is waiting close by.... A New Zealand Navy helicopter takes off from Whakatane Airport as the

It was unclear how many people remained on the island after the eruption. Police said fewer than 50 people were on White Island at the time.... Royal Caribbean said guests from its cruise ship Ovation of the Seas had been visiting the island." Some of those, at this stage, are unaccounted for," she said.... Scott said that was because the eruption wasn't sustained beyond the initial blast. White Island sits about 30 milesoffshore from mainland New Zealand....

“ Like a church, the doors of a marae are never closed.” New Zealand officials said earlier on Friday that the tsunami threat would linger for several hours as geologists collected data on the impact of the earthquakes.... Allan, the emergency management minister, said earlier on Friday.... The watch had been in effect for a little more than an hour.“ This is a good reminder to stay vigilant and be prepared, ” Gov....

SYDNEY, Australia — The question from the debate moderator in New Zealand was simple and to the point: “ Jacinda Ardern, have you ever used cannabis?... Ardern later declined to say whether she supported the legalization of marijuana, which New Zealanders will decide in a referendum with the national election on Oct.... Ardern was, it seemed, like most of her constituents: a toker, at least once or twice. Roughly 80 percent of New Zealanders have tried marijuana, according to independent studi