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June 2023

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Continuous Flight Delays Cause Frustration among Passengers

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PAPUA New Guinea’s national airline, Air Niugini, has been facing a wave of flight delays and cancellations, causing inconvenience and frustration for passengers.

According to Air Niugini officers at the Jackson’s International airport in the capital city of Port Moresby, the airline has been struggling with technical difficulties, and issues relating to crew members; which have resulted in a high number of cancelled and delayed flights. Passengers have been left stranded at the airport, unable to reach their destinations on time.

The situation has caused widespread frustration among passengers, many of whom have taken to social media to express their displeasure. Some passengers have reported waiting for hours without any updates or information from the airline. Other international passengers transiting through PNG are now faced with an added dilemma as they don’t have PNG visas to stay longer in the country.

With the cancellation of flights, Air Niugini Jacksons’ staff are advising passengers either to rebook for the next available flight or find a place to stay till the next available flight.

Many frustrated passengers both international and domestic travellers are calling for compensation for the inconvenience and financial losses they have incurred as a result of the delays and cancellations.

“The situation is unprofessionally handled because they won’t tell you why the flight is cancelled”, says a frustrated international passenger.

“They’re not very transparent on the cancellations and this causes passengers more money, also some of the Air Niugini officers are rude. This is not my fault that the flight is cancelled. The least they could do is explain to us properly”, another frustrated international passenger shares.

“The lack of communication and continuous flight updates from Air Niugini was a disappointment; half the time we were lost because of no announcements about the delay in timing…” said a third frustrated traveller.

One passenger said; “they should compensate us as, this is inconveniencing us and costing us beyond our budgets”.

The situation has also raised concerns about the overall state of the aviation industry in Papua New Guinea.

Attempts to get ANG’s comments about the issues have been unsuccessful.

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Agriculture

Sapuka Villagers Focus on Rice Farming

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Igu Kisua and OTDF CEO Havini Vira holding Sapuka Rice

The village of Sapuka in the South Fly District of Western Province has embarked on a journey to achieve food security through rice farming in their area.
Last month, the community witnessed the official launch, of a food security program, aimed at empowering the people to cultivate rice and drought tolerant crops at the village level.

This initiative has gained momentum, with more than 100 farmers producing milled rice at the Community Seed Bank Centre (CSBC) since November 2022.
Igu Kisua, a community representative said, the villagers were used to rely on the forest for sustenance, but with the introduction of rice farming in their area, their lives have been transformed.

The locally produced rice has not only met the needs of the village, but it has also contributed to feeding nearby villages along the Fly River.
However, the limited capacity of the milling equipment, resulting in delays have been a challenge for farmers.

The village representative said, there is a need for a larger and more robust milling machine.

He further emphasized that downstream processing plays a pivotal role in motivating farmers.

Fresh Produce Development Agency Executive Manager, John Kewa also expressed his anticipation to support food security through a collaborative partnership with the Ok Tedi Development Foundation (OTDF).

“We are actively working towards deploying our officers to Sapuka Village this year to provide technical assistance on the ground.” He said.

OTDF Chief Executive Officer Havini Vira acknowledged the community’s efforts in taking ownership of the food security program, which will be rolled out across the province.

He further emphasized the significance of such community-driven initiatives, as a pathway to sustainable community development.

Related: https://insidepng.com/rigo-rice-supports-domestic-rice-demand/

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News

OTDF Observes World Environment Day

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OTDF Staff

Staff of OK Tedi Development Foundation (OTDF) recently observed the World Environment Day, in Kiunga Western Province.
In commemorating this year’s World Environment Day, themed “Beat Plastic Pollution” the staff of Ok Tedi Development Foundation (OTDF) cleaned the public road and carpark around the main office area in Kiunga.
As a community development organisation serving the people in Western Province, OTDF values the environment, which is important for the people’s livelihood.

OTDF’s safety coordinator Shane Tarue said observing the day raises awareness on the environment and the effects of human activities on nature and people.
“Many issues relating to climate change and the environment is caused by us so we need to take care of our environment. Air, water and land are essential for human survival.” Tarue said
He said businesses and stakeholders and all citizens should take care of the environment and help reduce plastic pollution in PNG.

Chief Executive Officer Mr. Havini Vira stressed on personal responsibility, where everyone should be cautious of things they do such as throwing out plastic and other rubbish publicly.
He urged families and individuals to continue to play their part in disposing of plastics properly at home and in towns and villages, as it is a way of contributing to saving the environment.
“Safety and environment are OTDF values that underpin our work. We must continue to maintain these standards and eventually influence others to take care of the environment,” He said.
OTDF staff at field bases along the Fly River commemorated the day by planting trees.

