New Zealand

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — A comprehensive report into last year’s Christchurch mosque shootings in which 51 Muslim worshippers were slaughtered sheds new light on how the gunman was able to elude detection by authorities as he planned out his attack.

The nearly 800-page Royal Commission of Inquiry report released Tuesday shows that the attacker, Brenton Tarrant, kept a low profile and told nobody of his plans.

Wellington, Dec 2 (AP-PTI) Joining more than 30 countries, New Zealand on Wednesday took the symbolic step of declaring a climate emergency.

Lawmakers voted 76-43 in favour of the motion, in a split that followed party lines.

WELLINGTON (Reuters) - New Zealand’s workplace regulator has filed charges against 13 parties following an investigation into a volcanic eruption on White Island in 2019 which killed 22 people.

A surprise eruption on the White Island, also known by its Maori name of Whakaari, on Dec 9 last year, killed 22 people and injured dozens.

Majority of them were tourists from countries like Australia, the United States and Malaysia who were part of a cruise ship that was travelling around New Zealand. There were 47 people on the island when the volcano erupted.

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — Australia’s prime minister said he’s “thrilled and relieved” after Iran released in a prisoner swap a 33-year-old academic who was imprisoned for more than two years on spying charges, but added it would take time for Kylie Moore-Gilbert to process her “horrible” ordeal.

Iran first announced on state television that it had freed the British-Australian scholar in exchange for three Iranians held abroad. The report was scant on detail, saying only that the Iranians had been imprisoned for trying to bypass sanctions on Iran.

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — A shocking Australian military report into war crimes has found evidence that elite Australian troops unlawfully killed 39 Afghan prisoners, farmers and civilians.

Australian Defence Force Chief Gen. Angus Campbell said Thursday the shameful record included alleged instances in which new patrol members would shoot a prisoner in order to achieve their first kill in a practice known as “blooding.”

New Delhi, Nov 6 (PTI) A biography of New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, who has recently been re-elected in a landslide victory, will be published next year which will explore the influences that have shaped her and made her a leader with a different way of doing things.

HarperCollins Publishers India has announced the acquisition of book, which will be authored by Supriya Vani and Carl A Harte.

WELLINGTON, Nov 2 (NNN-XINHUA) – New Zealand reported four new cases of COVID-19 from managed isolation, and no community cases.

One case is an international mariner, staying at the Sudima in Christchurch, detected at day 15 testing, as a close contact of a day-six case. The person is now in quarantine, according to the Ministry of Health.

One case arrived on Oct. 19 from Milan via Singapore and tested positive to routine testing at around day 12. The person is now in the Auckland quarantine facility, said a ministry statement.

WELLINGTON, Oct 30 (NNN-XINHUA) — The New Zealand government is moving to provide further protection against the chance of COVID-19 entering New Zealand through the maritime border.

After consulting with the maritime sector on tightening of the requirements for international maritime crew entering the country, Health Minister Chris Hipkins said on Friday that mandatory testing would be required for all replacement maritime crew arriving in New Zealand, regardless of the time they spend in transit.

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — New Zealanders voted to legalize euthanasia in a binding referendum, but preliminary results released Friday showed they likely would not legalize recreational marijuana use.

With about 83% of votes counted, New Zealanders emphatically endorsed the euthanasia measure with 65% voting in favor and 34% voting against.

AUCKLAND, New Zealand (AP) — A day after winning a second term in a landside victory, New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said Sunday she sees the election result as an endorsement of her government’s efforts to stamp out the coronavirus and reboot the economy.

Speaking at a cafe near her Auckland home, Ardern said she expects to form a new government within three weeks and to prioritize work on the virus response.

“We’re cracking on very quickly with the work we need to do as a new team,” Ardern said.