Voters in the Solomon Islands have cast their ballots in a general election that was being closely watched by Australia, China and the United States for its potential impact on regional security.

Vote counting was set to begin in the Solomon Islands parliamentary election, the first since Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare struck a security pact with China in 2022 and drew the Pacific Islands nation closer to Beijing.

The Solomon Islands began voting in a national election, the first since Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare in 2022 struck a security pact with China and drew the Pacific Islands nation closer to Beijing.

A Kiribati court has ruled that a High Court judge in the Pacific Island nation who has been suspended by the president cannot be deported to Australia where he was born until parliament considers the findings of a tribunal examining a complaint against him.

Up to 300 jobs are expected to be lost as one of our biggest commercial media company’s newsrooms – Newshub – is set to close at the end of June, with dozens of high-profile presenters and journalists out of roles.

The United States on cautioned Pacific Islands nations against assistance from Chinese security forces after Reuters reported that Chinese police are working in the remote atoll nation of Kiribati, a neighbor of Hawaii.

Tuvalu on Monday announced former attorney general and fisheries official Feleti Teo as its new prime minister, after he was elected unopposed by lawmakers in the Pacific Islands nation, officials said.

At least 64 people have died in an ambush in Papua New Guinea’s remote Highlands region.

Papua New Guinea’s opposition party lodged a motion of no confidence in Prime Minister James Marape when the Pacific Island nation’s parliament returned on Tuesday, the first session since deadly riots in January during a police strike.

The pro-Taiwan leader of the Pacific Islands nation of Tuvalu, Kausea Natano, lost his seat in an election closely watched by Taiwan, China and the U.S., partial results showed.

Tuvalu expects to review its diplomatic ties with Taiwan after Friday’s election.

Prominent Pacific politician Hilda Heine has been voted in as the new president of Marshall Islands following a narrow election win, that saw her defeat the incumbent by a single vote.