A 27-year-old man has been charged after he allegedly made a series of online posts threatening a terror attack in Christchurch involving car bombs on March 15, the second anniversary of the mosque massacre.

Members of the armed offenders squad raided properties in St Albans and Linwood shortly before 6pm on Thursday.

Two men were arrested.

READ MORE: How Australian terrorist prepared for Christchurch mosque attack

Police later confirmed a 27-year-old man had been charged with threatening to kill.

He would appear in the Christchurch District Court on Friday morning.

Further charges against the man were being considered, police said.

The other man was released without charge.

Detective Inspector Michael Ford earlier said police searched the two properties after receiving information from a member of the public regarding "concerning communications on the 4chan site".

4chan is an anonymous online message board known to be frequented by far-right individuals.

On Sunday night, a person made a series of posts on the site using a similar online name to that used by the Australian terrorist who fatally shot 51 people at two Christchurch mosques on March 15, 2019.

The person said they were "originally English", but grew up in South Africa before moving to New Zealand in 2009.

They said they planned to "take action" on March 15 by carrying out an attack remotely on the two mosques using car bombs.

The explosions would be livestreamed, the person said.

READ MORE: Christchurch terrorist could only have been stopped 'by chance'

Others on the message board told them not to do anything "stupid or radical".

Canterbury district commander Superintendent John Price described the threat, which police received via anonymous tip line Crimestoppers, as "medium level".

It was "credible enough that we took action straight away", Price said.

It is understood police visited the Christchurch mosques after learning of the online threats and searched them for bombs. Nothing of interest was found.

Price urged people to be vigilant in the lead up to March 15 and report any concerning behaviour immediately.

"Any messages of hate or people wanting to cause harm in our community will not be tolerated – it's not the Kiwi way."

READ MORE: Christchurch mosque gunman sentenced to life without parole

Linwood Masjid Imam Abdul Lateef said it was "sad to hear" there were people trying to scare the community.

He thought people would not be worried though as they would not take the threat seriously.

"We rely on NZ police to protect us, and they are doing the best they can do," he said.

A neighbour told Stuff she met a man who lived at the property a few days ago. He told her he had only just moved into the area, she said. She was shocked to hear why police were at the house.

The Australian terrorist, now aged 30, was last year jailed for life without the possibility of parole after he pleaded guilty to 51 charges of murder, 40 charges of attempted murder and a charge of committing a terrorist act.

This story originally appeared on Stuff NZ and has been republished with permission.

The mother of Brothers for Life founder Bassam Hamzy braces each time she answers the door of her Auburn home.

It's here Lola Hamzy has been shot at, collapsed at the news of her murdered son, and learned about the arrests of her other two sons.

This week Ms Hamzy bravely answered the door and was again reduced to tears after learning of news she didn't expect; but this time is was welcomed.

READ MORE: Police release CCTV of person of interest in fatal shooting of Mejid Hamzy

"I'm so happy, I'm so happy, this is really good," Ms Hamzy said as she was told police were turning up the heat on the killers responsible for her son's execution.

Mejid Hamzy was executed on the driveway of his Condell Park home in October last year by two masked gunmen.

"It was his 44th birthday last week, I miss him every day, I can't forget him — just last night he came to me in my dreams.

"He was an honest man, a family man, and he was good. Everyone brings up my other son Bassam … it's not right."

Bassam Hamzy is one of the country's most notorious criminals, jailed for life in 2002 for a shooting murder at a Sydney nightclub in 1998.

He was also convicted for conspiring to murder a witness due to give evidence against him.

Ms Hamzy says Mejid was "only good" and worked at Flemington Markets while raising four orphaned children with his wife.

This week NSW Police criminal group detectives released CCTV of two hitmen in black, which showed them running towards Mejid outside his Simmat Avenue home at 8am on October 19.

They also released images of the men driving a black Mercedes with partial number plate EHV, seen in the Moorebank area 20 minutes after the murder.

Police say there are many possible motives and can't rule out an ongoing feud they believe continues between the Hamzys and the Alameddines, a rival crime family.

"We know some of them are feeling the pressure and we will continue (to) make their life difficult," Criminal Group squad boss Superintendent Rob Critchlow told media this week.

"Regardless of what people think about the participants in these conflicts, the people that have been murdered leave behind family that love them; Mejid was killed on the doorstep of his home."

Ms Hamzy strenuously denies her family is engaged in a conflict with the Alameddines.

"We don't have nothing against the Alameddines, nothing going on between us; we never said the Alameddine family killed my son," Ms Hamzy told 9News as she sat on a couch in her living room.

By her side was her daughter Mejida, who says she cannot why anyone would want to murder her brother.

