Lucy Craymer

China on Friday rejected allegations that it is conducting widespread espionage on New Zealand, saying the claim ​in the country's latest security assessment stemmed from a Cold ‌War mentality.

New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said on Wednesday ​he had won a confidence vote of ruling party ‌lawmakers, after he called a meeting to address increased speculation about his leadership months away from a general election.

China's test of a nuclear-capable missile last month has exposed the limits of Pacific leaders' ambition to make the region an "Ocean of Peace", free ​from the crossfire of major-power rivalry.

Pacific Island foreign ministers failed to agree on Friday to a joint response to China's missile ‌launch in July, with further discussions expected at the Pacific leaders meeting at the end of August.

New Zealand and Fiji signed a renewed five-year Duavata Partnership on Thursday, ​setting out cooperation priorities for 2026 ‌to 2030 across trade, security, democracy, social development and climate resilience, New Zealand Foreign Minister Winston ​Peters said after talks in Auckland ​with Fiji counterpart Sakiasi Ditoka.

New Zealand actor ‌Sam Neill died suddenly on Monday aged 78 after recovering from cancer, his family ​said in a statement on ​Monday.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his New Zealand counterpart Christopher Luxon upgraded their nations' ​diplomatic ties on Saturday, as Modi seeks to ‌bolster New Delhi's ties in the Asia-Pacific region.

The new U.S. ambassador to New Zealand and several Pacific island nations said ​on Friday that securing Cook Islands seabed minerals was a top priority, and that China's push for influence in the Pacific carried ‌risks for small island states.

Earth Sciences New Zealand declared El Niño conditions in the tropical Pacific ​on Thursday, warning impacts on the ‌country's weather are expected to intensify through the coming months.

New Zealand is fast-tracking gold projects and courting mining investors as soaring bullion prices revive a sector long in decline, testing the country's "100% Pure" brand as the government looks for ways to lift a weak economy.