News
NZ ditches COVID elimination strategy as delta sweeps
New Zealand has dropped its COVID elimination strategy insisting the nation will learn to live with the virus
New Zealand officially abandoned its strategy of eliminating COVID-19 moving to ease some restrictions in the city of Auckland.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern says the nation will instead look to live with the virus while controlling its spread.
The Pacific nation was among just a handful of countries to bring COVID-19 cases down to zero last year and largely stayed virus-free until an outbreak of the highly infections Delta variant in mid-August frustrated efforts to stamp out transmission.
“With this outbreak and Delta the return to zero is incredibly difficult,”
Ardern told a news conference.
“This is a change in approach we were always going to make over time. Our Delta outbreak has accelerated this transition. Vaccines will support it,”
Health authorities reported 29 new cases of COVID-19 on Monday, taking the total number in the current outbreak to 1,357.
The majority of the cases are in Auckland, which has been in lockdown for nearly 50 days
Amid mounting pressure, the Prime Minister has said her strategy was never to have zero cases, but to aggressively stamp out the virus.
Strict lockdowns will end once 90% of the eligible population is vaccinated
“It’s clear that a long period of heavy restrictions has not got us to zero cases. But its ok…elimination was important because we didn’t have vaccinations. Now we do. So we can begin to change the way we do things,”
Under new changes in Auckland, people will be able to leave their homes to connect with loved ones outdoors from Wednesday, with a limit of 10 people.
New rules added to international arrivals:
The government also announced that all foreign nationals entering New Zealand will need to be fully vaccinated from November 1.
Travellers will have to declare their vaccination status when registering with the country’s isolation system and provide proof of vaccination or exemption to their airline and customs officers on landing, Covid-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins said in a statement.
“To further reduce the possibility of the virus getting through our border, we are introducing the requirement for air travellers aged 17 and over, who are not New Zealand citizens, to be fully vaccinated to enter New Zealand,”
Hipkins said
Those arriving in New Zealand will still have to spend 14 days in quarantine, and all travelers, except for those coming from locations with an exemption, will still need to show a negative Covid-19 test result within 72 hours of their first scheduled international flight.
News
Israel launches its new “Iron Beam” laser system
Israel’s new “Iron Beam” laser defense system to deploy by year-end, promising cost-effective missile interception.
Israel’s new “Iron Beam” laser defense system to deploy by year-end, promising cost-effective missile interception.
Israel’s Defence Ministry says its new “Iron Beam” laser system will be deployed by year’s end. The technology is designed to destroy incoming missiles, rockets, drones and mortars with precision.
Developed by Rafael Advanced Defense Systems in partnership with Elbit Systems, Iron Beam will sit alongside existing defences such as Iron Dome, David’s Sling and Arrow. Unlike traditional interceptors which can cost tens of thousands of dollars per shot, the laser comes at negligible expense.
Officials call it the world’s first high-power laser interception system to achieve operational maturity, hailing it as a game-changer for modern warfare. Military leaders expect the system to reshape air defence capabilities and cut costs dramatically.
#Israel #Defence #LaserWeapons #TickerNews
News
Stephen Colbert’s opening monologue on Jimmy Kimmel
Stephen Colbert condemns censorship and calls out Trump in powerful monologue dedicated to Jimmy Kimmel’s suspended show.
Stephen Colbert condemns censorship and calls out Trump in powerful monologue dedicated to Jimmy Kimmel’s suspended show.
Stephen Colbert’s opening monologue is being hailed as one of the most powerful moments in modern late-night history. Standing on stage at the Ed Sullivan Theatre, Colbert dedicated his show to Jimmy Kimmel and his team after ABC suspended Kimmel’s programme under pressure from Washington.
Colbert called the move “blatant censorship” and directly accused President Trump of acting like an autocrat. “With an autocrat, you cannot give an inch,” he warned, making clear that the stakes reach far beyond late-night comedy.
#StephenColbert #JimmyKimmel #FreeSpeech #TickerNews
News
Charlie Kirk was scheduled to speak at Colorado State University
Despite cancellation, 10,000 gathered at CSU to support Charlie Kirk, creating a rally-like atmosphere.
Despite cancellation, 10,000 gathered at CSU to support Charlie Kirk, creating a rally-like atmosphere.
Charlie Kirk was scheduled to speak at Colorado State University in Fort Collins, but the event was meant to be cancelled. Despite that, thousands of people still turned up to celebrate his legacy.
As many as 10,000 people turned out, showing the extent of support for the conservative activist. The crowd gathered outside CSU, creating an atmosphere more like a political rally than a cancelled speech.
#CharlieKirk #FortCollins #CampusPolitics #TickerNews
-
Shows2 days agoInspiring transformation: from prison to boardroom success
-
News4 days ago
Vance vows crackdown after Kirk murder
-
News4 days ago
Charlie Kirk’s legacy reshaping US conservatism
-
Tech4 days ago
Musk’s $1B Tesla stock buy amid trillion pay proposal
-
Tech4 days ago
U.S. and China reach TikTok deal framework agreement
-
Money4 days ago
RBA plans to ban credit card surcharges in Australia
-
News2 days ago
Disney cancels Jimmy Kimmel’s show after controversy
-
News1 day ago
Mark Zuckerberg has unveiled Meta’s first so-called AI glasses
