Pacific Beat

Voters in the French Pacific territories have to go back to the polls in June for the French legislative elections.

The annual Polynesian canoe festival in Laiahani, Hawaii, will host native canoe makers from North America for the first time this year.

In Papua New Guinea, a group of environmental activists have boarded a cargo vessal in protest against what they regard as illegal logging in the country.

In the Cook Islands, the Cook Islands Party headed by Deputy Prime Minister, Sir Geoffrey Henry, is currently drafting a contract which all Party members will be required to sign.

A group of international protesters at the weekend blocked the export of illegally logged wood from the controversial Kiunga-Aiambak project in Papua New Guinea's Western Province.

The Solomon Islands government is working on a new investment and immigration initiative to attract wealthy foreigners and investors to the country.

A Memorandum of Understanding has been signed by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commisssion and the Fiji Commerce Commission to promote co-operation and co-ordination between the two organisations.

Guam's banking sector is facing a major shake-up this month, following a court decision to overrule local laws which capped the number of branches out-of-state banks could open in the territory.

An outbreak of measles has hit the US Pacific territory of Guam.

Could there be a niche market for Pacific music in Europe? There is a growing audience for what is known as world music but how popular is the Pacific sound? Isabelle Genoux reports.

In Papua New Guinea, the high profile anti-corruption watchdog Transparency Inernational is calling for an urgent review of the country's Leadership Code.

American Samoans want a US Federal Court, and automatic American citizenship for people born in the territory.

The Solomon Islands government is adamant that Taiwanese industrial waste to be dumped in Makira Province is not harzadous, and is determined to go ahead with the project.

Vanuatu's election was held a week ago, but it may be another week until it becomes clear who has won.

In Fiji, public hospital doctors have suspended industrial action over pay claims, following the government's offer of a 12.

More than 7000 thousand school children's education will be affected by the closure of a number of Catholic Schools in the Wau-Bulolo area of Papua New Guinea's Morobe Province after teachers walked out early this week following the murder of a teacher by criminal gangs.

Niue's new Premier says his main priority is getting a direct jet air service to the island from New Zealand.

Conflict and instability in the Pacific often leave communities shattered, under-resourced and with little confidence left in their leaders.

The uncertain future of the South Pacific's shipping industry is set to become a hot topic of debate next week, with an international conference likely to focus on rising costs and collapsing demand.