New Zealand’s Defense Minister Judith Collins has decried what she called misogynistic online comments about the woman commander of a navy ship which ran aground, caught fire and sank off the coast of Samoa on Sunday.

An inquiry into New Zealand’s worst mass shooting will examine — among other issues — the response times of police and medics and whether any of the 51 people who were killed could have been saved.

New figures show that New Zealand’s economy has dipped into recession as higher interest rates take their toll.

New Zealand’s central bank has raised its benchmark interest rate by a half-point to 4.75% as it continues trying to wrestle down inflation.

A survivor of the New Zealand mosque shootings three years ago says extremists should see that the violence that day achieved none of the gunman's aims.

A year after suffering a huge election loss, New Zealand’s conservative opposition leader Judith Collins has been ousted by her caucus.

Making coronavirus vaccines more accessible and reducing carbon emissions were two key pledges agreed to by top Pacific Rim lawmakers.

A lawyer for the gunman who killed 51 worshippers at two New Zealand mosques says his client is considering appealing his convictions and prison sentence.

The island nation of Tonga has reported its first-ever case of COVID-19 after a traveler from New Zealand tested positive.

Trade ministers from the Asia-Pacific are discussing ways to improve access to coronavirus vaccines and tools needed to fight the pandemic in an online meeting hosted by New Zealand.

Temel Atacocugu, right, who survived being shot nine times during the attack on the Al Noor mosque, cries as he speaks at a National Remembrance Service, Saturday, March 13, 2021, in Christchurch, New Zealand. The service marks the second anniversary of a shooting massacre in which 51 worshippers were killed at two Christchurch mosques by a white supremacist. (Kai Schwoerer/Pool via AP)WELLINGTON – New Zealand on Saturday marked the second anniversary of one of its most traumatic days, when 51 worshippers were killed at two Christchurch mosques by a white supremacist gunman. Several hundred people gathered at the Christchurch Arena for the remembrance service, which was also livestreamed. After the attacks, New Zealand quickly passed new laws banning the deadliest types of semiautomatic weapons.

New Zealand's government on Thursday, Feb. 25, 2021 made the first of several promised moves to rein in skyrocketing house prices by ordering the nation's Reserve Bank to consider the impact on housing when making decisions. (AP Photo/Mark Baker, File)WELLINGTON – New Zealand's success in battling the coronavirus has unleashed an unanticipated problem: skyrocketing house prices. When the pandemic first hit, most experts predicted house prices would fall. Ad“It's very pleasing to see movement in the right direction,” said Shamubeel Eaqub, an economist with Sense Partners who has written extensively about New Zealand's housing problems. But, he added, he expects house prices to “keep going up at a great rate of knots” without further strong intervention.

Monday marked a decade since the quake struck, killing 185 people. Hundreds of people attended an outdoor service in Christchurch, which continues to rebuild from the magnitude 6.3 quake that destroyed much of its downtown. A separate service was also held in the northern Japanese city of Toyama, home to 12 students who died in the quake. Christchurch Mayor Lianne Dalziel talked about the 28 Japanese citizens who died, the largest number of victims from any country outside of New Zealand. The 12 Japanese students were having lunch at King’s Education, an English language school for international students, when the quake struck, destroying the building.

Peter Carrell, the Anglican bishop of Christchurch, stands outside the 2011 earthquake damaged Christ Church Cathedral in central Christchurch, New Zealand on Feb 11, 2021. The Christ Church Cathedral was arguably New Zealand's most iconic building before much of it crumbled during an earthquake 10 years ago. But as the city on Monday, Feb. 22, 2021 marks one decade since the quake struck, killing 185 people and upending countless more lives, there are finally signs of progress on the cathedral. (AP Photo/Nick Perry)CHRISTCHURCH – The Christ Church Cathedral was arguably New Zealand's most iconic building before much of it crumbled in an earthquake 10 years ago. As the city on Monday marks one decade since the quake struck, killing 185 people and upending countless more lives, there are finally signs of progress on the cathedral.

Among 44 recommendations, the report released Tuesday says the government should establish a new national intelligence agency. It says that New Zealand’s intelligence agencies were far too focused on the threat posed by Islamic extremism at the expense of other threats including white supremacism. New Zealand currently has one intelligence agency that focuses on domestic threats and one that focuses on international threats. Tarrant told investigators that although he frequented extreme right-wing discussion boards on websites like 4chan and 8chan, he found YouTube a far more significant source of information and inspiration. Despite the shortcomings of various agencies, the report concludes, there was no plausible way Tarrant's plans could have been detected "except by chance.”

