benefits for the country are extraordinary and I have never witnessed anything similar from another New Zealand leader. The New Zealand media and the odd useful contrarian supposedly from the left complained however about her reference to keyboard warriors. After this trip she visited newly minted Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. And the New Zealand media response to these three trips within a month that have achieved so much?
Source:New Zealand Herald
July 04, 2022 00:41 UTC
An Employment Court case brought by migrant seasonal workers Lyn Soapi (left), Danny Lau and Mary Lau could benefit all RSE workers and other minimum wage earners. Source: nzherald.co.nzA group of Solomon Islanders in New Zealand for seasonal work are taking an employer to court over hours worked and deductions to their wages for things like wet weather gear and travel costs. The case has the potential to set a precedent not only for all workers employed under the Recognised Seasonal Employer (RSE) scheme but for others on minimum wages. In light of how high the legal stakes are, the Employment Court has ruled it will hear the case directly - skipping an investigation that would normally first be carried out by the Employment Relations Authority. Each could result in employees' earnings being reduced to below the minimum wage.
Source:New Zealand Herald
July 04, 2022 00:24 UTC
Video / NZ HeraldThe median price for houses sold with Auckland's biggest agency managed to rise in June. For Auckland residential houses, the median price for homes Barfoot & Thompson sold edged up by 2 per cent. Despite the jump in median prices, the average price in June actually fell 2.6 per cent to $1,158,464. "The $1,147,500 median price stopped a three-month gradual decline in the median price and was 3.5 percent higher than the median price in June last year," he added. Thompson said the median price increase, even if a blip, did show house prices were not in full retreat.
Source:New Zealand Herald
July 04, 2022 00:04 UTC