September 2010

Papua New Guinea's athletes arrive in DelhiAudioTranscript

Updated 30/09/2010 08:39:02

Organisers of the Commonwealth Games are now seeing years of work come to fruition as more and more athletes arrive in Delhi.

Concern about literacy rates in Solomon IslandsAudio

Updated 30/09/2010 08:39:02


Solomon Islands Coalition for Education and Literacy Network says it's concerned the nation won't achieve the Millennium Development Goals for literacy.

The Pacific remembers last year's devastating tsunamiAudio

Updated 30/09/2010 08:39:02

The anniversary of the tsunami brings back many memories for people it affected, not many of them good.

EU to maintain sanctions against Fiji for at least another six monthsAudio

Updated 30/09/2010 08:39:03

The European Union announced this week that it will not lift Fiji Sanctions for at least another six months.

Samoan journalist recalls tsunamiAudio

Updated 30/09/2010 08:39:03


Samoan journalist, Alan Ah Mu and his family mark one year since the devastating tsunami in Samoa.

Samoan journalist was caught up in tsunami on his day offAudio

Updated 30/09/2010 08:39:03

Alan Ah Mu is a Samoan journalist who had just finished breakfast and was about to drive his daughters to school as the earthquake hit.

Samoa resort reopens almost a year after the tsunamiAudioTranscript

Updated 30/09/2010 08:39:03

Lydia Sini is the second generation of the Sini family to own and run the Litia Sini Beach Resort in Lalomanu on the south coast of Samoa's Upolu Island.

US signals greater engagement with Pacific and FijiAudio

Updated 30/09/2010 17:13:48

The United States says it will only ease sanctions on Fiji if there is progress in returning the country to democracy.

CNMI government shutdown "very likely"Audio

Updated 30/09/2010 17:13:48

The Government of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands is almost certain to face a shutdown of non-essential services from the close of business today.

UN General Assembly wraps up with Tonga for PacificAudio

Updated 30/09/2010 17:13:47

The United Nations General Assembly has wrapped up in New York.

Church service held in Tonga to mark tsunami

Updated 30/09/2010 08:39:02


Three tidal waves struck the island of Niuatoputapu in Tonga on the 30th of September local time.

Seismologist explains how tsunami was generatedAudio

Updated 30/09/2010 08:39:03

So what actually happened under the earth's crust on this day, one a year ago?

PNG police warn landowners against sabotaging LNG propertyAudio

Updated 30/09/2010 17:13:48

Papua New Guinea police have warned disgruntled landowners not to take matters into their own hands against the multi-billion dollar PNG Liquefied Natural Gas project.

One year on since the Pacific tsunami which killed 180 peopleAudio

Updated 30/09/2010 08:39:03


Pacific Beat pays homage to the victims of the 2009 Pacific earthquake and tsunami that struck one year ago today.

Tsunami aid effort continuesAudio

Updated 30/09/2010 08:39:03

A year on how are the millions of dollars of aid money being used in the Pacific communities affected by last year's tsunami?

Pacific NGOs get boost from global NGO ForumAudio

Updated 30/09/2010 17:13:48

The Pacific Island Association of Non-government organisations says it is time for donor countries to improve their relationships with the region's civil society organisations.

Solomon Is pushes ahead with Tina River Hydro projectAudioTranscript

Updated 29/09/2010 17:28:25

The Solomon Islands government is pushing ahead with plans for a big new hydro-electricity plant on the Tina River 30 kilometres south-east of Honiara.

Drought hits Fiji's westAudioTranscript

Updated 29/09/2010 17:28:25

Barges are being used to get water to islands in Fiji's west as a severe drought has forced authorites to put restrictions on household water use.

Solomons peace process can re-traumatise conflict victimsAudio

Updated 29/09/2010 08:02:23

An expert in post-conflict peace building who is studying the Solomon Islands peace and reconciliation process says telling the truth can re-traumatise its victims.

Asian Development Bank reports limited success in PacificAudioTranscript

Updated 29/09/2010 08:02:23

According to new research by the Asian Development Bank on its own projects, around half supported and financed in the Pacific since 1973 have been less than a total success.

Cooks finance chief drops secretary for 'undermining' officeAudio

Updated 29/09/2010 08:02:23

The acting financial secretary for the Cook Islands, Kevin Carr, has been unceremoniously dumped by Finance Minister Wilkie Rasmussen alleging Mr Carr's actions had undermined him as minister.

Wage rise in American Samoa, NMarianas close to passingAudioTranscript

Updated 29/09/2010 08:02:23

The locally-unwelcome next increase in American Samoa and Northern Marianas' minimum wage is set to take effect this week as deemed by a bill before the United States Congress calling for action on the 50 cent rise.

Tuvalu highlights national and regional issues at UNAudio

Updated 29/09/2010 17:28:25

The head of Tuvalu's delegation to the UN General Assembly has highlighted issues of concern to his country when he gave his address today.

New Tuvalu PM Maatia Toafa names cabinetAudio

Updated 29/09/2010 17:28:26

The 15-member Tuvalu parliament today elected Maatia Toafa as the country's new Prime Minister.

PNG cabinet minister moves to address LNG concernsAudio

Updated 29/09/2010 17:28:22

A senior Papua New Guinea government minister says the developers of PNG's multi-billion dollar Liquefied Natural Gas - or LNG project say the government has failed to show clear leadership over the project.

Solomon Islands opens kids' reproductive health centreAudio

Updated 28/09/2010 17:38:23

We don't usually associate sexually transmitted diseases with children under the age of 16.

Pacific tourism has potential to reduce povertyAudioTranscript

Updated 28/09/2010 17:38:23

Tourism has significant potential when it comes to reducing poverty in the Pacific, according to international tourism industry experts.

Pacific leaders raise global security concerns at UNAudio

Updated 28/09/2010 17:38:23

The 65th meeting of the United Nations General Assembly is continuing in New York with Pacific island leaders raising concerns over global security.

PNG Correctional Services Department wants new weaponsAudio

Updated 28/09/2010 17:38:23

Papua New Guinea's Correctional Service Minister Tony Aimo says the department's firearms are out of date and need replacement.

CNMI government facing shutdown over budget deadlockAudioTranscript

Updated 28/09/2010 17:38:23

The government of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands will be forced to shutdown all its non-essential service from Friday, unless the legislature can come to an agreement on the CNMI's budget before then.

Tongans raise money for NZ quake reliefAudio

Updated 28/09/2010 17:38:19

Tongans have raised a substantial sum of money in a radiothon over the weekend to help victims of the big earthquake in the New Zealand city of Christchurch.

Fiji remains suspended from CommonwealthAudio

Updated 28/09/2010 17:38:23

Fiji's suspension from the British Commonwealth has been reaffirmed at a meeting in New York.

Surveillance the only hope to stem Fiji's dengue mosquitoesAudio

Updated 28/09/2010 08:21:26

Fiji has several species of mosquitoes that can transmit dengue fever, but keeping track of such a small yet deadly insect is not easy.

Doctors at a loss to explain Maori rheumatic fever surgeAudioTranscript

Updated 28/09/2010 08:21:26

Doctors in New Zealand say the number of rheumatic fever cases in Maori and Pacific communities is now one of the highest in the world.

Women push for more say in PNG agricultureAudioTranscript

Updated 28/09/2010 08:21:26

Eighty-five percent of women contribute to Papua New Guinea's agricultural sector, but it is the men who decide how the profits are spent.

