Pacific Beat

The Cronulla sharks celebrate Fiji day in Sydney. Niue declares 40 percent of its ocean a marine park. And, Tonga's push to convince some of the heaviest smokers in the world to give up the habit.

We hear from a long time Marshall Islands' anti-nuclear campaigner, after the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons won this year's Nobel Peace Prize. And, Vanuatu's government to decide if the 11 thousand people evacuated from Ambae island can return, now the Manaro volcano's alert level's been downgraded.

Two Royal Australian Air Force Super Hornet fighter jets roar over Port Moresby as part of security preparations for the APEC summit in PNG next year.

Democracy in PNG: 'descending into a community dictatorship' - that's the view of one observer who's released a scathing assessment of this year's national election and an ABC investigation raises more questions about why China deported 77 of its own citizens from Fiji in August.

Fears for the future of the children of Ambae Island as they face months of uncertainty in Vanuatu evacuation centres. And, PNG coach Michael Marum names his squad for the Rugby League World Cup later this month.

The Mendi offices of NBC News ransacked as violence continues in Papua New Guinea's Southern Highlands and residents evacuated from Vanuatu's Ambae island look to return to their homes.

A huge influx of residents into Vanuatu's Luganville as 8,000 residents from Ambae are been taken off the volcanic island and relocated to Santo, along result inwith 2,000 each to Pentacost and Maewo. And, in cricket a dour performance from Scotland would seem to have ruled out any chance of positive their four day match with PNG in Port Moresby.

Activity in Vanuatu's Manaro volcano stablilises but it's still an uncertain future for the thousands forced to evacuate and a call for overseas Fijians to have better access to voter registration services.

A senior police officer in the PNG's highlands says fresh election-related violence, is the worst he's seen. And, the Cook Islands to be promoted from a "developing" country to "developed".

Marshall Islands president Hilda Heine tells the Conference of Pacific Women in Fiji that while they may have equal access to education, women lag behind men when it comes to job security and the control of funds and a bumpy start for the new electronic ticketing system for Fiji's public transport system.