AUCKLAND, New Zealand — A day after winning a second term in a landside victory, New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said Sunday she sees the election result as an endorsement of her government’s efforts to stamp out the coronavirus and reboot the economy. Speaking at a cafe near her...
3 Men Rescued From Pacific Island After Writing SOS in Sand
WELLINGTON, New Zealand — Three men have been rescued from a tiny Pacific island after writing a giant SOS sign in the sand that was spotted from above, authorities say. The men had been missing in the Micronesia archipelago for nearly three days when their distress signal was spotted Sunday...
With $6 Tickets, 'Dogs Want to Pack House for No. 7 Aztecs
The Fresno State men's basketball team has never defeated a Top 10 team at the Save Mart Center. But the Bulldogs have an opportunity to do it for the first time Tuesday night when No. 7 San Diego State comes to Fresno. And, the Fresno State athletic department is pulling out...
New Zealanders Hand in 50,000 Guns After Assault Weapon Ban
WELLINGTON, New Zealand — New Zealand authorities said Saturday their country will be a safer place after owners handed in more than 50,000 guns during a buyback program following a ban on assault weapons. But critics say the process was flawed and many owners have illegally stashed their firearms. The...
Dozens Feared Dead in Eruption of New Zealand Volcano
WHAKATANE, New Zealand — A volcano on a New Zealand island erupted Monday with a towering blast of ash and scalding steam as tourists were exploring the moon-like surface, killing five people and leaving perhaps two dozen others missing and presumed dead. Eighteen others were rescued, some of them severely...
Welcome to Orcland: Lord of the Rings to Film in New Zealand
WELLINGTON, New Zealand — Amazon announced Wednesday it will film its upcoming television series "The Lord of the Rings" in New Zealand, marking a return of the orcs, elves and hobbits to the country they became synonymous with over the course of six movies directed by Peter Jackson. Amazon Studios...
Nesting Penguins Can't Resist Lure of New Zealand Sushi Shop
WELLINGTON, New Zealand — Two little blue penguins just couldn't stay away from a New Zealand sushi store, returning to nest there even after police had captured them and escorted them back to the ocean. Wellington police described them as "waddling vagrants," while the store's co-owner joked he had no...
Newsom Aims to Boost Security Grants After Poway Attack
SACRAMENTO — California's Democratic governor vowed on Monday to spend $15 million for increased security at "soft targets" like the synagogue where a gunman opened fire over the weekend, killing one worshipper. Gov. Gavin Newsom said he will include the money in his $144 billion general fund budget proposal, which he intends...
Officials: California Terror Plot by Army Veteran Stopped
LOS ANGELES — A terror plot by an Army veteran who converted to Islam and planned to bomb a white supremacist rally in Southern California as retribution for the New Zealand mosque attacks was thwarted, federal prosecutors said Monday. Mark Domingo, 26, an infantryman who served a combat stint in...
New Zealand and France to Call for an End to Online Terror
WELLINGTON, New Zealand — New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said Wednesday that she and French President Emmanuel Macron will host a meeting in Paris next month seeking to eliminate acts of violent extremism and terrorism from being shown online. Ardern said she and Macron will ask world leaders and...