Oceania

China and Papua New Guinea held talks on a free-trade deal on June 3, as Beijing's foreign minister wrapped up a landmark tour of the Pacific Islands with a stop in the resource-rich nation.    

Papua New Guinea's Prime Minister James Marape said discussions in the capital Port Moresby had focused on economic cooperation and a long-mooted trade agreement.    

New Zealand will almost completely lift its blockade due to the coronavirus this week, with only the epicenter of the infection in the Auckland country remaining under strict restrictions, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said on Monday.

Geneticists make a surprising find in the DNA of Melanesians

Vucic welcomed Remengesau outside the building of the General Secretariat of the president of the Republic in Belgrade on Monday.

Speaking about bilateral relations with Palau, Vucic noted that an agreement on friendship and cooperation, signed earlier in the day, was a foundation for development of cooperation in various areas.

Silversea has released details about its seven-continent World Cruise 2020. The ultra-luxury cruise line will complete its 62-port itinerary with a selection of events, shore-side excursions and expedition-style experiences.

The ninth edition of Ethnofest returns to the Asty cinema in downtown Athens with more than 40 films from Papua New Guinea, Kashmir, Greece, France and other parts, as well as panel discussions and masterclasses, celebrating diversity and exploring different cultures. The event also includes special sections on the refugee crisis and health.

Islanders on the French Pacific territory of New Caledonia on Sunday rejected independence in a referendum that revealed weaker-than-expected support for Paris in the resource-rich and strategic outpost.

Bulgaria and Vanuatu will establish diplomatic relations - this was agreed in Lomé, Togo, the foreign ministers of the two countries Ekaterina Zaharieva and Ralph Regenvanu, the press center of the MFA announced.

Aid workers in Papua New Guinea say the death toll from last week's 7.5 earthquake has reached at least 67, as the country's remote highlands were again rocked by strong aftershocks, The Guardian writes.

Communication blackouts and blocked roads hampered rescue efforts yesterday as Papua New Guinea struggled to assess the damage from a massive earthquake which has forced oil and gas fields to close in a blow to the economy.