Australia & Pacifics

ROTORUA, Jan 25 (NNN-AGENCIES) – New Zealand’s Earthquake Commission and Geological Survey (GeoNet), reported a magnitude 5.1quake in New Zealand near Rotorua, Bay of Plenty, only minutes ago.

The quake hit at 8:12 am local time this morning, at a very shallow depth of five km. The exact magnitude, epicentre, and depth of the quake might be revised within the next few hours, as seismologists review data and refine their calculations, or as other agencies issue their report.

CANBERRA, Jan. 25 (Xinhua) -- The Australian government has suspended the quarantine-free travel arrangement for New Zealand's passengers for a minimum of 72 hours in order to reduce the risk of new variant of the COVID-19 virus entering the community.

Greg Hunt, Australia's Minister for Health, announced the decision on Monday afternoon.

"The changes come into effect, as I say, immediately," Hunt said in a press conference in Canberra.

BRISBANE, Jan 17 (NNN-AGENCIES) — A tropical cyclone formed off the northeastern coast of Australia on Sunday, threatening the tourist hotspot of Cairns with destructive 130 kilometres per hour winds.

Tropical Cyclone Kimi is a Category One storm with sustained winds of 65 kph but meteorologists said it may strengthen to a Category Two when it crosses the coast late Monday.

The Bureau of Meteorology forecast it was likely to hit between the towns of Cooktown and Port Douglas, with gale-force winds extending south of Cairns.

CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — The foreign ministers of Australia, the United States, Great Britain and Canada issued a joint statement Sunday expressing “serious concern” about the arrest of 55 democracy activists and supporters in Hong Kong last week.

The arrests were by far the largest such action taken under a national security law that China imposed on the semi-autonomous territory a little more than six months ago.

“It is clear that the National Security Law is being used to eliminate dissent and opposing political views,” the four foreign ministers said.

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — New Zealand’s central bank said Sunday that one of its data systems has been breached by an unidentified hacker who potentially accessed commercially and personally sensitive information.

A third party file sharing service used by the Reserve Bank of New Zealand to share and store sensitive information had been illegally accessed, the Wellington-based bank said in a statement.

Governor Adrian Orr said the breach has been contained. The bank’s core functions “remain sound and operational,” he said.

Sydney, Jan 4 (PTI) The crowd limit for the third Test between India and Australia, beginning here from Thursday, has been reduced to 25 per cent of the SCG's seating capacity on advice of the New South Wales government after fresh COVID-19 cases were recorded in the city.

Approximately 9500 people would be allowed to watch the game with the series currently locked at 1-1 following India's remarkable comeback in Melbourne. The SCG has a seating capacity of about 38,000.

Sydney, Jan 3 (AP-PTI) More Australian states and territories are reimposing travel restrictions to prevent the coronavirus spreading from new outbreaks in New South Wales and Victoria states

The Australian Capital Territory has shut out non-residents who have been in the northern beaches of Sydney, where the outbreaks are most concentrated, Greater Sydney and other smaller centers, unless they have an exemption.

Sydney, Jan 2 (AP-PTI) Australia's leading medical group says the New South Wales state government has put the rest of the country at risk by its decision not to go "hard and early" in its response to the COVID-19 outbreak on Sydney's northern beaches, which is suspected to have also caused new cases in neighboring Victoria state.

On Saturday, Victoria recorded 10 new local cases, bringing active cases in the state to 29. Trace testing has linked the new Melbourne coronavirus cluster to the New South Wales outbreak.

CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — Australia has changed one word in its national anthem to reflect what the prime minister called “the spirit of unity” and the country’s Indigenous population.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison on New Year’s Eve announced that the second line of the anthem, Advance Australia Fair, has been changed from “For we are young and free” to “For we are one and free.”

The change took effect Friday.

SYDNEY, Dec 21 (NNN-AGENCIES) – Australia’s domestic borders have been slammed shut on residents in Sydney, as a COVID-19 outbreak in the city’s north increased by 15 cases to 83 today.

Concerns over how far the cluster has spread prompted differing responses by state leaders across the country.

The state of Western Australia re-implemented a hard border closure for the entire State of New South Wales (NSW) of which Sydney is the capital, turning back anyone from NSW without a legitimate exemption.