OTDF staff planting trees at Nakaku Field Base

To end the day, all employees together with their families participated in collecting rubbish around their residential areas followed by quizzes and activities for the children.

The World Environment Day was observed on Monday, 5th June. World Environment Day (WED) encourages awareness and action for the protection of the environment. It is supported by many non-governmental organizations, businesses, government entities, and represents the primary United Nations outreach day supporting the environment.

Related: https://insidepng.com/electronic-library-for-chw-school/

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News

Beon women undergo life skills training with Island Elegance

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We all have experiences that leave a lasting impact on us; some motivate us into become beacons of hope for others.

 It is not solely the responsibility of our elected leaders or government officials to support communities in need. 

Every Papua New Guinean has a role to play individually, offering care, support, and mentorship in their own capacity to assist their fellow countrymen.

Jennitha Japhetz, the Owner and Managing Director of Island Elegance, firmly believes in the transformative power of education for women. 

Having established her own SME two years ago, she has unwavering faith that every skill she imparts to a woman serves as a seed for nation-building.

Japhetz’s conviction drives her to contribute towards empowering women, recognizing that by educating a woman, an entire nation is educated.

Ms. Japhetz embarked on her journey at the Beon Correctional Institute in Madang on Monday, initiating a prison rehabilitation program aimed at empowering inmates through life skills training. The program commenced with an introductory session, emphasizing the significance of life skills as a stepping stone and foundation for personal growth.

Particularly focusing on female detainees, the training serves as a crucial step in providing them with a second chance in life after their time at Beon. On Thursday, Ms. Japhetz extended the training to juveniles, aiming to equip them with the necessary life skills to foster a changed and positive mindset upon their release from prison.

The objective of the training is to enable inmates to reintegrate into society with a transformed perspective and the ability to earn a livelihood genuinely. This initiative is not the first instance of Island Elegance reaching out to support the community. Previously, the local SME supported the Friends of the Hospital in Madang during their hikes up Mt. Wilhelm in Chimbu Province and Mt. Kanagio on Karkar Island, raising funds for vital equipment for the local hospital.

Currently, Island Elegance is actively raising funds to support the fight against cancer in Papua New Guinea. The company specializes in creating meri blouses, T-shirts, laplaps, and dresses using unique designs of their own.

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Prime Minister Calls for Reform of Provincial Government System

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Prime Minister James Marape has urged the government and public service bureaucracy to hasten the reform process of the provincial government system in order to improve service delivery to the people. He made this call during the opening of the Provincial Governors Conference in Port Moresby, which is themed ‘Continuing Dialogue to empower Provinces for Improved Service Delivery, Economic Growth and Self Reliance’.

“Provincial governments are the anchor posts of our country and we must empower them with clarity. We must bring reforms that will allow for positive change that translate to actual delivery of goods and services,” said Marape.

He also acknowledged the struggles and weaknesses faced in delivering services to the people, but reassured governors that the government is not seeking to dilute or remove their powers. Instead, the goal is to empower them to function better in providing services that translate policies to the people.

“The vision and the rationale of establishing the provincial governments is correct because in a land of so much diversity, a centralised form of government in Waigani has no complete answer for our people. The government closest to our people must be functioning better to provide services to our people,” the Prime Minister.added.

The conference brings together the leaders of each of Papua New Guinea’s 22 provinces to discuss issues related to provincial government and service delivery. The conference will continue for the next two days and is expected to cover topics such as funding, governance, and decentralized decision-making.

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Marape offers condolences to Indian PM after rail accident in India

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PHOTO FILE: People look at the mangled wreckage of the two passenger trains that derailed Friday in Balasore district, in the eastern state of Orissa, India, Sunday, June 4, 2023. The derailment in eastern India that killed 275 people and injured hundreds was caused by an error in the electronic signaling system that led a train to wrongly change tracks and crash into a freight train, officials said Sunday. (AP Photo/Rafiq Maqbool)

Papua New Guinea’s Prime Minister James Marape has offered his condolences to the Prime Minister and people of India following a tragic rail accident that claimed close to 300 lives on Friday 2nd June 2023. The accident reportedly occurred in the Indian state of Odisha, and is believed to be the worst rail crash in 20 years in the country.

