June 2009

Australian govt told to help neighbours to stem refugeesAudioTranscript

Updated 30/06/2009 08:20:58

Nearly 200 people from a boat intercepted by the Royal Australian Navy have arrived at Christmas Island off Western Australia's coast, but the government says Australia should expect many more refugees fleeing from wars and unrest across the Asia-Pacific.

Course underway in fisheries surveillance tacticsAudio

Updated 30/06/2009 08:20:59

The Pacific's Forum Fisheries Agency, the FFA, is currently running a course in the monitoring, control and surveillance of illegal fishing in the regions territorial waters.

Mobile radio gives voice to women in FijiAudio

Updated 30/06/2009 08:20:59

A little portable radio station is about to target audiences in Fiji that don't have access to mainstream media.

Officials in Washington to push Guam build-upAudio

Updated 30/06/2009 08:20:59

The governor of Guam is currently in the United States capital, Washington DC, where he's working on preparations for the arrival of the 8,000 marines, family and friends who will shortly descend on Guam when its military build-up begins as Okinawa is wound-down.

Australian swine flu toll rises, vaccine tipped for JulyAudioTranscript

Updated 30/06/2009 08:20:59

As the number of people in Australia with swine flu reaches 4,000 with seven confirmed deaths, Melbourne researchers hope to start clinical trials of a vaccine they've developed as early as next month.

Australia reluctant to back Pacific regional response bodyAudioTranscript

Updated 30/06/2009 08:20:59

Australia's newest defence White Paper promises to continue Australia's role assisting where instability and crisis strike Pacific states, but there may be too few Australian personnel to fulfil the pledge.

US scam hits South Asian, Romanian, Fijian asylum seekersAudioTranscript

Updated 30/06/2009 08:20:59

A major case of immigration fraud involving Asian, Pacific and European asylum seekers has been uncovered in the United States.

Samoa govt faces rough road to left hand driveAudio

Updated 30/06/2009 17:07:22

It's prompted two of the largest street demonstrations seen in Samoa and around 30,000 people have signed a petition against the move.

Whooping cough scourge makes a comeback in AustraliaAudioTranscript

Updated 30/06/2009 17:07:22

As national health authorities around the region focus on containing swine flu, another highly contagious, and potentially fatal disease, has reached epidemic proportions in parts of Australia -- whooping cough.

NZ Pacific Business Council to take advantage of new funding modelAudio

Updated 30/06/2009 17:07:22

The New Zealand Pacific Business Council has put a proposal to the country's government about how effectively implement its new aid focus.

Queensland community embraces Tongan fruit pickersAudio

Updated 30/06/2009 17:07:22

The Pacific islanders in Australia for a pilot seasonal workers trial say they are pioneers in what's a historic arrangement.

Australian growers want reform of Pacific seasonal work schemeAudio

Updated 30/06/2009 17:07:22

The Australian horticultural industry says the Pacific seasonal workers pilot project needs to operate in more Australian communities and place less reliance on labour hire companies.

Fiji PM to address nation on political way forwardAudio

Updated 30/06/2009 17:07:22

Fiji's interim prime minister and coup leader, Frank Bainimarama, will address the nation on Wednesday what he's described as a path to the future.

Soldiers act as deterrent to instability, says RAMSI commanderAudio

Updated 30/06/2009 17:07:22

The commander of the Regional Assistance Mission to Solomon Islands says the military still has an important role to play in ensuring the country's security -- six years after it was first deployed.

Govt to tax Australian expat wagesAudioTranscript

Updated 29/06/2009 07:45:01

The Australian Government is facing another fight over tax changes in its Budget - this time over rules affecting expatriate workers.

Huge problems in Papua New Guinea's street antibioticsAudio

Updated 29/06/2009 07:45:01

Health authorities in Papua New Guinea have raised concern over the sale of medical drugs on the streets in major urban areas in the country.

Multi-drug resistant TB on rise in PacificAudio

Updated 29/06/2009 07:45:01

One of the oldest known infections, Tuberculosis or TB, kills approximately one and half million people globally each year.

Pacific bulk fuel buy going slowlyAudio

Updated 29/06/2009 07:45:01

While the Pacific's bulk fuel buying project has been discussed at regular Pacific Island Form meetings, there are still only a handful of Pacific island countries that have signed-on to the deal.

ASamoan congressman moderates Australia, NZ criticismAudio

Updated 29/06/2009 07:45:01

American Samoa's congressman has qualified his statements criticising Australia and New Zealand over their attitude towards the coup-installed interim government in Fiji.

Antarctic fur seals swimming 10,000kmAudioTranscript

Updated 29/06/2009 17:49:19

For years scientists thought Antarctic fur seals spent their winters gorging themselves on fish.

China's 'Dragon 600' plane will boost surveillanceAudioTranscript

Updated 29/06/2009 17:49:19

China has given the green light to the construction of the world's largest amphibious aircraft.

Former Vanuatu Speaker takes govt to courtAudio

Updated 29/06/2009 17:49:19

Vanuatu's former parliamentary speaker, George Wells, is considering legal action against the government over his removal from the post.

FSM President wants donor help for fibre optic cableAudioTranscript

Updated 29/06/2009 17:49:20

The President of the Federated States of Micronesia has appealled to donors to help him extend a planned fibre-optic communications cable to all states in his far-flung country.