FILE - In this Oct. 16, 2020, file photo, cars are driven past a billboard urging voters to vote "No" against euthanasia in Christchurch, New Zealand. New Zealanders have voted on Friday, Oct. 30, 2020 in favor of legalizing euthanasia in a binding referendum. (AP Photo/Mark Baker, File)WELLINGTON – New Zealanders voted to legalize euthanasia in a binding referendum, but preliminary results released Friday showed they likely would not legalize marijuana. With about 83% of votes counted, New Zealanders emphatically endorsed the euthanasia measure with 65% voting in favor and 34% voting against. The marijuana measure would allow people to buy up to 14 grams (0.5 ounce) a day and grow two plants.

All remain in quarantine at a Christchurch hotel, and health officials say they expect more to test positive. — British PM Johnson imposing strict coronavirus restrictions on Greater Manchester, England’s second-largest urban area, after talks fail on financial support. Local health officials said Tuesday that the surge is overwhelming their ability to confront the pandemic. Officials say coronavirus cases related to the university represent 61% of the total in Washtenaw County, compared to just 2% in August. ___PHOENIX — Arizona reported more than 1,000 daily coronavirus cases for the second time in a week.

New Zealanders are poised to decide on two crucial social issues during an election on Saturday, Oct. 17, whether to legalize recreational marijuana and whether to legalize euthanasia. (AP Photo/Mark Baker)AUCKLAND – New Zealanders are poised to decide on two landmark social issues during an election Saturday: whether to legalize recreational marijuana and whether to legalize euthanasia. Polls indicate the euthanasia referendum is likely to pass while the result of the marijuana measure remains uncertain. The marijuana measure would allow people to buy up to 14 grams (0.5 ounce) a day and grow two plants. If the euthanasia referendum is approved, it would become law, whereas if the marijuana referendum is approved, it would still require lawmakers to pass matching legislation.

Mosque shooting survivors from left, Mustafa Boztas, Wassail Daragmih and Temel Atacocugu celebrate as they leave the Christchurch High Court after the sentencing hearing for Australian Brenton Harrison Tarrant, in Christchurch, New Zealand, Thursday, Aug. 27, 2020. Tarrant, a white supremacist who killed 51 worshippers at two New Zealand mosques in March 2019 was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. (AP Photo/Mark Baker)

Australian Brenton Harrison Tarrant, 29, sits in the dock on day three at the Christchurch High Court for sentencing after pleading guilty to 51 counts of murder, 40 counts of attempted murder and one count of terrorism in Christchurch, New Zealand, Wednesday, Aug. 26, 2020. More than 60 survivors and family members will confront the New Zealand mosque gunman this week when he appears in court to be sentenced for his crimes in the worst atrocity in the nation's modern history. (John Kirk-Anderson/Pool Photo via AP)

Mirwais Waziri gestures during the sentencing hearing for Australian Brenton Harrison Tarrant at the Christchurch High Court after Tarrant pleaded guilty to 51 counts of murder, 40 counts of attempted murder and one count of terrorism in Christchurch, New Zealand, Tuesday, Aug. 25, 2020. More than 60 survivors and family members will confront the New Zealand mosque gunman this week when he appears in court to be sentenced for his crimes in the worst atrocity in the nation's modern history. (John Kirk-Anderson/Pool Photo via AP)

Twenty-nine-year-old Australian Brenton Harrison Tarrant stands in the dock at the Christchurch High Court for sentencing after pleading guilty to 51 counts of murder, 40 counts of attempted murder and one count of terrorism in Christchurch, New Zealand, Monday, Aug. 24, 2020. More than 60 survivors and family members will confront the New Zealand mosque gunman this week when he appears in court to be sentenced for his crimes in the worst atrocity in the nation's modern history. (John Kirk-Anderson/Pool Photo via AP)

FILE - In this July 30, 2019, file photo, Aya Al-Umari, whose brother Hussein was killed in the Christchurch mosque attacks, poses, holding a photo of herself and her brother, in Christchurch, New Zealand. Al-Umari is one of more than 60 survivors and family members who this week in court will confront the white supremacist who committed the worst atrocity in New Zealands modern history, when he slaughtered 51 worshippers at two Christchurch mosques in March 2019. The four-day sentencing starts on Monday, Aug. 24, 2020. (AP Photo/Nick Perry, File)

(AP Photo/Mark Baker)WELLINGTON A puzzling new outbreak of the coronavirus in New Zealand's largest city grew to 17 cases on Thursday, with officials saying the number will likely increase further. And a lockdown in Auckland designed to extinguish the outbreak could be extended well beyond an initial three days. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said the outbreak was a reminder of the trickiness of the virus and how easily it can spread. The outbreak has caused hours-long delays at virus testing sites around New Zealand and some panic-buying at supermarkets of essential items like toilet paper and flour. Under New Zealand law, Ardern could delay the polls for up to two months.

