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☆ New Zealand PM disagrees with Biden, says Xi Jinping not a 'dictator'
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

SYDNEY, June 22 (Reuters) - New Zealand Prime Minister Chris Hipkins, ahead of his official trip to China at end of this month, said on Thursday he did not agree with U.S. President Joe Biden's remark that Chinese leader Xi Jinping was a dictator. "No, and the form of government that China has is a matter for the Chinese people," Hipkins told reporters. Hipkins is scheduled to visit China from June 25 to 30, leading a trade delegation that includes some of New Zealand's biggest companies. He will meet Xi Jinping, Premier Li Qiang, and the chairman of the standing committee of the National People's Congress, Zhao Leji. China hit back on Wednesday after Biden referred to President Xi Jinping as a "dictator", saying the remarks were absurd and a provocation, an unexpected flare-up following attempts by both sides to reduce friction.

Persons: Chris Hipkins, Joe Biden's, Xi Jinping, Hipkins, Li Qiang, Zhao Leji, Biden, Renju Jose, Gerry Doyle Organizations: SYDNEY, Zealand, National People's Congress, Thomson Locations: China, Sydney

☆ New Zealand and Fiji finalising defence agreement - Fiji PM
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-07 | by ( Lucy Craymer | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] Fiji Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka and New Zealand Prime Minister Chris Hipkins hold a press conference in Wellington, New Zealand June 7, 2023. REUTERS/Lucy CraymerWELLINGTON, June 7 (Reuters) - New Zealand and Fiji are finalising a defence agreement that will increase engagement between the two countries militaries and help build capacity and skills in the Fiji Defence Force, the Fijian prime minister said on Wednesday. Fiji’s Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka told media in Wellington, where he is meeting senior New Zealand government officials including the prime minister and opposition leader, that the agreement would be finalised next week. “The agreement will allow defence officials to undertake engagement in different areas including capacity building and upskilling and exposure to new technologies interoperability and technical support among other,” he said. In May, the U.S and Papua New Guinea signed a defence cooperation agreement and a maritime surveillance deal.

Persons: Sitiveni Rabuka, Chris Hipkins, Lucy Craymer WELLINGTON, ”, Rabuka, “, ” Hipkins, Lucy Craymer, Michael Perry Organizations: Fiji Prime, Zealand, REUTERS, Fiji Defence Force, Fiji’s, New Zealand, New, U.S, NZ, Thomson Locations: Wellington , New Zealand, New Zealand, Fiji, Wellington, Australia, China, Solomon Islands, U.S, Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu

☆ Jacinda Ardern made a dame in New Zealand
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-05 | by ( Jessie Yeung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —Former New Zealand leader Jacinda Ardern, who stepped down from her post earlier this year, has been made a dame in one of the country’s highest honors. “Having served as Prime Minister from 2017 to 2023, Dame Jacinda Ardern is recognized for her service to New Zealand during some of the greatest challenges our country has faced in modern times,” Hipkins said in a statement. The move grants Ardern the title of Dame Grand Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit. In a statement to CNN affiliate Radio New Zealand (RNZ), Ardern said she was “incredibly humbled” by the accolade. Within a year, she had become only the second world leader to give birth in office.

Persons: Jacinda Ardern, Chris Hipkins, Dame Jacinda Ardern, ” Hipkins, Dame, ”, Ardern, “ Organizations: CNN, Former New Zealand, Labour Party, Merit, Radio New Zealand, Kiwis, United Nations General Assembly, Harvard University, Harvard Kennedy School, New Locations: New Zealand, Zealand, Christchurch, Wellington

☆ Ardern receives New Zealand top honour for leadership during COVID, mosque attack
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Ardern was named "Dame Grand Companion," the second highest honour in New Zealand, on King Charles' birthday holiday celebrated by the country on June 5, and she made the coronation honours list for this year. The awardee is usually chosen in New Zealand by the prime minister and then approved by the British monarch, the head of state. Prime Minister Chris Hipkins said Ardern was recognised for her service during some of the greatest challenges New Zealand had faced in modern times. Ardern, who became the prime minister in 2017, resigned in January in a shock announcement saying she had "no more in the tank" to lead New Zealand. "But I have heard that said by so many kiwis who I have encouraged to accept an honour over the years," Ardern said in a statement.

