Australia & Pacifics

Wellington, Nov 19 (AFP/PTI) Foreign investors hoping to buy New Zealand's strategic assets will now have to convince the government it is in the national interest, officials said Tuesday, while denying the rules targeted China.

New rules will for the first time give the government power to reject overseas investments in sensitive areas if it decides they could be detrimental to the country, Associate Finance Minister David Parker said.

17 November 2019; AFP: An Australian man has been accused of deliberately lighting a fire to protect his cannabis crop, sparking an out-of-control bushfire as blazes rage along the country's east coast.

Four people have been killed and more than 300 homes destroyed in devastating bushfires that have razed more than one million hectares (2.5 million acres) along the eastern seaboard in just over a week.

MELBOURNE (Reuters) - Dozens of wild fires burned across broad swaths of Australia’s east and west on Saturday and firefighters scrambled to shore up defenses ahead of hotter weather and stronger winds expected to bring more danger in the coming days.

Temperatures of above 40 degrees Celsius (104°F) were forecast for parts of Western Australia on Sunday before spreading east next week and worsening conditions in New South Wales (NSW) and Queensland, two states already stricken by devastating bushfires.

14 November 2019; AFP: The death toll from devastating bushfires in eastern Australia has risen to four after a man's body was discovered in a scorched area of bushland, police said Thursday.

Three others have perished in bushfires in New South Wales, the state worst affected by a series of catastrophic fires that broke out along the eastern seaboard late last week.

Wellington, Nov 13 (AFP/PTI) New Zealand's central bank held interest rates at a record low on Wednesday but said it was ready to step in with stimulus to support the struggling economy.

The Reserve Bank of New Zealand kept borrowing costs at 1.0 percent, confounding forecasts for a cut to 0.75 percent.

Officials said that since its last reduction in August economic developments "do not warrant a change to the already stimulatory monetary setting at this time", although the immediate future did not look promising.

SYDNEY (Reuters) - Australian officials on Wednesday ordered residents and tourists to get out of the way of fast-approaching flames as firefighters struggled to contain more than 150 bushfires raging on both the east and west coasts.

While cooler weather overnight brought some relief for firefighters in New South Wales (NSW) state, of which Sydney is capital, attention shifted to its northern neighbour, Queensland, where more than 80 fires threatened lives and homes.

SYDNEY (Reuters) - Fires raged across a swathe of Australia’s east coast on Tuesday, destroying more homes and shrouding Sydney in smoke from a blaze authorities fear they will be unable to control until next week.

An aircraft was diverted to drop fire retardants on bushfires threatening homes in Sydney’s northern suburbs. Television footage showed some of the substance overshot the blaze, colouring houses and vehicles pink and red.

CANBERRA, Nov 11 (NNN-XINHUA) – The Norwegian Government is set to be the major beneficiary, if oil drilling in the Great Australian Bight goes ahead.

According to an analysis by think tank, The Australia Institute, while the Federal Government would reap a minimum of 7.4 billion Australian dollars (5.07 billion U.S. dollars) in petroleum taxes over 40 years, the Southern Australia (SA) state government would receive only 300 million Australian dollars (205.7 million U.S. dollars).

CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — Australia’s most populous state declared a state of emergency on Monday due to unprecedented wildfire danger as calls grew for Australia to take more action to counter climate change.

New South Wales state Emergency Services Minister David Elliott said residents were facing what “could be the most dangerous bushfire week this nation has ever seen.”

Fires in the state’s northeast have claimed three lives, destroyed more than 150 homes and razed more than 850,000 hectares (3,300 square miles) of forest and farmland since Friday.

10 November 2019; AFP: Sydney is facing a "catastrophic" fire threat, authorities said on Sunday, as firefighters in eastern Australia raced to prepare for worsening conditions after ferocious bushfires devastated communities.

Fires have killed three people and razed more than 150 homes since Friday, but cooler weather overnight provided a welcome reprieve for firefighters and residents.