The Latest Breaking News from Papua New Guinea

Building a nation: Papua New Guinea’s 50 years of independence

A time of opportunity seemed to lie ahead in 1975, but has PNG and its leaders lived up to that promise?

The Guardian - AU · Jul 7, 2025

Inside the race to relieve drought-stricken PNG islands

An mission to relieve drought-struck islanders in far east Papua New Guinea has laid bare the difficulties of delivering aid in the Pacific.

AAP · Jul 5, 2025

‘My greatest handicap was the attitude of normal people.’ Alan Marshall’s artful polio memoir, I Can Jump Puddles, turns 70

With vaccine sceptic Robert F. Kennedy Jr as United States Health Secretary and an outbreak in Papua New Guinea last month, polio – largely eliminated in most of the world – has been back in the news. It’s a potent sign of why vaccines are important. Mass polio vaccination began…

The Conversation · Jun 30, 2025

Bougainville firm on independence after latest talks

Representatives from Papua New Guinea and Bougainville have concluded their latest round of talks on independence for the wantaway province.

AAP · Jun 13, 2025

Ancient DNA from Papua New Guinea reveals centuries of genetic isolation

A new analysis of the ancient DNA of 42 people from Papua New Guinea reveals that some cultures were remarkably isolated for centuries.

LiveScience · Jun 9, 2025

‘We just sit here’: the broken men Australia’s offshore detention regime left behind in Papua New Guinea

Samad Abdul is among the last of more than 2,000 people who passed through the illegal system. Prevented from leaving PNG, he says his life is wasting away

The Guardian - AU · Jun 5, 2025

Bougainville wants independence. China’s support for a controversial mine could pave the way

Bougainville, an autonomous archipelago currently part of Papua New Guinea, is determined to become the world’s newest country.

The Conversation · Jun 2, 2025

Australia funding vaccines after polio find in PNG

Two healthy children in the Papua New Guinea city of Lae have been diagnosed with polio, prompting an emergency vaccination campaign.

AAP · May 21, 2025

The re-emergence of polio in Papua New Guinea shows global eradication remains elusive

Last week the World Health Organisation (WHO) declared a polio outbreak in Papua New Guinea (PNG).

The Conversation · May 19, 2025

Polio outbreak declared in Papua New Guinea, spurring preparation for vaccination campaign

The situation is “serious but manageable,” the country’s top health official said.

Euronews · May 16, 2025