Page 2 - New Zealand

Rajnath holds talks with defence ministers of NZ, South Korea, and Vietnam

Earlier, Rajnath arrived for the 12th Asean Defence Ministers' Meeting Plus (ADMM-Plus), where he will be addressing the forum on 'Reflection on 15 years of ADMM-Plus and Charting the Way Forward'

Visa fraud: How an Indian-origin man duped New Zealand's immigration system

Indian-origin man in New Zealand jailed to home detention for charging up to $30,000 in a visa fraud scheme using fake jobs and wage records

New Zealand to launch new visa for entrepreneurs investing Rs 5-10 crore

New Zealand will roll out a new Business Investor Work Visa on November 24, 2025, offering entrepreneurs a route to residence through investments of NZ$1-2 million in established local businesses

PMs of Australia, Singapore, New Zealand extend warm Diwali greetings

The Australian High Commission in India also hosted a lively Diwali celebration, describing it as 'a celebration to remember'

New Zealand 5-year parent visa with 10-year extension: How it works

Parents of New Zealand citizens and residents can now apply for a new visa allowing stays of up to 5 years, extendable to 10, with strict income and insurance rules

Kash Patel's replica pistol gifts to NZ officials destroyed under gun laws

On a visit to New Zealand, FBI Director Kash Patel gave the country's police and spy bosses gifts of inoperable pistols that were illegal to possess under local gun laws and had to be destroyed, New Zealand law enforcement agencies told The Associated Press. The plastic 3D-printed replica pistols formed part of the display stands Patel presented to at least three senior New Zealand security officials in July. Patel, the most senior Trump administration official to visit the country so far, was in Wellington to open the FBI's first standalone office in New Zealand. Pistols are tightly restricted weapons under New Zealand law, and possessing one requires an additional permit beyond a regular gun license. Law enforcement agencies didn't specify whether the officials who met with Patel held such permits, but they couldn't have legally kept the gifts if they didn't. It wasn't clear what permissions Patel had sought to bring the weapons into the country. A spokesperson for Patel told the

New Zealand breaks with partners, says won't recognise Palestinian state

New Zealand's surprise decision puts it at odds with a growing chorus of Western nations who formally recognised a Palestinian state in the lead-up to the UNGA meeting

India, New Zealand to hold next round of FTA talks in October 2025

India and New Zealand will hold the next round of negotiations for the proposed trade pact on October 13-14 here, the commerce ministry said on Friday. The third round of negotiations for the India-New Zealand Free Trade Agreement (FTA) concluded on September 19 in Queenstown, New Zealand. "Both sides agreed to maintain momentum through inter-sessional engagements. The next round of in-person negotiations is scheduled to be held in New Delhi on 13-14 October, 2025," it said. The third round, held from September 15-19, 2025, witnessed constructive discussions across all areas of the agreement. Several chapters were concluded, and significant progress was achieved in other key domains, it said. The FTA was formally launched on March 16, 2025. India's bilateral merchandise trade with New Zealand stood at USD 1.3 billion in 2024-25, registering a growth of nearly 49 per cent over the previous year. "The proposed FTA is expected to further boost trade flows, promote investment linkag

Adopting from India? New Zealand's new rules could affect your child's visa

New Zealand will no longer recognise most overseas adoptions for visa and citizenship, with India exempt only through CARA-approved cases

New Zealand visa: Indians must get police certificate from passport office

New Zealand visa Rule: From December 1, 2025, only police clearance certificates issued by a Regional Passport Office will be accepted for New Zealand visa applications from Indians residing in India

New Zealand golden visa: Foreigners can now buy homes worth Rs 25 crore

New Zealand has eased its foreign buyer ban, allowing golden visa holders to purchase houses valued at Rs 25 crore or more from the end of 2025

New Zealand Parent Boost Visa opens Sept 29 with 10-year option for family

New Zealand's new Parent Boost Visa allows parents of citizens and residents to stay up to 10 years, with conditions on funds, health and sponsorship

