Jacinda Ardern Resigns As Prime Minister Of New Zealand Effective February 7

 

Daily Mail: Jacinda Ardern shocks the world and RESIGNS as New Zealand Prime Minister: Says she's got 'nothing left in the tank' and tells her fiancé Clarke 'let's finally get married' 

* Ms Ardern became NZ's youngest-ever prime minister on October 26, 2017 

* Led her country through Covid pandemic and Christchurch mosque massacre 

* Resignation shocked everyone as she denied speculation she would leave 

* Insisted she was just burned out and had nothing left in the tank to continue  

Jacinda Ardern has choked back tears as she announced her resignation as New Zealand Prime Minister in an emotional press conference. 

Her resignation comes into effect on Sunday if the Labour Party can elect her replacement in a two-thirds vote on that day, or on February 7 if the process is drawn out. 

Ms Ardern said she hoped to find the energy and heart during the Christmas break to stay in the job, 'but I have not been able to do that'.  

Read more ....  

WNU Editor: I did not expect this resignation. It looks like after getting married and becoming a mom, her priorities have changed. 

Jacinda Ardern Resigns As Prime Minister Of New Zealand  

Jacinda Ardern: New Zealand PM to step down next month -- BBC  

Jacinda Ardern resigns as prime minister of New Zealand -- The Guardian 

New Zealand’s Jacinda Ardern, an icon to many, to step down -- AP  

Jacinda Ardern announces she will step down as New Zealand PM in February -- France 24 

New Zealand PM Jacinda Ardern to step down in February -- DW  

Jacinda Ardern announces resignation as New Zealand prime minister -- ABC News Australia

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern resigns a month after hot mic insult -- FOX News  

New Zealand leader Jacinda Ardern to resign before upcoming election -- CNN

New Zealand's Prime Minister Says The World Is Now Standing On A Nuclear Precipice

New Zealand's Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern  

Jacinda Ardern, The Guardian: The world stands on a nuclear precipice – we must avoid catastrophe  

The world can still step back from the abyss. The nuclear weapon states – the US, Russia, China, France and the UK – must lead the way 

In 1945 nuclear weapons were used in armed conflict for the first and only time. 355,000 people were killed in Hiroshima and Nagasaki by two nuclear bombs. 

Two. That number alone puts in stark perspective the world’s current arsenal of about 13,000 nuclear weapons. 

And yet in many ways the 13,000 weapons held globally represents progress; it’s less than a quarter of the more than 63,000 weapons in circulation in 1985 during the cold war. 

Read more ....  

WNU Editor: Here are 6 times the world was on the edge of nuclear war (link here).

New Zealand Supermarket Chain Removes Knives And Scissors From Shelves After Terrorist Attack

 

The Hill: Knives taken off supermarket shelves in New Zealand after terrorist attack 

A New Zealand supermarket chain announced that it was temporarily removing all scissors and knives from its shelves following an attack that left several people injured at one of its stores on Friday. 

A general manager of supermarket chain Countdown said it was also considering if they would sell such items in the future. 

"Last night, we made the decision to temporarily remove all knives and scissors from our shelves while we consider whether we should continue to sell them," Kiri Hannifin, Countdown’s general manager for safety, said in a statement on Saturday.  

Read more ....  

Update: New Zealand supermarkets take knives off shelves after 'extremist' stabbing (Reuters)  

WNU Editor: Everyone knew that this person was a threat .... Extremist was released from New Zealand jail despite fears (CBS). But instead of deporting him the decision was made to release him. 

As for removing knives and scissors. This is nuts.

'ISIS-inspired Extremist' Shot Dead By New Zealand Police After He Stabs 6 At Supermarket

 

ABC News: New Zealand police shoot dead 'ISIS-inspired extremist' after he stabs 6 at supermarket  

The attacker had been a "person of interest" since 2016, police said. 

New Zealand is reeling from a knife-wielding rampage at a busy Auckland supermarket that left six fighting for their lives and the assailant dead. 

Authorities have called it a terror attack. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern confirmed that the man behind Friday's terrorist attack in Auckland, who was shot dead by police after he stabbed six people in a supermarket, was inspired by ideologies of the Islamic State militant group.  

Read more .... 

