Pacific

In Tonga the royal family is almost universally revered, yet this week's drama has left many Tongans questioning their king's logic — and left many questions unanswered.

In a high-profile speech laying out Australia's Indian Ocean strategy, the foreign minister warned against political interference and economic coercion, urging China to be more transparent about its military build-up.

A rebel group in Indonesia's eastern region of Papua orders its armed faction deep in the jungle to release a New Zealand pilot held hostage for the past year.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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  

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.

Partial results from Tuvalu's national election suggests the pro-Taiwan leader of the Pacific islands nation, Kausea Natano, has lost his parliamentary seat.

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.

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.

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.   

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.

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.

Violence erupts on the streets of Port Moresby after a payroll error docked about $100 from the pay of public servants across the country.

This couple started writing picture books for children who have never seen one before. Now, they are building them a kindergarten too.

If you could curate the "perfect" news feed for a day/week/month — what news would you choose?

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?

With the nation's growing dependence on a Pacific Islander workforce, especially in regional areas, attention is shifting towards improving worker welfare and wellbeing.

Rugby league is widely loved in Papua New Guinea, and now the country wants a team in the NRL.

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.

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.

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.