PNG Prime Minister, James Marape.

In a statement, Marape expressed sympathy to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his government, as well as to the families and relatives of those who lost their lives in the tragic accident. The accident occurred when a passenger train collided with a stationary freight train, resulting in the pile-up of another passenger train travelling in the opposite direction.

Several world leaders have also expressed their condolences to India following the accident. The tragedy has sparked concerns about the safety of the country’s railways, which are said to be outdated and in dire need of an overhaul.

The Indian government has since pledged to conduct a thorough investigation into the accident and take steps to prevent similar occurrences in the future. The country’s railway network is one of the largest and busiest in the world, with thousands of passengers using it daily to travel across the country.

As the world continues to mourn the tragic loss of lives in the Odisha rail accident, the Indian government has assured its citizens that it will leave no stone unturned in finding out the cause of the accident, and in ensuring the safety of the country’s railways.

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International

What to know as Prince Harry prepares for court fight with British tabloid publisher

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PHOTO FILE – Britain’s Prince Harry leaves the Royal Courts Of Justice in London, Thursday, March 30, 2023. The Duke of Sussex is scheduled to testify in the High Court after his lawyer presents opening statements Monday, June 5, 2023 in his case alleging phone hacking. It’s the first of Harry’s several legal cases against the media to go to trial and one of three alleging tabloid publishers unlawfully snooped on him. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth, File)

By BRIAN MELLEY (AP)

LONDON (AP) — Prince Harry is going where other British royals haven’t for over a century: to a courtroom witness stand.

The Duke of Sussex is set to testify in the first of his five pending legal cases largely centered around battles with British tabloids. Opening statements are scheduled Monday in his case.

Harry said in court documents that the royal family had assiduously avoided the courts to prevent testifying about matters that might be embarrassing.

His frustration and anger at the press, however, impelled him to buck convention by suing newspaper owners — allegedly against the wishes of his father, now King Charles III.

If Harry testifies as scheduled Tuesday in his lawsuit against the publisher of the Daily Mirror, he’ll be the first member of the royal family to do so since the late 19th century, when Queen Victoria’s eldest son, Prince Albert Edward, testified twice in court.

The man who would go on to become King Edward VII testified in the divorce proceedings of a woman he was accused of having an affair with (he denied it) and in a slander case involving a man who cheated at cards. Edward VII was the great-grandfather of Queen Elizabeth II, Harry’s grandmother.

A look at Prince Harry’s legal battles:

HARRY’S HISTORY WITH PHONE HACKING AND PAPARAZZI
The Daily Mirror case is one of three Harry has brought alleging phone hacking and other invasions of his privacy, dating back to when he was a boy.

In court documents, he described his relationship with the press as “uneasy” in court documents, but it runs much deeper than that. The prince blames paparazzi for causing the car crash that killed his mother, the late Princess Diana.

He also cites harassment and intrusion by the British Press and “vicious, persistent attacks” on his wife, Meghan, including racist articles, as the reason the couple left royal life and fled to the U.S. in 2020. Reforming the news media has become one of his life’s missions.

News that British journalists hacked phones for scoops first emerged in 2006 with the arrest of a private investigator and the royals reporter at the now-defunct News of the World. The two were jailed, and the reporter apologized for hacking phones used by aides of Harry, his older brother, Prince William, and their father.

A full-blown hacking scandal erupted five years later when it was revealed that the Rupert Murdoch-owned tabloid eavesdropped on voicemails on the phone of a slain girl, forcing the paper to close and launching a public inquiry.

Since that time, other newspapers have been accused of illegal intrusions that extended to tapping phones, bugging homes and using deception to obtain phone, bank and medical records.

WHO IS HARRY SUING?
The duke is taking on three of Britain’s best-known tabloid publishers.

In addition to Mirror Group Newspapers, he is suing Murdoch’s News Group Newspapers, publisher of The Sun, and Associated Newspapers Ltd., which owns the Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday.

The claims are similar: that journalists and people they employed listened to phone messages and committed other unlawful acts to snoop on Harry and invade his privacy.

In a sign of how much the cases matter to him, Harry attended several days of hearings in March in the case against the Mail publisher.

Several celebrities with similar allegations have also filed claims being heard alongside Harry’s, including Hugh Grant in the News Group case, and Elton John and Elizabeth Hurley in the Associated Newspapers case.

