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They call it an encirclement of their nation and say the United States is trying to constrain its main economic and military rival. The United States also has a new security agreement with Papua New Guinea. On Wednesday, Mr. Biden signed a $95-billion supplemental military aid and spending bill that Congress had just passed and that includes $8.1 billion to counter China in the region. In addition, the United States continues to send weapons and Green Beret trainers to Taiwan, a de facto independent island and the biggest flashpoint between the United States and China. A swarm of Chinese militia and Coast Guard vessels chased a Philippine Coast Guard ship in the South China Sea last year.

Persons: Xi Jinping, Biden, Antony J, Blinken, Yuri Gripas, ” Ely Ratner, Xi, ” Kurt Campbell, Joseph Wu, ”, “, Samuel J, Paparo Jr, Mr, Paparo, Carl Vinson, Richard A, Brooks, Trump, Lloyd J, Austin III, Chen Jining, Jes Aznar, David H, Berger, Obama, Tony Mcdonough, United States —, Admiral Paparo, China’s “ revanchist, we’re Organizations: Australian, U.S, Marines, United, Pentagon, Corps, Mr, White House, White, The New York Times, American, Marine, Green, China’s, Liberation Army, Seoul SOUTH, Pacific Command, People’s Liberation Army, Agence France, Nuclear Forces Treaty, Defense, Communist Party, Tokyo Okinawa, U.S . Navy, Coast Guard, Philippine Coast Guard, Marine Corps, Army, Philippines Luzon Partner, Australia Darwin Potential, NATO, Tomahawk Locations: Beijing, United States, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Japan, Okinawa, Taiwan, Asia, Pacific, U.S, China, Shanghai, South China, South Korea, Guam, Washington, Manila, Taipei, People’s Republic of China, Palau, West Papua, Seoul, Tokyo JAPAN CHINA Taipei TAIWAN Hong Kong, GUAM philippines MALAYSIA INDONESIA JAPAN CHINA TAIWAN, philippines GUAM, INDONESIA Seoul, GUAM philippines, MALAYSIA INDONESIA, Philippine, Moscow, Tokyo, Ryukyu Islands, South, Philippines Luzon, Luzon, Spratly, Australia, Canberra, Singapore, Darwin, Australia’s, . North Carolina, Virginia, Perth, United Kingdom, Navy’s, America

☆ Biden’s controversial ‘cannibalism’ remarks meet pushback in Papua New Guinea
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-24 | by ( Heather Chen | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

“President Biden’s remarks may have been a slip of the tongue; however, my country does not deserve to be labeled as such,” Marape said. While cannibalism was documented among remote tribes in the region in the mid-20th century, Papua New Guinea has struggled to shed stereotypes in more recent decades, and Biden’s comments were met with criticism inside the country. “These apparent untrue remarks by the sitting President is a low point in our bilateral relations,” Tkatchenko said. “He got shot down in an area where there were a lot of cannibals in New Guinea at the time. When asked about the remarks, the White House did not repeat Biden’s assertions about cannibals or his uncle’s plane being shot down.

Persons: Joe Biden’s, Biden, Ambrose Finnegan’s, James Marape, Biden’s, ” Marape, ”, Justin Tkatchenko, Washington, ” Tkatchenko, Marape, “, Ambrose Finnegan, ” “, Finnegan “ Organizations: CNN, Papua New Guinea, Allied, Australian, Embassy, Moresby, Defense POW, Agency Locations: Papua New Guinea, Pacific, New Guinea, Papua New, Port Moresby, Beijing, United States, ”, U.S, Pennsylvania

☆ ‘Heart-breaking’: Refugees once detained offshore by Australia warn the UK government not to push through its Rwanda policy
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-22 | by ( Antoinette Radford | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

The policy enjoys bipartisan political support in Australia, with both the coalition and Labor governments backing offshore detention. And on face value, the UK’s proposed offshore detention policy follows a similar model to that of Australia. Australia’s own offshore detention policy has been heavily criticized and fraught with controversy – but still seems to exert considerable appeal for some UK politicians. Another difference between two nations stems from the fact Australia does not have a human rights charter, Tubakovic said. She notes that the UK is still bound by human rights obligations, particularly as a signatory to the European Convention on Human Rights.

