RNZ Pacific

23/01/2024

A Tongan story has made it to Sundance - one of the biggest film festivals in the world. The film was selected out of 17,000 applications for Sundance, which boasts of launching the careers of some of the greatest directors in the world, such as Christopher Nolan.

A Tongan story has made it to Sundance - one of the biggest film festivals in the world.

23/01/2024

The All Blacks will play two test matches against the Flying Fijians this year, with an official announcement expected next month. RNZ Pacific understands both games will be played outside of New Zealand.

RNZ Pacific understands the All Blacks will play two Test matches against the Flying Fijians - both games played offshore. Official announcement expected in February.

23/01/2024

The Cook Islands economy is bracing for a more than $2 million loss in revenue when direct flights from Australia are suspended for the final month of summer.

The Cook Islands economy is bracing for a more than $2 million loss in revenue when direct flights from Australia are suspended for the final month of summer.

22/01/2024

Fiji's Deputy Prime Minister Biman Prasad says "I don't want to add anything more" on the alleged affair between the former education minister and women's minister.

Fiji's deputy prime minister says "I don't want to add anything more" on the alleged affair between the sacked education minister and women's minister.

22/01/2024

PNG Prime Minister Marape confident his coalition will stay intact

Papua New Guinea's prime minister says he is confident he can retain power in the wake of the recent riots.

22/01/2024

China's moves to control the media in the Solomon Islands have been exposed in leaked emails In-depth Solomons has obtained.

Solomon Islands media association is calling for respect of the media after leaked emails obtained by In-depth Solomons showed Beijing's attempts to influence newsrooms.

22/01/2024

A judicial enquiry has been launched in French Polynesia to determine whether some members of the Territorial Assembly (Parliament) can be held responsible for racist hate speech.

A judicial enquiry has been launched in French Polynesia to determine whether some members of the Parliament can be held responsible for racist hate speech.

22/01/2024

Alethea Boon, who has Fijian and Samoan parents was born in Fiji and grew up in Auckland, said her family were excited about her being on the show, which has started to air.

As a kid, Alethea Boon remembers watching American Gladiators when it aired in New Zealand in the first half of the 1990s and knew straight away she wanted to be one.

22/01/2024

New Caledonia's Congress has endorsed the postponement of provincial elections that are now no longer to be held in May 2024 as initially scheduled, but not later than 15 December this year.

The endorsement comes as part of preparations to a French government Bill, currently being drafted and to be tabled soon in the French Parliament (in the shape of an "organic law"), to effectively postpone the provincial polls in New Caledonia.

22/01/2024

Fiji's coalition parties at loggerheads after Cabinet minister removed for 'insubordination and disobedience’

Fiji's coalition government is at risk of collapse after just over 12 months in power following the dismissal of a Cabinet minister on Friday, with calls for Sitiveni Rabuka to step down as prime minister.

21/01/2024

A blog site, known for breaking news about political corruption, governance and human rights issues in Fiji, has released explosive allegations of extramarital affairs between two Cabinet ministers - one of them dismissed for an unrelated issue on Friday - while on official business in Australia.

The allegations published by FijiLeaks blog site has divided public opinion in the country. One MP concerned says: "It is fake news."

21/01/2024

Powerful waves, driven by offshore storm surges, hit an important US military installation in the Marshall Islands on Saturday night, causing damage and resulting in the evacuation of all "non-mission personnel" from the island.

Powerful waves, driven by offshore storm surges, hit an important US military installation in the Marshall Islands.

21/01/2024

The Papua New Guinea government announced a late night Cabinet reshuffle on Thursday, with six new MPs coming into the executive.

The Papua New Guinea government announced a late night Cabinet reshuffle on Thursday, with six new MPs coming into the executive.

21/01/2024

Police in Fiji have seized one tonne of m**hamphetamine, some of it in kava bags.

Police in Fiji have seized one tonne of m**hamphetamine, some of it in kava bags.

19/01/2024

There has been no reduction in the level of s*xual offending against children in Fiji, the non-government organisation Save the Children Fiji says.

18/01/2024

Black Ferns Liana Mikaele-Tu'u hopes that Pacific island teams will be included to play test matches against the British Lions.

