April 2010

PNG woman with AIDS urging those with disease to take medicationAudioTranscript

Updated 30/04/2010 08:21:43

A woman living with Aids in Papua New Guinea has appealed to others living with the disease that they must continue to take anti-retroviral drugs.

Swimmer hoping to break Tahiti to Moorea recordAudio

Updated 30/04/2010 08:21:43

A fast ferry will get you from the French Polynesian island of Tahiti to Moorea in about 30 minutes.

Pacific cultures to be on display in ChinaAudio

Updated 30/04/2010 08:21:43

The Chairman of the South Pacific Tourism Organisation says the region's cultures will be showcased during the World Expo which will open on Saturday Shanghai, China.

New Caledonia records 70% increase in bushfiresAudio

Updated 30/04/2010 08:21:43

The French High Commission in New Caledonia says the number of bush fires recorded in the territory this season is particularly worrying.

Second Vision Pasifika Media Award recognising environment journalistsAudio

Updated 30/04/2010 08:21:43

The Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) has commended four Pacific reporters for raising awareness of environmental issues.

Film shows contribution citizens are making to fight climate changeAudioTranscript

Updated 30/04/2010 08:21:43

A movie outlining the way ordinary people are working hard to offset the worst of climate change has been shown at the New York Tribeca film festival.

Australian tourists tell of PNG jail ordealAudio

Updated 30/04/2010 08:21:43

Four Australian tourists who spent several nights in a Papua New Guinean jail for drug possession have returned home.

Tongan government regrets resignation of attorney-generalAudio

Updated 30/04/2010 16:12:25

The Tongan government says it regrets John Cauchi's resignation as attorney-general.

Pacific Trade ministers move on PACER PlusAudio

Updated 30/04/2010 16:12:31

Pacific Trade Ministers have set a timetable for new negotiations on the proposed PACER Plus free trade agreement and endorsed new measures to boost trade, investment and economic growth.

Pacific nations prepare for Shanghai Expo openingAudio

Updated 30/04/2010 16:12:31

The Director of the Pacific pavillion at Shanghai's World Expo, says the region will be well represented at the six month long event.

Legal expert says Tonga not like Fiji yetAudioTranscript

Updated 30/04/2010 16:12:31

John Cauchi's resignation as attorney-general in Tonga is a disappointing development for the rule of law, according to a prominent constitutional law expert.

Democracy leader describes Tonga as a dictatorshipAudio

Updated 30/04/2010 16:12:31

The leader of Tonga's pro-democracy movement, Akilisi Pohiva, says John Cauchi's resignation as attorney general raises significant questions about the independence of the judiciary.

Tonga's attorney-general quits over government interferenceAudioTranscript

Updated 30/04/2010 16:12:31

Tonga's attorney-general has quit in protest at what he says is government interference in the country's legal system.

Pacific Climate change issues highlighted in USAudio

Updated 30/04/2010 16:12:25

The Coordinator for Pacific the Pacific Wave Media Network, Ulamila Kurai Wragg has just returned from the United States where's she's been highlighting the human face to climate change in the Pacific islands.

Education: PNG Highlands kids get new concept "double classroom"Audio

Updated 29/04/2010 07:32:50

In Papua New Guinea the Digicel Foundation is helping to build schools.

Solomons trade unions threaten nationwide strikeAudio

Updated 29/04/2010 07:32:50

Trade unions in both the public and private sectors in Solomon Islands are considering staging a nationwide general strike.

Tuvalu disappointed at Australian carbon scheme delayAudio

Updated 29/04/2010 07:32:50

Tuvalu says it's disappointed at Australia delaying plans for a carbon trading scheme to fight global warming and sea level rise.

Australia delays emissions trading lawsAudio

Updated 29/04/2010 07:32:50

Australia's Government is being accused of going against the spirit of the Copenhagen climate accord, with its decision to delay emissions trading legislation until late 2012.

New Caledonia nickel plant spill probed as launch again delayedAudio

Updated 29/04/2010 07:32:50

In New Caledonia, Vale Inco's Goro nickel processing project has suffered yet another setback.

Remaining American Samoa High School sport events for year cancelledAudioTranscript

Updated 29/04/2010 07:32:50

A row at a boy's soccer match in American Samoa has pushed the Department of Education to cancel all high school sporting events for the rest of the school year.

Nauru's parliament in deadlockAudioTranscript

Updated 29/04/2010 07:32:51

Nauru's parliament remains in a deadlock with neither side looking like conceding ground after the weekend's snap election.

Pacific Wings to start Australia-Noumea flightsAudio

Updated 29/04/2010 17:00:21

New Caledonia's second airline is about to commence operations between the French territory and Australia.

Cairns trade links with PNG in educationAudioTranscript

Updated 29/04/2010 17:00:21

With the mining and gas boom in Papua New Guinea starting to get up a head of steam, there is new interest in PNG from companies based in the Australian-city of Cairns.

Transparency Solomons criticises Taiwan slush fundAudioTranscript

Updated 29/04/2010 17:00:21

The Transparency International chapter in Solomon Islands has expressed disbelief at the one-point-two million US dollar pay-out to members of parliament by the Taiwanese government.

PNG Act Now anti-corruption networkAudio

Updated 29/04/2010 17:00:14

In just two weeks, a new anti corruption organisation in Papua New Guinea, ACT NOW PNG has signed up over nine hundred members on its website and social networks Facebook and Twitter.

Hundreds walk the Kokoda trail in PNGAudio

Updated 28/04/2010 09:43:23

The ABC's PNG correspondent Liam Fox was one of hundreds of people who walked the Kokoda trail for Anzac Day.

Australia's plan to cut greenhouse gas emissions frozenAudioTranscript

Updated 28/04/2010 09:43:23

The planet may be warming, but Australia's plan to cut greenhouse gas emissions has been put in the freezer.

Closure of a large area of Pacific Ocean to tuna net fishers plannedAudio

Updated 28/04/2010 09:43:24

Pacific Island countries who are parties to the Nauru Agreement want to close a large area of the Pacific ocean to fishing fleets using nets to catch tuna.

Vanuatu women to march against violence.Audio

Updated 28/04/2010 09:43:24

A women's group in Vanuatu says women no longer feel safe in the capital Port Vila.

Concern about possible racial tensions in Marshall IslandsAudio

Updated 28/04/2010 09:43:24

In Marshall Islands two businessmen of Chinese origin are to stand trial for the attempted murder and assault of an off duty police officer.