Regional youth festival falls victim to Fiji's emergency lawsAudio

Updated 29/06/2009 17:49:20

The organisers of the Pacific Youth Festival in Fiji have received a list of participants, banned by the interim government from being involved.

PNG police unrepentant over the destruction of squatter settlementAudio

Updated 29/06/2009 17:49:20

Squatters count the cost of the destruction of their settlement in the Papua New Guinea capital, Port Moresby.

Claims Fijian workers in Canada mistreated by employersAudio

Updated 26/06/2009 07:44:27

There have been calls for the Fijian Government to protect its citizens working in foreign countries as recent stories have emerged of Fijian nationals being mistreated have emerged from Canada.

Australian bank to sell Fiji business to PNGAudioTranscript

Updated 26/06/2009 07:44:27

In a two sentence release to the Australian Stock Exchange, Australia's Commonwealth Bank has announced it is in discussions with Papua New Guinea's Bank of South Pacific regarding the sale of its banking and insurance businesses in Fiji.

Bonn meeting galvanises Pacific climate specialistsAudio

Updated 26/06/2009 07:44:27

Climate change, along with fragile economies, rank among the most important issues of concern in the region, which is why a series of talks involving a large contingent from the Pacific has taken place in Bonn, Germany - once again highlighting the importance of the subject to the region.

American Samoan congressman defends Papua stanceAudioTranscript

Updated 26/06/2009 07:44:28

American Samoa's Congressman Faleomavaega Eni Hunkin denies he has performed a backflip over his support for the people of Indonesia's Papuan province.

Former Fiji army chief says military too largeAudioTranscript

Updated 26/06/2009 07:44:28

Around 600 Fijian military and police will take part in a passing out parade later today, but some analysts believe that with a population of about 900,000 that Fiji does not need a large military force.

Australian economic outlook better than regional nationsAudioTranscript

Updated 26/06/2009 07:44:27

Australia's economy will be the best performer of any advanced nation this year, but its recovery will be fragile.

South Auckland Pacific communities suffer from financial crisisTranscript

Updated 26/06/2009 16:49:24

When the Global Financial Crisis struck last year, there were forecasts the island nations of the Pacific, would be insulated from its effect.

French Polynesia rejects nuclear compensationTranscript

Updated 26/06/2009 16:49:24

The courts in French Polynesia have rejected nearly half of the nuclear compensation cases, filed by former workers, and family members of workers at Mururoa Atoll over the 30 years of French nuclear tests.

PNG police demolish squatter campAudio

Updated 26/06/2009 16:49:40

Police in Papua New Guinea are dismantling a squatter settlement in the capital, Port Moresby.

Warning planet faces abrupt, irreversible climatic shiftsAudio

Updated 26/06/2009 16:49:40

Researchers are warning the planet is facing a growing risk of abrupt and irreversible climatic shifts unless carbon emissions are reduced.

Economist says Fiji's wage restraint will harm poorAudio

Updated 25/06/2009 07:56:17

An economist at the University of the South Pacific in Fiji has criticised the Reserved Bank Governor for asking for wage restraint.

Australian farmers still desire Pacific workersAudio

Updated 25/06/2009 07:56:17

The Tongans employed under Australia's Pacific Island Workers Scheme in country Victoria have now been seperated and farmed-off to other states for their seasonal work, so some people are now asking with having to move workers around, is it still a good idea to run a scheme like this?

China's economic push will not unseat Australia, NZAudio

Updated 25/06/2009 07:56:17

Stewart Firth, a long time Pacific analyst and heads the Asia Pacific Centre at the Australian National University in Canberra, believes China's economic push into the region isn't worth nearly as much as Australia and New Zealand's contribution.

Whaling committee meet ends in stalemate, as expectedAudio

Updated 25/06/2009 07:56:17

It seems this years International Whale Commission meeting will end without agreement on a number of issues including next years whale catch quotas.

Still no closure for Fiji nuclear test victimsAudio

Updated 25/06/2009 07:56:17

Fijian servicemen and their families who were affected by British nuclear tests in the fifties and sixties have been fighting for compensation from the British Government, and court ruling on Friday seems to have still brought no conclusion.

Beheading of girl shocks PNG Manam islandersAudio

Updated 25/06/2009 07:56:18

Tensions between Papua New Guinea's Manam islanders and mainland villagers frequently erupt into violence, and last week a three-year-old girl became the latest victim of the ongoing conflict.

Talk of popular-elected presidency in VanuatuAudio

Updated 25/06/2009 07:56:17

There has been considerable political upheaval in Vanuatu in recent weeks with Prime Minister Edward Natapei having survived yet another motion of no confidence in his leadership.

Guns can cause chaos in the Pacific: expertAudio

Updated 25/06/2009 17:16:42

Earlier we heard Ambassador Macedo what he hopes to achieve as Chair of the UN's key small arms reduction process.

Palau President says Uighurs safe from China in his countryAudio

Updated 25/06/2009 17:16:42

Palau's President says fears his country can't provide a safe haven for Guantanamo detainees are unfounded.

PNG children orphaned because of AIDSAudioTranscript

Updated 25/06/2009 17:16:43

Latest figures show about one in eight children in Papua New Guinea is an orphan, and probably one per cent of those are so-called AIDS orphans.

Health workers in Solomons' Western Province on strikeAudio

Updated 25/06/2009 17:16:42

More than 200 nurses and other government employees in Solomon Islands' Western Province have gone on strike.

