New Zealand

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — Using a helicopter to catch a falling rocket is such a complex task that Peter Beck likens it to a “supersonic ballet.”

Rocket Lab, the company that Beck founded, partially pulled off the feat Tuesday as it pushes to make its small Electron rockets reusable. But after briefly catching the spent rocket, a helicopter crew was quickly forced to let it go again for safety reasons, and it fell into the Pacific Ocean where it was collected by a waiting boat.

WELLINGTON, Apr 23 (NNN-AGENCIES) – New Zealand reported its first case of Omicron XE variant at the border, said the Ministry of Health, in a statement today.

A person who has travelled from overseas to New Zealand has been confirmed as having the XE variant of Omicron, said the ministry.

This is the first known detection of the Omicron XE variant in New Zealand, it said.

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — The U.S. is sending two top officials to the Solomon Islands following a visit last week by an Australian senator over concerns that China could establish a military presence in the South Pacific island nation.

The White House said Monday that later this week, Kurt Campbell, the National Security Council Indo-Pacific coordinator, and Daniel Kritenbrink, the assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific affairs, will lead a delegation of U.S. government officials to the Solomon Islands, and will also visit Fiji and Papua New Guinea.

Wellington, Apr 11 (AP-PTI) New Zealand will send a military transport plane and a support team of 50 to Europe, as well as give money to Britain to buy weapons, as it significantly steps up its response to the war in Ukraine.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said Monday that the C130 Hercules plane would travel throughout Europe to carry much-needed equipment and supplies to key distribution centers. She said the plane wouldn't fly directly into Ukraine as most military equipment is transported into the country by land.

WELLINGTON, Apr 3 (NNN-AGENCIES) – New Zealand reported 8,810 new community cases of COVID-19 today, said the Ministry of Health in a statement.

Among the new community infections, 1,555 were in the largest city, Auckland, and the rest of the cases were identified across the nation, according to the Ministry.

In addition, there were 31 new cases of COVID-19 detected at the New Zealand border, said the Ministry.

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — Australia on Thursday accepted a longstanding New Zealand offer to resettle boat refugees it had sent to the remote island nation of Nauru.

Australia has faced harsh international criticism for the way it has treated boat refugees. It designed a policy of keeping them far from its shores to deter more of them from trying to make the voyage. But many critics say such policies violate human rights.

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — New Zealand’s flagship airline said Wednesday it has started selling tickets for direct flights to and from New York, a new route that will take more than 17 hours southbound and be among the longest nonstop flights in the world.

Air New Zealand had intended to start the route from Auckland to John F. Kennedy International Airport in 2020 but then the pandemic hit. The first flights will now begin in September.

WELLINGTON, Mar 19 (NNN-AGENCIES) – New Zealand reported 18,514 new community cases of COVID-19 today, the Ministry of Health said in a statement.

Among the new community infections, 4,346 were in the largest city, Auckland.

In addition, 45 new cases were detected at the New Zealand border, said the ministry.

There were 939 COVID-19 patients in New Zealand hospitals, including 24 people in intensive care units or high dependency units.

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — The lingering injuries from being shot nine times did not stop Temel Atacocugu from completing a two-week walk and bike ride for peace on Tuesday, the third anniversary of a gunman’s slaughter of 51 Muslim worshippers.

Atacocugu set out to retrace the gunman’s 360-kilometer (224-mile) drive from Dunedin to the two Christchurch mosques where he carried out his attack.

“I wanted to fix this damage,” Atacocugu said. “Because three years ago, he started that journey with hate.”

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — New Zealand’s prime minister on Monday said protesters who oppose coronavirus mandates were using “intimidation and harassment,” as authorities appeared to take a harsher stance toward the convoy of demonstrators that has disrupted the capital of Wellington for nearly a week.