Fiji leader calls for respect, dignity, equality at UNAudio

Updated 28/09/2010 08:21:26

Fiji's military leader has fronted the United Nations General Assembly currently underway in New York, where world leaders have their once-a-year chance to affirm their positions with the UN and address their successes and failures over the past year.

Uncertainties fade as Guam build-up plan signedAudio

Updated 28/09/2010 08:21:26

Last week the 'record of decision' for Guam's military build-up was finally signed, detailing what kind of funding is going to be provided to support the huge increase in population.

Greenpeace wants total ban on fish aggregating devicesAudioTranscript

Updated 27/09/2010 17:33:14

Greenpeace is calling for a total ban on the use of fish aggregating devices in the Pacific tuna fishery.

PNG warned on population and development issuesAudio

Updated 27/09/2010 17:33:14

Papua New Guinea has been warned of the adverse impact the increase in the country's population would have on the economy, education, health and other sectors.

US concerned about Indonesia's attitude to West PapuaAudioTranscript

Updated 27/09/2010 17:33:15

Serious concerns have been raised in the United States about the treatment of West Papuans under Indonesian rule.

Mammals near extinction in northern AustraliaAudioTranscript

Updated 27/09/2010 08:46:15

A report from Nature Conservancy has found that mammal species in Northern Australia are in rapid decline and many are at risk of becoming extinct within the next decade.

New Delhi organisers still upbeat as more athletes withdrawAudio

Updated 27/09/2010 08:46:15

Commonwealth Games athletes have begun arriving in New Delhi but their numbers are dwindling with two more competitors pulling out of the games.

Off field mayhem in Australia-PNG rugby internationalAudioTranscript

Updated 27/09/2010 08:46:15

Papua New Guinea has put in a spirited performance against the Australian Prime Minister's XIII rugby league side in Port Moresby over the weekend.

Claims Samoa deputy PM to retire, constituents angryAudioTranscript

Updated 27/09/2010 08:46:15

There were reports in the Samoa Observer newspaper on Saturday that Deputy Prime Minister Misa Telefoni has been banished from his village after announcing his retirement at the next election.

Pacific Islands raise climate change concerns at UNAudio

Updated 27/09/2010 17:33:02

A group of Pacific Island nations has pushed to put tackling climate change back on the global agenda, when they raised the issue at the latest meeting of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.

Pressure for AFL to change rules after drawAudio

Updated 27/09/2010 08:46:15

Despite the drawn Australian Rules Football final in Melbourne, the AFL says it is not considering a permanent change to extra time rules.

New Zealand storm fatal for a million sheepAudio

Updated 27/09/2010 08:46:15

A once in a lifetime snow and hail storm has killed up to a million lambs in New Zealand and $NZ100 million in lost production for farmers just weeks after they suffered a devastating earthquake.

Fiji soccer's Ba to enter O-League in 2011Audio

Updated 27/09/2010 08:46:15

Champion Fiji team Ba will represent its nation in next year's O-League soccer season following its win yesterday to grasp the Fiji Football Association national league title.

St Helens, Wigan to face-off in Super League rugby finalAudio

Updated 27/09/2010 08:46:14

St Helens will take on the Wigan Warriors in the 2010 Super League grand final.

New Caledonia celebrates Citizenship DayAudio

Updated 24/09/2010 16:49:51

New Caledonia is celebrating Citizenship Day today, to commemorate the 24th of September, 1853 when France annexed the islands.

Tonga hopes to raise a million dollars for NZ quakeAudioTranscript

Updated 24/09/2010 16:49:52

Authorities in Tonga are running a nationwide radiothon for earthquake relief in New Zealand tomorrow.

Timber certification hopes to kill Pacific exploitationAudioTranscript

Updated 24/09/2010 08:48:31

Forests are a valuable source of revenue for landowners in the Pacific but they are also vulnerable to exploitation.

Reaching education's fringe key to hitting MDGsAudio

Updated 24/09/2010 08:48:31

There is less than five years to the 2015 deadline set for achieving the Millennium Development Goals, so how is the world progressing towards achieving goal number two - universal primary education?

Ministerial intervention allays some NZ games team fearsAudio

Updated 24/09/2010 08:48:31

There is some hope that the war of words between India and some Commonwealth nations unhappy with the state of the New Delhi athletes' village might cool-off just days out from the Commonwealth Games.

Returning Fiji Times publisher to negotiate a different FijiAudioTranscript

Updated 24/09/2010 08:48:31

The newly sold 141-year-old Fiji Times has a new publisher, Dallas Swinstead, a former publisher of same newspaper from 1976 to 1980 and several Fairfax mastheads in Australia.

St Kilda hopes history repeats in Collingwood clashAudio

Updated 24/09/2010 08:48:30

There is just one more sleep until the 2010 AFL grand final between Collingwood and St Kilda, their first since 1966 and won by the Saints by the narrowest of margins - just one point.

French Pacific territories winning fight against feral beastsAudio

Updated 24/09/2010 08:48:30

The Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Program has seen success in New Caledonia where local communities are managing wild pigs and deer that destroy crops.

PNG Kumuls ready for Four Nations rugby seriesAudio

Updated 24/09/2010 08:48:30

Papua New Guinea Rugby League says preparations for the inaugural Four Nations rugby series late next month are on target with plans to pick the best PNG Kumuls team this year.

Germany backs Pacific climate adaption strategiesAudio

Updated 24/09/2010 08:48:30

Pacific islands have been allocated an additional 10 million euro for climate change adaptation by the German Agency for Technical Cooperation, GTZ.

Crisis talks continue at New Delhi Commonwealth GamesAudioTranscript

Updated 24/09/2010 08:48:31

The chief executive of the Commonwealth Games Federation Mike Hooper says the Games are on but there is more work to do.

Australia to continue health funding to PacificAudioTranscript

Updated 24/09/2010 16:49:52

Australia has signalled its intention to continue supporting its near neighbours in the Pacific with another large injection of funding.

Kiribati Te Runga national games underwayAudio

Updated 24/09/2010 16:49:49

Thousands of athletes, sports officials and supporters have converged on Tarawa for the biennial Kiribati National Games.

Large Cook Islands games team ready for New DelhiAudio

Updated 23/09/2010 09:14:50

More than 30 Cook Island athletes are preparing to leave for the Commonwealth Games in New Delhi.

Ramu Nickel plaintiffs appear in PNG courtAudioTranscript

Updated 23/09/2010 09:14:50

The three Papua New Guinean plaintiffs who disappeared over the weekend before pulling out of a court battle to stop the Ramu Nickel mine dumping waste into the sea have reappeared as demanded by the presiding judge.

World's poorest question what MDG summit really meansAudioTranscript

Updated 23/09/2010 17:14:54

The Billion-or-more people in the world who go hungry every day may be wondering if this week's big summit in New York on the Millennium Development Goals will improve their lot any time soon.

Guam looking at making food more appealingAudio

Updated 23/09/2010 17:14:53

Making a salad sandwich or fruit juice more appealing to young people than a chocolate bar or burger is not an easy task.

Pacific languages in NZ may dieAudioTranscript

Updated 23/09/2010 17:14:51

New Zealand is being warned that the Niuean and Cook Island Maori languages will die out unless the government puts more money into supporting them.

Fiji pitches for soccer friendliesAudio

Updated 23/09/2010 09:14:50

The interest in soccer in the region has received a huge boost this year with the success of PNG's Hekari United in the O-League competition.