Persons: CNN — “, Behrouz Boochani, “, ”, Boochani, Mostafa Azimitabar –, –, ” Azimitabar, Rwanda Bill, Dan Kitwood, Rishi Sunak, Tony Abbott, Jonas Gratzer, Alexander Downer, Downer, Tamara Tubakovic, “ It’s, Tubakovic, David Gray, ” Tubakovic Organizations: CNN, Kurd, European, of Human, Australia’s Department of Home Affairs, Labor, Refugee Council of Australia, ‘, Conservative, English Channel, UK Border Force, University of Melbourne, University of Oxford, Human Rights, of Human Rights, UN, Reuters Locations: New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Iran, Indonesia, Australia, Nauru, Manus, Melbourne, United Kingdom, Rwanda, England, Britain, British, France, Sydney

☆ Election Updates: Biden’s ‘cannibals’ comments draw ire of Papua New Guinea’s leader.
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-22 | by ( Nicholas Nehamas | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +4 min

“We did not do justice by our country by showing and fighting over that day. That is the position Mr. Trump took this month, though his allies have developed plans that could functionally ban abortion nationwide without formally doing so. Mr. Trump has also expressed support for rape and incest exceptions, which South Dakota’s near-total abortion ban does not include. “The law in my state was passed decades before I ever became governor,” she said, adding: “That may be a topic that will continue to be discussed in South Dakota. “And since Joe Biden has been in the White House, I just have to defend the freedoms of my people in South Dakota.

Persons: Kristi Noem, Donald J, Trump, Mike Pence’s, Ms, Noem, “, Dana Bash, Pence, Jan, ”, he’s, Donald Trump, Roe, Wade, Bash, we’ve, ” Ms, Trump’s, Joe Biden, I’m Organizations: CNN, White House, New York — Locations: South Dakota, Dakota, New York, White

☆ Scientists identify three new species of ancient kangaroo—and one was more than 6.6 feet tall
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-15 | by ( Jack Guy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

One species – P. viator – would have weighed up to 170 kilograms (375 pounds), making it around twice as heavy as the largest male red kangaroos living today. Flinders UniversityThe largest specimens would have stood more than 2 meters (6.6 feet) tall, Kerr told CNN on Monday. By around 40,000 years ago Protemnodon had become extinct on mainland Australia, despite the differences between the various species. This extinction, however, did not affect similar animals such as wallaroos and grey kangaroos, for reasons scientists do not fully understand. “There is a species of Protemnodon present in the formation we’ll be digging at, Protemnodon otibandus, and I’m hoping for a complete skull of this very interesting species,” he said.

Persons: Isaac Kerr, South Australia Aaron Camens, viator, Kerr, ”, “, ’, Thylacoleo, mamkurra, ” Kerr, Protemnodon, Protemnodon otibandus Organizations: CNN —, Flinders University, Volunteers, CNN Locations: South Australia, Lake Callabonna, Australia, Callabonna, Tasmania, New Guinea, Papua New Guinea

☆ A Harvard professor is risking his reputation to search for aliens. Tech tycoons are bankrolling his quest.
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-08 | by ( Marianne Guenot | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +26 min

The Harvard professor's research is bankrolled by tech tycoons "pissed off" at academia's dogma. But this boundary-pushing is exactly why he's backed Loeb's research. AdvertisementDesch, the astrophysicist from Arizona University, posted a critique of Loeb's work on arXiv alleging "multiple fatal flaws with the manuscript's arguments." Asked whether he no longer believes in a possible technological origin for the meteor, Loeb said they need to investigate further. As he plans more extravagant expeditions to prove the origin of the interstellar meteor, Loeb likens his critics to crows pecking at the neck of an eagle.

Persons: Avi Loeb, Loeb, —, Steven Desch, they're, Loeb's, they've, Charles Hoskinson, that's, Anibal Martel, Mark Zuckerberg, Stephen Hawking, Lucas Jackson, Oumuamua, Desch, It's, Meech, Hoskinson, Rather, Lane Turner, James Webb, Bill Diamond, Stenzel, AARO, UAPs, Loeb hasn't, Joe Rogan's, Eugene Jhong, Galileo, ", Frank Laukien, Laukien, Charles Alcock, Seth Shostak, Stephen Wolfram, Richard Branson's, Vera, Rubin, Avi Loeb Loeb, what's, Rob McCallum, Mariana Trench, James Cameron, Avi Loeb Hoskinson, spherules, Harvard's Stein Jacobsen, Loeb didn't, Monica Grady, Patricio Gallardo, it's, Diamond, That's Avi, Adam Glanzman Organizations: Harvard, Service, Arizona State University, Netflix, Galileo, Anadolu Agency, Reuters, University of Hawaii, Boston Globe, James Webb Telescope, NASA, SETI Institute, Pew Research Center, Department of Defense, UAP Department of Defense, Jhong, Bruker Corporation, Smithsonian's, for Astrophysics, MIT, Wolfram Research, Harvard University, Survey, US Space Command, Hoskinson, UK's Open University, University of Chicago, Arizona University, U.S . Government, The Washington, Getty, Loeb, Astronomy, Astrophysics Locations: Lexington , Massachusetts, United States, Getty, Loeb's, New York, Cambridge, Massachussetts, UAPs, Colorado, Chile, Papua New Guinea, 2401.09882, IM1

