There has never been more at stake for the nine nations competing in the OFC Women's Nations Cup in Fiji. For the winners there will be a place in a 10 team inter-continental tournament to be played in New Zealand next February, and the top three sides from that contest will go on to play in the 2023 World Cup Finals to be hosted by New Zealand and Australia.

The PNG Hunters had an impressive win of their own last time out, but they may also have had a hand in Queensland's victory over NSW in State of Origin 3. The Hunters players rubbed shoulders with the Maroons during a special training session designed to help them prepare for their showdown with the Blues in Brisbane. And the PNG boys felt the full force of the Queensland pressure, which they used to winning effect against NSW.

Samoa's national women's basketball coach still can't quite believe what her under 16s did in Jordan recently. The untried team made up of players from Australia, and one from New Zealand, and all recruited via social media, created a huge shock by winning promotion from Division B at the Asian Championship. The side included two 13-year-olds, one of whom scored two crucial free throws with just seconds to go.

At the end of the their retreat in Fiji, Pacific Islands Forum leaders have concluded that the organisation stands at a critical juncture in its history. There is renewed hope that the islands can work with Australia to combat climate change and there's a push to host the UN Climate Summit in the region in 2024. A multi-lateral security deal proposed by China has floundered, and the door is open for Kiribati to return to the Forum fold.

The President of the Federated States of Micronesia says its unfortunate Kiribati missed discussions among Micronesian countries and has pulled out of the Pacific Islands Forum.

Solomon Islands’ journalists are calling for more information about the government’s move to declassify the national broadcaster, from a list of State Owned Enterprises.

The President of the Federated States of Micronesia, David Panuelo, speaks about the Suva Agreement, why he believes Kiribati can come back to the Pacific Islands Forum, and China's rising influence in the region.

US plans to open two new embassies in the region — one in Tonga, and another in Kiribati, just days after the Micronesian nation withdrew from the Pacific Islands Forum.

Independence leaders from New Caledonia are in Suva lobbying for Pacific Islands Forum support to hold another self-determination vote.

Suva’s Thurston Gardens has been home to Pacific Beat over the past few days but it's also home to a number of native bird species.