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.
Trump accepts a VP debate but wants it on Fox News. Harris has already said yes to CBS
Israel cancels indoor mask requirement
Xi Story: Cradle of China's Rural Reform Embarks on Rural Revitalization Journey
Apple's China data center starts operation
Hall of Fame outfielder Ken Griffey Jr. to lead Indianapolis 500 field in Corvette pace car
China developing two models of reusable rockets
(W.E. Talk) Can China and the U.S. Escape the Thucydides Trap?
World's first unmanned aerial vehicle launched on e
Jon Wysocki dead at 53: Staind drummer passes away
Hollywood star Shia LaBeouf is spotted on the streets of Gavin and Stacey's hometown Barry
Roundup: Monkeypox cases rising in EU, authorities urge countries to take measures