New Zealand
FIFA to pick 2023 Women’s World Cup host in June
World governing football body, FIFA, will pick a host for the 2023 Women’s World Cup on June 25. The host will be selected by FIFA’s ruling council and it is a contest between Brazil, Japan, Colombia, and a joint bid from Australia and New Zealand. According to reports, the selection will be done in an open vote of the 37-member FIFA Council and the result of each round of balloting and each voter’s choice will be made open. “FIFA is now finalizing the evaluation report, which will be published in early June,” FIFA said in a statement on Friday. Newsmen report that FIFA inspection teams had initially visited the four bid candidates in January and February before international travel was restricted due to the coronavirus pandemic. The 2023 World Cup will be the first to feature 32 teams. Th...
New Zealand further relaxes coronavirus lockdown measures
New Zealand PM Jacinda Ardern has announced a gradual easing of the country’s lockdown measures. However, the government said the country’s border will remain closed. At a news conference on Monday, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said the easing will begin starting on Thursday, meaning most businesses and public spaces could reopen. “But everyone would need to play it safe. We must continue to behave as if the virus is still amongst us,’’ Ardern cautioned. According to her, schools will re-open from May 18, while bars will be able to re-open on May 21. “We may have won a few battles, but we have not won the war,’’ the prime minister said. She said that gatherings at home for weddings, funerals and tangihanga (Maori funeral rites) would be capped at 10 people, while all other social events, ...
Star struck: exploring the world’s Dark Sky Reserves
International Dark Sky Reserves are protected areas that offer exceptionally starry nights. We review the 16 places that hold this hallowed status They sound like something out of Star Trek, these ‘Dark Sky Reserves’ – like they may have been conjured one evening in a lively LA writers room. Unlike the ‘Delta Quadrant’ or ‘Delphic Expanse’, however, International Dark Sky Reserves actually exist. We at Atlas & Boots hadn’t heard of them until our recent trip to New Zealand‘s Aoraki Mackenzie, one of the world’s 16 Dark Sky Reserves. Governed by the International Dark Sky Association (IDA), Dark Sky Reserves are defined as follows. A public or private land possessing an exceptional quality of starry nights and nocturnal environment that is specifically protected for its scientific, natu...
