NEWCASTLE, Australia (AP) — Australia and New Zealand sent airplanes to New Caledonia on Tuesday to begin bringing home stranded citizens from the violence-wracked French South Pacific territory. Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong said Australia had received clearance from French authorities for two flights to evacuate citizens from the archipelago, where indigenous people have long sought independence from France. Hours later, a Royal Australian Air Force C-130 Hercules touched down in Noumea, the capital. The plane can carry 124 passengers, according to the Defense Department. “We continue to work on further flights,” Wong wrote on the social media platform X on Tuesday. The Department of Foreign Affairs said 300 Australians were in New Caledonia. It did not immediately confirm whether the Australian-organized flights would also evacuate other stranded foreign nationals, believed to number in the thousands. |
Democrats pounce on Arizona Supreme Court's abortion rulingA Supreme Court social media ruling could set new free speech standardsHouse passes reauthorization of US spy program after GOP upheavalSpeaker Johnson to meet with Trump, offers Marjorie Taylor Greene advisory role as own job teetersMax Fried has strong outing against Marlins after uncharacteristically poor start to seasonRobert MacNeil, creator of PBS 'NewsHour, dead at 93Conservative Christians press Trump to do more on abortionCardinals blow an early 6US consumer sentiment falls slightly as outlook for inflation worsensSlavin scores go