Pope Leo XIV chosen as new leader of Catholic Church
Focusing on the Pacific region, the show features interviews with leaders, newsmakers, and people who make the Pacific beat. Tune in each morning and afternoon on ABC Radio Australia to keep-up-to-date on the happenings in the Pacific.
New Caledonia's giant geckos are the latest sensation in the global pet trade but conservationists warn their social media-fuelled popularity is putting the endangered species at risk.
A human rights advocate describes new amendments to Vanuatu's constitution defining only males and females as childish.
Since its inception in 2020 Tonga's national airline has been at the centre of controversies with alleged mismanagement and ongoing financial issues.
Landowner and member of parliament for the Ioro constituency where the Panguna mines are located, Theonila Roka Matbob says Rio Tinto provided no clear commitments in their most recent AGM.
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ABC News
17 hours ago
- ABC News
Coalition sticks to defence spending pledge but won't say how it'll pay for it
The Coalition remains committed to lifting defence spending to 3 per cent of GDP but won't detail where the money will come from, as the shadow finance minister suggested the opposition would be open to considering broader tax reform. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is expected to meet with Donald Trump on the sidelines of G7 summit next week, amid pressure from the United States to increase defence spending from the current level of 2.04 per cent to to 3.5. Trade Minister Don Farrell on Sunday said the government was committed to a "significant uplift in the amount of defence spending". "We're focused on what Australia needs to do and we'll make our decisions based on what's in our national interest," he told Sky News. The Coalition went to the election promising to earmark an additional $21 billion for the military between now and 2030, almost double what Labor had pledged. Appearing on Insiders on Sunday, Shadow Finance Minister James Paterson said the Coalition's target of 3 per cent of GDP in a decade had not changed since the party's devastating election loss last month. "The exact profiling of that increase is something that we'll determine through the policy process and closer to the next election. We'll be completely up front and transparent about that," he said. "But yes, we have an objective of reaching the 3 per cent of GDP because we think it is in our national interest." Senator Paterson said the Coalition had three years to outline where that additional funding would go, but listed some potential areas for investment as recruitment and retention, a munitions stockpile, northern military bases, air and missile defence and drones. "There is no shortage of good things we could spend on that would increase our ability to defend ourselves and safeguard our sovereignty," he said. But he would not be drawn on where the money to pay for the increase would come from, saying that work would occur over the coming years. Senator Paterson did suggest the opposition was open to a discussion about the way superannuation is taxed, despite its rejection of the government's plan to double the tax on super balances above $3 million from 15 to 30 per cent. "We're happy to contemplate tax reform. We're happy to talk to the government about tax reform. But we are not interested in increasing taxes, because I don't think that that is what the Australian economy needs right now," he said. "If the government was genuinely serious about a broad-based tax reform process, then we'd be up for that conversation. Now, the government has to take the first steps there." US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth asked Defence Minister Richard Marles to increase spending to 3.5 per cent of GDP "as soon as possible" on the sidelines of a dialogue in Singapore this week, according to a statement from the US Department of Defense. Mr Hegseth had previously made similar requests, but it was the first time the administration nominated an exact figure. Negotiations with the United States over Mr Trump's 10 per cent tariffs on Australian exports continue, with the subject likely to dominate the anticipated meeting between Mr Albanese and Mr Trump. Access to Australia's critical minerals has been put forward as a potential bargaining chip as Australia continues to push for an exemption. The Coalition had previously said they would oppose Labor's plan to acquire stockpiles of critical minerals from commercial projects, to be held in a national reserve and made available to domestic industry and international partners. But Senator Paterson told Insiders it "might be necessary" for the government to support the mining and processing of critical minerals. "We're very happy to see what the government is proposing here. I can't commit to it in principle without having seen the details, but we're certainly open to it," Senator Paterson said. "Any sensible steps that represent an economic opportunity for Australia and an opportunity for us to demonstrate that we are a good alliance partner of the United States is something that we would offer bipartisan support to." Mr Farrell said Australia had offered the United States "an expanded arrangement in regards to critical minerals" as part of efforts to secure an exemption from the tariffs, which came into force in April. The trade minister met with his American counterpart, trade representative Jamieson Greer, in Paris last week, where he said he made clear that Australia wanted "all of the tariffs removed, not just some of them". "The position I put to Jamieson Greer is that the tariffs the United States has imposed on Australia are unjustified."
ABC News
2 days ago
- ABC News
Vanuatu considers revoking Andrew Tate's citizenship
On the program this week: Vanuatu's government is considering revoking a passport it granted to Andrew Tate, the high-profile misogynist influencer. Papua New Guinea's peak anti-corruption body is on the brink of implosion, senior staff say, as its three commissioners, who hail from Australia and New Zealand, level criminal allegations at each other. As Pacific Island nations defend themselves from rising sea levels, many are turning to the age-old practice of seawalls, but is it the best solution? The region is struggling to find a balance between profiting from kava and the cultural implications of its widespread popularity. Papua New Guinea is well known for its wildlife, and the discovery of a three-foot-long rat with sharp razor teeth and woolly fur is attracting global attention. Once dismissed as a novelty, the Pacific fashion scene now demands to be seen and taken seriously.
