Rotterdam has confirmed it will dismantle a historic bridge to allow a superyacht built for Amazon founder Jeff Bezos to fit through. The luxury yacht linked to the world’s richest man is being built by Dutch firm Oceanco. The vessel is reported to be 417ft (127m) long and too tall to fit through the Koningshaven Bridge. A spokesman for the mayor confirmed the plan to reporters, with Mr Bezos set to foot the bill through Oceanco. Reports emerged in Dutch media on Tuesday that the middle section of the Dutch city’s bridge, known locally as De Hef, would be temporarily removed to allow the 130ft (40m) high boat to sail through. The move is controversial because the steel bridge has a long history, and is now a national monument. It previously went through a major renovation which saw it out of action from 2014 to 2017, when officials said it would not be dismantled again.(BBC)…[+]

New Zealand has announced a phased reopening of its borders, as the country starts to ease some of the world’s toughest Covid restrictions. Vaccinated citizens in Australia can go home from 27 February without needing to undergo state mandatory hotel quarantine. Jabbed citizens elsewhere will be allowed in from 13 March, said PM Jacinda Ardern. People will still have to self-isolate for 10 days but can do so at home. The announcement comes after growing criticism of Wellington’s controversial closed-border policy to keep out the coronavirus. New Zealand’s borders have been shut for nearly two years due to the pandemic. In that period, the country of five million people has recorded 53 deaths and about 17,000 Covid cases – very low numbers compared to the rest of the world. But while the closed border policy has been popular domestically, New Zealanders overseas said it had made it near impossible to go home. The huge demand for hotel quarantine spots shut many Kiwis out.(BBC)…[+]