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☆ Mexican drug gangs ‘increasingly targeting’ Australia as meth supplies overtake rivals, police say
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-11 | by ( Chris Lau | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —Drug cartels from North America have overtaken rivals in Southeast Asia to become Australia’s top suppliers of methamphetamine, police said, warning that Mexican gangs are “increasingly targeting” the country. Meanwhile, Southeast Asian meth fell to less than 15% of seizures of the drug, a highly addictive and potent stimulant. A wastewater detection program led by the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission projected meth to be Australia’s second most used drug. In 2022, authorities stopped 1.8 tons of liquid meth masquerading as coconut water in Hong Kong before it reached Australia. They were bound for New Zealand, Australia and the surrounding Pacific region, police said.

Persons: Jared Taggart, Taggart, ”, Sam Gor, Terry Goldsworthy, Criminologist John Fitzgerald, Masood Karimipour Organizations: CNN —, Australian Federal Police, Police, ”, Australian Institute of Health, Welfare, Australian Criminal Intelligence, AFP, Bond University, Australian Capital Territory, University of Melbourne, Drugs, New Zealand police, Southeast, Pacific, United Nations Office Locations: North America, Southeast Asia, Australia, AFP, Mexico, United States, Canada, ” Australia, Thailand, Laos, Myanmar, Japan , New Zealand, Hong Kong, Asia, Pacific, Queensland, American, Europe, Ukraine, New Zealand

☆ New Zealand Green Party Parliamentarian Resigns Over Shoplifting Allegations
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-15 | by ( Jan. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

By Lucy CraymerWELLINGTON (Reuters) - A New Zealand Green Party parliamentarian resigned on Monday after it was alleged by media she had shoplifted at high end local boutiques on at least three occasions. It’s not a behaviour I can explain because it’s not rational in any way, and after medical evaluation, I understand I’m not well," her statement said. New Zealand Police said in a statement they were investigating an incident at a Ponsonby store in December but would not give any other details. Ghahraman said that she thanked Scotties Boutique for their kindness and empathy. Green Party co-leader James Shaw said that while parliament was a stressful place for everybody, Ghahraman had a particularly difficult time as she had received numerous threats from members of the public since arriving in office.

Persons: Lucy Craymer WELLINGTON, Golriz Ghahraman, Ghahraman, James Shaw, Lucy Craymer, Sonali Paul Organizations: Reuters, Zealand Green Party, Local, Wellington . New Zealand Police, Ponsonby, Boutique, Green Party Locations: Ponsonby, Auckland, Cre8iveworkz, Wellington .

☆ New Zealanders gather across country to protest new policies
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-04 | by ( Lucy Craymer | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/4] People take part in a march lead by New Zealand political party Te Pati Maori to demonstrate against the incoming government and its policies, in Wellington, New Zealand, December 5, 2023. The protest action was called for by political party Te Pati Maori and coincides with the opening of New Zealand's 54th parliament. "This is not a protest, this is an activation," Te Pati Maori co-leader Rawiri Waititi told Wellington protesters who marched through the city to the country's distinctive Beehive parliament building. New Zealand police said there had been traffic disruptions but the protests were peaceful and there were no arrests. David Seymour, leader of libertarian party ACT New Zealand, said in a statement the protest was just theatrics when New Zealanders just want their government to get on with fixing the many issues the country is dealing with.