Persons: Jacinda Ardern, King Charles, Chris Hipkins, Ardern, Hipkins, Renju Jose, Aurora Ellis Organizations: SYDNEY, Former, New Zealand, kiwis, Thomson Locations: Christchurch, New Zealand, British, Sydney

☆ Modi, Blinken to meet Pacific Island leaders in Papua New Guinea
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-21 | by ( Kirsty Needham | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

May 22 (Reuters) - India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi and United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken have arrived in Papua New Guinea ahead of meetings with Pacific Island leaders to discuss trade, climate change and regional security on Monday. Modi, who was met at the airport on Sunday evening by PNG Prime Minister James Marape, will hold a bilateral meeting on Monday morning, before hosting a regional summit with 14 Pacific Island leaders. Blinken is expected to sign a Defence Cooperation Agreement between the United States and PNG, and also hold a Pacific Island leaders meeting in the afternoon. Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare, Samoa Prime Minister Fiame Naomi Mataafa, Vanuatu Prime Minister Alatoi Ishmael Kalsakau, and New Caledonia President Louis Mapou were among the Pacific island leaders to arrive on Sunday. New Zealand Prime Minister Chris Hipkins and Australia's Pacific Minister Pat Conroy will also join the meetings.

☆ NZ sees bigger deficit as economy sputters, spending boost to fan inflation
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-18 | by ( Lucy Craymer | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

FILE PHOTO: New Zealand's finance minister, Grant Robertson, speaks about the "wellbeing" budget in Wellington, New Zealand, May 30, 2019. That has heaped pressure on New Zealand’s finances, as the government has had to navigate many challenges including three-decade high inflation, sharply rising borrowing costs, a stuttering economy and falling tax revenue. However, Treasury sees inflation slowing to 3.3% by mid-2024, from the current blistering 6.7% pace, levels not seen since the early 1990s. Much of the worsening in the accounts is due to falling tax revenue as the economy slows. S&P Global Ratings retained New Zealand’s AAA ratings, but warned of pressure ahead.

☆ Biden's Papua New Guinea no-show deals blow to US credibility in Pacific - analysts
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-17 | by ( Kirsty Needham | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

"For Papua New Guinea this was a very big deal and they will be disappointed," said Mihai Sora, a Pacific islands analyst with the Lowy Institute think tank in Sydney. The cancellation was also a "blow to U.S. credibility in the region as a consistent partner", he added. "Up until now Pacific islands leaders have been giving the U.S. the benefit of the doubt over its ability to re-engage." Biden had also been scheduled to meet 18 Pacific island leaders in the three-hour visit to the PNG capital Port Moresby. The Pacific islands span 40 million square km of ocean, where vital sea lanes and submarine cables link the United States to its allies Australia and Japan.

☆ New Zealand set to reveal bigger deficit in 'no frills' 2023-24 budget
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-16 | by ( Lucy Craymer | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

WELLINGTON, May 16 (Reuters) - New Zealand Labour government is set to reveal a worse budget bottom line and economic outlook on Thursday as it delivers what it calls a “no frills” 2023-24 budget to avoid fuelling inflation. Since coming into power, Prime Minister Chris Hipkins has cut costly programmes and reiterated the government’s plans to return to “bread and butter issues”. They’ll see that’s what we’ve done in the budget,” Hipkins said at his weekly Monday press conference. The country was hit by two significant weather events at the start of the year that caused an estimated NZ$9 billion and NZ$14.5 billion in damage. “The Budget packages will likely be more targeted, appearing more fiscally responsible and prudent,” Smith added.

☆ Six dead in New Zealand hostel fire
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-15 | 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 16 (Reuters) - A fire at a hostel in New Zealand killed at least six people on Tuesday and officials said they believe the toll could rise with 11 people still missing. The blaze broke out on the top floor of Loafers Lodge in the Wellington neighbourhood of Newtown just after midnight, police said. "It was just scary, it was really scary, but I knew I had to jump out the window or just burn inside the building," he told state-owned Radio New Zealand. Investigations into what caused the fire are under way, according to Fire and Emergency New Zealand (FENZ).

