Oceania
100 articles from 4 countries
Oceania grapples with escalating tensions and natural threats as fears of conflict ground flights in New Zealand and Tropical Storm Sinlaku strengthens near the CNMI. Meanwhile, a tragic assault case in Australia highlights the devastating consequences of violence, underscoring the region's complex challenges.
🇵🇬 Papua New GuineaPower Versus Gold
The rush for riches through the hills, valleys and waterways of Bulolo is creating a new danger: gold mining activity is threatening the power that the region depends on. The Post-Courier warns that t…
Workshop trains journalists on fair candidate interviews and debates
Journalists at an election integrity workshop spent the fourth day improving how they handle candidate interviews and debates. The training focused on asking fair questions, providing balanced coverag…
Pacific islands face food shortages as global warming exceeds 1.5C target, scientists warn
Pacific island communities could lose access to food and drinking water as global temperatures overshoot the Paris Agreement’s 1.5C target, scientists told a summit of Pacific leaders in Palau. A Unit…
Bougainville marks Peace and Patriotism with a renewed independence pledge
Bougainville has marked two landmark dates in its political calendar with renewed calls for unity and self-determination. Leaders used the commemorations to urge the next generation to carry forward w…
POMCCI President Highlights Need for Transparency in Property Valuation
Port Moresby Chamber of Commerce and Industry President Rio Fiocco has highlighted the importance of transparency in property valuation. The available details identify transparency as the focus of Fio…
PNG Chiefs to unveil official logo and debut jersey
The PNG Chiefs have set October dates for the first public symbols of the club, ahead of their planned National Rugby League debut in 2028. The team will unveil its official emblem at a special event …
MSG Puts Indonesia on Notice Over UN Rights Visit to West Papua
Indonesia’s status in the Melanesian Spearhead Group could be reviewed in 2027 if Jakarta does not facilitate a long-requested visit by the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights to West Pa…
Pacific leaders press for stronger EU partnership
Pacific leaders want the European Union partnership to produce visible results, not simply more institutions and procedures. That message dominated talks in Palau ahead of the 55th Pacific Islands For…
Music sensation Macdonald Taylor to perform live in Popondetta
Music sensation Macdonald Taylor is expected to bring his hit songs to Popondetta over the weekend. The performance will take place in the provincial capital of Papua New Guinea's Northern Province.
UNITECH SRS president calls mindset transformation seminar a resounding success
An “unforgettable” mindset seminar has been held at the Papua New Guinea University of Technology’s East Taraka Campus in Lae. The university’s Students Representative Senate hosted the event at Dunca…
Rural road network upgraded in Lagaip District
The Kepelam-Yangil rural road network in the Pilikambi local-level government area of Lagaip District has recently been maintained and upgraded. The work received assistance from the Lagaip District D…
Australia’s ‘shameful’ cocaine habit prompts $600 million Pacific package
Australia is putting $600 million behind a Pacific-wide campaign to confront a drug trade that its own police chief has called a national shame. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is due to announce the …
Australia Awards Alumni Return to Drive Development Across Papua New Guinea
More than 60 newly graduated Australia Awards alumni have returned to Papua New Guinea, bringing new skills, networks and global perspectives with them. The group was welcomed home this week at a seri…
Green Climate Fund cuts funding approval time to nine months, Duarte says
Pacific island countries could gain quicker access to Green Climate Fund financing under reforms that target a nine-month approval and accreditation process. Mafalda Duarte, the fund’s executive direc…
K4.5 million in church funding delivered in Anglimp-South Waghi
A total of 1,100 Christian churches in Papua New Guinea’s Anglimp-South Waghi District have received K4.5 million in funding this year. The allocation came through the District Services Improvement Pr…
China sees growth in new foreign-invested firms and high-tech FDI
China established 37,711 new foreign-invested enterprises in the first seven months of 2026, up 4.4% from a year earlier, while overall foreign direct investment declined, official data showed. Actual…
