August 2010

Indigenous Australia bolsters film, sound archiveAudioTranscript

Updated 31/08/2010 08:59:06

The project to preserve important and iconic parts of Australia's film and sound history has been expanded again this year to include new pointers to the evolution of Australia's indigenous and settler relations.

Guam storm drought breaks as election heat risesAudio

Updated 31/08/2010 08:59:06

Guam has been glanced by Tropical Storm Kampasu which is now headed towards Okinawa where it may develop into a typhoon - one of the few felt thusfar this season.

More warnings via NZ of swine flu re-emergenceAudioTranscript

Updated 31/08/2010 08:59:06

It caused global panic during last year's flu season and the World Health Organisation has since declared the swine flu pandemic over, but now experts are warning that it is on the way back to the region.

How vaccinations save lives, money across PacificAudio

Updated 31/08/2010 08:59:06

For a relatively small outlay, vaccine programs in developing countries can save governments millions of dollars in long term health care costs.

New govt survives Solomons cabinet manoeuvringAudioTranscript

Updated 31/08/2010 08:59:06

Just days after his selection as Solomon Islands prime minister, Danny Philip is barely holding onto power with a majority of one and has reportedly held off a no-confidence motion by installing Snyder Rini as a cabinet minister to stop him moving parties.

Marshall Islanders accuse US of discriminationAudioTranscript

Updated 31/08/2010 08:59:06

A group of Marshall Islanders have filed a suit in Hawaii in an attempt to block the state from cutting back medical services to islander residents saying it is discriminatory and violates the United States Constitution.

Cricket in turmoil again over bettingAudioTranscript

Updated 31/08/2010 08:59:02

A gambling scandal has put a huge question mark over Pakistan's cricket tour of England.

Tuvalu NGOs speak out at UN ConferenceAudio

Updated 31/08/2010 17:24:53

People in Tuvalu say their country is one of the places on the planet already feeling the impact of climate change.

Pacific ignored by donors on MDGs, says World Vision chiefAudio

Updated 31/08/2010 17:24:53

The head of international aid group World Vision says the Pacific has been largely overlooked by donors when it comes to efforts to reach the Millennium Development Goals.

Law awareness education in PNG schoolsAudio

Updated 31/08/2010 17:24:53

The Papua New Guinea government has launched a program to make primary and high school students aware of state laws and how they can be used to resolve disputes.

Bemobile phone service launches in Solomon IslandsAudio

Updated 31/08/2010 17:24:52

It is a moment Solomon Islanders have long been waiting for.

Child mortality, maternal care PNG minister's focusAudio

Updated 30/08/2010 09:39:13

World Vision has invited a number of notable guests to speak at a forum titled 'One Just World' in Melbourne this week.

Australian leads Warrington to another Challenge CupAudio

Updated 30/08/2010 09:39:12

The Warrington Wolves have retained the Carnegie Challenge Cup, winning it for the second year running.

Australia, NZ through to finals in Women's Rugby World CupAudio

Updated 30/08/2010 09:39:12

The semi finalists have been confirmed for this year's Women's World Cup of rugby in England with defending champs New Zealand beating Wales.

Fiji badminton needs to lift for Pacific GamesAudio

Updated 30/08/2010 09:39:12

The international badminton championships have just concluded in Fiji with the home team disappointed with their form.

Refugee's long jail term for first NZ hijackingAudioTranscript

Updated 30/08/2010 09:39:13

A Somali refugee has been sentenced to nine years jail for New Zealand's first hijacking.

Forests, fisheries underlie Pacific futureAudio

Updated 30/08/2010 09:39:13

The development of carbon markets - including a share of emissions trade funding for anti-deforestation measures - along with the sustainability and biodiversity of fisheries are two of the Pacific's most important economic foundations.

Malaria, TB still at forefront of Pacific health battleAudio

Updated 30/08/2010 09:39:13

The slogan of the 63rd UN conference on health which opens in a few hours here in Melbourne is 'Making Health Global' and covers everything from the role NGOs and civil society play in achieving the Millennium Development Goals to sport, nutrition and healthy children.

Funding inadequate in Pacific HIV/AIDS fightAudio

Updated 30/08/2010 09:39:13

The high-level advocacy organisation Pacific Friends of the Global Fund helps mobilise regional awareness of the threats posed by HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria to societies and economies in the Pacific.

Prayers for impoverished as UN health meet beginsAudio

Updated 30/08/2010 09:39:13

The official opening for the 63rd annual United Nations Department of Public Information and Non-Governmental Organisations conference gets underway later this morning in Melbourne with the slogan 'Making Health Global'.

'Strange' royalty moves NZ politician to call for republicAudio

Updated 30/08/2010 09:39:11

New Zealand's former Deputy Prime Minister Michael Cullen is calling for NZ to move gradually towards a republic in an about-face to his monachist past.

Pacific groups focus on progress towards achieving MDGsAudio

Updated 30/08/2010 17:30:08

Across the Pacific, non government organisations are taking an increasingly prominent role in supporting and ensuring community health and development.

UN call to double efforts on MDGsAudio

Updated 30/08/2010 17:30:08

As the 2015 deadline to achieve the Millennium Development Goals looms, the pressure is on world leaders, NGOs and civil society to redouble their efforts to hit the targets.

Global fight against HIV still faces major legal obstaclesAudio

Updated 30/08/2010 17:30:08

The United Nations has taken its international NGO Conference on the road for a third successive year.

New strategy to combat malaria in PNGAudioTranscript

Updated 30/08/2010 17:30:08

The mosquito-borne disease malaria is often associated with countries with high poverty rates - especially those in the tropics.

Tiny Tokelau's smart strategies of waste disposalAudio

Updated 27/08/2010 08:39:55

Tokelau has just ten square kilometres of land with about 1,500 people living there, making waste disposal by landfill a big challenge.

Sex tourism on the rise in Papua New GuineaAudio

Updated 27/08/2010 08:39:55

There are serious concerns sex tourism is on the rise in Papua New Guinea as laws tighten in Asia and sex tourists target underpoliced Pacific nations.

Traditional Vanuatu villagers practice disaster plansAudio

Updated 27/08/2010 08:39:55

Communities living traditional lifestyles in Vanuatu have just completed a three year program on disaster risk management.

Pacific journalists train to spot development storiesAudio

Updated 27/08/2010 08:39:55

A week-long regional Millennium Development Goals workshop for journalists on development reporting titled 'Spicing up the Serious Issues' has seen the region's journalists training to assist Pacific countries realise the need to collectively work together towards achieving MDG targets.

Fiji police commissioner stands downAudioTranscript

Updated 27/08/2010 08:39:55

Fiji's controversial police commissioner, Naval Commodore Esala Teleni, has resigned just a month after a journalist in Fiji was detained for reporting that this was a possibility.

Scientists suggest fast food outlets offer fat-burning pillAudio

Updated 27/08/2010 08:39:51

A team of UK cardiologists say fast food outlets should consider offering cholesterol-lowering pills, or statins, to combat the risk of heart disease from fatty junk food.

UNAIDS warns PNG against complacencyAudio

Updated 27/08/2010 17:15:22

The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV and AIDS -- or UNAIDS -- has urged Papua New Guinea to educate its young population to help stem the epidemic in the country.

US call centre company eyes SamoaAudioTranscript

Updated 27/08/2010 17:15:23

A major United States communications company has approached the Samoan government about the possibility of establishing a call-centre.