More News On Today's Terror Attack In New Zealand 

 New Zealand PM Ardern says supermarket stabbing was 'terrorist attack' -- BBC  

New Zealand police kill 'terrorist' after he stabs 6 people -- AP  

ISIS supporter shot dead by New Zealand police after shoppers stabbed in 'terrorist attack' -- CNN  

New Zealand authorities say Islamic terrorist stabbed 6 at supermarket; suspect dead -- FOX News  

New Zealand attack raises uncomfortable questions about ability of authorities to keep terrorists off the street -- SKY News  

Auckland terror attack eyewitness describes the moment they bravely confronted knifeman with a pole seconds before ISIS-inspired monster was shot dead by police -- Daily Mail

New Zealanders Go To The Polls As Prime Minister Ardern Seeks A 2nd Term (Update: Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern Re-Elected)

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern (L) and National leader Judith Collins participate in a televised debate at TVNZ in Auckland, New Zealand, September 22, 2020. Fiona Goodall/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo 

ABC News (Australia): New Zealanders go to the polls as Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern seeks second term 

New Zealanders are voting today in a general election to determine if Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern will strengthen her left-of-centre hold on government, or succumb to a challenge from conservatives led by Judith Collins. 

Labour Party leader Ms Ardern, 40, and National Party leader Ms Collins, 61, are the faces of the election to form the country's 53rd Parliament, a pandemic-focused referendum on Ms Ardern's initial three-year term. 

Doors to the polling booths opened at 9am today, though a record number of voters had already cast their ballots in advance. 

Read more .... 

 More News On New Zealanders Going To The Polls 

New Zealanders go to the polls as Ardern seeks 2nd term -- AP 

New Zealand's Ardern seeks second term as pandemic-focused polls open -- Reuters 

New Zealand's Ardern eyes majority as pandemic-focused polls open -- France 24 

New Zealand heads to the polls as Ardern seeks reelection -- DW 

Jacinda Ardern eyes majority as New Zealand heads to polls -- BBC 

New Zealand election: voters head to the polls as Ardern, Collins call halt to campaign -- The Guardian Two women vie to lead New Zealand as voting opens -- Al Jazeera 

New Zealand: Can Jacinda Ardern win another term as PM? -- DW

Update: Jacinda Arden Labour Party wins in a landslide win (BBC)

New Zealand Faces Worst Recession On Record

Bloomberg: New Zealand in recession as coronavirus lockdown hits economy

* The country fell into its deepest economic slump since the Great Depression in the second quarter as Covid-19 restrictions paralysed business activity
* But the 12.2 per cent drop in GDP is unlikely to dent Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern’s chances of winning a second term in the October 17 election

New Zealand suffered its worst economic slump since the Great Depression in the second quarter as a strict nationwide lockdown to combat the coronavirus brought the country to a standstill.

Gross domestic product plunged 12.2 per cent from the first quarter, Statistics New Zealand said on Thursday in Wellington. That is the biggest three-month contraction since quarterly records began in 1977.

Economists had forecast a 12.5 per cent decline. From a year earlier, the economy shrank 12.4 per cent, the most recorded in comparable official data dating back to 1955.

Read more ....

Update #1: Covid pushes New Zealand into worst recession in years (BBC)
Update #2: New Zealand enters recession amid record drop in GDP (DW)

WNU Editor: The experts are calling this a technical recession and will be over very soon. I doubt it. New Zealand is heavily dependent on tourism, and I do not see people flying around as tourists for the next year or two.

New Zealand Customs Now Have The Authority To Demand The Password To Your Digital Devices

The Hill: New Zealand can now fine travelers who refuse to unlock digital devices

New Zealand has become the first country to threaten travelers with prosecution and fines if they refuse to hand over passwords for their digital devices at security.

Border officials say the new policy, which could impose fines of more than $3,000 on foreign visitors and New Zealanders, is an “appropriate remedy” for security concerns, according to The New York Times.

Customs officials can now demand travelers provide passwords or other device-unlocking information like fingerprints if they are suspected of possessing child pornography or involvement in drug or financial crimes.

Read more ....

More News On New Zealand Custom Agents Having The Authority To Demand The Password To Your Digital Devices

New Zealand’s ‘digital strip searches’: Give border agents your passwords or risk a $5,000 fine - Washington Post -- Washington Post
Fork Over Passwords or Pay the Price, New Zealand Tells Travelers -- The New York Times
New Zealand to fine travelers who don't hand over device passwords -- Axios
New Zealand customs officers now have the power to demand passwords to digital devices -- SCMP

Massive Earthquake Rocks New Zealand

CNN: New Zealand: 7.8-magnitude quake rocks south, triggers tsunami

(CNN)A powerful 7.8-magnitude earthquake has rocked New Zealand's South Island, triggering a tsunami as people fled buildings in a panic and were told to seek higher ground.

