Rebels in Indonesia's Papua region have threatened to shoot a New Zealand pilot they took hostage in February if countries do not comply with their demand to start independence talks within two months.
An archaeologist has returned to Australia after being released by armed criminals who were holding him and three others hostage in a remote part of Papua New Guinea.
The death toll from a "significant" earthquake which struck Papua New Guinea has risen to seven, the Pacific island nation's police commissioner says, adding it occurred deep below ground which limited damage.
The discovery of pottery from the ancient Lapita culture by researchers at The ANU has shed new light on how PNG served as a launching pad for the colonisation of the Pacific.
