The flight to freedom of Phillip Mehrtens, the NZ pilot who survived 594 days in captivity | New Zealand
On February 7, 2023, Philippe Mertens' life took an unexpected and tragic turn. A skilled New Zealand pilot landed a small passenger plane on the runway at Paro airfield in the isolated highlands of Indonesia's West Papua region, dropping off five passengers and picking up 15 construction workers for the short flight back south. But […]
New Zealand pilot Phillip Mehrtens released by Indonesian rebels after being abducted more than 19 months ago
A New Zealand pilot has been released from captivity after being abducted and his small plane set on fire by separatists after it landed at a remote Indonesian airport early last year. “Today I finally escaped. I'm really happy that I will be going home with my family soon,” Philippe Mertens, 38, who was working […]
New Zealand Pilot Freed After 19-Month Captivity by Indonesian Rebels
(AFP) New Zealand pilot Philip Mertens has been released from rebel captivity in Indonesia's Papua region and is in good health despite his 19-month ordeal, Indonesian and New Zealand authorities said on Saturday. Mertens, 38, worked for Indonesian airline Susi Air when he was abducted by West Papua National Liberation Army (TPNPB) rebels at Nduga […]
Rare smelly penguin wins New Zealand bird of the year contest | New Zealand
One of the world's rarest penguins has been named New Zealand's bird of the year, in an unusually quiet year for the contest, without foreign interference or past voting scandals. The endangered Hoiho penguin is the largest species of penguin living on the New Zealand mainland and is characterised by a pale yellow band of […]
New Zealand queen ascends to Māori throne at age 27
New Zealand's Maori King Tuheitia Potatau Te Wherohero VII (69) has died. His daughter, Nga Wai Hono I Tepo (27), will become the new Queen. Nga Wai Hono i Te Po is only the second woman to become Māori monarch in a tradition that dates back to 1858. King Tuheitia's funeral was attended by Māori […]
Noel Edmonds to present TV series from his New Zealand country estate | Noel Edmonds
It appears this is becoming a rite of passage for the former Top Gear presenter, who has been the subject of much public criticism. Noel Edmonds will be following in the footsteps of Jeremy Clarkson and presenting a new TV series from his country cottage. The 75-year-old presenter, who started working as a DJ in […]
Māori queen Nga Wai Hono i te po Paki crowned in ‘new dawn’ for New Zealand | Māori
The second Māori queen under the eight-dynasty reign of New Zealand's Kiingitanga movement has been enthroned in an emotional ceremony attended by thousands at Turangawawe Marae. On Thursday morning, Maori leaders hailed her as a “new dawn”. Ngā Wai Hono i Te Po Paki, the only daughter and youngest child of former Māori King Tuheitia […]
Trump shooter Thomas Crooks had encrypted messaging accounts in Belgium, Germany, New Zealand
CHICAGO — Trump rally shooter Thomas Matthew Crooks used encrypted messaging accounts on a variety of platforms in Belgium, New Zealand and Germany, according to members of a select congressional committee investigating the assassination attempt against former President Donald Trump. Rep. Michael Walz (R-Fla.), one of 13 lawmakers selected for the House bipartisan task force, […]
The fight for iron sands: the bitter battle to protect New Zealand’s sea-floor riches | New Zealand
TAt Patea Boating Club, a few hundred metres off New Zealand’s South Taranaki coast, three fishermen sit around an empty table, pigeon droppings littering the floorboards and the sound of the ocean lapping on the black sand coming through the salt-sprayed windows. “This is one of the best fishing spots in the country,” club president […]
New Zealand Food Bank Gives Out Candies Laced With Meth ‘Worth $600’ To Homeless
(Photo provided by: PORNCHAI KITTIWONGSAKUL/AFP via Getty Images) By James Myers, OAN StaffFriday, August 16, 2024 3:13 PM Food banks in New Zealand are searching for a cache of potentially methamphetamine-laced candy that was mistakenly distributed to homeless people at a charity event. advertisement New Zealand police have so far found 41 blocks of methamphetamine […]