UN Gun Chief says Pacific has gun problemAudio

Updated 25/06/2009 17:16:42

The United Nations is working to halt the daily toll of one-thousand people around the world killed by small arms.

Vale the last of the Solomon Islands coastwatchersAudio

Updated 24/06/2009 07:44:06

Pacific Beat pays tribute to Martin Clemens who was the last of the coaswatchers in Solomon Islands during World War II and died in June.

NZ television grills Australian foreign ministerAudio

Updated 24/06/2009 07:44:10

In a wide ranging interview on New Zealand television the Australian foreign minister, Stephen Smith, told viewers that both governments are working toward a common border - without Immigrations and Customs processing.

Large quake hits PNG's New Ireland provinceAudio

Updated 24/06/2009 07:44:11

Geraldine Coutts speaks to Stewart Weinstein of the Pacific Warning Centre in Hawaii for more on the 6.8 magnitude earthquake Papua New Guinea's New Ireland province.

New Zealand visa scammer to face courtAudio

Updated 24/06/2009 07:44:11

The New Zealand Maori sovereignty activist, who it's alleged is running a visa scam will be in court in Auckland today, facing fraud charges over his activities.

Peak council threatens to cancel Cook Islands Mini GamesAudio

Updated 24/06/2009 07:44:11

The Pacific Games Council has warned it may withdraw the right for the Cook Islands to host the Pacific Mini Games in September unless it addresses problems in the running of the local organising committee.

Sydney meeting tackles Pacific gun cultureAudio

Updated 24/06/2009 16:56:38

Guns have the potential to create chaos, economic damage and social disruption in the Pacific.

PNG budget stabilisation fund from LNG projectAudioTranscript

Updated 24/06/2009 16:56:38

PNG's ambassador to Australia has said his country might put profits from Exxon Mobil's planned liquefied natural gas project into a budget stabilisation fund.

NZ Maori activist appears in court charged with Visa ScamAudio

Updated 24/06/2009 16:56:38

Relations between Maori and Pacific Islanders in New Zealand have been damaged by an immigration scandal.A Maori activist appeared in an Auckland court today, to face charges relating to selling residency papers to Pacific islanders who've outstayed their visas.

Melbourne-based Pacific islander push for rugby union teamAudio

Updated 24/06/2009 16:56:38

A former Wallabies coach says Melbourne should bid for the next rugby union team made up entirely of players from the Pacific islands.

Tongan seasonal workers in Australia split-upAudio

Updated 24/06/2009 16:56:38

Life continues to change for the pacific island workers who have come to Australia to work in the horticultural industry.

Vanuatu to continue to strenghten it's relationship with ChinaAudio

Updated 24/06/2009 16:56:38

Vanuatu's first Ambassador to China says Vanuatu's traditional partners should not be too worried about China's growing presence in the Pacific.

The issue of Fijian soldiers as UN peacekeepersAudio

Updated 24/06/2009 16:56:38

In late May, the head of UN peacekeeping, Alain Le Roy, held his regular press briefing in New York and broached the subject of Fiji's peacekeepers.

Immigrants drum their anxiety awayAudio

Updated 23/06/2009 07:35:56

Drums have been a communication tool for thousands of years, but now they're being used to help refugees integrate into Australian society.

Campaigners predict whaling meet to achieve nothingAudio

Updated 23/06/2009 07:35:56

The 61st Annual meeting of the International Whaling Commission has now begun in Portugal.

Health authorities criticised as NZ man spread HIVAudioTranscript

Updated 23/06/2009 07:35:56

Dozens of worried New Zealanders contacted an HIV support group over the weekend after police revealed the identity of a man they believe has been intentionally infecting people with the virus.

Fiji womens crisis chief holds PNG workshopAudio

Updated 23/06/2009 07:35:56

Domestic violence in a number of Pacific Islands nations is on the rise, and our guest Shamima Ali has long been an advocate of education programs for men and women to get the message across there are no acceptable excuses for violence.

Honeymoon over for US president in north PacificAudio

Updated 23/06/2009 07:35:56

North Korea and its nuclear ambitions could mark the end of Barack Obama's foreign policy honeymoon.

Guam-US build-up running according to scheduleAudio

Updated 23/06/2009 07:35:56

Over the next six years nearly 25,000 US Marines, soldiers, family members, and civilian Defense Department employees are to descend on Guam.

Education ministry's heavy hand in Fiji teacher registrationAudio

Updated 23/06/2009 07:35:56

While Fiji's teachers will be barred from teaching if they fail to register by August this year, the President of the Fijian Teachers Association Tevita Koroi says there are benefits of having teachers register.

NZ immigration scam caused by desperationAudio

Updated 23/06/2009 07:35:56

A fake visa scam targeting Pacific islanders in New Zealand, run by a Maori sovereignty activist, has been criticised by the head of the country's Tongan community.

Former PNG General says Fiji officers oppose BainimaramaAudio

Updated 23/06/2009 17:10:10

A former commander of Papua New Guinea's defence force says senior Fiji military officers believe interim prime minister Frank Bainimarama is a madman.

Concerns raised over Fiji Police Christian CrusadeAudio

Updated 23/06/2009 17:10:10

Concerns have been raised by some of Fiji's political and religious leaders over the embrace by the Police of an evangelical church crusade.Since the start of the year Police Commissioenr Esala Teleni has been telling police they must take part in a evangelical Christian crusade, being driven by a church which is led by his brother.

