The Gun City store is seen on the outskirts of Christchurch on Monday. New Zealand’s prime minister vowed to toughen the country’s gun laws after revealing that the man accused of murdering 49 people in two mosques legally purchased the arsenal of firearms used in the massacre. — AFP/VNA PhotoViet Nam News CHRISTCHURCH, New Zealand — New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern vowed on Tuesday never to utter the name of the twin-mosque gunman as she opened a sombre session of parliament with an evocative "as salaam alaikum" message of peace to Muslims. "He will face the full force of the law in New Zealand," Ardern promised grieving Kiwis, while promising that she would deprive the man who slaughtered 50 people in Christchurch of the publicity he craved. "He sought many things from his act of terror, but one was notoriety," she told assembled lawmakers of the 28-year-old Australian accused of the slaughter. "That is why you will never hear me mention his … [Read more...] about New Zealand’s Ardern vows never to speak killer’s name
New zealand north island
New Zealanders give up guns after massacre, but some face blowback
The gesture, however, has put some squarely in the social media firing line. John Hart, a farmer in the North Island district of Masterton, decided to give his semi-automatic rifle to police after Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced on Monday plans to tighten gun laws in light of the slaughter Friday of 50 Muslim worshippers. She also encouraged owners to surrender unnecessary firearms after it emerged that the accused mosque attacker, Australia white nationalist Brenton Tarrant, had legally acquired the guns he used in the rampage. Hart said it was an easy decision for him to hand in his semi-automatic and tweeted that "on the farm they are a useful tool in some circumstances, but my convenience doesn’t outweigh the risk of misuse. We don’t need these in our country". The tweet drew a barrage of derogatory messages to his Facebook account -- most apparently from the U.S., where the pro-gun lobby is powerful and vociferous. Hart deleted the messages but posted online: … [Read more...] about New Zealanders give up guns after massacre, but some face blowback
145 whales die on remote New Zealand beach
The remote location of the stranding meant the whales that had not yet died had to be euthanised. — AFP/VNA PhotoViet Nam News WELLINGTON — Up to 145 pilot whales have died in a mass stranding on a remote part of a small New Zealand island, authorities said on Monday. The stranding was discovered by a hiker late Saturday on Stewart Island, 30 kilometres off the southern coast of the South Island. Half of the whales were already dead and due to the condition of the remaining whales and the remote, difficult to access location, the decision was made to euthanise the remainder. "Sadly, the likelihood of being able to successfully re-float the remaining whales was extremely low," said Ren Leppens, the Department of Conservation’s operations manager on Stewart Island. "The remote location, lack of nearby personnel and the whales’ deteriorating condition meant the most humane thing to do was to euthanise. "However, it’s always a … [Read more...] about 145 whales die on remote New Zealand beach
6.7-magnitude quake jolts New Zealand’s remote islands, no tsunami alert
New Zealand GeoNet recorded that the quake occurred at 4:18 p.m. local time, with epicenter of 132 km below and 785 km away from Whakatane in north island. United States Geological Survey recorded the quake at 6.9 magnitude with epicenter of 111 km below. Ministry of Civil Defense of New Zealand said that based on current information, the initial assessment ruled out a subsequent tsunami threat after the quake. … [Read more...] about 6.7-magnitude quake jolts New Zealand’s remote islands, no tsunami alert
New Zealand halts new offshore oil and gas exploration
New Zealand is halting all new offshore oil and gas exploration as part of its efforts to deal with climate change, the centre-left government said on Thursday (Apr 12). New Zealand's Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern. (Andy WHARTON/AFP) "(We are) taking an important step to address climate change and create a clean, green and sustainable future for New Zealand," Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said. The oil and gas industry in New Zealand generates about NZ$2.5 billion a year (US$1.8 billion), including NZ$1.5 billion in exports, and employs about 11,000 people. Ardern said existing drilling and exploration permits would not be affected, meaning no existing jobs would be lost. She said there would also be limited new on-shore permits around the North Island's Taranaki region, where most of New Zealand industry is concentrated. "We're striking the right balance for New Zealand - we're protecting existing industry and protecting future generations from climate change," she said. … [Read more...] about New Zealand halts new offshore oil and gas exploration