Dutton says co-hosting COP31 with the Pacific would be "madness" while Australians are struggling with cost of living. The OL also says it would cost "tens of billions" to host COP, which isn't accurate: experts say price tag would be in the millions abc.net.au/news/2025-03-3…

Huge news for PNG! Pope Francis has approved the canonisation of Tolai catechist, Peter To Rot, meaning he will become PNG's first saint. It follows the Pope’s visit to PNG last year. Peter To Rot was born in 1912 and was killed in a Japanese prison in PNG in WW2.

'We were not expecting this.' The unexpected gift from Pope Francis to PNG just over a week after he was discharged from hospital: tinyurl.com/4544rbjd

If you've ever applied for a visa in PNG, you'll know it can take months to be approved. Could artificial intelligence change that? youtube.com/watch?v=-neKXo…

Trump contemplating deep cuts to State + closing 30 missions including "several" Pacific embassies. No final decision, Rubio might defend turf, Congress might ignore. Would be madness to shutter embassies *just opened* in Honiara, Nuku'alofa, Port Vila etc politico.com/news/2025/04/1…

Breaking: Defence Minister Richard Marles says he's spoken with his Indonesian counterpart who has assured him that Russian aircraft will NOT operate from Papua

In a rare diplomatic move, PNG's Foreign Minister weighs in on the Australian federal election, saying he personally hopes Labor wins. New from me: tinyurl.com/432su2ep

But he wasn’t as quick as PNG Prime Minister James Marape who - according to Anthony Albanese - made the first congratulatory phone call at around ***7.45pm last night*** which is, ah, very very early indeed

"Walls are broken. The toilets are not working well ... there's no soap in the soap dispensers, no paper towels, so we dry our hands on our trousers." One of PNG's most respected doctors paints a picture of the country's main maternity ward: shorturl.at/6rcYR

For those following subject closely. Pacific Minister Pat Conroy speaking with my colleague Marian Faa on China's security ambitions. Also a thinly veiled swipe (apologies for cliché) at Beijing (and others) on illegal fishing: "stealing food out of the mouths of Pacific people"

For the past year, I've investigated the exotic pet trade, finding out how animals from remote Pacific forests end up all around the world. Check out my latest for ABC News and ABC Pacific . Special thanks to @thewalkleys for supporting this reporting. abc.net.au/news/2025-06-2…

Aus & NZ bosses at the helm of PNG's first anti-corruption agency suspended after accusing each other of criminal offences. tinyurl.com/37yd54n4

"Hopeless" and "untenable" is how insiders describe the crisis at PNG's only electricity provider. This is part of an investigation the ABC has been working on for more than six months: tinyurl.com/y5w4nnm9

Very strong story from my colleague Marian Faa who has done some painstaking work: Papua New Guinea's only electricity provider is insolvent and more than $1.5 billion in debt abc.net.au/news/2025-08-2…

Australia and PNG militaries will be "totally integrated" under a landmark mutual defence treaty, PNG's defence minister has told us. PNG citizens will be able to serve in the ADF and vice-versa. But there are big questions around implementation. tinyurl.com/yc39823x

A truly extraordinary development in the critical geopolitical sphere, yet so far ignored by other media. Kudos to Marian Faa Australia and Papua New Guinea to 'totally integrate' military in defence treaty, minister says abc.net.au/news/2025-09-1… via ABC Australia