Adult obesity a big concern in the PacificAudio

Updated 28/04/2010 09:43:23

Some of the highest levels of adult obesity in the world are found in the Pacific.

Pacific Flier Airline begins operationAudioTranscript

Updated 28/04/2010 16:46:18

A new airline has begun operations in the Pacific.

PNG Ombudsman Commission powers controversyAudioTranscript

Updated 28/04/2010 16:46:18

The Chairman of Papua New Guinea's Parliamentary Committee on the Ombudsman Commission says the commission will not lose its powers due to several constitutional amendments.

Australia's Trade Minister wants progress on PACER PlusAudioTranscript

Updated 28/04/2010 16:46:18

Australia's Trade Minister, Simon Crean, says he hopes this week's meeting of Pacific Island Forum Trade Ministers will be able to map out the issues that need to be addressed by the proposed PACER plus trade agreement.

Tonga's electoral voting system explainedAudio

Updated 28/04/2010 16:46:17

Tonga's Parliament has opted for a voting system which gives extra weight to people who live in the more sparsely populated out islands.

PNA plan to shut out purse seining fishing boatsAudio

Updated 27/04/2010 07:40:33

Greenpeace says a decision by eight Pacific island countries to try to shut down a large area of the Pacific ocean to fishing fleets using nets to catch tuna is "historic".

Guam: silence on the military buildup "neccessary"AudioTranscript

Updated 27/04/2010 07:40:33

A Senator in the Guam Legislature, Judi Guthertz has raised concerns about the Department of Defence's silence on the relocation of US marines from Okinawa in Japan to Guam.

Australian farmers defend Pacific Workers schemeAudio

Updated 27/04/2010 07:40:33

The National Farmers' Federation has come out to defend Australia's Pacific Seasonal Workers Pilot Scheme.

Five ex-servicemen hospitalised after ANZAC day crashAudioTranscript

Updated 27/04/2010 07:40:33

Here in Australia police mechanics are testing an old military truck that crashed into elderly returned soldiers during Sunday's Anzac Day Parade in Melbourne.

WW2 veteran contributing the art of sculpture to PNGAudio

Updated 27/04/2010 07:40:33

Australia's diggers left their mark on Papua New Guinea during the battles of World War two.

French Polynesia could recover from BBB- credit ratingAudioTranscript

Updated 27/04/2010 07:40:33

The international credit ratings firm, Standard and Poors, says its not too late for French Polynesia to secure a stable credit rating.

Think tank wants Australia to take more Pacific migrantsAudioTranscript

Updated 27/04/2010 16:58:13

A Pacific regional think tank wants Australia to look at allowing a freer flow of migrants into Australia from the neighbouring Melanesian countries.

Nauru political stalemate explained by Parliamentary lawyerAudioTranscript

Updated 27/04/2010 16:49:42

The Constitutional adviser to the Nauru government says it could take a long time before the political stalemate on the island is resolved.

First meeting of Nauru Parliament lasts just minutesAudio

Updated 27/04/2010 16:49:42

The first meeting of Nauru's Nineteenth Parliament has lasted just a few minutes this morning.

Nauru looking to recruit Pacific Island doctorsAudio

Updated 27/04/2010 16:49:42

Nauru has begun placing ads in Pacific Island newspaper looking for medical professionals.

Hundreds walk the Kokoda Trail in PNGAudio

Updated 26/04/2010 08:13:24

Hundreds of people have followed in the footsteps of World War Two diggers by walking the Kokoda trail for Anzac Day.

PNG school students to mark World Malaria DayAudio

Updated 26/04/2010 08:13:24

In Papua New Guinea today school children, local communities,and national and international health organisations are gathering in PNG's Sandaun Province to mark World Malaria Day.

Vanuatu and Solomon Islands reduces malaria by halfAudioTranscript

Updated 26/04/2010 08:13:24

The so called "Melanesian Malaria Belt" of Vanuatu, Solomon Islands and Papua New Guinea has some of the highest number of malaria cases per capita in the world.

New Zealand refuses to back new whaling proposalAudio

Updated 26/04/2010 08:13:24

Environment groups say the International Whaling Commission's proposal to allow some whales to be killed is a return to commercial whaling.

Preliminary results suggest no change in government for NauruAudioTranscript

Updated 26/04/2010 08:13:24

Preliminary results from Nauru's weekend election are suggesting there has been no change in government.

Oceania represented at international sports conferenceAudio

Updated 26/04/2010 08:13:24

Plans to develop an International framework for the education of sports coaches have been discussed at a seminar in London.

Australian historians challenge Anzac legendAudioTranscript

Updated 26/04/2010 15:59:59

To mark the occasion of ANZAC Day, a controversial new book has challenged the sensitive mythology surrounding the Anzac spirit.

Tongan electoral boundaries mean widely scattered seatsAudio

Updated 26/04/2010 15:59:59

Some of Tonga's new electoral boundaries for the upcoming elections in November will see some electorates scattered widely around the archipelago.

Guam concerned about unreported cases of mumpsAudio

Updated 26/04/2010 16:00:00

Guam is dealing with a serious outbreak of mumps.

Sovereign wealth fund good for PNG if managed well.Audio

Updated 26/04/2010 16:00:00

How to save the windfall profits from the huge ExxonMobil LNG project for future generations, has been a hot topic in Papua New Guinea.The PNG government will receive hundreds of millions of dollars each year from its stake in the project and business and community groups are keen to see that the money is not wasted.

Nauru election could return Marcus Stephem governmentAudio

Updated 26/04/2010 16:00:00

Voters in Nauru have returned the same politicians to Parliament after a national poll on Saturday.

WHO says food security is a major issue for PacificAudio

Updated 23/04/2010 08:31:41

Climate change, rising fuel prices and transport costs are pushing fresh food beyond the means of many Pacific Island communities.

Termites destroy 90 houses in FijiAudio

Updated 23/04/2010 08:31:41

A new destructive species of termite from South East Asia has been discovered in Fiji's western division.

New Zealand update: kiwi breeding, wool research and starving sheepAudio

Updated 23/04/2010 08:31:41

A New Zealand initiative to breed kiwis has produced a record number of the native bird.

Eleven Pacific countries still to submit reports on protecting biodiversitAudio

Updated 23/04/2010 08:31:41

Pacific Island countries have met in Samoa for a workshop to assist them in completing their fourth National Reports to the Convention of Biological Diversity.