Persons: Te Pati, Lucy Craymer, Rawiri Waititi, Kathy Hughes, Hughes, David Seymour, Britain's King Charles III, Te Pati Maori's, King Charles, Sandra Maler Organizations: New Zealand, REUTERS, Rights, National Party, New Zealand First, ACT New Zealand, Labour Party, Wellington, police, New, Thomson Locations: New, Wellington , New Zealand, New Zealand's, Wellington, Zealanders, Waitangi, Lincoln

☆ Kiri Allan: New Zealand justice minister resigns after being charged over car crash
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-24 | by ( Issy Ronald | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —New Zealand’s justice minister, Kiri Allan, has resigned after facing criminal charges following a car crash, the country’s prime minister, Chris Hipkins, announced on Monday. New Zealand Police charged Allan with “careless use of a motor vehicle and refusing to accompany a police officer,” and also issued an infringement notice for excess breath alcohol, Hipkins said. According to CNN affiliate Newshub, Allan said in a statement Monday that she had “faced a number of personal difficulties” over recent weeks. Hipkins said Ginny Andersen will become justice minister following Allan’s resignation while Kieran McAnulty will take over her responsibilities as regional development minister. Grant Robertson will take over coordinating the response to Cyclone Gabrielle, which lashed New Zealand in February.

Persons: Kiri Allan, Chris Hipkins, Allan, Hipkins, “, ”, ” Allan, MinisterJacinda Arden, ” Kiri Allan, Mark Mitchell, Ginny Andersen, Kieran McAnulty, Grant Robertson, Cyclone Gabrielle Organizations: CNN, New Zealand Police, Newshub, NZ Herald, Labour, Reuters Locations: Wellington , New, New Zealand

☆ New Zealand in good spirits after hotel fire forces evacuation
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-23 | by ( Amy Tennery | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

AUCKLAND, July 23 (Reuters) - The New Zealand team were in good spirits after a fire at their hotel forced them to evacuate briefly on Saturday night at the Women's World Cup, New Zealand Football CEO Andrew Pragnell said. New Zealand police apprehended a suspect in connection with the fire and the individual was facing arson and burglary charges, he said. Trained well today in the sunshine, which was welcome as well, and are looking in good shape," Pragnell told reporters on Sunday. "Another curveball in the last three days," he added, in an apparent reference to a shooting in which three people were killed near the Norway team hotel in Auckland hours ahead of the tournament kick-off match on Thursday. "If you put on a show like that and I think the World Cup coming to New Zealand, I think it's kind of just thrown football into people's faces," said defender C.J.

Persons: Andrew Pragnell, Pragnell, C.J . Bott, I'm, everyone's, Bott, Hannah Wilkinson's, Amy Tennery Organizations: AUCKLAND, New Zealand, New Zealand Football, Ferns, Norway, Thomson Locations: Norway, Auckland, Eden, Philippines, Wellington, New Zealand, people's

☆ Women’s World Cup Begins With Host Nations in Opening Games
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-20 | by ( Andrew Das | The New York Times | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +9 min

He moved through the building site, discharging the firearm as he went. Clearly, with the FIFA World Cup kicking off this evening, there are a lot of eyes on Auckland. Image Members of the Philippines Women’s World Cup team in Auckland on Thursday. New Zealand’s prime minister, Chris Hipkins, said the Women’s World Cup would proceed as planned. Even before then, gun ownership was relatively rare in New Zealand, and gun violence is considered unusual.

Persons: Chris Hipkins, Andrew Coster, Coster, ”, David Rowland, Abbie Parr, ” Mr, Hipkins, cordoning, Saeed Khan, Lise Klaveness, ” Halvor Lea, Maren Mjelde, Jacinda Ardern, Juliet Macur, Andrew Das, Yan Zhuang, Tariq Panja Organizations: Armed Offenders Squad, FIFA, New Zealand Herald, Police, ., Eden, United States, Vietnam, Norway, New Zealand Police, Associated Press, New Zealand, Agence France, Norway women’s Locations: New Zealand, Auckland, Queen, Auckland , New Zealand, Norway, Auckland’s, U.S, Australia, Ireland, Philippines, ”, Norwegian, Christchurch, North, Raurimu, Aramoana, Sydney

At least two people were killed and several others injured after a gunman stormed a building under construction with a shotgun in the New Zealand city of Auckland early Thursday, hours before the first soccer match of the Women’s World Cup was scheduled to begin in the city. The gunman was also killed, the police said in a post on Twitter. Armed police officers and vehicles swarmed the area, and the authorities shut down parts of the city. The episode occurred as teams from New Zealand and Norway were set to play at Eden Park Stadium, about three miles from the site of the shooting. Several World Cup teams and many fans are staying in Auckland’s central business district, and the shooting occurred very close to Norway’s team hotel and near a fan festival set up for the tournament.

