The New Zealand prime minister, Jacinda Ardern, has called time on her leadership after five years, a tumultuous period which included a far-right terror attack in Christchurch, a volcanic eruption on White Island, a global pandemic, and the birth of her daughter.
“I am human, politicians are human. We give all that we can for as long as we can. And then it’s time. And for me, it’s time,” she said. (You can watch some of that press conference here.)
The prime minister, Anthony Albanese, led a chorus of Australian politicians paying tribute to Ardern’s leadership, saying she showed the world “how to lead with intellect and strength”.
Ardern will be seen as New Zealand’s most important postwar prime minister, columnist Morgan Godfery writes. In a period that saw a surge in far-right activity across the English-speaking world, Ardern offered decency and respect.
Tell us: how will you remember Ardern’s time as New Zealand’s PM?
Top news
Neo-Nazi paraphernalia seized in Queensland | State counter-terrorism police have charged three men in relation to the displaying of neo-Nazi material, after conducting raids on three separate addresses across south-east Queensland. Meanwhile, Western Australia has signalled it will follow other states in banning Nazi symbols.
Teenagers charged following Queensland shooting | Four teenagers aged 14 to 16 were assisting police with their investigations, with two subsequently charged, following a shooting incident in Tara, west of Brisbane, on Wednesday. The incident stoked trauma after last month’s murder of two police officers and a neighbour in nearby Wieambilla.
Aviation safety watchdog to investigate Qantas ‘mayday’ flight | The Australian Transport Safety Bureau has begun an investigation to examine the contributing factors that resulted in a Qantas flight from Auckland to Sydney issuing a mayday call.
Man’s epic 5,000km detour to get his car back home | Chris English, a 64-year-old man from Kununurra in far northern Western Australia, has been forced to take a mammoth outback detour to get back home after “biblical floods” earlier this month destroyed the road between Broome and Kununurra.
Hong Kong arrests cast shadow over lunar new year | Police in Hong Kong have raided a lunar new year shopping fair and arrested six people for selling a “seditious” book related to the 2019 anti-government protests in a move critics say has spread “terror” just days before the celebrations.
Chile rejects mine near penguin reserve | Chile’s government has rejected a controversial $2.5bn iron and copper mining project proposed in an important area for biodiversity and marine life.
Indian diamond heiress gives up fortune | … to become a child nun. Eight-year-old Devanshi Sanghvi was, until this week, an heiress to the multimillion-dollar Sanghvi and Sons jewellery business in the western city of Surat. Her family are also members of the Jain faith, a small but ancient Indian religion that preaches non-violence, strict vegetarianism and love for all creatures.
Stop bringing cake to work | … suggested the chairwoman of the UK’s Food Standards Agency, who likened the culture to passive smoking. Prof Susan Jebb said while it is a choice to eat sweet treats, people can help each other by providing a “supportive environment”.
What they said …
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“Journalists should never face the prospect of being charged or even jailed just for doing their jobs.” - Mark Dreyfus
The attorney general has announced a roundtable of news media heads to convene on 27 February to discuss press freedom reform and national secrecy laws. The attorney general said the roundtable would address whether secrecy offences were gagging public interest journalism.
In numbers
This is “over 50% higher than we would usually see at this time of the year,” said Lauren Ford, the head of labour statistics at the ABS.
In pictures
This portrait of an avalanche rescue dog in Switzerland won first prize of the 2022 Dog Photography awards, chosen from more than 1,400 entries from 50 different countries. See some of the other best pooch pics here.
Before bed read
If dating apps are soul-crushing and transactional, why not try finding your potential partner the old-fashioned way using in-person social skills? That’s what 40-year-old Georgie Thorogood did after a depressing stretch of using the apps.
“When you meet someone in person, you know their vibe. He’s warm and engaging and we both like to talk a lot. He’s very easy to be with, but you don’t get that when you’re trying to communicate over an app.”
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