☆ U.S. Approves $500 Million for Bahrain Oil Project, Despite Opposition
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-14 | by ( Hiroko Tabuchi | More About Hiroko Tabuchi | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The Bahrain deal comes just months after the United States joined nearly 200 other nations in a promise to transition away from fossil fuels, the burning of which is dangerously overheating the planet. It also comes as Mr. Biden is working to shore up support from climate-minded voters as he runs for re-election. In February, plans to finance the Bahrain projects prompted two of the bank’s climate advisers to resign. The Bahrain project is one of several controversial overseas fossil fuel ventures that ExIm Bank is currently considering. Also being considered are a natural gas export project in Papua New Guinea and an offshore pipeline in Guyana, alongside some projects related to renewable energy like a zinc-lead mine in Greenland.

Persons: Biden, Biden’s Organizations: United States, ExIm Locations: Bahrain, Papua New Guinea, Guyana, Greenland

☆ A signal linked to aliens by a Harvard professor may have been caused by a passing truck
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-11 | by ( Marianne Guenot | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Read previewYet another study is calling into question a Harvard professor's claims that metallic balls discovered under the ocean may have been made by aliens . Johns Hopkins University-led (JHU-led) research said a blip on the seismometer that Loeb used to pinpoint the crash site may simply have been caused by the vibrations of a passing truck. AdvertisementPinpointing the crash siteIn 2019, Loeb and his team searched databases for unusual meteors that were moving rapidly. The meteor, dubbed by Loeb's team IM1, was first spotted by the Department of Defense's (DoD) sensors. Loeb's team recovered 805 spherules.

Persons: —, Avi Loeb, Loeb, Ben Fernando, It's, Fernando, it's, Charles Hoskinson, Undeterred Organizations: Service, Harvard, Business, Johns Hopkins University, JHU, Department of Defense's, DoD, Planetary Science Conference, Galileo, Space Force Locations: Papua, Guinea, 2401.09882, Papua New Guinea, Houston

☆ Surprise: An ‘Extraterrestrial’ Gadget Was Something More Familiar
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-11 | by ( Matt Richtel | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

In January of 2014, a meteor fell from space off the coast of Papua New Guinea. Last fall, Benjamin Fernando, a planetary seismologist at Johns Hopkins University, led a team that re-examined the nearby seismic signals and concluded that they were not evidence of the extraterrestrial, or anything close to it. Recently, he sat down with The New York Times to preview what his team had found. In 2014, a meteor entered the atmosphere and went “bang.” Sometimes, you hear these meteors on seismometers. Avi Loeb wrote a paper to say that he’d found the seismic signal from this meteor and that he’d used it to locate exactly where the meteor debris fell.

Persons: Avi Loeb, Dr, Loeb, Benjamin Fernando, Fernando, he’d Organizations: Harvard, Johns Hopkins University, New York Times Locations: Papua New Guinea

☆ Why Australia's National Rugby League could help curb China's Pacific influence
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-04 | by ( George Glover | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Australia's National Rugby League could help stop China from gaining more influence in the South Pacific. AdvertisementThe US appears to be courting an unlikely ally to help stop China from building its political and economic influence in the Pacific: Australia's National Rugby League. The Australian Financial Review reported that the White House will support those plans, which policymakers believe could help counter China's efforts to assert itself in the South Pacific. The South Pacific has emerged as a key battleground between Beijing and Washington in recent years. It's popular in Australia, New Zealand, northern England, France, and across the Pacific Islands and has slightly different rules to rugby union.

