2024 was a year that produced some classical Kiwi headlines that made waves overseas, some serious and some not so, from the hikoi to parliament to Dunedin airport imposing a time limit on hugs.
Here are the top 5 Kiwi headlines that made it global.
International Coverage Of The Hikoi To Parliament
Back in November during the height of the hikoi to parliament, MP Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke made waves around the world after her polarising haka during parliament proceedings.
Following the haka, news outlets from around the world including, The Guardian, BBC news and TIME magazine ran headlines showcasing what is happening politically in Aotearoa.
Maipi-Clarke also became the only Kiwi last year to make it into the BBC’s most influential women of 2024.
Chumbawamba Tells Winston Peters To Stop Using Their Song
Back in February, Winston Peters found himself in trouble with the band Chumbawamba after frequently using their hit song “Tubthumping” at his rallies.
It caused even more of a stir after the band asked their record company, Sony, to issue a cease and desist letter.
Dunedin Airport Imposes “3-Minute Hug” Rule
Capturing the attention of international news outlets with CNN writing its own headline “catch flights, not feelings”, Dunedin airport made many headlines after its “3-minute hug” time limit went viral on social media.
US Reality Show Contestant Kills And Eats Weka
Us New Zealanders love our birds and this was no exception when a US reality show contestant faced national and international backlash after killing and eating one of our native Weka in the show, Race to Survive.
Contestants Oliver Dev and Spencer Jones were subsequently disqualified in the season’s eighth episode of the show.
Jacinda Ardern and Clarke Gayford Tie The Knot
It may seem like they’ve been married for ages but due to Covid restrictions some five years ago they never “officially” tied the knot, until Jan in 2024 at a winery in Hawkes Bay.
She summed up the day with a social media post captioned: “13.01.24. Worth the wait.”
Given her profile around the world, this made many international headlines.
Main Photo Credit: SBS
