Hitting the limit while in power
For the past five-and-a-half years, Jacinda Ardern’s term as Prime Minister of New Zealand has been nothing short of iconic. First elected at 37 years old, she has led her country through the chaos of a global pandemic, domestic terrorism and a natural disaster, among much more. Ardern decided to resign before New Zealand’s general...
trinitonian.comJacinda Ardern distances herself from the Sussexes in disclaimer statement about Netflix documentary
Jacinda Ardern has sought to distance herself from the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, insisting that her involvement in a forthcoming Netflix documentary series was not connected to the couple.
news.yahoo.comNew Zealand PM Ardern says China has become 'more assertive'
Reflecting on her five years as New Zealand's leader, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said China has undoubtedly become more assertive in the region over that time, but cautioned that building relationships with small Pacific nations shouldn't become a game of one-upmanship. In a joint interview Thursday with The Associated Press and the Australian Associated Press, Ardern said China has changed in recent years under President Xi Jinping. “I think if I stand back and look at the region as a whole and some of the changes that we’ve seen within our region, you do see a more assertive China,” Ardern said.
news.yahoo.comBiden, VIPs lay low as spotlight stays on late Queen
American presidents usually make a splash when they travel abroad, holding the spotlight and quickly becoming the center of attention. For U.S. President Joe Biden and other presidents, prime ministers and dignitaries, there were no red-carpet arrivals, no big speeches and no news conferences as they gathered for Monday's state funeral for Queen Elizabeth II. Instead, world leaders used to people hanging on their every word checked their egos in the service of honoring the queen, Britain's longest-serving monarch, who died earlier this month at age 96 after 70 years on the throne. “They know that they are there to honor the passing, honor the individual,” said Capricia Marshall, who was the U.S. State Department's protocol chief for a period during Barack Obama's administration.
news.yahoo.comSolomons leader: Chinese base would make his people targets
Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare said Thursday that his country’s new security pact with Beijing would not allow China to build a military base on the South Pacific nation and make his citizens “targets for potential military strikes.” Details of the pact haven’t been made public but the deal has raised fears of a permanent Chinese military facility within 2,000 kilometers (1,200 miles) of the northeast Australian coast.
news.yahoo.comAustralia, New Zealand unite on China's Pacific threat
Australia’s prime minister said Friday after a meeting with his New Zealand counterpart that the two nations are in lockstep in their policies toward the Pacific islands, where China's influence is growing. New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern became the first foreign leader to visit Prime Minister Anthony Albanese in Australia since he was elected on May 21. Both lead center-left administrations and Ardern described the Albanese Labor Party’s election after almost a decade in opposition as a reset in the bilateral relationship.
news.yahoo.comLive Updates | New Zealand sending transport plane, money
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. Ardern said her government would also spend an additional 13 million New Zealand dollars ($9 million) on military and human rights support, including NZ$7.5 million for Britain to buy weapons and ammunition.
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