Photo source: Voice of America By Naveed Qazi | Editor, Globe Upfront New Zealand’s international relations are going in a new direction. For this, Winston Peters, the new foreign minister, is already setting a change agenda. As expected, this includes a more pro-US positioning when it comes to the Pacific. Peters sought to align New Zealand more closely with the United States under his ‘Pacific Reset’ policy that he launched while serving as foreign minister under Jacinda Ardern’s Labour-New Zealand First coalition government from 2017-2020. Peters is wasting no time in getting back to serve a sort of candid foreign affairs. Just three days after being sworn in as a minister, he gave his first speech on foreign policy at the US Business Summit in Auckland in December 2023. He was lavish in his praise for the United States in his address, arguing that Washington had been ‘instrumental in the Pacific’s success.’ But he noted: ‘there is more to do and not a moment to lose. We will ...

Photo Source: Irish Times By Naveed Qazi | Editor, Globe UpFront IT WAS A DASTARDLY KILLING SPREE of worshippers shot on a video. In Christchurch, southern New Zealand, an Australian white supremacist, Brenton Tarrant had driven to the Al Noor Mosque in Deans Avenue on 15th March 2019, with a stash of weapons and ammunition, along with petrol canisters. A homicide of Muslim worshippers, including small children, had been on his mind. After arming himself, with a camera mounted on his helmet, he walked into the mosque, and began shooting indiscriminately. In three minutes of rampage, manslaughter, butchery, whatever one might call it, he exited through the front door, and fired random shots, as cars on the highway travelled past him. After some time, he then re-entered the mosque to check for survivors. Around fifty people were declared dead in this horrifying episode. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern called it “one of New Zealand’s darkest days.” Brenton Tarrant was arrested minute...