She last saw him three days before he was killed, when he dropped in at his mother's house on his way home from the gym.

"I think it was a shock to everybody because Mejid was not part of that lifestyle at all," she said.

"He was never a violent person, he helped everyone in the family and was a peacemaker.

"Mejid had not spoken to Bassam for 15 years – he wasn't allowed to anyway – and everyone keeps linking them."

Ms Hamzy survived after being shot in the stomach after her home was fired at several times in 2014.

But she struggling to survive the loss of Mejid.

"I still don't believe it, I still ask myself, 'why?'"

Despite her family's chequered history with police, Ms Hamzy says she trusts the detectives will catch her son's killers.

"They are doing good; they are doing a good job.

"I hope [the killers] get punished just like what happened to my son, that's what I wish," she said.

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The "cold blob" sounds like a rejected monster from a 1950s horror show – but new research shows it could be bringing some very scary climate changes indeed.

The world's major ocean currents are slowing down, and though the consequences will not be as immediate or dramatic as in Hollywood fiction, there are real-world impacts for global weather patterns and sea levels.

The slowdown of ocean circulation is directly caused by warming global temperatures and has been predicted by climate scientists.

READ MORE: Polar vortex breaks away from Arctic Circle

"This has been predicted, basically, for decades that this circulation would weaken in response to global warming. And now we have the strongest evidence that this is already happening," said Stefan Rahmstorf  of Potsdam University, who contributed to this research.

The Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) transports water across the planet's oceans, including the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian. The region contributing to the slowdown is the North Atlantic, according to the research.

"If this Atlantic overturning circulation breaks down all together, this will lead to a strong cooling around the northern Atlantic, especially into Europe, into the kind of coastal areas (of) Britain and Scandinavia. But that's only true if the overturning breaks down all together," Rahmstorf  said.

READ MORE: Iceberg bigger than New York City broke off Antarctic ice shelf

In this part of the ocean, the Greenland ice sheets are melting, contributing to both a rise in sea levels and serving to reduce the speed of the circulation.

"This indicates that the slowdown is likely not a natural change but the result of human influence. The AMOC has a profound influence on global climate, and particularly in North America and Europe, so this evidence of an ongoing weakening of the circulation is critical new evidence for the interpretation of future projections of regional and global climate," said Andrew Meijers, deputy science leader of polar oceans at British Antarctic Survey.

Ice melting in Greenland and the heavy rainfall over the North Atlantic induced by climate change has affected the salinity and density of the waters, Rahmstorf explained.

"Both surface warming and the increased water cycle, increased rainfall and the ice melt are all a consequence of global warming" across parts of the North Atlantic Ocean, he said.

READ MORE: Why snow storms are smashing the northern hemisphere

As warm water currents move north, they typically turn back south as it gets cooler and heavier. Added freshwater from the melting ice is causing this turn to be slower because of reduced salinity.

"This weakening also leads to cold in the northern Atlantic, but it's confined to the ocean. This cold blob, as we call it, is over the ocean, and it doesn't touch on land areas," said Rahmstorf.

Current estimates show this weakening is moderate, at about 15 percent weaker compared to normal and based on data analyzed up from to 1600 years ago.

US East Coast to see higher sea levels

One of the main impacts of the slowing ocean circulation is on sea levels, especially those of the US East Coast.

"The northward surface flow of the AMOC leads to a deflection of water masses to the right, away from the US East Coast. This is due to Earth's rotation that diverts moving objects such as currents to the right in the Northern Hemisphere and to the left in the Southern Hemisphere. As the current slows down, this effect weakens and more water can pile up at the US East Coast, leading to an enhanced sea-level rise," said Levke Caesar, one of the authors of the report.

Sea-level rise is already happening due to factors like melting ice sheets and warming oceans. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), water levels have risen by eight to nine inches (20-22.8cm) on average within the past 140 years.

READ MORE: Photos taken 30 years apart reveal glacier's alarming retreat

The rate at which these waters are rising has also increased in recent years.

"The pace of global sea-level rise more than doubled from 1.4mm per year throughout most of the twentieth century to 3.6mm per year from 2006-2015," said NOAA.

A further slowdown of global ocean circulation, especially along the crucial Gulf Stream current off the eastern coastline of the US, could combine with the already accelerating sea-level rise to make major Northeastern cities even more vulnerable to flooding.

Hotter heat waves, stronger hurricanes

Global weather patterns are critically linked with the ocean circulations and their transport of heat and nutrients around the planet.

An increase in heat waves across Europe and stronger hurricanes closer to the US coastline because of warmer water drifting closer to the coast can be linked to the ocean circulation, Rahmstorf said.