(AP Photo/Mark Baker)THIMPU, Bhutan The Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan has imposed its first nationwide lockdown due to a virus infection in a returning traveler who had been released from quarantine. But between her discharge from quarantine and her positive test result Monday, she is believed to have traveled extensively in Bhutan. Bhutans 113 reported infections were all quarantined travelers, except for one with conflicting test results. Daniels said the lower numbers indicate the lockdown restrictions in Melbourne are working but urged people to stay the course. ___SEOUL, South Korea South Korea has reported 56 new cases of the coronavirus as clusters continue to pop up in cities.

CHRISTCHURCH, New Zealand A man who gets paid to provide acts of wizardry and other wizard-like services to promote a city in New Zealand has begun his search for a replacement, CNN reported. Channell is paid 16,000 New Zealand dollars (approx. Ive invented a wizard out of nowhere, Channell told CNN. Freeman has been learning the ropes of being a city wizard for six years. I want the wizard phenomenon to continue, and I will totally fulfill that role, Freeman, a music teacher who also performs in a psychedelic funk band, told CNN.

New Zealand marked a 100 days of being free from the coronavirus in its communities Sunday, Aug. 9, with just a handful of infections continuing to be picked up at the border where people are quarantined. (AP Photo/Mark Baker)WELLINGTON New Zealand on Sunday marked 100 days since it stamped out the spread of the coronavirus, a rare bright spot in a world that continues to be ravaged by the disease. New Zealand got rid of the virus by imposing a strict lockdown in late March when only about 100 people had tested positive for the disease. Baker said New Zealand remains in a reactionary mode and is not doing enough planning to keep the virus out. But Sunday, at least, marked a milestone that many in New Zealand noted with a sense of thankfulness and relief.

FILE - In this March 26, 2020, file image made from video, Brenton Harrison Tarrant appears in a screen via video link in Christchurch, New Zealand. The man who has admitting killing 51 worshippers in a mass shooting at two mosques in Christchurch on March 15, 2019 has dismissed his legal team and will represent himself at a sentencing hearing next month. Tarrants sentencing hearing, delayed by the coronavirus pandemic, will begin in Christchurch on Aug. (TVNZ Pool via AP, File)

New Zealand's Super Rugby Aotearoa will start on June 13 in a new five-team, 10-week competition. Their enclosed stadium can hold up to 25,000 for Super Rugby matches and at least 20,000 are expected Saturday. The five-nation Super Rugby tournament was suspended after seven rounds in March because of international travel restrictions and quarantine requirements. New Zealand devised the Super Rugby Aotearoa tournament as a way to resume professional rugby in a domestic setting. New Zealands five Super Rugby teams will play each other home and away over 10 weeks.

New Zealand has eradicated the coronavirus from its shores after health officials reported on Monday June 8, 2020 that the final person known to have contracted an infection had recovered. (AP Photo/Mark Baker,File)WELLINGTON WELLINGTON, New ZealandPrime Minister Jacinda Ardern said Monday she was confident New Zealand has halted the spread of the coronavirus after the last known infected person in the country recovered. It has been 17 days since the last new case was reported in New Zealand, and Monday also marked the first time since late February that there have been no active cases. New Zealand has tested almost 40,000 people in the past 17 days and no one has been in a hospital with COVID-19 for 12 days, Ardern said at a news conference. Just over 1,500 people contracted the virus in New Zealand, including 22 who died.

A man walks across the frost covered fairways of a golf course in central Christchurch, New Zealand, Saturday, June 6, 2020. (AP Photo/Mark Baker)WELLINGTON WELLINGTON, New ZealandNew Zealand has eradicated the coronavirus from its shores after health officials reported Monday that the final person known to have been infected has recovered. Health officials caution that new cases could be imported into the country, which has closed its borders to everybody but citizens and residents, with some exceptions. Just over 1,500 people contracted the virus in New Zealand, including 22 who died. PETITION OFFICE REOPENS: China reported four new cases, all of them brought from outside China.