The Latest Breaking News from Phillip Mehrtens

From the continuing crisis in Myanmar to the US’s expanding military ties, these are Al Jazeera’s highlights.

Exclusive: Australia is seeking to strengthen ties with Indonesia, despite new reports of brutality by the military — including the torture and murder of civilians — in West Papua

New Zealand pilot Phillip Mehrtens has now been held hostage in West Papua for four months. Stalled attempts to negotiate his release, and an unsuccessful Indonesian military rescue attempt, suggest a confused picture behind the scenes.

The incident in a remote highlands region has drawn renewed attention to one of the world’s least-known conflicts.

Rebels in Indonesia's Papua region 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, a new video released by the group on Friday showed.

A New Zealand pilot being held hostage in Indonesia's remote Papua region says the Indonesian Army has been dropping bombs in the area where a separatist group is holding him.

Separatist rebels in Indonesia's Papua region claim to have killed nine army personnel, after Jakarta did not respond to a negotiations call.

Separatist rebels in Indonesia's Papua region who are holding a New Zealand pilot hostage are prepared to drop a demand that Jakarta recognise the independence of the area before they could consider freeing him, a rebel spokesperson said on Thursday. 

A New Zealand pilot who was taken hostage last month by rebels in Indonesia's Papua region has appeared in videos put out by separatists calling for the United Nations to mediate in the conflict in the resource-rich region.

The Detail podcast brings you the issues behind the news every weekday. Here's what we covered this week.

Phillip Mehrtens was taken hostage last week after landing his small commercial plane in the Papuan highlands.