Updates

By Liam Fox in Apia Desperate parents are turning to alternative healers in Samoa as a measles epidemic continues to rock the Pacific nation. A state of emergency was declared this week in a bid to...

By Tasha Wibawa Key points: Low immunisation coverage has been attributed as a major factor Local media has reported more than 700 suspected cases of measles Other neighbouring nations such as Fiji...

Key points: The Samoan Government ordered children under the age of 17 not to attend public gatherings Governor Lolo Matalasi Moliga made proof of measles immunisation a condition of entry for...

By Papua New Guinea correspondent Natalie Whiting After six years, Australia's asylum seeker processing on Manus Island is coming to an end. About 1,300 men were originally sent to the Papua New...

Key points: The migrants had been onboard the ship since being plucked from the Mediterranean nearly three weeks ago Spain sent a navy ship to escort the Open Arms back to a Spanish port The captain...

Key points: According to the notice, refugees would be provided with support including residential accommodation Amnesty International welcomed the development, but expressed concerns about the men's...

Australia has stymied efforts by small island states to get Pacific-wide consensus on their declaration for stronger action on climate change. Key points: Australia expressed reservations about...

By Erin Handley Key points: Operation #NotForgotten aims to sponsor 200 refugees on Nauru and Manus Island Australians have raised more than $100,000 to resettle the refugees in Canada A Syrian...

By political reporter Stephanie Borys Key points: People who arrived in Australia by boat before 2014 face tight restrictions on the right to remain and in accessing welfare The AHRC has urged the...

Key points: Monsoon rains have triggered widespread flooding and landslides across three countries Over two million people have been displaced as a result of the floods Nepal has recorded the most...

Monsoon rains have caused wall collapses that killed more than 30 people in India after a second day of bad weather disrupted rail and air traffic in the financial capital Mumbai, prompting officials...

By Jordan Fennell on Pacific Beat Papua New Guinea's Prime Minister James Marape has visited those forced to evacuate after last week's volcanic eruptions, promising disaster relief in the form of...

By Tracey Shelton, Natalie Whiting and Catherine Graue Key points: Manam Island is one of PNG's most active volcanoes and is home to roughly 9,000 people An estimated 15,000 people have been...

By Tracey Shelton and Catherine Graue Key points: Lava has cut the New Britain Highway at three locations Flights into the local Hoskins Airport have been cancelled due to the ash plume Satellite...

By PNG correspondent Natalie Whiting The Australian and Papua New Guinea governments have agreed to a limited extension of the contracts to provide services to asylum seekers, before the PNG...

By political reporter Matthew Doran Key points: The Home Affairs department argued there had to be "personal engagement" with a patient for a transfer to be considered The Federal Court disagreed,...

Expect to hear more noise from the crossbench when Parliament resumes, as pressure ramps up on the Federal Government to resettle refugees currently on Manus Island and Nauru. Just over 530 people...

By political reporter Henry Belot An Australian Air Force surveillance plan has helped detect and save 41 asylum seekers from drowning in the Indian Ocean last month. The asylum seekers were...

By Middle East correspondent Adam Harvey Key points: About 800 mostly women and children were allowed to leave the vast al-Hawl camp Some of the women remain unrepentant supporters of the group The...

By Holly Robertson Key points: 26 refugees have self-harmed since the election, according to refugees and advocates Refugees believe they face another three years in offshore detention under the...