"The world's seven warmest years have all occurred since 2014, with 10 of the warmest years occurring since 2005," said NOAA. Heat waves are becoming more frequent already.

The ocean and the currents also play a role in absorbing carbon dioxide, the most dominant greenhouse gas, from the atmosphere. The changing currents could decrease the amount of carbon being taken out of the atmosphere, according to NASA.

In addition to people being affected, the marine biology population is also at risk.

Marine organisms "very strongly depend on these ocean currents, which basically set the conditions for the whole ecosystem in terms of nutrient supply, temperature, and salinity conditions," Rahmstorf said.

When asked whether the AMOC could slow down further or even stop, Rahmstorf said climate models suggest currents will slow down to between 34 percent and 45 percent by 2100.

"Despite a lot of research over the last decade on this, it's very hard to pin down quantitatively, how far away is this tipping point. But the kind of model simulations that I know suggest that if you weaken this circulation by roughly half, you're getting into a critical state. And so this could well … happen by the end of the century," Rahmstorf said.

"We should (strive to) stay well clear of that tipping point because the consequences if the circulation would break down all together would be really dramatic."

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The parents of a woman at the centre of a historical rape allegation against Attorney-General Christian Porter said they would support an inquiry into their daughter's death.

Mr Porter yesterday strenuously denied the allegations as he identified himself as the Cabinet minister at the centre of the claims made by a woman who died last year.

Releasing a statement via their lawyer, the parents of the deceased woman said any line of investigation that would shed light on the death of their daughter is welcomed.

"The family of the deceased continue to experience considerable grief arising from their loss," the statement reads.

"They are supportive of any inquiry which would potentially shed light on the circumstance surrounding the deceased's passing.

"They ask that their privacy be respected during this difficult time."

READ MORE: NSW Police release details of dealings with Christian Porter's accuser

Earlier today Prime Minister Scott Morrison rejected calls for an independent inquiry into the historical rape allegations against Attorney-General Christian Porter, likening any such probe to a "mob process".

There have been calls for an independent probe to be held after NSW Police confirmed this week they had closed their investigation because of "insufficient admissible evidence".

READ MORE: Calls grow for independent review into historical rape allegations against Christian Porter

But Mr Morrison, speaking in the NSW Hunter region today, dismissed the suggestion.

He said it was a fundamental principle of a liberal democracy that the police were the relevant authority.

"I don't agree with the precedent or the prima facie case for there being such a process. Because that would say that our rule of law and our police are not competent to deal with these issues. And they are competent to deal with these issues," Mr Morrison said.

"They have reviewed the materials, and they've formed their assessment.

"There is not some other process. There is not the mob process. There is not the tribe-has-spoken process. That's not how we run the rule of law in Australia."

Mr Morrison said the rule of law must apply and that is guiding his response.

"The rule of law is essential for liberal democracies. And we weaken it at our great peril. And it can be hard at times," he said.

"And I understand, particularly under these circumstances, it can be hard to understand just how important that principle is in how we deal with these, the most sensitive and the most traumatic and the most personal of issues."

Mr Morrison said he spoke with Mr Porter after he addressed the media yesterday and looked forward to the attorney-general returning to Cabinet duties after he takes a short period of leave.

"I'm pleased that he's taking some time to get support to deal with what has obviously been a very traumatic series of events, as you'd appreciate," he said.

"He's getting that support, as well as the support of his colleagues, as he takes that time. I'm looking forward to him returning to his duties once that period of leave is completed."

'Cloud hanging over' Porter, lawyer says

The lawyer for the woman at the centre of an historical rape allegation against Mr Porter has said a "cloud is hanging over" the Cabinet minister amid the calls for an independent inquiry.

The woman's lawyer Michael Bradley told Today an external and independent inquiry should not be ruled out by Mr Morrison.

"The prime minister has a choice, and that is either accept that this matter is closed, based on Mr Porter's denial of the allegation, and tell us all to move on and that's the end of it, or come to the view that the matter isn't closed because that question mark still remains, and therefore there needs to be a process to deal with it," he said.

"The whole point of a process like that is it gathers all the evidence that it can. It tests it, it weighs it up, then it reaches a determination. That determination may well be that he's exonerated."

Despite Mr Morrison saying the police were the relevant authority to investigate the matter, Mr Bradley said a parallel inquiry could also be held.

"The police deal with the criminal question, the criminal justice question. It's quite normal and conventional to have parallel processes," he said.

Mr Bradley pointed to sporting bodies such as the National Rugby League that have an integrity unit to investigate criminal allegations against players.

Mr Bradley also said a question mark will remain over Mr Porter's political future.

"I think it's obviously a difficult situation because he holds such a high office of public trust, and the allegation against him is so serious," he said.