New Caledonians alerted to Vale Inco's international recordAudio

Updated 23/04/2010 08:31:41

About 150 representatives from across the world have come together to share concerns about the business practices of the Brazilian nickel mining giant, Vale Inco.

Fiji poverty could be as high as 60 per centAudioTranscript

Updated 23/04/2010 08:31:41

Fiji's Council of Social Services says that the level of poverty in Fiji could be as high as 60 per cent.

New Caledonian crows show ability to use toolsAudio

Updated 23/04/2010 08:31:40

Scientists from New Zealand's University of Auckland have found that some birds are able to use three tools in succession to extract food from difficult places.

Nauru prepares for elections tomorrowAudioTranscript

Updated 23/04/2010 16:47:55

Tomorrow (SATURDAY) the people of Nauru will vote on the people they want as part of a new government.

Solomon Islands coalition government split upAudioTranscript

Updated 23/04/2010 16:47:55

A senior regional political commentator says he does not see the parties that form the coalition government in Solomon Islands contesting the upcoming general elections as one group.

PNG 18 bus passengers deadAudio

Updated 23/04/2010 16:47:55

18 people have died in a tragic road accident in the Papua New Guinea highlands this week, when a public motor vehicle they were travelling in ran off a cliff.

ANZAC Day to be marked around the PacificAudio

Updated 23/04/2010 16:47:55

Sunday is ANZAC Day, when Australians and New Zealanders commemorate those who have served in war.

Tongans still nervous about first truly democratic electionsAudio

Updated 22/04/2010 07:02:06

Since the start of the year the Commonwealth has been running a citizen education program in Tonga to help prepare people for the change to democratic rule.

CNMI pushes for relocation of US troops to TinianAudio

Updated 22/04/2010 07:02:06

The Mayor of Tinian, Ramon de la Cruz, remains hopeful that the US air base on Okinawa, Japan will be relocated to his atoll in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.

France blacklists four Pacific countriesAudioTranscript

Updated 22/04/2010 07:02:06

France has black-listed four Pacific countries as non-co-operating tax havens and hopes to use the up-coming G20 Finance Ministers meeting to encourage other wealthy countries to take the same action.

Guam Catholic Church faces accusations of sexual abuseAudioTranscript

Updated 22/04/2010 07:02:06

The Catholic Church has found itself embroiled in a fresh wave of allegations of sexual abuse from across Europe and the Americas and now Guam.

Health and education: French Polynesia's sugar taxAudio

Updated 22/04/2010 07:02:06

Thirty-nine percent of French Polynesians are obese and 18 percent have diabetes.

Maori commentator welcomes signing of UN DeclarationAudio

Updated 22/04/2010 16:03:35

A well known Maori affairs commentator in New Zealand, Derek Fox says he believes New Zealand's decision to agree to the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People will lead to eventual change.

Port Moresby faces housing affordability crisisAudioTranscript

Updated 22/04/2010 16:03:35

Housing in Papua New Guinea's capital, Port Moresby, is among the most unaffordable in the world.

Solomon Islands' PM sacks five ministersAudioTranscript

Updated 22/04/2010 16:03:35

Five Solomon Islands cabinet ministers have been sacked by the Prime Minister, Derek Sikua, just days before Parliament is dissolved.

Vanuatu's Gaua Volcano alert remains at level 2Audio

Updated 22/04/2010 16:03:35

A volcano on the east side of Gaua Island in Vanuatu is forcing residents on the west to move to the east of the Island to avoid ash fall, mudslides and harmful gases.

ANZAC Day to be marked across PacificAudio

Updated 21/04/2010 08:18:24

April 25th marks ANZAC Day.

Call for alternative to court tent in South BougainvilleAudio

Updated 21/04/2010 08:18:24

A senior magistrate in Papua New Guinea's Autonomous Bougainville region says authorities need to urgently consider building a court house in the southern town of Buin.

AIDS emerging as real threat in FijiAudio

Updated 21/04/2010 08:18:24

The UN Independent Commission on AIDS in the Pacific says that Fiji now has the second highest HIV/AIDS infection rate in the Pacific after PNG.

Temporary replacement for Princess Ashika now in TongaAudioTranscript

Updated 21/04/2010 08:18:24

In Tonga, the ferry drafted in to temporarily replace the Princess Ashika is expected to be put into service early next month.

Cholera kills 60 people in PNG in past eight monthsAudio

Updated 21/04/2010 08:18:24

The number of people infected with cholera in Papua New Guinea is continuing to rise.

British Zoo committed to saving near extinct French Polynesian snailAudio

Updated 21/04/2010 08:18:24

A zoo in the United Kingdom could be the last hope for French Polynesia's Partula Faba snails.

Solomons Bank Governor warns against corruption during electionsAudioTranscript

Updated 21/04/2010 16:57:02

The Governor of Solomon Islands' Central Bank, Denton Rarawa, says it is essential that politicians standing at the upcoming national election act in the interests of the nation and not their own personal interests.

Argument over NZ affirming UN indigenous rights declarationAudioTranscript

Updated 21/04/2010 16:57:02

An argument has broken out in New Zealand about the meaning of a United Nations declaration the country has just signed.

UK solo ocean rower leaves KiribatiAudio

Updated 21/04/2010 16:57:02

She's already taken more than 3 million oar strokes but U-K ocean rower Roz Savage is still going.

Guam reflects on environmental situation ahead of Earth DayAudio

Updated 20/04/2010 08:06:42

An official meeting in Guam to weigh up the impact of the proposed military expansion on 22 April will coincide with Earth Day 2010.

Pacific Islands discuss democracy in FijiAudio

Updated 20/04/2010 08:06:43

A meeting on human rights and democracy in Fiji has called for closer monitoring of elections in the region.

Wallis and Futuna population exodus not linked to lack of opportunitieAudio

Updated 20/04/2010 08:06:43

Wallis and Futuna is struggling with a dwindling population as an increasing number of its inhabitants look to other Pacific Islands or France for opportunities.

Community involvement essential to limit impact of disastersAudioTranscript

Updated 20/04/2010 08:06:43

The Pacific has had more than its fair share of earthquakes, cyclones, tsunami's and volcanic eruptions.

Four Australians cleared of drug charges in PNGAudioTranscript

Updated 20/04/2010 08:06:43

Authorities in Papua New Guinea's Autonomous Region of Bougainville have cleared a group of Australians of being in possession of drugs, allowing them to return home.