Persons: Joe Biden, —, Peter V'landys, Biden, Kamala Harris, Spencer Leniu, Ezra Mam Organizations: Australia's National Rugby League, Service, Financial, Biden, NRL, Sydney Morning Herald, Kiribati . Rugby, The Sydney Roosters, Brisbane Broncos, Roosters, Broncos Locations: China, South, Papua New Guinea, New South Wales, Queensland, United States, Australia, Washington , DC, Beijing, Washington, Solomon, Fiji, Tonga, Kiribati, New Zealand, England, France, Las Vegas

☆ Bikepacker Turned His Lifestyle Into a Business That Covers His Costs
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-26 | by ( Shubhangi Goel | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

They started running at me shouting — most of them had machetes,” Ridley told Business Insider in a video call. AdvertisementLiving on $6 a dayRidley, now 33, is a full-time “bikepacker” who has been traveling the world for eight years. His solo travels started with nights in hostels and traveling by buses and trains. Ridley’s YouTube channel, where he shares short smartphone videos of his rides, began growing around the pandemic. Darsy turned her hobby of documenting their travels into a professional YouTube channel that has become her source of income.

Persons: —, Tristan Ridley, “, ” Ridley, Ridley, bikepacker ”, ”, Tristan Ridley “, I'm, ” —, Tristan Ridley Ridley, Sophie Darsy, Ryan Ellison, Darsy, influencer Gaby Beckford, Valtteri Heinila, Heinila, “ I'm Organizations: Service, Business, YouTube Locations: Papua New Guinea, Africa, Asia, Europe, Oceania, Australia, Southeast Asia, China, Central Asia, Stockholm, Helsinki, Singapore

☆ Papua New Guinea: Dozens killed as tribal violence erupts in restive highlands
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-19 | by ( Angus Watson | Kathleen Magramo | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —At least 49 bodies were found at the site of a gun battle between tribes in Papua New Guinea’s remote highlands, police told CNN Monday, in a gruesome escalation of hostilities in the country. Those killed were believed to be warring members of the Ambulin and Sikin tribes who were armed with “military style” automatic weapons, according to Enga Province Police Commander George Kakas. It is home to hundreds of tribes across the archipelago’s remote terrain where tribal feuds often stem from land and wealth disputes. Hostilities between the Ambulin and Sikin tribes began in 2021 over a piece of land and has since spiraled into a constant cycle of violence, Kakas said. Members of the Amublin tribe had “got wind of the Sikin staging an attack early in the morning, so they were waiting for them – setting up an ambush,” Kakas told CNN.

Persons: George Kakas, Kakas, ” Kakas, “, ”, ” Anthony Albanese, ” Albanese Organizations: CNN, Enga Province Police, Police, Australian Broadcasting Corporation Radio, Australia Locations: Papua, Enga Province, Lai, Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea, Pacific, Australia

☆ Dozens Killed in Papua New Guinea Violence, Official Says
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-18 | by ( Natasha Frost | More About Natasha Frost | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

At least 53 people were killed in fighting in the remote highlands of Papua New Guinea, where deadly violence between more than a dozen tribal groups has been escalating, a senior security official said. George Kakas, the Royal Papua New Guinea Constabulary acting superintendent, told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation that the death toll from the incident in Enga Province was likely to rise. “These tribesmen have been killed all over the countryside, all over the bush,” Mr. Kakas told the broadcaster. “Police and defense forces have had to go in to do their best to quell the situation at their own risk.”Bodies were found across a field, along roads and near a river, Mr. Kakas said. Video footage and photos shared on social media, whose authenticity could not immediately be confirmed, showed dozens of bodies piled onto the back of an open truck.

Persons: George Kakas, Mr, Kakas Organizations: Royal Papua New Guinea Constabulary, Australian Broadcasting Corporation, “ Police Locations: Papua New Guinea, Royal Papua, Enga Province

☆ King Charles’ cancer diagnosis: How much should the public be told?
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-07 | by ( Lauren Said-Moorhouse | Max Foster | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +26 min

King Charles and Queen Camilla are seen leaving Clarence House in London on February 6, the day after it was announced King Charles had been diagnosed with cancer. But Queen Elizabeth and King Charles, they do not want to become the story, they still want to serve their public. In the fullness of time, I would like to think King Charles will talk about his treatment.”Britain's King Charles III poses for a portrait in Buckingham Palace's Throne Room after his official coronation in May 2023. From left are Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall; Prince Charles; Queen Elizabeth II; Prince Philip; Prince William; and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge. From left are Prince Charles; the Queen; Prince Louis; Catherine, the Duchess of Cambridge; and Princess Charlotte.

