PNG Meth ‘Black Flight’ Suspect Paid Account in Name of Migration Chief: Court Files
A China-born businesswoman accused of taking part in an audacious plot to fly a light plane packed with drugs from Papua New Guinea to Australia allegedly ordered a co-conspirator to pay into a bank account in the name
Solomon Islands Caretaker PM calls on Australia for a more serious dialogue on reciprocal visa waiver
Solomon Islands caretaker Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare has re-emphasised Solomon Islands’ call to Australia for a serious and genuine dialogue on a visa reciprocal arrangement beyond the Pacific Engagement
Asylum seekers taken to Nauru amid renewed political stoush over border arrivals
More than 40 asylum seekers have been taken to Nauru after they were found in a remote part of Western Australia. Guardian Australia has confirmed a second group of 13 asylum seekers was found at an Indigenous campsite
Australian PM reaffirms backing for PNG NRL side
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has doubled down on his support for ARLC chairman Peter V’landys’ National Rugby League (NRL) expansion bid, calling for a 20-team competition. V’landys is reportedly
Australian Defence Chief unaware of Commander Naliva’s torture allegation
Australia’s Defence Force Chief was unaware a Fijian officer who became a Deputy Commander of 3000 troops was alleged to have committed torture. Colonel Penioni Naliva was appointed the Deputy Commander of the 7th
Pacific Islands push for more university students in Australia
Going to university in Australia could become simpler for Pacific Islanders if they are considered domestic students. The high commissioner for Samoa, Hinauri Petana, told federal politicians the crippling cost of
PNG PM Marape urges Australia to not ‘give up’ on his country in historic parliament address
The Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea James Marape has urged Australia to not “give up” on his country during an historic address to the federal parliament. On Thursday morning, Marape became the first Pacific
PM Albanese extends warm welcome and solidarity to PNG PM Marape in Australian Parliament
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese Thursday extended a warm welcome to Papua New Guinea Prime Minister James Marape at the Australian Parliament in Canberra – the first leader of another nation to address
Queensland trade mission strengthens ties with Fiji and the Pacific
Queensland is set to bolster its trade and investment ties with Fiji through a trade mission led by Trade and Investment Queensland. This week’s mission aims to advance Queensland’s Pacific Trade Strategy,
Allies ‘have to compete aggressively’ with China for Pacific security, U.S. warns
The U.S. has urged Papua New Guinea to turn down China’s offer of a security pact, increasing pressure on the prime minister of Australia’s nearest neighbour as he prepares to address parliament in Canberra this
PNG MP coy on security talks with China
Papua New Guinea’s Foreign Affairs Minister Justin Tkatchenko Tuesday avoided questions about a potential security and policing deal with China, and instead extolled security relationships between PNG and Australia.
David Pocock condemns Australia’s fossil fuel projects as an ‘existential threat’ to Pacific neighbours
The independent senator David Pocock says the Australian government is failing to listen to its “Pacific family” and must stop approving new fossil fuel projects that fuel “an existential threat for those
PNG Immigration under investigation
Papua New Guinea’s government has engaged prominent accounting firm KPMG to investigate the PNG Humanitarian Programme and its links to an alleged Chinese drug dealer. The investigation will also cover the PNG
Woman arrested over alleged PNG drug smuggling plot
A Chinese woman arrested over an alleged $15 million drug smuggling plot has been associated with businesses that have reportedly received payments from an Australian government-funded refugee programme in Papua New
Top Chinese diplomat says support of Pacific nations with policing should not alarm Australia
China’s ambassador to Australia, Xiao Qian, sought to reassure Wednesday that China’s increased involvement in the Pacific, particularly in policing efforts, should not be a cause of alarm for Australia. Xiao,
Forging Australian priorities for the region
US President Joe Biden designated former Ambassador Frankie Reed as the first-ever US Envoy to the Pacific Islands Forum in 2022. Beijing appointed Qian Bo in February 2023 as Special Envoy for Pacific Island Countries
Australian Defence Force mulls allowing Pacific islanders to serve amid recruitment drive
In a bid to bolster the ranks of the Australian Defence Force (ADF), various recruitment methods are under consideration, with a focus on potentially permitting residents from Pacific nations to join the force. Defence
Six refugees relocated
Six of the 64 refugees and asylum seekers housed in Papua New Guinea by Australia have been relocated from their current accommodation because of unpaid bills. The National reports that according to Pakistani refugee
Opinion: A PNG-Australia security framework: not a treaty but solid nonetheless
On 7 December 2023, the prime ministers of Australia and Papua New Guinea signed an historic security agreement in Canberra. It has taken approximately three years to conclude since both countries signed the
Australia, PNG announce security deal
Australia clinched a security deal with Papua New Guinea on Thursday, bolstering ties to a key Pacific neighbour that has been courted persistently by China. Canberra pushed for a more substantive treaty earlier this
French foreign minister says she is open to South Pacific resettlement requests due to rising seas
French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna said on Monday she was open to any resettlement request from tiny South Pacific nations threatened by rising sea levels, similar to Australia’s agreement with Tuvalu. Colonna
Tuvalu official raises concerns and opportunities in Australia’s climate refuge offer
The Pacific Islands Forum Programme Adviser for Resilient Development Finance, has shared his thoughts on Australia’s offer to provide refuge to Tuvalu citizens in the face of climate change. In a PACNEWS interview,
Opinion: Tuvalu’s parliament debates the Falepili Union
Over the week of 20 November 2023, Tuvalu held its last parliamentary session under the Natano government, which was elected in 2019 and officially dissolved on 27 November. Elections for the new parliament will be held