Wan Maus with Chef Dan: Tender Cinnamon Lamb Flaps
Lamb flaps feature at special events across Papua New Guinea because, when cooked properly, their fat renders into tender meat with deep flavor. Chef Dan’s recipe uses a long simmer before finishing t…
POMCCI eFlash Alert Highlights Parliament News on El Niño, Power, PAU Bill and Bougainville
The Port Moresby Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s eFlash Alert for Friday, August 28, 2026, highlights National Parliament news on El Niño, power, the PAU Bill, and Bougainville. The Post-Courier pa…
Boera’s Tyla Aua Sets Sail for the Miss Hiri Queen Pageant
From Boera, a coastal village beyond Port Moresby’s city lights, Tyla Aua is embarking on a journey to the Miss Hiri Queen pageant. Her story is framed through Boera’s ocean setting and the decades of…
Warring Clans Vow to Halt Gunfire as Peace Talks Advance in Lagaip
A swift police intervention has stopped fighting between the Kesan and Kalakos clans in Papua New Guinea’s Lagaip District. Local ward councilor Ricky Upa confirmed that both factions had been restrai…
Rural Road Link Joins Highlands Highway in Wapenamanda District
A newly constructed road now links Lowarlai in Papua New Guinea’s Timin Valley with the main Highlands Highway at Pombapos, near Wapenamanda township. Wapenamanda Open MP and Minister for Coffee and T…
More rain forecast for Wabag District
Wabag and surrounding districts in Enga Province are expected to have a wet and cloudy week, with intermittent rain and showers forecast across the area. The National Weather Service also expects morn…
Air Niugini congratulates CASA PNG on Airbus A220 type-rating milestone
Air Niugini has congratulated Papua New Guinea’s Civil Aviation Safety Authority on a milestone involving Airbus A220 qualifications. CASA PNG’s technical and operational inspectors, Airworthiness Ins…
Marape and US deputy secretary discuss energy, investment and visa charges
Prime Minister James Marape has urged stronger United States involvement in Papua New Guinea’s energy security and economic investment, while also challenging visa-bond charges affecting Papua New Gui…
PNG and Niue sign framework agreement to deepen Development and Technical Cooperation
Papua New Guinea and Niue have signed a framework agreement intended to deepen development and technical cooperation between the two countries. Prime Minister James Marape and Niue Prime Minister Dalt…
Live: Bulldogs and Broncos End Disappointing NRL Seasons in Sydney
The Canterbury Bulldogs and Brisbane Broncos were expected to feature in the 2026 NRL finals picture. Instead, their final-round meeting in Sydney brings disappointing seasons to a close, with the Bul…
Farmstay Guest Maintains Denial and Shows No Remorse Over Woman’s Manslaughter
Timothy Loosemore says he cannot remember what happened on the night Maree Vermont died. A Victorian court heard that the 63-year-old has maintained that position and shown no remorse before sentencin…
Taylor’s claim that teachers push a ‘political agenda’ sparks backlash
A political fight over what children learn in Australian schools has drawn an angry response from teachers after opposition leaders accused educators of pushing ideological agendas. Nationals leader M…
Guide dog dragged by train along Flinders Street Station platform
A guide dog was dragged along the platform at Melbourne’s Flinders Street Station after its leash became trapped when a train door closed. Lucy Carpenter, who has low vision, said she was boarding a t…
Hundreds of regional Victorian doctors walk off the job over working conditions
Hundreds of doctors at two of regional Victoria’s largest hospitals walked off the job, saying exhaustion and stressful working conditions had pushed them close to breaking point. Doctors at Ballarat …
Chalmers cannot escape house-price questions as Marles learns from the melon saga
Jim Chalmers tried to present a resilient economy through a pre-recorded social-media video. He called the economy “robust” despite challenges from the war in the Middle East, pointed to rising electr…
Sabalenka fumes over reporter's 'parties' claim after US Open win
Aryna Sabalenka did not take kindly to a question about parties. After beating Polina Iatcenko 6-1, 6-1 at the US Open, the defending champion pushed back sharply against a reporter’s suggestion that …
Small businesses turn to scanners as counterfeit cash seizures soar
