British Foreign Minister Boris Johnson said Tuesday that New Zealand could expect to be one of the first nations to ink a trade deal with London once Brexit was finalised. Johnson, making his first visit to New Zealand, met Prime Minister Bill English for talks that covered trade, international security and Britain’s ties with its … Read more
Britain’s gaffe-prone Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson likened a traditional Maori greeting to a headbutt Monday while visiting indigenous leaders in New Zealand. Johnson opened his two-day trip with a visit to a marae, or Maori meeting house, in Kaikoura, the South Island town that was hit by a massive earthquake last year. While there he … Read more
Team New Zealand celebrated their America’s Cup victory with a ticker-tape parade in Auckland Thursday before taking the Auld Mug for a ferry ride escorted by Maori war canoes. The New Zealanders claimed yachting’s oldest trophy last week with an emphatic 7-1 win over Oracle Team USA in Bermuda. Tens of thousands of supporters braved … Read more
Kiwis on Tuesday greeted Team New Zealand’s America’s Cup victory with jubilation and a huge sigh of relief as it was revealed the triumph was secured with a damaged boat that could have failed at any time. New Zealand syndicate boss Grant Dalton said after the win that Team NZ had to nurse their boat … Read more
Israel and New Zealand will restore ties after a row over Wellington’s backing of a UN resolution in December condemning Israeli settlement building, a statement said Tuesday. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his New Zealand counterpart Bill English decided to end the dispute following a phone conversation, a statement from Netanyahu’s office said. Israel’s … Read more
New Zealand’s main opposition party Monday announced plans to almost halve immigration numbers if it wins a September election, with the clampdown focused on international students. Labour Party leader Andrew Little said it was “time for a breather on immigration” in the nation, which has experienced record annual net arrivals of about 70,000 in recent … Read more
US President Donald Trump has told his top diplomat to ignore trouble in Washington and re-engage with Russia to rebuild ties, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said Tuesday. With ex-FBI director James Comey due to testify to Congress on Thursday, Tillerson was asked if he feared the adminstration would be brought down over allegations of … Read more
World leaders have condemned Saturday’s London terror attack which left seven people dead and more than 30 injured. President Emmanuel Macron said France, which had two citizens injured in the attack, was more than ever at Britain’s side. Australian PM Malcolm Turnbull said his “prayers and resolute solidarity” were with the British people. One Australian … Read more
New Zealand plans to scrap the crime of blasphemy after calls from across the political spectrum for reform in response to an Irish investigation into British comic Stephen Fry. David Seymour, leader of ACT, a minor opposition party, who has instigated the move, said lawmakers of all stripes wanted to end what they saw as … Read more
Internet mogul Kim Dotcom has launched a bold, though probably doomed, bid to have FBI director James Comey grilled by New Zealand police while visiting the South Pacific nation for a security conference. Comey is reportedly attending a meeting of the “Five Eyes” intelligence sharing network — the United States, Britain, Canada, Australia, and New … Read more
Thousands of Australians and New Zealanders, many braving heavy rain, turned out Tuesday to mark the Gallipoli landing and to pay tribute to soldiers in current conflict zones in moving ceremonies. Ceremonies are held annually on the April 25 anniversary of the ill-fated 1915 landing of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps in modern-day … Read more
New Zealand Rugby (NZR) compared the vitriol surrounding Sonny Bill Williams’ religious objections to wearing a banking logo with homophobia on Thursday, urging fans to respect the All Black star’s beliefs. Williams, a devout Muslim, appeared for the Auckland Blues last weekend with the Bank of New Zealand (BNZ) logo on his shirt collar blocked … Read more
All Blacks star Sonny Bill Williams was given permission Wednesday to wear a special Auckland Blues jersey with no bank advertisements in line with his religious beliefs, after he covered a sponsor’s logo at the weekend. Williams, a devout Muslim, appeared for the Blues during Saturday’s loss to the Otago Highlanders with the Bank of … Read more
New Zealand’s prime minister on Monday criticised All Blacks star Sonny Bill Williams’ decision to block out a sponsor’s logo on his shirt apparently for religious reasons. Williams appeared for the Auckland Blues during Saturday’s loss to the Otago Highlanders with the Bank of New Zealand (BNZ) logo taped over on his collar. New Zealand … Read more
One of Australia’s most renowned satirists, John Clarke, has died. The New Zealand-born comedian and writer was famous in Australia for sending up politicians and conducting mock interviews in a television career spanning almost 30 years. Among his many hits, Clarke wrote an award-winning mockumentary, The Games, about planning Sydney’s 2000 Olympics. He died on … Read more
New Zealand Prime Minister Bill English defended his love of pizza topped with tinned spaghetti and pineapple on Friday after the recipe sent fans of the Italian treat into an outraged frenzy. English posted pictures of his unorthodox tastes on Facebook this week, saying he prepared the dish for his family. The Internet melted down … Read more
New Zealand will not hold an inquiry into “discredited” allegations its special forces committed war crimes in Afghanistan, Prime Minister Bill English said Monday. A book published last month alleged the SAS staged a “revenge attack” in 2010 after the death of a New Zealand soldier, but faulty intelligence meant they killed six civilians including … Read more
Australia’s prime minister, who was at the receiving end of US President Donald Trump’s ire during a fiery phone call last month, on Friday offered media advice to the billionaire politician after he attacked the press. Trump stunned the political world Thursday with an impromptu White House news conference at which he railed against his … Read more
Hundreds of homes have been evacuated in the New Zealand city of Christchurch as a huge wildfire rages on its outskirts. One pilot died in a helicopter crash and least 11 homes have burned down. A state of emergency has been declared in the city and neighbouring Selwyn District and the military has been deployed … Read more
Australia and New Zealand say they are hopeful of pressing ahead with the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal, despite America’s formal withdrawal. The US-led 12-nation agreement was set to cover 40% of the world’s economic output. Pulling out of the TPP was one of Mr Trump’s first executive orders and fulfils a long-held campaign promise. Australia … Read more