Security concerns persist ahead of India's Commonwealth GamesAudioTranscript

Updated 20/04/2010 08:06:42

A terrorist attack in India has again raised the question of the country's capacity to hold a secure Commonwealth Games.

Solomons and NZ sign seasonal worker agreementAudio

Updated 20/04/2010 17:01:07

Solomon Islands and New Zealand have signed an agreement designed to strengthen the countries' seasonal workers partnership.

UN commends Fiji's draft HIV decreeAudioTranscript

Updated 20/04/2010 17:01:07

The joint United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS Pacific office has praised Fiji's draft HIV Prevention and Treatment Decree.

Solomons villages to stop killing thousands of dolphins.AudioTranscript

Updated 20/04/2010 17:01:07

Two villages in Solomon Islands' Malatia province have agreed to stop killing thousands of dolphins each year as part of a deal with the U-S based conservation group Earth Island Institute.

NZ Tongans watching govt reaction to Ashika inquiryAudio

Updated 20/04/2010 17:01:07

The Chairman of New Zealand's Tongan Advisory Council says the expatriate community there is closely watching how the government in the Kingdom deals with the findings of the Princess Ashika Royal Commission.

25 villages targetted by Kokoda Health PatrolAudio

Updated 19/04/2010 09:04:31

A 15-day Health Patrol along Papua New Guinea's Kokoda track to promote HIV and AIDS awareness has been hailed a success by tha Australian government development agency, AusAID, which funded the initiative as part of its Kokoda Development Program.

Gas ban might save the ozone, but what about the climate?AudioTranscript

Updated 19/04/2010 09:04:31

Where the Copenhagen Agreement failed last year, the Montreal Protocol back in the eighties succeeded.

Indonesian palm oil producers face international pressureAudioTranscript

Updated 19/04/2010 09:04:31

Palm oil producers across the Pacific will be closely watching developments in Indonesia, where a consumer backlash has thrown the industry into uncertainty.

US government sued for genocide in the CNMIAudioTranscript

Updated 19/04/2010 09:04:31

The Taiwan-based Robin Hood International Human Rights Legal Defense Fund is raising funds for an appeal against last year's decision opposing the U-S federalisation of the Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas Islands (CNMI) immigration system.

PNG women Aussie bonus claimsAudioTranscript

Updated 19/04/2010 09:04:31

The Governor of Papua New Guinea's Western province has called on Australia's Torres Strait Islands Council to prove its claims that PNG women routinely cross into Australia and fall pregnant to get citizenship rights.

Customary land rights undermined in MelanesiaAudio

Updated 19/04/2010 09:04:32

Most of the land across Melanesia is controlled by clans and families, and there are usually no written land titles and people own land collectively without being able to sell it.

Pacific Olympic Committees turn to UK for new ideasAudio

Updated 19/04/2010 09:04:26

The Manager of Regional Sport Development for the Oceania National Olympic Committees, Brian Miniken, delivered his weekly update from the United Kingdom.

NZ writers concerned at little concern about free speech in FijiAudioTranscript

Updated 19/04/2010 17:09:09

New Zealand's writers organisation says its disappointed there hasn't been more of an outcry in the country about what's happening in Fiji.

Australia cracks down on Tax Havens againAudioTranscript

Updated 19/04/2010 17:09:09

The Australian Tax Office has announced another crackdown down on high-wealth individuals and companies and using tax havens, some of them in Pacific Island nations.

PNG Papuans want Australian citizenship explainedAudio

Updated 19/04/2010 17:09:09

Members of the Papuan Plaintiff Group has called on the Australian Government to explain why they were not told they were born Australian citizens when PNG was under Australian control prior to independence in 1975.

Possible low cost telephony to small communities.Audio

Updated 19/04/2010 17:09:08

Mobile phones seem to be the answer to many problems, like communications, education or even payment systems in poorer or developing nations.

SPREP begins state of environment studyAudio

Updated 16/04/2010 07:30:29

The Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Program (SPREP) is currently working on a state of the enviroment report to present to the Rio +20 Earth Summit that will be held again in Brazil in 2012.

NZ update: workplace bullying, whale meat and whale sanctuariesAudio

Updated 16/04/2010 07:30:29

New Zealand has emerged as having one of world's worst rates of bullying.

Australian yachtsman to recreate Bligh journeyAudio

Updated 16/04/2010 07:30:29

An Australian yachtsman is about to set out on a trip replicating one of the most gruelling sea voyages in history.

Fiji Cyclone damage bill tops FJD$85 millionAudio

Updated 16/04/2010 07:30:29

The cyclone Thomas repair bill in Fiji has risen to FJD$85 million.

Fiji exporters pushed to pay dues ahead of crackdownAudioTranscript

Updated 16/04/2010 07:30:30

The Reserve Bank of Fiji is to crackdown on exporters who don't comply with tax and customs regulations.

International condemnation of Fiji's proposed media decrees continuesAudioTranscript

Updated 16/04/2010 07:30:30

Fiji's proposed media decree enables the military led government to jail journalists and impose crippling fines on media organisations.

Rabuka says sorry to family of deposed Dr BavadraAudioTranscript

Updated 16/04/2010 16:46:06

The man who overthrew the Fiji government in 1987 has admitted to the relative of the man he deposed as prime minister that he had wronged them.

Fiji tightens tax and customs regulationsAudio

Updated 16/04/2010 16:46:06

The Reserve Bank of Fiji is launching a crackdown on exporters who don't comply with tax and customs regulations.

New book predicts violence in Indonesian PapuaAudioTranscript

Updated 16/04/2010 16:46:06

The co-author of a new book about West Papua says the Indonesian province could erupt in bloodshed.

Solomons drunken bishop faces disciplinary actionAudio

Updated 16/04/2010 16:46:06

The Anglican Church in Solomon Islands and Vanuatu known as the Church of Melanesia is considering disciplinary action against one of its bishops for drunken behaviour.

Commonwealth facility to promore Pacific governanceAudio

Updated 16/04/2010 16:46:05

The Commonwealth Secretariat has established a Pacific Governance Facility in Solomon Islands to improve transparency and accountability processes.

ADB forecast lowPacific economic growthAudioTranscript

Updated 15/04/2010 05:41:50

The Asian Development Bank says countries in the Pacific region are expected to record an average economic growth of three point seven percent in 2010.

