Australia & Pacifics

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — New Zealand officials said Thursday they will gradually loosen their border quarantine requirements, which have been among the toughest in the world throughout the pandemic.

But while the changes will make it easier for New Zealanders stranded abroad to return home, officials gave no date for when tourists might be welcomed back. That change is likely still months away.

CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — Australia on Thursday ruled out promising to cut methane emissions by 30% by the end of the decade in a stance that will add to criticism that the country is a laggard in addressing climate change.

Minister for Industry, Energy and Emissions Reduction Angus Taylor announced his government’s decision before he was to fly with Prime Minister Scott Morrison to a U.N. climate summit in Glasgow, Scotland.

The United States and the European Union pledged in September to the 30% methane reduction target.

CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — Australia’s opposition party said on Wednesday a looming election will be fought on greenhouse gas reduction targets as Prime Minister Scott Morrison comes under criticism from scientists over the modest goals he will take to a U.N. climate summit.

Morrison has been left no room to move on Australia’s 2030 reduction target under a deal struck this week with his conservative government’s rural-based junior coalition partner, the Nationals party.

WELLINGTON, Oct 22 (NNN-AGENCIES) – APEC finance ministers agreed today, to continue working together to respond to the effects of COVID-19 and ensure a sustainable and inclusive recovery, while capitalising on the opportunity to build a more resilient future.

New Zealand Minister of Finance and Deputy Prime Minister, Grant Robertson, chaired the virtual Finance Ministers’ Meeting of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) from Wellington.

CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — Qantas Airways on Friday brought forward its plans to restart international travel from Sydney as Prime Minister Scott Morrison predicted tourists would be welcomed back to Australia this year.

Vaccinated Australian permanent residents and citizens will be free to travel through Sydney from Nov. 1 without the need for hotel quarantine on their return.

Two weeks ago, Morrison said Australians, skilled migrants and students would be given priority over foreign travelers in coming to Sydney. He predicted tourists would return in 2022 or later.

SYDNEY, Oct 19 (NNN-AGENCIES) – Plastic waste makes up more than 80 percent of all rubbish found across Australian beaches, according to a study, based on one of the largest marine debris databases in the southern hemisphere.

More than 2,000 organisations and 150,000 volunteer rubbish beachcombers, helped compile the Australian Marine Debris Initiative (AMDI), based on collecting and sifting through almost 20 million pieces of discarded plastic, glass, rubber, metal, and paper.

CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — A net zero carbon emissions target by 2050 would be a “great positive” for Australia if it can be achieved through technology and not a carbon price, the prime minister said on Tuesday as he pressures government colleagues to commit to more ambitious action ahead of a climate summit.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison last week agreed to attend next month’s climate conference in Glasgow, Scotland, but his government colleagues have yet to approve the commitment he wants to net zero.

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — New Zealand counted its most new coronavirus cases of the pandemic Tuesday as an outbreak in its largest city grew and officials urged vaccinations as a way out of Auckland’s two-month lockdown.

Health officials found 94 new local infections, eclipsing the 89 that were reported twice during the early days of the pandemic 18 months ago. Most of the new cases were in Auckland, but seven were found in the nearby Waikato district.

CANBERRA, Oct 17 (NNN-AGENCIES) – The Australian government secured access to two new COVID-19 treatments, as the country continues to battle the third wave of infections.

Health Minister, Greg Hunt, today announced, the government has purchased 15,000 doses of the antibody-based therapy, Ronapreve, which can be administered intravenously for COVID-19 patients, in a health care facility and is expected to be targeted for use in unvaccinated people who are at risk of developing severe disease.

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — New Zealand health care workers administered a record number of vaccine jabs Saturday as the nation held a festival aimed at getting more people inoculated against the coronavirus.

Musicians, sports stars and celebrities pitched in for the “Vaxathon” event which was broadcast on television and online for eight hours straight. By late afternoon, more than 120,000 people had gotten shots, eclipsing the daily record of 93,000 set in August. The event stretched into the evening.