Papua New Guinea

The boys, Tom and Sawong, were born two months ago in remote PNG.

Since 2022, twelve sitting MPs and provincial governors have died while still in office - almost a tenth of the total 118 seats.

However, MPs say "record budgets" are failing to translate into basic services on the ground.

It comes as Australia, PNG and Indonesia prepare to hold trilateral meetings to help assuage Jakarta's concerns over a landmark defence treaty inked by Australia and PNG in October.

Analysis - As Papua New Guinea's population has grown and climate pressures intensified, the nation's infrastructure has struggled to keep pace, writes Scott Waide.

The shift toward digital systems is also emerging as a central pillar in the country's effort to curb corruption, writes Scott Waide.

The K$30.9 billion spending plan, unveiled earlier this week, has been characterised by analysts as highly political and aligned with next year's election cycle.

The 2026 Budget totals K30.9 billion (approximately NZ$12.4 million) in expenditure, up from K28.3b this year, framed as a continuation of the country's long-term repair plan.

Warning: This story contains detailed descriptions of violence and sexual assault that may be distressing to some readers.

The parents of six-week-old Tom and Sawong are desperate for their boys to be surgically separated, despite previous medical advice against it.

Tears streamed down the faces of evacuees as the provincial government team and police loaded them into buses.