☆ New Zealand, Wellington: hostel fire kills at least six, according to report
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-15 | by ( Tatiana Arias | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

CNN —At least six people have reportedly died after a fire erupted inside a hostel in New Zealand’s capital city of Wellington early Tuesday local time. Emergency services survey the scene after a fire on May 16, 2023 in Wellington, New Zealand. Hagen Hopkins/Getty ImagesFirefighters rushed to the hostel shortly after midnight and were able to evacuate 52 people, Wellington’s Fire and Emergency District Manager Nick Pyatt told local media. According to authorities, about 100 people were believed to be inside the building, Newshub reports. The cause of the fire remains unknown, Pyatt said, adding that there will be a formal investigation into the blaze.

☆ New Zealand pledges $720 mln for cyclone and flood recovery
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

May 14 (Reuters) - The New Zealand government said on Sunday it was allocating NZ$1.1 billion ($720 million) to help communities recover from a cyclone and floods that lashed the country this year. The funds from the 2023 budget are to cover "basics" of rebuilding roads, rail and schools, as well as flood protection, it said in a statement. "The recovery package responds to the immediate recovery needs of today and invests in greater resilience for tomorrow,” said Prime Minister Chris Hipkins. Insurance companies in March reported receiving 40,000 claims worth around NZ$890 million for damage from the cyclone. ($1 = 1.5763 New Zealand dollars)Reporting by Sam McKeith in Sydney; Editing by William MallardOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

[1/3] King Charles receives Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese during an audience at Buckingham Palace, London. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and his New Zealand counterpart, Chris Hipkins, have travelled to London where they are due to meet Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on Friday. King Charles is head of state in Australia, New Zealand and 12 other Commonwealth realms outside the United Kingdom, although the role is largely ceremonial. I want to see an Australian as Australia's head of state," Albanese said in an interview with state broadcaster ABC on Friday. Albanese said would take the oath of allegiance to King Charles at the ceremony.

☆ New Zealand committed to cutting spending, PM Hipkins says
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-27 | by ( Lucy Craymer | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

WELLINGTON, April 27 (Reuters) - The New Zealand government is committed to reducing spending even though severe weather events earlier this year caused asset damage of roughly NZ$9 billion ($5.51 billion) to NZ$14.5 billion, Prime Minister Chris Hipkins said on Thursday. “For our part, the government is committed to reducing our proportion of spending to dampen demand in the economy,” Hipkins said in a speech to the Employers and Manufacturers Association. New Zealand is already dealing with historically high inflation and the central bank has previously raised concerns that any boost in government spending could add to the inflation problem. Hipkins said his aim is to get government spending down to around the low thirties as a percentage of GDP. ($1 = 1.6343 New Zealand dollars)Reporting by Lucy Craymer Editing by Alasdair PalOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ ‘Best Friends’ Australia and New Zealand Patch Up a Major Difference
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-27 | by ( Natasha Frost | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Hundreds of New Zealanders were about to take an oath to become Australian citizens, and cheering them on in their pursuit of dual citizenship was the head of the New Zealand government. Australia was about to reverse a two-decade-old policy and restore rights for the almost 700,000 New Zealanders living in Australia to easily gain citizenship, putting them on par with Australian migrants across the Tasman Sea in New Zealand. Australia and New Zealand often describe each other as their closest international partners. The new center-left government in Australia, led by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, has taken steps to address these issues. At the citizenship ceremony on Sunday in Brisbane, Australia, Chris Hipkins, the prime minister of New Zealand, said his presence was a sign of the “bonds that bind us all together.” That sentiment was later echoed by Clare O’Neil, Australia’s home affairs minister: “Our Kiwi cousins are our very best friends in the world.”