Persons: Anna Thompson Organizations: Twitter, New Zealand Police, Eden Locations: New Zealand, Auckland, Norway, Auckland’s

Auckland, New Zealand CNN —A shooting that erupted inside a building in central Auckland killed at least two people and injured six others, say New Zealand officials, casting a cloud over the Women’s World Cup that was set to start later in the day. The shooting is “an isolated incident,” and “not a national security risk,” New Zealand police said on Twitter, adding that the male shooter was also dead. During a press conference in Wellington, New Zealand Prime Minister Chris Hipkins said the Women’s World Cup, which is due to kick off later in the city on Thursday, will “proceed as planned.”“Clearly, with the FIFA World Cup kicking off this evening, there are a lot of eyes on Auckland. “Auckland Transport says passengers coming in to the city should delay travel. New Zealand’s parliament voted to ban military-style semi-automatic weapons in 2019, weeks after the Christchurch massacre left 50 people dead.

Persons: “, Chris Hipkins, ” Hipkins, Nathan Frandino, Reuters Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown, I’m, ” Brown, RNZ, Brown, ”, Nisha, ” Nisha, Jacinda Ardern, Ardern Organizations: New Zealand CNN, Auckland, New, Twitter, CNN, Newshub, Police, Wellington , New Zealand, FIFA, Reuters Auckland Mayor, New Zealand, ”, Auckland Transport Locations: Auckland, New Zealand, Wellington , New, New, Zealand, Norway, American, there’s, Christchurch

☆ Solomon Islands says Chinese police to assist cyber, community security
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-14 | by ( Kirsty Needham | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

In a statement on Friday, Sogavare's office said the Pacific Islands nation was broadening its security partnerships, and the Chinese police will add to the existing Australia and New Zealand policing support. Riots in the capital Honiara in 2021 exposed gaps in the islands' policing, it said. Opposition leader Matthew Wale said in a statement "policing is different in democracies than in communist countries and democracies must uphold human rights and due process". The issue was not China's supply of security equipment, but the compatibility of Chinese and Pacific policing, said Meg Keen, director of the Lowy Institute's Pacific Islands programme. Solomon Islands has a population of 700,000, across an archipelago that occupies a strategic position in the Pacific Islands, and was pivotal to the U.S. move west across the Pacific to liberate the Philippines in World War Two.

Persons: Manasseh Sogavare, Sogavare's, Penny Wong, Wang Yi, Sogavare, Matthew Wale, Meg Keen, Lowy, Wale, Kirsty Needham, Lincoln Organizations: SYDNEY, Solomon Islands, Australia's, Islands Government, Royal Solomon Islands Police Force, New Zealand, China's Global, Initiative, Global Security Initiative, Thomson Locations: Solomon, Australia, Beijing, Pacific, China, U.S, New Zealand, Solomon Islands, Jakarta, Islands, Honiara, Philippines, Taiwan, Washington, Canberra

☆ Man with axe attacks Chinese restaurants in New Zealand, injuring four
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-19 | by ( Lucy Craymer | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

WELLINGTON, June 20 (Reuters) - A man wielding an axe entered three Chinese restaurants on Monday night in New Zealand’s largest city Auckland, sending four people to hospital, authorities and local media reported. One victim was discharged and three remain in stable condition, North Shore and Auckland hospital spokespeople said on Tuesday. Local media reported that the man went into three Chinese restaurants — Zhangliang Malatang, Yues Dumpling Kitchen and Maya Hotpot — and started randomly attacking people with an axe around 9 p.m. on Monday night. A witness told local news organisation Radio New Zealand that she was eating at Maya Hotpot with a friend when a man came at her friend with the axe. New Zealand Police said they had arrested a 24-year-old man and he was due to appear in court on Tuesday on a charge of wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm.