A blue-light machine helped a Thirroul shop identify a fake $100 note immediately when a customer tried to use it last weekend. Owner Calvin Gorsuch said the customer insisted the note was genuine, bu…
Nepal's peak trekking season approaches as guides mourn flood disaster
Eka Devi Mainali would normally be preparing for Nepal's peak trekking season. Instead, she is waiting to learn whether the bodies of 19 missing friends have been found. “I have lost many friends and …
Pipeline companies advance major plans to bring Beetaloo gas to Australia’s east coast
The first gas from the Beetaloo Basin has entered the Northern Territory power grid, and two pipeline companies are moving to connect the remote resource with Australia’s east coast. Jemena has unveil…
France’s World-First Fast-Fashion Laws Hit Shein and Temu With New Fees
France has taken aim at the business model of ultra-fast fashion with a fee system designed to hit platforms that list millions of products. Shein and Temu face charges on items sold to French consume…
Australia joins Pacific push to condemn China’s missile test
Australia and Palau are pushing Pacific leaders to condemn China’s missile test, despite objections from Kiribati and Naoero that Beijing should not be singled out. The Pacific Islands Forum meeting c…
Fire at Tasmania Hydro Station Raises Questions Over Power Network
The Tungatinah Power Station in Tasmania’s Central Highlands was left as a shell after an overnight fire, prompting questions about the effect on the state’s electricity network. Emergency services re…
Fire rips through distinctive Queensland highway hotel
Flames tore through Falvey’s Sundowner Saloon, the bright pink landmark pub on Queensland’s Warrego Highway, leaving significant damage and part of the roof collapsed. The fire began at about 8:30 a.m…
Man Charged Over Alleged Social Media Threat Against Federal Minister
A 53-year-old man from New South Wales has faced court after police accused him of threatening federal Social Services Minister Tanya Plibersek in a social media post. Shannon Bennett faces a charge o…
Victorian Town Without Childcare for Two Years Calls for Government Help
Hopetoun was close to restoring childcare after more than two years without a service when a burst water pipe forced the replacement centre to close. Now the Victorian town may wait up to two more yea…
British-backed CPC buys Northern Territory cattle station for $47.4 million
Consolidated Pastoral Company has added another vast Northern Territory property to its expanding Australian portfolio, buying Vermelha Station for $47.4 million. Documents from the Northern Territory…
This abattoir wants to hire 60 people, but only one Australian applied
A Western Australian abattoir advertised 60 skilled jobs near Broome and received just one response from an Australian resident. The applicant, according to Yougawalla Pastoral Company general manager…
Scurvy identified as most likely underlying factor in death of Queensland boy, coroner finds
Severe scurvy was the “most likely underlying factor” in the death of six-year-old Connor Dean, a Queensland coroner has found. Connor died at Queensland Children’s Hospital on August 10, 2024, after …
Rockhampton Zoo to Move Baby Chimpanzee After Mother Rejects Her Again
Cassie’s return to the chimpanzee troop ended with bruises and bite marks. Now Rockhampton Zoo has decided the young chimp must leave central Queensland and join another troop. Cassie was born at Rock…
Theft of sanitary products exposes the desperation of period poverty
Some women and girls in South Australia are using socks as sanitary pads, wearing tampons for more than two days and stealing products from supermarkets because they cannot afford menstrual supplies. …
Birds frustrate Medvedev during US Open win
Two birds landed on the net during a rally, and Daniil Medvedev was not impressed with the delay. The unusual interruption came during his second-round US Open match against American wildcard Sebastia…
Live: Ray Hadley returns to witness box for third day in Alan Jones trial
Ray Hadley returned to the witness box for a third day as Alan Jones’s indecent assault and sexual touching trial entered its fourth week. Hadley’s cross-examination ended on Thursday, after defence b…
Pro-stadium opinion piece by Tasmanian public servant received input from Devils football club
John Perry entered Tasmania’s stadium debate with a 3,000-word opinion piece that argued the state could not afford not to make the proposed investment. At the time, Parliament had yet to hold its fin…
