Maritime officials say a cargo ship grounded off New Zealand since October split apart Sunday, spilling cargo containers and debris and sparking fears of a fresh oil spill. The wreck of the Greek-owned Rena was described as New Zealand’s worst maritime environmental disaster, even before pounding waves during a storm tore off the rear section […]
Grounded Ship Breaks Up on New Zealand Reef
Posted January 8th, 2012 at 12:05 am (UTC-5)
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Balloon Crash in New Zealand Kills 11
Posted January 6th, 2012 at 5:00 pm (UTC-5)
A hot air balloon has crashed in New Zealand, killing all 11 people on board. Police say the balloon crashed early Saturday near the rural town of Carterton, about 80 kilometers north of Wellington. Police confirmed “multiple deaths,” but a local health board spokesperson said none of the 11 people in the balloon survived. Eyewitnesses […]
New Zealand Ruling Party Wins Election, Falls Short of Majority
Posted November 26th, 2011 at 7:15 am (UTC-5)
New Zealand opposition leader Phil Goff conceded defeat in national elections Saturday to Prime Minister John Key’s center-right National Party. With all polling places counted, preliminary results show the Nationals won 48 percent of the votes, falling short of an absolute majority. That means Mr. Key will form a coalition government with the support of […]
New Zealand Government Expects Majority Election Win
Posted November 26th, 2011 at 3:05 am (UTC-5)
New Zealanders voted Saturday in a national election that could see Prime Minister John Key winning an outright majority in parliament. Mr. Key’s National Party has held power for the past three years, with the support of three minor parties, after ousting a center-left Labor Party-led coalition government in 2008. Opinion polls put National as […]
New Zealand Holds General Election Saturday
Posted November 25th, 2011 at 5:15 pm (UTC-5)
Voters in New Zealand are casting ballots to elect members of parliament and decide on the future of the country’s voting system. Polling stations opened at 09:00 a.m. local time Saturday and will close at 07:00 p.m. Preliminary election results are expected late Saturday. A coalition led by the centrist National Party of Prime Minister […]
New Zealand: Helicoptert Crashes As It Installs Christmas Tree
Posted November 23rd, 2011 at 7:40 am (UTC-5)
((Video in Asset Manager: ReutersUS 3 – 11/23/2011 3:09:00 AM – BC-RREP-NOV23-NEW A helicopter in New Zealand crashed Wednesday while helping to install a Christmas tree on Auckland’s waterfront. The pilot escaped serious injury. Dramatic footage captured by New Zealand television shows the pilot slowly descending from about eight meters when the helicopter’s rotor blades […]
New Zealand Mine Chief Faces Charges in Deadly Explosions
Posted November 11th, 2011 at 3:00 am (UTC-5)
New Zealand officials say the head of a mine in which 29 men died in a gas explosion last year has been charged with failing to ensure his workers were safe. The New Zealand Department of Labor charged Pike River Coal executive Peter Whittall on Thursday with 12 criminal counts, including failing to take all […]
Ship Grounded Off New Zealand in Danger of Breaking Apart
Posted November 2nd, 2011 at 12:55 am (UTC-5)
Maritime authorities in New Zealand say the container ship that has been grounded on a reef for nearly a month could soon break apart. Salvage crews say a large crack in the hull of the Liberian-flagged container ship Rena worsened after another night of bad weather. The Rena has leaked more than 300 tons of […]
Quake-Damaged New Zealand Cathedral to be Deconsecrated
Posted October 27th, 2011 at 10:05 pm (UTC-5)
Church officials in New Zealand say the earthquake-damaged iconic cathedral in central Christchurch will be deconsecrated and partially torn down. Anglican church officials say the 120-year-old building is unsafe after February’s 6.1 magnitude quake that killed 182 people and wrecked large parts of the city. But before any demolition work is carried out, the church […]
New Zealand Salvage Crews Return to Grounded Ship
Posted October 19th, 2011 at 6:40 am (UTC-5)
A salvage crew Wednesday reboarded a cargo ship that has been spilling oil since it grounded on a reef off the New Zealand coast almost two weeks ago. The four-man crew boarded the Liberian-flagged cargo ship Rena to begin preparing equipment to pump at least 1,200 tons of heavy fuel oil still remaining in the […]
