Papua New Guinea

PORT MORESBY (Papua New Guinea), April 29 (NNN-AGENCIES) — US President Joe Biden will meet 18 leaders from across the South Pacific when he visits Papua New Guinea in May, the country’s foreign minister said Saturday, signalling a renewed US drive to cultivate regional allies.

The United States and China are vying for influence in what was once a diplomatic backwater, but is increasingly seen as a vital space for commercial, political and military influence.

KOKOPO, Papua New Guinea, Aug 26 (NNN-SPN) – An earthquake, with a magnitude of 6.0, jolted 135 km SSW of Kokopo, Papua New Guinea, at 19:08:53 GMT on Tuesday (last night), the U.S. Geological Survey said.

The epicentre, with a depth of 24.81 km, was initially determined to be at 5.4937 degrees south latitude, and 151.8379 degrees east longitude.

Canberra, Jul 17 (AP/PTI) A strong earthquake has struck near coastal Papua New Guinea.

The US Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said a hazardous tsunami was possible within 300 kilometers (186 miles) of the epicenter, which would include eastern coastal areas of the country.

The U.S. Geological Survey says the 7.0 magnitude quake struck Friday north-northwest of Popondetta, Papua New Guinea, and was 80 kilometers (53 miles) deep. The tsunami warning center said the magnitude was a stronger 7.3.

HONG KONG, Apr 25 (NNN-AGENCIES) – An earthquake, with a magnitude of 6.3, jolted 132 km west of Panguna, Papua New Guinea, on Saturday (today), the U.S. Geological Survey said.

The quake, which occurred at 0253 GMT, was initially determined to be at 6.5105 degrees south latitude, and 154.3008 degrees east longitude, with a depth of 16.9 km.

SYDNEY, Feb 9 (NNN-XINHUA) – An earthquake, with a magnitude of 6.2, jolted off Papua New Guinea today (Sunday), the U.S. Geological Survey said.

The quake, which occurred at 0604 GMT, was centred at 122 km south of Kokopo, with a depth of 31.3 km, said the USGS.

Kokopo (Papua New Guinea) Nov 26, AFP/GANASHAKTI: A charter airline in Papua New Guinea on Tuesday said armed men hijacked one of its planes, forced the pilot to fly to an unused airstrip before making off with the cargo.

Tropicair told AFP that eight armed men approached the plan as it was refuelling in Gasmata, on the island of New Britain and forced him to take off.

A company spokesman said there were no other passengers on board.

19 August 2019; AFP: Riots broke out and a local parliament building was torched in Indonesia's restive Papua region on Monday, as thousands protested against the weekend detention of dozens of Papuan students.

Demonstrators took to the streets of Manokwari, the capital of West Papua province, bringing the city of some 130,000 to a standstill as its civic building was nearly reduced to ashes.

Moresby, Jun 17 (AFP/PTI) Papua New Guinea will not renew a contract with an Australian company providing security at Pacific refugee camps, a senior minister has told AFP, in another setback for the deeply controversial policy.

Singapore-registered Paladin Holdings provides security and other services at three "transition centres" for refugees being held on Papua New Guinea's remote Manus Island after trying to get to Australia.

Port Moresby, May 30 (AFP) Papua New Guinea lawmakers overwhelmingly elected James Marape as prime minister on Thursday -- a former finance minister who resigned in protest against a massive ExxonMobil and Total gas project.

Marape won the landslide backing of members of parliament after weeks of political manoeuvring that saw eight-year prime minister Peter O'Neill resign.

29 May 2019; DW: Papua New Guinea's Prime Minister Peter O'Neill formally resigned on Wednesday, easing a political crisis in the South Pacific island nation.

Facing a vote of no-confidence he was likely to lose, O'Neill told parliament in the country's capital of Port Moresby that he had delivered his resignation to Governor-General Bob Dadae on Wednesday morning, an announcement that was met with applause.