Associated Newspapers “vigorously denies” the claims. News Group has apologized for News of the World’s hacking but The Sun does not accept liability or admit to any of the allegations, according to spokespeople.
Both publishers argued during High Court hearings this spring that the lawsuits should be thrown out because Harry and the others failed to bring them within a six-year time limit.

The lawyer representing Harry and other claimants said they should be granted an exception because the publishers lied and concealed evidence that prevented them from learning of the covert acts in time to meet the deadlines.

WHAT’S THE CURRENT TRIAL ABOUT?
At the outset of the proceedings, Mirror Group appeared to fall on its sword, acknowledging instances when its newspapers unlawfully gathered information. It apologized in court papers and said Harry and two of the other three claimants in the case were due compensation.

But the admission involving Harry — the hiring of a private eye to dig up unspecified dirt for an article about his nightclubbing — wasn’t among the nearly 150 articles between 1995 and 2011 for which he claimed Mirror Group reporters used phone hacking and other illegal methods to gather material. The trial is focusing on 33 of those stories.

Harry’s lawyer, David Sherborne, said unlawful acts by reporters and editors at the Daily Mirror, Sunday Mirror and Sunday People were “widespread and habitual” and carried out on “an industrial scale.” He pointed the finger at management, in particular TV personality Piers Morgan, a former Daily Mirror editor.
Morgan has publicly denied involvement in phone hacking, as has Mirror Group in its court submissions.

Mirror lawyer Andrew Green said a substantial proportion of the articles at issue involved a “breathtaking level of triviality” and that with the exception of a few instances of unlawful information gathering, the company’s reporters had used public records and sources to legally obtain information.

The trial is a test case involving four claimants, including two members of Britain’s longest-running soap opera, “Coronation Street.” But the verdict could determine the outcome of hacking claims also made against Mirror Group by the estate of the late singer George Michael, former Girls Aloud member Cheryl and former soccer player Ian Wright.

The case is broken into two parts: a generic case that lasted nearly three weeks in which Harry’s lawyer laid out evidence of alleged skullduggery at the newspapers; the second part, starting Monday, with the four claimants testifying about specific acts targeting them.

WHAT ARE THE OTHER LAWSUITS ABOUT?
Harry’s fear and loathing of the press intersects with two active cases that center around the government’s decision to stop protecting him after he abandoned royal duties.

Harry argued his security is compromised when he visits the U.K., saying that aggressive paparazzi chased him after a charity event in 2021. He sued the British government for withdrawing his security detail.

With that lawsuit pending, he unsuccessfully tried to challenge the government’s subsequent rejection of his offer to pay for his own police protection.

A judge is weighing whether Harry’s libel suit against Associated Newspapers for reporting that he tried to hide his legal efforts to get the British government to provide security should go to trial.

“How Prince Harry tried to keep his legal fight with the government over police bodyguards a secret… then — just minutes after the story broke — his PR machine tried to put a positive spin on the dispute,” the Mail on Sunday wrote in its headline.

In past cases, Meghan won an invasion of privacy case in 2021 against the Mail on Sunday for printing a private letter she wrote to her father. That led to a 1-pound settlement for violating her privacy and an undisclosed sum for copyright infringement.

The couple has also settled lawsuits against photo agencies for flying a drone over their California home and a helicopter over a home where they were living in England.

All contents © copyright 2023 Associated Press. All rights reserved

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Doubles player Miyu Kato of Japan disqualified for accidentally hitting a ball girl

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PHOTO FILE – Miyu Kato, of Japan, right, serves behind her partner Aldila Sutjiadi, of Indonesia, as they play against Beatriz Haddad Maia, of Brazil, and Laura Siegemund, of Germany, in a doubles semifinal match at the BNP Paribas Open tennis tournament Friday, March 17, 2023, in Indian Wells, Calif. French Open doubles player Miyu Kato and her partner Aldila Sutjiadi have been forced to forfeit a match when Kato accidentally hit a ball girl in the neck with a ball after a point during their match against Marie Bouzkova and Sara Sorribes Tormo on Sunday, June 4, 2023. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill, File)

By HOWARD FENDRICH (AP Tennis Writer)

PARIS (AP) — French Open doubles player Miyu Kato and her partner were forced to forfeit a match when Kato accidentally hit a ball girl in the neck with a ball after a point on Sunday.

In the second set on Court 14 at Roland Garros, Kato took a swing with her racket and the ball flew toward the ball kid, who was not looking in the player’s direction while heading off the court.

