Anthony Albanese begins a long Pacific tour this week ahead of the Pacific Islands Forum meeting in Solomon Islands, as the battle for influence between China and Australia continues to create headlines.
Papua New Guinea franchise rocked as CEO departs before NRL entry
Papua New Guinea's NRL franchise has no team name, no coach, no roster, and now also has no chief executive as Andrew Hill leaves to join Panthers Group.
Why both China and Taiwan aren't welcome at the Pacific's top meeting next month
The Pacific's leaders are grappling with Solomon Islands' contentious decision to block all outsiders from the region's most important annual meeting next month. So what does the episode say about how strategic competition is reshaping the region?
Topic:Explainer
David Speirs denies misusing email list to promote charity fundraiser
The SA government says it has received a complaint about emails sent by former Liberal leader David Speirs promoting a fundraiser for a charity hike, but Mr Speirs has denied that he has misused private information.
$500m naval base expansion Australia's 'biggest infrastructure project' in the Pacific
Australian taxpayers have spent around half a billion dollars to fund the expansion of Papua New Guinea's Lombrum naval base — well over double the $175 million price tag originally flagged by the federal government.
Woman mobbed by group of men at PNG university campus
A young woman is attacked by a mob of men while she walks through Papua New Guinea University of Technology in the city of Lae.
Video of young woman mobbed at PNG university sparks outrage
A video showing a young woman being jeered at and assaulted by a large group of men as she walks across a university campus in Papua New Guinea is condemned by the university's vice-chancellor and women's rights activists.
Nauru sells first passports to help fund relocations as sea levels rise
Australia's Pacific neighbour Nauru has sold its first passports as part of a program raising funds for the relocation of residents affected by rising sea levels.
Tsunami threats downgraded but public urged to remain cautious after Russian earthquake
South America and countries in the Pacific downgrade their tsunami warnings but coastal communities are urged to stay alert following a massive Russian earthquake.
US looks to send 'third country nationals' to Australia's Pacific neighbour
The United States would send "third country nationals" to the tiny Pacific Island nation of Palau, under a new proposed deal with the Trump administration.
Spies parachuted into northern Australia in WWII. Now a historian has uncovered why
Eighty years since Allied victory in the Pacific, a historian discovers new evidence of wartime espionage, including reports of spies posing as swagmen.
Director of PNG's NRL franchise stood down amid corruption allegations
A director within Papua New Guinea's newly formed NRL franchise stands down amid corruption concerns relating to business dealings at a state-owned oil company.
David Speirs's mind went to 'dark and scary places' ahead of Kokoda hike
Three months after former South Australian opposition leader David Speirs was convicted and fined over drug supply charges, he has detailed his plans to hike the Kokoda Track on a "personal journey of restoration and renewal".
Researchers on brink of breakthrough in tuberculosis protection
Tuberculosis is the world's deadliest infectious disease, but Queensland researchers think vaccinating via the lungs could help fight it.
In the Pacific, 'who has kava is king' but some fear it's hurting families
Demand for kava is growing so large in Australia that Woolworths has started stocking the beverage, known for its calming effects. But Pacific leaders say the crop's success comes with problems.
Australian allegedly caught with 60 kilograms of cocaine in PNG
Papua New Guinea police say they will charge a 45-year-old NSW man with serious drug trafficking offences after allegedly catching him with millions of dollars worth of cocaine at a hotel in Port Moresby.
Australian anti-corruption bosses suspended after 'chaotic' feud
When PNG's anti-corruption watchdog was established two years ago, there were high hopes it would mark a turning point but now the Australian and New Zealand bosses have been suspended.
Record prices for Aussie lamb as export demand surges
Australian producers are fetching "phenomenal" prices for lambs as overseas customers buy record amounts.
Woman allegedly lured PNG nationals to Australia with fake scholarships
Police allege the 56-year-old woman forced 15 people to work on farms against their will instead of receiving the education they had been promised.
Crash-landed and salvaged from the jungle, WWII bomber returns home
Eight decades after it was last in the sky, and four since it was taken from the Papua New Guinean jungle, a restored World War II bomber returns to Port Moresby from Queensland.
PNG arrest warrant issued for Australian anti-corruption boss
Papua New Guinea's peak anti-corruption body is on the brink of implosion, senior staff say, as its Australian and New Zealand bosses accuse each other of criminal activity.