Sources: BBC
Tom Phillips, a man who kidnapped his three children during a dispute with their mother and brought them to a remote countryside in 2021, is fatally shot by a police officer after shooting and critically injuring another officer in the head following a robbery at an agricultural supplies store in Waikato, New Zealand. All the three children are rescued. 2025-09-8
New Zealand weightlifter Laurel Hubbard becomes the first transgender athlete chosen to compete in the Olympic Games, as the New Zealand Olympic Committee announces she is selected to compete in the Tokyo Olympics as part of the women's weightlifting team. 2021-06-21
New Zealand creates its first "travel bubble" with the Cook Islands, citing low COVID-19 infection rates and their "special ties". The travel bubble will allow citizens to travel between both countries without having to quarantine in early 2021. 2020-12-11
New Zealanders vote to retain the current flag over the proposed design in the nation's flag referendum. More than 2 million people vote in the referendum. 2016-03-24
Voting begins for the second stage of New Zealand's flag referendum with the current flag going up against the design chosen on the first stage of the referendum. Voting will end on March 23 with polling showing the current flag is favoured to win. 2016-03-3
New Zealand announces the flag design chosen by the public that will challenge the current flag in a March 2016 vote. Voters will choose between the current flag, which features the British Union Jack with a dark blue background, and the challenger, a silver fern and four red stars on a black and blue background. 2015-12-15
Four alternatives to the current New Zealand flag are chosen for a Spring referendum (20 November – 11 December 2015) in which New Zealanders will determine their favorite of the new designs. 2015-09-1
A government appointed panel chooses 40 finalist flag designs out of more than 10,000 submitted. 2015-08-12
New Zealand says it plans to hold a referendum regarding the change of its national flag. 2014-03-11
The death toll from the 2011 Canterbury earthquake in New Zealand rises to 113 with at least 226 people missing. 2011-02-25