Pacific Beat

Papua New Guinea's Western Province Governor has called on the National Government to review logging licences in an effort to stop what he calls illegal and destructive activites by foreign logging companies.

There's been a cooling of relations between the Papua New Guinea Government and the World Bank over a new Forestry Conservation project that was to be launched this week.

The Solomon Islands Development Trust, one of the country's largest NGO's is calling on the public to debate the government's decision to appoint a British officer as the new Police Commissioner.

Whales are taking US President George Bush and Defence Secretary Donald Rumsefeld to court.

Forty Australia-bound asylum seekers who were sent to Papua New Guinea to have their refugee applications processed are being sent to Nauru today.

Cook Islands Environment Minister Norman George says a controversial new national environment bill currently isn't a threat to civil liberties as has been suggested by the opposition.

Papua New Guinea's New Ireland Province is this week hosting the second Shark Callers Festival to be held in the villages of Kontu and Temblin on the west coast of the province.

The British High Commissioner to Solomon Islands has confirmed he's received a formal request from Prime minister Sir Allan Kemakeza to recruit a British officer as the country's next police commissioner.

The United Nations Development Program has set-up a sub-office in Solomon Islands.

This week, UN Secretary General Kofi Annan announced that UN Information Centres in many regions will be closed, merged or restructured.

Travel agents from Norway and Sweden have been in Fiji to experience first hand what the tourism indstry has on offer.

Australia has announced an aid strategy to deal with long term government failure in the South Pacific.

Tonga has denied claims it is still operating its controversial international shipping registry business.

Vanuatu's beef industry has welcomed a decision by a court in New Caledonia to uphold a ruling allowing for freer importation of Vanuatu beef into the territory.

Marshall Islanders have been warned their reefs may fall victim to coral bleaching.

Throughout the Pacific, farmers have developed new varieties of taro, kava and other plants.

Papua New Guinea is preparing for a hefty dose of parliamentary accountability.

The leader of Fiji's Catholic Church says the country has to acknowledge the existence of racism and religious intolerance.

Environment groups in the Pacific region have condemned plans by the French Government to withdraw New Caledonia's application for a World Heritage Listing of its reef system.