Australia and New Zealand working on common borderAudio

Updated 23/06/2009 17:10:10

Australia and New Zealand are working toward a common border without immigrations and customs processing.

Strong stand against Japanese whaling called forAudio

Updated 23/06/2009 17:24:33

The Pew Whales Conservation Project says a number of countries are talking about increasing their annual whale quotas.

Swine flu causing a big worry in the Pacific islandsAudio

Updated 23/06/2009 17:24:23

The 2009 influenza pandemic is causing a lot of concern among communities in the Pacific region.

Tough new laws needed in domestic violence against womenAudio

Updated 22/06/2009 09:19:19

The 5th Pacific Regional Meeting on Violence Against Women wrapped-up earlier this month, with 60 participants from 12 Pacific nations gathering in Fiji for meetings to discuss strategies to prevent gender-based violence.

Climate campaigners visit Cook Islands, Samoa, VanuatuAudio

Updated 22/06/2009 09:19:19

The Cook Islands has welcomed the Greenpeace ship Esperanza, which is launching a month-long tour of the Pacific Islands.

Leading PNG ecologist says Ramu Nickel pipe unsafeAudio

Updated 22/06/2009 09:19:19

Papua New Guinea's Ramu Nickel project is under fire again, this time from one of PNG's leading ecologists.

International Whaling Commission losing cred: PewAudio

Updated 22/06/2009 09:19:19

An international whale conservation group, Pew Whales Conservation Project, believes the International Whaling Commission is on borrowed time if it fails to convince Japan to cease its scientific whale hunt.

Japan's financial hold on Pacific pro-whale votesAudioTranscript

Updated 22/06/2009 09:19:19

The International Whaling Commission's annual meeting begins tomorrow in Portugal, and again pro-whaling nations' arm-twisting for support from Pacific nations will no doubt take place.

Police warn of Solomons war ordinance dangersAudio

Updated 22/06/2009 09:19:20

Solomon Islands' police commissioner has issued a strong warning for people not to handle World War II explosive ordinance.

NKorean missile threat not top news in HawaiiAudio

Updated 22/06/2009 09:19:20

Japan's press is reporting that North Korea may launch a missile within the next month and the target area for the test launch is around 500 kilometres north of Hawaii.

Tongan deaths reveal level of women domestic violenceAudio

Updated 22/06/2009 09:19:15

An organisation which cares for victims of domestic violence says it has taken the murder of four Tongan women to get the community's attention.

Australian aid officials query depth of China's spendAudioTranscript

Updated 22/06/2009 16:19:45

Australian aid officials have questioned impressions that China has boosted aid to Fiji since the December 2006 coup.

PNG's huge LNG project secures customer baseAudioTranscript

Updated 22/06/2009 16:19:45

The huge ExxonMobil-Oil Search Liquid Natural Gas Project in Papua New Guinea has agreed on commercial terms with three major new customers in Asia.

Professor Ron Crocombe diesAudio

Updated 22/06/2009 16:19:45

On Saturday one of the Pacific's longest serving, and most respected academics, Professor Ron Crocombe, passed away in Auckland, aged 79.

Big changes in Pitcairn governmentAudio

Updated 19/06/2009 16:56:11

Big changes in the way Pitcairn Island is governed are not enough to be labelled a new constitution, according to island's British administrator.

Australian and New Zealand Foreign Ministers discuss whales and FijiAudio

Updated 19/06/2009 16:56:11

Australia and New Zealand have launched their latest salvo in the fight to stop Japan killing whales.

Solomons GG-elect on Law Reform workAudio

Updated 19/06/2009 16:56:11

The Chairman of Solomon Islands' Law Reform Commission and Governor General-elect, Frank Kabui says there's still a lot of work to do in reviewing the country's outdated laws.

Pacific Trade Ministers unanimous on PACER says SamoaAudioTranscript

Updated 19/06/2009 16:56:11

Pacific Trade Ministers have given their support to a recommendation to Pacific Forum leaders, that negotiations begin this year, for PACER Plus, the proposed free trade agreement between the Island nations and Australia and New Zealand.

Samoa government urged to help private sectorAudio

Updated 18/06/2009 16:38:31

Samoa's business community says the government is concentrating on raising revenue at the expense of the private sector.

Trade ministers recommend start to PACER Plus negotiationsAudio

Updated 18/06/2009 16:38:31

Pacific Trade Ministers have agreed to recommend to Pacific Island Forum leaders that negotiations for a PACER Plus free trade agreement begin this year.

Smaller island nations look to give support to trade talksAudio

Updated 18/06/2009 16:38:31

As we have heard on Pacific Beat the critics of what's known as PACER PLUS are worried the trade deal could undermine the independence of the nations and cause major economic pain to the less developed countries.

New Zealand concern over fake visasAudio

Updated 18/06/2009 16:38:32

Pacific islanders in New Zealand have been the target of another visa scam, thought to be co-ordinated by a Maori group.

Fiji's lawyers considering giving up practisingAudio

Updated 18/06/2009 16:38:31

Some of Fiji's lawyers are still waiting to hear if they will get their practitioners licences approved.

Conservationists fighting to save PNG tree kangarooAudio

Updated 17/06/2009 16:42:33

For the last seven years Australian environment volunteers Jim and Jean Thomas have been living in the remote mountain village of Lumi in Papua New Guinea, trying to save the Tenkile kangaroo from extinction.

