Regional

27th November

Fiji Airways begin flights to Vancouver

National airline Fiji Airways’ inaugural flight to Vancouver had an 88 per cent capacity of passengers taking advantage of Fiji’s direct link to Canada. Fiji Airways managing director Andre Viljoen said this created a good...

26th November

Thousands of Australians strip for Tunick cancer awareness photo shoot

SYDNEY (Reuters) – Some 2,500 people took off their clothes on Saturday to pose for U.S. photographic artist Spencer Tunick at Sydney’s Bondi Beach in an effort to raise awareness about skin cancer. Tunick, known for staging mass nude photo shoots at world landmarks, used a megaphone to direct attendees into several poses on the...

25th November

Cathay Pacific in talks on orders for medium-haul jets, freighters

(Reuters) -Hong Kong’s Cathay Pacific Airways Ltd is in talks with aircraft manufacturers about orders for medium-haul aircraft and dedicated freighters, a senior executive said on Friday. “Overall we have enough long-haul aircraft to fulfil Cathay Pacific’s growth plan,” Chief Customer and Customer Officer Ronald Lam said during an analyst briefing, citing existing orders for...

Australian inquiry finds Morrison’s secret ministries corroded trust

SYDNEY (Reuters) -Australia will introduce rules to increase transparency in ministerial appointments after an inquiry into secret ministerial appointments by then Prime Minister Scott Morrison found they corroded public trust in government. Morrison, who lost power in a general election in May, secretly accumulated five ministerial roles during the coronavirus pandemic: health, finance, treasury, resources...

Australia approves national plan to safeguard Aboriginal heritage

MELBOURNE (Reuters) -Australia will set out a new national legal framework to protect Aboriginal cultural heritage, after a review of mining standards following Rio Tinto’s destruction of sacred rock shelters for an iron ore mine, Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek said on Thursday. The government had accepted all but one recommendation out of the eight from...

Vietnam boosts coal use plan for 2030 as G7 climate offer stalls

HANOI (Reuters) – Vietnam has increased its coal power target for 2030 under a revised draft energy plan, government documents seen by Reuters show, while renewables goals were scaled back, in a potential blow to rich nations’ funding initiatives for cleaner energy. The updated draft, dated Nov. 11, was circulated by Vietnam’s industry ministry as...

24th November

New space observatory helps solve mystery involving enormous black holes

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Most galaxies are built around humongous black holes. While many of these are comparatively docile, like the one at our Milky Way’s center, some are fierce – guzzling surrounding material and unleashing huge and blazingly bright jets of high-energy particles far into space. Using data from the recently deployed Imaging X-ray Polarimetry...

New Zealand increases funding for Vanuatu wharves

WELLINGTON (Reuters) – New Zealand said it would invest a further NZ$10 million ($6.15 million) to help fund wharf construction in Vanuatu, where a Beijing-funded wharf had raised concerns about China seeking to establish a military base in the Pacific island nation. New Zealand’s Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta said in a statement on Wednesday that...

Longer Australian bushfire seasons, more wild weather seen as climate warms – report

SYDNEY (Reuters) – Australia’s climate conditions will worsen in the years ahead, two national agencies said on Wednesday, warning of quicker changes in weather patterns and more frequent extreme climate events. Australia’s climate will continue to warm as greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide, are at the highest levels on Earth in at least two...

Australia’s CSL prices hemophilia gene therapy at $3.5 million

(Reuters) -Australian drugmaker CSL Ltd on Tuesday set the list price of its one-time gene therapy for hemophilia B at $3.5 million, making it the world’s most expensive treatment, following its approval by the U.S. health regulator. The first gene therapy for the rare genetic blood clotting disorder offers a long-term solution for patients as...

23rd November

Analysis-First U.S. coral insurance marks the rise of the reef brigades

HONG KONG (Reuters) – Conservation group The Nature Conservancy’s vision for the future of coral protection involves speed boats, and a global army of snorkellers and divers deployed when tropical storms and hurricanes damage reefs. On Monday, the global ‘Reef Brigades’ plan came closer to reality when it bought an insurance policy on behalf of...

22nd November

Solomon Islands hit by 7.0 magnitude earthquake

A magnitude 7.0 earthquake has struck in the Solomons Island region triggering a tsunami warning for areas up to 300km away. The epicentre was in the sea near Malango in the Solomons, the United States Geological Survey said. It has since revised the quake’s magnitude down to 7 from 7.3 magnitude and at a depth of...