Laural Hubbard's selection to New Zealand's squad for the Tokyo Olympics has opened a wider conversation on the participation of transgender athletes at major sporting events.

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern toured flood-hit areas of the country's South Island on Tuesday, expressing shock at the destruction left when three months' worth of rain fell in three days. Swollen rivers swept away bridges and landslides blocked highways in the deluge, which finally began to ease after a 72-hour barrage. While hundreds of people have been forced to evacuate, there have been no reports of serious injuries.

Large areas are flooded in the province of Canterbury in New Zealand, after heavy rains in the region. Authorities have declared a state of emergency in the province on Sunday.

Police have arrested a man who stabbed five people at a supermarket in Dunedin in southern New Zealand. Three people are in critical condition.

The case comes just a day after New Zealand and Australia announced quarantine-free trans-Tasman travel.

Hugs, tears of joy and smiles all around at New Zealand airports as families and friends are reunited thanks to a travel bubble agreement between New Zealand and Australia.

Excited passengers prepare to fly from Sydney Airport to New Zealand on the first flights to take advantage of a quarantine-free travel bubble between Australia and New Zealand.

For the first time in over a year, people can travel to New Zealand from Australia without having to contend with a strict quarantine. The countries' leaders hope to expand the arrangement.

Tokyo 2020 will introduce several new sports to the Olympic movement including skateboarding as New Zealand marks 100 days until the Games begin.

The much-anticipated travel bubble between Australia and New Zealand finally has a start date: April 18. In Germany, Saarland will become the first state to end its coronavirus shutdown. Follow DW for the latest.

Huge crowds gather in Auckland as Team New Zealand beat Italy's Luna Rossa 7-3 to win their fourth America's Cup and retain the world's oldest international sporting trophy.

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