At first, chair umpire Alexandre Juge only issued a warning to Kato. But after tournament referee Remy Azemar and Grand Slam supervisor Wayne McEwen went to Court 14 to look into what happened, Kato and her partner, Aldila Sutjiadi of Indonesia, were disqualified.

That made Marie Bouzkova of the Czech Republic and Sara Sorribes Tormo of Spain the winners of the match.

“It’s just a bad situation for everyone,” Bouzkova said. “But it’s kind of something that, I guess, is taken by the rules, as it is, even though it’s very unfortunate for them. … At the end of the day, it was the referee’s decision.”

Bouzkova said she did not see the ball hit the ball girl, but “she was crying for like 15 minutes.”
She said one of the officials said the ball “has to do some kind of harm to the person affected” and that “at first, (Juge) didn’t see that.”

Bouzkova said she and Sorribes Tormo told Juge “to look into it more and ask our opponents what they think happened.”

During Coco Gauff’s 6-7 (5), 6-1, 6-1 singles victory over Mirra Andreeva on Saturday, Andreev swatted a ball into the Court Suzanne Lenglen stands after dropping a point in the first set. Andreev was given a warning by the chair umpire for unsportsmanlike conduct but no further penalty.

“I heard about that. Didn’t see it,” Bouzkova said. “I guess it just depends on the circumstances and the given situation as it happens. … It is difficult, for sure.

In the quarterfinals, Bouzkova and Sorribes Tormo will face Ellen Perez of Australia and Nicole Melichar-Martinez of the United States.

AP tennis: https: https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

All contents © copyright 2023 Associated Press. All rights reserved

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International

Slow start to New York’s legal pot market leaves farmers holding the bag

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By MICHAEL HILL Associated Press

ARGYLE, N.Y. (AP) — Seth Jacobs has about 100 bins packed with marijuana flower sitting in storage at his upstate New York farm.

And that’s a problem. There aren’t enough places to sell it.

The 700 pounds (318 kilograms) of pungent flower was harvested last year as part of New York’s first crop of legally grown pot for recreational use. He also has roughly 220 pounds (100 kilograms) of distillate.

Months later, there are only a dozen licensed dispensaries statewide to sell what Jacobs and more than 200 other farmers produced.

Now, another growing season is underway and farmers still sitting on much of last year’s harvest are in a financial bind.

“We are really under the gun here. We’re all losing money,” Jacobs recently said at his farm on rolling land near the Vermont border. “Even the most entrepreneurial and ambitious amongst us just can’t move much product in this environment.”

New York pot farmers aren’t the only ones struggling with difficult economic conditions. Marijuana growers in western states have also complained that low prices, tough competition from the black market, high state taxes and federal banking and exporting restrictions have made it tough for legal growers to make money.

But the farmers’ plight in New York is directly tied to the bumpy launch of the state’s recreational pot market.

State leaders had always planned to gear up the market in stages, giving a chance for a diverse set of participants to get a toe-hold. The state’s process for licensing new dispensaries, however, has moved at a far slower pace than expected.

Last fall, Gov. Kathy Hochul foresaw 20 new shops opening every month or so to start this year. Instead, one store was open by the start of the year, with 11 more opened since.

Unlicensed shops rushed in to fill the void, especially in New York City, but those outlets aren’t a legal market for the state’s farmers. Federal law prohibits the New York farmers from transporting their crop across state lines.

That means limited shelf space to sell the 300,000 pounds (136,000 kilograms) of cannabis grown in the state last year, much of the product meant to be processed for items like gummies and vapes.

Statewide, there is estimated to be hundreds of millions of dollars worth of unsold cannabis, about 80% in the form of cannabis oil, according to the Cannabis Association of New York, a trade group. There are concerns the smokable flower will eventually become too old to sell.

Jacobs keep his bins of buds at Slack Hollow Organics in secure, temperature controlled units. More valuable still is the distillate at various processors he’s waiting to sell. Elsewhere in rural New York, Brittany Carbone, co-founder of Tricolla Farms, said the stock they’re sitting on includes 1,500 packs of pre-rolled joints and about 2,000 packs of edibles.

“What we really need to see is more retailers get open, and that’s going to actually give us the sustainable solution,” Carbone said.

The lack of sales is a particular problem for small farmers who stretched themselves thin financially to produce last year’s crop and now need capital for their second year.

Jacobs, whose brand is Bud & Boro, said he won’t grow plants for distillate this year because of the backlog. Carbone said they are planting on less than the acre they’re legally allowed and are holding off on infrastructure investments, like hoop houses to help with growing.