Great interest from finance sector in PNG mobile moneyAudio

Updated 23/09/2010 09:14:50

Papua New Guinea is continuing its trial of so-called mobile money - a mobile phone banking system which has been successfully rolled out by Safaricom in Kenya to 10 million subscribers.

China submarine build-up raises Pacific naval anxietyAudio

Updated 23/09/2010 09:14:50

Regional anxieties about China's naval expansion in the Pacific and its disputed South China Sea sphere of influence are likely to be fuelled by its launch of a new type of conventional submarine.

Activists monitor gender millennium development targetAudio

Updated 23/09/2010 09:14:50

With only five years to the UN Millennium Development Goals' 2015 deadline, leaders in New York are being asked to accelerate progress towards fulfilling them.

Children still underserved by Millennium Development GoalsAudioTranscript

Updated 23/09/2010 09:14:50

Many aspects of aid delivery have come in for close examination at the Millennium Development Goals meetings in New York.

Australia warned of chaotic asylum seekers systemAudioTranscript

Updated 23/09/2010 17:14:52

The Australian government is being warned its system of detaining asylum seekers who arrive by boat is in chaos, and that there's the potential for mass hysteria and more suicides.

Fiji says nothing will happen to anti-government deporteesAudio

Updated 22/09/2010 17:10:54

The Fiji government has responded to the suicide of a Fijian man facing deportation from Australia by saying his fears of what would happen to him were groundless.

NZ company to cash in on soaring demand for UHT milk in AsiaAudioTranscript

Updated 22/09/2010 17:10:53

One of the world's largest exporters of dairy products is about to significantly increase its footprint in Asia.

Judge demands appearance of PNG Ramu mine plaintiffsAudioTranscript

Updated 22/09/2010 08:16:37

Lawyers will be watching a Madang courtroom this afternoon as the three originating plaintiffs of a court case preventing the Chinese-owned Ramu nickel mine from dumping waste into the sea have been ordered to make an appearance.

Gender and elections workshop sees large Vanuatu turnoutAudio

Updated 22/09/2010 08:16:34

A United Nations Development Program workshop on the advancement of women in parliament has seen 46 of all 52 Vanuatu MPs - as hosts - accept the invitation to attend.

Ok Tedi boss upbeat about possible new lease of life for key PNG mineAudioTranscript

Updated 22/09/2010 17:10:54

A feasibility study to extend the life of Papua New Guinea's giant Ok Tedi gold and copper mine is 80 per cent complete.

New Delhi Games officials take matter into own handsAudio

Updated 22/09/2010 08:16:37

The problems with New Delhi's Commonwealth Games are threatening to balloon into a full blown crisis as the Scottish and English teams reveal they have been forced to don rubber gloves and clean toilets themselves in order to make athlete accommodation habitable.

NZ athletes' chief suggests New Delhi not ready for gamesAudio

Updated 22/09/2010 08:16:37

New Zealand Commonwealth Games Chef de Mission Dave Currie believes the Commonwealth Games might be called off in New Delhi next month.

New light on Tasman's first contact with MaoriAudio

Updated 22/09/2010 17:10:54

New archaeological research is painting a very different picture of the first contact between Europeans and Maori in New Zealand.

PACIFIC BEAT EXTRA: Ok Tedi managing director speaks outAudio

Updated 22/09/2010 17:10:54

In this extended interview, Ok Tedi Mining Limited's managing director, Alan Breen, discusses the economic and environmental impact of the proposed extension of the life of the Ok Tedi mine, as well as the community consultation process.

Allegations of Fiji spying in Australia unsubstantiatedAudioTranscript

Updated 22/09/2010 17:10:54

Some Fijian asylum seekers in Australia are alleging that Fiji is sending soldiers to the country to spy on Fijian communities.

Pacific leaders address UN MDG summitAudioTranscript

Updated 22/09/2010 17:10:54

Leaders from the Pacific have told a United Nations summit that if the developed world wants them to meet all eight Millennium Development Goals by 2015, then they will have to provide more help.

Tongan rugby international faces court on slavery chargeAudioTranscript

Updated 22/09/2010 08:16:34

A court in Toulouse in the south of France has just heard the first day of a trial of Tongan national rugby player Finau Maka for allegedly keeping an illegal immigrant.

Genetically modified salmon likely to get US food approvalAudio

Updated 22/09/2010 08:16:37

Consumer and food safety advocates have dubbed it 'Frankenfish' - a new genetically modified super salmon that a United States company is seeking federal approval to market.

Thousands launch class action against Palau registrationAudio

Updated 21/09/2010 08:06:01

The government of Palau is being sued for proposed changes to the alien registration scheme, with a senator leading complaints against a directive requiring all foreign workers and their dependants to register and pay $25.

Insulated brain cells a link to obesityAudioTranscript

Updated 21/09/2010 08:06:01

Scientists in Melbourne believe they have discovered the critical link in the obesity epidemic afflicting many communities.

PNG cabinet minister suffers broken ankle in attack

Updated 21/09/2010 17:25:07

Papua New Guinea's sports minister, Philemon Embel, has warned of chaos and anarchy in the country if people continue to attack their members of parliament.

Guam-Okinawa record of decision due to begin buildupAudioTranscript

Updated 21/09/2010 08:06:01

Over the past few hours the record of decision for the Guam military buildup was due to be signed, making way for the 3rd Marine Expeditionary Force to move from Japan and the release of half a billion US dollars to be used in build-up projects.

Dengue vaccine breakthrough in final stagesAudioTranscript

Updated 21/09/2010 08:06:01

Researchers are preparing to try out a new vaccine which could protect against all strains of dengue fever.

Signs of post tramatic stress from childbirthAudioTranscript

Updated 21/09/2010 08:05:58

It is supposed to be one of life's most rewarding and wondrous experiences, but if childbirth is difficult or distressing it can have a profoundly negative effect on the mother.

Polynesian poems in English publishedAudioTranscript

Updated 21/09/2010 16:08:49

English is now a Pacific language and Pacific writers shouldn't worry about using it, according to one of the editors of a new collection of Polynesian poetry.

Qld minister answers critics on PNG hydro schemeAudio

Updated 21/09/2010 08:06:01

Since the government of the Australian state of Queensland signed a memorandum of co-operation to look at building a massive new hydroelectricity project on Papua New Guinea's Purari River it has faced a barrage of criticism.

US WWII servicemen remains repatriated from KiribatiAudio

Updated 21/09/2010 17:09:09

The United States military has on Monday repatriated from Kiribati the remains of two US servicemen who died 67 years ago in the the Battle of Tarawa.

PNG landowners abandon Ramu mine waste caseAudio

Updated 21/09/2010 17:09:09

A legal battle to stop a mine dumping its waste into the sea in Papua New Guinea's Madang Province looks likely to fail after the plaintiffs apparently abandoned the case.

Australian Immigration defends itself over death of FijianAudio

Updated 21/09/2010 17:09:09

Inmates at Sydney's Villawood Detention Centre who witnessed the death of a Fijian man who jumped off the roof of the centre yesterday morning are still maintaining their protest.

Australia's Kevin Rudd back on international stageAudioTranscript

Updated 21/09/2010 17:09:08

The welcome in Washington D-C this week for Australia's Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd marks his restoration to the international stage, after he was deposed as the Australian Labor government's leader earlier this year.

Traditional landowners angry with Australia detention centreAudioTranscript

Updated 20/09/2010 08:15:24

The Australian government has announced plans to boost the country's onshore detention facilities to cope with a significant increase in asylum seeker arrivals due to its impasse with East Timor and rejection of Nauru as destinations.