Union says Solomon MPs pay hike is ''greed''Audio

Updated 15/04/2010 05:41:50

The Solomon Islands National Workers Union has described the recent pay hike for members of parliament as an act of greed by the members.

Solomons Deputy PM to run for top jobAudioTranscript

Updated 15/04/2010 05:41:51

Solomon Islands' Deputy Prime Minister, Fred Fono says he will be a contender for the Prime Ministership after national elections due in a few months.

Tonga debates 17 electoratesAudioTranscript

Updated 15/04/2010 05:41:51

The Tongan parliament has begun debating how the country will be divided up into seventeen electorates for the kingdom's historic move towards majority democratic rule later this year.

Vanuatu's Vanuaaku Party politicsAudio

Updated 15/04/2010 05:41:50

The deadlock continues over the leadership of the Vanuaaku Pati in Vanuatu with both factions claiming they have the numbers to run the party.

Original Fijian language New Testament re-publishedAudio

Updated 15/04/2010 07:24:10

Another part of the first ever translation of the New Testament into Fijian has been released.

Floating hospital heads to Papua New GuineaAudio

Updated 15/04/2010 07:24:11

The MV Pacific Link is about to make a maiden voyage to Papua New Guinea.

New technique to save Australia's quolls from cane toadAudioTranscript

Updated 15/04/2010 07:24:11

The cane toad is a well known pest across the Pacific, but it has had a particularly devastating effect on native wildlife in Australia's north.

Schools in Pacific dependencies struggle to get US accreditationAudio

Updated 15/04/2010 07:24:11

The US Accrediting Commission for Schools has been working with schools in the Pacific since the 1970s.

Wage increases have negative impact on CNMI and American SamoaTranscript

Updated 15/04/2010 07:24:11

Results of a questionnaire done by the US Government Accountability Office reveal that the minimum wage increases which have been taking place since 2007 in American Samoa and the Northern Mariana Islands have turned out to be a burden for both employees and employers.

A week of moderate losses for PNGs stock indicesAudio

Updated 15/04/2010 07:24:10

Unlike most stock exchanges around the world both Papua New Guinea's stock indices recorded losses this week.

New moves to tackle the region's youth unemploymentAudio

Updated 15/04/2010 16:00:21

Pacific countries are moving to tackle youth unemployment.

Around the world Malaria awareness flight set to leave next monthAudio

Updated 15/04/2010 16:00:22

Early next month two Australians will begin a flight around the world, aimed at raising awareness and funds to help fight Malaria.

High rates of drug and alcohol abuse persisting among AboriginalsAudio

Updated 15/04/2010 16:00:22

In Australia, a new report has found serious flaws in the way funding goes to organisations to tackle Indigenous drug and alcohol abuse.

PNG Ramu Mine fails courtAudio

Updated 15/04/2010 16:00:22

The developer of Papua New Guinea's Ramu nickel mine, has again failed to lift an injuction by landowners against its plans to construct a deep sea tailings facility.

Special prosectors appointed to look at Tongan ferry sinkingAudioTranscript

Updated 15/04/2010 16:00:23

Tonga's attorney-general, John Cauchi, has appointed two special prosecutors to work on possible charges in relation to the sinking of the ferry Princess Ashika.

Maori ancestor face mappedAudioTranscript

Updated 15/04/2010 16:00:21

It's not easy to visualise what our ancestors might have looked like, but now digital technology has allowed a group of researchers to reconstruct the face of a Maori woman using her 600 year old skull.

Fiji to introduce new terrorism lawsAudio

Updated 15/04/2010 16:00:22

Fiji's interim government is working on new counter terriorism legislation.

Kanak languages gaining popularity again in New CaledoniaAudio

Updated 15/04/2010 16:04:06

An increasing number of parents in New Caledonia's South Province are signing pre-school children up to learn indigenous Kanak lanaguages.

Push to develop cricket in New CaledoniaAudio

Updated 14/04/2010 07:17:16

New Caledonian's are huge fans of cricket, but not as we know it.

Priests given motorbikes to spread the gospelAudio

Updated 14/04/2010 07:17:16

Pastors of the Seventh Day Adventist (SDA) Church in the Solomon Islands will now be able to reach out to more people by using motor bikes.

Progress made on global maternal mortality ratesAudioTranscript

Updated 14/04/2010 07:17:16

Across the region and in many other developing nations, the number of women dying from childbirth complications is still high.

Peking ducks help Fiji farmers diversifyAudio

Updated 14/04/2010 07:17:16

Small hold sugar cane farmers in Lautoka Fiji will be given the opportunity to diversify by becoming babysitters for Peking ducks.

Fiji market flooded with cheap, faulty importsAudioTranscript

Updated 14/04/2010 07:17:17

Consumer Council Fiji says relaxed import standards have made Fiji a dumping ground for faulty or sub-standard products.

PNG attorney general visited notorious criminal in jailAudioTranscript

Updated 14/04/2010 07:17:17

The reason Papua New Guinea's Attorney General, Allan Marat, paid a visit to the notorious criminal William Kapris shortly before he was recaptured has finally come to light.

Controversy over Pacific Islanders recruited for Australian schoolboysAudio

Updated 14/04/2010 07:17:16

The fact that a number of Pacific Island children are being recruited by Australian schools to play rugby has been making headlines in the north-eastern city of Brisbane.

Many Pacific nations join canoe fleet for Tahiti voyageAudio

Updated 13/04/2010 06:26:43

For the first time in centuries, four traditional Pacific ocean-going canoes are to set off on a trans-ocean voyage together.

Guam update: diabetes, youth games and broadband grantsAudio

Updated 13/04/2010 06:26:43

New figures show one in five people in Guam suffer from diabetes.

Young PNG women trained in film makingAudio

Updated 13/04/2010 06:26:43

Australian film maker Verena Thomas has been working with art students at the University of Goroka in PNG on developing their skills as film makers.

WTO: Australian ban on NZ apples "illegal"Audio

Updated 13/04/2010 06:26:43

A 90-year-old trade dispute between Australia and New Zealand over apples may finally have ended.

Mining Exec speaks out on benefits-sharing in Solomon IslandsAudioTranscript

Updated 13/04/2010 06:26:43

In the next five years Solomon Islands is expected to face a massive economic upheaval as it struggles to cope with the end of commercial logging.