PNG NGOs reject any government controlAudioTranscript

Updated 27/08/2010 17:15:23

Non-government organisations in Papua New Guinea have rejected a call by Mining Minister John Pundari for the government to consider setting up a body to monitor NGOs in the country.

Remoteness endangers Pitcairn healthAudioTranscript

Updated 27/08/2010 17:15:22

Pitcairn Island's remote location makes it hard for its people to access health services.

'Fijian' references replaced with 'i Taukei' by interim govtAudioTranscript

Updated 26/08/2010 09:22:07

Fiji's interim government wants the Fijian demonym "i Taukei" to replace the name for native Fijians in all written laws.

PNG's Goroka Uni returns to normal after boycottAudio

Updated 26/08/2010 09:22:07

The University of Goroka in Papua New Guinea is back in business training trainee teachers after a prolonged student boycott early this year.

Construction boom pressuring PNG economic balanceAudioTranscript

Updated 26/08/2010 09:22:07

One of the heads of Papua New Guinea's national superannuation fund has raised concerns about the construction boom in Port Moresby overheating the economy.

Dwindling phosphate resources pressure food suppliesAudio

Updated 26/08/2010 09:22:07

Australian researchers have warned that the scarcity of phosphate fertiliser will be a major threat to world food supplies and could spark conflicts.

ETimor accepts Chinese funding to build military HQAudioTranscript

Updated 26/08/2010 09:22:07

China has been working hard to spread its diplomatic influence throughout the Pacific, and nearby East Timor has now joined a long list of countries receiving many of the benefits.

Ageing farmers behind developed world rural crisisAudioTranscript

Updated 26/08/2010 09:22:06

It is an idea that has attracted global interest - a robotic suit that helps elderly Japanese farmers - but it is one that has also highlighted the problems of an ageing rural population.

Communal tension high in the PNG town of BuloloAudio

Updated 26/08/2010 16:59:26

Ethnic tensions are high in Bulolo town in PNG's Morobe Province between locals and settlers from the Sepik region.

IFC launches new Pacific microfinance initiativeAudioTranscript

Updated 26/08/2010 16:59:26

The International Finance Corporation, a member of the World Bank group, has launched a new microfinance initiative for the Pacific.

Baby selling on rise in PNGAudioTranscript

Updated 26/08/2010 16:59:26

A family welfare agency in Papua New Guinea says baby-selling is rising at an alarming rate in the country.

New Solomon Islands MP dies suddenlyAudio

Updated 26/08/2010 16:59:27

The newly elected member of the Solomon Islands parliament for Shortlands in the Western Province, Steve Laore, has died in Honiara.

Feral deer, pigs destroying New Caledonian pastureAudioTranscript

Updated 25/08/2010 07:40:50

New Caledonia is facing major environmental and economic issues with deer and wild pig populations rising to plague proportions.

Newly empowered Australian MPs consider radical ideasAudioTranscript

Updated 25/08/2010 07:40:50

The three independents and a new Greens MP who are set to hold the balance of power in Australia's parliament seem ready to force some big policy changes.

Meth, illicit drug use a crisis in Indigenous AustraliaAudioTranscript

Updated 25/08/2010 07:40:50

Australia's Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population is on the brink of a mental health crisis according to an Indigenous spokeswoman in north Queensland.

Strong new laws to curb alcohol abuse in NZAudioTranscript

Updated 25/08/2010 07:40:50

Health authorities in New Zealand say alcohol kills about 1,000 New Zealanders every year, and this week the government outlined just how it proposes to tackle the deadly culture of binge drinking.

Cooks govt promises referendum with November electionAudioTranscript

Updated 25/08/2010 07:40:50

Cook Islanders are gearing up for an election in November 17, and the country's cabinet has promised a referendum on parliamentary reforms which could hopefully fix the deadlock which has seen parliament suspended for months.

NRL chief to personally survey PNG team bidAudioTranscript

Updated 25/08/2010 07:40:49

The head of Australia's National Rugby League will visit Papua New Guinea to examine the country's bid to have a team in the competition.

Record Pacific catch sees Japan raise fears for skipjack tunaAudioTranscript

Updated 25/08/2010 16:46:14

New scientific research shows the tuna catch in the Pacific hit another record high in 2009, coming in at over 2.4 million tonnes.

Concerns over build-up of illegal firearms in PNGAudio

Updated 25/08/2010 16:39:23

The Papua New Guinea government has been urged to wake up to reality and address the unrestricted build-up of illegal firearms in the country.

Fiji claims Murdoch papers are targeting themAudioTranscript

Updated 25/08/2010 16:39:23

The Fiji government has accused an Australian newspaper chain of deliberately trying to harm the country with negative reporting.

Danny Philip elected as Solomon Islands prime ministerAudioTranscript

Updated 25/08/2010 16:39:23

Three weeks after voting was held in the Solomon Islands national elections, Danny Philip has been elected as the country's new Prime Minister.

Pacific police chiefs worried by transnational crimeAudio

Updated 25/08/2010 16:39:22

Transnational crime, including people smuggling, is concerning police forces around the region.

Pressure group aims to stop foreign sale of NZ farmsAudioTranscript

Updated 24/08/2010 07:35:36

The sale of agricultural land to foreign investors continues to be a hot political issue in New Zealand.

Another quake shakes Guam to no ill effectAudio

Updated 24/08/2010 07:35:36

Guam's run of earthquake scares continues with an earthquake measuring 5-point-5 in magnitude felt around 11am Monday local time.

Solomons police await permission to question RAMSI TongansAudioTranscript

Updated 24/08/2010 07:35:36

There are reports that Tonga is expected to decide today whether to waive immunity for its soldiers allegedly involved in a fatal shooting that killed a civilian in Solomon Islands earlier this month.

Nauru president says state of emergency necessaryAudioTranscript

Updated 24/08/2010 07:35:36

Nauru's opposition is considering taking the government to court following the president's decision to extend the state of emergency for further three weeks.

UN's Beijing Plus-15 report accepted by Pacific womenAudio

Updated 24/08/2010 07:35:35

We look now at the outcomes from last week's 11th Triennial Conference of Pacific Women in New Caledonia which we previewed last week on Pacific Beat.

Inquiry into spate of Tongan prison escapesAudioTranscript

Updated 24/08/2010 16:41:10

An inquiry is going to be held into a recent upsurge in the number of inmates escaping from Tonga's prison.

FFA's beefed up fisheries surveillance hits illegal fishingAudioTranscript

Updated 24/08/2010 16:41:10

A 7-day multi-country air and sea surveillance operation co-ordinated by the Forum Fisheries Agency has been declared a success after catching just 2 foreign vessels fishing illegally in Pacific waters.

Solomon Islands to have a new PM tomorrowAudio

Updated 24/08/2010 16:41:10

By mid-day tomorrow, Solomon Islands should have a new Prime Minister.

Pacific student clubs in Australia face difficultiesAudioTranscript

Updated 24/08/2010 16:41:09

Pacific Islands student clubs in Australia are struggling to survive.

New Zealand's Black Ferns blitz South AfricaAudio

Updated 23/08/2010 09:33:12

Fiji to host 2011 Asia Pac golf tournamentAudio

Updated 23/08/2010 09:33:12

Fiji will host next year's Asia Pacific confederation golf tournament.

