New Zealand

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — A helicopter pilot told investigators he didn’t hear a pilot on the ground announce he was taking off before the fatal collision of their aircraft at an Australian theme park, according to the preliminary report released Tuesday.

The investigators said they haven’t ruled out the routine radio call being made by the other pilot, however, and plan to investigate further.

The two Sea World helicopters collided during scenic flights Jan. 2 at the tourist city of Gold Coast near Brisbane.

WELLINGTON, Feb. 23 (Xinhua) -- New Zealand will hold an inquiry to investigate forestry slash and land use causing woody debris and sediment-related damage in Gisborne and Wairoa, after Cyclone Gabrielle lashed the North Island and killed 11 people over the past week.

The two-month inquiry will help address the impacts of weather events such as cyclones Hale and Gabrielle and earlier events, according to the inquiry panel on Thursday.

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — The New Zealand government declared a national state of emergency Tuesday after Cyclone Gabrielle battered the country’s north in what officials described as the nation’s most severe weather event in years.

A firefighter was missing and another was rescued with critical injuries after they were caught in a landslide overnight near the country’s largest city, Auckland, authorities said.

Auckland was swamped two weeks ago by a record-breaking storm that killed four people.

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — New Zealand’s new Prime Minister Chris Hipkins on Wednesday said he was axing or delaying many of his government’s more contentious policy plans as he looked to refocus on priorities like the rising cost of living.

Hipkins, who was sworn in two weeks ago after the shock resignation of Jacinda Ardern, said his government had been trying to do too much, too fast.

WELLINGTON, Jan 30 (Reuters) - Flood-ravaged Auckland is forecast to receive further heavy rain in the coming days, authorities in New Zealand's largest city said on Monday, as insurers counted the costs of what looks likely to be the country's most expensive weather event ever.

Four people lost their lives in flash floods and landslides that hit Auckland over the last three days amid record downpours. A state of emergency remains in place in Auckland. A state of emergency in the Waitomo region south of Auckland was lifted.

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — Authorities said Saturday that three people had died and at least one was missing after record levels of rainfall pounded New Zealand’s largest city, causing widespread disruption.

Prime Minister Chris Hipkins flew to Auckland on a military plane after a state of emergency was declared in the region.

“Our priority is to ensure that Aucklanders are safe, that they’re housed and that they have access to the essential services that they need,” Hipkins said.

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — Chris Hipkins was sworn in Wednesday as New Zealand’s 41st prime minister, following the unexpected resignation last week of Jacinda Ardern.

Hipkins, 44, has promised a back-to-basics approach focusing on the economy and what he described as the “pandemic of inflation.”

He will have less than nine months before contesting a tough general election, with opinion polls indicating his Labour Party is trailing its conservative opposition.

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — Jacinda Ardern made her final public appearance as New Zealand’s prime minister Tuesday, saying the thing she would miss most was the people, because they had been the “joy of the job.”

Ardern, who has been a global icon of the left, shocked the nation Thursday when she said she was resigning as leader after more than five years because she had nothing left in the tank. Labour Party lawmakers voted unanimously Sunday for Chris Hipkins to take over as prime minister, and he will be sworn in Wednesday.

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — Education Minister Chris Hipkins is set to become New Zealand’s next prime minister after he was the only candidate to enter the contest Saturday to replace Jacinda Ardern.

Hipkins, 44, must still garner an endorsement Sunday from his Labour Party colleagues, but that is just a formality now. An official transfer of power will come in the days to follow.

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — When Jacinda Ardern announced this week she was stepping down as New Zealand’s prime minister, speculation began almost immediately about what she might do for a second act.

When she leaves, she will have accumulated 15 years experience as a lawmaker and five-and-a-half years as leader. She will also be just 42 years old. Observers say she has all sorts of career possibilities open to her.