Persons: London CNN — Britain’s King Charles III, Buckingham, Charles, King Charles, Queen Camilla, Clarence, Toby Melville, King, Rishi Sunak, Sunak, “, Sunak’s, Charles ’, Chris Jackson, ”, Kate Williams, Joe Biden, Matthew Chattle, survivorship, “ Jill, “ You’re, Anil Rustgi, Herbert, ” Rustgi, Sally Bedell Smith, George VI, ” King George VI, Prince Charles, Prince Harry, Emily Nash, It’s, Princes William, Harry, Andrew, Edward, Anne, Beatrice, Nash, Princess, Wales, She’s, hasn’t, Catherine, ” Williams, Kristina Kyriacou, ITV’s, They’ve, Kyriacou, she’d, Queen Elizabeth, ” Britain's King Charles III, Hugo Burnand, Princess Elizabeth, Elizabeth, Prince Philip, Prince Charles and Princess Anne, Eddie Worth, Margaret, Hulton, Sir Gerald Creasy, Paul Popper, Princess Margaret, Queen Elizabeth II, Prince, Popperfoto, Prince Edward, Princess Anne, Richard Nixon, William Lovelace, Serge Lemoine, David McFall, Anwar Hussein, Tim Graham, Camilla Parker Bowles, Lady Diana Spencer, Princess Diana, William, Diana, David Levenson, Johnny Eggitt, Nelson Mandela, David Thomson, Princess Diana's, Jayne Fincher, Thomas Coex, Adrian Dennis, Chris Ison, Prince of, Camilla, Matt Dunham, Prince William, Kate Middleton, James Devaney, FilmMagic, Andrew Milligan, Barack Obama, Chris Radburn, Duchess of Cornwall, Catherine , Duchess of Cambridge, Dominic Lipinski, Alessandro Bianchi, Mohd Rasfana, Andrew Parsons, Prince Charles , Prince Andrew, Duchess Camilla, Meghan Markle, Jonathan Brady, Max Mumby, He's, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, Prince Louis, Meghan, PoolAP Charles, Tim P, Paul Chiasson, Ben Stansall, Duchess, Cambridge, Hannah McKay, Reuters Charles, Liz Truss, Yui Mok, Queen Consort, Victoria Jones, Volodymyr Zelensky, Zelensky, Aaron Chown, Handout, Dan Kitwood, Andrew Matthews, Sarah Tilotta, Toby Hancock, CNN Charles, Giles, Jane Barlow, Emmanuel Macron, Benoit Tessier, Peter Nicholls, Britain's King Charles III, Estelle Paranque Organizations: London CNN, Clarence House, Reuters, CNN, BBC, British, Getty, Royal, Publishing, Macmillan Cancer, Cancer Research, Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer, Presbyterian, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, Topical Press Agency, Royals, CNN’s Royal, Buckingham Palace, Central Press, Hulton, Hulton Deutsch, Westminster Abbey, Keystone, Royal Navy, Queen, Trinity College , Cambridge, Bettmann, Hulton Royals, Cheshire Regiment, Spice, Westminster Hall, Royal Horticultural Society's, Chelsea, London Palladium, BBC Scotland's, Office, Zephyr, Army Air Corps, Sandringham, Royal Air Force, Whitby, Imperial State Crown, Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, Cathedral, Scotland, King, London Clinic, Northeastern University London Locations: London, British, Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Buckingham Palace, United Kingdom, NewYork, Queen, Windsor, Wales, Buckingham, Malta, Westminster, France, Washington, Kenya, West Berlin, Canada, Cirencester, England, Canterbury, India, Manchester, Papua New Guinea, Toronto, AFP, Balmoral, Balmoral , Scotland, Paris, Ashbourne, Ranville, Prince of Wales, Amatrice, Borneo, St, John's, Newfoundland, Labrador, Nyamata, Rwanda, St James's, Hamburg, Germany, Edward's, Edinburgh, Scotland, of Versailles, Versailles

☆ PNG Assures Australia on Security Ties as Leader Marape Arrives on Visit
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-07 | by ( Feb. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

Australia and the United States have been alarmed by China's security ambitions in the Pacific Islands region since Beijing struck a security and policing deal with Solomon Islands. U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Richard Verma urged PNG to reject a security deal with China, in comments reported by the Sydney Morning Herald on Monday. PNG would not strike a security agreement with China, he said in an interview with the ABC broadcast on Wednesday. China "understand clearly where we stand on security in the region and that is with our close traditional partners, Australia, U.S., New Zealand", he added. Even before the riots, he had pointed to law-and-order concerns and said boosting security would help to attract foreign investment in PNG's burgeoning resources sector.

