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Australian, Canadian and US warships are heading to the New Zealand town of Kaikoura to help with evacuations after a series of powerful earthquakes. Two people were killed when two simultaneous quakes hit near Christchurch on Monday morning, followed by thousands of aftershocks. Thousands were cut off in Kaikoura after roads and infrastructure were badly damaged. Many were tourists visiting the popular whale-watching destination. .... More than 400 people have already been evacuated by air or sea, and the defence force aims to get all people who want to leave out by the end of Wednesday, the New Zealand Herald...

The U.S. has agreed to resettle refugees held by Australia in two offshore detention centers, although the number of people to be offered resettlement was not revealed. Under Australia's strict border protection laws, any person who attempts to reach the country by boat is sent to the centers on Papua New Guinea's Manus Island and the small South Pacific island nation of Nauru, while their claims for asylum are processed. Those that did not accept an offer of U.S. resettlement would be offered a 20-year visa to stay on Nauru but no financial support, Immigration Minister Peter Dutton said on...

An earthquake of magnitude 7.8 has struck near Christchurch, New Zealand, triggering a tsunami with 2.5m high waves. People living along the coast have been warned to 'move to higher ground' - with the first waves already hitting the north east coast of South Island. One-metre high waves are now hitting Christchurch in a barrage predicted to last hours. The quake, which lasted for two minutes, struck in darkness in the early hours of Monday morning in Christchurch which was reduced to rubble by an earthquake just five years ago.

Seismologist says tidal surge of up to one metre has been recorded in North Canterbury region of the New Zealand's South Island * USGS says quake magnitude revised to 7.8* Authorities issue tsunami alert, say waves could be 5 metres* Thousands flee homes to seek higher ground* Reports emerging of injuries, so far no reports of deaths* In 2011, a 6.3 quake killed 185 people in Christchurch (Adds authorities warning first tsunami waves may not be biggest)By Charlotte GreenfieldWELLINGTON, Nov 14 (Reuters) - A 7.8 magnitude earthquake struck central New Zealand just after midnight, the U.S. Geological Survey said, causing...

Tsunamis reported. Shake map Reports pretty thin. Bad.

The Wall Street Journal is reporting on a rather shocking deal which was apparently cooked up between Washington and Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull. You may recall that Turnbull has taken a strong and definitive stand when it comes to migrants or refugees from predominantly Islamic nations looking to make their way into his nation. He’s having none of it and Australia has set up some detention camps on islands off the coast of that continent where these uninvited guests are being housed after they are captured. The aforementioned deal is that at least some of them are being shipped...

(CNN)Australia will transfer hundreds of refugees currently held in offshore detention centers to the United States in a landmark deal announced Sunday. The plan is a "one-off agreement. It will not be repeated," Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said at a press conference. Turnbull added that the deal would only be available "to those currently in the regional processing centers" and will prioritize "women, children and families." Around 1,300 people are currently being held in offshore detention on the Pacific Island nation of Nauru, and Papua New Guinea's Manus Island. The majority of the detainees come from the Middle East and...

Earthquake of magnitude 7.4 strikes near Christchurch in New Zealand, hit by deadly tremor in 2011, US experts say.

Speaking on Sunday morning with immigration minister Peter Dutton, Turnbull confirmed reports refugees on Nauru and Manus Island would be offered a one-off deal to live in the US. “The agreement is with the United States,” Turnbull said. “It is a one-off agreement. It will not be repeated. It is only available to those currently in the regional processing centres. It will not be available to any persons who seek to reach Australia in the future.” The agreement will prioritise resettling women, children and families on Nauru. There are currently 1,313 people in offshore detention on Nauru and Manus Island.

The Commonwealth of Virginia awarded procurement of its Transform66 Outside the Beltway project to I-66 Express Mobility Partners, a consortium of private companies, Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe announced on Nov. 3. I-66 Express Mobility Partners, which consists of transportation infrastructure company Cintra, public infrastructure investment firm Meridiam, and the contractors Ferrovial Agroman US and Allan Myers VA, Inc., will be responsible for financing, designing, building, maintaining and operating the interstate expansion. The Virginia Department of Transportation’s (VDOT) Transform66 Outside the Beltway project will add two express lanes in each direction between I-495 and Gainesville along with three general purpose lanes...

