WK News World

New Zealand's Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced in an emotional press briefing that she will step down from her role as PM, saying "it's time."  New Zealand's Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced in an emotional press briefing on Thursday that she would be stepping down from her role as Prime Minister by February 7 after five and a half years of service.  Prime Minister Ardern said she had taken time to consider her future over the summer break, hoping to find the heart and energy to go on in the role. "But unfortunately I haven't, and I would be doing a disservice to New Zealand to continue," she told reporters on Thursday.  "This has been the most fulfilling 5 1/2 years of my life, but it has also had its challenges," Ardern said, citing crises from the COVID-19 pandemic to the deadliest mass shooting in New Zealand's history. "But I'm not leaving because it was hard," she said. "I am leaving because with s

Australian athlete Erchana Murray-Bartlett's record-breaking run from 'tip to toe' of the continent.  Five months after starting from the top of Australia, when marathon runner Erchana Murray-Bartlett reached the southern edge of the country, there were cheers, tears, and pure relief for Ms. Murray- Bartlett as she crossed the finish line and completed a record 150th marathon in 150 days. Starting in Cape York in far north Queensland and finishing on the Tan track in Melbourne around 6pm on Monday, the determined runner has covered an impressive 6,330 kilometers (3914.6 miles) in just under five months.  Ms. Murray-Bartlett has been running professionally for years. She went on the run to raise awareness of the extinction crisis facing Australian animals and plants. And she has raised over AUD$100,000 for the conservation charity Wilderness Society.  Australia is home to some of the richest biodiversity in the world, but it is also among the countries with the greatest loss