On the sidelines of the frenetic Pacific Islands Forum Leaders Meeting this week, there was calm.

One of the most notorious drug chiefs in Mexico’s history, Osiel Cardenas, was released from a U.S. prison into the custody of immigration officials, the U.S. Federal Bureau of Prisons said.

New Zealand has decided to tip both for the Pacific Policing Initiative and the Pacific Resilience Facility.

Tonga has overcome predictions the Pacific Islands Forum Leaders Meeting would be marred by disorganisation or stoushes, all while living up to its ‘friendly islands’ nickname.

Over 1,000 motorcycle taxi drivers staged a strike in several Indonesian cities on Thursday to protest against low pay, and called on the government to provide more protection against what they say are unfair practices by ride-sharing companies.

Heavy rains battered India and Pakistan’s coastal areas along the Arabian Sea, flooding cities in western India’s Gujarat state and forcing thousands of people from their homes, with authorities predicting a cyclonic storm to develop by Friday.

The Māori king in New Zealand – Kiingi Tuheitia Pootatau Te Wherowhero VII – has died peacefully at age 69, surrounded by his wife and three children.

A man has been charged with murder after two people were found dead north of Brisbane.

Democrat Kamala Harris leads Republican Donald Trump 45% to 41% in a Reuters/Ipsos poll published on Thursday that showed the vice president sparking new enthusiasm among voters and shaking up the race ahead of the Nov. 5 election.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has mandated more people show photo identification when buying tobacco products, as the health regulator raised the age verification requirement by three years.

Palestinians in Gaza were waiting on Thursday to see if there would be a pause in fighting to allow a polio vaccination campaign to begin, as the conflict raged across the besieged enclave, killing at least 34 people.

Japan has issued its highest level alert to more than five million people after the country was hit by one of its strongest typhoons in decades.