Persons: James Marape, Marape, Justin Tkachenko, Tkachenko, Richard Verma, Tkatchenko, Penny Wong, Kirsty Needham, Michael Perry Organizations: SYDNEY, Papua New Guinea, Reuters, U.S, Sydney Morning Herald, Australian, ABC Locations: Papua New, Canberra, Australia, China, United States, Beijing, Solomon Islands, Port Moresby, U.S, , New Zealand

☆ New Zealand Calls for Kiwi Pilot to Be Freed a Year After Papua Kidnapping
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-05 | by ( Feb. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

JAKARTA (Reuters) - New Zealand has called for the immediate release of Kiwi pilot Phillip Mehrtens, a year after he was taken hostage by rebels in Indonesia's Papua region, its foreign minister said on Monday. His continued detention serves the interests of no one," New Zealand Foreign Minister Winston Peters said in a statement. The New Zealand foreign minister said a range of government agencies continued to work extensively with their Indonesian counterparts to secure Mehrtens' release. The separatist group has released video of Mehrtens several times, asking the United Nations to mediate talks towards Papua's independence. In one of the videos, he was seen holding the banned Morning Star flag and surrounded by Papuan fighters.

Persons: Phillip Mehrtens, Egianus Kogoya, Mehrtens, Phillip, Winston Peters, Sebby Sambom, Ananda Teresia, Kate Lamb, Jamie Freed Organizations: Kiwi, West Papua National Liberation Army, New Zealand Foreign, United Nations, New Zealand, United, Star Locations: JAKARTA, New Zealand, Indonesia's Papua, Nduga, Papua, Papua New Guinea, United Nations

☆ US Official Urges Papua New Guinea to Reject Chinese Security Deal
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-04 | by ( Feb. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

SYDNEY (Reuters) - A senior U.S. state department official urged Papua New Guinea(PNG) to turn down China's offer of a potential security pact, warning the Pacific nation that any security guarantee with Beijing comes with consequences and costs. "We've seen that the Chinese commitment in defence or investment comes with a high cost. That's what we'd say to PNG," United States Deputy Secretary of State Richard Verma told the Sydney Morning Herald in an interview published on Monday. Papua New Guinea Foreign Minister Justin Tkachenko told Reuters last week that it was in early talks with China on a potential security deal. PNG has previously said Australia and the U.S. were its security partners, while China was an important economic partner.

Persons: Richard Verma, Justin Tkachenko, Tkachenko, Verma, James Marape, it's, Renju Jose, Stephen Coates Organizations: SYDNEY, Beijing, United States, Sydney Morning Herald, Papua New Guinea, Reuters, Solomon Islands, South Locations: U.S, Papua New Guinea, Papua New, China, Australia, Beijing, Solomon, Sydney

Political Cartoons View All 253 ImagesHow did Deep Sea Vision detect the object that could be Earhart's plane? But it wasn't until the team reviewed sonar data in December that they saw the fuzzy yellow outline of what resembles a plane. “In the end, we came out with an image of a target that we believe very strongly is Amelia’s aircraft," Romeo told The Associated Press. But he said that Romeo’s team must provide “a forensic level of documentation” to prove it’s Earhart’s Lockheed. He would have expected to see straight wings and not swept wings, like the new sonar suggests, as well as engines.

Persons: Amelia Earhart, Tony Romeo, Electra, Romeo, Earhart, Fred Noonan, Noonan, “ Amelia, James Delgado, ”, Delgado, Romeo's, David Jourdan, Dorothy Cochrane, Cochrane, ’ ”, Lockheed Electra, Ole Varmer, Varmer, ” Varmer, “ It’s, —, Finley, Pollard Organizations: COLUMBIA, Lockheed, Archaeologists, Pan American Airlines, Air Force, Associated Press, Navy, National Air and Space Museum, National Oceanic, Atmospheric Administration, The Ocean Foundation, Purdue Research Foundation, Purdue University in, Smithsonian, America Statehouse News Initiative, America Locations: South Carolina, Norwegian, Howland, Papua New Guinea, Hawaii, New Guinea, U.S, New Jersey, “, Maritime, Connecticut, Howland Island, Purdue University in Indiana, Norfolk , Virginia

