Pacific Beat

Marshall Islands grapples with an outbreak of hepatitis A. Tongans mourn the death of their queen mother

Tributes from all sides of politics this morning Papua New Guinea's Governor-General Sir Michael Ogio who has died just a week before his term in office was due to end. And, a 96 year-old digger heads from Tasmania to Australia's top end to ensure that the 75th anniversary of the bombing of Darwin in which 240 people died is not forgotten.

A move to get more women into parliament in the Solomon Islands. PNG's ombudsman commission urges voters to elect MPs with integrity. A year on from Cyclone Winston and some Fijians are still living under canvas.

In Papua New Guinea, Central Province landowners justify why they've shut off the valves to the Sirinumu dam which supplies Port Moresby. And, the women of Guadalcanal begin a drive to get more female MPs into the Solomon Islands parliament.

A Kokoda track operator takes issue with claims that porters and guides are being treated poorly. Australia announces more aid for women's health in the region.

Education Minister Nick Kuman says there is no excuse for schools in Papua New Guinea to be charging fees this year and accusations that New Zealand citizenship is "up for sale" as it's revealed that tech billionaire Peter Thiel, one of Donald Trump's major financiers, has a Kiwi passport.

A study examining the state of self-censorship in Fiji's media suggests years of constant political pressure are responsible for the level of extreme caution among journalists and the PNG Lewas look for the postives as they bow out of the Women's Cricket World Cup qualifying tournament following another heavy defeat in Colombo.

An outpouring of grief that turned into a celebration of the life of former Miss PNG, Ruby Laufa. The Fiji government rejects a report alleging the use of torture by security forces. A planeload of books bound for Papua New Guinea

On World Radio Day, we talk to Moddie Nanau from Solomon Island Broadcasting Corporation about the power of the radio in the era of smart phones and the Internet. And, so far so good for Tongan skier Kasete Skeen who'll compete in the World Championships in St Moritz this week as he continues his quest to qualify for the Winter Olympics in South Korea next year.

The Red Cross helps hundreds of families displaced by tribal fighting in Papua New Guinea's volatile highlands region to rebuild their shattered lives and we talk to a researcher who is investigating concerns about the high number of suicides among young Pacific island men from New Zealand who've travelled to Australia for professional rugby league careers.