New Zealand

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — Citing lower global growth, New Zealand’s Reserve Bank on Wednesday cut the nation’s benchmark interest rate by a quarter point to an all-time low of 1.5%.

The cut brings New Zealand’s rate in line with Australia’s rate of 1.5%. It was New Zealand’s first cut since November 2016, when the bank also cut the rate by a quarter point.

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — A Turkish man wounded in the Christchurch mosque shootings seven weeks ago died late Thursday in Christchurch Hospital, raising the death toll to 51, authorities in New Zealand and Turkey confirmed.

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said Friday the sad news would be felt across both countries.

“This man has been in intensive care since the attack,” Ardern said in a statement. “We have all been hoping for the best, however he has now succumbed to the injuries sustained in the shooting at the Al Noor mosque.”

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — New Zealand’s major media organizations pledged Wednesday not to promote white supremacist ideology when covering the trial of the man charged with killing 50 people at two mosques.

The five organizations that signed the agreement said they were aware that accused gunman Brenton Tarrant might try to use the trial as a platform to promote white supremacist or “terrorist” views.

New Zealand police arrested a man in Christchurch on Thursday following reports of a suspicious item at a property in the city, where 50 people at two mosques were killed by a lone gunman in March.

Police said a 33-year-old man was being questioned in relation to the incident in a residential neighborhood of the city.

"Police have located a package containing a suspected explosive device and ammunition at a vacant address," Canterbury District Commander Superintendent John Price said in a statement. 

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — A Christchurch businessman has pleaded guilty to sharing a livestream video that was recorded by a gunman last month as he began killing 50 people at two New Zealand mosques.

Philip Arps pleaded guilty to two counts of distributing the mosque video and will remain in jail until he’s sentenced on June 14. He faces a maximum penalty of 14 years in prison.

24 Apr 2019; DW: New Zealand and France will host a meeting with tech companies and world leaders to block terrorists from social media. It comes in the wake of the March shootings at two mosques in Christchurch.

New Zealand and France will work together to banish terrorists from social media networks, New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced on Wednesday.

Wellington, Apr 17 (AFP) New Zealand police on Wednesday ended the routine arming of frontline officers as the terrorism threat level was lowered a month after the Christchurch mosques massacre.

Police and security agencies reduced the threat level from high to medium, meaning authorities judge that another attack, violent criminal behaviour, or violent protest remains "feasible" rather than "very likely".

The level is still higher than it was before the March 15 attacks, when the threat was deemed to be "low".

WELLINGTON, April 15 (Xinhua) -- A latest poll released on Monday showed that New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern reached her highest ever rating as preferred prime minister.

According to the One News/Colmar Brunton Poll, Ardern's popularity reached 51 percent as preferred prime minister compared to 5 percent for Simon Bridges, the opposition National Party leader.

Ardern said following Monday's poll that she knew "when I'm fulfilling people's expectations and when I'm not, but my focus is still on doing the best I can."

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — Six people appeared in a New Zealand court Monday on charges they illegally redistributed the video a gunman livestreamed as he shot worshippers at two mosques last month.

Christchurch District Court Judge Stephen O’Driscoll denied bail to businessman Philip Arps and an 18-year-old suspect who both were taken into custody in March. The four others are not in custody.

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — New Zealand’s governor general on Thursday formally signed into effect sweeping gun laws outlawing military style weapons, less than a month after a man used such guns to kill 50 people and wound dozens at two mosques in Christchurch.

Governor General Patsy Reddy signed the bill as police said a gun buyback program will be announced to collect the now-banned weapons. The weapons will be illegal starting at midnight, but police said a brief amnesty program will be in effect until details of the buyback are announced.