☆ Sonar imagery may have located Amelia Earhart’s long-lost plane, researchers say
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-30 | by ( Taylor Nicioli | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Amelia Earhart is photographed with her Lockheed Model 10-E Electra, the aircraft she used in her attempted flight around the world. “While it is possible that this could be a plane and maybe even Amelia’s plane, it is too premature to say that definitively. In Earhart’s last communications, her radio transmissions progressively got stronger as she got closer to Howland Island, indicating that she was nearing the island before she disappeared, Cochrane said. For that reason, you can never say that something is (or isn’t) from a sonar image alone,” Jourdan said in an email. Confirming that the found anomaly is Earhart’s plane would require returning to the site to further investigate the plane, and more definitively, locating the certification “NR16020” that was printed on the underside of the missing Lockheed’s wing, Jourdan said.

Persons: Amelia Earhart’s, Charleston , South Carolina —, Electra, Earhart, Amelia Earhart, ”, Tony Romeo, “, Romeo, Fred Noonan, Andrew Pietruszka, ” Pietruszka, Noonan, Dorothy Cochrane, Cochrane, Earhart’s Lockheed Electra, David Jourdan, ” Jourdan, Jourdan, Taylor Swift, ” Cochrane Organizations: CNN —, Lockheed, Underwood, Vision, US Air Force, CNN, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California, US National Archives, Group for Historic Aircraft, Smithsonian, Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum Locations: Charleston , South Carolina, Howland, Lae, Papua New Guinea, San Diego, Marshall, Saipan, Nikumaroro, Kiribati

☆ Pacific Islands Need to Boost Digital Security to Join Undersea Cable, Says US Official
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-30 | by ( Jan. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

By Kirsty NeedhamSYDNEY (Reuters) - Pacific Islands nations that want to connect to U.S.-funded undersea cables will need to secure their digital ecosystems to guard against data risks from China, a senior U.S. State Department official said. The United States pledged last year to jointly fund two undersea cables, to be built by Google, connecting the U.S. territory of Guam with hubs in Fiji and French Polynesia, and further branching out across remote Pacific Islands. The proposed intra-Pacific cable project has offered to branch out to Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Tuvalu, Fiji, Nauru, Marshall Islands, Kiribati, Cook Islands, Wallis and Futuna and the Federated States of Micronesia. China and the U.S. are jostling for influence in the Pacific Islands with competing offers for infrastructure. The Solomon Islands, which struck a security pact with Beijing, is rolling out a Chinese-funded mobile network built by Chinese telecommunications company Huawei.

Persons: Kirsty Needham SYDNEY, Nathaniel Fick, Kirsty Needham, Edwina Gibbs Organizations: Pacific, U.S . State Department, United, Google, Futuna, Federated, The U.S . Department of, Washington, Sydney, Huawei, Telstra, Microsoft, U.S Locations: U.S, China, Guam, Fiji, French Polynesia, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Tuvalu, Nauru, Marshall Islands, Kiribati, Cook Islands, Wallis, Federated States, Micronesia, The, Solomon, Beijing, Australia, Asia, Pacific

☆ Biden Administration Faces Pushback on Another Gas Project, This Time Overseas
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-26 | by ( Hiroko Tabuchi | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

Even as the Biden administration, under pressure from environmentalists, hits pause on its approval of a major natural gas export terminal in the United States, it faces another big gas decision overseas. A $13 billion natural gas export project in Papua New Guinea led by TotalEnergies and Exxon Mobil is on a shortlist of projects set to receive financing from the U.S. Export-Import Bank, or Ex-Im, which supports American businesses around the world. The Papua LNG gas project would join a portfolio of oil and gas projects the bank funds, including an oil refinery in Indonesia and an oil tank project in the Bahamas. The bank is also considering financing an offshore pipeline and natural gas plants in Guyana. Some climate activists see a big contradiction between climate actions the government is taking in the United States versus around the world.

Persons: Biden Organizations: TotalEnergies, Exxon Mobil, U.S . Export, Import Bank Locations: United States, Papua New Guinea, Papua, Indonesia, Bahamas, Guyana

☆ Cane toads: This warty, toxic pest threatens entire ecosystems. These scientists have a secret weapon
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-19 | by ( Hilary Whiteman | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +12 min

For the most part, the battle against cane toads has been mounted by local ecological warriors wearing rubber gloves who scan the streets for adult toads. But the Australians have a secret weapon not yet available worldwide – a lure that attracts cane toad tadpoles so thousands can be killed in one hit. To prove the theory, and try to mimic it, they’d first need a heap of dead cane toads. “In Florida, cane toads are mainly a socio-economic issue. Northern quolls – small carnivorous marsupials – get a cane toad sausage, goannas are fed tiny live toads and freshwater crocodiles receive cane toad legs with a dose of lithium chloride.

