Australia and Oceania

Australia sending delegation to China to ‘stabilise’ ties

SYDNEY, Sept 2, 2023 (AFP) – Australia will send a delegation of industry, government, academic, media and arts representatives to Beijing for a dialogue with their Chinese counterparts next week to stabilise its relationship with China, Canberra’s foreign ministry said Saturday. Trade, investment, people-to-people links as well as regional and international security are among the issues up for discussion in next Thursday’s talks, Foreign Minster Penny Wong’s office said. The high-level dialogue had been held […]

All 23 US marines accounted for after deadly Australia crash

DARWIN, Australia, Aug 28, 2023 (AFP) – All 23 US marines on board a military aircraft that crashed in northern Australia have been accounted for, police said Monday, as investigators worked to uncover the cause of an accident that left three dead and five seriously injured. The Boeing MV-22B Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft crashed on Melville Island, north of Darwin, on Sunday morning during a routine military exercise for locally based troops. Authorities confirmed to AFP […]

Pres. Biden visits Hawaii to view fire damage, meet survivors

KAHULUI, United States, Aug 21, 2023 (AFP) – President Joe Biden arrived in Hawaii on Monday to view the widespread damage from recent Maui wildfires, meet with survivors and fend off criticism that his government was too slow to respond to the disaster. Biden and First Lady Jill Biden were greeted in Maui by Hawaii’s governor Josh Green, nearly two weeks after ferocious, wind-whipped blazes ripped through the historic town of Lahaina, claiming at least […]

Maui emergency manager resigns after wildfire warning criticism

LOS ANGELES, Aug 18, 2023 (AFP) – The embattled head of Maui’s emergency management agency, who had come under fire for sirens not being sounded as a wildfire tore through the Hawaiian town of Lahaina, resigned Thursday, a statement said. “Today Mayor Richard Bissen accepted the resignation of Maui Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) Administrator Herman Andaya,” a Maui County release said. “Citing health reasons, Andaya submitted his resignation effective immediately.” Andaya on Wednesday told a […]

Invasive firestarter: How non-native grasses turned Hawaii into a tinderbox

WASHINGTON, Aug 18, 2023 (AFP) – After a catastrophic wildfire that killed more than 100 people in Hawaii, eyes have turned toward an unexpected culprit: invasive grass species that have spread massively over the archipelago for decades, serving as the perfect fuel. Drought-resistant, capable of invading difficult terrain, and gradually muscling out local species, they are also a growing threat in the western United States, where devastating fires are increasing. “Invasive grasses are very ignitable. […]

The deadliest wildfires

PARIS, Aug 14, 2023 (AFP) – The US wildfire in which almost 100 have died in Hawaii is among the most deadly of the 21st century. Some previous wildfires: – Australia – In “Black Saturday” in Australia’s Victoria state, 173 people were killed, in Australia’s worst bushfire on February 7, 2009. Whole towns and more than 2,000 homes were destroyed. – Greece in 2007 and 2018 – In Greece’s worst-ever fire disaster, 103 people died […]

Australian charged with making fake bomb threat on plane

SYDNEY, Aug 14, 2023 (AFP) – An Australian man was charged Tuesday with making a fake bomb threat on a flight to Malaysia, terrifying passengers and causing havoc in the country’s airspace. The Malaysia Airlines flight from Sydney to Kuala Lumpur was forced to turn back Monday afternoon when the agitated man started claiming he had “explosives” in his backpack, police said. Police said the 45-year-old, who was arrested after the plane returned to Sydney, […]

Hawaii fire death toll hits 99, may double, warns governor

KAHULUI, United States, Aug 14, 2023 (AFP) – The death toll in Hawaii’s wildfires rose to 99 and could double over the next 10 days, the state’s governor said Monday, as emergency personnel painstakingly scoured the incinerated landscape for more human remains. Last week’s inferno on the island of Maui is already the deadliest US wildfire in a century. But Governor Josh Green said more fatalities are certain, as emergency responders with cadaver dogs work […]

Unveiling the devastation: Aftermath of Hawaii’s wildfire and questions over alerts

In this video we follow Joshua Galang’s report on the most recent developments and aftermath surrounding the catastrophic Maui wildfire. No sirens sounded, and a number of Lahaina residents reported becoming aware of the fire through neighbors urgently passing down the street or witnessing the situation firsthand. We listen to the proclamation made by Governor Joshua Green, who has categorized this incident as the deadliest wildfire in modern U.S. history.

An early update on Maui’s wildfire with our Hawaii bureau

In the following video, we are joined by Alfred Acenas, our Hawaii Bureau Chief. Alfred takes us through a detailed update on the wildfire situation in its early aftermath. He sheds valuable insights into the ongoing efforts, challenges, and impact of the wildfire that has captured the attention of communities across the region and the world.