Persons: spokespeople, Hotpot —, Hotpot, Lucy Craymer, Lisa Shumaker Organizations: Local, Radio New Zealand, New Zealand Police, Police, Thomson Locations: New Zealand’s, Auckland, North Shore

☆ New Zealand police to start removing bodies after hostel fire
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-18 | by ( Lucy Craymer | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] The exterior of a hostel, after a fire ripped through the building, resulting in a number of deaths, in Wellington, New Zealand May, 16, 2023. AAP Image/Ben McKay via REUTERSWELLINGTON, May 18 (Reuters) - New Zealand police expect to start removing bodies from the hostel in Wellington where at least six people died in a fire earlier this week, authorities said on Thursday. Police have said they suspect the fire was arson and have opened a homicide inquiry. "The scene examination is expected to take several days," Bennett said, adding that police did not know how many people died in the fire. Reporting by Lucy Craymer; Editing by Jamie FreedOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ New Zealand police to begin probe into suspicious hostel fire
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-16 | by ( Lucy Craymer | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/3] Fire and emergency crews work at the scene of a fire at the Loafers Lodge, in Wellington, New Zealand May 16, 2023. REUTERS/Lucy CraymerWELLINGTON, May 17 (Reuters) - New Zealand police said they would begin on Wednesday a thorough investigation of a burned-out hostel in the capital, Wellington, where at least six people died and up to 11 were unaccounted for, and confirmed they were treating the fire as suspicious. A blaze broke out on the top floor of the Loafers Lodge in the suburb of Newtown in the early hours of Tuesday, causing major structural damage that is hampering recovery efforts. The hostel provided accommodation for construction workers, hospital staff and those serving sentences in the community for minor crimes, among other people. Earlier on Wednesday, Fire and Emergency New Zealand (FENZ) deemed it safe for police to enter the building.

☆ New Zealand student missing in cave system as heavy rain hits North Island
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-09 | by ( Tara Subramaniam | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —New Zealand police will resume their search at first light Wednesday for a high school student missing in a flooded cave system after a school trip during heavy rain on the country’s North Island. An initial search failed to find the boy and officials suspended the search around 5 p.m. Tuesday when night fell. The school said it would open as normal on Wednesday to “maintain a sense of routine” for students and staff. An orange alert for heavy rainfall, level 2 of 3, remains in effect for the city, the Great Barrier Island and Coromandel Peninsula until midnight local time. And the month before, the city and its surrounding areas were hit by record rainfall that sparked deadly floods.

☆ New Zealand's North Island hit by heavy rain, student missing in caves
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-09 | by ( Lucy Craymer | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

WELLINGTON, May 9 (Reuters) - A high school student is missing in Northland, New Zealand after getting into difficulty on a school trip to caves on Tuesday, according to police, as heavy rain and thunderstorms cause flash flooding and landslides across the upper North Island. Local newspaper the Northern Advocate said the student was missing inside one of the caves, which is described as having a canyon-like feel. Police rescue teams are in the area, which has been hit by heavy rain this morning with further rain expected this afternoon. "Auckland is experiencing widespread flooding and torrential rain. Heavy rain and thunderstorms are forecast to drench the region into the evening and potentially through to midnight.

☆ New Zealand police still looking for 8 people missing after Cyclone Gabrielle
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SYDNEY, Feb 26 (Reuters) - The number of people still missing after Cyclone Gabrielle that struck New Zealand two weeks ago has dropped to eight, authorities said on Sunday, amid warnings of more wild weather for the nation's North Island. "The remaining number of people includes those who, for a variety of reasons, do not engage with authorities," New Zealand police said early Sunday. Severe weather again hit the North Island on Friday, with heavy rain prompting more evacuations in Hawke's Bay, one of the regions hardest-hit by Gabrielle. On Sunday, New Zealand weather forecaster MetService warned storms were possible later in the day, especially across the North Island and the top of the South Island. The forecaster on Saturday said it was closely monitoring a tropical low near Fiji that could turn into a tropical cyclone next week.

