It's Pope Francis's second full day in PNG, as part of a regional tour, and the first papal visit to the pacific's largest nation in almost three decades.

Pope Francis was greeted by dancers adorned with feathers and brightly-painted faces, signing traditional hymns.

The pontiff’s trip to Papua New Guinea is the first papal visit to the Pacific’s largest nation in almost three decades.

As Palau's president tangled with China over tourist numbers, other Pacific Island nations were looking to its giant market of travellers to fill their resorts and hotels.

As Palau's president tangled with China over tourist numbers, other Pacific Island nations were looking to its giant market of travellers to fill their resorts and hotels.

The Pontiff has touched down in the PNG capital Port Moresby, taking in the second leg of his 12-day swing through the region.

A group of 23 Catholics ventured through tough island terrain for a chance to see the pope as he visits Papua New Guinea.

Two-thirds of Timor-Leste expected to attend Pope's final mass in Dili as the Pope embarks on a 11-day tour of the region.

While Indonesia's Catholic community is only 3 per cent of the population, it still numbers in the millions and plenty of its members will be travelling to Jakarta for the pope's four-day visit.

While Indonesia's Catholic community is only 3 per cent of the population, it still numbers in the millions and plenty of its members will be travelling to Jakarta for the pope's four-day visit.

An exodus of local players had this proud New South Wales country rugby union club on its knees, until Pacific Islanders working in nearby Goulburn joined and took it to the finals.

China's ambassador to the Pacific has responded furiously after the region's leaders rejected a push from Solomon Islands to stop Taiwan participating in its top diplomatic gathering.

The alleged ring-leader of a notorious gang, accused of killing 11 children in Papua New Guinea, has surrendered to police.

The alleged leader of a gang behind a revenge attack that police say spiralled out of control, leading to a massacre and rapes, has turned himself in to the police, but his henchmen are still on the run.

The alleged leader of a gang behind a revenge attack that police say spiralled out of control, leading to a massacre and rapes, has turned himself in to the police, but his henchmen are still on the run.

Porgera locals now have to climb over their relatives' bodies buried under the landslide rubble to carry supplies.

For more than two months, the only way to get food, medicine and other supplies into Porgera has been to carry them by foot over a huge cascade of rocks left by a landslide. 

The Australian Government has soundproofed the windows at its staff accommodation compound in Port Morseby due to the noise of the bats.

The screeching of flying mammals has been driving some diplomats batty. But after years of reaching for ear plugs and complaint forms, a good night's sleep may have finally arrived. 

The plight of two New Zealand pilots in West Papua — one killed and another held hostage — highlights the risks faced by pilots in the region. However, the conflict is not the only danger. Here's why so many Australians and New Zealanders work there anyway.

A prominent PNG minister says the story was «false», and that the nation has no intention of selling off its power assets to a foreign bidder.

Scientists have been able to look at corals like tree rings to work out how warm the Coral Sea has been each summer across four centuries. They say the results reveal an alarmingly urgent need to turn around the trajectory of climate change.

India has been quietly engaging with the island nations of the Pacific for a decade, and those efforts are increasing.

Accessing banking services in the Pacific is difficult, and it could soon become worse.

A gruesome video showing a bush-knife-wielding gang decapitating the dead body of a villager in PNG's East Sepik province emerges on social media, as local police use the footage to track down the alleged perpetrators. Warning, this story contains graphic content. 

A gruesome video showing a bush-knife wielding gang decapitating the dead body of a villager in PNG's East Sepik province emerges on social media, as local police use the footage to track down the alleged perpetrators.

Pacific Island nations are spending big to repay loans from China. But some say there are other roads available to them if they want to overcome their debt burdens. 

Pacific Island nations are spending big to repay loans from China. But some say there are other roads available to them if they want to overcome their debt burdens. 

Local authorities fear the estimated death toll in the Sepik province of Papua New Guinea could be an underestimate, with the remoteness of the villages hampering investigation efforts.

Violent attacks on three remote villages in Papua New Guinea's north has reportedly killed 26 people, including 16 children, while several people were forced to flee after attackers set fire to their homes, the United Nations said.

Five years after Starlink satellites started orbiting the Earth, Pacific Island countries are still weighing up its benefits despite calls to approve its services.

For decades, thousands of people have lived on land owned by Papua New Guinea's largest superannuation company – now the bulldozers are rolling in.

For decades, thousands of people thought they were buying land to build their homes. But the title holder was always a superannuation company, and now it has brought in the bulldozers.

For decades, thousands of people thought they were buying land and built their homes there. But the title holder was always a superannuation company, and now it has brought in the bulldozers. 

Over the weekend Jimmy Maladina, who has been on conditional bail following the arrest, issued a statement saying he was fully cooperating with authorities and temporarily stepped aside as a minister while the matter is dealt with by the courts.