New Zealand to spend $1.6 bn on aircraft in defence budget doubling plan

New Zealand's government announced new military spending Thursday of 2.7 billion New Zealand dollars ($1.6 billion) to replace aging aircraft, with senior officials who unveiled the package citing rapidly growing global tensions and a deteriorating security environment. The purchase of military planes and helicopters was the first procurement announced in a government plan, disclosed April, to double defence spending from 1% to 2% of GDP in the next decade. New Zealand's military spending has trailed that of its larger partners in the Five Eyes intelligence sharing group of countries which includes the United States, Britain, Canada and Australia and the bolstered budget reflects a shift in how the remote island nation is responding to strategic competition between major powers in the Pacific Ocean. The procurement includes five MH-60R Seahawk helicopters to replace the existing maritime fleet and two Airbus A321XLR aircraft, allowing the retirement of Boeing 757s that are more th

New Zealand makes student visas digital-only, Indians to see easier access

New Zealand has made student visas fully digital under its Immigration Online system, as part of a wider plan to double its international education sector by 2034

India negotiates trade deals firmly and on equal footing: Jitin Prasada

India negotiates free trade agreements with nations on an equal footing with adequate firmness, as the country has changed under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Minister of State for Commerce and Industry Jitin Prasada said on Wednesday. He said that India's economic growth is progressing rapidly. "When we do FTAs with different countries...we talk on equal footing. This is the new India. We put forth our point of view forcefully," he said. The minister was speaking at the inauguration of the newly-expanded ISA building of the Intellectual Property Office (IPO) in Dwarka here. His remarks come at a time when India is negotiating trade pacts with a number of countries including the US, European Union, Peru, Chile and New Zealand. With the US, five rounds of talks have been held so far. India has clearly stated that it can not compromise on agri, and dairy sectors, a key demand of the US. Inaugurating the building, Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal said .

New Zealand to launch two new seasonal work visas from December 2025

From December 8, 2025, New Zealand will offer two new seasonal work visas for roles in agriculture, tourism, food processing, and more

Inaugural India-New Zealand defence strategic dialogue held in Delhi

The inaugural edition of India-New Zealand Defence Strategic Dialogue was held here on Tuesday with an aim to discuss security perspectives and further bolster bilateral cooperation, officials said. The meeting was co-chaired by Joint Secretary (International Cooperation), defence ministry, Amitabh Prasad and Head of International Branch, Ministry of Defence, New Zealand, Kathleen Pearce. "Both nations expressed satisfaction at the ongoing defence cooperation and identified means to enhance the existing areas of collaboration, especially in the fields of training, capability building, defence industry, maritime security and multinational cooperation," the Indian defence ministry said. The co-chairs also articulated steps in the direction of emerging areas of cooperation and issues pertaining to global commons, officials said. "The Indian side complimented New Zealand for its successful command of CTF-150 in which five Indian Navy personnel were also deputed as staff. Both sides als

New Zealand to charge tourists up to ₹2,040 to visit natural sites by 2027

From 2027, tourists visiting New Zealand's popular natural sites will pay ₹1,020-₹2,040 per person, as the government plans changes to conservation rules

Butter's 47% global price surge finds explanation in a cult novel

Butter by Asako Yuzuki, a 2024 English bestseller, blends cooking, murder, and feminist themes on body image and anomie in modern Japan-think Julie & Julia meets Silence of the Lambs

Dormant volcano erupts for 1st time in centuries after 8.8 quake in Russia

A volcano on Russia's far eastern Kamchatka Peninsula erupted overnight into Sunday for what scientists said is the first time in hundreds of years, days after a massive 8.8-magnitude earthquake. The Krasheninnikov volcano sent ash 6 kilometres into the sky, according to staff at the Kronotsky Reserve, where the volcano is located. Images released by state media showed dense clouds of ash rising above the volcano. The plume is spreading eastward from the volcano toward the Pacific Ocean. There are no populated areas along its path, and no ashfall has been recorded in inhabited localities, Kamchatka's emergencies ministry wrote on Telegram during the eruption. The eruption was accompanied by a 7.0-magnitude earthquake and prompted a tsunami warning for three areas of Kamchatka. The tsunami warning was later lifted by Russia's Ministry for Emergency Services. This is the first historically confirmed eruption of the Krasheninnikov volcano in 600 years, Olga Girina, head of the Kamchat