Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea (AFP) The death toll from a massive earthquake in Papua New Guinea rose to seven Monday and is expected to grow as rescuers begin to reach remote landslide-hit communities. Police Commissioner David Manning said the victims of Sunday’s 7.6-magnitude quake had been found across the central north of the country, where there is widespread damage to homes and infrastructure. The quake struck mid-morning and triggered a series of deadly landslides. […]
Australia and Oceania
7.6-magnitude earthquake hits east Papua New Guinea
PORT MORESBY, Papua New Guinea (AFP) – A 7.6-magnitude earthquake hit off eastern Papua New Guinea on Sunday, with locals reporting damage to buildings near the coastal town of Madang and further inland. The US Geological Survey, which reported the quake, issued a tsunami warning but subsequently said the threat “has now passed”. It did, however, note that there could still be “minor sea level fluctuations in some coastal areas”. Power outages and damage to […]
Five dead after NZ boat reportedly collides with whale
WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AFP) — Five people are dead after a boat flipped over in waters off of New Zealand’s South Island on Saturday, with “indications” the vessel capsized after colliding with a whale. The boat, which had 11 people on board, mostly from a bird-watching group, overturned in calm waters soon after 10am at Goose Bay, about 15 kilometres (nine miles) south of Kaikoura, according to local officials. A rescue operation that spanned nearly […]
‘Help wanted’: businesses struggle to fill jobs
PARIS, France (AFP) – Germany has a shortage of plumbers. The United States needs more postal workers. Australia is lacking engineers. In Canada, hospitals are looking for more nurses. “The Great Resignation” that countries have experienced since Covid pandemic restrictions were eased is not over yet. Michael Blume, chief executive of a software company in eastern Germany, said he had “a lot of difficulties finding workers”. “Wherever we look, we are lacking qualified workers,” Blume, […]
Australian central bank hikes cash rate to seven-year high
SYDNEY, Australia (AFP) — Australia’s central bank hiked interest rates to a near eight-year high Tuesday as it joins others in trying to bring down sky-high inflation and warned further increases were likely that would hit families’ pockets. The Reserve Bank of Australia lifted borrowing costs 50 basis points to 2.35 per cent, the highest since that start of 2015. The path to bring prices back into balance was a “narrow one and clouded in […]
Pandemic-weary nurses strike in Australia
SYDNEY, Australia (AFP) — Nurses in Australia’s most populous state went on strike Thursday, demanding better conditions after three years on the front line of the Covid-19 crisis. The 24-hour strike was the third statewide walkout by nurses and midwives this year, and came as tensions between essential workers and the New South Wales government reached the boiling point. Train drivers have crippled Sydney’s rail network in recent weeks with rolling strikes, while bus drivers […]
Solomon Islands suspends all naval visits
Honiara, Solomon Islands (AFP) Solomon Islands has suspended visits from all foreign navies, citing a need to review approval processes, the country’s leader said Tuesday, after a US coast guard was unable to refuel at its port. The decision comes amid concerns over the Solomons’ growing ties with China in recent years, switching diplomatic recognition from Taipei to Beijing in 2019 and signing a security pact with the Asian power in April. Western governments are […]
Solomon Islands suspends US naval visits: US embassy
SYDNEY, Australia (AFP) – The Solomon Islands has suspended all visits from the United States Navy, the US embassy in Canberra said Tuesday, heightening concerns over the growing influence of China in the region. “The United States received formal notification from the Government of Solomon Islands regarding a moratorium on all naval visits, pending updates in protocol procedures,” an embassy spokeswoman said in a statement. It comes a week after Washington said a coast guard […]
New Zealand flood recovery estimated to take ‘years’
Nelson, New Zealand | AFP | by Ryland JAMES A New Zealand city devastated by flooding will take years to recover, the mayor said on Friday, as hundreds more homes were evacuated. The Pacific nation has been lashed by wild weather with the Nelson-Tasman district on the South Island bearing the brunt after 75 centimetres (29 inches) of rain reportedly fell over three days. Several streets in the city of Nelson were flooded after the […]
Hundreds evacuated as ‘frightening’ floods hit New Zealand
WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AFP) — Hundreds of families on New Zealand’s South Island were forced to leave their homes on Thursday after dramatic flooding prompted a state of emergency in three regions. A tropically fuelled storm has dumped more than 30 centimetres (11 inches) of rain on parts of the South Island, causing rivers to burst their banks. The extreme weather has also felled trees, blocking major roads. A state of emergency was declared Wednesday […]
PNG election poll count extended amid ‘violence and mayhem’
Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea | AFP Vote counting in Papua New Guinea’s general elections was extended by a fortnight on Tuesday, as violence and destruction disrupted the already month-long poll. The country’s governor general announced the extension, with the return of writs moving from July 29 to August 12, as he called for an end to attacks in an election marred by the “hijacking” of ballot boxes and at least a dozen deaths. […]
High-level US delegation heads to Solomons to mark WWII amid China moves
WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — A high-level US delegation will travel to the Solomon Islands to mark the 80th anniversary of the World War II Battle of Guadalcanal, months after the country signed a controversial security pact with China, the State Department announced Monday. Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman and other senior diplomats and military leaders will visit the islands’ capital Honiara from August 6-8 and attend memorial events organized with Japan, now a […]