Australia, New Zealand send planes to evacuate nationals from New Caledonia
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.
Related articles
California congressman urges closer consultation with tribes on offshore wind
A congressman who represents California’s north coast has sent a letter to federal regulators asking2024-05-21IOM assists in voluntary return of 133 Pakistanis from Libya
(Xinhua) 10:06, March 27, 2024TRIPOLI, March 26 (Xinhua) -- The International Organization for Migra2024-05-21China's top legislature to set up deputies affairs commission
(Xinhua) 16:01, June 28, 2023BEIJING, June 28 (Xinhua) -- China's National People's Congress (NPC) S2024-05-21Xi leads China in boosting tech self
By Wang Cong and Chi Jingyi (Global Times) 09:48, May 31, 2023On a sweltering Friday afternoon, cran2024-05-21- LOS ANGELES (AP) — Shohei Ohtani’s first walk-off hit for the Los Angeles Dodgers was also his first2024-05-21
Xi sends congratulatory letter to General Assembly of Alliance for Cultural Heritage in Asia
(Xinhua) 10:37, April 25, 2023BEIJING, April 25 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping sent a cong2024-05-21
atest comment