Australian schools rugby to undergo a safety reviewAudioTranscript

Updated 13/04/2010 06:26:43

The Australian schools rugby union competition is under scrutiny.

Transparency Solomons questions MP awardsAudio

Updated 13/04/2010 17:00:15

Transparency International chapter in Solomon Islands says some of the increases in entitlements awarded to the country's parliamentarians need to be justified.

Solomon Islands MPs given huge benefitsAudio

Updated 13/04/2010 17:00:15

Members of the Solomon Islands parliament have approved big increases in pay and other entitlements for themselves - just days before parliament dissolves this month.

Marine Activists raise awareness of plastic vortexAudio

Updated 13/04/2010 17:00:16

Here's a question, have you ever heard of the Plastic Vortex?

New Caledonian unionist quits to set up rival bodyAudio

Updated 13/04/2010 17:00:15

The president of the trade union representing indigenous Kanak workers in New Caledonia, has decided to stand down and set up his own trade union.

Tonga unveils ten year energy road mapAudio

Updated 12/04/2010 07:30:32

Tonga's Prime Minister and Cabinet have put together an Energy Road Map for 2010 to 2020 to reduce the Kingdom's dependency on oil.

New book published on learning the ropes of PNG bilumsAudio

Updated 12/04/2010 07:30:32

String bags or bilums are used for many purposes in Papua New Guinea.

Opposition leader unexpectedly elected speaker of French Polynesian asAudioTranscript

Updated 12/04/2010 07:30:32

The leader of the French Polynesia's opposition, Oscar Temaru, has been appointed speaker of the territory's notoriously volatile assembly.

No tsunami generated by Solomons' earthquakeAudio

Updated 12/04/2010 07:30:33

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center in Hawaii has confirmed that Sunday's earthquake in Solomon Islands did not generate a tsunami.

Solomons' officials assess damage from strong quakeAudioTranscript

Updated 12/04/2010 07:30:33

Diaster officials in Solomon Islands say it could be days before they can fully confirm that there were no injuries or damaged caused by Sunday night's earthquake.

Fijian villagers save beached whalesAudio

Updated 12/04/2010 16:58:53

A small village in Fiji has managed to save 8 beached whales who found themselves stranded just as the villagers were going to attend a Sunday service.

AFL Hawthorn/Sydney assist PNG's Kokoda childrenAudio

Updated 12/04/2010 16:58:53

An A-F-L team has decided to dedicate one of its home games to raising money for children living along Papua New Guinea's Kokoda track.

Guam National CensusAudio

Updated 12/04/2010 16:58:54

The 1st of April 2010 was Guam's Census Day which is a count of everyone, citizens and non-citizens, residing in Guam.

Fiji NGO's discuss weapons issuesAudio

Updated 12/04/2010 16:58:54

A week long meeting is underway in Fiji of non government organisations involved in human rights and democracy campaigns.

Australia backs free education in SolomonsAudioTranscript

Updated 12/04/2010 16:58:54

Australia is backing attempts to make primary and junior secondary education free to all children in the Solomon Islands.

Australia ignores Pacific history studiesAudioTranscript

Updated 12/04/2010 16:58:54

A leading regional historian has says Australia's national school curriculum needs to address Australia's relations with its neighbours.

Bougainville's female landowners oppose Panguna mine reopeningAudio

Updated 09/04/2010 07:25:20

The Bougainville Indigenous Women's Landowners Association in PNG's Autonomous Bougainville Region says it's against the reopening of the Panguna mine.

SPREP holds workshops on solid waste managementAudio

Updated 09/04/2010 07:25:20

The Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environemnt Program (SPREP) has been conducting a series of workshops on solid waste management.

NZ Easter road toll highest since 1993Audio

Updated 09/04/2010 07:25:20

New Zealand has recorded the highest number of deaths on the roads for an Easter weekend in 17 years.

Pacific airlines resist toilet fee . . . for nowAudioTranscript

Updated 09/04/2010 07:25:20

Low cost airline tickets are notorious for their add-ons and often charge for food and checked in baggage.

Hearings conclude into Australia's Palm Island deaths in custody inquestAudioTranscript

Updated 09/04/2010 07:25:20

A Coronial Inquest into one of Australia's most controversial Aboriginal deaths in custody has heard final submissions.

Fiji's Singapore-style media model "worrying"AudioTranscript

Updated 09/04/2010 07:25:20

Fiji's coup leader, Commodore Frank Bainimarama, has described consultations on the proposed new media decree as constructive.

Princess Ashika report yet to be tabled in Tongan parliamentAudioTranscript

Updated 09/04/2010 12:10:13

The findings of the Tongan Royal Commission of Inquiry into the sinking of the government-owned Princess Ashika ferry sank last August has rocked the government since being leaked last week.

Review of Tonga education in democratic principlesAudio

Updated 09/04/2010 17:28:30

Tongan academic Dr Malakai Koloamatangi from Canterbury University in New Zealand has been enagaged in a project to explain basic democratic concepts to people in Tonga ahead of the general election in November.

Former Tonga attorney-general gives view on Ashika responseAudio

Updated 09/04/2010 17:28:30

The government in Nuku'alofa has just released its response to the report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into the sinking of the Princess Ashika - a press release complaining that the government has cooperated fully with the inquiry, and saying "in the face of extreme provocation by the Commission in permitting the introduction of politically-motivated irrelevancies in its proceedings, is exemplary.

Panel discusses Australia's role in the PacificAudio

Updated 09/04/2010 17:28:30

A hot button topic at the conference of the Australian Association for the Advancement of Pacific Studies at Victoria University in Melbourne is education, particularly education about the Pacific in Australia.

Historical lack of democratic struggle hounds FijiAudio

Updated 09/04/2010 17:28:30

A political activist from Fiji, Mosmi Bhim, is attending the conference to present a paper on the democratisation of Fiji - how to achieve it and how to cope with the present situation in which the country is run by a coup-installed military government.

Kiritimati Island welcomes resumption of flights to FijiAudio

Updated 08/04/2010 07:05:30

Kiritimati Island part of Kiribati is considered by locals to be the most remote island on the planet.

New Zealand Human Rights Commissioner recruited by UNAudio

Updated 08/04/2010 07:06:01

After 10 year's as New Zealand's Human Rights Commissioner,Rosslyn Noonan, is about to add another dimension to her portfolio.

