Tributes are flowing for former Papua New Guinea prime minister, sir Julius Chan, who passed away aged 85. A state funeral is currently being planned.

Vanuatu's former deputy Prime Minister Jotham Napat is in a prime position to become Vanuatu's next Prime Minister after his party won the most seats in the country's snap election. Those seats however are still short of a majority.

There are fears in Kiribati that New Zealand might stem the flow of development aid due to a diplomatic spat between president Taneti Maamau and New Zealand's foreign minister Winston Peters.

Indonesia's President is considering a conditional release of detained political activists in West Papua. The area's long had an armed pro-independence movement and clashes with Indonesian security forces are routine.

Among the many executive orders that newly sworn US President Donald Trump has signed, is the suspension all of America's foreign assistance programs. There's concern it may have a significant impact on aid to the Pacific.

Fiji has declared an HIV outbreak with more than 1000 new cases and more than 100 deaths recorded over the past year. But Fiji's Medical Association says the figures are just the tip of the iceberg with a intravenous drug use fuelling the crisis. 

Australia's High Commissioner to Papua New Guinea appears to have taken a coded swipe at the Asian Development Bank for awarding contracts to foreign state-owned companies.

Ni-Vans are heading to the polls today for a snap election with national recovery from last month's earthquake expected to be front on mind.

In 24 hours' time, voters will be heading to the polls to cast their ballot in the national election. It comes just a month after a deadly 7.3 magnitude earthquake rocked the capital Port Vila killing 14 and injuring hundreds.

Samoa's Prime Minister has sacked three cabinet ministers and is staving off a leadership challenge within her own political party. The Prime Minister and her cabinet ministers did not attend a party caucus last night where a petition calling for her removal has been raised.