Beached whales buried after mass stranding in New ZealandAudio

Updated 23/08/2010 09:33:12


Rescuers have helped save the lives of a number of whales after a mass stranding on New Zealand's Karikari beach in the country's north.

Droughts in Sth Hemisphere contribute to climate change: scientistsAudio

Updated 23/08/2010 09:33:13

Scientists blame large scale droughts over the past decade for a significant decline in the total number of plants soaking up carbon.

PNG women sell babies at marketAudioTranscript

Updated 23/08/2010 09:33:13

In Papua New Guinea, there are calls for a nationwide campaign of awareness about unwanted pregnancy with reports two young women sold their babies at a market.

Paris summons French Polynesian leadersAudio

Updated 23/08/2010 09:33:13

French Polynesia's leaders have been summoned to Paris for talks to try to resolve the ongoing political instability in the territory.

Australia in political limboAudioTranscript

Updated 23/08/2010 09:33:13

Australia's political future remains undecided today with the weekend election producing no final result and leaving the two major parties to haggle with minority MPs for support to form a government.

Solomon Islanders set to learn who'll lead the countryAudioTranscript

Updated 23/08/2010 09:33:13

Solomon Islands' newly elected parliamentarians have until Wednesday to decide who they want as their next prime minister.

Leeds and Warrington post impressive Rugby winsAudio

Updated 23/08/2010 09:33:10


There were some impressive results from the weekend's Rugby played in Europe, with Leeds and the Warrington Wolves leading the charge.

Aussies and Kiwis buying property in FijiAudio

Updated 23/08/2010 16:40:33

Australians and New Zealanders are increasingly buying holiday homes in Fiji, despite the country being subjected to targeted sanctions by Canberra and Wellington.

RAMSI ready to work with new Solomon Islands govtAudioTranscript

Updated 23/08/2010 16:40:33

With the election of the next Solomon Islands Prime Minister on Wednesday, the high level of security that has been in place before voting was held earlier this month, will start to wind down.

Pacific tuna cartel essential to save fish stocksAudioTranscript

Updated 23/08/2010 16:40:33

One of the region's tuna industry players believes it is possible for the Pacific Islands to act as a tuna cartel - which could successfully conserve fish stocks and increase income from this valuable resource.

Australia in for long political settlement waitAudioTranscript

Updated 23/08/2010 17:24:22

There's an air of caution in Australia as the country settles in for a long wait to see the shape of a new government.

Australian Judge orders woman to give evidence without niqabAudioTranscript

Updated 20/08/2010 08:54:35

A judge in Western Australia has ruled that a Muslim woman cannot give evidence in court with her face covered.

WWII spies reunite but struggle to find place in historyAudioTranscript

Updated 20/08/2010 08:54:35

Some secrets take a very long time to emerge.

World's biodiversity champions meet in Nadi ahead of Japan talksAudio

Updated 20/08/2010 08:54:35


Countries attending the 1992 Earth Summit in Rio De Janeiro recognised the world's biodiversity needed to be preserved and action had to be taken.

Tweets and buses on Australian election campaignAudioTranscript

Updated 20/08/2010 08:54:35

Australia's prime minister Julia Gillard has delivered her final set piece campaign speech before voters go to the polls on Saturday to decide her fate.

Remains of extinct Pacific turtle found in VanuatuAudioTranscript

Updated 20/08/2010 08:54:35

Scientists have discovered fossilised remains of a giant, horned turtle that once lived on the island of Efate in Vanuatu.

Australian election tipped to be a close contestAudio

Updated 20/08/2010 08:54:35

As Australia decides on its next prime minister, the latest poll is suggesting it will be an extremely tight contest between the ruling Labor Party of Julia Gillard and the Liberal/National Coalition of Tony Abbott.

Fiji welcomes overtures made by the Australian OppositionAudioTranscript

Updated 20/08/2010 08:54:35

Fiji has welcomed an intention by Australia's federal opposition to engage with Fiji if it wins the election on August 21st.

38% of Kiwis support compulsory Maori language in schoolsAudioTranscript

Updated 20/08/2010 17:30:18

New Zealand's Maori Language Commissioner says he's pleasantly surprised to find a large minority of people support the idea of Maori being a compulsory subject in schools.

Australian election contest comes down to the wireAudio

Updated 20/08/2010 17:30:18

With campaigning virtually over, Australians look set to deliver one of the closest general election results in Australia's history.

Two candidates for Solomon Islands Prime MinisterAudio

Updated 20/08/2010 17:30:18

At the close of nomination this afternoon for Solomon Islands' next prime minister, two candidates have been nominated.

Stranded whales die in New ZealandAudioTranscript

Updated 20/08/2010 17:30:16

Fifty eight whales are stranded on a beach in the north of New Zealand and already forty three are dead.

Unique double quake responsible for deadly Pacific tsunamiAudioTranscript

Updated 19/08/2010 09:42:15

Many communities in Samoa, American Samoa and some in Tonga are still recovering from the deadly tsunami that devastated parts of the region last September.

Calls for a population-wide typhoid vaccination program for FijiAudioTranscript

Updated 19/08/2010 09:42:15

The incidence of typhoid in Fiji is on the rise following floods and poor sanitation conditions in some villages.

Pacific Island youth say Australian police can be racist: studyAudio

Updated 19/08/2010 09:42:15

A new study of young Pacific Islander and African youth living in Australia has found many young people believe members of the police force are racist.

Fijian asylum-seekers accuse Australia of hypocrisyAudio

Updated 19/08/2010 09:42:15

Australia is being accused of harbouring double standards in relation to Fiji.

Australian Greens Party defends climate change policy decisionAudio

Updated 19/08/2010 09:42:14

The Australian Greens Party stands to make significant gains in the country's election on Saturday, if public opinion polls are accurate.

New study compares US, Australian attitudes to migrantsAudio

Updated 19/08/2010 17:15:42

The United States has a much bigger problem compared to Australia with illegal immigrants, but a new study has found they're less worried about it.

Call for Pacific business to help Guam during US military build-upAudioTranscript

Updated 19/08/2010 17:15:42

Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands are calling on Pacific Island businesses to bid for some of the lucrative contracts on offer as part of the United States military build-up on their islands.

Tonga democracy movement leader suspended from ParliamentAudio

Updated 19/08/2010 17:15:42

The leader of Tonga's Human Rights and Democracy Movement, Akilisi Pohiva, has been suspended from Parliament for two weeks.

Tension brewing on Easter IslandAudio

Updated 19/08/2010 17:15:42

Tension is brewing on Rapanui also known as Easter Island, where for almost a fortnight indigenous communities have been occupying dozens of local government buildings.

East Timor keeps door open to asylum seeker centreAudio

Updated 19/08/2010 17:15:41

East Timor's Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao hasn't closed the door on Labor's proposal to set up a processing centre for asylum seekers in his country.

Australia's opposition leader outlines views on overseas travelAudioTranscript

Updated 18/08/2010 09:39:30

In the closing days of Australia's federal election campaign opposition leader Tony Abbott has outlined his view of when Australian Prime Minister's should travel abroad.

H1N1 pandemic over but cases in New Zealand on the riseAudioTranscript

Updated 18/08/2010 09:39:30

The World Health Organisation has declared the swine flu pandemic over, but in the number of deaths from the H1N1 virus has risen to six.

Fiji's isolation linked to stalled PACER Plus negotiations.AudioTranscript

Updated 18/08/2010 09:39:31

The Pacific Islands Forum Leaders want the Forum's Ministerial Action Group to work out a way to get Fiji involved in the talks over the proposed regional free trade and economic integration treaty, PACER Plus.