Fij's economy worseningAudio

Updated 17/06/2009 16:42:33

They say they wrested control to ensure stability, but Fiji's military rulers appear to have done the opposite to the island nation's wobbly economy.

Samoa's PM blames opposition party for its expulsionAudioTranscript

Updated 17/06/2009 16:42:33

Samoa's prime minister says the expulsion of nine opposition MPs from parliament is not the government's concern.

ADB says new funding unlikely to assist Pacific nationsAudioTranscript

Updated 17/06/2009 16:42:33

The Asian Development Bank says a new three point four billion dollar fund to help developing member countries will probably not benefit the Pacific region.

Crean optimistic Pacific ministers will agree to PACER Plus talksAudioTranscript

Updated 17/06/2009 16:42:33

Australia's Trade Minister, Simon Crean, has rejected suggestions that decisions made during this week's Pacific Tade Ministers meeting in Samoa may lack legal validity, because Fiji was not invited.

New Caledonia vice-president finally installedAudio

Updated 16/06/2009 16:19:11

Its been more than a month since New Caledonians went to the polls, and earlier this month Philippe Gomes was named as president.

PNG carbon trade chief defends departmental actionsAudio

Updated 16/06/2009 16:19:12

Papua New Guinea's Climate Change Office has been accused of engaging two international brokers to sell carbon credits without landowners consent.

Scrutiny of horror budget stalled by Samoa govt troubleAudio

Updated 16/06/2009 16:19:12

The stand-off in Samoa's Parliament has once again delayed scrutiny of the budget - despite it being handed down in the final week of last May.

Former Samoan MPs removed from parliamentAudio

Updated 16/06/2009 16:19:12

There was a tense standoff in the Samoan Parliament today as nine opposition MPs, stripped of their seats, entered the chamber in defiance of the Speaker's ruling.

Solomons swine flu case still unconfirmedAudio

Updated 16/06/2009 16:19:12

Solomon Islands has yet to confirm if the student who returned home from Australia last week for a holiday has swine flu.

MPs disqualified ahead of Vanuatu no-confidence voteAudio

Updated 16/06/2009 16:19:12

Vanautu's vote of no-confidence will be four MPs short following a court decision to disqualify them from parliament.

Laptop scheme rolls-out to Marshall Islands studentsAudioTranscript

Updated 16/06/2009 16:19:10

The One Laptop Per Child program is gaining momentum in the Pacific, with Marshall Islands the latest nation to adopt the educational scheme.

Hotel group aims to reopen controversial Solomons resortAudio

Updated 15/06/2009 15:50:34

International hotel group Radisson is in negotiations with the Solomon Islands government to redevelop Anuha Island in the Central Province into a four-star resort.

Samoan opposition MPs threaten to ignore banAudio

Updated 15/06/2009 15:50:35

Samoa's opposition Tautua Party MPs are threatening to turn up to Parliament tomorrow despite having been stripped of their seats.

Guantanamo resettlement division in Palauan neighbour CNMIAudio

Updated 15/06/2009 15:50:35

The United States Pacific territories are divided in Palau's decision to accept up to fourteen Guantanamo detainees if so granted by the US.

Port Moresby Family Sexual Violence Unit a successAudio

Updated 15/06/2009 15:50:35

A trial Family Sexual Violence Unit within the constabulary in Papua New Guinea's National Capital District is proving to be a success.

PNG Walk Against Corruption sees large turn-outAudio

Updated 15/06/2009 15:50:35

Transparency International PNG's anti-corruption group has hailed this weekend's Walk Against Corruption a success.

China's Uigurs misunderstood the world overAudio

Updated 15/06/2009 15:50:35

The group of Chinese Uighurs held in Guantanamo Bay since 2001 may have been offered resettlement in Palau, but China continues to demand the return of the detainees.

New Caledonian union drops strike as members face courtAudio

Updated 15/06/2009 15:50:35

Twenty-eight members of New Caledonia's union for Kanak and exploited workers - the USTKE - will appear in court tomorrow charged with causing last month's massive disruption at Noumea's domestic airport.

Solomons faces first highly-suspected swine flu caseAudio

Updated 15/06/2009 15:50:35

Solomon Islands health authorities are worried about a highly-suspected case of swine flu in the country.

Pacific art graces Australian gallery in BundabergAudio

Updated 15/06/2009 15:50:30

The northern Australian state of Queensland is hosting an important exhibition of Pacific art is underway at the Bundaberg Regional Art Gallery.

NZ tops international peace indexAudio

Updated 12/06/2009 16:07:42

Residents of New Zealand have been told they can sleep calmly knowing that their country is the most peaceful on earth.

Enforced holidays in Hawaii to decimate educationAudioTranscript

Updated 12/06/2009 16:07:42

Hawaiian labour unions are gearing up to challenge the Governor's plans to introduce furloughs -- or forced leave without pay - for government employees.

Health dept says Samoa unprepared for swine flu outbreakAudioTranscript

Updated 12/06/2009 16:07:42

WEB EXCLUSIVE: The head of Samoa's health ministry has told Radio Australia that the island nation isn't prepared to deal with an outbreak of swine flu.

Australian students under flu lockdown in SamoaAudio

Updated 12/06/2009 16:07:43

The World Health Organisation says there are now nearly 30,000 confirmed cases of swine-flu across 74 countries.