18/01/2024

🎥WATCH: The Moana Pasifika squad are preparing for the 2024 Super Rugby 🏉 season with their mix of new and experienced players. The players were on site at their North Harbour Stadium base in Albany last Tuesday to meet with the media.

18/01/2024

A Fijian police officer will appear at a Nadi court on Thursday after being charged for scooping what is thought to be spilled crystal m**h powder that was during the Fiji m**h bust on Sunday.

A Fijian police officer will appear at a Nadi court on Thursday after being charged for scooping what is thought to be spilled crystal m**h powder that was seized during the Fiji m**h bust

18/01/2024

Marshall Islands officials quickly moved this week to reaffirm this nation's ties with Taipei in the wake of Nauru shifting diplomatic allegiance from Taiwan to China.

Marshall Islands officials quickly moved this week to reaffirm this nation's ties with Taipei in the wake of Nauru shifting diplomatic allegiance from Taiwan to China.

17/01/2024

A Brisbane woman has been charged for allegedly facilitating a "black flight" loaded with 71.5 kilograms of m**hamphetamine from Papua New Guinea (PNG) to Australia in March last year.

The woman, 41, the owner and director of a logistics company in PNG, appeared before the Brisbane Magistrates' Court on Wednesday.

17/01/2024

The act, passed in Parliament last month, aims to strengthen Vanuatu's political landscape by promoting integrity, good governance, and financial transparency among political parties.

Vanuatu's prime minister says he expects a referendum on the proposed Political Parties Registration Act will be held in June.

17/01/2024

Cooks Islands tourism figures for 2023 have exceeded the industry's expectations and the national tourist office says "future proofing" the sector needs to be a priority.

Cooks Islands tourism figures for 2023 have exceeded the industry's expectations and the national tourist office says "future proofing" the sector needs to be a priority.

17/01/2024

Two local men are reportedly being questioned after a 3.5 tonne m**hamphetamine bust in Fiji, as police probe into the origins and destination of the drugs. The drugs were found in a small, unfinished home in a quiet community near the nation's main international airport. It has been called one of the country's biggest ever drug busts.

Two men are being questioned over the massive drug haul, and police are probing if the shipment was headed to Australia.

17/01/2024

The latest victim of last week's rioting and looting in Papua New Guinea's capital is the city's top police commander. The National Capital District commander Anthony Wagambie has been suspended for 21 days.

The latest victim of last week's rioting and looting in Papua New Guinea's capital is the city's top police commander.

16/01/2024

Facial recognition software is being used to track turtle movements in the Cook Islands. The citizen science turtle monitoring project has been up and running for a year now, launched in 2023.

Facial recognition software is being used to track turtle movements in the Cook Islands.

16/01/2024

Laveni Vaka: Tonga's first woman pro soccer player 'grateful' to US club 'for taking a chance'

Tonga's Laveni Vaka has become the first Tongan female professional soccer player after being drafted for the National Women's Soccer League in the United States.

16/01/2024

The University of Auckland's climate scientist Dr Kevin Trenberth says it is "not surprising" that 2023 was the hottest year on record.

The University of Auckland's climate scientist Dr Kevin Trenberth says it is "not surprising" that 2023 was the hottest year on record.

16/01/2024

A security studies professor says China has been applying pressure to countries to switch diplomatic ties over from Taiwan, but Beijing says its "ready to work" with the Pacific island nation "to open new chapters" in the relations between the two countries.

"China has been on the offensive to effectively dismantle Taiwan's diplomatic allies across the Pacific," Anna Powles from Massey University's Centre for Defence and Security Studies says.

16/01/2024

'We're in chaos': Anti-drug campaigner calls for help after historic Fiji drug bust

"There isn't a place where they can go" for people to seek help, a Fiji anti-drug advocate says, as police continue "initial stage of the investigation" into m**h seizure.

15/01/2024

Fiji police have seized over three tonnes of m**hamphetamine, with the country's acting top cop confirming it is "one of the biggest seizures ever" in the country.

The drugs were stored in 797 medium-sized containers wrapped in brown tapes that were seized from a vacant house under construction in Namaka in Nadi, police said via a statement on Monday.

Fiji police say they have seized over three tonnes of m**hamphetamine, with the country's acting top cop confirming that it is "one of the biggest seizures ever" in the country.