One camp claims success in Solomon Islands leadership negotiationsAudioTranscript

Updated 18/08/2010 09:39:31

In Solomon Islands the battle to form government has taken an interesting twist.

Poor road conditions possibly behind fatal car accident in PNGAudio

Updated 18/08/2010 09:39:26

In Papua New Guinea a fatal crash on the Highlands Highway, has left two men dead.

Women's legal and human rights on the agenda at Noumea conferenceAudio

Updated 18/08/2010 09:39:26

The 11th Triennial Conference of Pacific Women is under way in New Caledonia to review progress on promoting women in the region since the last meeting three years ago.

Contrarian view on China set to dominate US in AsiaAudioTranscript

Updated 18/08/2010 17:02:23

Discussion of China's future is usually accompanied by speculation that the Middle Kingdom could be set to replace a declining America as the dominant power in Asia.

Tuvalu pleased with campaign against domestic violence.AudioTranscript

Updated 18/08/2010 17:02:23

Police in Tuvalu are happy with their domestic violence awareness campaigns.

PNG Unions oppose outsider to head correctional servicesAudio

Updated 18/08/2010 17:02:23

Papua New Guinea's trade unions are strongly against moves by the government to bring in an expatriate to head the country's correctional services.

PIANGO welcomes Forum S-G's call for partnershipAudioTranscript

Updated 18/08/2010 17:02:23

The Pacific Islands Association of Non-government Organisations has welcomed comments by the Pacific Islands Forum Secretary-General calling for more dialogue with civil society.

Claims in Australia that living in city better than remote areasAudio

Updated 18/08/2010 17:02:22

Despite the air pollution, the noise, the faster pace of life and more fast food outlets, it seems that living in the city is still better for your health than living in the clean country air.

New Caledonia celebrates Aboriginal and Torres Strait cultureAudioTranscript

Updated 17/08/2010 08:59:43

In New Caledonia each year, the Australian general consulate promotes Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture, coinciding with NAIDOC week.

NZ climate change sceptics 'hot under the collar'Audio

Updated 17/08/2010 08:59:43

Climate change sceptics are a little hot under the collar in New Zealand and have headed to the High Court to challenge the government's official temperature records.

Guam's governor still to decide his future after gubernatorialsAudio

Updated 17/08/2010 08:59:43


The governor of Guam, Felix Camacho's term is coming to an end with the gubernatorial elections being held in November.

Australian Labor Leader launches her party's election campaignAudioTranscript

Updated 17/08/2010 08:59:43

It's late in the race, but Australia's Labor Party has officially launched its campaign for re-election this Saturday.

Solomon Islanders await the formation of a new governmentAudioTranscript

Updated 17/08/2010 08:59:44

In the Solomon Islands netional elections, attention has shifted to when the Governor General Frank Kabui will call a meeting of MPs to elect the country's next prime minister.

Australian researchers find a link between obesity and diabetesAudioTranscript

Updated 17/08/2010 08:59:44

Obesity is one the leading causes of preventable deaths in Pacific countries and Now Australian scientists have made a breakthrough in establishing a link between obesity and diabetes.

Sand stolen from Fiji beaches for constructionAudio

Updated 17/08/2010 16:54:12

A dispute over the traditional ownership of a sand pit in Fiji has led to people raiding beaches for sand late at night.

Australian miner in PNG eyes deep sea tailingsAudioTranscript

Updated 17/08/2010 16:54:12

Australian based-Marengo Mining says it plans to dump mine waste from its proposed Yandera Gold and Copper mine into the pristine Basamuk Bay in Papua New Guinea's Madang province.

Horse trading in Solomons politics on for PM's electionAudio

Updated 17/08/2010 16:54:12

The newly elected members of the Solomon Islands national parliament will meet week to elect a new prime minister who will form a new government.

Tonga not yet prepared to lift immunity of its soldiers in SolomonsAudioTranscript

Updated 17/08/2010 16:54:12

The Tongan government is not yet prepared to lift the immunity of its soldiers who were involved in the shooting death of a Solomon Islands man recently.

Wide-ranging exclusive interview with the Forum's Sec GenAudioTranscript

Updated 17/08/2010 16:54:12

In the lead-up to the Pacific Islands Forum in Port Vila, earlier this month, there was criticism of the way regional development initiatives, such as the Pacific Plan, are being implemented.

Mother's love impacts directly on mental healthAudioTranscript

Updated 17/08/2010 08:59:43

Researchers say a long-running study has found a mother's love towards an infant has a direct impact on the mental health of their children when they reach adulthood.

WHO: Drug resistant TB threatens Western Pacific regionAudio

Updated 17/08/2010 08:59:43

The World Health Organisation is warning against complacency in the fight against tuberculosis.

PNG government and LNG developers unhappy with landowner disruptionsAudioTranscript

Updated 17/08/2010 08:59:44

The developers of Papua New Guinea's multi-billion dollar Liquefied Natural Gas or LNG project have raised concerns about landowners preventing construction work on the project's gas plants.

East Timor going ahead with planned oil and gas hubAudio

Updated 16/08/2010 16:43:13

East Timor says it will go ahead with a planned four billion dollar oil and gas hub on its southern coast by the end of this year whether Woodside Petroleum is committed to onshore gas processing or not.

England gets ready for the Rugby Union World CupAudio

Updated 16/08/2010 09:16:21


England gets ready for the 2011 Rugby Union World Cup with back to back Tests against Wales and a showdown with Ireland.

Cockatoo plague wreaks havoc in Australia's Far North QldAudioTranscript

Updated 16/08/2010 09:16:21

There might be a lot of sqwarking coming out of Canberra at the moment but locals from one Far North Queensland town say its nothing compared the noise they're enduring.

Book refutes claims Nauru is a simple solution to asylum seekersAudioTranscript

Updated 16/08/2010 09:16:21

A new book "The Pacific Solution", about Nauru's detention centres, refutes the claims that it would be a simple task to re-open them.

PNG diplomat cautions Australian opposition on bilateral relationsAudioTranscript

Updated 16/08/2010 09:16:21

Australia's opposition says its promise to have a separate minister for aid, if it wins the August 21 election, is a measure of its commitment to the Pacific.

The NZ Coroner wants more open discussion on suicideAudioTranscript

Updated 16/08/2010 09:16:21


In Australia and New Zealand, the number of people committing suicide exceeds the road toll.

A strong earthquake hits PNGAudio

Updated 16/08/2010 09:16:21

A strong 6 point 3-magnitude earthquake has struck the Pacific nation of Papua New Guinea.

Samoa optimistic about new tuna loining plant for SavaiiAudio

Updated 16/08/2010 09:16:22

Samoa is investigating the possibility of setting up a tuna loining plant on the island of Savaii - a project that would create 1200 new jobs.

All 50 seats in Solomon Islands elections have now been declaredAudio

Updated 16/08/2010 09:16:25

All 50 seats in the Solomon Islands elections have now been declared.

Former Australian foreign minister criticised over Nauru discussionsAudioTranscript

Updated 16/08/2010 09:16:25

Australia's former foreign minister Alexander Downer is facing criticism for his level of engagement in domestic politics, while in the role of U-N special envoy to Cyprus.

Solomon Islands win the Oceania Footsals in SuvaAudio

Updated 16/08/2010 09:16:19

The Solomon Islands has won the Oceania Footsal Championships.