Chance of second wave of swine flu this winterAudioTranscript

Updated 08/04/2010 07:06:01

Until this time last year few of us had ever heard of the H-1-N-1 flu virus or swine flu.

US unlikely to help Marshall Islands cover cost of nuclear testsAudio

Updated 08/04/2010 07:06:01

Nuclear test victims in Marshall Islands have been reviewing their situation following the US Supreme Court decision not to hear their compensation appeal.

Cyclone Tomas responsible for $76m in damage to FijiAudio

Updated 08/04/2010 07:06:01

The cost of damage caused by Cyclone Tomas in Fiji has risen to Fiji $76 million (US$38 million).

Vanuaku Party leadership row escalates in VanuatuAudioTranscript

Updated 08/04/2010 07:06:01

A dispute over the leadership of one of Vanuatu's ruling coalition parties may wind up in court.

Fresh attempts to attract Australians to NiueAudio

Updated 08/04/2010 07:05:30

Niue, which has a population of just 1,200, has been encouraging immigration for many years.

Another embarrassing prison escape in PNGAudio

Updated 08/04/2010 16:00:14

Twenty-one prisoners broke out of their cells at a police station in Papua New Guinea's Lae on Tuesday morning in yet another embarrassing prison escape for authorities.

Solomons CINURA coalition to campaign as oneAudio

Updated 08/04/2010 16:00:14

The political parties that make up the coalition government in Solomon Islands have agreed to contest the upcoming national elections under a common policy platform.

Fiji leader says media consultations 'constructive'Audio

Updated 08/04/2010 16:00:14

Fiji coup leader Commodore Frank Bainimarama has described consultations on the proposed new media decree as constructive.

Funding boost for Pacific small businessesAudio

Updated 08/04/2010 16:00:13

Australia's Enterprise Challenge Fund - known as the ECF - has announced its latest round of grants for viable business projects across the Asia-Pacific region.

Genes determine baby birth weightAudio

Updated 07/04/2010 08:14:47

For expectant parents, the weight of their soon-to-arrive baby is a cause for great concern.

Population growth becoming major Australian election issueAudioTranscript

Updated 07/04/2010 08:14:47

Population growth is a major issue right across the region and Australia is no exception.

Australian scientists search PNG wilderness for new curesAudio

Updated 07/04/2010 08:14:48

A group of Australian scientists is in Papua New Guinea looking for new weapons to fight disease.

Pacific territorities encouraged to review relationship with EUAudio

Updated 07/04/2010 08:14:48

Seperated by thousands of kilometres and cultural differences, it might seem difficult for the United Kingdom and France to maintain links with their Pacific territories.

Lord Dalgety slammed by Tonga report into Ashika sinkingAudioTranscript

Updated 07/04/2010 08:14:48

The Commission of inquiry report into the siking of the ferry the MV Princess Ashika has been particularly critical of Lord Ramsay Dalgety.

New Caledonian expects population explosion as nickel boom continuesAudioTranscript

Updated 07/04/2010 08:14:48

The inequalities between New Caledonia's three provinces are well-documented.

Pacific Beat tours Solomons' Fishing VillageAudio

Updated 07/04/2010 08:14:47

Travelling east direction out of the Solomon Islands' capital, Honiara, you'll very quickly come across the markets and village simply known as "Fishing Village".

Australia appoints minister for populationAudio

Updated 07/04/2010 16:06:48

Australia's new population minister, Tony Burke, has been repeatedly pressed on what Australia's ideal population might be, but he says it is not just about a population target.

Pacific to benefit from Asia resurgence says World BankAudioTranscript

Updated 07/04/2010 16:06:49

The Pacific is set to benefit from the strong resurgence in East Asian economies according to the World Bank's latest assessment released in Tokyo this morning.

Solomons govt plays-down Malaita breakaway suggestionAudio

Updated 07/04/2010 16:06:49

The Solomon Islands government has played-down a stand taken by the leaders of Malaita Province to break away and become a seperate country.

Fiji draft media decree receives unfavourable reviewAudioTranscript

Updated 07/04/2010 16:06:49

Fiji's draft media decree has received an unfavourable review from the industry in the Pacific.

Has Obama fulfilled promise of being a 'Pacific President'?Audio

Updated 06/04/2010 09:24:22

In January 2009 Barack Obama won the US presidential elections and declared himself the "first Pacific President".

Sandlewood helping Vanuatu women boost incomeAudio

Updated 06/04/2010 09:24:22

An NGO in Vanuatu is helping women boost their cash crop incomes by investing in sandlewood farming.

Solomons' Malaita Province considers independenceAudio

Updated 06/04/2010 09:24:22

The leaders of Solomon Islands' Malaita Province say they have not ruled out becoming an independent state.

UK scientists cleared of manipulating climate change dataAudioTranscript

Updated 06/04/2010 09:24:23

Climate change scientists at the centre of last year's email hacking scandal have been cleared of conspiring to hide evidence.

Guam discussing possible impact of healthcare changesAudio

Updated 06/04/2010 09:24:23

The changes to the United States health care system have generated a lot of debate right across the country.

Solomons' bank governor warns of need for logging alternativeAudioTranscript

Updated 06/04/2010 09:24:23

The Governor of Solomon Islands Central Bank, Denton Rarawa, says urgent action is needed to fill the revenue gap expected to result from the decline in logging.

Marshalls' nuclear test victims denied last chance to plead caseAudioTranscript

Updated 06/04/2010 09:24:23

Nuclear test victims in Marshall Islands have been denied a last opportunity to have their appeal heard by the Supreme court, ending a decade of legal debate over the issue.

Australian schools reintroduce Aboriginal skillsAudioTranscript

Updated 06/04/2010 09:24:22

Australian police in central Queensland have turned to Aboriginal culture to help solve some modern day problems.

Organisations brace for Fiji media decreeAudioTranscript

Updated 06/04/2010 16:24:05

Fiji's military-backed interim government will hold the first of its consultations Wednesday on the decree which will govern the country's media.

Shortcut through reef blamed for grounding off AustraliaAudioTranscript

Updated 06/04/2010 16:24:05

A Chinese coal ship remains wedged onto a part of the Great Barrier Reef off Australia's north-eastern coast, but it is no longer spewing oil.

Lawyer says anti-whaling activist to be made an exampleAudioTranscript

Updated 05/04/2010 06:43:34

The lawyer for a New Zealand anti-whaling activist facing serious charges in Japan has accused Japanese authorities of seeking a political show trial against his client.

