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NAKU’ALOFA, Tonga (AFP) — Nuku’alofa awoke to scenes of devastation Tuesday after the most powerful cyclone ever recorded in the Tongan capital tore roofs off buildings, downed powerlines and caused extensive flooding, prompting a state of emergency in the tiny Pacific nation. Veteran disaster management officials were shocked at the fury of Severe Cyclone Gita as it unleashed 230 kilometers per hour (142 mph) winds on Tonga’s most populous island Tongatapu. Historic wooden buildings in […]
NUKU’ALOFA, Tonga (AFP) — Tonga declared a state of emergency Monday as the Pacific island kingdom braces for a direct hit by a powerful cyclone that is threatening to become a Category Five superstorm. Severe Tropical Cyclone Gita has already created havoc in neighboring Samoa and is gathering pace as it approaches Tonga. Acting Prime Minister Semisi Sika issued a nationwide alert, saying he was “satisfied that an emergency is happening or is about to […]
WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AFP) — The Pacific nation of Tuvalu — long seen as a prime candidate to disappear as climate change forces up sea levels — is actually growing in size, new research shows. A University of Auckland study examined changes in the geography of Tuvalu’s nine atolls and 101 reef islands between 1971 and 2014, using aerial photographs and satellite imagery. It found eight of the atolls and almost three-quarters of the islands […]
WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AFP) — Many children and teenagers are among those missing after a ferry sank in the remote Pacific, official figures have revealed, with victims described as their region’s “youngest and brightest.” Radio Kiribati reported late Wednesday that a council survey of Nonouti island, where the ferry departed on January 18, showed there were 88 people aboard. It said they included 10 children of primary age and 13 high school students. The youngsters […]
WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AFP) — The search for survivors from a ferry which sank with 50 people aboard in the remote Pacific resumed Monday, with rescuers saying they remained optimistic as they comb an area larger than Italy. A New Zealand Air Force Orion plane located seven survivors drifting in a dinghy late Sunday after the sinking of the MV Butiraoi, which set off from the island nation of Kiribati on January 18. NZDF Air […]
WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AFP) – New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced Friday she is expecting her first baby in June, making her the country’s first leader to give birth while in office. The 37-year-old, who took office in October, said the pregnancy was “unexpected but exciting” for her and partner Clarke Gayford. “We’re both really happy. We wanted a family but weren’t sure it would happen for us,” she said in a statement. The charismatic leader […]
SYDNEY, Australia (AFP) — Australia is calling on the world’s top scientific minds to help save the Great Barrier Reef, offering hundreds of thousands of dollars to fund research into protecting the world’s largest living structure. The UNESCO World Heritage-listed reef is reeling from significant coral bleaching due to warming sea temperatures linked to climate change. The 2,300-kilometre (1,400-mile) site is also under pressure from farming runoff, development and predatory crown-of-thorns starfish, with experts warning […]
SYDNEY, Australia (AFP) — A dead koala has been found screwed to a pole in Australia in a “sickening” act that sparked outrage Thursday on social media. Koala Rescue Queensland (KRQ) responded to a report of one of the furry animals climbing a picnic shelter at Brooloo Park Lookout near Gympie, 175 kilometers (around 100 miles) north of Brisbane, on Wednesday. But on closer inspection, it was found to be dead and screwed in place. […]
SYDNEY, Australia (AFP) – The official winner of this year’s dramatic Sydney to Hobart yacht race could be determined as early as Thursday, as an international jury assesses the fate of Supermaxi Wild Oats XI after her record finish. Wild Oats surpassed last year’s record time by several hours when she crossed the finish line late Wednesday, but her ninth line honors victory remains in the balance after second-placed LDV Comanche lodged a protest. The battle between […]
by Patrick Lee Agence France-Presse SHAH ALAM, Malaysia (AFP) — An Australian grandmother who said she was tricked into carrying drugs into Malaysia after falling for an online romance scam was Wednesday cleared of trafficking, a crime punishable by death. Maria Elvira Pinto Exposto wept and hugged her son after being found not guilty of smuggling crystal methamphetamine, a rare outcome in a country where hundreds of people have been sentenced to death for drugs […]
SYDNEY, Australia (AFP) — Six yachts including the supermaxis are on track to beat the Sydney to Hobart record, powered by favorable winds in what organizers described Wednesday as an “astonishingly fast race.” Regarded as one of the toughest yacht races in the world, the 628-nautical mile (1,163-kilometer) bluewater classic kicked off in Sydney Harbor Tuesday, with 102 competitors sailing down the east coast of Australia. The four 100-footer supermaxis, led by LDV Comanche, were […]
MELBOURNE, Australia (AFP) — A man who mowed down pedestrians with his car in Melbourne attributed his actions to “perceived mistreatment of Muslims,” Australia said Friday, with nine foreigners among the injured. Nineteen people were rushed to the hospital, and three remain critical, after the Australian-Afghan driver ploughed through a busy downtown intersection on Thursday in what authorities said was a “deliberate act.” The 32-year-old, who came to Australia as a refugee, has a history […]
