CANBERRA -- A meteor that crashed into the ocean off the coast of South Australia (SA) on Tuesday night would have caused fatalities if it hit the state, according to astronomers.

Footage emerged on Wednesday of the fireball streaking across the SA sky, with authorities receiving multiple reports of sightings.

According to The Australian on Friday, it crashed into the ocean approximately 400 km off the coast near the border of SA and Victoria. (Australia-Meteor-Crash)

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WELLINGTON -- New Zealand's annual goods exports to China increased 2.7 billion New Zealand dollars (1.76 billion U.S. dollars) from April 2018 to reach 15 billion New Zealand dollars (9.77 billion U.S. dollars) in April this year for the first time, with rising demand for beef and lamb as well as logs and dairy products, Stats NZ said Friday.

The annual meat and edible offal exports to China were 1.5 billion New Zealand dollars (0.98 billion U.S. dollars), up 905 million New Zealand dollars (589.73 billion U.S. dollars) from the year which ended April 2018.

"The strong demand recently from the Chinese market for alternative protein sources, such as New Zealand beef and lamb is partly due to African swine flu reducing pork production in China," international statistics manager Tehseen Islam said. (New Zealand-China-Exports)

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SYDNEY -- A Sydney man has been hit with 169 charges related to animal abuse and trafficking after a police raid uncovered dozens of reptiles hidden inside a residential home.

According to the New South Wales (NSW) State Police on Friday, investigations into the alleged exportation plot began back in March and were headed up by an elite intelligence taskforce -- Strike Force Raptor.

"Following extensive inquiries, investigators, with the assistance of officers from the Public Order and Riot Squad and the NSW Office of the Environment and Heritage, executed a search warrant at Marquesa Crescent, Lethbridge Park yesterday," NSW Police said in a statement. (Australian Man-Charges-Animal Trafficking)

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ISLAMABAD -- Pakistan's annual three-day Shandur Polo Festival will kick off at the world's highest polo ground at Shandur Pass in the Chitral district of the country's northwest Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province from July 7, local media reported Friday morning.

Local media quoted Secretary Tourism of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province Kamran Rehman as saying that the Shandur Polo Festival will be organized in a befitting manner to attract a large number of domestic and foreign tourists to the scenic region and traditional game.

"The number of foreign and domestic tourists will be more as compared to the previous years because the condition of acquiring no objection certificate for the international tourists to visit the area had already been withdrawn," said the official, adding that the government authorities would provide boarding and lodging facilities to both foreign and domestic tourists. (Pakistan-Shandur Polo festival)

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HONG KONG -- The Office of the Commissioner of the Chinese Foreign Ministry in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) has expressed grave concern over the German government's offer of asylum to two Mong Kok rioters, urging Germany to stop interfering in Hong Kong's affairs.

"We express grave concern over this issue, and urge Germany to strictly abide by the international law and the basic norms governing international relations, and to respect the rule of law and judicial independence in the HKSAR," a spokesperson of the commissioner's office said on Thursday.

Germany should not let criminals go unpunished or interfere in China's internal affairs including Hong Kong affairs, the spokesperson said. (China-Germany-Concern Expressing)

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YANGON -- Myanmar's Department of Disaster Management and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on collaboration in humanitarian work when facing disaster in the country, the Ministry of Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement said on Friday.

The MoU was signed in the capital of Nay Pyi Taw on Thursday during the visit to Myanmar by UNHCR Chief Filippo Grandi.

According to the MoU, the Myanmar ministry is to be notified of any challenges and difficulties on the ground and such obstacles will be overcome together. (Myanmar-UNHCR-MoU) Enditem

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