Pacific Beat

The relief agency of the Catholic Church in Australia Caritas, has written to both the Australian Prime Minister, and the leader of the opposition to stand by the country's commitments in providing aid and assistance to the region.

Immigration New Zealand is being accused of breaching the rights of overstayers.

After two days of meetings the Group of 77 plus China Panel Eminent persons' meetings has wrapped up.

The official representative of West Papua in Vanuatu, Doctor John Ondawame says gaining membership of the Melanesian Spearhead Group will be on the agenda at the group's summit in New Caledonia next month.

Social media has been identified as an important new way of attracting more foreign investment into Pacific tourism.

The Rio Tinto-owned copper mine on Papua New Guinea's island of Bougainville has the potential to make Bougainville economically self-reliant, according to the Managing Director of the Rio subsidiary which plans to redevelop it.

There'll be an Annular solar eclipse, over many parts of Australia, and the Pacific tomorrow morning, May the tenth.

West Papua could become a member of the Melanesian Spearhead Group as early as next month.

This afternoon Julia Gillard will arrive in Port Moresby for her first visit to Papua New Guinea as Australian Prime Minister.

The deputy leader of the Australian Opposition and Foreign Affairs spokeswoman, Julie Bishop says the Indian Ocean and the Asia Pacific region will be the focus of foreign affairs is there is a change of government in September.

Fiji's interim government and the PNG government are moving closer to a joint military peacekeeping agreement .

Fiji's cabinet has approved defense cooperation between the Fiji Military and the Papua New Guinea Defence Force.

Vanuatu can only consider itself truly independent once it can offer spealised surgical services without relying on overseas donors.

Renewable energy is 'good' and fossil fuels are 'bad'.

Australia's leading medical research organisation, the Burnet Institute is about tp tackle Papua New Guinea's greatest health problem - maternal and child death.

Cancer is the second leading cause of death among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

If you begin to notice a bumper crop of mangos growing in in your part of the Pacific, it could mean cyclone season is just around the corner.

Celebrations are underway in Vanuatu to mark the 25th anniverary of the Melanesian Spearhead Group.

The Oceania Football Confederation is running a course to teach coaches how to teach their skills to up and coming coaches.