☆ New Zealand pilot captured by Papuan fighters says he is ‘alive and well’ in new hostage video
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-26 | by ( Heather Chen | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —Philip Mehrtens, the New Zealand pilot held hostage by separatist fighters in Indonesia’s restive Papua region, has appeared in a video saying he is “alive and well,” as concerns grow for his safety as fighting with Indonesian security forces intensifies. In the one and a half minute video, Mehrtens, dressed in a black T-shirt and shorts and sitting between two unarmed Papuan men, speaks calmly to the camera first in Indonesian and then English. “We emphasize that the pilot’s release must go through negotiations – not through military operations,” the group’s spokesperson Sebby Sambom said. In a statement following the attacks, the rebels said they shot dead 13 Indonesian military and police officials and were in possession of 12 bodies, without providing proof. CNN has reached out to Indonesian army officials for further comment about the latest hostage video and updates on the search mission for Mehrtens.

☆ Australia unveils direct pathway to citizenship for New Zealanders
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SYDNEY, April 22 (Reuters) - Australia announced on Saturday a direct pathway to citizenship for New Zealanders living in the country, reversing controversial visa rules a day before a visit by New Zealand Prime Minister Chris Hipkins. Hipkins, set to visit Queensland state's capital Brisbane on Sunday, hailed the move as "the biggest improvement in the rights of New Zealanders living in Australia in a generation". "Kiwis taking up Australian citizenship will still retain their New Zealand citizenship. The changes also meant children born in Australia since July to an Australia-based New Zealand parent would be automatically entitled to Australian citizenship, he said. Around 670,000 New Zealand citizens live in Australia, while there are around 70,000 Australians in New Zealand, according to Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

☆ Australia eases pathway to citizenship for New Zealanders
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-22 | by ( ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Australia announced on Saturday a direct pathway to citizenship for New Zealanders living in the country, reversing controversial visa rules a day before a visit by New Zealand Prime Minister Chris Hipkins. Hipkins, set to visit Queensland state’s capital Brisbane on Sunday, hailed the move as “the biggest improvement in the rights of New Zealanders living in Australia in a generation”. “Kiwis taking up Australian citizenship will still retain their New Zealand citizenship. The changes also meant children born in Australia since July to an Australia-based New Zealand parent would be automatically entitled to Australian citizenship, he said. Around 670,000 New Zealand citizens live in Australia, while there are around 70,000 Australians in New Zealand, according to Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

☆ Australia prime minister to attend NATO summit in July
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

SYDNEY, April 21 (Reuters) - Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese will attend the NATO summit in July, his office said on Friday, days after his New Zealand counterpart, Chris Hipkins, confirmed his attendance. Australia and New Zealand are not members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) but have a decades-long relationship with the Western alliance. Albanese's office said in a statement that Australia shared with NATO members "a commitment to supporting democracy, peace, and security and upholding the rule of law" as the group looks to expand and strengthen ties. Finland became its 31st member this month in a historic policy shift, roughly doubling the length of the border NATO shares with Russia. Albanese had previously said he was still considering whether to travel to the summit.

[1/2] New Zealands' Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern addresses the 77th United Nations General Assembly at U.N. headquarters in New York City, New York, U.S., September 23, 2022. REUTERS/Caitlin Ochs/File PhotoApril 5 (Reuters) - All New Zealanders should feel politics can be a home for them, former Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said on Wednesday, in a final address to parliament after leading the nation through the COVID-19 pandemic and a terror attack in Christchurch. Ardern, who thanked her family, her political party and her supporters, had stepped down as prime minister in January saying she had "no more in the tank" to lead the country. Ardern said she had found herself involved in people's lives "during their most grief-stricken or traumatic moments" in that series of events. New Zealand faced some of the strictest measures globally but also had one of the lowest death tolls.

MELBOURNE, April 4 (Reuters) - Former New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern will take up an unpaid role leading the country's efforts against violent online extremism, the government said on Tuesday. Ardern stepped down as leader earlier this year, in a surprise decision that brought ally Chris Hipkins to power as head of the centre-left Labour Party. Attacks on two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand's second-largest city, in March 2019 left 51 people dead and 40 injured. "The Christchurch Call is a foreign policy priority for the government and Jacinda Ardern is uniquely placed to keep pushing forward with the goal of eliminating violent extremist content online," Hipkins said in a statement. "Terrorist and violent extremist content online is a global issue, but for many in New Zealand it is also very personal."

