Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

New Zealand unable to keep supermarket attacker locked up: Ardern

New Zealand unable to keep supermarket attacker locked up: Ardern

THE Daesh-inspired radical responsible for a supermarket knife rampage in New Zealand was watched for five years and jailed for three before authorities exhausted all avenues to keep him detained, prime minister Jacinda Ardern revealed on Saturday (4).

The 32-year-old Sri Lankan was only freed in July and had been under police surveillance since.


On Friday (3), he grabbed a knife off a supermarket shelf in Auckland and attacked seven people, leaving three critically wounded, before he was shot and killed by the armed police tasked with tailing him.

Court suppression orders meant Ardern could not explain why the terrorist had not been deported, but she said measures were already underway to strengthen New Zealand's terrorism suppression laws.

The man, who arrived in New Zealand on a student visa in 2011, came to the attention of police in 2016 after expressing sympathy on Facebook for terrorist attacks.

He was arrested in 2018 on charges of possessing a knife and objectionable material and was considered to be planning a "lone wolf" knife attack.

While in custody, he was further charged with assaulting guards, but attempts to have him charged under New Zealand's Terrorism Suppression Act were unsuccessful.

Although the man was found guilty on some charges, by then he had spent three years in prison on remand and "all avenues to continue his detention had been exhausted," Ardern said, although "risk mitigations were already underway".

Ardern added that changes to New Zealand's counter-terrorism legislation were expected to be approved by parliament before the end of the month.

"In late August, officials including the commissioner of police raised the possibility of expediting the amendments," she said.

Many details about Friday's (3) attacker, including his name, were suppressed in an earlier court ruling.

Although this was lifted by a judge late Friday night, his family have been given at least 24 hours to appeal "the release of certain information", Ardern said.

"So while I can provide details concerning the individual's criminal history, there are issues relating to his immigration status, and actions taken by Immigration New Zealand in particular, which I cannot share just yet."

Police commissioner Andrew Coster said there had been nothing unusual about the man's actions in the lead up to the attack, and he had appeared to be doing normal grocery shopping.

Because he had a "high level of paranoia" around surveillance, Coster said, the police kept their distance, and it took more than two minutes to reach the man and shoot him after he started his frenzied stabbing spree.

"We have had no legal grounds to detain this subject. Monitoring his actions has been entirely dependent on the surveillance teams being able to maintain their cover as they watched him over an extended period," Coster said.

More For You

Starmer sacks minister over WhatsApp messages

Andrew Gwynne (Photo: UK parliament)

Starmer sacks minister over WhatsApp messages

A Labour party lawmaker said he regretted "badly misjudged" comments after prime minister Keir Starmer sacked him as a minister.

It is the latest bump in the road Starmer's government has hit in its first seven months in power despite a landslide election victory in July last year.

Keep ReadingShow less
modi-bjp-reuters

BJP supporters celebrate in New Delhi. (Photo: Reuters)

Modi's BJP wins Delhi assembly election after 27 years

INDIAN prime minister Narendra Modi said on Saturday that "development had won" as his Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) secured victory in Delhi’s local elections, ending a 27-year gap since it last controlled the capital’s legislature.

"Development has won, good governance has won," Modi said after Delhi’s former chief minister, a key opposition leader, conceded defeat.

Keep ReadingShow less
Uganda-high-commission-event

The event also focused on Uganda’s role in cultural diplomacy and sustainable development.

Uganda high commission hosts heritage event in London

THE UGANDA high commission in London hosted an event highlighting Uganda’s cultural heritage and investment opportunities at the International Maritime Organization (IMO) Building. The event featured a performance by the Watoto Children’s Choir.

Uganda’s high commissioner to the UK, Nimisha J Madhvani, addressed the gathering, welcoming guests and speaking about the country’s cultural diversity.

Keep ReadingShow less
Maha-kumbh-pilgrims-reuters

Devotees arrive at the river bank to take a holy dip at Sangam during the Maha Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj, India on January 28, 2025. (Photo: Reuters)

India says 420 million pilgrims have visited Maha Kumbh

INDIA’s government announced on Friday that more than 420 million pilgrims have taken part in ritual bathing at the Maha Kumbh, a Hindu religious festival.

Organisers say the estimate is based on artificial intelligence and surveillance cameras used to track attendance.

Keep ReadingShow less
Bird-flu-Getty

There have been 27 confirmed cases of bird flu in England and one in Scotland during the current outbreak. (Representational image: Getty Images)

England bans 'bird gatherings' to contain avian flu spread

THE GOVERNMENT has announced a ban on "bird gatherings" in England as part of efforts to contain the spread of avian influenza.

The ban, which comes into effect from midday on Monday, will apply to fairs, markets, and shows involving various bird species.

Keep ReadingShow less