Huddersfield progress to semis in Super LeagueAudio

Updated 20/09/2010 08:15:22

New Zealanders David Fa'alogo and David Faiumu have propelled the Hudderfield Giants to a shock 34-22 win over Warrington to progress through the Super League elimination final.

Despite huge disasters number of global poor fallingAudioTranscript

Updated 20/09/2010 08:15:24

Despite the spate of disasters across the world this year the number of hungry and undernourished people globally has fallen for the first time in 15 years.

WWI Australian sub mystery off Rabaul remains unsolvedAudioTranscript

Updated 20/09/2010 17:37:21

A wartime mystery was marked recently by sailors aboard an Australian warship in waters where a submarine vanished 96 years ago.

PNG's Hekari United readying for a date with Inter MilanAudio

Updated 20/09/2010 08:15:22

Papua New Guinea's giant-killing soccer team Hekari United is continuing its preparations for this year's FIFA Club Cup in Abu Dhabi with practice matches in New Zealand.

Coach offers to work gratis for Fiji netball tourAudio

Updated 20/09/2010 08:15:23

Fiji netball has announced its 25-member squad for next year's world championships in Singapore.

USP vice-chancellor encouraged by new India uni linksAudio

Updated 20/09/2010 08:15:23

Half of the Pacific's students study via distance education and more would do so if better communications and more courses were available.

PNG MP attacked by constituentsAudio

Updated 20/09/2010 17:37:21

A member of the Papua New Guinea Parliament was physically attacked by his own constituents in the Gulf Province for allegedly lying and failing to deliver services he promised.

Poisoned mice bombing hopes to halt Guam snake advanceAudioTranscript

Updated 20/09/2010 08:15:23

Authorities in Guam are taking their battle against its infestation of brown tree snakes to the skies with the US Department of Agriculture dropping dead mice packed with poisonous chemicals onto forests to provide deadly snacks for the snakes.

Senior New Zealand officials suffer identity issuesAudio

Updated 20/09/2010 08:15:23

The voting power of the coalition ACT party in New Zealand has been reduced following the resignation of the party's justice spokesman David Garrett, now considering his future as an MP.

UN to scrutinise Millennium Development GoalsAudio

Updated 20/09/2010 08:15:24

Tonight at the United Nations in New York leaders from around world will get an update on the global progress, or lack of it, towards achieving the eight Millennium Development Goals.

Fijian dies in Australian immigration detention centreAudio

Updated 20/09/2010 17:37:21

A Fijian man has died at Sydney's Villawood detention centre as he was being readied for deportation.

Tuvalu PM, speaker retain seats as deputy PM crashes outAudioTranscript

Updated 17/09/2010 08:57:28

The prime minister of Tuvalu and the speaker of parliament have retained their seats following yesterday's national election, but deputy prime minister Tavau Teii is one of five incumbent MPs losing their place in parliament.

Pacific agriculture, forestry leaders pass land strategyAudio

Updated 17/09/2010 08:57:27

Pacific nations have endorsed a plan to work together and develop a regional project on land management and conflict minimisation to improve economic and social development.

Dare takes Fiji-born doctor to top of netball umpiringAudio

Updated 17/09/2010 08:57:21

A Fiji-born medical doctor living in Australia's rural south-east has just been awarded his AA netball umpiring badge - the sport's highest level.

Pandemic fears as dual flu hit could lead to drug resistanceAudioTranscript

Updated 17/09/2010 08:57:27

A New Zealand study has confirmed that seasonal flu and pandemic flu can infect a person at the same time.

Chronic humanitarian emergency in PNG's Yelia regionAudioTranscript

Updated 17/09/2010 17:17:34

The aid NGO Care Australia says there's a chronic humanitarian emergency in Yelia, in Papua New Guinea's Eastern Highlands which parallels conditions for about 15 per cent of the country's population.

Reliable shipping service for Solomons outer islandsAudioTranscript

Updated 17/09/2010 17:17:34

New shipping services to seven of Solomon Islands most remote Island groups begin this month.

Australian trade minister says free trade eliminates povertyAudio

Updated 17/09/2010 17:17:33

Australia's new trade minister Craig Emerson says free trade is good for poverty elimination and good for the developed world as well.

Dramatic overhaul of PNG universities to raise standardsAudioTranscript

Updated 17/09/2010 08:57:27

A review of Papua New Guinea's higher education system is set to recommend a dramatic overhaul to stem declining standards and fill growing skills gaps.

India partners with Pacific in higher educationAudioTranscript

Updated 17/09/2010 08:57:27

India is to provide a major boost to distance learning in the Pacific with a groundbreaking new partnership with the University of the South Pacific and the Asian Development Bank.

Wabo researcher doubts PNG hydro dam feasibilityAudioTranscript

Updated 17/09/2010 08:57:27

An academic who wrote a book about Papua New Guinea's Purari River 33 years ago is sceptical about plans to build a hydroelectric dam there.

PNG hydroelectric scheme faces Australian oppositionAudioTranscript

Updated 17/09/2010 08:57:28

The government of Australia's northern state of Queensland announced plans for a multi-billion-dollar hydroelectric project on Wednesday connecting Papua New Guinea to the state's far north.

Vision Pasifika Media Award launches for 2010Audio

Updated 17/09/2010 08:57:27

The Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Program has launched this year's Vision Pasifika Media Award inviting journalist from print, radio and television to compete to produce the best stories based on the theme of valuing biodiversity in the Pacific.

Papua New Guinea soccer champs prepare for Club World CupAudio

Updated 17/09/2010 08:57:21

Oceania League club soccer champions Hekari United of Papua New Guinea are busily preparing for the FIFA Club World Cup.

NZ appeals for Pacific bone marrow donorsAudio

Updated 16/09/2010 17:11:19

An appeal has been launched in New Zealand to get Pacific island people to become bone marrow donors.

Tonga preparing for democratic elections in NovemberAudioTranscript

Updated 16/09/2010 17:11:19

The date of Tonga's upcoming elections for a new-look, more democratic parliament has been confirmed as November the 25th.

Tuvalu completes voting in national electionsAudioTranscript

Updated 16/09/2010 17:11:19

Voting has now closed in Tuvalu's national election held today.

Pacific environment body gets green light for programsAudio

Updated 16/09/2010 08:54:14

The five-year strategic plan for the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Program has been successfully adopted at his year's ministerial-level meeting in PNG with its focus on biodiversity, climate change, waste management and environmental governance.

Greens to take Australian govt to task over asylum centresAudio

Updated 16/09/2010 08:54:14

Following the swearing-in of the Gillard government this week it is now down to business for the Labor alliance with Sarah Hanson-Young, Greens senator for South Australia, saying Australia needs to work more closely with its near neighbours.

New Caledonians balance bank borrowing with subsistenceAudio

Updated 16/09/2010 08:54:17

A survey on the consumption habits of New Caledonians shows that they are relying more and more on bank loans to buy goods, with more than half of the population now in debt to the banks.

Former PNG kiap reflects on independenceAudio

Updated 16/09/2010 08:54:13

Papua New Guinea celebrates its 35th anniversary of independence from Australia today, but a question remains - was the country decolonised too quickly?

Samoa to tackle health crisis at village levelAudio

Updated 16/09/2010 08:54:14

The Samoan government has kicked off a national strategy at village level called the Whole of Country One Health Integrated Program to create a healthier population.

Australia helps to revive PNG pyrethrum cropAudio

Updated 16/09/2010 17:11:18

One of Papua New Guinea's once thriving cash crop is being revived with the help of Australia's state of Tasmania.