In New York, many critics blame missteps by state officials in their well-intentioned effort to open the market to a diverse array of entrepreneurs. That meant reserving the first legal pot harvests for struggling hemp farmers. And people with past marijuana convictions were given the chance to open some of the first dispensaries.

Critics say the process has been cumbersome for dispensary applicants. And there have been issues with a planned $200 million fund to help “social equity” dispensary licensees with the costly task of setting up shops.

The fund was supposed to consist of up to $150 million in private investment. But state Dormitory Authority spokesperson Jeffrey Gordon declined to say whether any private money had been invested yet, saying in an email only that “work to raise private capital is ongoing.”

Gordon noted New York’s “complex and unprecedented” effort to create a new statewide enterprise from scratch, which included evaluating 10,000 commercial properties for dispensary locations and arranging for banking, training and other services for the licensees.

The retail rollout also was hobbled by a federal judge’s ruling in November that temporarily barred New York from issuing dispensary licenses in parts of the state, including Brooklyn and Buffalo. The injunction was later narrowed to the Finger Lakes region before a settlement was reached this week.

The Office of Cannabis Management has taken recent steps to boost demand, including the provisional approval last month of 50 new dispensary licenses. And plans are in the works for that would allow groups of growers to join with retail licensees to sell their cannabis at places other than stores, like at a farmers’ market or a festival.

“We know these cultivators are worried about how to sell last year’s harvest as they decide whether to plant a cannabis crop in 2023, and we will continue to support them as more adult-use dispensaries open to sell their products,” cannabis office spokesman Aaron Ghitelman said in an email.

On a separate track, Hochul and the Legislature approved a new law giving regulators broader power to seize weed from the illicit shops competing with the legal shops.

Though frustrated, farmers like Jacobs and Carbone are hanging on. Carbone has gotten her farm’s brand, TONIC, into six dispensaries. Jacobs has received some intermittent payments and hopes the farmers market policy being devised will give him a new avenue to sell his marijuana.

“This all will get worked out,” Jacobs said. “And I want to be there when it does.”

All contents © copyright 2023 Associated Press. All rights reserved

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Jacinda Ardern given top honor for her service during shooting, pandemic

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By NICK PERRY Associated Press

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — Former Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern on Monday received one of New Zealand’s highest honors for her service leading the country through a mass shooting and pandemic.

Ardern was made a Dame Grand Companion, the second-highest honor in New Zealand, as part of King Charles III’s Birthday Honors. It means people will now call her Dame Jacinda. Royal honorees are typically chosen twice a year in New Zealand by the prime minister and signed off by Charles, the British king who is also recognized as New Zealand’s king.

Ardern was just 37 when she became prime minister in 2017, and was seen as a global icon of the left.
She shocked New Zealanders in January when she said she was stepping down as leader after more than five years because she no longer had “enough in the tank” to do it justice.

She was facing mounting political pressures at home, including for her handling of COVID-19, which was initially widely lauded but later criticized by those opposed to mandates and rules.

Prime Minister Chris Hipkins, who succeeded Ardern, said she was being recognized for her service during “some of the greatest challenges our country has faced in modern times.”

“Leading New Zealand’s response to the 2019 terrorist attacks and to the COVID-19 pandemic represented periods of intense challenge for our 40th prime minister, during which time I saw firsthand that her commitment to New Zealand remained absolute,” Hipkins said in a statement.

Fifty-one Muslim worshippers were killed during Friday prayers in the 2019 attack at two Christchurch mosques by a white supremacist gunman.

Within weeks of the attack, Ardern led major changes to New Zealand’s gun laws by banning assault weapons. More than 50,000 guns were handed over to police during a subsequent buyback scheme.

Ardern said she was in two minds about whether to accept the award because much of what she was being recognized for were experiences that were collective to all New Zealanders.

“So for me this is about my family, my colleagues and all those who supported me to do that incredibly rewarding job,” she told 1News.

Ardern will be temporarily joining Harvard University later this year after she was appointed to dual fellowships at the Harvard Kennedy School. She has also taken on an unpaid role combatting online extremism.

Also recognized in the King’s Birthday Honors list was rugby coach Wayne Smith, who helped lead both men’s and women’s rugby teams representing New Zealand to World Cup victories.

In keeping with tradition, Britain’s Queen Camilla was given the top award by being appointed to the Order of New Zealand.

All contents © copyright 2023 Associated Press. All rights reserved.

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