Australia & Pacifics

SYDNEY, Australia, Aug 14 (NNN-AGENCIES) – Police in the Australian state of Queensland have seized a record 766 kg of the drug MDMA, with an estimated street value of over 60 million U.S. dollars, authorities revealed on Wednesday (today).

As well as being the third largest seizure of MDMA ever in Australia, and the largest in the state of Queensland, the drugs were also of the highest purity ever recorded in the state.

SYDNEY, Aug. 13 (Xinhua) -- A man has been arrested after allegedly stabbing a woman and threatening others in broad daylight in the Australian city of Sydney's central business district on Tuesday.

"About 2 p.m. (AEST), emergency services responded following reports a man was walking along York Street, Sydney, armed with a knife," New South Wales State Police said in a statement.

Footage posted to social media shows the man yelling and brandishing the knife, before being apprehended by members of the public.

SYDNEY, Aug. 13 (Xinhua) -- A woman was killed and at least two others were injured after a man brandishing a knife went on an apparent stabbing rampage in Sydney's Central Business District on Tuesday.

In a statement, the Consulate-General of China in Sydney confirmed that a Chinese national had been injured during the attack.

Although it is still not clear if all the incidents are linked, all three attacks occurred in close proximity.

CANBERRA, Australia, Aug 12 (NNN-AGENCIES) – Australian Prime Minister, Scott Morrison, announced a multi-billion-dollar investment, in new equipment for the nation’s special forces.

Morrison today announced that, three billion Australian dollars (2.03 billion U.S. dollars), will be invested in the special forces over 20 years, in order to better respond to threats, including that of terrorism.

Under the first stage of the plan, 500 million AUD (339.4 million USD) will be invested in special operations capabilities.

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — New Zealand police said Friday they had arrested two British men after finding a huge stash of methamphetamine in an Auckland apartment that would have been worth tens of millions of dollars if sold on the street.

Police said they’ve been targeting a foreign criminal organization working in New Zealand as part of what they’re calling Operation Essex. They say the bust was one of the largest of its type in New Zealand.

08 August 2019; DW: The meter-tall "Heracles inexpectatus" roamed New Zealand nearly 20 million years ago. Scientists say it may have eaten other parrots with a beak that "could crack wide open anything it fancied."

Scientists in New Zealand have uncovered the remains of a gigantic parrot that roamed the country some 20 million years ago.

CANBERRA, Aug. 7 (Xinhua) -- One of Australia's top intelligence officials has warned that the country's international relationships are being threatened by leaks of classified information.

In a submission to Parliament's intelligence and security committee, Director-General of National Intelligence Nick Warner said the "unauthorized disclosure" of sensitive information could jeopardize intelligence-sharing relationships.

SYDNEY (AP) — The attack on a Texas Walmart that left 22 people dead bore all the classic hallmarks of America’s cycle of mass shootings: A lone shooter. Multiple casualties. A white male accused of the crime.

But it also revealed a newer, emerging pattern: emboldened white supremacy. A racist diatribe published to the online message board 8chan. And apparent inspiration drawn from the Christchurch, New Zealand, mosque attacks earlier this year.

SYDNEY (AP) — Senior U.S. leaders expressed confidence that they will be able to convince allies to help protect shipping in the Persian Gulf area against Iranian threats, but they provided no new details Sunday on which nations may be willing to participate.

Speaking at a meeting between U.S. and Australian leaders, Defense Secretary Mark Esper said he has already gotten a good response from allies and some announcements could be expected soon. And Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told reporters that a lot of conversations are taking place.

SYDNEY (AP) — U.S. Defense Secretary Mark Esper said he wants to deploy an intermediate range conventional missile in the Pacific region within months, now that the Trump administration has formally pulled out of a Cold War-era arms control treaty with Russia.

Esper, however, added that it will likely take some time to develop the more advanced land-based missile capabilities. The move is likely to anger China, but Esper said Beijing shouldn’t be surprised by it.