Pacific

China has handed over a massive newly-built presidential palace to Vanuatu days before the Pacific nation's prime minister is expected to visit Beijing.

A steep hike in visa fees is pushing current and prospective international students to consider other universities outside of Australia.

The Pacific's new top diplomat says it will be "hard" for the region to deal with China if Beijing behaves aggressively, or disregards the sovereignty of smaller island countries.

The Australian government is doubling the cost of student visa fees for international students, prompting outrage from student representatives who say that the price hike will drive potential students to competitors.

PNG has not had an accurate count of its population in 24 years and estimates vary by millions, but with a new census underway and officials heading to all corners of the country by road, boat and helicopter there could soon be a reliable number on exactly how many people are in the country.

An alleged murder involving two well-known writers and former friends has shocked the Pacific island nation of Samoa. Police are still piecing together what happened.

Solomon Islands Prime Minister Jeremiah Manele says he has asked Australia to help his country expand its police force to 3,000 officers after sitting down with Anthony Albanese for bilateral talks in Canberra.

Julian Assange is a free man, after a US federal judge sentenced him to time already served in prison. Look back through our blog to see how the day's events unfolded.

After 1,901 days in prison, Julian Assange could soon be a free man after striking a plea deal with the United States Government.

Julian Assange has left the United Kingdom and will plead guilty to espionage. The deal marks a new chapter in a long-running saga that saw a Townsville kid take on the United States Department of Justice. 

Two people are dead and nine have been injured, two of them critically, in a serious minibus crash that has closed a major highway in Victoria's north-west.

A new wave of unrest has hit New Caledonia amid warnings the decision to send seven activists charged over deadly riots to France has mobilised pro-independence supporters.

The use of ground penetrating radar to help solve crimes is well known, but recently it's played a major role in helping Australian South Sea Islander communities find the missing bodies of long-lost ancestors.

La Tontouta international airport will reopen to commercial flights from today and an overnight curfew in the territory will be reduced as unrest continues to ease. 

Foreign Affairs Minister Penny Wong has labelled the Coalition's decision to rule out setting a 2030 climate target as a move that will increase Australian energy bills and risk further Chinese influence in the Pacific. 

Australia looks to set up a 200-strong cohort of highly trained Pacific islands police officers to be sent to regional hotspots, under an ambitious initiative designed to strengthen the government’s strategic position in the region.

Vanuatu has backed changes in a referendum aiming to end political instability that saw the Pacific nation elect three prime ministers in a month.

A Pacific patrol boat has run aground on its maiden voyage in Fiji, just a few months after it was handed over by the Australian government.

The first Pacific Engagement Visas will be granted in late 2024. Experts and community leaders welcome the scheme, but say the government needs to manage it carefully.

Fiji Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka, aged 75, wins a bronze medal in the shot-put at the Oceania Athletics Championships on Wednesday.

A new opinion poll shows Australians regard China with wary distrust, while their faith in the United States is ebbing in the lead-up to November's presidential election.

Officers from China's People's Liberation Army (PLA) confront Richard Marles at an international security conference after the Australian minister used a speech to call out China for its recent confrontations with Australian naval forces.

France's interior minister says security forces have regained control of the capital but violence continues in other parts of the country.

Vast uncertainty surrounds the final death toll from last week's catastrophic landslide in Papua New Guinea's Enga Province with a local official saying he believes 162 people have been killed in the natural disaster — far fewer than estimated by the United Nations or the country's government.

Concerns about a second landslide are compounded by worries about the possible outbreak of disease at the site.