Thursday, March 19

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Iraqi teen detained in Vienna after Taylor Swift attack plot foiled
World News

Iraqi teen detained in Vienna after Taylor Swift attack plot foiled

By Friederike Heine, Reuters Taylor Swift's three Eras Tour concerts in Vienna have been cancelled. Photo: AFP / David Gray Authorities in Austria have detained a third suspect in Vienna connected to an alleged plot to strike a Taylor Swift concert in the Austrian capital, the interior ministry said on Friday. The 18-year-old Iraqi national is said to have come from the same circle as the main suspect, a 19-year-old Austrian with North Macedonian roots, according to the ministry. More suspects would be questioned and properties searched as investigators continued to look into the plot, the ministry added. The main suspect, who had vowed loyalty to Islamic State (IS), was planning a lethal assault among the estimated 20,000 "Swiftie" fans set to gather outside Vienna's Ernst Happel St...
Africa CDC likely to declare mpox public health emergency next week
World News

Africa CDC likely to declare mpox public health emergency next week

The backs of the hands of a patient with mpox, showing a characteristic rash during his recovery phase, pictured in Democratic Republic of Congo. Photo: CDC / IMAGE POINT FR / IMAGE POINT FR / BSIP via AFP Africa's public health agency is set to declare an mpox emergency as early as next week, saying the viral infection's rate of spread is alarming, as a new variant moves across Democratic Republic of Congo's borders. Mpox is transmitted through close contact and causes flu-like symptoms and pus-filled lesions. Most cases are mild but it can kill. The new variant, known as Clade Ib and circulating mostly in Congo, appears to spread more easily through routine close contact, as seems to be the case among children. The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) Directo...
Several hospitality businesses on Auckland’s Karangahape Road forced to close
Business

Several hospitality businesses on Auckland’s Karangahape Road forced to close

Karangahape Road in Auckland. Photo: 123RF Auckland's Karangahape Road restaurants say road works, no parking and anti-social behaviour are putting customers off. Several hospitality businesses along the colourful strip have been forced to shut their doors or move as tough economic times bite, including some veteran restaurants. Figures released earlier this week show unemployment is at a three-year high and retail spending has slumped. K Road restaurant Madame George announced its closure this week, saying the economic downturn made it 'impossible to continue' after almost a decade on the iconic street. Fabio Bernardini, the owner and chef of Latin eatery Tempero, just up the road from Madame George, told Checkpoint the once bustling strip was now half empty and in a battle for surviva...
Olympics drone scandal: Canadian MP calls for women’s soccer team leaders to front Parliament
World News

Olympics drone scandal: Canadian MP calls for women’s soccer team leaders to front Parliament

Canada's coach Beverly Priestman. Photo: AFP A Canadian MP has begun the process to bring the leaders of the Canadian women's soccer team and Canada Soccer before its Parliament over the drone spying scandal, according to media reports. Manitoba MP Niki Ashton has put forward a motion to call them before the House of Commons' heritage committee to testify. "This isn't just about what happened at the Olympics," she said in a statement reported by CBC. "It's about Canada's reputation in soccer and in sports. "Canadians need to know the full picture of what happened and how to make sure this never happens again. We are seeking accountability from Team Canada officials and [Canada Soccer]." Canada was at the centre of one of the first scandals of the Paris Olympics when it was revealed a Ca...
Human cost of energy crisis mounts as jobs slashed
Business

Human cost of energy crisis mounts as jobs slashed

Hundreds of workers have lost work and many face layoffs, due to factory close downs, blamed on high energy prices. Photo: AFP/ PhotoAlto - James Hardy The human cost of the energy crisis is beginning to mount, with hundreds of workers facing permanent closures or temporary shutdowns at pulp and paper mills in a number of communities. The blame is being pointed squarely at wholesale electricity prices, which have risen sharply from an average of about $100 per megawatt hour in September 2021, up to about $700 earlier this week. A shift electrician at Oji Fibre Solutions in Penrose, Maurice Upton said its 75 staff returned from a scheduled maintenance shutdown to a bleak announcement. "At start-up we got a letter saying they had some news for us, there was a proposal they wanted to make ...
Defiant Swifties take to streets after Vienna terror plot
World News