Analysis of erosion of 'free will' in FijiAudio

Updated 16/09/2010 08:54:17

A presentation scheduled for later this morning will look at the demise of free will in Fiji since the coup and abrogation of the constitution.

Australia, PNG sign co-op on Purari River hydro schemeAudio

Updated 16/09/2010 08:54:17

The government of Australia's northeastern state of Queensland says a potential 1,800 megawatt hydro-power plant proposed for the Purari River in Papua New Guinea could transform Queensland into a green energy powerhouse.

Fijian firm wins women's agricultural trade awardAudio

Updated 15/09/2010 08:40:42

This week the Secretariat of the Pacific Community held its inaugural trade awards with three categories in the European Union-funded Facilitating Agriculture Commodity Trade segment - New Exporter, Pacific Farmer and Women in Agriculture.

Fiji's Motibhai Group takes over Fiji TimesAudio

Updated 15/09/2010 18:18:28

Fiji-based Motibhai Group of companies has become the new owners of News Limited's Fiji Times newspaper.

Tonga's new hospital claimed best in PacificAudio

Updated 15/09/2010 18:18:27

Tonga's Vaiola Hospital will be the best medical facility in the Pacific by the time it's redevelopment is finished, according to the government.

Fiji's MSG status still unsettledAudio

Updated 15/09/2010 18:18:27

The Melanesian Spearhead Group has still not settled the status of Fiji's membership.

New Australian Parliamentary Secretary for PacificAudioTranscript

Updated 15/09/2010 18:18:29

Australia's new Foreign minister Kevin Rudd has sent an early signal of continued commitment to the Pacific by giving responsibility for the region to his Parliamentary Secretary, Richard Marles.

Election petitions filed in Solomons High CourtAudio

Updated 15/09/2010 18:18:28

At least three petitions have been filed, disputing the results of the recent national elections in Solomon Islands.

PNG's leadership fails to deliver 35 years onAudioTranscript

Updated 15/09/2010 18:18:28

A report on Papua New Guinea's development efforts says successive governments have failed miserably to deliver on public goods and services they promise.

Police link planned PNG march, anti-Asian riotsAudio

Updated 15/09/2010 08:57:09

Police believe there is a link between the weekend's looting in Papua New Guinea's Kainantau in the Eastern Highlands province, and a planned anti-Asian protest due to take place later this month.

Climate activists told to engage better with mediaAudio

Updated 15/09/2010 08:40:42

A preparatory meeting held in Mexico City before the larger global climate change meeting in Cancun later this year has heard that civil society groups in developing countries are finally learning to embrace the media when dealing with climate change.

Elite police under spotlight in strongly-Melanesian IndonesiaAudioTranscript

Updated 15/09/2010 08:40:42

The alleged torture of six Christians in Indonesia's ethnically-strong Melanesian province of Maluku at the hands of Indonesia's counterterrorist police has thrown a spotlight on Australia's multi-million dollar support for its work.

French Polynesian president to seek funds without ParisAudioTranscript

Updated 15/09/2010 08:40:42

French Polynesia's leaders called to Paris for talks are on notice to put necessary reforms in place to overcome the current state of political instability and have been told any futher loans will only be given if this occurs.

Attack victims plead with UN for shark conservationAudioTranscript

Updated 15/09/2010 08:40:42

They are an unlikely group to be calling for the protection of sharks, but at a United Nations conference in New York nine shark attack victims have called on delegates to act to protect the species from over-fishing.

Fiji denied opportunity to defend Pacific Games netball crownAudioTranscript

Updated 15/09/2010 08:40:38

Reigning netball champions Fiji will not be able to defend their title in next year's Pacific Games in New Caledonia.

Australian immigration minister under ETimor-Nauru pressureAudio

Updated 15/09/2010 08:40:42

Australia's new immigration minister, Chris Bowen, has acknowledged that there are real and serious pressures on the country's packed detention centres.

Women reaching parity in Pacific media commentaryAudio

Updated 14/09/2010 07:38:01

The Global Media Monitoring Project has just released its latest report for 2010 and this year took in to account research from Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Australia and New Zealand.

Internet charges in Fiji set to drop dramaticallyAudioTranscript

Updated 14/09/2010 16:55:40

Internet charges in Fiji are set to drop dramatically.

NZ MP agrees ethnicity not a prime factor anymoreAudio

Updated 14/09/2010 16:55:40

A New Zealand Pacific island MP for the ruling National Party says he agrees with a would be candidate for the opposition Labour Party that ethnicity is not the prime consideration for voters.

Tonga raising funds to aid NZ quake victimsAudioTranscript

Updated 14/09/2010 16:55:40

Tonga is launching an appeal to help victims of the recent earthquake which hit the New Zealand city of Christchurch.

Quake rupture puts NZ cows in precarious positionAudioTranscript

Updated 14/09/2010 07:38:00

Dairy farmers near Dartfield in the Canterbury region of New Zealand's south island are trying to manage their farms around a massive hump of up to two metres high and 40 metres wide that emerged from the ground in the wake of last week's earthquake.

More anti-Asian riots strike PNG's Eastern HighlandsAudio

Updated 14/09/2010 08:12:43

Anti-Asian sentiments have flared up again in Papua New Guinea as hundreds of people have looted shops owned or operated by Asians, mainly Chinese, in the PNG highlands.

Guam accepts accountancy oversight to release education fundsAudio

Updated 14/09/2010 07:38:00

The governor of Guam has signed a agreement permitting third-party accounting of its education spend which finally allows the release of $US40 million dollars in US funding to be released.

Scientists try to quantify oyster tasteAudio

Updated 14/09/2010 07:38:00

Something to suck on this lunch time, as oyster growers consider a common language to describe the smell, taste and texture of oysters.

Indigenous leaders take land grab complaint to CanberraAudioTranscript

Updated 14/09/2010 07:38:01

The Kimberley Land Council has taken its campaign against the James Price liquified natural gas project in Western Australia to Canberra.

Micro betting the problem in cricket, rugby fixingAudioTranscript

Updated 14/09/2010 07:38:00

Corruption continues to threaten the very foundations of world cricket as match fixing allegations engulf Pakistan's captain Salman Butt and four other players.

Forum criticised over Pacific's World Expo pavilionAudio

Updated 14/09/2010 16:55:40

Vanuatu's Ambassador to China has criticised the Pacific Islands Forum for not including trade at its pavilion at the World Expo in Shanghai.

NRL, sporting chiefs meet to tackle racismAudioTranscript

Updated 13/09/2010 08:21:10

The National Rugby League says sporting codes can no longer bury their heads in the sand and assume racism is someone else's problem.

Fiji lifter returns for Turkish competitionAudio

Updated 13/09/2010 08:21:10

Fiji's weightlifting champion is back from injury in time for competition in Turkey.

Greens, independents push Australian govt on carbon priceAudioTranscript

Updated 13/09/2010 08:21:10

Australia's lower house Greens MP and the independents who allied with Labor have made it clear that they would like to see the federal government take some action to address climate change.

UN calls for coral reefs as no-fishing zonesAudioTranscript

Updated 13/09/2010 08:21:11

A study from the United Nations is calling for a global effort to safeguard coral reefs with networks of small no-fishing zones.

NZ would-be MP dismisses 'Pacific' candidate tagAudioTranscript

Updated 13/09/2010 16:11:37

A Tokelauan New Zealander who wants to stand for Parliament in an upcoming by election says he wants to be selected because he's the best candidate, not because he is a Pacific Islander.

