Kangaroos launch new era with tough win over Tonga
The Kangaroos have kick started their Pacific Championships campaign with a hard-fought 18-0 win over Tonga XIII at Suncorp
Australia
Qantas gets Palau route as Australia strengthens Pacific ties
Qantas will fly passengers from Brisbane to Palau's capital Koror, as part of an Australian government-supported push to boost aviation and
Australia’s coalmine decision ‘a direct threat to our collective future’: Tuvalu MP
Tuvalu’s climate minister says Australia’s decision to approve three coalmine expansions calls into question its claim to be a "member of the Pacific
Australian IMMI APP launched in Fiji
The Australian Government has launched a mobile app that focuses on streamlining visa application processes for Pacific
Different agendas at play, NRL researcher says
Different agendas are at play with Australia’s support of Papua New Guinea’s push to have a team in the National Rugby
Opinion: It’s not just police who police
Captured on camera chatting with American diplomat Kurt Campbell in Tonga last month, Anthony Albanese described Pacific leaders’ support for a new Australian-led policing initiative as a big win. “We had a
NRL fans blast Anthony Albanese after AU$600 million PNG plan gets the green light: ‘Waste of tax payer dollars’
Australian footy fans fear Anthony Albanese is making a ‘horrible decision’ amid reports the Australian Prime Minister has given the greenlight to AUD$600million (K1.6billion) in funding to launch a new NRL team in
PNG minister criticises Australian ‘boomerang aid’ as Australia launches new partnership plan
A Papua New Guinean minister has delivered scathing criticism of Australia’s aid programme, warning of funds being “wasted” as the Australian government outlines its plan for development assistance in PNG over
Thousands of migrant workers in Australia ‘trapped in slavery’
Migrant women escaping exploitative work conditions are delivering babies prematurely then being slugged with hefty medical bills, while male counterparts are sleeping in tents in parks in regional New South Wales (NSW)
Australia sends expert teams to Fiji as Chinese state-backed hackers attack Pacific Islands Forum
The Australian government sent expert teams to Fiji this year to help the Pacific’s top regional body after its networks were infiltrated by Chinese state-backed hackers, the ABC has learned. The cyber attack on
Landmark settlements for children detained in Nauru
Two children who were detained offshore in Nauru have won federal court settlements from the Australian government for medical negligence and abdicating its duty of care. The judgments for the two cases, identified as
Australian Police put brakes on ‘drug superhighway’ in $44m bust
Police say they will not let organised crime turn the Pacific into an “illicit drug superhighway” after two men were allegedly caught with 110kg of cocaine in Queensland’s remote north. The men – both
The World Bank head has thoughts on the Pacific – and needs Australia’s help
The president of the World Bank is due in Australia this week offering to be a force-multiplier for good in the Pacific Island states, and expecting some federal funding to do so. In the first visit by a World Bank
Researchers awarded grant for pioneering AI tools to monitor waves
University of Wollongong researchers have been given a grant from the Australian Geospatial Intelligence Organization to develop artificial intelligence (AI) tools for monitoring oceanic internal waves using satellite
Australian partnership to strengthen Pacific football
A new partnership will see Australian and Pacific national teams play regular international matches. The Australian Government and Football Australia have signed a new four-year investment through the PacificAus Sports
New Caledonia requests Australian aid for riot rebuild
New Caledonia is looking to Australia for aid to help rebuild its capital city after deadly riots. The French territory was marred by civil unrest and riots that left 10 dead in May after controversial voting reforms
Australia’s Pacific Engagement Visa: What’s Next?
On August 2, ballots for the Pacific Engagement Visa (PEV) closed for eight participating countries, with the exception of the Federated States of Micronesia and Palau who each received a two-week extension. Whether
New Zealand refugee resettlement deal likely to wind up
New Zealand is set to walk away from its agreement to resettle refugees from Australia, with about half the places on offer unfilled. In 2022, the governments agreed a deal for 450 people in Australian offshore
Weightlifter Cikamatana in tears after finishing fourth
Eileen Cikamatana was in tears and her coach Paul Coffa is reconsidering retirement after she fell short of their lofty Olympic weightlifting goals. Coffa had confidently predicted the 24-year-old would win a medal, but
Economic diplomacy: Banking on the Pacific
Rebuilding regional banking is unlikely to pay dividends without an underlying business revival. Australia’s oldest bank changed its name from the Bank of New South Wales to Westpac in 1982, reflecting apparent
U.S Military eyes Australian Island for Pacific Deterrence Initiative
The Cocos Islands, Papua New Guinea, and Timor-Leste are among a handful of locations outlined in a new Pacific Deterrence Initiative multiple award construction contract published by the U.S Navy. The contract,
Foreign Minister Wong announces new digital cable centre to limit China’s influence in Indo-Pacific
Australia is stepping up its attempts to limit China’s influence in the Pacific, with the establishment of a new “cable connectivity and resilience centre” designed to boost connectivity for Pacific nations. The
Fiji replaces Vanuatu as top PALM sending country
The Pacific Australia Labour Mobility (PALM) scheme has been transformed over the last five years. In June 2019, there were 5,886 PALM visa holders in Australia. Five years later, in May 2024, there were 32,513, an
Pacific children left behind and vulnerable due to regional labour mobility schemes
Pacific Islands children are being left behind by their parents, who are taking up opportunities presented by regional labour mobility schemes, increasing concerns about child abuse. This was a key issue brought up at