Australia & Pacifics

CANBERRA, Jan. 21 (Xinhua) -- More than 17,000 weapons were surrendered in the first year of Australia's permanent national firearms amnesty.

The federal government on Saturday released the first annual report on the amnesty program, which allows Australians to hand in unregistered, illegal or unwanted weapons without facing punishment, revealing 17,543 weapons were surrendered in the first 12 months.

The permanent amnesty was set up in mid-2021 following temporary programs in the wake of the Port Arthur massacre in 1996 and again in 2017.

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — Education Minister Chris Hipkins is set to become New Zealand’s next prime minister after he was the only candidate to enter the contest Saturday to replace Jacinda Ardern.

Hipkins, 44, must still garner an endorsement Sunday from his Labour Party colleagues, but that is just a formality now. An official transfer of power will come in the days to follow.

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — When Jacinda Ardern announced this week she was stepping down as New Zealand’s prime minister, speculation began almost immediately about what she might do for a second act.

When she leaves, she will have accumulated 15 years experience as a lawmaker and five-and-a-half years as leader. She will also be just 42 years old. Observers say she has all sorts of career possibilities open to her.

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, who became a global icon of the left and exemplified a new style of leadership, said Thursday that she would leave office.

Just 37 when she became leader, Ardern was praised around the world for her handling of the nation’s worst-ever mass shooting and the early stages of the coronavirus pandemic. But she faced mounting political pressures at home and a level of vitriol from some that hadn’t been experienced by previous New Zealand leaders.

SYDNEY, Jan 7 (NNN-AAP) – Health authority in the Australian state of New South Wales (NSW), yesterday urged local communities to stay alert, to signs and symptoms of invasive bacterial infections, as related cases recently increased across the state.

The NSW Ministry of Health said in a statement that, there had been increases in both invasive meningococcal disease (IMD) and invasive group A streptococcus (iGAS) infections, in recent weeks.

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Two helicopters collided in an Australian tourist hotspot Monday afternoon, killing four people and critically injuring three others in a crash that drew emergency aid from beachgoers enjoying the water during the southern summer.

One helicopter was taking off and the other landing when they collided near the Sea World theme park in Main Beach, a northern beach on the Gold Coast, Gary Worrell, Queensland state police acting inspector, said at a news conference.

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Two helicopters collided in an Australian tourist hotspot Monday afternoon, killing four passengers and critically injuring three others in a crash that drew emergency aid from beachgoers enjoying the water during the southern summer.

One helicopter appeared to have been taking off and the other landing when they collided near the Sea World theme park in Main Beach, a northern beach on the Gold Coast, Gary Worrell, Queensland state police acting inspector, said at a news conference.

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — With countdowns and fireworks, revelers in major city centers across the Asia-Pacific region ushered in the first new year without COVID-19 restrictions since the pandemic began in 2020.

While COVID-19 continues to cause death and dismay, particularly in China, which is battling a nationwide surge in infections after suddenly easing anti-epidemic measures, countries had largely lifted quarantine requirements, restrictions for visitors and relentless testing that had limited travel and places people can go to.

WELLINGTON, Dec 28 (NNN-XINHUA) – New Zealand recorded 32,010 new community cases of COVID-19, and 78 more deaths from the COVID-19 pandemic, over the week ending Dec 25, the country’s Ministry of Health said today.

On average, new cases per day reached 4,565, in the last week.

With the fresh cases, New Zealand reported 2,094,354 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 2,331 COVID-19-related deaths, since the pandemic hit the country in early 2020, the ministry said.

CANBERRA, Dec. 27 (Xinhua) -- Australians have been urged to stay safe around water following a spate of drowning deaths.

Several people died on Sunday and Monday as people across Australia sought beaches to escape from a Christmas long weekend heatwave.

It takes Australia's summer drowning death toll to 11, prompting a warning from the Royal Life Saving Society (RLSS) as the country enters the most dangerous period for water safety.

There were 145 drowning deaths in Australia in the summer of 2021/22 - the most in more than 20 years.