Stories from New Zealand

Councillor Benedict Ong has been accused of breaching the council's code of conduct. The accusation follows Ong leaking a confidential email regarding a fresh code of conduct complaint against him. Council Chief Executive Sandy Graham filed the complaint on Wednesday afternoon.

Mahe Drysdale stated the council is working to reopen Moawe as soon as safety concerns are addressed. Drysdale said that safety must remain the council's top priority during the process.

Talle Seafood confirmed it will stop processing operations in Westport by mid next month. The company stated the decision follows a strategic review of operations. Staff will be offered employment in other parts of the business, including Westport.

New Zealand's Court of Appeal dismissed claims by 35-year-old Tarrant that mental illness and harsh jail conditions led to his guilty pleas for terrorism and murder. The court ruled the claims were not supported by prison staff. The individual claimed the pleas were not supported by prison staff and were intended to secure a corridor. An appeal court panel of three judges dismissed a claim by Brenton Terrence Tarrant to abandon his guilty pleas. Tarrant is the white supremacist who shot and killed 51 Muslims at two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand.

The Christchurch attacker is awaiting trial for murder and terrorism offenses. His father, Sadji Dakhram, was shot dead by police at Bondi Beach at the scene. Fleming on New Year's Day last year during a jury trial at the Christchurch High Court. Crown Prosecutor Mark O'Donoghue alleged the 33-year-old intentionally drove at officers. Defense lawyer Josh Lucas stated Tasca was drunk, homeless, unemployed, and suffering from depression at the time of the crash and was attempting to take his own life. More than 40 witnesses are expected to be called during the trial.

A Christchurch terrorist failed in a bid to appeal 92 convictions. The individual will remain in prison for the rest of his life. The source did not provide the specific name of the individual.

A lahar released approximately 2 million cubic meters of water from the Mount Ruapehu crater lake. The flow swept up rock, ice, trees, and debris before smashing into a railway bridge over the Whangahiu River.

A New Zealand Court of Appeal has declined an application by an Australian man to appeal his convictions for the 2019 murder of 51 people in two mosques. The court reviewed a diary submitted by Tarrant describing anxiety and interactions with prison guards. A New Zealand court has denied an appeal by the perpetrator of the March 15, 2019, mosque shootings. The court found the shooter was not in a psychotic state, contradicting testimony from experts, lawyers, prison staff, and psychologists. Evidence indicated the shooter held extreme right-wing Islamophobic beliefs that motivated the actions. The court ruled that the individual's actions were underpinned by specific beliefs and that any expressions of remorse should not be taken seriously. The court also determined the individual is fit and should not be allowed to vacate his guilty pleas.

A portion of the Capital Cycle Network plan in Wellington has been paused due to financial pressures following the Moor Point sewage plant failure.

The former Northcote school site is being considered for conversion into a vocational education campus. The school closed in 2018 after serving Maori Catholic students. Waawahi Ara Board Chair Helen Te Hira stated the board is open to proposals regarding the use of the whenua.