Former Tongan PM's funeral this weekendAudio

Updated 12/06/2009 16:07:43

The funeral of Tonga's former prime minister, Baron Vaea of Hourma, will be held in the capital Nuku'alofa this Saturday.

Lawyers prepare case for Fiji nuclear test victimsAudio

Updated 12/06/2009 16:07:43

British lawyers acting for Fijian veterans affected by nuclear testing during the fifties and sixties are hoping that the British Ministry of Defence will finally agree to sit down and discuss compensation.

TI PNG's walk against corruptionAudio

Updated 12/06/2009 16:07:38

The PNG chapter of Transparency International says the country is gravely ill with corruption which has become entrenched in the society.

Australia hails close PNG ties after forumAudio

Updated 11/06/2009 16:08:24

The annual Australia-Papua New Guinea Ministerial Forum has wrapped-up in Brisbane - a meeting described by both countries as an opportunity for close regional neighbours to improve on their relationship.

Criminals kidnap PNG cops in failed hold-upAudio

Updated 11/06/2009 16:08:27

Three duty police officers from Mendi Police station in the Southern Highlands province of Papua New Guinea were kidnapped by armed criminals on Monday.

Chief PNG cop says police likely assist kidnappingsAudio

Updated 11/06/2009 16:08:27

Papua New Guinea's top police officer says it's likely that some members of his constabulary are involved in a series of recent kidnappings.

Split in 2010 Tongan democratic electionsAudio

Updated 11/06/2009 16:08:27

Tonga's pro-democracy movement is adamant that the kingdom must stand by its commitment to allow elections under a new system of government - as promised - in 2010.

Niue may look to China, Japan for tourism assistanceAudio

Updated 11/06/2009 16:08:28

Niue's premier is reportedly threatening to turn to countries like China and Japan for help if talks with New Zealand over boosting tourism go nowhere.

Palau defines reason for accepting Guantanamo UigursAudioTranscript

Updated 11/06/2009 16:08:28

Palau's government has accepted a request from the United States to resettle up to 17 Guantanamo Bay detainees - ethnic Uighurs from western China cleared by the US of involvement in terrorist activities.

Australia and Papua New Guinea release logging MOUAudio

Updated 10/06/2009 16:37:11

The details of a memorandum of understanding between Australia and Papua New Guinea's Forestry Ministers, agreed to at Wednesday's Ministerial Forum in Brisbane, was released late on Wednesday.

Greenpeace, PNG landowner calls for ban on harvesting rare timberAudioTranscript

Updated 10/06/2009 16:37:11

A Papua New Guinea environmentalist is in Australia pleading with Canberra to implement its promised ban on an estimated $400,000,000 AU worth of illegal timber imports each year.

Australia PNG Ministerial Forum held in BrisbaneAudio

Updated 10/06/2009 16:37:12

The annual Australia-Papua New Guinea Ministerial Forum was held in Brisbane today.

Expatriate Fijians to expand anti interim government activitiesAudio

Updated 10/06/2009 16:37:11

Australia's Fijian community plans to take its campaign against the military regime to other parts of the world.

Large NZ defence exercise on Cook Islands' PukapukaAudio

Updated 09/06/2009 16:47:14

The 500 inhabitants of one of the remotest atolls in the Pacific have found themselves at the centre of a large New Zealand defence exercise.

Hybrid orchids PNG's new natural exportAudioTranscript

Updated 09/06/2009 16:47:14

Moves are underway in Papua New Guinea to try to capitalise on one of the country's most beautiful natural resources -- its rich diversity of orchids.

Taiwan gives blessing to China-Solomons tourismAudio

Updated 09/06/2009 16:47:14

Solomon Islands, which has diplomatic relations with Taiwan, is trying to attract some of the flood of newly-rich Chinese tourists to the country.

Tuvalu hostages not on international media agendaAudio

Updated 09/06/2009 16:47:14

An Australian academic is so concerned about the lack of news coverage about the seafarers that he helped the local Tuvaluan community draft a press release about the issue.

Tuvalu working to get captured seafarers releasedAudio

Updated 09/06/2009 16:47:15

The Tuvalu government says it is working hard to get eleven of its citizens being held hostage by Somali pirates released unharmed.

Judgement opens door for Australia nuke test compensationAudioTranscript

Updated 09/06/2009 16:47:15

A landmark ruling by the British High Court has opened up the possibility for compensation for thousands of Australian servicemen involved in a series of nuclear tests at Maralinga and the Monte Bello Islands in the in the 1950s.

Fijians to vie for British nuclear test compensationAudioTranscript

Updated 09/06/2009 16:47:15

A group of Fijian servicemen, their families and the offspring of their dead compatriots are a step closer to compensation after they were exposed to nuclear weapons testing in the fifties and sixties.

Australian union renews call for Tongan worker protectionAudio

Updated 09/06/2009 16:47:15

The Australian Workers Union says the conditions under which the Tongan workers are employed are a disgrace, and should be changed to reflect Australian working conditions.

Tongan workers in Australia await next jobsAudio

Updated 09/06/2009 16:47:15

The fifty Tongan workers who came to Australia under the Pacific Seasonal Worker Pilot Scheme have now found themselves with no work.

Adjustment to NZ Pacific Seasonal Labour Scheme damnedAudioTranscript

Updated 09/06/2009 16:47:15

Changes to New Zealand's seasonal work scheme for Pacific Islanders have drawn the ire of the opposition Labour Party, which says they open the door to exploitation.