Scientists peel back genetic sequence of applesAudio

Updated 13/09/2010 08:21:08

New Zealand scientists have successfully mapped the genetic sequence of an apple which is hoped will help breeding programs produce healthier apples which are more attractive to the consumer.

Australia's foreign job to Rudd as Pacific loses representationAudioTranscript

Updated 13/09/2010 08:21:11

Australia has a new foreign minister in former Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, and one of his priority tasks is to get a deal with a reluctant East Timor on Prime Minister Julia Gillard's proposed regional refugee processing centre.

Fiji Commerce Commission blocks bid for Fiji Times newspaperAudioTranscript

Updated 13/09/2010 16:11:37

Fiji's competition watchdog has stepped in to block the Fiji Sun newspaper from making a bid for its rival, the Fiji Times.

The grief of tribal violence wracking PNG's highlandsAudioTranscript

Updated 13/09/2010 08:21:10

Papua New Guinea's Post Courier newspaper is reporting that large numbers of people have tried to loot shops and damage public property on Sunday in the Eastern Highlands capital, Goroka.

Australian oppn repeats calls to reopen Nauru asylum centreAudio

Updated 13/09/2010 16:11:38

Once again Nauru has been raised as a solution to house asylum seekers.

Semi-final berth for St Helens in Super LeagueAudio

Updated 13/09/2010 08:21:07

Tony Puletua and Sia Soliola have brought St Helens back from an early deficit to regain their winning form against the Warrington Wolves to gain a semi-finals spot in the Engage Super League.

Northern Australian art striving for recognitionAudioTranscript

Updated 13/09/2010 08:21:10

An exhibition of artwork from the Cape York Peninsula community of Aurukun is being seen as a coming of age for north Queensland Aboriginal art, allowing it to share the stage with central Australian and desert art.

Foreign policy priorities for new Australian governmentAudio

Updated 13/09/2010 16:11:38

But with a new government in place, the question is still being asked about what will be its priorities, as well as the issues it will face.

Pacific islanders warned of fast food health risksAudio

Updated 10/09/2010 17:10:52

Fast food which is high in energy and low in nutrition, is largely blamed for high rates of diabetes and heart disease in the Pacific islands.

NZ welfare minister ramps-up quake trauma counsellingAudioTranscript

Updated 10/09/2010 08:20:55

New Zealand's Department of Social Welfare thinks 10,000 homes will have to be written off as they contemplate the overall cost of the earthquake which devastated Christchurch last weekend.

Homeless man runs for mayor of AucklandAudioTranscript

Updated 10/09/2010 08:20:57

The election for the position of mayor of New Zealand's largest city, Auckland, is just under a month away and already some candidates have begun spending big on political advertising, but there is one candidate with quite literally nothing to spend.

PNG cricket excelling in juniors, Twenty20 tournamentsAudioTranscript

Updated 10/09/2010 08:20:54

Cricket in Papua New Guinea is going from strength to strength with under 17s team PNG Barramundis thrashing Indonesia to be warm favourites to win the overall East Asia Pacific competition in Vanuatu .

Geologists say Canterbury quake fault new, permanentAudioTranscript

Updated 10/09/2010 08:20:58

Since the quake, scientists have been mapping the fault line trying to find out more about what is happening under the ground in Christchurch.

Alarm as invasive plant, animal species threaten NMarianasAudio

Updated 10/09/2010 08:20:57

The Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Program, SPREP, is warning of a serious infestation of invasive plant and animal species that are threatenting the ecology of the Northern Marianas.

Solomons' Three Kings Band wins Pacific BreakAudio

Updated 10/09/2010 17:10:51

A group of talented young musicians from Solomon Islands have won Radio Australia's pan-Pacific music competition Pacific Break.

NZ uni students use Facebook to organise quake clean-upAudioTranscript

Updated 09/09/2010 08:58:44

Law students from Canterbury University using Facebook to call for volunteers to grab shovels and spades and join in with the post-earthquake clean-up have been answered with up to 7,000 offers of help.

Commonwealth Games chief tries to allay security fearsAudioTranscript

Updated 09/09/2010 08:58:41

The lead-up to the Commonwealth Games in India has been marred by delays and claims of corruption and shoddy construction.

Solomons Gold Ridge Mine on track for first gold pourAudioTranscript

Updated 09/09/2010 17:16:29

Solomon Islands' Gold Ridge mine is on track to pour its first gold in March 2011.

Asia regional integration a model for PacificAudio

Updated 09/09/2010 08:58:43

A chief of the Asian Development Bank says there are lessons for Pacific nations in the way South East Asia has dealt with the global financial crisis.

No decision to declare state of drought in FijiAudio

Updated 09/09/2010 17:16:29

A high-level meeting in Fiji has failed to come up with a decision on whether to declare a state of drought for the entire nation.

Parliament may be recalled to pass PNG supplementary budgetAudio

Updated 09/09/2010 08:58:43

The Somare government may have to recall Papua New Guinea's parliament for a special session before the November 16 budget session to pass a supplementary budget bill of half a billion kina.

Leading educator calls for update in traditional learningAudioTranscript

Updated 09/09/2010 08:58:44

An education expert in Fiji feels that some traditional values need to be brought into the 21st century when it comes to education.

Objection to compensation for Tongan ferry victimsAudioTranscript

Updated 09/09/2010 17:16:30

A Tongan lawyer who's representing relatives of victims of the Princess Ashika ferry disaster says a government offer of 80-thousand pa'anga, or about 40-thousand US dollars, is not enough compensation for some families.

Call to re-design PNG Highlands HighwayAudio

Updated 09/09/2010 17:16:28

Major trucking firms transporting goods and providing services along the Papua New Guinea Highlands Highway say they want an overhaul in the design and maintenance of the road.

Commission calls for Samoan heritage IP reformAudio

Updated 09/09/2010 08:58:44

Samoa's Law Reform Commission says it is developing intellectual property rights laws in an effort to protect traditional knowledge and culture.

Rural NZ epicentre deals with quake lossesAudioTranscript

Updated 09/09/2010 08:58:44

It might have been five days since the big earthquake that shook New Zealand's Christchurch but the aftershocks have not abated.

Peace monitoring teams find success in PNG highlandsAudio

Updated 08/09/2010 09:23:10

Our Papua New Guinea correspondent Liam Fox has just returned from the Eastern Highlands where he observed a successful projet run by so-called peace monitoring teams to defuse outbreaks of tribal violence.

Welfare agencies dealing with NZ quake traumaAudioTranscript

Updated 08/09/2010 09:23:10

Aftershocks forced the evacuation of a Christchurch welfare centre earlier in the week with 800 homeless people now being housed at a raceway.

Sir Allan Kemakeza elected Solomon Islands SpeakerAudioTranscript

Updated 08/09/2010 17:40:45

The new Solomon Islands parliament has today held its first meeting since the general elections early last month, and elected a new Speaker.

Stainless steel pool a tech leap for Pacific Games 2011Audio

Updated 08/09/2010 09:23:10

Organisers are already putting the finishing touches on venues for the 14th Pacific Games which will take place in New Caledonia next year from August 27 to September 10.

Fiji to drop compulsory voting, lower age for 2014AudioTranscript

Updated 08/09/2010 09:23:10

Fiji is to drop compulsory voting for the planned 2014 election joining most other democratic nations in the world to do so.

Hepatitis B, C ravaging populations worldwideAudio

Updated 08/09/2010 09:23:10

Did you know that ten times more people in our region die from hepatitis B or C related illnesses than from HIV/AIDS?

