Event: The Latest New Zealander

Police in Western Australia have charged a 20-year-old man with preparing a terrorist attack, with Anthony Albanese describing the allegation as “deeply shocking”.Jayson Joseph Michaels, from Bindoon, appeared at Perth magistrates court on Friday charged with acting in preparation for a terrorist act, possessing a prohibited weapon, two firearms offences and using a carriage service to menace or harass.In a statement on Friday, the Western Australia joint counter-terrorism team said they had been investigating the man’s online activities as part of an investigation into alleged antisemitic, Islamophobic and racially motivated online hate speech.Sign up: AU Breaking News emailAfter searching a home at Bindoon, about 75km north of Perth, police said they found “a manifesto-style document outlining plans for a nationalist and racist ideologically motivated act of violent extremism involving mass casualties”.Police also allegedly seized a butterfly knife, ammunition for a firearm for which he was not licensed, and more than 1,000 rounds of ammunition which had not been stored securely.In a statement, the prime minister said the Australian federal police commissioner, Krissy Barrett, had briefed him on the case, which went before a Perth court on Friday.“Allegations the man was planning to target the Muslim community through attacks on mosques – as well as attacks on the WA police and parliament – are particularly distressing. He should face the full force of the law,” Albanese said.“Australians, no matter who they are, have a right to safety. There is no place in our country for any kind of racially or religiously motivated prejudice or hate.”In a statement, the home affairs minister, Tony Burke, said Australia’s Muslim community had been experiencing “increased levels of Islamophobia”.“For some time, our security, intelligence and law enforcement agencies have been warning that we are entering a new security environment,” he said.“There are many different ideologies that…

AdvertisementSKIP ADVERTISEMENTYou have a preview view of this article while we are checking your access. When we have confirmed access, the full article content will load.The Latest New Zealander to Move to Australia Is an Ex-Prime MinisterJacinda Ardern, New Zealand’s former leader, is basing her family in Australia “for the moment,” a spokesman said. She is part of a wave of Kiwis relocating to their larger neighbor.Jacinda Ardern, the former prime minister of New Zealand. Her family “has been traveling for a few years now,” and would be based in Australia for the time being, a spokesman said.Credit...Lauren O'Neil for The New York TimesPublished Feb. 26, 2026Updated Feb. 27, 2026, 3:40 a.m. ETMore and more New Zealanders, lured by higher salaries, economic opportunities and more sun, are moving to neighboring Australia. Now one of New Zealand’s most recognizable citizens, Jacinda Ardern, is among them.A spokesman for Ms. Ardern, a former prime minister of New Zealand, said on Thursday that she and her family were basing themselves in Australia “for the moment.” Ms. Ardern’s family had work there, the spokesman said in a statement, without giving details.The announcement, which was earlier reported by The Guardian newspaper and news outlets in New Zealand, came after speculation in the Australian news media that Ms. Ardern was mulling the move. Reported sightings of the former leader viewing properties for sale in a beachside neighborhood of Sydney, Australia, prompted headlines. Residents of Gerringong, a relaxed coastal town south of the city, were surprised last weekend to see her at a local event.Her family’s decision has brought new attention to a migration trend: New Zealanders, disenchanted with a weak labor market and a sluggish post-pandemic economy, are leaving their country in search of opportunities abroad.More than 1 percent of New Zealand’s population left the country in…

The head of the theatre hosting the Shen Yun dance troupe in Sydney says the company would not be intimidated to pull the shows by any “outrageous” anonymous threats and that the publicity had increased interest in the show.On Monday, the Gold Coast venue for the Shen Yun performances was forced to evacuate after a bomb threat, with a similar threat forcing the evacuation of Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s official residence, The Lodge, in Canberra the next day.Graeme Kearns, the chief executive of Foundation Theatres – the operator of the Sydney Lyric and Capitol theatres – told the Guardian that public interest in the production has intensified despite the alarming nature of the two threats.He said Foundation Theatres had not received any threats but it would not be intimidated into shutting down the production.He declined to say whether the Lyric would be beefing up its security presence for the Sydney shows in March, which he expected to sell out. The Lyric, which holds 2,000 patrons, will host 11 performances scheduled over 10 days, beginning 20 March.“Our job in theatre is to absolutely defend the right to tell stories about culture and yes, some of those stories reflect on recent history,” Kearns said.“That is what artistic endeavour is supposed to do.”Threats against PM’s residenceAccording to a translation by The Epoch Times of the Mandarin language threats sent to Shen Yun’s parent body, the Falun Dafa religious movement, the prime minister’s Canberra residence, the Lodge, would be “blown into ruins and blood will flow like a river” if the performing arts company’s Australian performances were allowed to proceed. The Epoch Times is linked to the Falun Dafa religious movement.Lucy Zhao, the president of the organisation that has brought the show to Australia – the Falun Dafa Association of Australia – said there…

The former New Zealand prime minister Jacinda Ardern is living in Australia with her family, a spokesperson has confirmed.“The family has been travelling for a few years now,” her office told the Guardian.“For the moment they’re basing themselves out of Australia – they have work there, and it brings the added bonus of more time back home in New Zealand.”Speculation that Ardern was considering a move to Australia emerged on Thursday, after reports in Australian media that she and her husband, Clarke Gayford, and their seven-year-old daughter, Neve, attended open home viewings in Sydney’s northern beaches.The high-profile family’s move to Australia could hit a nerve within New Zealand, as the country grapples with record numbers of citizens leaving the country because of a weak economy, high living costs and high unemployment.More than 60% of those moved to Australia, where average weekly incomes are higher and New Zealand citizens have work and residency rights.The spokesperson did not elaborate on when the family arrived in Australia nor what kind of work they were doing, but noted it was not unusual for former leaders to spend time overseas after leaving office.In 2017, Ardern became the world’s youngest-serving female leader, aged 37, and went on to make history as the second woman to give birth while holding elected office.Over the next six years, her leadership was defined by a series of national and international crises including the Christchurch attack and Covid pandemic. At a time when major western powers were lurching to the right, Ardern’s brand of politics made her a global icon of the left.Towards the end of her time in office, Ardern’s legacy at home became more complicated, and she faced criticism over her government’s failure to make headway on its promises to fix the housing crisis and meaningfully reduce emissions. As…