The quake struck around 50 kilometers (around 30 miles) northeast of the city of Christchurch just after midnight local time on Monday, the US Geological Survey reported. Waves of 2.49 meters above usual tide levels were measured near the epicenter by the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center (PTWC).

Read more ....

More News On Today's Massive Earthquake Rocking New Zealand

New Zealand earthquake: evacuations as tsunami heads for east coast – live -- The Guardian
Live: 7.5 magnitude earthquake strikes near Hanmer Springs in South Island, tsunami warning for many New Zealand coastal areas -- New Zealand Herald
Severe 7.5 earthquake hits Hanmer Springs, felt widely across New Zealand as tsunami warning issued -- STuff (New Zealand)
Earthquake: New Zealanders in shock -- Radio New Zealand
Severe earthquake, measuring 7.8, strikes New Zealand, north of Christchurch -- The Australian
New Zealand earthquake: Tsunami follows powerful tremor -- BBC
Tsunami hits New Zealand after massive quake -- Reuters
Powerful quake strikes New Zealand, triggering small tsunami -- AP
Tsunami Threat After New Zealand Rocked by Strong Earthquake -- WSJ
Powerful Quake Shakes Christchurch, New Zealand: USGS -- NBC
Tsunami warning issued after huge earthquake strikes New Zealand -- Washington Post
Powerful magnitude 7.8 earthquake strikes New Zealand, USGS says -- FOX News

Leaked Documents: New Zealand Teamed Up With The NSA To Spy On China

New Zealand Prime Minister John Key says he will declassify documents that prove the government's mass spying initiative never pushed through. Reuters

The Intercept: New Zealand Plotted Hack on China With NSA

New Zealand spies teamed with National Security Agency hackers to break into a data link in the country’s largest city, Auckland, as part of a secret plan to eavesdrop on Chinese diplomats, documents reveal.

The covert operation, reported Saturday by New Zealand’s Herald on Sunday in collaboration with The Intercept, highlights the contrast between New Zealand’s public and secret approaches to its relationship with China, its largest and most important trading partner.

The hacking project suggests that New Zealand’s electronic surveillance agency, Government Communications Security Bureau, or GCSB, may have violated international treaties that prohibit the interception of diplomatic communications.

More News On Reports That New Zealand Teamed Up With The NSA To Spy On China

Leaked papers reveal NZ plan to spy on China for US -- New Zealand Herald
How NZ and US agents plotted to spy on China -- New Zealand Herald
Claim Govt prepared to spy on Chinese consulate -- Radio New Zealand
New Zealand Plotted to Spy on China for US - NSA Documents -- Sputnik
New Zealand Plotted To Spy On China For The U.S., According to Leaked Documents -- China Topix
China concerned at reports of New Zealand-US plan to spy on diplomats -- China Daily/Xinhua
Key: No proof NZ spied on China -- 3 News

Is New Zealand Experiencing It's Own NSA Scandal?

New Zealand soldiers patrol in Band-e-Amir in Bamiyan Province, Afghanistan (AFP Photo/Shah Marai)

Report: New Zealand Military Collected Data On Phone Calls Of McClatchy Contributor -- McClatchy News

WASHINGTON — New Zealand’s defense minister said Monday that an investigation is underway into a report that U.S. intelligence agencies helped his nation’s military track the mobile telephone calls of a freelance journalist while he worked for McClatchy Newspapers in Afghanistan.

New Zealand Defense Minister Jonathan Coleman said he’d seen “no evidence to support these claims at this point. However, the Defense Force is carrying out extensive record checks to see if there is any evidence that this occurred.”

Coleman issued the statement in response to a report published in the Sunday Star Times of Auckland that said that the New Zealand military asked “U.S. spy agencies” to help them collect the “metadata” of cellular calls made by Jon Stephenson, a New Zealand freelance journalist who was based in Afghanistan.

Read more ....

