Australia launches five-week hydrographic mission in PNG
AUSTRALIA will deploy its hydrographic survey ship, HMAS Leeuwin, to Papua New Guinea for a five-week mission to improve navigation safety and strengthen maritime cooperation.
Defence
PACNEWS TWO, 13 JULY 2026
In this bulletin: 1. PACIFIC — Pacific Civil Society condemns China ICBM test, urges leaders to reject all military build-up2. AUST — China officials warned over ‘provocative’ missile test3.
PACNEWS ONE, Friday 10 July 2026
In this bulletin: 1. PACIFIC — China’s ballistic missile launch was a message for the U.S2. PACIFIC — NZ to discuss joining Fiji-Australia alliance3. FIJI — Fiji military urged to review pregnancy
Australia, PNG unveil first mutual defence treaty in more than 70 years
AUSTRALIA and Papua New Guinea have formalised a landmark mutual defence treaty, a move the two governments cast as a major upgrade in security ties and a new phase in the relationships between the Pacific neighbours.
Will Australia’s diplomatic streak last?
LAST week , Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Vanuatu’s Jotham Napat, signed the Nakamal Agreement in Canberra, a security pact that, among other things, bars foreign military bases from Vanuatu’s
PACNEWS THREE 08 JULY 2026
In this bulletin: 1. AUST — Aust PM to host series of Pacific leaders’ meetings in Queensland2. PACIFIC — CROP heads discuss 2050 strategy, energy crisis and COP31 preparations3. FIJI — Fiji’s
US-led Exercise Valiant Shield showcases allied strength across the Pacific
A MAJOR military exercise is unfolding across the Northern Pacific as the United States and its allies flex their muscles in a show
Australian navy to survey Tuvalu lagoon
TWO Australian minesweepers have been deployed to Tuvalu to determine the extent of explosives from World War II in Nanumea
Fijian Drua wins first away game in Canberra
DESPITE the cold in Canberra, the Fijian Drua played like men possessed against the ACT Brumbies to earn their first win
Australia pushes for deeper economic integration with Fiji
AUSTRALIA’S High Commissioner to Fiji, Peter Roberts, has called for greater economic integration between Fiji and
We are watching: Australia eyes strategic threats
AUSTRALIA faces a threat from China on three fronts – commercial, political, and
Fiji cabinet wrap: Kiribati relations, MSG sports, NZ defence cooperation and local elections
Bilateral relations with Kiribati was one of the key issues discussed by Fiji cabinet ministers in their meeting this week, including deeper cooperation on fisheries. Fiji Prime Minister noted: “Kiribati is also
U.S. warns China: Attack on Guam ‘will be met with appropriate response’
Declaring China as the United States’ “most consequential strategic competitor” in the Indo-Pacific region, the Pentagon warned the communist regime of the consequences should it launch any aggression on Guam.
Australia hands over Blackrock as China concerns re-emerge
The opening of the Blackrock Camp in Nadi this month signified the culmination of “close to a A$100 million investment” by the Australian government designed to support Fiji’s peacekeeping and humanitarian
Solomons: Putting a draft security deal with China in local context
A draft MOU between Honiara and Beijing on security related issues has sparked international headlines and worried response from
NZ Minister of Defence visits Fiji and Australia this week
New Zealand’s Minister of Defence Peeni Henare departs for bilateral visits to Fiji and Australia to reaffirm his country’s commitment to regional security in the Pacific and discuss ways to strengthen
Neighbours: Australia and New Caledonia boost diplomatic and defence ties
Eighty years ago, fearful of Japan, Australia sent a diplomat and a warship to New Caledonia. Today, Australia is mobilising defence and diplomacy against another rising Asian power. On the morning of 19 September 1940,
