Reports of a large bill for Papua New Guinea taxpayers for around 30 officials traveling to London for King Charles' coronation have sparked an online backlash. Many

media and news sites in the Pacific island nation, which is a member of the Commonwealth, have criticized the cost of travel and suggested the money would have been better spent on hospitals.

However, the governor general's office has denied media reports that the bill was close to US$1 million, stating that it had spent 3 million kina (US$825,000) and only 10 staff members and 10 guests had traveled to London. Despite this clarification, the issue has raised concerns about the allocation of public funds for overseas travel while basic human rights services may be lacking. Photo by eGuide Travel, Wikimedia commons.