☆ New Zealand raises concerns with China on South China Sea, Taiwan
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SYDNEY, March 25 (Reuters) - New Zealand Foreign Affairs Minister Nanaia Mahuta said on Saturday she had expressed concerns over the South China Sea and tensions in the Taiwan Strait during talks with her Chinese counterpart at the end of a visit to Beijing. "Nanaia Mahuta expressed concerns over developments in the South China Sea and increasing tensions in the Taiwan Strait," the foreign minister's statement said. New Zealand has consistently expressed concerns about the potential militarisation of the Pacific, amid China's military buildup in the South China Sea. China views democratically governed Taiwan as its own territory and has never renounced the option of using force to take the island under its control, and claims a large part of the South China Sea. She invited Qin to visit New Zealand, and also flagged a potential visit by New Zealand Prime Minister Chris Hipkins to China, perhaps this year.

☆ New Zealand foreign minister to meet Chinese counterpart in Beijing
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

March 20 (Reuters) - New Zealand's foreign minister, Nanaia Mahuta, will travel to China on Tuesday to meet her counterpart Qin Gang on the first such visit by a New Zealand minister since 2019. "New Zealand's relationship with China is one of our most important, complex and wide ranging," she said in a statement. Prime Minister Chris Hipkins said New Zealand's position on China had not changed. Hipkins said he had not "certainly taken off the table" a trip to China this year. Reporting by Renju Jose in Sydney; Editing by Alasdair Pal and Clarence FernandezOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ New Zealand's Georgina Beyer, world's first openly transgender MP, dies
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SYDNEY, March 6 (Reuters) - New Zealander Georgina Beyer, the world's first openly transgender member of parliament and tireless advocate for LGBTQ rights, has died at the age of 65. She had long battled kidney disease but statements about her death did not mention the cause. A former sex worker, actor and drag queen, Beyer was elected to national parliament in 1999 after several years as mayor of Carterton, a rural town on the country's North Island. Beyer received a kidney transplant in 2017 after four years of end-stage renal failure that required daily dialysis. "I certainly think that Georgina blazed a trail that has made it much easier for others to follow."

☆ New Zealand launches global fundraiser for post-cyclone reconstruction
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-27 | by ( Lewis Jackson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

SYDNEY, Feb 27 (Reuters) - New Zealand will launch an international fundraising appeal for the massive reconstruction work needed after Cyclone Gabrielle tore across the country's north earlier this month, forcing thousands of people into shelters and killing eleven. The appeal will fund longer term recovery projects and target wealthy expatriates, businesses and anyone with affection for New Zealand, said Prime Minister Chris Hipkins on Monday. The appeal will be modeled after the 2011 Christchurch earthquake fundraiser, which collected over NZ$94 million ($57.94 million). A national state of emergency, only the third declared in the country's history, will continue in cyclone-hit regions. ($1 = 1.6223 New Zealand dollars)Reporting by Lewis Jackson; Editing by Simon Cameron-MooreOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Heavy rains forecast for cyclone-hit areas of New Zealand
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-21 | by ( Lewis Jackson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/5] A view of flood damage in the the aftermath of cyclone Gabrielle in HawkeÕs Bay, New Zealand, in this picture released on February 15, 2023. New Zealand Defence Force/Handout via REUTERSFeb 21 (Reuters) - Parts of cyclone-stricken New Zealand could see heavy rains from Thursday as relief and recovery efforts continue and tens of thousands remain without power after Cyclone Gabrielle tore across the country's North Island last week. Prime Minister Chris Hipkins has called Gabrielle New Zealand's biggest natural disaster this century. Hard-hit regions across the north east, where 13,000 remain without power and 1,300 are in emergency shelters, are set for heavy rain from Thursday. ($1 = 1.6028 New Zealand dollars)Reporting by Lewis Jackson in Sydney; Editing by Lincoln Feast.

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