Police threaten to shut Fiji meet if govt critics appearAudio

Updated 09/06/2009 16:47:15

Three prominent critics of Fiji's interim government - Dr Brij Lal, and lawyers Graeme Leung and Richard Naidu - have pulled-out of a meeting of the country's accountants after police threatened to shut it down.

Vanuatu opposition says it has numbers to topple PMAudio

Updated 09/06/2009 16:47:15

Vanuatu's opposition says it has the numbers to topple the government of Prime Minister Edward Natapei.

Solomons deaf, mute school teaches parents to signAudio

Updated 09/06/2009 16:47:13

The Catholic Church in Solomon Islands is taking the lead in teaching deaf and mute children in the country sign language and life-skills.

Rising temperature turns turtles into femalesAudio

Updated 08/06/2009 15:46:43

Today is World Oceans Day, and it appears turtles have become the latest victims of climate change, with rising temperatures having caused a gender imbalance.

PNG unions brief Australian union congressAudio

Updated 08/06/2009 15:46:43

Papua New Guinea's trade union movement had called on the peak Australian union body to help it make sure PNG's new minimum wage is implemented.

Australian foreign minister guarded about PNG forumAudio

Updated 08/06/2009 15:46:43

Earlier today, Australia's Foreign Minister Stephen Smith held a press conference in Perth to discuss this coming Wednesday's meeting with his Papua New Guinea counterparts in Brisbane.

Australian diplomats continue PNG provincial outreachAudio

Updated 08/06/2009 15:46:43

Leading up to Wednesday's Australia-Papua New Guinea Ministerial Forum, Australia's High Commissioner to PNG says relations between the two countries have excelled in the last 18 months.

Former PM Chaudhry frustrated with Fiji emergency ruleAudioTranscript

Updated 08/06/2009 15:46:43

Fiji's former Prime Minister and interim Finance Minister, Mahendra Chaudhry, has expressed frustration at the emergency laws in place since the Good Friday scrapping of the constitution.

French Pacific elects first dedicated EU repAudio

Updated 08/06/2009 15:46:43

The French Pacific territories have chosen their first ever dedicated representative to the European parliament in Brussels, Maurice Ponga.

Australia's whaling position not negotiable: GarrettAudio

Updated 08/06/2009 15:46:42

The pre-amble to this year's meeting of the International Whaling Commission has begun, with meetings between members of its Scientific Committee continuing through to Friday.

PNG climate watchdog pushes personal carbon tax on staffAudio

Updated 05/06/2009 16:05:58

Papua New Guinea's Office of Climate Change and Environment Sustainability says it's setting an example for the country - and the world - by proposing a personal workplace carbon emission fee.

Tree planting, education aims to save PNG mangrovesAudio

Updated 05/06/2009 16:05:58

To commemorate World Environment Day, environment and conservation groups in Papua New Guinea are embarking on a massive tree planting drive on Friday, sowing thousands of mangrove seedlings.

Fijian-Australians to petition regime-friendly embassiesAudio

Updated 05/06/2009 16:05:58

Fijian citizens living in Australia are now trying to pressure other governments in an attempt to force a return to democratic rule in their homeland.

Colourful protests by Fijians-Australians for democracyAudio

Updated 05/06/2009 16:05:58

Members of Fiji's Australian community gathered in Canberra today to voice their opposition to the events in their homeland.

PNG villagers told to stop search for landslide deadAudio

Updated 05/06/2009 16:05:58

Morobe provincial authorities in Papua New Guinea have told the people of Sialum to stop searching for the bodies of their dead who were buried alive by a landslide on May the 25th.

Union threatens another paralysis of New CaledoniaAudio

Updated 05/06/2009 16:05:58

The union representing Kanak workers in New Caledonia has threatened to bring the French territory to a standstill unless the local airline Air Cal agrees to return to the negotiating table by midnight Friday.

Australian foreign chief pushed for better aid coordinationAudio

Updated 05/06/2009 16:05:58

Leaders in Tonga and Samoa have discussed with Australia's foreign minister the need for better coordination between the many countries that provide aid to the Pacific.

Tonga poll on for 2010, civil servants not convincedAudioTranscript

Updated 05/06/2009 16:05:58

Tonga is still on track to hold elections under a new, more democratic system next year, despite doubts by the Kingdom's main public service union.

Pacific union leader wants five-year pause in trade talksAudio

Updated 04/06/2009 16:10:39

The Pacific's leading trade unionist wants Australia and New Zealand to ease up on their efforts to get Pacific countries to sign up to a regional trade deal.

Currency devaluation begins to bite on Fiji streetsAudio

Updated 04/06/2009 16:10:39

The 20 per cent devaluation of the Fijian currency has started to seriously impact on the price of food and fuel in the country.

Deposed foreign minister pushes for Fiji free trade inclusionAudio

Updated 04/06/2009 16:10:39

A Pacific economic outlook conference in Auckland has been told Fiji can not be left out of any region-wide free trade agreement.

PNG officials dodge blame over hospital power cutAudioTranscript

Updated 04/06/2009 16:10:40

A hospital in Papua New Guinea's Southern Highlands had its power and telephone service cut for over 24 hours last week.

Regional Methodists furious at cancelled Fiji conferenceAudioTranscript

Updated 04/06/2009 16:10:40

Fiji's Interim government has once again denied the Methodist Church permission to hold its annual conference.