Lobbying underway to form new Solomons governmentAudioTranscript

Updated 16/08/2010 16:43:14

In the Solomon Islands national elections, attention has shifted to when the Governor General Frank Kabui will call the meeting of MP's to elect the country's next prime minister.

PNG villagers comfort friends and family of Kokoda plane crash victimsAudioTranscript

Updated 13/08/2010 09:09:11

Some families of nine Australians who died in a plane crash near the Kokoda Trail in Papua New Guinea have been embraced by villagers in traditional mourning fashion on the first anniversary of the fatal crash.

SPREP celebrates 10 years in Samoa officeAudio

Updated 13/08/2010 09:09:11

The Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Program is celebrating 10 years in its existing premises in Apia, Samoa.

Statistics invaluable resource for improving development programsAudio

Updated 13/08/2010 09:09:11

Governments and non-government organisations are discovering that statistics can provide solutions for a whole range of social issues.

China unlikely to replace Australia as Fijian aid partner: academicAudio

Updated 13/08/2010 09:09:11

Fiji's military leader Frank Bainimarama wants to ditch traditional ties with Australia, New Zealand and the United States, and align more closely with China.

Australia's opposition outlines foreign policyAudioTranscript

Updated 13/08/2010 09:09:12

Australia's opposition foreign affairs spokeswoman Julie Bishop has announced the Liberal Party would have a separate ministry and department for aid if it is elected in August's national election.

Australia's government outlines foreign policyAudioTranscript

Updated 13/08/2010 09:09:12

Australia's very close general election is now just over a week away and foreign policy generally, and the Pacific in particular, have barely rated a mention.

Pacific Islands Forum calls for foreign investment in the regionAudioTranscript

Updated 13/08/2010 09:09:12

The Pacific Islands Forum Secretary-General Tuiloma Neroni Slade has told foreign investors that they are vital to the Pacific's push to meet the millennium development goals.

Solomon Islands waits as election results finalisedAudio

Updated 13/08/2010 09:09:12

Nine days after the Solomon Islands election, there's still no word on who's likely to form a government to lead the country for the next four years.

Samoa optimistic about new tuna loining plant for SavaiiAudio

Updated 13/08/2010 16:45:48

Samoa is investigating the possibility of setting up a tuna loining plant on the island of Savaii - a project that would create 1200 new jobs.

PNG diplomat cautions Australian opposition on bilateral relationsAudioTranscript

Updated 13/08/2010 16:45:48

Australia's opposition says its promise to have a separate minister for aid, if it wins the August 21 election, is a measure of its commitment to the Pacific.

Solomon Islands capital calm in wake of shooting deathAudio

Updated 13/08/2010 16:45:48

There's been a calm reaction to the shooting death of a Solomon Islands man by soldiers attached to the regional assistance mission, RAMSI.

NZ University pledges 100 Pacific PhD students by 2020Audio

Updated 12/08/2010 08:16:14

A New Zealand University is trying hoping to have 100 Pacific PhD students enrolled by 2020.

UN panel investigates Australia over alleged human rights abusesAudioTranscript

Updated 12/08/2010 08:16:15

Australia has appeared before a United Nations panel in Geneva, accused of human rights violations against its indigenous people and asylum seekers.

Old bombs cause havoc in Pacific communitiesAudioTranscript

Updated 12/08/2010 08:16:15

Sixty-five years after the end of World War Two unexploded bombs are still causing intermittent havoc in communities across the Pacific.

Unemployed Fijian's start government trainingAudio

Updated 12/08/2010 08:16:15

More than six hundred unemployed Fijian's have started a program the government is calling "life long skills training".

Vanuatu hit by magnitude six aftershockAudio

Updated 12/08/2010 08:16:15

Vanuatu has been shaken by a magnitude six aftershock, a day after being hit by a 7.5 magnitude quake.

New pacific media association says it won't replace PINAAudio

Updated 12/08/2010 08:16:15

The organisation setting itself up as an alternative to the Pacific Islands News Association has held its first meeting in Samoa.

A new LNG project on the cards for PNGAudio

Updated 12/08/2010 08:16:14

There's news from Papua New Guinea this week of another possible LNG project.

Fiji leader wrong about help from Australia and NZAudio

Updated 12/08/2010 17:16:33

Fiji interim prime minister Frank Bainimarama is wrong to suggest that Fiji gets little help from Australia, New Zealand and the United States, according to a regional political expert.

Australian government and opposition foreign policy focusAudioTranscript

Updated 12/08/2010 17:16:33

A short time ago Australia's federal labor party and the opposition coalition outlined their foreign policies at the national press club in Canberra.

RAMSI soldiers shoot dead Solomon IslanderAudioTranscript

Updated 12/08/2010 17:16:33

Troops from the Regional Assistance Mission in Solomon Islands have shot dead a local man and wounded another.

Pacific Islands Forum wants investors in the regionAudio

Updated 12/08/2010 17:16:33

The Pacific Islands Forum Secretary-General Tuiloma Neroni Slade has told foreign investors that they are vital to the Pacific's push to meet the millennium development goals.

Rudd damned for foreign policy as he lands UN climate jobAudio

Updated 11/08/2010 08:41:57

Australia's former prime minister, Kevin Rudd, continues his political re-emergence with a new appointment to a high level climate change panel working with the United Nations.

Treatment of West Papua, Taiwan dismay some forum leadersAudio

Updated 11/08/2010 08:41:57

Supporters of West Papua's independence movement were disappointed the issue of autonomy was not on the agenda at the recent Pacific Islands Forum meeting in Vanuatu.

Minister charged with PNG shooting makes bailAudio

Updated 11/08/2010 08:41:57

Papua New Guinea's culture and tourism minister, Guma Wau, has been released on bail and is expected to appear in court later this week on attempted murder charges.

Women fail to gain any seats in Solomons pollAudio

Updated 11/08/2010 08:41:57

Counting is not yet complete in the Solomon Islands election, but there is one result that is already certain - no women will be represented in the national parliament this time around.

Machinations within PNG's National Alliance PartyAudio

Updated 11/08/2010 16:09:56

The dust appears to have settled after last month's moves to topple the Papua New Guinea Prime Minister Sir Michael Somare, or has it?

Quake damage in Port Vila but ni-Vanuatu obey warningsAudio

Updated 11/08/2010 16:08:49

Yesterday afternoon a major 7-point-5 magnitude earthquake hit Vanuatu, generating a small tsunami and sending thousands of frightened people running for the hills.

New cricket chief puzzled why Australia's Howard overlookedAudioTranscript

Updated 11/08/2010 08:41:52

It was the former Australian Prime Minister John Howard's dream job, but the presidency of the International Cricket Council has now gone to a New Zealander who has neither led his country nor played cricket at an elite level.

NZ claims victory over Aust in the apple industry.Audio

Updated 11/08/2010 16:57:41

The New Zealand Government and its apple industry are claiming victory in a battle with Australia which goes back 90 years.

Should we eradicate malaria by exterminating all mosquitoes?AudioTranscript

Updated 11/08/2010 16:57:41

Should mankind attempt to eradicate malaria by simply wiping out the mosquitoes which carry the disease?

Australia announces tough new rules on timber importsAudioTranscript

Updated 11/08/2010 16:57:42

The Australian government has announced plans to introduce tough new rules on the sourcing of timber imports into Australia.

