Both Christopher Luxon of the National Party and Chris Hipkins of the opposition Labour Party admitted it was not yet clear who New Zealand's next leader would be.

Wong, who has had several stints in prison after his protests, had been set to be released early next year.

Until this month’s “cockroach” protests over changes to India’s voter rolls, the prime minister’s political might went all but unchallenged among the nearly billion-strong electorate.

The arrest of a Marine has provoked impassioned protest at a time when the two countries are seeking to bolster security in the region.

The 34-year-old woman was arrested as she sought to board a flight to Shanghai from Los Angeles.