Location of NZ quakes on previously unknown faultAudio

Updated 08/09/2010 09:23:10

Aftershocks are continuing in New Zealand's quake-hit Canterbury region today with a truly frightening 5-magnitude quake striking Christchurch directly and just one kilometre below the surface an hour ago.

Hawaii migrant workers caught in human trafficking ringAudioTranscript

Updated 08/09/2010 09:23:10

In what is being labelled as the largest human trafficking case in US history, six recruiters have been indicted for exploiting hundreds of Thai labourers and forcing them to work on farms in Hawaii and the United States mainland.

PNG fisherman rescued in AustraliaAudio

Updated 08/09/2010 17:40:45

After spending three weeks adrift at sea a Papua New Guinean man has finally set foot on dry land in Australia.

Solomons 2007 tsunami victims still displacedAudio

Updated 08/09/2010 17:40:45

As the new Solomon Islands government starts to settle in, the country's Western Province is calling on the leaders to help them continue with their recovery from the 2007 earthquake and tsunami.

NRL to investigate cricket-style micro bettingAudioTranscript

Updated 08/09/2010 09:23:09

One of Australian Rugby League's former stars says players caught up in the new betting scandal should be banned from the game for life.

No sign of relief for Fiji drought victimsAudioTranscript

Updated 08/09/2010 17:40:46

Authorities in Fiji are set to meet tomorrow (Thursday) to discuss on whether to declare a State of Drought for the entire nation.

Gillard's road to Australia's LodgeAudioTranscript

Updated 08/09/2010 09:23:10

Thanks to the allegiance of two of the independent MPs, Julia Gillard has become the first woman to be elected as the prime minister of Australia.

Samoan MP hopes to make way for woman parliamentarianAudioTranscript

Updated 07/09/2010 08:28:38

Samoa's associate minister for commerce, industry and labour, Hans Joachim Keil, will not seek re-election when parliament dissolves in November.

Tens of thousands of homes damaged in NZ quakeAudioTranscript

Updated 07/09/2010 08:28:38

Significant aftershocks of a magnitude more than 5 continued overnight as the state of emergency is extended in New Zealand following Saturday's powerful Christchurch earthquake.

Tonga's new party pledges reformsAudio

Updated 07/09/2010 18:06:32

Tonga's newest political party has pledged to fight for government accountability and economic reform if elected in the November poll.

New super pineapple debuts on Australian marketAudioTranscript

Updated 07/09/2010 08:28:34

It has taken years, but finally Australia has a pineapple it can call its own - and with twice the vitamin C as regular varieties.

NZ health boards defend radiographer negotiationsAudio

Updated 07/09/2010 08:28:37

Thousands of surgeries are due to be cancelled in New Zealand from today when medical lab workers embark on a nationwide strike.

Japanese whale meat whistleblowers dodge jailAudioTranscript

Updated 07/09/2010 08:28:37

Two Japanese Greenpeace activists have escaped jail terms after being found guilty of stealing a box of salted whale meat to unearth the procedes of Japan's scientific whaling catch.

Fear continues for New Zealanders left homeless by quakeAudioTranscript

Updated 07/09/2010 08:28:38

Hundreds of New Zealanders are still unable to return to their homes after Saturday's earthquake in Christchurch.

Solomon Islands Speaker candidates nominatedAudio

Updated 07/09/2010 18:06:31

In Solomon Islands, nominations for the Speaker of Parliament have been announced.

World Vision wants PNG LNG proceeds used wiselyAudioTranscript

Updated 07/09/2010 18:06:32

The Papua New Guinea government has been warned it will be disastrous if it does not use proceeds from the multi-billion dollar Liquefied Natural Gas project to bring much needed social services to the people.

Climate economist pushes Australia on carbon priceAudioTranscript

Updated 07/09/2010 08:28:37

The man who wrote a landmark report for the British government on the economic impact of climate change says political will is what is most needed to tackle global warming.

Fiji focus on development, away from charity for civil serviceAudio

Updated 07/09/2010 08:28:37

A conference for civil society organisations in Fiji heard last week that leadership is the key to economic recovery.

Poor turnout mars Guam primariesAudio

Updated 07/09/2010 08:28:37

Low voter turnout and up to 14 per cent of spoiled votes has marred Guam's primary elections over this past Labor Day holiday.

Australian Labor Party snatches back powerAudioTranscript

Updated 07/09/2010 18:06:32

With the backing of independents, Labor will again take office under the leadership of Julia Gillard by the narrowest of margins.

Queensland trade rep says PNG links set to soarAudio

Updated 06/09/2010 09:00:45

The Australian state of Queensland's new special trade representative to Papua New Guinea, Jeremy Blockey, says he hopes to help add hundreds of millions of dollars to the value of trade with PNG over the next few years.

Chinese defence funding for Pacific viewed warilyAudioTranscript

Updated 06/09/2010 09:00:46

Australian military intervention helped guarantee East Timor its independence and still helps underpin its security, but that does not mean the government in East Timor's capital, Dili, is about to put all its security in the hands of just one regional friend.

Sour end for Fiji Sugar Corporation ChairmanAudioTranscript

Updated 06/09/2010 17:42:20

The Chairman of the Fiji Sugar Corporation has resigned after less than two years in the role amidst a disastrous sugar harvest year.

Badminton gets regional development boostAudio

Updated 06/09/2010 09:00:45

There is some good news for the nearly 20,000 badminton players in Oceania with the installation of a new regional development manager in Wellington, New Zealand.

London Irish NZ reps dominate Premiership Rugby openerAudio

Updated 06/09/2010 09:00:45

New Zealand-born and Samoa representative Sailosi Tagicakibau has led from the front with a try in a London Irish win over Saracens 33-16 in the opening round of the Aviva Premiership Rugby season.

Internet governance issues arise in PacificAudioTranscript

Updated 06/09/2010 09:00:45

An important workshop on Internet governance and communications technology was held in Fiji last week, but at least one invitee refused to attend due to Fiji's strict media censorship.

Building code saves NZ from serious destructionAudioTranscript

Updated 06/09/2010 17:42:20

As we've heard in earlier reports, many New Zealanders are assessing the damage from the weekend's earthquake.

Seismologist surprised by location of NZ quakeAudio

Updated 06/09/2010 09:00:46

As we go to air the aftershocks are continuing there near Chistchurch, with a 4.8 magnitude aftershock occuring 10 kilometres from Christchurch just after 4am New Zealand local time this morning.

Simbu students flee PNG's Lae UnitechAudio

Updated 06/09/2010 17:42:20

One student is dead and two others have been hospitalised in following an ethnic clash between students from two provinces at PNG's Lae University of Technology in the Morobe province.

Massive earthquake strikes NZ's ChristchurchAudioTranscript

Updated 06/09/2010 09:00:46

New Zealand is reeling from a magnitude 7 quake as measured by the US Geological Survey which hit just 45 kilometres from the country's second largest city, Christchurch, at 4:35am on Saturday morning.

Govt preparing to roll out NZ rebuilding effortAudio

Updated 06/09/2010 09:00:46

National and regional authorities in New Zealand are already working on strategies to rebuild areas devastated by the earthquake that struck Christchurch on Saturday.

Fiji cash heist nets one millionAudio

Updated 06/09/2010 17:42:20

Fiji Police are investigating the disappearance of up to one million dollars from from the Suva Wharf.

Call to eat camels in Australia, not cull themAudioTranscript

Updated 06/09/2010 17:42:18

Australia's herd of feral camels is expected to double in the next decade.