Defiant Swifties take to streets after Vienna terror plot

Fans of US mega-star Taylor Swift gather in the centre in Vienna, Austria, after her three scheduled concerts were cancelled following the arrest of an Islamic State sympathiser in connection with an attack plot. Photo: ROLAND SCHLAGER/AFP By Ian Youngs, BBC culture reporter and Bethany Bell, BBC News in Vienna Taylor Swift fans came out in force on Vienna's streets to sing her songs and show their defiance, a day after her concerts there were cancelled because of a plot to attack them. Hundreds of Swifties staged an impromptu open-air gathering to overcome the disappointment of not seeing the US superstar on her record-breaking Eras tour. They also said they understood the decision to cancel the stadium shows on Thursday, Friday and Saturday, and were grateful to the police. Austrian a...
How high wholesale power prices could push up the cost of food
Business

How high wholesale power prices could push up the cost of food

Foodstuffs owns the Four Square; New World, PAK'nSAVE, LiquorLand, and Gilmours stores. (file image) Photo: 123RF Foodstuffs says it is a challenge to keep prices steady at the moment, with increasing costs for things such as power. Wholesale power prices have made news in recent weeks because they have increased rapidly. Since September 2021, wholesale prices have risen from about $100 per megawatt hour (MWh) to an average of about $700 per MWh this week. Electric Kiwi last month stopped taking new customers because of the high prices. Some major users of power, such as supermarket chains, are also exposed to the wholesale market via contracts for their electricity supply, which will reset higher as they come up for renewal. Winstone Pulp International (WPI) paused work for 14 days at ...
Debate showdown between Trump and Harris set for September
World News

Debate showdown between Trump and Harris set for September

By Nadine Yousif, BBC News Photo: AFP ABC News has said it will host the first debate between Donald Trump and Kamala Harris on 10 September. The network confirmed the showdown in a post on X, formerly Twitter, after Trump said on Thursday that he would be open to debating his Democratic rival multiple times before the November election. "We think we should do three debates," Trump said, suggesting two additional debates that he said would be hosted by Fox News and NBC, respectively. Harris confirmed that she will attend the ABC debate while at an event in Michigan on Thursday, and said later that she would be open to additional debates. The network said the debate will be moderated by World News Tonight anchor and managing editor David Muir and ABC News Live Prime anchor Linsey Davis...
Hauraki Gulf’s economic value at threat from invasive seaweed
Business

Hauraki Gulf’s economic value at threat from invasive seaweed

The Hauraki Gulf. Photo: Raewyn Peart The Hauraki Gulf has been valued at $5 billion a year. A report from the NZ Institute of Economic Research, commissioned by Auckland Council's Hauraki Gulf Forum, estimated the financial impact of invasive caulerpa seaweed. Most of that $5 billion price tag comes from recreation, valued at $2.49 billion, and shipping, valued at $1.34 billion. Economists also estimated the gulf provided $526 million in property value to nearby homes. But the report stated caulerpa could cause $109 million in damage to fishing activities and $45 million in damage to biodiversity. "I love our harbour, and I hate wasting money," Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown said in a statement. "I'm a boatie before I'm mayor, and I have already put a heap of advocacy into cleaning up this...
Nobel laureate Yunus takes charge of Bangladesh, hopes to heal strife-torn country
World News

Nobel laureate Yunus takes charge of Bangladesh, hopes to heal strife-torn country

By Ruma Paul for Reuters Nobel Peace Prize winner Muhammad Yunus (L) is sworn into office to lead Bangladesh's interim government as its chief adviser, days after a student-led uprising ended the 15-year rule of Sheikh Hasina. Photo: AFP / Munir Uz Zaman Nobel Peace laureate Muhammad Yunus took charge of Bangladesh's caretaker government on Thursday, hoping to help heal the country that was convulsed by weeks of violence, forcing Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to quit and flee to neighbouring India. Known as the "banker to the poor", Yunus is the pioneer of the global microcredit movement. The Grameen Bank he founded won the 2006 Nobel Peace Prize for helping lift millions from poverty by providing tiny loans to the rural poor who are too impoverished to gain attention from traditional...