Unanswered questions in PNG's air crash investigationsAudio

Updated 11/08/2010 16:57:42

It's been a year today since an Airlines PNG plane crashed on its way to a landing strip near the Kokoda Trail, killing 13 people - including nine Australians.

Solomons PM survives electoral voteAudioTranscript

Updated 10/08/2010 07:48:45

The Solomon Islands' caretaker prime minister, Derek Sikua, has survived the electoral vote in this year's general elections but it is far from certain that he will have the numbers to form government and stay in the top job.

Palau organisers happy as Micronesian Games draws to closeAudioTranscript

Updated 10/08/2010 07:48:49

PART ONE--As the closing ceremony brings to an end this year's Micronesian Games in Palau the organising committee is feeling happy with what they have achieved.

Research tries to track aid to Pacific womenAudio

Updated 10/08/2010 07:48:49

Women play a large role in developing countries but little is known about how aid programs affect the lives of women in the Pacific.

Australian fisherman demand labeling of seafood originAudioTranscript

Updated 10/08/2010 07:48:49

Australia's fishing industry is demanding that retailers tell their consumers more about the origins of the cooked fish they serve.

Women's group addresses concerns in Guam impact statementAudio

Updated 10/08/2010 07:48:49

A women's group on Guam has launched a campaign to address issues related to the military buildup and how it affects women and children.

Candidates go head-to-head on Australian economyAudioTranscript

Updated 10/08/2010 07:48:49

Australia's Treasurer Wayne Swan and opposition treasury spokesman Joe Hockey have jousted during a nationally televised debate on economic policy less than two weeks before Australia's August the 21st poll.

Summit explores investment potential across PacificAudio

Updated 10/08/2010 07:48:50

The inaugural Pacific Islands Investment Summit gets underway on Thursday in Sydney, designed to promote private sector led economic growth across the region.

Neglected Micronesian sporting groups offered Palau helpAudio

Updated 10/08/2010 07:48:45

PART TWO--Today sees the closing ceremony of this year's Micronesian Games in Palau with the home team emerging as overall medal winners in terms of both gold and total haul.

Tonga and Palau have cheapest phone costsAudio

Updated 10/08/2010 16:19:22

Tonga and Palau are found to have the cheapest telecommunications in the Pacific.

Tongan women's centre opposes sending soldiers to AfghanistanAudioTranscript

Updated 10/08/2010 16:19:22

Tonga's Women's and Children's Crisis Centre opposes the island Kingdom sending troops to Afghanistan.

PNG culture minister faces attempted murder chargeAudio

Updated 10/08/2010 16:19:22

Police in the Papua New Guinea highlands have arrested and charged Culture and Tourism Minister, Guma Wau, for attempted murder.

Australia's Liberal party says government offended NauruAudioTranscript

Updated 10/08/2010 16:19:22

Australia's opposition Liberal party says the Gillard government has offended Nauru by refusing to contemplate the island state as a site for a proposed regional asylum seeker processing centre.

Fiji human rights activist leaves permanentlyAudioTranscript

Updated 10/08/2010 16:19:22

Fiji human rights activist Imrana Jalal has left the country permanently.

Network to roll out Oceania sport curriculumAudio

Updated 09/08/2010 09:08:35

The University of the South Pacific's network of 12 countries will be called upon to deliver the sports training curriculum for the Oceania National Olympic Committee.

Guam veteran dominates Micronesian Games wrestlingAudio

Updated 09/08/2010 09:08:36

Women's wrestling made its Micronesian Games debut in Palau last week with 24-year-old Olympian Maria Dunn of Guam easily winning two gold in Palau.

Huge haul for Guam spear divers at Micronesian GamesAudio

Updated 09/08/2010 09:08:36

The two-man Guam spear diving team blitzed the competition at the Micronesian Games in Palau over the weekend.

Fiji university harnessed to develop sport leadershipAudio

Updated 09/08/2010 09:08:36

The International Olympic Committee has vested its regional Pacific body to pen an agreement with Fiji's University of the South Pacific to roll-out new sport initiatives.

NZ welcomes home first fallen soldier from AfghanistanAudio

Updated 09/08/2010 09:08:36

New Zealand's first casulty of the war in Afghanistan, Lieutenant Tim O'Donnell, is back on home soil as condolences flood in and the debate is renewed about NZ's role there.

Small reactor a nuclear solution for CNMIAudioTranscript

Updated 09/08/2010 09:08:36

Clean, cheap electricity is how supporters of nuclear power describe their much maligned energy source, but how practical and efficient could nuclear power be for Pacific nations?

Voters oppose 'Big Australia'AudioTranscript

Updated 09/08/2010 09:08:36

Population growth is an issue on the minds of voters right across Australia with one survey finding conservative voters in regional Australia most likely to oppose a so-clled 'Big Australia'.

Australian oppn offers speedy economic, diplomatic solutionsAudio

Updated 09/08/2010 09:08:36

Officially launching his party's election campaign, Australia's Liberal party leader Tony Abbott has laid out a timetable for early economic and diplomatic action if he wins office.

Long serving Solomons MPs lose seats, voter anger boils overAudioTranscript

Updated 09/08/2010 09:08:37

UPDATE--Solomon Islands caretaker Prime Minister Dr Derek Sikua has regained his seat in parliament.

Leeds book super league Challenge Cup placeAudio

Updated 09/08/2010 09:08:35

Former super league premiers Leeds Rhinos have booked their first Challenge Cup appearance in eleven years, fighting off a team containing two former NZ stars in old foes St Helens.

NZ parliamentarians in Tonga to explain democracyAudio

Updated 09/08/2010 16:25:31

A delegation of parliamentarians from New Zealand is in Tonga this week, to help explain how democratic governance works in their country.

PNG economists suggest two sovereign wealth fundsAudio

Updated 09/08/2010 16:25:31

Papua New Guinea's National Research Institute says the country should have two separate funds established under its Sovereign Wealth Fund to manage revenues from its mining projects.

Forum leaders act on private sector concernsAudioTranscript

Updated 09/08/2010 16:25:32

This year's Pacific Islands Forum was the first to host a parallel meeting of private sector leaders.

Fiji gets its own version of FacebookAudioTranscript

Updated 09/08/2010 16:25:31

A internet based social network for Fiji citizens hopes it can emulate the success of Facebook.

Early Solomons election results show little changeAudio

Updated 06/08/2010 08:24:21

While counting in the Solomon Islands election won't be finished until August 8, four seats have already been announced.

Australia, Slovenia to face off in post World Cup friendlyAudio

Updated 06/08/2010 08:24:20

Australia's World Cup soccer players have had to pull on the boots again in short time for an upcoming friendly with Slovenia.

Islands with little land struggle with waste disposalAudio

Updated 06/08/2010 08:24:20

Every country the world generates waste - from left over food to yesterday's newspaper - but some countries are better at dealing with it than others.

Bikini Atoll bomb site gets world heritage statusAudioTranscript

Updated 06/08/2010 08:24:20

It has been described as "a monument and memorial to the dawn of the nuclear age" and now it has been inscribed on the World Heritage List.

No early reports of damage following PNG New Britain quakeAudio

Updated 06/08/2010 08:24:20

A large underwater magnitude 7 quake struck near the Papua New Guinea's island of New Britain, about 560 kilometers northeast of the capital, Port Moresby, on Thursday.

