The multi-stage AUKUS project announced in March is planned to culminate in the late 2030s and early 2040s with British and Australian production and operation of a new submarine class – SSN-AUKUS – and include “cutting edge” U.S. technologies.

“The door’s very much open for New Zealand and other partners to engage as they see appropriate going forward,” Blinken told a news conference in Wellington.

“We’ve long worked together on the most important national security issues. And so as we further develop AUKUS, as I said, the door is open to engagement.”

Blinken is New Zealand for just over a day as part of a three-country visit to the Pacific.

He met with New Zealand Prime Minister Chris Hipkins and Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta. He will travel to Australia later Thursday where the largest Australia-U.S. military exercise is due to begin.

New Zealand has said that it is open to discussions on a second phase of AUKUS focusing on military technology, but Mahuta on Thursday reiterated it was “not prepared to compromise or change our nuclear-free position” and that it continued to support a nuclear-free Pacific.

She said her discussions with Blinken were warm and personal and they had covered the international rules-based order, the increasingly contested global environment including in the Pacific, and highlighted the two countries’ commitment to democracy and human rights.

New Zealand and the U.S. describe themselves as close strategic partners, although their alliance was suspended in the 1980s when New Zealand barred visits from U.S. nuclear-powered or armed warships.

Their relationship has become increasingly close in the past couple of years due to mutual concerns about China’s presence in the Pacific, particularly Beijing’s growing defence and policing ties with the Solomon Islands and its potential destabilizing effect in the region.

Mahuta said that while New Zealand respected the Solomon Islands’ independence, it also supported regional agreements that ask Pacific countries to come together when making decisions that could impact the region.

Ardern was named “Dame Grand Companion,” the second highest honour in New Zealand, on King Charles’ birthday holiday celebrated by the country on June 5, and she made the coronation honours list for this year. The awardee is usually chosen in New Zealand by the prime minister and then approved by the British monarch, the head of state.

Prime Minister Chris Hipkins said Ardern was recognised for her service during some of the greatest challenges New Zealand had 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.

Ardern, who became the prime minister in 2017, resigned in January in a shock announcement saying she had “no more in the tank” to lead New Zealand.

Ardern said she felt “incredibly humbled” to receive the honour but was in “two minds” to accept it as the efforts for which she was getting recognised for “were about all of us rather than one individual.”

“But I have heard that said by so many kiwis who I have encouraged to accept an honour over the years,” Ardern said in a statement. “And so for me this a way to say thank you – to my family, to my colleagues, and to the people who supported me to take on the most challenging and rewarding role of my life.”

A blaze broke out on the top floor of the Loafers Lodge in the suburb of Newtown in the early hours of Tuesday, causing major structural damage that is hampering recovery efforts.

New Zealand Fire and Emergency earlier this week confirmed the death toll was at least six, however Inspector Dion Bennett, acting Wellington police district commander, said that at this stage just five bodies had been identified and less than 10 people were unaccounted for.

“Until we have fully examined all parts of the building we remain reluctant to confirm the specific number of deceased,” Bennett said at press conference on Friday.

The hostel provided accommodation for people including construction workers, hospital staff, but also for those on sickness and disability benefits and some were serving sentences in the community for minor crimes.

A 48-year-old man, who has his name suppressed until at least his next court appearance, appeared in Wellington District Court briefly on Friday afternoon. He appeared agitated in the docks, wearing a black hooded sweatshirt over his head and dancing and making hand gestures to the media.

“Someone else done it,” he yelled before being asked by the judge to quieten down. He also said he was firing his lawyer given bail was not going to be granted.

His lawyer continue to represent him. He was remanded in jail until next month. Further charges are possible.

Bennett said police had yet to make it into parts of the building as it remain dangerous due to structural issues that work to make it safer was ongoing.

“The scene examination will continue over the weekend and we hope to recover the fifth person as quickly as we can,” Bennett said.

The U.S. Geological Survey said the quake Friday was near the Loyalty Islands. It was 37 kilometers (23 miles) deep.

That is southwest of Fiji, north of New Zealand and east of Australia.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said waves up to 3 meters (10 feet) above tides were possible for Vanuatu.

Smaller waves were possible for Fiji, New Caledonia, Kiribati and New Zealand.

Wellington (AP) — New Zealand police said Thursday they plan to start removing bodies from the Wellington hostel where at least six people were killed in a fire.

Police Inspector Dion Bennett said they were aiming to remove the first two bodies from Loafers Lodge on Thursday and the next two on Friday. Bennett said it’s possible they could find more victims as officers continue their scene examination.

“The damage on the third floor is significant,” Bennett told reporters. “The debris is piled high, and there is much for them to move and search underneath.”

