The Tongan government's suggestion that rugby and boxing isn't for girls provokes a backlash from many quarters; New Caledonia has a date for its independence referendum: November 4; The recovery from Papua New Guinea's earthquake is likely to take more than a year; There are fears that changing the quality of kava exports from Vanuatu could again threaten the reputation of the country's prize crop; And, Pasifika artists say the New Zealand government arts funding agency needs to address the way it works with their community.