Melanesia

One dead, more than 2,500 evacuated as Cyclone Sarai lashes Fiji

The Fiji National Disaster Management Office said one person was in intensive care and more than 2,500 people had moved to 70 evacuation centers.

Nearly 2,000 evacuated, one missing as cyclone hammers Fiji

National Disaster Management Office Director Vasiti Soko urged locals and the thousands of tourists in Fiji not to be reckless as Sarai lashed the Pacific island nation with heavy rain and destructive winds.

Bougainville votes for independence from Papua New Guinea

Bougainville Referendum Commission Chairman Bertie Ahern has announced that more than 98 percent of valid ballots favoured independence.

At least 24 killed in Papua New Guinea tribal massacres

The victims in Hela province included two pregnant women and eight children. Highland clans have fought each other for centuries, but the recent influx of automatic weapons has made the clashes more deadly.

Political disarray in Papua New Guinea rocks Oil Search shares

Prime Minister Peter O'Neill resigned on Sunday following a string of high-profile political defections that threatened his leadership. He handed over the reins to veteran politician Julius Chan, who has twice been prime minister.

Locals fear 'environmental disaster' in Pacific reef oil leak

The bulk carrier was stranded on a coral reef near World Heritage-listed waters in the Solomon Islands on February 5.

Detained refugee wins top Australian prize for book written on his phone

Behrouz Boochani, who is held by the Australian state in a remote Pacific detention centre, has won the country's top literature prize with his book written on his mobile phone and delivered one chapter at a time via WhatsApp.

New Caledonians ordered to shelters in tsunami alert after big quakes

There were no immediate reports of damage from two earthquakes, but the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said that waves had been "observed" and could reach up to three metres in height.

APEC summit ends with no statement amid China-US differences

The two-day summit in Papua New Guinea was punctuated by acrimony and underlined a rising rivalry between China and the West for influence in the usually neglected South Pacific.

China, US trade barbs in speeches at APEC summit

US Vice President Mike Pence called many of China's global infrastructure projects as low quality while Chinese President Xi Jinping warned against protectionism, saying countries are facing a choice of confrontation and cooperation.

Heavy rain delays some polling as drenched Fijians vote

Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama, former military leader who led a bloodless takeover 12 years ago, favourite to retain office against a fractured opposition.

New Caledonia votes on independence from France

There are fears the referendum could inflame tensions between indigenous Kanak people, who tend to favour independence, and the white population, which boiled over into deadly violence in the 1980s.