Pacific wetlands plan updated for new environment concernsAudio

Updated 03/09/2010 09:13:15

A new three-year plan has been drafted to promote and strengthen the effective use and conservation of wetlands in the Pacific region.

Extinct flower rediscovered in HawaiiAudio

Updated 03/09/2010 09:13:15

A flower thought to be extinct has been rediscovered on the Big Island of Hawaii with more than 30 plants bearing the characteristic greeny-white flowers and dark foliage found in rainforest on the slopes of Kohala volcano.

Tonga's government involved in row over departure of judgeAudioTranscript

Updated 03/09/2010 17:10:18

There is concern in parts of Tonga's legal community that the government refused a judge's request to cancel a leave application because of his role chairing the Princess Ashika Ferry inquiry.

Hawaii showcases renewable energy leadership at summitAudio

Updated 03/09/2010 09:13:16

Hundreds of people, including energy business executives and cabinet ministers, are attending the 2nd annual Asia-Pacific Clean Energy Summit in Honolulu this week.

Calls for Cook Islands election people's forumAudio

Updated 03/09/2010 09:13:16

There has been a call for candidates in the Cook Islands' November 17 election to face a so-called people's forum to address four questions specially drafted for campaigners.

Pacific policies of Australia's balance-of-power GreensAudioTranscript

Updated 03/09/2010 09:13:16

Australia's Labor Party alliance with the Greens in the hope to form government has put our guest today, Green's leader Bob Brown, firmly in the spotlight - but what does this mean for the Pacific?

PNG LNG project to meet target, regardlessAudioTranscript

Updated 03/09/2010 17:10:18

The Papua New Guinea government says early work on the country's multi-billion dollar Liquefied Natural Gas project is progressing well and on target.

New Solomons govt called on to take MDGs seriouslyAudio

Updated 03/09/2010 09:13:16

As the new Solomon Islands government begins taking the reigns of power in the nation, local NGOs are calling on it to start working seriously on improving the quality of life for its people.

West Australian govt begins LNG plant land grabAudioTranscript

Updated 03/09/2010 09:13:16

The premier of Western Australia has started the process of compulsory acquisition of land in the Kimberley for a massive liquefied gas project near the state's northern town of Broome.

Newcrest Mining debuts on PNG stock exchangeAudio

Updated 02/09/2010 08:28:44

In a fairly flat trading week on the Port Moresby stock exchange, Australian gold and coper company Newcrest Mining Ltd has become the 20th company to be listed there following its recent merger with Lihir Gold Limited.

Medical staff walkout to halt NZ surgeriesAudio

Updated 02/09/2010 08:28:44

Thousands of medical procedures could be disrupted in New Zealand next week when the nation's medical laboratory workers are expected to go on strike as radiographers and other lab workers are locked in a pay dispute with district health boards.

Pacific NGOs highlight region's issues to the worldAudioTranscript

Updated 02/09/2010 17:04:48

The Pacific Islands' Network of NGOs has used this week's United Nation's conference in Melbourne on advancing global health to try to explain the problems and issues which countries face around the region.

PNG locals 'not surprised' by another plane crashAudio

Updated 02/09/2010 08:43:57

Local media in Papua New Guinea say police have not ruled out a technical fault causing the Misima plane crash after witnesses reported seeing flames coming from the plane as it attempted to land.

Australian Greens, Labor pen agreement in election bidAudioTranscript

Updated 02/09/2010 08:28:44

To Australia's swinging election outcome now, and the Australian Greens have now signed a deal with the prime minister to support a Labor government.

Tonga's parliament debates public service billAudio

Updated 02/09/2010 17:04:49

Tonga's parliament is debating a controversial bill that would force public servants to resign, before contesting an election.

New Zealand incubating more potent swine fluAudio

Updated 02/09/2010 08:28:44

It may be a bit later than usual but this year's flu season is still to peak, and there is concern that swine flu is back in the Pacific.

Discovery of how malaria-bearing mosquitos sniff-out humansAudioTranscript

Updated 02/09/2010 08:28:44

Scientists say they have discovered that the mosquito which transmits malaria has a second set of odour sensors that sense humans.

Controversial airline owner among PNG crash deadAudio

Updated 02/09/2010 08:44:00

It is now confirmed that among the three Australians and a New Zealander killed in a plane crash on Misima island in Papua New Guinea was a chief pilot from the airline involved in Australia's worst air disaster.

PNG Opposition warns of LNG project demiseAudio

Updated 02/09/2010 17:04:49

The Papua New Guinea Opposition has predicted the demise of the multi-billion dollar liquefied natural gas project.

PNG Ombudsman wants Leadership Code reformed.AudioTranscript

Updated 02/09/2010 17:04:49

Papua New Guinea's Ombudsman Commission says the national parliament is hampering its efforts to legislate reforms of the country's Leadership Code.

Four dead in PNG Misima island plane crashAudio

Updated 01/09/2010 08:47:55

A charter plane has crashed on landing on Papua New Guinea's Misima island, 200 kilometres off PNG's south-east coast yesterday afternoon killing three Australians and one New Zealand national.

Time running out for H1N1 vaccine in PNGAudio

Updated 01/09/2010 17:25:48

The Papua New Guinea Health Department is making an urgent nationwide appeal for people to get vaccinated against H1N1, or swine flu.

Pacific Pacer Plus health worriesAudio

Updated 01/09/2010 17:25:48

The PACER Plus free trade agreement is aimed at liberalising trade among Pacific countries, something governments hope will lead to greater economic prosperity.

Pacific disability issues need more recognitionAudioTranscript

Updated 01/09/2010 17:25:38

The three-day international United Nations NGO health conference is winding up in Melbourne.

Pakistan cricketers recalled to face treason chargeAudio

Updated 01/09/2010 08:47:55

Everyday seems to bring with it more bad news for Pakistan's cricket team with a number of its players summoned back to Pakistan to face treason charges stemming from allegations of match fixing.

Passing of Fiji chief Ratu JoAudioTranscript

Updated 01/09/2010 08:47:55

A member of the National Council for Building a Better Fiji Ratu Josateki Nawalowalo has died suddenly in Fiji.

Climate sceptics switch sides as UN panel hammeredAudioTranscript

Updated 01/09/2010 08:47:55

Two of the world's most influential climate sceptics appear to have had a change of heart, coming as the UN's climate body completes a review aimed at restoring its credibility for reporting on climate change.

End of Fiji police 'crusades' to boost crimefightingAudioTranscript

Updated 01/09/2010 08:47:55

As we reported last week on Pacific Beat, Fiji's Police Commissioner Commodore Esala Teleni has resigned.

New PNG air crash investigation could be slowAudio

Updated 01/09/2010 08:47:55

Crash officials heading to the PNG island of Misima may be hampered in their investigation for a couple of reasons - the remoteness of the island along with its possibly-damaged airstrip, and the ongoing struggle of its formal PNG crash investigator.

US, Australian militaries on aid mission in PNGAudioTranscript

Updated 01/09/2010 17:25:48

The defence forces of Australia, the United States and Papua New Guinea are on a multinational humanitarian mission under the annual Pacific Partnership exercise in PNG.

Pacific nutritional decline sees leap in preventable deathAudio

Updated 01/09/2010 08:47:55

According to the World Health Organisation, diseases once more commonly seen in affluent societies are growing fastest in poorer countries with non-communicable diseases accounting for 70 per cent of all adult deaths in the western Pacific region.