Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said the man was a Sri Lankan national who was inspired by the Islamic State group and described the incident as a terror attack.
But her selection is not without controversy. Some argue that because Laurel Hubbard went through male puberty, she will have an unfair advantage over her competitors.
Less than three weeks after launching quarantine-free travel between the two countries, New Zealand is suspending flights from Australia after new cases were found there.
The pandemic is under such control in the two countries that people will be able to travel between them for the first time without quarantining since March 2020.
The case of a woman who reportedly married ISIS fighters and is now stuck in Turkey with her young children has become the subject of a diplomatic dispute between Australia and New Zealand.
The policy will give parents the right to three days of paid leave when a pregnancy ends in stillbirth. "Their grief is not a sickness, it is a loss. And loss takes time," said the bill's initiator.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced on Thursday the government will work with suppliers to get free period products into schools in June, building off a pilot program started last year.
Most residents of Auckland are asked to stay home for three days while health officials determine the source of the virus and test for community spread. The rest of the country is on high alert.
A 56-year-old woman who had traveled to Spain and the Netherlands for work late last year has tested positive for the coronavirus. It's New Zealand's first probable community transmission in months.
If the vaccines are proven to be safe and effective, the immunization campaign is expected to begin with border officers and other essential workers at the beginning of 2021.
The country voted to allow assisted dying for the terminally ill but no to legalizing marijuana. Two separate referendums were held along with the general election won Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern.
The Labour Party now controls a majority of seats in Parliament, giving it a strong mandate to govern. The 40-year-old Jacinda Ardern has promised to be a voice for all New Zealanders.
"We can let ourselves once again feel pride," said New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, "that we managed to get to that position together." Auckland's restrictions lifted on Wednesday.