In the wake of Donald Trump's electoral victory, Muslim and Arab-Americans have taken to social media to speculate on what the future may hold for them. Some have said they were crying, others said they were scared. Their fear stems from the fact that during his campaign, president-elect Trump pledged to ban Muslims from entering the country and suggested they were not all loyal citizens. But not all Muslim Americans are fearful—Shireen Qudosiis an American Muslim political analyst and a prominent Donald Trump supporter in California.

Ten Australian soldiers have been recognised for their bravery more than 50 years after they fought in the Vietnam War's Battle of Long Tan. On 18 August, 1966, members of D Company, who were outnumbered 20 to one, fought against the odds to defeat the Viet Cong. About 245 Viet Cong were killed in the rubber plantation and 18 Australians were killed and more were wounded. But for half a century many of the men received no official recognition of their courage, despite sustained campaigning for recognition. Long Tan soldiers recognised with bravery awards: Now 10 of those soldiers have...

DONALD Trump’s win is the biggest “f--- you” to all his enemies — the media, the politicians and Wall Street. The whole world now — and our own political class — has been given a shock and a warning. Stop bullying and patronising the silent majority or they will rise in terrible revolt. The British vote to leave Europe showed the public would no longer be chained. Trump’s victory confirms it. Even I could not see Trump winning. I could not believe so many voters were so cowed by the violence and the abuse of the Left that the polls,...

A BURGLAR got more than he bargained for when he broke into a couple’s home in Sydney’s southwest on Sunday. The intruder was shot with a compound bow and arrow. The thief was shot in the buttocks with a bow and arrow during a botched break and enter at the home on Glanara Street in Wattle Grove at about 5.20pm. The man stole cash and property from a bedroom in the house, before he took the keys to the couple’s Nissan X-Trail, which was parked in the garage. He then reversed out of the garage only to be confronted by...

Pension funds and other asset owners increasingly are investing in U.S. infrastructure, often buying the assets from infrastructure money managers. This could be a win-win. Investor interest comes at a time when the first crop of infrastructure funds raised in the U.S. in 2004 and 2005 are coming to the end of their 10-year life span. Managers are expected to bring more transactions to market to take advantage of growing interest by direct investors. Industry insiders expect more infrastructure core projects to change to institutional investor ownership. Investors prize the core projects, even though returns generally are lower than investments...

Australian and global markets have been jolted by fears of an upset victory by Donald Trump in next week’s US presidential election, amid warnings that the financial fallout of a Trump win could be bigger than Brexit. More than $18 billion was wiped off the value of Australian stocks yesterday and the dollar tumbled after investors were ­rattled by a key US poll that put the Republican candidate one point ahead of his Democrat rival, Hillary Clinton, for the first time. Other polls still have Mrs Clinton slightly ahead but the sharply narrowing contest has forced investors around the world...

The number of firearms in private hands has been rising for at least 70 years.  During the last 20, the numbers of murders, murders with guns, and violent crime with guns has been dropping sharply.  It has become very hard to say that more guns equal more crime with a straight face.  Fatal gun accidents are at an unprecedented low.  The rate of fatal gun accidents has dropped 94% in 85 years.The response of those who wish to disarm the public has been to focus on suicides.  They lump in suicides with murders and accidents and call the whole...

WOOSTER, Ohio: The Wayne County GOP headquarters in Wooster was victim to a reported "Australian internet news crew" that apparently attempted to smear the local party. (Subscription req'd) The rest here: https://pjmedia.com/trending/2016/10/30/agitators-storm-republican-office-in-ohio-with-playboy-calendar-material/

Australia on Sunday announced plans to ratchet up its tough policy against refugees by banning any asylum seeker who attempts to reach its shores by boat from ever visiting the country. A previous government introduced a policy on July 19, 2013, banning refugees who arrive by boat from Indonesian ports after that date from ever being resettled in Australia. Under legislation to be introduced to Parliament next week, thousands of asylum seekers who have returned to their homelands in the Middle East, Africa and Asia would be banned for life from ever traveling to Australia as tourists, to do business...

Australia will allow gun owners to hand in illegal firearms without penalty next year as concerns grow over gun crimes involving such weapons, a federal minister said Friday. Australia's police and justice ministers agreed at a meeting to start a nationwide gun amnesty from the middle of 2017, Justice Minister Michael Keenan said. "Australia is world-renowned for the strength of our firearm laws, but illegal firearms do remain a deadly weapon of choice for organized criminals," Keenan told reporters. It will be the first Australia-wide amnesty since a gun buy-back program in 1996 that followed a lone gunman killing 35...