China, Russia and Iran are engaged in foreign interference in New Zealand, intelligence agency says

By NICK PERRY
Associated Press

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — New Zealand’s domestic intelligence agency says that China, Iran and Russia are engaged in foreign interference in New Zealand. The agency made its threat assessment public for the first time on Friday. Director-General of Security Andrew Hampton said in the report that the Security Intelligence Service sees enormous value in sharing more of its insights with the public. The agency has previously taken a secretive approach. It decided to change course after it and other agencies were blindsided in 2019 when a white supremacist gunned down 51 worshippers at two Christchurch mosques in the nation’s worst mass shooting.