☆ New Zealand police still seeking 23 people after Cyclone Gabrielle
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-24 | by ( Lucy Craymer | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

WELLINGTON, Feb 24 (Reuters) - The number of people still "uncontactable" in the wake of Cyclone Gabrielle that lashed New Zealand two weeks ago has dropped to 23, New Zealand police said on Friday. Police have been working to reach people that friends or family had registered as uncontactable. The number of people uncontactable topped 6,000 following the cyclone as communications were cut off to many areas. Gabrielle hit New Zealand nearly two weeks ago causing widespread havoc across the country's North Island, leaving at least 11 people dead and displacing thousands. The wild weather also triggered flash floods and evacuation warnings in and around Auckland, also on the North Island and home to a third of the country's population.

☆ Thirteen still missing after Cyclone Gabrielle in New Zealand
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Homes in the Esk Valley locality had "been unoccupied since the cyclone, but an additional 26 households evacuated yesterday", the agency said. New Zealand weather forecaster MetService said some of the heaviest rain was recorded in Auckland, with 155mm (6.1 inches) recorded there in the past 24 hours. The forecaster had a heavy rain warning in place on Saturday for large swaths of the North Island's east coast, including Hawke's Bay. "Heavy rain may cause streams and rivers to rise rapidly. It said it was also "closely monitoring" a tropical low near Fiji that could turn into a tropical cyclone next week.

☆ New Zealand cyclone missing now in single digits in Hawke's Bay, search and rescue officials say
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-22 | by ( Lucy Craymer | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/3] A general view of a damaged bridge after a small creek bursts its bank causing houses to flood in Havelock North, New Zealand. New Zealand Defence Force/Handout via REUTERSWELLINGTON, Feb 23 (Reuters) - The number of people missing in New Zealand's Hawke's Bay following Cyclone Gabrielle is now in single figures, search and rescue officials said on Thursday, 10 days after the worst storm to hit the country in decades tore through the region. Gabrielle killed at least 11 people and caused widespread damage across the North Island, hitting the farming, wine- and fruit-growing Hawke's Bay on the east coast particularly hard. Hawke's Bay Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) team leader Ken Cooper told TVNZ's Breakfast show that search and rescue conditions were arduous. As of Thursday morning, "we are down to single figures" in terms of the numbers of people still unaccounted for in Hawke's Bay, he added.

☆ New Zealand police reach more people previously not contactable after Cyclone Gabrielle
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-19 | by ( Lucy Craymer | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] HMNZS Te Mana crew members help with a clean up after a small creek bursts its bank causing houses to flood in Havelock North, New Zealand, February 18, 2023. New Zealand Defence Force/Handout via REUTERSWELLINGTON, Feb 20 (Reuters) - As New Zealand starts its long road to recovery following the devastation from Cyclone Gabrielle, the number of people still not reachable has fallen as communications in hard hit areas improve, the country's police commissioner said on Monday. The cyclone hit the North Island's northernmost region on Feb. 12 and tracked down the east coast, inflicting widespread destruction. Police have confirmed 11 deaths in circumstances related to the cyclone, most of those have been in Hawke’s Bay. Recovery efforts are continuing with search and rescue teams still working in cyclone damaged areas, while power and telecommunications remain down for some homes.