Emergence of Rudd re-energises Australian Labor campaignAudio

Updated 06/08/2010 08:24:20

Australian Labor Party strategists will likely be greatly relieved today as internal party tensions seem to have eased with the re-emergence of dumped leader Kevin Rudd.

No change in Fiji status at Pacific Islands ForumAudio

Updated 06/08/2010 08:24:20

The Pacific Islands Forum has wrapped up in Port Vila, Vanuatu, with no change on the suspension of Fiji from the group.

Crowds outside Solomons counting centres await resultsAudio

Updated 06/08/2010 08:24:21

This morning in Solomon Islands electoral officials will continue counting the votes cast during Wednesday's election.

PNG ruling party cancels convention, leadership fight escalatesAudioTranscript

Updated 06/08/2010 08:24:21

Papua New Guinea's Prime Minister Sir Michael Somare has abrogated the constitution of his National Alliance party with local media suggesting it will allow his son, Arthur, to assume the leadership without challenge.

Vanuatu to include climate change in environment legislationAudioTranscript

Updated 06/08/2010 17:13:02

Vanuatu is taking the bold step of trying to formally introducing climate change issues into the country's environment legislation.

Counting continues in Solomon Islands electionAudio

Updated 06/08/2010 17:13:02

Counting of votes is continuing in Solomon Islands following national general elections this week.

A wrap of the Pacific Islands Forum meeting in VanuatuAudio

Updated 06/08/2010 17:13:02

The Pacific Islands Forum leaders' summit has wrapped up, and the post forum dialogue with development partners is held today.

1993 report on Pacific future assessedAudio

Updated 06/08/2010 17:13:02

Seventeen years ago a series of academic reports on the future of the Pacific were released.

NZ PM announces missed deadline on poverty pledgeAudioTranscript

Updated 05/08/2010 09:13:11

New Zealand's prime minister has announced it will not be able to meet its 2015 poverty pledge deadline.

Palau island demonstrates visible climate changeAudio

Updated 05/08/2010 09:13:10

With the Pacific Forum Leaders meeting taking place in Vanuatu this week, concerns about global warming are high on the agenda.

Nation to stop and remember PNG philanthropist Sir Brian BellAudio

Updated 05/08/2010 09:13:10

Much of Papua New Guinea will pause today to remember a titan of the retail trade and philanthropist Sir Brian Bell whose funeral will be held today.

Poverty major contributor to rising tuberculosis levelsAudio

Updated 05/08/2010 09:13:10

Tuberculosis is a common and deadly disease in many developing countries which contributes significantly to the burden of infectious diseases among adults in the Pacific, and at a much higher rate than the average.

Australian PM embraces Rudd vision for Asia Pacific CommunityAudio

Updated 05/08/2010 09:13:11

There is still little to speak of on foreign policy from the Australian general election campaign but Julia Gillard says she embraces the vision of ousted Prime Minister Kevin Rudd for an Asia Pacific Community.

Nauru tries to extract itself from Australian electionAudioTranscript

Updated 05/08/2010 09:13:11

The Pacific Islands Forum is into its second day in Vanuatu under a cloud of diplomatic tension between Australian and Nauru over Canberra's off-shore asylum seeker processing policy.

Vote tally to begin in quiet Solomons electionAudio

Updated 05/08/2010 09:13:11

Counting will get underway this morning following yesterday's national elections in Solomon Islands.

Frank, Uncensored reveals Fiji's coup leaderAudioTranscript

Updated 05/08/2010 09:13:11

SPECIAL FEATURE--Viewers in Australia and on Australia Network television have witnessed a remarkable documentary on Fiji's interim prime minister and coup leader Frank Bainimarama which we have previewed previously here on Pacific Beat.

Appetite for information at Palau's Micronesian GamesAudio

Updated 05/08/2010 09:13:09

The Palau games' organising committee administration and ceremonies officer Baklai Temengil has been reflecting on the difference between the 7th Micronesian Games and the event hosted by Palau 12 years ago.

An exclusive interview with Fiji's Commodore Frank BainimaramaAudioTranscript

Updated 05/08/2010 12:32:46

WEB ONLY FEATURE--This is the uncut audio and transcript of the exclusive interview which Philippa McDonald conducted with Fiji's interim Prime Minister Commodore Frank Bainimarama for the ABC's Foreign Correspondent program.

Vote counting underway in Solomon IslandsAudio

Updated 05/08/2010 16:23:06

Vote counting is now underway in Solomon Islands after this week's general election.

Fiji cane farmers warn sugar harvest is being lostAudio

Updated 05/08/2010 16:23:06

Sugar cane farmers in Fiji are worried that inefficient crushing mills are costing them money.

Tonga sets up inquiry into judicial interferenceAudio

Updated 05/08/2010 16:23:06

The Tongan government is setting up a Royal Commission of Inquiry into allegations it has tried to unduly influence the independence of the country's judiciary.

Australian Greens want visa for Pacific climate refugeesAudio

Updated 05/08/2010 16:23:07

The Australian Greens have released an election policy on the Pacific, calling for a new humanitarian visa for Pacific islanders threatened by climate change and a fairer approach to free trade negotiations with the region.

Japan's love for reggae musicAudio

Updated 05/08/2010 16:23:02

Thirty years after reggae superstar Bob Marley first toured the country, Japan's love affair with reggae music has spawned a multi-million dollar industry.

Micronesian Games preparing Palau kids for leadershipAudio

Updated 04/08/2010 10:13:45

As the Micronesian Games settle into a daily pattern of excitement and sporting drama, the chairman of the Micronesian Games organising committee and president of the National Olympic Committee, Frank Kyota, has been reflecting on why Palau should again be hosting such a major event.

Labor govt questions Australian opposition's aid sumsAudio

Updated 04/08/2010 10:13:45

Australia's election campaign has so far been a frugal one with both sides offsetting any new spending with savings.

Mothers of HIV babies failed in prenatal careAudio

Updated 04/08/2010 10:13:45

Three babies have been diagnosed with HIV this year in Fiji and the Ministry of Health believes the mothers of the babies did not keep up-to-date with their prenatal care.

Pacific children's court justices explore new modelsAudio

Updated 04/08/2010 10:13:45

Some of the Pacific's most senior judges have been meeting in Australia to look at innovative community and family-based ways of tackling juvenile crime.

Elections, political instability keep leaders from forumAudio

Updated 04/08/2010 10:13:45

Questions are being raised about how effective the Pacific Islands Forum summit will be with the absence of several key leaders.

Solomons electoral chair confident voters maturingAudio

Updated 04/08/2010 10:13:45

In many ways the man who holds responsibility for this election is the chairman of the Electoral Commission, Sir Peter Kenilorea, who is also the current speaker of the house and Solomon Islands' first ever prime minister.

Polling calm and underway in Solomons electionAudio

Updated 04/08/2010 10:13:45

As voting gets underway in Solomon Islands' national election, corruption is one of the key issues expected to swing voters at the polls as constituents say they are disappointed with previous government efforts to control graft.

Voters happy with Solomon Islands election securityAudio

Updated 04/08/2010 10:13:46

The polling booths have now opened in Solomon Islands as the nation holds its national elections.

Young Nauruans dream of AFL draftAudio

Updated 04/08/2010 10:13:45

Australians love their football, but Nauru takes its love of the Australian Football League to a whole new level.

Parties vie for Australian food policy high groundAudioTranscript

Updated 04/08/2010 10:13:45

Simmering concerns about food security have prompted the governing Australian Labor party to add a national food policy to its list of election promises.