Australia foreign minister 'sad' as defence chief resignsAudio

Updated 04/06/2009 16:10:40

Australia's defence minister, Joel Fitzgibbon, has resigned from his post.

Tonga bows to Chinese govt Falun Gong pressureAudio

Updated 04/06/2009 16:10:40

The Tongan Government has been accused of caving-in to Chinese pressure over it's treatment of two Falun Gong members.

Reassigned Tonga guest workers upset local balanceAudioTranscript

Updated 04/06/2009 16:10:35

The use of guest workers from Tonga has caused some conflict in the Australian state of Victoria's Mallee region.

Fiji, economy, Tonga political reform on Smith agendaAudio

Updated 03/06/2009 16:04:05

Australia's Foreign Minister, Stephen Smith, is making his first visit to Tonga and Samoa ahead of the Pacific Island Forum leaders meeting to be held in Cairns in August.

Solomons political row over Australian aidAudioTranscript

Updated 03/06/2009 16:04:05

The Solomon Islands government and opposition have clashed over Australia's bilateral aid assistance to the country.

US says its Pacific influence not waningAudioTranscript

Updated 03/06/2009 16:04:05

What is Washington's view of China's rise in influence throughout the region?

Pacific's man in Washington says US influence on waneAudio

Updated 03/06/2009 16:04:05

American Samoa's Congressman to Washington says Australia and New Zealand are wrong to pressure Fiji into early elections.

Appeal for water after central Vanuatu quakeAudio

Updated 03/06/2009 16:04:06

Up to 2,000 people on the tiny island of Tangoa in central Vanuatu have been left without water after a powerful earthquake destroyed their wells.

Indonesia offers Pacific climate refugees island rentalAudioTranscript

Updated 03/06/2009 16:04:01

Indonesia's Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Ministry is considering renting some of its islands to climate change refugees.

Families pray for kidnapped Tuvalu, Fiji sailorsAudio

Updated 02/06/2009 16:06:57

The families of the dozen Pacific islanders being held by Somali pirates are continuing to pray for their safe return.

ACTU says Pacific workers not paid full entitlementsAudio

Updated 02/06/2009 16:06:57

The Australian Council of Trade Unions says some Pacific islanders who have come to Australia as part of the Rudd government's pilot seasonal work program are not being paid their full entitlements.

Unionists release averts more New Caledonian strifeAudioTranscript

Updated 02/06/2009 16:06:57

Major disruptions across New Caledonia's capital, Noumea, and at its domestic airport have been averted following the release of the president of the union representing Kanak workers from custody.

China trade delegation looks into Fiji investmentsAudio

Updated 02/06/2009 16:06:57

Fiji is looking to China for a greater share of its trade and investment dollars, with its Trade and Investment Bureau hosting 40 Chinese officials and entrepeneurs at a workshop in the Fijian capital, Suva, to consolidate cooperation between the two countries.

Uniting Church condemns ban on Fiji Methodist meetAudioTranscript

Updated 02/06/2009 16:06:58

Fiji's interim government has come under fresh criticism over its decision to ban the Methodist Church annual conference.

Samoan opposition MPs forced to stand in by-electionsAudioTranscript

Updated 02/06/2009 16:06:58

The main opposition Tautua Party in Samoa has had its nine MPs disqualified by the speaker of parliament, and will now have to stand for parliament again in by-elections.

Maori TV taken to task on basic grammatical errorsAudio

Updated 02/06/2009 16:06:53

New Zealand's Maori television station has come under fire for the poor standard of Maori spoken on some of its shows.

Solomons, Fiji, Samoa in grave economic danger: ADBAudioTranscript

Updated 01/06/2009 16:19:34

Economic conditions are deteriorating rapidly in Solomon Islands, and Fiji and Samoa are likely to experience a worse than expected contraction in economic growth.

PNG think-tank suggests plastic recycling better than banAudio

Updated 01/06/2009 16:19:34

A Papua New Guinea think-tank says plastic bags - which contribute to environmental pollution - should be recycled.

Pacific nuke test workers demand equality from FranceAudio

Updated 01/06/2009 16:19:34

Groups representing former workers on French nuclear test sites have rejected the way the French Government says it will deal with compensation claims.

Pacific NGOs want PACER Plus negotiations slowedAudioTranscript

Updated 01/06/2009 16:19:34

A public meeting in Sydney has been told that Pacific unions, churches and civil society groups want the start of negotiations for a PACER Plus free trade agreement with Australia and New Zealand to be delayed until at least 2013.

Calls for Pacific-centric terror policiesAudio

Updated 01/06/2009 16:19:35

A United Nations workshop on counter terrorism in Fiji wants Pacific governments to strengthen its policies on anti-terrorism.

Union pledges further New Caledonian protestsAudioTranscript

Updated 01/06/2009 16:19:35

A long-running dispute between a New Caledonian trade union and airline continues as the union announces larger protests.

Govt says no delay for Tonga's 2010 democracy reformAudioTranscript

Updated 01/06/2009 16:19:35

Elections for a new, more representative parliament in Tonga are still on track to happen next year after some confusion over the translation of the Tongan King's parliamentary speech.

Hoteliers say no place for swine flu infectedAudio

Updated 01/06/2009 16:19:33

While the travel industry is coming to terms with the spread of swine flu on cruise ships, it's emerged that a New Zealand couple were removed from Sydney hotel after testing positive to the virus.