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Pacific

Deadly riots, China's expanding ties to the Pacific and a no confidence vote loom large ahead of historic speech

Papua New Guinea's Prime Minister James Marape has arrived in Canberra ahead of a historic address at Parliament House, but a political storm is continuing to brew at home in Port Moresby.
Marape

Fiji's former PM Frank Bainimarama to spend night behind bars after abuse of office charge

Fiji's former prime minister Frank Bainimarama will spend the night in police custody after being charged with abuse of office.
Updated
ABC News Current

Despite Beijing's attempts to 'lure' more support in the Pacific, Taipei backs Tuvalu to stick with Taiwan

Taiwan's top diplomatic representative to Australia has declared that he's "quite confident" that Tuvalu won't follow Nauru's lead and switch diplomatic recognition to China, despite Beijing's attempts to "lure" politicians in the Pacific Island country.
An island with white sandy beaches, turquoise water, swaying palms and blue sky.

Deep sea explorers believe they've captured a sonar image that could unravel one of aviation's greatest mysteries

After countless searches for Amelia Earhart's plane, Deep Sea Vision's sonar images may be the latest clue for solving the decades-old mystery.
Fuzzy sonar vision of what looks like the shape of a plane from a bird's eyeview.

Opposition needles government after revelations PNG and China discussing police cooperation

The Coalition is trying to ramp up pressure on the federal government over new police cooperation negotiations between China and Papua New Guinea, saying it's "essential" that Australia's strategic position in the Pacific nation isn't undermined.
papua new guinea and chinese flags flown in front of a ship

Fiji hit by sex scandal as Australia's eSafety Commissioner orders removal of 'intimate images'

When Fiji's Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka took office more than a year ago, dealing with a sex scandal would have been at the very bottom of a list of threats to his government. But for the past week in Fiji, it's all people are talking about  
Updated
A man and a woman in a parliament building

Papua New Guinea in talks with China on policing and security deal, foreign minister says

Amid jostling between Washington and Beijing for influence in the Pacific, PNG has previously said Australia and the United States are its main security partners, and Prime Minister James Marape signed a $200 million security deal with Australia in December.
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A slightly blurry screencap of a video shows a crowd of people walking on a rubbish-strewn street at night.

Early election results point to Tuvalu's pro-Taiwan PM losing his seat

Partial results from Tuvalu's national election suggests the pro-Taiwan leader of the Pacific islands nation, Kausea Natano, has lost his parliamentary seat.
Updated
A man in a suit speak from behind a lecturn while standing before two limp flags.

It's 700km from Darwin but this country has the fourth-slowest internet in the world

Timor-Leste has the fourth-slowest internet in the world, sitting just in front of Afghanistan, Yemen and Syria — and its young population is fed up.
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Two young people looking at their phones.

Japan becomes fifth country to land on the Moon, but probe can't generate solar power

Japan's space agency says it hopes a shift in the sunlight's angle will hit the solar panels of its 'Moon sniper' in a way that can restore its functions.
The SLIM spacecraft is mounted onto a large launcher that is illuminated while at a launch site in the dark night sky.

Tonga's 'Aquaman' was swept away from his island home. Now he can't go back

Lisala Folau, known as Tonga's "Aquaman", survived 27 hours in open ocean after being swept from his island home. Two years on from that day, his island is abandoned.   
Updated
The now abandoned Atata Island. 

Taiwan loses first ally post-election as Nauru goes over to China

Nauru announces it is severing diplomatic relations with Taiwan and will recognise China, becoming Taipei's first diplomatic ally to switch to Beijing following the weekend's presidential election.
Updated
A series of Nauru flags fly in front of a palm tree.

Fijian dentists warn cheap dental work leaving people with 'gum tissue burnt, lips stuck together'

Dentists in Fiji say unlicensed operators are providing cosmetic dentistry services using phoney false teeth and imitation dental jewellery that can corrode and become toxic in people's mouths.
The mouth of a woman with two fake gold teeth.  

Chaos in the streets of Port Moresby after 'technical glitch' hits public servants' pay

Violence erupts on the streets of Port Moresby after a payroll error docked about $100 from the pay of public servants across the country.
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A large building burns as people walk through the street in the night in front of it.

Not-so-retired couple write book for kids in desperate need of education

This couple started writing picture books for children who have never seen one before. Now, they are building them a kindergarten too.
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Dan and Karla Vallely sitting side by side on a couch, both are smiling

Have you been avoiding 'the news'? You're not alone

If you could curate the "perfect" news feed for a day/week/month — what news would you choose?
A graphic showing a woman confused in the middle of news.

'Shoot the dogs': Shania celebrated a new Fiji, but one year on a decision left her 'shocked'

When Fiji's Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka took power last year, many celebrated, hoping it signified a new dawn for the country. So, has Fiji changed for the better?
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A fijian woman with long bonde hair smiles outside on a sunny day holding a coffee

Seasonal workers and their Australian dollars are changing the Pacific. But at what cost?

With the nation's growing dependence on a Pacific Islander workforce, especially in regional areas, attention is shifting towards improving worker welfare and wellbeing.
Updated
Family photo of parents with three boys

Inside Papua New Guinea's bid to become the 18th team in the NRL

Rugby league is widely loved in Papua New Guinea, and now the country wants a team in the NRL.
ABC News Current
Duration: 6 minutes 50 seconds

In Bougainville, the 'wanted boys' are known for robbing cashed-up visitors. Police are allegedly orchestrating it

Chiefs and community leaders in Bougainville want an investigation into police officers over their alleged involvement in arming and orchestrating an organised crime gang that targeted people who had travelled to the autonomous region to buy guns and gold.
Papua New Guinea police officers watch on as hundreds of students marched towards the university gate in Port Moresby

'We are a little confused': Pacific representatives 'not in the room' as COP28 deal approved

After COP28's central document was approved, Samoa's lead delegate delivered a critical assessment of the Dubai climate summit agreement's flaws — and pointed out the Pacific Islands delegates were not even in the room when the deal was done.
Anne Rasmussen speaks from her position amongst seated delegates.

COP28 draft deal leaves some world leaders deeply unhappy

Last-minute negotiations are taking place in Dubai at the UN's climate conference, as representatives from nearly 200 nations try to agree on the future of oil, gas and coal.
Text on an orange background reads: "Climate cop-out?"
Duration: 4 minutes 45 seconds

Australia 'aware' of policy initiative as Beijing brings seven Pacific delegates to China for police talks

Three Pacific ministers attend a high-level meeting on police cooperation between China and Pacific Island nations as Beijing continues its push to cement deeper security ties with the region.
A group of women in colourful traditional Chinese ball gowns kneel in front of a row of pacific and chinese men in suits.

Tsunami warning lifted for Vanuatu, New Caledonia after magnitude-7.1 earthquake rocks Pacific

The powerful quake struck off the coast of the Pacific island nation Vanuatu just before midnight, with residents anxiously waiting for initial warnings of hazardous tsunami waves to be lifted. 
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An aerial view of a low-lying island in dark blue water.

Australia signs sweeping security pact with PNG as China continues push for policing influence in Pacific

Prime ministers Anthony Albanese and James Marape meet in Canberra to deepen security ties with a pact that has a status like a treaty, while Beijing continues its push to expand policing ties with Pacific Island countries and regional defence chiefs discuss a joint military response group.
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Australian PM Anthony Albanese and James Marape, PNG PM shake hands like lifelong friends