☆ Cyclone Gabrielle death toll rises to five as recovery starts
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-15 | by ( Lucy Craymer | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

WELLINGTON, Feb 16 (Reuters) - New Zealand stepped up recovery efforts on Thursday after Cyclone Gabrielle left at least five people dead and displaced 9,000 in the country's most damaging storm in decades. Gabrielle, which hit New Zealand on Sunday before making its way down the east coast of the North Island, cut off entire towns, washed away farms, bridges and livestock, and inundated homes, stranding people on rooftops. Parts of New Zealand's North Island, where about 75% of the country's 5 million residents live, are enduring their second major storm in as many weeks. Meteorological service MetService said Cyclone Gabrielle is now east of the country and continuing to track away from the North Island. The region was hardest hit during Cyclone Bola in 1988, which caused millions of dollars in damage and left seven people dead.

☆ About half a billion dollars worth of cocaine — enough to service the New Zealand market for 30 years — was found floating in the Pacific Ocean
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-08 | by ( Felise Seah | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Half a billion dollars worth of cocaine was discovered floating around the Pacific Ocean. A total of 81 bales of cocaine, weighing 3.2 tonnes, were intercepted by the New Zealand Police. Some of the packages carried identifiable stickers like a four-leaf clover and a Batman logo. These show that some of the packages have identifiable stickers like a four-leaf clover, and one that stood out had a Batman logo. Cocaine bales with four-leaf clover stickers.

☆ New Zealand recovers $300 mln of cocaine floating at sea
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/5] A view shows bricks of cocaine said to be recovered by New Zealand Police, Customs and NZDF at sea, in New Zealand, in this undated handout image released on February 8, 2023. New Zealand Police/Handout via REUTERSSYDNEY, Feb 8 (Reuters) - New Zealand authorities said on Wednesday they had recovered 3.2 tonnes of cocaine worth more than $300 million, believed to be bound for Australia and found floating at sea. New Zealand Police said it a statement it had collected the drugs from the Pacific Ocean in a joint operation with the New Zealand Customs Service and the New Zealand Defence Force. The seizure has a value of NZ$500 million ($320 million), according to New Zealand Customs Service Acting Controller Bill Perry. ($1 = 1.5815 New Zealand dollars)Reporting by Alasdair Pal in Sydney; Editing by Bradley PerrettOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Auckland, New Zealand starts clean-up after torrential rains, flash floods
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] Cars are seen in a flooded street during heavy rainfall in Auckland, New Zealand January 27, 2023, in this screen grab obtained from a social media video. @MonteChristoNZ/via REUTERSSYDNEY, Jan 28 (Reuters) - Authorities in New Zealand's biggest city Auckland began mopping up on Saturday, a day after torrential rains brought flooding and evacuations, shutting airports and forcing organisers to cancel a scheduled concert by Elton John. Two men were found dead amid the flooding, New Zealand Police said. Another person was unaccounted for after a landslide hit a house in Remuera, an inner suburb of Auckland, police said. Air New Zealand said it was "working through what its schedule will look like from midday today when Auckland Airport is scheduled to reopen."

☆ New Zealand: Mother appears in court over alleged suitcase murders
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-30 | by ( Kathleen Magramo | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

CNN —A mother of two children whose remains were found in suitcases earlier this year appeared in a New Zealand court Wednesday charged with their murders. The woman, 42, was remanded in custody by the Manukau District Court in Auckland, CNN affiliate Radio New Zealand reported. The court ordered her identity and those of the victims to be withheld from the public. According to South Korean police, the woman was born in South Korea and is a New Zealand citizen. She was arrested in South Korea in September before she was extradited to New Zealand on Tuesday, according to authorities.

☆ South Korea extradites suspect in New Zealand suitcase murders
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-29 | by ( The Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

SEOUL, South Korea — South Korea extradited a 42-year-old woman to New Zealand, two months after she was arrested following the discovery of the bodies of two long-dead children in abandoned suitcases. New Zealand police said the woman arrived at Auckland Airport on Tuesday after they sent three officers to South Korea to bring her back. New Zealand police said the South Korean warrant for the suspect’s arrest was in connection with two murder charges. South Korean police say the woman was born in South Korea and later moved to New Zealand, where she gained citizenship. Immigration records show she returned to South Korea in 2018.

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