ABC News
3 days ago
- ABC News
Visa refusal sparks fresh concerns Solomon Islands may block Taipei from Pacific forum
The Solomon Islands government blocked a group of Taiwanese officials from entering the Pacific country earlier this year, stirring fresh concerns in Taipei that it might be locked out of a key regional meeting in Honiara later this year. Solomon Islands will host the Pacific Islands Forum leaders meeting in September, and signalled last year that it might break with a long running precedent and refuse visas to Taiwanese officials who want to meet with their three remaining Pacific diplomatic allies on the sidelines. Both Australian and Pacific officials insist that the Solomon Islands government has given them private assurances this year that it will not take that step. But the ABC has been told that when a small group of officials from Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs applied to enter Solomon Islands in March — largely to begin planning the logistics for its PIF delegation — their visa applications were rejected. Australian government sources have said Solomon Islands has since reassured them again that Taiwan's representatives will not be blocked in September, but that this directive was still "working its way through the system", suggesting the decision was an error. A spokesperson from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) told the ABC it was "working closely" with Solomon Islands on preparations for the leaders meeting, "as we do with every host". "There has been no change to arrangements regarding Taiwan's engagement with the Pacific Islands Forum, which have been in place since agreed by leaders in 1992," they said. "The (meeting) is an opportunity for all Forum members to come together to ensure our region is well placed to pursue our shared interests, deepen regional cooperation and strengthen PIF unity." One Pacific island government source also told the ABC that the Forum Secretariat and Pacific leaders were confident Taiwan would be able to participate in the Honiara meeting without any issues. But the March incident has still stirred anxiety in Taipei, which has been fighting a losing battle with Beijing to maintain diplomatic allies in the Pacific, and which fears China is succeeding in its efforts to marginalise it in the region. Solomon Islands has cut off all official contact with Taiwan in the wake of its decision to switch diplomatic ties to Beijing in 2019, and last year threw its weight behind China's declaration that it will "reunify" the self-ruled island with the mainland. Solomon Islands last year also backed Beijing's push to strip Taiwan of its status as a development partner for the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF). That frustrated leaders from the three Pacific nations which retain diplomatic ties with Taiwan, with Palau's President Surangel Whipps even warning that if Taiwan is locked out it could ignite a dispute like the "PIF split" which plunged the organisation into chaos in 2021. Mr Whipps said earlier this week that he had heard Taiwan was having "some difficulty gaining access" to the meeting, and stressed that it was critical Palau be able to hold meetings with its diplomatic partner in Honiara. Solomon Islands has not yet explained why the Taiwanese officials were refused visas in March. The Director of Immigration in Solomon Islands, Chris Akosawa, pointed out that Solomon Islands has recently tightened entry restrictions on Taiwan passport holders, but referred the ABC to the Solomon Islands Foreign Ministry for comment. The ABC sent questions to the Foreign Ministry, but didn't receive a response. So far, Solomon Islands has not given any public assurances that Taiwan will be able to attend the leaders meeting. In May, Solomon Islands Prime Minister Jeremiah Manele issued a forceful statement reaffirming his government's commitment to the One China Policy and ordering officials "not to engage in any official capacity with representatives or entities associated with 'Taiwan', China". "This includes official visits, communications, commitments, or participation in events involving 'Taiwan', China," he said. On Monday Mr Manele also declined to say whether his government had made a final decision on Taiwan's participation, although he said he was "working very closely with the Forum Secretariat in terms of these arrangements". "We are fully aware of that situation. So we are looking into that, it's a regional meeting and of course countries also have their national interest as well," he said. A second Pacific island government source said Mr Manele's acknowledgement that the PIF leaders meeting is a "regional" gathering was a good sign that "commonsense would prevail" and that Solomon Islands wouldn't upset the status quo. Invitations to PIF leaders and dialogue partners are expected to be issued shortly. Analysts warn that if Taiwan is excluded it would undermine the authority of the PIF Secretariat and set a dangerous precedent which could undermine Pacific unity and see further splintering — particularly with Palau due to host the leaders meeting next year. A third Pacific government source said it also was not clear if the United States would attend the meeting as a dialogue partner if Taiwan was excluded. A spokesperson for Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs declined to comment on its officials being denied entry but pointed to a 1992 communique endorsed by all PIF leaders which specifically says Taiwan should be able to hold a meeting with Pacific nations "at the same venue as the Forum". "Taiwan will continue to broaden collaboration with the PIF, diplomatic allies in the Pacific, and other like-minded countries, especially in such areas as climate change, food security, clean energy, and talent cultivation, jointly making contributions to the peace, stability, development, and prosperity of the Pacific region." Blake Johnson from the Australian Strategic Policy Institute said while it wasn't yet clear what Solomon Islands would do, it "may be more willing to upset the status quo than people expect". He also said excluding Taiwan from the meeting "certainly could cause fractures within the PIF". "Without the PIF and other regional institutions functioning properly, some Pacific nations will find it more difficult to access support from and participate in valuable initiatives from policing to climate change adaptation funding."
