United States

PACER-Plus promises a trade and economic integration deal between the Pacific island countries and Australia and New Zealand.

It has been under negotiation for eight years.

The Pacific Network Against Globalisation's campaigner, Adam Wolfenden, said the collapse of the TPP presented Australia and New Zealand with a chance to reframe PACER Plus.

USA maintained the lead on the Kiwis throughout the match grabbing their first win, 3 -1. USA kept their perfect start to dominate New Zealand in all facets of play in the first half to take a 2-0 lead into the break.

USA midfielder Ashley Sanchez will not believe her luck in the 3rd minute of the match, when New Zealand defender gifted the ball to her outside the 15 metre mark and she made the Oceania Champions pay by hitting the back of the net.

The three-time champions increased their lead five minutes later through the boot of skipper Mallory Pugh.

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull confirmed the agreement this morning, but did not provide any details on timeframes or the number of people involved.

Speaking in Canberra alongside Immigration Minister Peter Dutton, Turnbull said the deal would only apply to those currently on Nauru and Manus Island.

"There will be American officials from Homeland Security coming to Australia to begin the process in the next few days."

As of October 31, there were 872 people in the processing centre on Manus Island and 390 people in Nauru's centre.

Michael McFaul said the ban was "because of my close affiliation with [President Barack] Obama".

Mr McFaul said he was preparing to visit Russia "to do [Hillary] Clinton transition work" before Donald Trump won the US election.

Russia's foreign ministry confirmed the ban, Russian news agencies reported.

In a public post on Facebook, Mr McFaul said: "Was told that I am on the Kremlin's sanctions list because of my close affiliation with Obama. I will take that as a compliment! The US sanctioned Russians close to Putin.

Last last week, for the first time, frozen albacore tuna was off-loaded at Port Vila's main wharf before being transported to the Chinese-funded fish packing plant at Black Sands.

The Daily Post reports that with the assistance of United States surveillance vessels, the Vanuatu government is committed to having all Vanuatu-flagged fishing vessels unload their catches from the country's Exclusive Economic Zone in Port Vila.

The paper says Bumblebee is in discussion about building a plant in Vanuatu.

Besides the 30 civilians, two US service members were killed in the operation that targeted Taliban leaders planning additional attacks in Kunduz city.

"I deeply regret the loss of innocent lives, regardless of the circumstances," Gen. John W. Nicholson, commander of US forces in Afghanistan, said in a statement Saturday.

"The loss of innocent life is a tragedy and our thoughts are with the families. We will work with our Afghan partners to investigate and determine the facts and we will work with the government of Afghanistan to provide assistance."

Holiday shopping, the city's marathon, and the US voting against the rest of the world at the UN over Washington's Cuba embargo.

On Wednesday, however, the US took the small but significant step of changing its vote to an abstention on the annual UN General Assembly resolution calling for an end to the US economic embargo of the island nation.

Ri's comments came as the US and Asian nations gathered in New York Friday with a fresh reminder of what they consider the gravest threat facing the region: North Korea's announcement this week that it had successfully tested its most powerful rocket engine yet.

The test Tuesday was followed by a US show of force, as the Pentagon on Wednesday flew two B-1B bombers alongside the demilitarized zone separating North and South Korea, setting the the stage for US-South Korea joint military exercises in October that will include a simulated nuclear facility strike.

Announcing the deal along with Boeing at the final trade day of the Singapore Airshow, Air Niugini chairman Sir Frederick Reiher said the carrier needed the planes "urgently".

The airline currently has a domestic service, as well as flights to Australia, Singapore, Fiji, the Philippines, Solomon Islands, Hong Kong, Vanuatu and Japan. It is planning to fly to China in the near future.

Dinesh Keskar, regional senior vice president for sales at Boeing Commercial Airplanes, said the aircraft had its first test flight in late January and was "performing exceptionally well".

Danny Howard, who plays for Sydney club Wentworthville in the NSW Cup, scored three of his side's eight tries in Jacksonville.

It confirmed the Hawks' place at the tournament in Australia and New Zealand following their success at the 2013 World Cup in which they were surprise quarter-finalists before going down 62-0 to the Kangaroos.

Howard and brother Stephen were born in Los Angeles before their family moved back to Canberra when they were young.