Police say the believe the fire was arson and have launched a homicide investigation.

Bennett said they haven’t yet arrested anybody but they have a list of people they want to speak to and hope to quickly identify any suspects. He declined to say if they had found accelerant or other evidence of criminal behavior at the scene.

Police said there had been a couch fire at the Loafers Lodge hostel about two hours before the large, fatal fire on Tuesday. They said the couch fire was not reported to emergency services at the time, and they were investigating to see if there was any link between the two fires.

The homicide investigation represents a change in outlook by police, who initially said they didn’t believe the fire was deliberately lit.

Bennett said police had accounted for 92 people who were in the hostel and had a list of others who remained unaccounted for, although were not necessarily missing. Police had earlier said they expected that the final death toll would be fewer than 10 people.

News outlet RNZ identified Liam Hockings, a journalist, as one of the hostel’s residents who was missing. Hockings is the brother of the BBC presenter Lucy Hockings.

The fire ripped through the building early Tuesday, forcing some people to flee in their pajamas. Others were rescued by firefighters from the roof or dived from windows.

The Loafers Lodge offered 92 basic, affordable rooms with shared lounges, kitchens and laundry facilities to people of a wide range of ages. Some people were placed there by government agencies. Others worked at a nearby hospital.

Emergency officials said the building had no fire sprinklers. Prime Minister Chris Hipkins said the nation’s building codes did not require sprinklers in older buildings that would need to be retrofitted.

“I have asked the Minister for Housing to look particularly at issues around building regulations to see whether there’s anything more that we should be doing right at this point,” Hipkins told reporters Wednesday.

A blaze broke out on the top floor of the Loafers Lodge in the suburb of Newtown in the early hours of Tuesday, causing major structural damage that is hampering recovery efforts.

Following a health and safety assessment, police said investigators hoped to enter the 92-room building in the afternoon to begin their investigation, and find and identify the dead.

“This scene examination will be an extensive and methodical process, and we expect it to take some time – likely several days,” Acting Wellington District Commander Dion Bennett said.

“I can confirm that we are treating the fire as arson.”

The hostel provided accommodation for construction workers, hospital staff and those serving sentences in the community for minor crimes, among other people.

Police said on Wednesday that some people were missing, putting the number at less than 20 people. They said some of the missing residents of the hostel might just be unaccounted for.

The cause of the fire was not known but police said there was a couch fire late on Monday, two hours before the fatal fire, but it had not been reported to emergency services at the time.

“We will be seeking to confirm any link between that couch fire and the subsequent fatal fire,” Bennett said.

Earlier on Wednesday, Fire and Emergency New Zealand (FENZ) deemed it safe for police to enter the building.

“The next step for us is going through and ensuring that there isn’t anybody else in there and obviously working with police to investigate and support them in the removal of the six people,” FENZ region manager Bruce Stubbs told Radio New Zealand.

The blaze broke out on the top floor of Loafers Lodge in the Wellington neighbourhood of Newtown just after midnight, police said, causing major structural damage that is hampering recovery efforts.

“There is a significant amount of debris from the roof collapse but at this stage we have located six people,” Bruce Stubbs, the incident commander from Fire and Emergency New Zealand (FENZ) told a news conference.

The cause of the fire is not known, but emergency services were treating the incident as suspicious.

“This is a once-in-a-decade fire for Wellington. It’s the worst nightmare for us,” FENZ Wellington District Commander Nick Pyatt said in a statement.

“This is a tragic event for all involved. My heartfelt condolences go to the loved ones of those who have lost their lives.”

The hostel provided accommodation for people including construction workers, hospital staff and those serving sentences in the community for minor crimes.

Loafers Lodge resident Tala Sili said he saw smoke coming under his door and opened it to find the hallway full of smoke. He decided to jump out the window onto a roof two floors below.

“It was just scary, it was really scary, but I knew I had to jump out the window or just burn inside the building,” he told state-owned Radio New Zealand.

Investigations into what caused the fire are under way, according to Fire and Emergency New Zealand (FENZ).

Police said they will not have more information until the 92-room building is safe to enter.

Dion Bennett, acting district commander of police for the area of Wellington where the fire broke out, said the force was working on the assumption that fewer than 10 people have died, but that others from the building were still unaccounted for.

“We have yet to fully reconcile a list of all of those people who were here last night who should be here or who were here as visitors,” he said.

Prime Minister Chris Hipkins visited the site and spoke with emergency service providers.

“It is an absolute tragedy and it is a horrific situation,” Hipkins told media after the visit.

“In the fullness of time, of course there will be a number of investigations about what has happened and why it happened but for now, the focus needs to be on dealing with the situation.”

