Rappler's latest stories on Papua
IMF approves $5 billion in aid to Ukraine
The International Monetary Fund says the aid is intended to 'ensure that Ukraine is well-poised to return to growth' when the coronavirus pandemic ends

4 survive 32 days adrift in Pacific
The group says they survived by eating coconuts found floating in the sea and collecting rainwater in a bowl

Magnitude 6.2 earthquake hits Papua New Guinea
No tsunami warning has been issued and there are no immediate reports of damage

China coronavirus outbreak: How governments have reacted
From border closures to flight bans, here are some of the steps states have taken to limit the spread of the virus

Tropical Indonesia's tiny glaciers to melt away in a decade – study
'Because of the relatively low elevation of the (Papua) glaciers... these will be the first to go,' says Lonnie Thompson, one of the authors of the study

Polls close in historic Bougainville independence vote
Officials anticipate the 'vast majority' of 207,000 registered voters cast their ballots across the region and beyond

'Armed men' hijack Papua New Guinea plane, steal baggage
Tropicair says 8 armed men approached the plane as it was refueling in Gasmata, on the island of New Britain and forced the pilot to take off

Bougainville votes on becoming world's newest nation
Bougainvilleans are set to vote on full independence or greater autonomy within Papua New Guinea

Indonesia rights commission calls for probe into Papua deaths
The death toll reaches 43 in Wamena City in Papua, says Indonesia's National Commission on Human Rights

Residents flee after Papua New Guinea volcano erupts
Ulamona Volcano Observatory staffer Herman Volele says ashfall could affect Kimbe, the capital of West New Britain, while regular earthquakes are also occurring near the volcano

Papua unrest death toll hits 26 – Indonesian police
Papua is gripped by weeks of violent protests fuelled by anger over racism, as well as fresh calls for self-rule in the impoverished territory

Indonesia starts restoring internet access in unrest-hit Papua
The government says it started lifting the internet blockade in some 29 of 42 districts across Papua late on Wednesday, September 4

Indonesia restricts foreigner travel to restive Papua region
Indonesia's chief security minister Wiranto says they are limiting foreigners entering its easternmost territory – which has popular beach destinations – over safety concerns and to weed out suspected agitators

Papua New Guinea cancels Australia migrant camp contract
The Ministry for Immigration and Border security says the remaining 64 migrants on Manus would be transferred to Port Moresby or found homes overseas

Police in Indonesia's Papua ban 'anarchist' demonstrations after mass protests
The order comes after police on Sunday, September 1, said dozens had been arrested in connection with rioting in the region's capital

Indonesia shuts internet in Papua over unrest fears
Indonesia slows internet service in recent days to clamp down on hoaxes, provocative comments, and racist abuse targeting Papua's ethnic Melanesian population. It shut down service completely late Wednesday.

Indonesia's Papua hit by fresh unrest as troops deployed
Jakarta calls for calm in its easternmost territory following riots triggered by the detention of dozens of Papuan students at the weekend

Thousands riot in Papua, parliament building torched
Monday's riots are triggered by reports authorities tear-gassed and detained some 43 Papuan university students in Surabaya on Saturday – Indonesia's independence day

Pacific leaders want summit focus on climate, not China
The Pacific islands are now a hotbed of aid projects and charm offensives as anxiety over China's presence grows

24 killed in Papua New Guinea tribal massacres
Local officials say at least 24 people had been killed in Hela province, a rugged region in the west of the country, in a 3-day spasm of violence between rival tribes

Papua New Guinea police minister says cops plotting his arrest
Brian Kramer claims he received intelligence reports about a plot by 'high ranking officers' to have him arrested and charged

Papua New Guinea deploys army to help volcano emergency
'We will mobilize the military to go in and assess the situation, and we will dispatch the military to assist on the ground,' says Prime Minister James Marape

Thousands flee erupting Papua New Guinea volcano
Mount Ulawun – one of the world's most hazardous volcanoes – starts spewing lava and smoke high into the air on Wednesday

Papua New Guinea volcano erupts, sending residents fleeing
(UPDATED) Witnesses have reported ash spewing out of the 2,334 meter summit, sending trails spanning high overhead

Powerful Indonesian earthquake felt in Australia
(UPDATED) Indonesia's disaster agency says the tremor was felt in faraway Bali, while residents of the northern Australian city of Darwin also felt the earthquake

