Australia & Pacifics

CANBERRA, April 15 (Xinhua) -- Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced on Thursday that the country's remaining troops in Afghanistan will be withdrawn in September.

Morrison said Australia would follow the United States in ending its military presence in Afghanistan after 20 years in the country.

"Over the past two years we've been reducing our military presence in Afghanistan from a high of over 1,500 personnel to around 80 personnel currently," he told reporters.

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — New Zealand announced Wednesday it is banning the export of live cows and other farm animals by sea due to welfare concerns.

Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor said the ban would take up to two years to be fully enforced to give those who had invested in the business a chance to transition out.

SUVA, Apr 12 (NNN-SPN) – The final and official count for this year’s general election of Samoa is currently underway, in the South Pacific island nation, according to local media report today.

The Samoa Observer daily reported that, according to preliminary ballot counts, the ruling Human Rights Protection Party (HRPP), led by incumbent Prime Minister, Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi, and the Faatuatua i le Atua Samoa ua Tasi (FAST) party, led by former HRPP deputy Prime Minister, Fiame Naomi Mataafa, are tied on 25 seats each in the 50-seat parliament.

SYDNEY, April 12 (Xinhua) -- A tropical cyclone hit Australia's west coast overnight, destroying hundreds of properties and leaving tens of thousands of residents without power.

Kalbarri, a popular tourist town 580 km north of Perth in the state of Western Australia and also home to about 1,400 residents, was hit hard by the cyclone, with no deaths or major injuries recorded so far.

CANBERRA (Reuters) - The European Union on Tuesday denied blocking shipments of 3.1 million doses of AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine to Australia as it steps up scrutiny of vaccine shipments to address EU shortages.

An Australian government source told Reuters that the EU had blocked 3.1 million shots and the country had little hope of getting the remaining 400,000 doses it has been promised on time.

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — New Zealand announced Tuesday it will open a long-anticipated travel bubble with Australia on April 19 now that both countries have been successful in stamping out the spread of the coronavirus.

The start of quarantine-free travel between the neighboring nations will come as a relief to families who have been separated by the pandemic as well as to struggling tourist operators.

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said health officials believe the risk of the virus being transmitted from Australia is low and that travel is now safe.

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — Australia announced Wednesday it would begin building its own guided missiles in close collaboration with the U.S. as it seeks to boost its defense capabilities.

The news comes amid growing unease in the Pacific region about China’s increasing assertiveness and military abilities.

Citing the “changing global environment,” Prime Minister Scott Morrison said it would partner with a weapons manufacturer to build the missiles in a plan that would create thousands of jobs as well as export opportunities.

Canberra (Australia), Mar 29 (AP-PTI) Australia's leader on Monday reassigned some key members of his Cabinet and launched a new task force as he tries to address a series of sexual misconduct scandals that have rocked his government.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison removed embattled ministers Christian Porter and Linda Reynolds from their high-profile roles.

CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — Two men trapped in vehicles hundreds of kilometers (miles) apart have become the first fatalities of record flooding on Australia’s east coast.

A car got trapped in floodwater northwest of Sydney at dawn Wednesday and emergency services later recovered it with a body inside, officials said. The body, believed to be that of a 25-year-old Pakistani national, has yet to be formally identified.

SYDNEY (Reuters) -The bodies of two men were found in Australia on Wednesday in cars trapped in floodwaters, the first deaths linked to wild weather in recent days that has submerged houses, swept away livestock and cut off entire towns.

More than 40,000 people have been forced to flee their homes as torrential rain sparked dangerous flash floods, and authorities issued new evacuation orders for residents of Sydney’s western regions to move to safety.