Live: ASX to open higher after sea of green on Wall Street
Australian shares are set to open higher after Wall Street rebounded overnight, with all major U.S. exchanges closing in positive territory. ASX 200 futures rose 0.4% to 8,979 points, suggesting the l…
Why tourists may find it harder to discover Australia’s favourite local spots
For Alex Murrie, the most useful travel advice has come from people behind Australia’s familiar yellow information signs, not from a search engine. Five months into a van journey around the country, M…
Coalition pledges 80% tobacco tax cut and legalised vapes
Angus Taylor has promised an 80 per cent cut in Australia’s tobacco excise, arguing that cheaper legal cigarettes would undermine the illicit market. Under the Coalition’s proposal, the tax on a stand…
Prime-time Magbegor leads the Opals’ World Cup charge
Ezi Magbegor has moved from promising teenager to the player Australia may need most at the Women’s Basketball World Cup. At 27, the Seattle Storm forward-center is now a defensive linchpin, a leader …
More Australians Exit as Rain Throws US Open Schedule Into Chaos
Taylah Preston's US Open adventure lasted just 48 minutes after the Australian wildcard suffered a 6-1, 6-1 second-round loss to big-hitting American Taylor Townsend. The 20-year-old was the first Aus…
Inside the $2.2 billion thrift-store giant expanding across Australia
Some shoppers drove for hours to attend the opening of Savers’ latest store in Geelong. One heavily pregnant woman stood at the front of the 100-metre queue, laughing that she needed plenty of clothes…
Live: Coalition unveils plan to cut tobacco tax by 80%
Australia's opposition wants to cut the tobacco tax by 80%, arguing that a lower excise would help disrupt the country's growing black market. Angus Taylor's plan would reduce the tax on a standard pa…
Fire Breaks Out at Major Tasmanian Power Station
A fire at one of Tasmania’s major hydroelectric power stations was contained in the early hours of Thursday, with no injuries reported. Emergency services reached the Tungatinah station at Tarraleah a…
Whyalla nervously waits for steelworks sale and blast furnace repairs
For five months, a thick plume of steam has appeared on and off above the Whyalla steelworks. To an outsider, it might suggest that the blast furnace is operating normally. In Whyalla, where many resi…
Alleged Russian spies purportedly speak out in prison recordings
A woman’s voice in a recording aired by a Kremlin-controlled television network says she regrets moving to another country and wanted to return. The audio is purportedly that of Kira Korolev, a former…
KPMG whistleblower accuses ASIC of a ‘poor attitude’ toward misconduct probes
A KPMG whistleblower has accused Australia’s corporate regulator of resisting action on alleged misconduct at the accounting firm. The whistleblower said the Australian Securities and Investments Comm…
Parking infringements more than halve on one of Auckland’s most-ticketed streets
Parking infringements on Onehunga Mall have fallen by more than half after Auckland extended the street’s time limits. The number of tickets dropped from 186 to 87 a week during a pilot, according to …
Gloriavale Christian School Registration Cancelled After Special Review
Gloriavale Christian School will lose its registration as a private school after the Secretary for Education considered findings from a special Education Review Office review. Secretary Ellen MacGrego…
David Seymour’s School Attendance Plan Is Working, but It Must Go Further
David Seymour’s school attendance plan is working, but making attendance a requirement will not be enough. Schools also need to make regular attendance something students believe in. That is the concl…
Hokitika crash: Mary Schimanski, 87, dies after being struck by car
An 87-year-old Hokitika woman, Mary Schimanski, died after being struck by a car on the West Coast last month. The crash happened shortly before 9 a.m. on Aug. 14 at the corner of Fitzherbert Street a…
North Shore Drug Bust: Two Arrested After Fake Magnetic Wall Hid Loaded Gun
Two men have been arrested in Auckland’s North Shore after police found weapons and items that could be used to manufacture drugs hidden behind a fake magnetic wall. Waitematā Police launched Operatio…
Christopher Luxon Mixes Up Waratahs and Warriors at Pacific Islands Forum Meeting
New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon made an embarrassing verbal slip at the Pacific Islands Forum leaders’ meeting in Palau, confusing the New Zealand Warriors with the New South Wales Warata…