Papua New Guinea PM Peter O'Neill resigns amid gas deal tensions
Peter O'Neill, who had been in power since 2011, hands over the reins to veteran politician Julius Chan, who has twice been prime minister

Powerful earthquake rattles residents on Papua New Guinea island
(UPDATED) The shallow quake occurs 44 kilometers northeast of Kokopo in PNG, the US Geological Survey says

Magnitude 7.2 earthquake hits Papua New Guinea, no early damage reports
The quake strikes 33 kilometers (21 miles) from the town of Bulolo at 2119 GMT according to the US Geological Survey, and is felt in Port Moresby about 250 kilometers away

Papua New Guinea PM faces no confidence vote
O'Neill – who is expected to face a vote of no confidence as early as next week – suffers the loss of his defense, health and forest ministers adding to an already long list of high-profile defections

Indonesia flood death toll tops 100, dozens still missing
Nearly 10,000 people have moved to shelters while at least 104 victims are confirmed to have died and 79 remain unaccounted for in the disaster's aftermath

Indonesia flood death toll rises to 89 with dozens missing
The Indonesian government issues a 14-day state of emergency in Papua

At least 42 dead in floods in Indonesia's Papua province
(3rd UPDATE) The floods in Sentani, near the provincial capital of Jayapura, were triggered by torrential rain on Saturday

Hundreds of students flee violence in Indonesia's Papua
Subsequent clashes prompt the Nduga district government to evacuate more than 400 students to the neighboring Jayawijaya district

Embattled Aussie PM suffers historic defeat over refugees
Prime Minister Scott Morrison is defeated by MPs who insist refugees held in offshore facilities have the right to be transferred to Australia for medical treatment

Scales of justice: Indonesia police probe snake interrogation
Shocking viral footage emerges online showing an alleged pickpocket screaming hysterically as another officer shouts abuse at a police station in restive Papua province

Magnitude 6.1 earthquake rocks Indonesia's Papua
Officials are still assessing the impact of the earthquake

Indonesia military finds 16 bodies after Papua massacre
(UPDATED) The confirmed deaths, believed to be of construction workers, mark the deadliest bout of violence in years to hit a region wracked by a low-level independence insurgency

Indonesia hunts suspects in alleged Papua mass killing
Indonesian soldiers are hunting for rebels suspected of killing as many as 24 construction workers in restive Papua province

Soldier killed as Indonesia probes mass shooting reports in Papua
An Indonesian soldier is killed while investigating reports that more than two dozen construction workers were shot dead by separatist rebels in restive Papua province

Papua New Guinea's 'gay village' offers sanctuary, hope
Home to as many as 50,000, Hanuabada has become synonymous with a small but thriving gay, lesbian and transgender community in Port Moresby

PNG pledges to pay police APEC allowances after rampage
Government ministers meet with the protesters late Tuesday, November 20, and agree to pay the APEC allowance plus an additional bonus to all local personnel

PNG police, soldiers storm parliament over unpaid APEC bonuses
A witness outside parliament says 'hundreds of police and troops' are standing on the building's front steps complaining that they have not been paid a special APEC duty allowance of 350 kina (US$104)

APEC's future in doubt after costly summit failure
The gathering was almost 5 years in the making, cost untold millions of US dollars and required the deployment of at least one battleship and 3 cruise liners

Cruising for a bruising: What we learned from the APEC summit
During the 26th APEC Summit, leaders fail to agree on a formal written declaration, but plenty of fireworks were seen on the sidelines

Cops called as Chinese delegates at APEC 'try to barge in'
(UPDATED) Sources say the Chinese delegates tried to enter the office of Papua New Guinea's foreign minister in a bid to influence a summit draft communique

APEC leaders divided after U.S., China spat
(4th UPDATE) For the first time in the history of the APEC grouping, leaders were unable to agree on a formal written declaration amid sharp differences over trade policy
Duterte changes plans, decides to finish APEC Summit
(UPDATED) 'Narito, hindi naman umuwi kagabi. He wants to attend the meeting,' says Philippine Ambassador to Papua New Guinea Bienvenido Tejano
Pence says U.S. to partner in Papua New Guinea military base
Australia, which has long-standing military ties with the US, has already announced plans to redevelop PNG's Lombrum Naval Base on Manus Island

Philippines, Papua New Guinea ink deal on agriculture cooperation
Philippine Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Piñol says Filipino farmers will be sent to Papua New Guinea to plant rice

The week in photos: November 10-16, 2018
This week's selection of photo highlights here and around the world
