Pacific Beat

In 1965 six young Tongan boys were shipwrecked on the depopulated island of 'Ata. Their story of survival has been brought to the mainstream audience by Dutch historian Rutger Bregman in his book "Humankind". However, an excerpt of the book which was published in The Guardian and has been read more than 7 million times has been criticised by the Pacific community for lacking a Pacific voice and Pacific context.

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Border closures have put huge pressures on the Pacific tourism industry, thousands of jobs have been lost, and despite growing support for the islands' inclusion in the proposed trans-Tasman travel bubble, that's unlikely to happen any time soon. In the meantime there are growing fears that some regional airlines won't survive the COVID-19 emergency, however one solution could more cooperation and less competition.

Melbourne researchers say they're a step closer to an effective malaria vaccine in a new study, with scientists hoping a similar strategy could be deployed in the race for a coronavirus vaccine.

With fears that some Pacific airlines may collapse because of the COVID-19 pandemic, they're being urged to consider a major shakeup in order to survive: with an aviation insider suggesting a sub-regional Pacific airlines might be the solution.

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Vanuatu's new Prime Minister has ordered a review into the country's controversial but highly lucrative citizenship by investment scheme. But several agents whose job it is to process citizenship have told the ABC they have not yet been notified of any inquiry and they're continuing to process applications from overseas as usual.

New lecture series Pacific Level Up aims to reconnects Pasifika high school students with their culture and heritage.

After he and his board were sacked by the Supreme Court last year, the former president of the Tongan NRL, Semisi Sika, has put himself forward to chair a new governing body. Meanwhile the most recent incarnation of the TNRL is pushing ahead with an appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, after it was expelled by the International Rugby League.

Vanuatu's new Prime Minister Bob Loughman has ordered a review into the country's controversial but highly lucrative citizenship by investment scheme. But several agents whose job it is to process citizenships have told the ABC they are yet to be notified about any inquiry.

West Papuan independence fighters and Indonesian security forces are involved in a protracted and bloody battle over the issue of Papuan independence - it's a secret war on Australia's doorstep.

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While much of the world has been pre-occupied with handling the COVID-19 pandemic, pro-independence campaigners in Indonesia's Papua and West Papua provinces have been continuing their fight against Indonesia's military, after violence escalated late last year.

And now, in a new ABC Foreign Correspondent program to be aired tonight - Australia is once again being asked by the movement's leaders to support them.