Pig cells could help cure diabetesAudio

Updated 05/04/2010 06:43:34

There's been renewed hope that there may be a cure for one of the most common diseases in the Pacific region: Type 1 diabetes.

Solomons landowners get business boost from palm oilAudio

Updated 05/04/2010 06:43:34

Solomon Islands biggest employer, Guadalcanal Plains Palm Oil Limited, plans to double in size in the next ten years.

Solomons palm oil firm plans to double in sizeAudio

Updated 05/04/2010 06:43:34

Solomon Islands largest private employer, Guadalcanal Plains Palm Oil Limited, plans to double in size in the next ten years.

Cook Islands bishop says govt is undemocraticAudio

Updated 05/04/2010 06:43:34

A senior Cook Islands church leader has criticised the country's current government as undemocratic and illegal.

Still no arrests after release of Tonga report into Ashika sinkingAudioTranscript

Updated 05/04/2010 06:43:34

In Tonga, there's speculation the release of the official report into the sinking of the Princess Ashika ferry will result in a number of arrests.

Australian academic backs calls for PINA relocationAudio

Updated 05/04/2010 06:43:34

An Australian academic has supported a suggestion that the Pacific's peak media body, the Pacific Islands News Association (PINA), should leave Fiji.

Claims Fiji govt censorship affecting work of PINAAudioTranscript

Updated 05/04/2010 06:43:34

A senior member of the Pacific's peak media body, the Pacific Islands News Association (PINA), has called for major changes in how the Suva-based organisation is run.

Pacific's Olympic bodies urged to work togetherAudio

Updated 05/04/2010 14:45:50

The region's National Olympic Committees have come together for their annual general meeting, with the 17 delegations agreeing they need to work together more to ensure their initiatives succeed.

Fears ship aground off Australia could pollute reefAudioTranscript

Updated 05/04/2010 14:45:51

Australia's world heritage listed Great Barrier Reef is under threat after a Chinese ship ran aground on the weekend.

Protections on unique coral knocked-back at meetingAudio

Updated 05/04/2010 14:45:50

An ocean conservation organisation says international governments have failed to protect unique red and pink corals.

Concerns about ongoing China Pacific investmentAudio

Updated 02/04/2010 06:36:51

A New Zealand University Academic says his country's government should be wary of China's continued investment in the Pacific.

One year on from abrogation of Fiji constitutionAudioTranscript

Updated 02/04/2010 14:44:00

Today we're bringing you a debate about the abrogation of Fiji's constitution, which occurred at Easter last year.

Capacity of East Timor police questionedAudioTranscript

Updated 02/04/2010 14:44:03

East Timor has just marked the tenth anniversary of the founding of its own police force, and at a weekend ceremony Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao said he hoped the handover of all police responsibilities from the United Nations to the East Timorese force would be finished by the end of this year.

Prince William to assist return of Aboriginal skullAudioTranscript

Updated 02/04/2010 14:44:03

A member of Britain's royal family has vowed to help Australian Aboriginal leaders who want to locate and return the remains of an Aboriginal man who led a resistance against British settlers.

NZ suggests compromise in whale cullAudioTranscript

Updated 02/04/2010 14:44:03

New Zealand says it is going to agree to a compromise-deal with the international whaling commission and allow Japan Norway and Iceland to kill some whales.

Govt holds reaction to Tonga Ashika findingsAudioTranscript

Updated 02/04/2010 14:44:03

As we reported yesterday there has been a call for the entire Tongan cabinet to resign following the Commission of Inquiry report into last year's ferry disaster, which criticises the government for buying an unsafe and unseaworthy vessel.

Sport promoting understanding in SolomonsAudio

Updated 02/04/2010 14:43:59

Sport in Solomon Islands is being used as part of the healing process after the ethnic crisis between Malaita and Guadalcanal.

US congressman suggests Guam could capsizeAudioTranscript

Updated 02/04/2010 13:48:07

The recorded comments of a United States politician suggesting Guam's huge military build-up could cause the island to capsize has become a big hit on the internet.

Housing pressure sees rise in New Caledonia squatter settlementsAudio

Updated 01/04/2010 08:29:33

In New Caledonia the number of squatter settlements is on the increase, particularly in the capital Noumea.

Conservation plan drawn up to save Rota watershedAudio

Updated 01/04/2010 08:29:36

The Sabana Talakhaya watershed supplies all of the water for the over 3-thousand people that live on the island of Rota in the Northern Mariana Islands.

PNG women call for improved infrastructure to get produce to marketAudioTranscript

Updated 01/04/2010 08:29:39

Women in Papua New Guinea involved in the agriculture industry say the country's deteriorating road network, and the lack of markets, is affecting them.

Official report says sinking of Tonga's Princess Ashika 'scandalous'AudioTranscript

Updated 01/04/2010 08:29:42

The official report into the sinking of the ferry the Princess Ashika in Tonga has described the circumstances that led to the disaster as 'scandalous' and says the incident was 'easily preventable'.

Fears mining plan will damage NZ's green imageAudioTranscript

Updated 01/04/2010 08:29:33


Environment groups in New Zealand are worried that a plan to mine in some national parks could damage the country's clean green image.

Toads may have ability to predict earthquakesAudioTranscript

Updated 01/04/2010 16:55:23

In folklore they arere boiled up in witches' potions and the mere touch of them is meant to cause warts, but now research suggests that the common European garden toad might have a few other curious abilities as well.

Solomons population not as high as thoughtAudio

Updated 01/04/2010 16:55:23

There are indications from the Solomon Islands national population and household census conducted last November that the country's population is not as high as some estimates say.

Community ties help cyclone-devastated Futuna copeAudio

Updated 01/04/2010 16:55:23

It has been three long weeks of hard work for the inhabitants of Futuna since Cylcone Tomas destroyed 90 per cent of the French territory's traditional houses, over half of their public amenities and most of their crops.

Muted response from Tongan officials on report releaseAudio

Updated 01/04/2010 16:55:23

One of the people who has a copy of the report is Australia Network's Pacific correspondent Sean Dorney, who joins us now live from Nuku'alofa.

Critics quickly leap on damning Tonga Ashika findingsAudio

Updated 01/04/2010 16:55:24

The Tongan Royal Commision of Inquiry into the sinking of the MV Princess Ashika has described the purchase and operation of the 30 year old ferry as "scandalous".