Indonesia is urged for political settlement with PapuaAudioTranscript

Updated 04/08/2010 17:18:57

A new report from the International Crisis Group is urging Indonesia to reach a political settlement with Papua province.

Questions asked in PNG about use of trust fundsAudioTranscript

Updated 04/08/2010 17:18:57

As we heard earlier on Radio Australia, the Asian Development Bank has accused Papua New Guinea of raiding the nation's trust funds last year, despite PNG being relatively cushioned from the Global Economic Crisis.

Solomon islands elections going smoothlyAudio

Updated 04/08/2010 17:18:57

Solomon Islanders have gone to the polls today to elect a new parliament.

Pacific Forum meeting opens without mentioning FijiAudio

Updated 04/08/2010 17:18:57

The 41st Pacific Islands Forum meeting officially opened today in the Vanuatu Capital, Port Vila without any mention of Fiji in the Secretary General's speech.

New TV documentary to reveal sides to Fiji's BainimaramaAudio

Updated 03/08/2010 09:35:38

Fiji's leader is trying to promote an image of himself as a family man who is dedicated to his country, not as a military dictator.

Cross-state legal hurdles delay Hawaii garbage dumpAudio

Updated 03/08/2010 09:35:39

A US District Court judge's recent decision to grant a temporary restraining order barring shipment of Honolulu garbage to a Washington landfill is making news in Hawaii.

Gender equality lags across PacificAudio

Updated 03/08/2010 09:35:39

The Secretariat of the Pacific Community says gender equality across the Pacific is too slow considering the number of years national governments and regional groups have been tackling issues such as violence against women.

State backs most of Australian bushfire reportAudioTranscript

Updated 03/08/2010 09:35:39

The government in the Australian state of Victoria has offered qualified support for most of the recommendations of the newly-released Royal Commission into the state's deadly 2009 bushfires.

Opposition proposes cuts in Australian climate adapt aidAudioTranscript

Updated 03/08/2010 09:35:39

Three weeks out from a general election, Australia's opposition has denied it is breaking a promise to match the Labor government on increasing overseas aid.

Strong troop presence in Solomons election lead-upAudioTranscript

Updated 03/08/2010 09:35:39

Security forces in Solomon Islands are out in force ahead of tomorrow's national election with members of the Regional Assistance Mission to Solomon Islands and local police keen to make sure there is no repeat of the 2006 post-vote violence.

Disappointment from Pacific Islands Forum as chair absentAudioTranscript

Updated 03/08/2010 09:35:39

Heads of government are arriving in the Vanuatu capital, Port Vila, for the Pacific Islands Forum.

Palau climate awareness bolstered by US tourAudio

Updated 03/08/2010 09:35:37

Fourteen Pacific islanders involved in climate change adaptation and mitigation in their respective countries are on a climate change study tour in the United States.

Pacific Small Island States leaders meet in VanuatuAudio

Updated 03/08/2010 17:09:21

The issue of climate change and its adverse and destructive impact on the Smaller Island States of the Pacific Islands Forum was on the agenda of their 19th leaders' meeting in Port Vila, Vanuatu.

PNG's off-budget spending raises fears for sovereign wealth fundAudio

Updated 03/08/2010 17:09:21

The Asian Development Bank says the Papua New Guinea government's massive drawdown on the nation's trust funds in 2009 was not necessary.

Solomons election takes place tomorrowAudio

Updated 03/08/2010 17:09:21

Preparations for the Solomon Islands national election have been made, and registered voters will go to the polls tomorrow.

Australia's kangaroo meat embraced by ChinaAudio

Updated 03/08/2010 17:09:20

Australia's kangaroo meat industry is welcoming the possible opening of a massive new market.

Seven teams vie for Oceania futsal gloryAudio

Updated 02/08/2010 09:16:15

The Oceania Football Confederation's futsal championships kick-off this coming weekend in Suva, Fiji.

Hopes eligibility for Pacific Games becomes regional templateAudio

Updated 02/08/2010 09:16:15

The Pacific Games Council is preparing for next year's 14th Pacific Games in New Caledonia by staging its annual general meeting there later this month to review plans for the 27 sports, the venues and rules such as national eligibility requirements.

Anti-AIDS gel solution for women at riskAudio

Updated 02/08/2010 09:16:15

The number of women infected with HIV/AIDS across the Asia Pacific is steadily increasing with women now accounting for at least half of the 940 reported cases in Pacific nations.

Pacific aviation weather services adopt new global guidelinesAudio

Updated 02/08/2010 09:16:15

Aviation weather services are undergoing massive changes worldwide as the International Civil Aviation Organisation imposes a requirement for quality management in the aviation weather services to be met by 2012.

Huge payout for Australia, NZ thalidomide victimsAudioTranscript

Updated 02/08/2010 09:16:15

An 86-year-old former World War II airman has helped negotiate a remarkable compensation payout for Australian and New Zealand victims of the birth defect drug thalidomide.

Warming oceans killing algae, redistributing sea lifeAudioTranscript

Updated 02/08/2010 09:16:16

A study published last week in Nature finds a strong link between higher sea surface temperatures and a major decline in phytoplankton, or ocean algae, which forms the base of the marine food chain.

Clean energy strategies debated by Micronesian leadersAudio

Updated 02/08/2010 09:16:16

The 10th Micronesian Presidents' Summit in Koror, Palau, concluded over the weekend with a signing of a communique which reinforced concerns about climate change, marine resources and the health of Micronesians.

Australia's Smith to attend forum as foreign ownership debatedAudioTranscript

Updated 02/08/2010 09:16:16

Australia's foreign minister, Stephen Smith, will attend the Pacific Islands Forum leaders meeting in Vanuatu this week saying he will be at the meeting on Wednesday and Thursday.

Tongan PM calls for dialogue with Fiji military govtAudioTranscript

Updated 02/08/2010 09:16:16

Tonga's prime minister says engaging in dialogue with Fiji's coup-installed military government is the best way to make genuine progress towards democracy.

Authorities pull Fijilive website, detain news editorAudioTranscript

Updated 02/08/2010 09:16:16

The Fijilive website, one of the largest in Fiji, has been pulled from the internet following a report filed on the website last week alleging the suspension of the police commissioner which is assumed to have breached Fiji's new media decree.

Senior AFL development staff tour Papua New GuineaAudio

Updated 02/08/2010 09:16:14

The inaugural international development manager of the Australian Football League, Tony Woods, arrived in Papua New Guinea's capital Port Moresby last week to roll up his sleeves and begin his work.

Amnesty welcomes dropping of charges against Fiji lawyerAudioTranscript

Updated 02/08/2010 16:45:25

Fiji's High Court has thrown out all charges against human rights lawyer Imrana Jalal.

Pacific economic growth forecasts revised downAudioTranscript

Updated 02/08/2010 16:45:26

The Asian Development Bank has downgraded its economic growth forecasts for 5 Pacific Island countries.

Fiji journalist questioned over publishing 'rumour'Audio

Updated 02/08/2010 16:45:26

The Fiji government denies it forced a news website to briefly cease operating.

Critics dismissed as anti-offshore processing, not anti-NauruAudio

Updated 02/08/2010 16:45:25

Nauru's foreign affairs minister has dismissed comments in the Australian media that Nauru was simply out to make a buck by saying they were ready to sign the United Nations convention on refugees.