New Zealand

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — The Australian white supremacist who admitting killing 51 worshippers in a mass shooting at two New Zealand mosques has dismissed his lawyers and will represent himself when he is sentenced next month.

Brenton Harrison Tarrant had pleaded guilty in March to 51 charges of murder, 40 of attempted murder and one charge of engaging in a terrorist act for the shootings targeting people praying at the two mosques in the city of Christchurch in 2019.

(Reuters) - With promises of extra financing for small businesses and more jobs as a severe economic downturn looms, New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern on Sunday launched her party’s campaign ahead of September general election.

Ardern’s rise to become New Zealand’s most popular prime minister in a century, buoyed by her response to the COVID-19 pandemic that has left the country largely unscathed, has boosted her prospects in the Sept. 19 election.

WELLINGTON, July 2 (NNN-BERNAMA) – New Zealand Minister for Health, David Clark, announced today, he decided to resign as a minister and leave the cabinet.

The surprise announcement came, amid months of public outcry on Clark’s dereliction of duty during and after the COVID-19 lock-down.

Clark planned to attend a ribbon-cutting event in Palmerston North, for a cancer facility, but made the surprise announcement at a press conference this morning.

Wellington, Jun 30 (AP/PTI) New Zealand on Tuesday canceled its plans to host a major meeting of U.S. and Asian leaders next year because of the coronavirus, opting instead to lead a virtual summit.

New Zealand was scheduled to host the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum in Auckland. The event would have brought thousands of people to the country throughout the year, culminating in a leader's week in November 2021.

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — New Zealand on Tuesday canceled its plans to host a major meeting of U.S. and Asian leaders next year because of the coronavirus, opting instead to lead a virtual summit.

New Zealand was scheduled to host the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum in Auckland. The event would have brought thousands of people to the country throughout the year, culminating in a leader’s week in November 2021.

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — Qantas plans to cut at least 6,000 jobs and keep 15,000 more workers on extended furloughs as Australia’s largest airline tries to survive the coronavirus pandemic.

Qantas announced a plan Thursday to reduce costs by billions of dollars and raise fresh capital. The plan includes grounding 100 planes for a year or more and immediately retiring its six remaining Boeing 747 planes.

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — New Zealand police said Monday they have seized $90 million from Alexander Vinnik, a Russian bitcoin fraud suspect who is in French custody but is also wanted in the United States.

New Zealand Police Commissioner Andrew Coster said it had worked closely with the U.S. Internal Revenue Service in the case. He said the money likely reflected illicit profits from thousands of victims.

WELLINGTON, June 21 (NNN-XINHUA) – New Zealand reported two new cases of COVID-19 today, making the total case number to 1,161 in the country, Ministry of Health said in a statement.

As with the five other cases reported last week, the two new cases were recent arrivals from overseas and both were detected within the managed isolation facilities, said the Ministry of Health.

Sunday’s first case was the child of the couple announced on Saturday as cases who have recently arrived from India. The child was under two years old.

AUCKLAND, New Zealand, June 20 (NNN-AGENCIES) – The man accused of murdering a New Zealand police officer, appeared in the Waitakere District Court in West Auckland this morning.

The 24-year-old man was charged with multiple serious offences, including murder, attempted murder and dangerous driving causing injury.

The suspect appeared via audio visual link from another part of the courthouse, which is a process used after the COVID-19 lock-down.

WELLINGTON, June 19 (NNN-AGENCIES) — An unarmed New Zealand police officer was fatally shot on an Auckland street Friday, the force’s first death in the line of duty for more than a decade, with Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern describing the attack as “devastating”.

Police said the officer and a colleague were carrying out a routine traffic stop involving a car carrying two people when one of them produced a rifle and opened fire.