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US and Papua New Guinea poised to sign defense pact as Washington, Beijing vie for influence in the Pacific | CNN

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US and Papua New Guinea poised to sign defense pact as Washington, Beijing vie for influence in the Pacific | CNN




CNN
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The United States and Papua New Guinea are poised to sign a new bilateral defense cooperation agreement – a move that has sparked controversy in the Pacific Island nation and comes as Washington and China jostle for influence in the region.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Papua New Guinea (PNG) Prime Minister James Marape were scheduled to sign the pact and a maritime security agreement during Blinken’s visit to the capital Port Moresby on Sunday and Monday, the US State Department said Thursday.

Advance text of the agreements were not released by either side, but the new defense cooperation was expected to expand US access to military and other facilities in PNG, bolstering Washington’s security ties in the South Pacific.

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That region – a constellation of sparsely populated island and archipelago nations and territories as well as New Zealand and Australia – has outsized strategic significance. The Pacific Islands, for example, were the site of decisive battles during World War Two.

The region has taken on renewed importance for Washington as it seeks to bolster its relationships and presence in Asia amid rising tensions with an assertive China that’s rapidly expanded its naval capabilities in recent years.

Those concerns were heightened last year after Beijing signed a security pact with the Solomon Islands – and tried, but failed, to win support for a sweeping, regional trade and security communique with Pacific Island nations.

Blinken’s visit to PNG comes after US President Joe Biden last week cut short an Asia trip that would have included stops in Port Moresby and Sydney, Australia, due to ongoing debt ceiling negotiations at home.

In a statement Saturday, PNG framed its expected agreement with the US as an opportunity to advance its infrastructure and capacity for national defense at a time of growing global security concerns.

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“Papua New Guinea does not have enemies but it pays to be prepared. Territorial dispute is (imminent), as in the case of Ukraine-Russia,” the statement said.

“This agreement is not about geopolitics but rather recognizes the country’s need to build its defense capabilities because border disputes are inevitable in the future,” it said, adding it did not preclude the government from “working with” other countries, including China.

China has become a significant player in the country’s economy, both as an investor and consumer of its rich natural resources.

The US and PNG militaries already have a cooperative security assistance relationship focused primarily on joint humanitarian exercises and the training of PNG military personnel, according to the State Department.

The signing of the agreement has sparked debate in Papua New Guinea – including over a lack of transparency from the government on what it entailed, while purported leaked drafts circulated online.

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The pact would need Parliament’s approval and could face judicial challenges, experts say.

But its signing would send a significant message to the region.

“PNG signing a defense agreement signals to the rest of the Pacific that its largest nation has chosen the West – Australia and the US – as its security partner,” said Maholopa Laveil, FDC Pacific Fellow at the Lowy Institute, seconded from the University of Papua New Guinea.

The pact, if signed – after Fiji reported ending its police training agreement with China earlier this year – “are major wins, getting the largest Pacific nations on side for the US in its attempts to limit China’s influence in the region,” Laveil said, adding that Marape may “leverage the threat of China” to request more development assistance from the US.

Meanwhile, Australia is preparing to sign its own security treaty with PNG.

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The expected signing of the US deal – especially on the heels of the Solomon Islands’ security pact with China last year – may also raise concerns about lines of alignment being drawn in a region that has long prioritized projecting strength through unity.

“(Signing such pacts) can also create divisions,” said Patrick Kaiku, an academic focused on international relations at the University of Papua New Guinea, noting a perspective among Pacific Island states that they should not take sides in geopolitical rivalries.

“If states are not adhering to it … that can also be a problem for regional solidarity,” he said.

Blinken is expected to meet with leaders of the Pacific Island Forum regional body in Port Moresby on Monday, the forum has said, taking Biden’s place at the gathering.

The cancellation of Biden’s trip – which would have been the first from a sitting US President to Papua New Guinea – has been characterized by some observers as a potential ding to Washington’s recent bid to up its engagement with the region.

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That bid has included opening embassies in the Solomon Islands and Tonga this year, while Biden hosted Pacific Island leaders in Washington for a summit in September and released the first-ever national strategy on engaging the Pacific Islands.

“US President Joe Biden’s now-scrapped visit to PNG was meant to be a culmination of these efforts and send a powerful signal to Pacific Islanders about the US commitment to the region,” said Parker Novak, a non-resident follow at the Atlantic Council think tank in Washington’s Global China Hub.