"With that combination of factors it leaves a question mark, sort of a cloud hanging over him, which I don't think has been dispelled."

'Presumption of innocence': Frydenberg

Treasurer Josh Frydenberg today also rejected calls for an independent inquiry into the historical rape allegations levelled against Mr Porter.

Mr Frydenberg told Today that the police remained the authorised body to investigate the allegations and Mr Porter was entitled to a presumption of innocence.

NSW Police confirmed this week they had closed their investigation because of "insufficient admissible evidence".

"Christian Porter gave a lengthy statement yesterday, fronted the media, and made an emphatic denial of those allegations against him," Mr Frydenberg said.

"He's entitled to the presumption of innocence. We adhere to the rule of law.

"The police have looked at these matters and have said the case is closed."

Mr Frydenberg said the airing of the allegations had taken its toll on Mr Porter.

"These have been very distressing days in the Parliament, and I saw yesterday aspects of Christian Porter's press conference and you could see the anguish on his face, you could see the affect that it was having on him."

'Public deserves to know'

Independent MP Zali Steggall and Northern Territory Senator Malarndirri McCarthy have joined calls for a transparent, independent inquiry into the historical rape allegations.

Ms Steggall told Today that Australians need transparency.

"I think the Australian public deserves to know exactly what is the case. What evidence is there?" she said.

"We have a situation where very sadly the alleged victim is no longer able to put forward her version of events."

Senator McCarthy said the independent inquiry would resolve "unanswered questions".

"There are so many questions that still remain unanswered and that's why the calls for an independent inquiry are really important," Senator McCarthy said.

If you need help in a crisis, call Lifeline on 13 11 14. For further information about depression contact beyondblue on 1300224636 or talk to your GP, local health professional or someone you trust.

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Brittany Higgins has responded to reports Defence Minister Linda Reynolds called her a "lying cow," saying it is evidence of the "toxic workplace culture" at Parliament House.

Ms Higgins, a former Liberal staffer, came forward last month with allegations she was raped in Senator Reynolds' office by a colleague in 2019.

Today, The Australian reported the defence minister, who is currently on medical leave, made the remark in front of staffers on the day Ms Higgins went public with her allegations.

LIVE UPDATES: PM rejects calls for Porter inquiry

"The comments made by Minister Reynolds are incredibly hurtful,'' Ms Higgins said in a statement.

"I appreciate that it has been a stressful time but that sort of behaviour and language is never excusable.

"It's just further evidence of the toxic workplace culture that exists behind closed doors in Parliament House."

Earlier, Prime Minister Scott Morrison defended Senator Reynolds saying she regrets the comments and the last few weeks had been "traumatic" for many people, resulting in high tensions.

"She has deeply regretted them, she made them in a private office," Mr Morrison said.

"She immediately apologised.

"She apologised to the staff about making what were inappropriate comments, long before it became public."

The prime minister said Ms Reynolds "deeply regrets" the "offensive remarks".

"They say things that sometimes they deeply regret," he said.

"I'm sure that all of you have found yourself, at a time of frustration, perhaps saying things you regret.

"And I would simply ask you, given the comment was made in a private place, that you offer the same generosity to how you perceive something you might have said, and perhaps apply the same standard to Linda Reynolds who, at the time, was under significant stress."

READ MORE: Brittany Higgins makes formal complaint to police

Mr Morrison condemned the remarks.

"She should never have made them," Mr Morrison said.

"I don't condone them, but what matters is that we continue to address the substance of the issues here, as we are."

In a statement sent out late last night, Senator Reynolds did not dispute using the term, but sought to clarify the context of her insult.

"I have never questioned Ms Higgins' account of her alleged sexual assault and have always sought to respect her agency in this matter," she said.

"I did however comment on news reports regarding surrounding circumstances that I felt had been misrepresented.

"I have consistently respected Ms Higgins' agency and privacy and said this is her story to tell and no one else's."

Senator Reynolds was hospitalised a week ago with a pre-existing medical condition after Ms Higgins came forward to say she had been raped in the Defence Minister's office in Parliament House.

She remains on sick leave.

Independent MP Zali Steggall said she was "shocked" to read the reports about Senator Reynolds.

"That's incredibly disappointing and inappropriate of Linda Reynolds and the minister should know better," she told Today.

"I think it makes her position all the more untenable."

The alleged sexual assault took place in March 2019 and Ms Higgins went public with her claim last month.

"Ms Higgins' allegations are very serious and that is how they must be treated to ensure her legal rights are protected," Senator Reynolds said.

"I welcome her decision to progress this matter with the Australian Federal Police."

Ms Higgins said she was raped by a senior Liberal staffer in Parliament House.

Another three women have made allegations against the unnamed man.