Developer defends revival of controversial Arrowtown Ridgeburn housing project
The developer behind the controversial Ridgeburn housing project near Arrowtown is defending its revised Fast-track application, saying the area needs more homes. Ridgeburn Ltd has proposed a 1,210-ho…
Lotto reveals winning locations as three New Zealanders share $1 million prize
Three New Zealanders are celebrating after winning a share of the $1 million Lotto First Division prize in Wednesday night’s draw. The winning tickets were sold through My Lotto in Rotorua and Welling…
Queenstown assault: Police seek witness after person seriously injured near bar
Two men have been arrested after a person was seriously injured in a repeated assault near a Queenstown bar. Police said the incident happened around 1:10 a.m. on Aug. 25 near the entrance to Crew Roo…
Names of two women charged over fatal Rotorua bus crash remain suppressed
The names of two women charged in connection with a fatal Rotorua crash remain suppressed. The charges relate to a collision last year involving a car and a bus carrying students from Gisborne’s Kaiti…
Melanesian countries threaten to review Indonesia’s MSG status over West Papua access
Melanesian leaders are giving Indonesia a deadline: facilitate a long-requested UN human rights visit to West Papua, or face a review of its status in the region’s main Melanesian bloc. The Melanesian…
Simeon Brown says LNG terminal remains ‘critically important’ after Methanex announces end to NZ operations
Energy Minister Simeon Brown says New Zealand still needs a liquefied natural gas import terminal, even after the country’s largest gas user announced plans to wind down its operations. Brown describe…
TAIC report: Plimmerton train stopped 5m from workers after emergency brake pulled
A train stopped five metres from a worker kneeling on railway tracks near Plimmerton, north of Wellington, after a trainee driver slammed on the emergency brake. The Transport Accident Investigation C…
‘Dance of death’ turns disco as world premiere approaches
The Grim Reaper will appear onstage with a mirror ball when The Farm premieres No One Gets Out of Here Alive, a dance production about death that its creators insist is no funeral. The Gold Coast-base…
Samsung, SK Hynix asked to pay early for South Korea power expansion
Korea Electric Power Corp. has proposed that Samsung Electronics pay 20 trillion won ($15 billion) in advance for electricity through 2031 to help fund an expansion of South Korea's power grid. The ut…
Parents urged to watch for signs of rheumatic heart disease
Parents and caregivers in Fiji are being urged to look more closely at common illnesses in children, as rheumatic heart disease continues to affect an estimated one in 50 schoolchildren. Women and Chi…
John and Yoko’s son Sean Lennon becomes a father
Sean Lennon and Charlotte Kemp Muhl have welcomed their first child, introducing him to the world with an unusual mix of affection, humor and music. The couple announced the birth on social media alon…
Ram Sami workers strike over collective agreement
Around 40 workers at Ram Sami & Sons Fiji Limited are reportedly on strike in Nasinu after the company and its employees failed to reach a collective agreement. The National Union of Workers says nego…
Naisarani comes home to Drua
The Swire Shipping Fijian Drua have signed former Wallabies No. 8 Isi Naisarani ahead of the 2027 Shop N Save Super Rugby Pacific season. For Naisarani, who was born in Fiji, the transfer represents m…
NUS brings safeguarded internet access to more than 11,000 Fijians
More than 11,000 Fijians now have internet access with safeguards against harmful online content through Fiji’s National Universal Service. The new connections serve people in Kadavu, Tailevu, Lau, Lo…
George Clooney to receive Venice Film Festival’s Golden Lion
George Clooney’s long relationship with Venice will culminate in a Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement on the festival’s opening day. The actor first attended the Venice Film Festival nearly 30 years…
Rescue teams search Nepal tunnels after deadly Himalayan flood
Rescuers are focusing on Nepal’s hydropower tunnels as one of the last hopes of finding survivors after a Himalayan flood killed more than 1,200 people. Authorities believe workers may have survived i…
Rawaqa Sees Drua Coaching Role as a Responsibility, Not an Achievement
Ifereimi Rawaqa does not describe his new role with the Swire Shipping Fijian Drua as a personal triumph. The former Flying Fijians lock calls it a responsibility, with the chance to contribute to the…
