Pacific Beat

In Niue, the country's opposition has lashed out at a multi-million dollar investment offer by a group of South Koreans.

An Austalian defence think-tank says Canberra's policy towards the South Pacific over the past few decades has failed.

The Summit of African, Caribbean and Pacific countries kicked off in Nadi yesterday, amid some controversy over the Fijian Prime Minister Laisenia Qarase's welcoming speech.

And joining us now is our Pacific Correspondent Sean Dorney, who has just returned from Papua New Guinea, where the electoral process is now bogged down in various court cases.

In New Caledonia, the recent decision by the Southern Province to grant prospecting rights to Canadian mining giant INCO, for another nickel site at Prony, South of the main island has triggered widespread opposition.

The Australian National University in Canberra is currently hosting representatives from the Melanesian region to discuss issues of race, religion and gender in today's society.

Traditional leaders from New Caledonia's South have reiterated their concerns about the environmental, social and cultural impact of mining operations on their land.

Papua New Guinea's National AIDS council is raising concerns at employers using compulsory HIV screening tests on their employees.

A Cook Islands artist, Ian George, is using the pre-Christian deity Tangaroa to emphasise the ancient roots of Polynesian artwork.

First to Fiji where the environmentalist cause today managed to snare the spotlight at the opening session of the African, Carribean and Pacific meeting in Nadi.

In the Cook Islands, a team of health specialists has reported a high incidence of non communicable disease among residents of outlying islands, following an extensive tour of the country's north.

In Papua New Guinea, the legal-eagles appear set to take flight in the country's drawn-out search for a new Government.

The association Moururoa E Tatou, "Moruroa and us", representing former nuclear test sites workers in French Polynesia, will hold its first general assembly on July 20 in Tahiti.

In Papua New Guinea, preparations are underway in Bougainville to re-open the lsland's major wharf at Kieta following an agreement between local landowners and the PNG Harbours Board.

Palau's President Tommy Remengesau has called for new legislation to protect the country's marine environment.

Air Pacific has denied media reports that its pilots are no longer allowed to go to the United States for flight simulator training, due to fears about terrorism.

Pohnpei state in the Federated States of Micronesia is hosting officials and traditional leaders from the region for the Micronesia Traditional Leaders meeting which is underway in the State's capital, Kolonia.

An expert on Pacific economies says the Solomon Islands have to address their internal conflicts before the country's economic crisis can be resolved.

Trade issues are set to dominate this year's African Caribbean Pacific Summit, currently underway in the Fiji city of Nadi.