Wellington - New Zealand Prime Minister John Key rejected Monday a call by one of his government ministers for a referendum on ditching Queen Elizabeth as head of state and turning the country into a republic.
"My view is that New Zealand is likely one day to become a republic, but it's unlikely to occur under my watch," Key, whose conservative National Party was elected in November for a three-year term, told a news conference.
He said the country faced a number of challenges ahead "and becoming a republic is just not a high priority for me."
Wellington - Thousands of New Zealanders turned out to honour the country's war dead at dawn services throughout the country on Saturday, the 94th anniversary of a disastrous First World War landing by troops at Gallipoli in Turkey.
The troops were part of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC) and April 25 is a public holiday of remembrance in both countries.
Wellington, Apr 24: After Oprah Winfrey, the latest celebrity to join in the craze of microblogging on Twitter is New Zealand Prime Minister John Key.
Till date, the NZ premier has posted five links to speeches and press releases, talking of things like the Government''s Job Support Scheme and an address to Grey Power.
"We''re still in the set-up phase, but I already have over 600 "followers". I''ll get more involved in future," The Press quoted Key as saying.
Wellington - Jim Salinger, New Zealand's most prominent climate scientist, has been sacked by the state-owned National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA) for talking to the media without permission, he said on Friday.
Salinger, who is internationally known as a lead author for the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), said he was summarily dismissed this week after working for NIWA for 25 years.
Wellington - Jim Salinger, New Zealand's most prominent climate scientist, has been sacked by the state-owned National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA) for talking to the media without permission, he said on Friday.
Salinger, who is internationally known as a lead author for the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), said he was summarily dismissed this week after working for NIWA for 25 years.
Wellington - New Zealand Prime Minister John Key rejected Monday a call by one of his government ministers for a referendum on ditching Queen Elizabeth as head of state and turning the country into a republic.
Wellington - Thousands of New Zealanders turned out to honour the country's war dead at dawn services throughout the country on Saturday, the 94th anniversary of a disastrous First World War landing by troops at Gallipoli in Turkey.
Wellington, Apr 24: After Oprah Winfrey, the latest celebrity to join in the craze of microblogging on Twitter is New Zealand Prime Minister John Key.
Wellington - Jim Salinger, New Zealand's most prominent climate scientist, has been sacked by the state-owned National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA) for talking to the media without permission, he said on Friday.
