1: jacinda ardern, the current prime minister of new zealand, has announced her plans to step down from her role. this announcement has been met with mixed reactions from the public, with polls suggesting her party may have a difficult path to re-election in october. chris hipkins, kiri allan, and michael wood are all potential candidates to replace her.
2: ms ardern made the announcement on monday, and will step down by 7 february. labour party mps will hold a leadership vote on sunday, and if no candidate gets the support of two-thirds of the party, the vote will go to the wider labour membership. ms ardern said she was feeling a “range of emotions” from sadness to a “sense of relief”.
3: ms ardern said she had “no regrets” about her decision and had “slept well for the first time in a long time”. she also rejected suggestions by some commentators that experiences of misogyny had played a role in her decision. ms ardern said she had a “message for women in leadership and girls who are considering leadership in the future” that “you can have a family and be in these roles”. she also said she was looking forward to spending more time with her family and for being there when her daughter starts school later this year.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-64342181?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=KARANGA