More News On Reports That New Zealand's Military Spied On A Journalist With Help From US Agencies

NZ journalist spied on after ‘inconvenient, embarrassing’ Afghanistan report -- RT
Defence denies allowing spying on reporter -- Radio New Zealand
Defence denies monitoring journalist -- Stuff.co.nz
New Zealand disputes report saying military spied on journalist with help from US agencies -- Washington Post/AP
New Zealand denies allegation it spied on reporter in Afghanistan -- FOX News
N.Z. Defense Force Denies Spying on Journalist in Afghanistan -- Bloomberg Businessweek
New Zealand prime minister’s says it’s possible journalists could get caught in enemy spy net -- Washington Post/AP

New Zealand Soldiers Performing The Maori Haka For Their Fallen Comrades

New Zealand Infantry Performs Maori Haka In Spine-Tingling Farewell To Fallen Comrades -- Daily Mail

* Video of moving tribute goes viral after being released by NZ Defence Force
* Shows 200 soldiers performing ancestral war cry at funeral in Christchurch
* Corporal Luke Tamatea, Lance Corporal Jacinda Baker and Private Richard Harris were killed by roadside bomb in Afghanistan
* Haka illustrated men's 'outpouring of emotion', says NZ army spokesman

A spine-tingling video showing around 200 New Zealand soldiers performing the Maori haka at the funeral of three fallen comrades has gone viral.

Members of the 2nd and 1st Battalion Royal New Zealand Infantry Regiment took performed the ancestral war cry to show their 'collective grief' at the deaths of Corporal Luke Tamatea, 31, Lance Corporal Jacinda Baker, 26, and 21-year-old Private Richard Harris.

Read more ....

My Comment: Wow.

Christchurch Earthquake: Families Distraught As Up To 100 Die In A Single Building -- The Telegraph

The official death toll of 75 looks certain to rise considerably as relatives waiting for news of their loved ones following the Christchurch earthquake have been told that up to 100 people have died in a single building.

New Zealand authorities called off rescue operations at the Canterbury Television building after police said they were "100 per cent certain" no one left inside could have survived.

In a blow to families and friends who were holding vigil for their relatives trapped inside the CTV building in the city centre, police said that reports from early in the day that 15 people had survived and found an air pocket inside the rubble were false.

Read more ....

More News On The Earthquake In New Zealand

NZ earthquake toll at 75 dead, 300 missing -- AP
Christchurch Braces for Aftershocks as Shaken Buildings Teeter -- Bloomberg
Up to 23 Japanese Still Missing After NZ Quake -- Wall Street Journal
Rescuers Press Search for Survivors in N. Zealand Quake -- New York Times
New Zealand earthquake preparedness: Authorities battled complacency -- Christian Science Monitor
Insurers may face $3.5-$8 billion New Zealand quake hit -- Reuters

New Zealand Government Inquirer On How A Fraud Was Hired In A Sensitive Military Post Is Completed

Photo: Fantasist: British-born Stephen Wilce had a list of lies on his CV which got him a top job with the New Zealand military

New Zealand Government Embarrassed After Employing British-Born Fantasist As Senior Intelligence Officer -- The Daily Mail

Stephen Wilce’s action-packed career appeared to rival the great heroes of thriller stories.

The British-born military scientist had worked as a spy, served with the Duke of York as a helicopter pilot, competed in the Winter Olympics, captained a Royal Navy swimming team and was a special forces soldier who ended up on an IRA death list.

He also boasted that he had designed the Polaris missile guidance system, that he was a member of the Welsh national rugby union team and, last but not least, that he was a guitarist on the British folk music circuit.

The only trouble was that Wilce’s yarns were just that – total fiction.

Read more ....

My Comment: What strikes me about this story are the 80 individuals who worked under him. They must be pissed for being past over for promotion .... and ending up working for a fraud like this one.

New Zealand's Top Military Scientist Is A Fake

New Zealand's current affairs programme, 60 Minutes, reported that at one previous workplace Mr Wilce was known as 'Walter Mitty'

New Zealand Military Scientist Caught Lying On CV -- The Telegraph

New Zealand's top military scientist has resigned after he was accused of lying on his CV by claiming he worked for MI5, MI6 and was an Olympic bobsledder who raced against the Jamaican Cool Runnings team.

British born Stephen Wilce also said that he had combat experience with Britain's Royal Marines and designed guidance systems for Britain's Polaris missile.

As chief military scientist for the past five years, leading a team of 80 in the secretive Defence Technology Agency, Mr Wilce had access to sensitive classified material at the highest level.

Read more ....

My Comment: I am sure he is not the only one .... and not only in New Zealand.