New Zealand’s top diplomat said that if Canadian allegations against India over the killing of a Sikh leader proved correct, it would be of serious concern, local media reported on Wednesday. Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta’s statement came after Australia expressed its deep concern over alleged New Delhi involvement in the …
Read More »Magnitude 6.8 earthquake strikes south of New Zealand’s Kermadec Islands
A magnitude 6.8 earthquake struck south of New Zealand’s Kermadec Islands on Friday, the German Research Center for Geosciences (GFZ) said. The quake’s epicenter was 80 kilometers (49 miles) below the surface, GFZ said.
Read More »Australia’s Latitude at all-time low on more evidence of large-scale data theft
Shares of Latitude Group Holdings (LFS.AX) slumped to their all-time low on Wednesday after the fintech firm unearthed further evidence of large-scale information theft affecting former and current customers across Australia and New Zealand. Latitude said it was attempting to identify the number of customers affected and the type of …
Read More »New Zealand parliament bans TikTok
MPs have been told to remove the Chinese app from their phones by the end of the month The popular Chinese video-sharing app TikTok has been banned from all devices that can access the New Zealand parliament’s network, the legislature’s chief executive has announced. Wellington has become the latest capital …
Read More »Magnitude 7.1 earthquake hits Kermadec Islands in New Zealand
An earthquake of 7.1 magnitudes struck the Kermadec Islands region in New Zealand on Thursday, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) said. New Zealand’s Kermadec Islands region has been hit by an earthquake of 7.1 magnitudes on Thursday, prompting Tsunami warnings. The US Geological Survey (USGS) said that the quake was …
Read More »Australian Professor Among Three Hostages Released in Papua New Guinea
An Australian archaeologist and two Papua New Guinea researchers held for a week by 20 armed men in a remote part of the Pacific Island nation were released on Sunday, while their captors remain at large, a local official told Reuters. Professor Bryce Barker and doctoral student Teppsy Beni from …
Read More »Cyclone recovery expected to cost New Zealand billions
New Zealand said Monday it was likely to cost billions of dollars to recover from Cyclone Gabrielle as the national state of emergency was extended by another week. Prime Minister Chris Hipkins confirmed 11 people have so far died in the wake of the devastating flash flooding and high winds …
Read More »Thousands missing a week after Cyclone Gabrielle hits New Zealand
‘Steep mountain ahead,’ prime minister says as 11 deaths confirmed so far after storm sweeps north and east of the country. At least 11 people have died and thousands are missing in New Zealand after Cyclone Gabrielle hit the North Island last week. The cyclone hit the northern part of …
Read More »Chris Hipkins to be next New Zealand prime minister
Chris Hipkins, who played a leading role in New Zealand’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic, emerged Saturday as the successor to Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern. Hipkins is the only candidate nominated to lead the Labour Party following Ardern’s shock resignation earlier this week. “I’m humbled and honored to be the …
Read More »New Zealand sea level rising faster than predicted
While the global sea level is expected to rise 50cm by 2100, for large parts of New Zealand, it could be 1 metre because the land is sinking too. The projections, labelled “a bit terrifying” by one expert, are the result of an extensive five-year, government-funded research programme – NZ …
Read More »Tsunami threat recedes; volcanic ash hinders Tonga response
The massive ash cloud covering the island nation prevented surveillance flights from New Zealand from assessing the damage. The tsunami threat around the Pacific from a huge undersea volcanic eruption receded on Sunday, but a massive ash cloud covering the tiny island nation of Tonga prevented surveillance flights from New …
Read More »New Zealand to ban cigarette sales for future generations
New Zealand plans to ban young people from ever buying cigarettes in their lifetime in one of the world’s toughest crackdowns on the tobacco industry, arguing that other efforts to extinguish smoking were taking too long. People aged 14 and under in 2027 will never be allowed to purchase cigarettes …
Read More »APEC leaders vow to tackle economic recovery, COVID-19, climate
Leaders of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum on Friday vowed to address economic recovery in the region by shoring up supply chains, tackling labor issues, and continuing to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. They also pledged to work together to address climate and environmental challenges, they said in a …
Read More »New Zealand COVID-19 cases hit record high despite vaccination push
New Zealand recorded its highest number of daily coronavirus cases since the start of the pandemic on Tuesday as a Delta-variant outbreak that dashed the nation’s “Covid Zero” hopes showed no signs of easing. Health authorities announced 94 new virus cases, exceeding the previous daily record of 89 set in …
Read More »Melbourne to ease world’s longest COVID-19 lockdowns as more get vaccinated
Melbourne, which has spent more time under COVID-19 lockdowns than any other city in the world, is set to lift its stay-at-home orders this week, officials said on Sunday. By Friday, when some curbs will be lifted, the Australian city of 5 million people will have been under six lockdowns …
Read More »New Zealand drops its COVID-19 elimination strategy as delta variant persists
New Zealand on Monday abandoned its strategy of eliminating coronavirus, easing some COVID-19 lockdown restrictions in its biggest city Auckland, and will instead look to live with the virus while controlling its spread. The Pacific nation was among just a handful of countries to bring COVID-19 cases down to zero …
Read More »Two years after Christchurch, New Zealand makes plotting a terrorist attack a crime
New Zealand politicians on Thursday passed a law that makes plotting a terrorist attack a crime, fixing a legal loophole that was exposed earlier this month by a violent knife attack. The new law had been months in the planning but was hurried through Parliament after an extremist inspired by …
Read More »New Zealand PM Ardern extends COVID-19 lockdown in Auckland
New Zealand’s largest city Auckland will remain in lockdown to beat the spread of the delta variant of the coronavirus, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said on Monday. Auckland will remain in the strict Alert level 4 lockdown until midnight on September 21, after which it will move to alert level …
Read More »New Zealand lifts COVID-19 lockdown this week, barring Auckland
New Zealand will mostly lift its Covid-19 lockdown this week, with only the country’s infection epicenter Auckland to remain under strict stay-at-home orders, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said on Monday About three million New Zealanders will no longer be under stay-at-home orders as of Tuesday overnight, and schools will reopen …
Read More »Man who stabbed seven people at New Zealand supermarket is named
The man who stabbed seven people at a New Zealand supermarket has been named as Ahamed Samsudeen. The 32-year-old had been assessed by authorities as such a high risk that he was being monitored by up to 30 police officers in the weeks leading up to the attack. Samsudeen, who …
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