Australia & Pacifics

SYDNEY (Reuters) -The bodies of two men were found in Australia on Wednesday in cars trapped in floodwaters, the first deaths linked to wild weather in recent days that has submerged houses, swept away livestock and cut off entire towns.

More than 40,000 people have been forced to flee their homes as torrential rain sparked dangerous flash floods, and authorities issued new evacuation orders for residents of Sydney’s western regions to move to safety.

CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — Australia’s prime minister said on Tuesday he was shocked and disgusted by the latest sex scandal to rock his government and vowed to do more to attract women into politics.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison said a lawmaker’s staff member at the center of the latest allegations of sexual misconduct had been terminated over “disgusting and sickening” behavior.

CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — Hundreds of people have been rescued from floodwaters that have isolated dozens of towns in Australia’s most populous state New South Wales and forced thousands to evacuate their homes as record rain continues to inundate the country’s east coast.

Around 18,000 people had been evacuated from flooding in New South Wales by Monday and emergency services feared up to 54,000 people could be displaced with rain forecast to continue until Wednesday.

Sydney, Mar 21 (AP-PTI) Australia's most populous state of New South Wales on Sunday issued more evacuation orders following the worst flooding in decades.

The New South Wales State Emergency Services responded to 640 calls for help on Saturday night, including 66 for flood rescues.

MELBOURNE (Reuters) - Australia’s east coast was smashed by heavy rains on Saturday, sparking dangerous flash flooding that forced the evacuation of multiple regions as the fast-moving waters unmoored houses, engulfed roads, stranded towns and cut power lines.

In Sydney, the country’s biggest city, authorities pleaded for people to stay at home as a major dam overflowed and a mini-tornado tore through a western suburb.

SUVA, March 19 (Xinhua) -- Fijian President Jioji Konrote on Friday stressed the importance of forests in the fight against climate change.

"We all know that the world desperately needs to reduce the amount of carbon in the atmosphere. So forests are in the front lines in the fight against climate change. We need our forests as much as we need to breathe to stay alive," said Konrote as the island nation celebrated the International Day of Forests which falls on March 21.

CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — Australia will send COVID-19 vaccines from its own supply to its near-neighbor Papua New Guinea and will ask AstraZeneca to send more to try to contain a concerning wave of infections, Australia’s prime minister said Wednesday.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison said 8,000 AstraZeneca doses would be sent next week for Papua New Guinea’s front-line health workers and he and his Papua New Guinea counterpart James Marape would ask AstraZeneca to send another 1 million doses as soon as possible.

Canberra, Mar 15 (AP-PTI) Australians rallied in the capital and other cities Monday demanding justice for women and calling out misogyny and dangerous workplace cultures as the government reels from two rape allegations.

Outside Parliament House in Canberra, the crowd of hundreds was mostly female and most wore black. They carried placards including Justice for Women and Men, Own Your Guilt.

CANBERRA (Reuters) - Thousands of protesters are expected to descend on Australia’s capital on Monday when the country’s parliament resumes as part of nationwide demonstrations, intensifying pressure on Prime Minister Scott Morrison.

Spurred by rape allegations against Attorney-General Christian Porter and a former employee of Morrison’s Liberal party, 43 protests are planned across the country on Monday to demand equality and justice for women.

Porter denies the allegation, which surfaced recently, of the alleged 1988 rape.

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — New Zealand on Saturday marked the second anniversary of one of its most traumatic days, when 51 worshippers were killed at two Christchurch mosques by a white supremacist gunman.

Several hundred people gathered at the Christchurch Arena for the remembrance service, which was also livestreamed. A similar service planned for last year was canceled at short notice due to the sudden spread of the coronavirus.