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Catholics across the world are pausing to remember the life of Pope Francis. And the pontiff's death is being keenly felt in the Asia-Pacific region, where he leaves a significant legacy.
A man with white religious clothes sits smiling with colourful feathers on his head

A video showing the slaughter of hundreds of dolphins in Solomon Islands has gone viral on social media, sparking heated debate in Solomon Islands and the broader Pacific about the ancient practice.
More than a thousand dolphins can be killed in annual hunts in Solomon Islands

Timor-Leste's President Jose Ramos Horta has said his country's forces could join with China's as long as the activity is "not directed at any perceived hostile entity". 
Ramos Horta Timor leste reuters

analysis

After news of Russia wanting access to an Indonesian air base, the obvious question is, what would it gain?
Indonesian and Russian officials walk side by side towards the camera in Jakarta.

Residents on the Pacific island of Tuvalu have previously withdrawn cash from banks on payday, with long queues ensuing at bank branches.
Four men stand behind a table as three men cut a large brown chocolate cake standing in front of an ATM

Papua New Guinea's foreign minister says he personally hopes Labor wins the Australian election, stating the incumbent government had done "a tremendous job" of rebuilding relationships in the Pacific.
A man in a black blazer sits before a microphone

A billion-dollar bet on nickel mining gave many New Caledonians hopes of economic prosperity and political independence. But after the market turned, the mine has left behind a ghost town full of broken hearts.
A photo of the Nickel factory sitting by the coast under blue skies.

The deadly Myanmar earthquake last week was the biggest among a number of smaller quakes that rocked the region.
A still-standing Buddha statue appears to survey the debris beneath and surrounding him after the earthquake in Myanmar.

The president of Palau has taken a thinly veiled swipe at Peter Dutton's decade-old quip about climate change, saying rising sea levels are not a "punchline" for the Pacific.
The president of Palau stands behind a lectern at UN headquarters.

New Zealand is not exactly known as a major military power, but it plans to nearly double its defence spending. What is driving this strategic shift and what are the implications for the region?
A helicopter suspended in mid-air, its chopper blades blurred as they rotate.

Beijing says Donald Trump's tariffs will increase the divide between rich and poor nations, as countries across the region grapple with what to do next.
A man in a royal blue suit, white shirt and light blue tie sits in a room with red carpet looking toward something out of frame

A New Zealand military inquiry has found a lack of training and experience were among factors that led to the sinking of a navy vessel off the coast of Samoa.
Aerial view of the outline of a submerged boat, with a small boat moving over it on the water's surface.

The Nationals leader says the Coalition would work with Pacific countries to "understand their power" with regard to China.
A row of flags representing countries in the Pacific Islands against a blue sky.

A magnitude-6.9 earthquake has struck off Papua New Guinea's coast on Saturday morning.   
A map showing an earthquake epicentre and concentric circles off the coast of Papua New Guinea.

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