“Instead, it underlines skepticism about the United States’ ability to follow through on the promises it has made,” Novak said, adding that with Blinken’s visit and other expected diplomacy, it may not do “long-term damage to US efforts in the Pacific.”



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Washington cornerback Elijah Jackson enters transfer portal

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Washington cornerback Elijah Jackson enters transfer portal


The author of one of the most iconic moments in Washington Huskies history is entering the transfer portal.

Cornerback Elijah Jackson, who had the game-winning pass breakup that sent Washington to the national championship last season, announced on his social media that he will search for a new home for his final season of eligibility on Wednesday.

Jackson was passed on the depth chart this season by Arizona transfer Ephesians Prysock and emergent senior Thaddeus Dixon, relegating him to rotational duties on the outside after an injury kept him out for most of spring practice. He played only 152 snaps on defense, with ten tackles and two pass breakups.

His best play of the 2024 season came on special teams against Northwestern when Jackson chased down Wildcats returner Joseph Himon II inside the five-yard line to prevent a kickoff return for a touchdown. The Huskies defense responded with a goal-line stand, preserving critical momentum in what became a 24-5 victory.

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Jackson is the fourth member of the Huskies secondary to enter the portal, joining cornerbacks Darren Barkins and Curley Reed III and safety Tristan Dunn. Dixon is also out of eligibility, leaving Jedd Fisch’s squad with Prysock and a cadre of inexperienced younger players at corner heading into 2025.

Alongside those four, Washington has also seen linebacker Khmori House, edge rushers Maurice Heims and Lance Holtzclaw, running back Cameron Davis, wide receiver Camden Sirmon, offensive lineman Kahlee Tafai, punters Jack McCallister and Adam Saul, and long snapper Caleb Johnston enter the portal.

 





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Report: Wake Forest to hire Washington State coach Jake Dickert

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Report: Wake Forest to hire Washington State coach Jake Dickert


Jake Dickert has been in charge at Washington State since midway through the 2021 season. (Photo by Brian Murphy/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Wake Forest moved quickly to secure its new head coach.

According to the Athletic, the Demon Deacons are hiring Washington State coach Jake Dickert just days after Dave Clawson stepped down. Clawson announced Monday that he was resigning after 11 seasons as the team’s head coach.

Washington State is 23-20 in three-plus seasons under Dickert. He took over midway through the 2021 season after coach Nick Rolovich was fired over a prolonged vaccination fight with the university. The Cougars have posted two winning seasons in Dickert’s three full seasons with the school and were 8-4 in 2024 during their first season in college football’s wilderness.

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Oregon State and Washington State were effectively left without a conference ahead of the season when 10 of the Pac-12’s members found other conferences. Oregon State and Wazzu made up the “conference” portion of their schedules via an alliance with the Mountain West and are spearheading an effort to rebuild the Pac-12 with an assortment of current Mountain West teams.

Washington State lost three straight games to end the season after an 8-1 start in 2024, though the Cougars were one of the more entertaining teams in college football. Washington State scored nearly 37 points per game but gave up over 28 points a contest.

QB John Mateer led college football with 44 total touchdowns, though he too is leaving Washington State. Dickert announced Monday that Mateer would be entering the transfer portal.

Mateer’s decision to transfer comes as Washington State offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle was hired as Oklahoma’s offensive coordinator. The turnover in Pullman may be indicative of Washington State’s tough future ahead at the top level of college football as the Cougars are no longer part of a power conference.

Wake Forest went 4-8 in 2024 for a second consecutive four-win season. The Demon Deacons won 11 games in 2021 but fell to 8-5 in 2022 before going 4-8 in 2023. In 11 seasons at Wake Forest, Clawson’s teams went 67-69 with seven bowl appearances. He came to Wake Forest after five years in charge at Bowling Green. The Falcons were 32-32 in his time there and went to three bowl games.

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Congressman-elect Cleo Fields discusses transition to Washington, D.C.

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Congressman-elect Cleo Fields discusses transition to Washington, D.C.


(KALB) – State Senator Cleo Fields is getting ready to head to Washington, D.C., as a newly elected U.S. congressman. Fields sat down with KALB’s Jay McCully to discuss his plans to represent Louisianans in Congress.

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