Persons: Australia CNN —, Gary King, “ Who’s, ”, King, Australia’s, Cane, Luke, Austin Rogers, “, “ There’s, we’re, Rob Capon, Rick Shine, Capon, ” Capon, they’d, it’s, you’ve, Jacob LaFond, Steve Johnson, that’s, ” LaFond, That’s, Nikki Tomsett, ” Tomsett, they’re, Sara McAllister, Connor, John Holmes, Hilary Whiteman, Connor Holmes, John, ” John, ” Connor Organizations: Australia CNN, University of Queensland, Macquarie University . Shine, Macquarie University, University of Tampa, University of Florida, Western Australia Department of Biodiversity, CNN Locations: Brisbane, Australia, South, Central America, Queensland, United States, Japan, Philippines, Papua New Guinea, Pacific, Caribbean, United Kingdom, koalas, North Queensland, Florida, Miami, “, South Florida, Australian, Hawaii, Derby, Western Australia, Northern

☆ A Week After Deadly Riots, a Fragile Peace in Papua New Guinea
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-18 | by ( Christopher Cottrell | Natasha Frost | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

At the edge of the prime minister’s compound, hundreds of protesters tugged at the gates and set a guard booth on fire. “We are not calling in the Australians,” Prime Minister James Marape of Papua New Guinea told a reporter visiting him in his office. “We can handle this ourselves.”Last week’s deadly unrest caught officials unaware and left Mr. Marape grappling with a fast-moving crisis. Papua New Guinea has a very large youth population, but few jobs to offer its young people, making economic hardship even more severe. Within hours, Port Moresby, the capital, was rocked by a level of violence it had not seen in decades.

Persons: James Marape Organizations: Bullets, ” Locations: Papua New Guinea, Port Moresby

☆ Papua New Guinea to recruit Australia police in security deal - minister
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-05 | by ( Kirsty Needham | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Papua New Guinea Prime Minister James Marape will travel to Canberra on Thursday to sign the security agreement, his office said. "The security arrangement is in the best interest of Papua New Guinea and also for Australia and its regional security interests," Marape said in a statement on Tuesday. The Australian Federal Police and the defence minister's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the security agreement. "Its a big issue and Australia can help us out considerably," said Tkatchenko, who began negotiations with Australia on the deal last year. They will be contracted officers reporting directly to the police commissioner of Papua New Guinea and they will be under all the laws of PNG.

Persons: James Marape, Lillian Suwanrumpha, Marape, Justin Tkatchenko, Tkatchenko, Kirsty Needham, Edmund Klamann Organizations: Guinea's, APEC, APEC Business, Economic Cooperation, Rights, Papua New Guinea, Australia, U.S, Reuters, Defence, Australian Federal Police, PNG Royal Constabulary, CID, Australian, Thomson Locations: Papua, Asia, Bangkok, Thailand, Papua New Guinea, biosecurity, Papua New, Canberra, United States, China, Solomon Islands, Australia, France

Some 165 photographers working on assignment for National Geographic shot more than 2.1 million images in 2023. The feature — published in the magazine's December issue and online in November — contains "stunning photographs that unearth remarkable, rarely seen moments," according to National Geographic. Louie PaluThe training was conducted in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, according to National Geographic. A journey homeThis harrowing photograph by Renan Ozturk — a former National Geographic "Adventurer of the Year" — captures a journey home. Today India celebrates "National Technology Day" annually on May 11 to commemorate the 1998 tests.

Persons: Kiliii Yuyan, Kiliii, Yuyan, Louie Palu, Liam Burke, Alexander Semenov, Renan Ozturk —, Renan Ozturk, Michael —, Nenad Sestan, Max Aguilera, Chinky Shukla, Taj Mohammad, Chinky Shukla Mohammad, Jaime Rojo Organizations: National Geographic, Pictures, Geographic, CNBC, NATO, Yale University, Yale, World Health Organization, India Locations: Rock, Palau, Philippines, Papua New Guinea, U.S, Ukraine, Finland, United States, Sandwich Islands, New Delhi, Rajasthan, India, Pokhran

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