People aged 14 and under in 2027 will never be allowed to purchase cigarettes in the Pacific country of five million, part of proposals unveiled on Thursday that will also curb the number of retailers authorised to sell tobacco and cut nicotine levels in all products.

“We want to make sure young people never start smoking so we will make it an offence to sell or supply smoked tobacco products to new cohorts of youth,” New Zealand Associate Minister of Health Ayesha Verrall said in a statement.

“If nothing changes, it would be decades till Māori smoking rates fall below 5%, and this government is not prepared to leave people behind.”

Currently, 11.6% of all New Zealanders aged over 15 smoke, a proportion that rises to 29% among indigenous Maori adults, according to government figures.

The government will consult with a Maori health task force in the coming months before introducing legislation into parliament in June next year, with the aim of making it law by the end of 2022.

The restrictions would then be rolled out in stages from 2024, beginning with a sharp reduction in the number of authorised sellers, followed by reduced nicotine requirements in 2025 and the creation of the “smoke-free” generation from 2027.

The package of measures will make New Zealand’s retail tobacco industry one of the most restricted in the world, just behind Bhutan where cigarette sales are banned outright. New Zealand’s neighbour Australia was the first country in the world to mandate plain packaging of cigarettes in 2012.

The New Zealand government said while existing measures like plain packaging and levies on sales had slowed tobacco consumption, the tougher steps were necessary to achieve its goal of fewer than 5% of the population smoking daily by 2025.

The new rules would halve the country’s smoking rates in as few as 10 years from when they take effect, the government said.

Smoking kills about 5,000 people a year in New Zealand, making it one of the country’s top causes of preventable death. Four in five smokers started before age 18, the country’s government said.

Vaping, often seen as a safer alternative to smoking and a useful aid to quitting, is also tightly regulated with sales only allowed to over 18s.

Crime Wave

Health authorities welcomed the crackdown, while retailers and tobacco companies expressed concern about the impact on their businesses and warned of the emergence of a black market.

“We welcome the New Zealand government’s recognition that excessive excise increases disproportionately impact smokers on lower incomes,” tobacco group Imperial Brands (IMB.L) said, adding it was concerned about proposals to reduce nicotine levels and eventually prohibit sales.

“Prohibitions of any kind tend to play into the hands of criminal traders who peddle unregulated illicit products,” it also said.

Dunhill maker British American Tobacco (BAT) (BATS.L) and Marlboro maker Philip Morris (PM.N), which has previously said it would stop sales in the country if required by law, did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

According to brokerage Citi, BAT is the market leader in New Zealand, with a 67% share by volume, while Imperial Brands, which sells JPS, Riverstone and Horizon cigarettes, accounts for 21%, generating about 1-2% of its group earnings before taxes.

The government did not detail how the new rules would be policed or whether they would apply to visitors to the country.

“Cigarette smoking kills 14 New Zealanders every day and two out of three smokers will die as a result of smoking,” said New Zealand Medical Association chair Alistair Humphrey in a statement.

“This action plan offers some hope of realising our 2025 Smokefree Aotearoa goal, and keeping our tamariki (Maori children) smokefree.”

However, the Dairy and Business Owners Group, a lobby group for local convenience stores, said while it supported a smoke-free country, the government’s plan would destroy many businesses.

“This is all 100 per cent theory and zero per cent substance,” the group’s chairman, Sunny Kaushal, told Stuff.co.nz. “There’s going to be a crime wave. Gangs and criminals will fill the gap with ciggie houses alongside tinnie houses.”

Jordan’s Foreign Ministry announced that Khaled Haj Musatafa was killed in the attacks, while Jordanian barber Wasseim Alsati and his daughter were critically injured.

Alsati ran a barbershop called Wass’ Barbers in Christchurch area where he has lived with his family for the past several years.

Alsati received four bullets, two in his back, one in the stomach and another in his foot, while his daughter was hit with three bullets.

Jordan’s Foreign Minister, Ayman Safadi tweeted to condemn the barbaric terrorist attack upon the Muslim worshipers and expressed thoughts and prayers with the victims and their families. He promised to ensure all steps to get proper treatment for the injured Jordanians.

We condemn the horrific barabaric attacks against innocent worshippers in #NewZealandShooting mosque. Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their families. Terrorism in all its forms and it’s ideology of hate is a common enemy that we must fight together.

— Ayman Safadi (@AymanHsafadi) March 15, 2019

“Terrorism in all its forms and it’s ideology of hate is a common enemy that we must fight together,” he expressed in the tweet.

Over 49 Muslim worshipers were killed and over 40 injured when a white-supremacist terrorist opened fire on them while they knelt for prayers.

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison declared the gunman as a “right-wing terrorist”.