Rabuka Leaves Decision on Fiji’s Secular Status to Parliament
Fiji’s constitutional status as a secular state will not be decided by Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka alone. Rabuka says the final choice belongs to Parliament, after Cabinet considers recommendations…
Fiji targets drug networks with $284 million law enforcement investment
Fiji is putting $284 million behind a broader campaign against transnational crime and illicit drugs, with the stated goal of reaching beyond arrests and seizures to dismantle the networks that run th…
Fiji’s school meals plan could generate $25 million for farmers
Fiji’s proposed Home-Grown School Meals Policy could create as much as $25 million in additional annual income for the country’s agriculture sector, according to research presented under the Colour My…
Sugar Cane Growers Fund seeks bigger role in rural finance
Fiji’s Sugar Cane Growers Fund wants to move beyond its current role and become a fully fledged community and growth fund and bank. Chairman Marika Sedre Liveniyali said the long-term vision is to off…
Call It Out online register receives up to $2 million to drive anti-racism action
An Indigenous-led online register documenting racism and discrimination against First Nations people will receive up to A$2 million in Commonwealth funding, as Australia awaits the final report of a p…
Three-month shelf life holds back Fiji rice exports
Fiji Rice Limited wants to take Fijian rice overseas, but the product may not last long enough to make the journey practical. The company says its packaged rice currently has a shelf life of only thre…
Jazz Singer Cassandra Wilson Dies at 70 in Mississippi
Cassandra Wilson, the Mississippi-born singer whose deep contralto moved freely between jazz, blues, folk, pop, R&B and country, has died at 70. Hinds County Coroner Jeramiah Howard confirmed that she…
Documents sought in TNG appeal
Next Generation Holdings, the company behind a proposed waste-to-energy plant at Vuda Point, is seeking more documents from Fiji’s Department of Environment. The request forms part of the company’s ap…
FWCC demands immediate release of Constitution Review Commission report
The Fiji Women’s Crisis Centre is demanding the immediate release of the Constitution Review Commission’s report and recommendations. FWCC Coordinator Shamima Ali said Fijians have a right to know wha…
Naduruloulou aquaculture station set for $548,000 upgrade
Fiji’s Naduruloulou Research Fisheries Station is set for an aquaculture upgrade worth more than $548,000. The Ministry of Fisheries has signed two agreements with Earthlink Machinery. One project wil…
Qelemumu Crossing to Close for 10 Days for Maintenance
Qelemumu Crossing along Coqeloa Road in Labasa will close for 10 days to allow essential maintenance work. The Fiji Roads Authority said the crossing will be closed to traffic from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. da…
Women’s health innovators face an arduous path to success in Australia
For Tara Croft, keeping her women’s health company in Australia has meant repeatedly slowing down because the money was not there. Croft, the chief executive of Baymatob, said developing Oli, a $25 mi…
Fiji churches challenged to turn environmental teachings into action
Fiji’s churches are being asked to prove that teachings about creation can produce practical change as the country confronts a worsening waste management and environmental crisis. Sepiuta Hala’api’api…
Children learn Lau’s traditional arts
Children are learning to print masi and weave liku in a workshop designed to carry Lau’s traditional knowledge into the next generation. The Fiji Museum organised the programme with the Veiqia Project…
Qiolele finds hope through art
After 21 years in prison, former Korovou inmate Aisake Qiolele is preparing to rebuild his life with a paintbrush and a new sense of purpose. The 42-year-old man from Serua was pardoned last Friday, a…
Franklin savors major win over Vanuatu
Nicholas Franklin had a match to remember after scoring a hat-trick in Fiji’s 7-2 victory over Vanuatu in the opening game of the OFC U-19 Men’s Championship. The Australia-based Junior Bula Boys midf…
Rabuka responds to Pre-COP cost criticism
Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka has defended Fiji’s decision to host the Pacific Pre-COP meeting in October after criticism over the cost of the event. Right-centre opposition figures in Australia and …