Tune in each morning and afternoon to keep-up-to-date on the happenings in the Pacific.

Fiji Military Forces Lieutenant Colonel Eroni Duaibe has confirmed the country has one officer serving as a peacekeeper in Lebanon, amidst the violence between Israel and Hezbollah. He says the female officer is performing administrative duties and is in safe hands.

The area around the wreck of a New Zealand navy ship which sank a week ago has been closed off as authorities continue to monitor for potential chemical leaks. Locals in the coastal village of Tafitoala, say their livelihoods have been destroyed and that they deserve compensation.

Timor Leste's President Jose Ramos Horta has slammed Australia's Pacific Labour Mobility Scheme calling it "exploitative' telling journalists too many employers are gouging workers from Timor Leste with high accommodation and transport costs.

There are concerns in Guam over a plan by Japan to set up a military as a deterrent against future conflict in the region. But Japan's World War Two legacy in Guam is proving to be a sticking point for locals. 

People living along the south coast of Samoa's Upolu island are worried about the environmental damage caused by a New Zealand navy ship that sank just off the coast over the weekend.

Tune in each morning and afternoon to keep-up-to-date on the happenings in the Pacific.

In Papua New Guinea, betting on the NRL is growing in popularity and it's happening with little to no regulatory oversight sparking concerns over its impact on the vulnerable.

Self-censorship, political pressure and fear of reprisals were among the key challenges faced by journalists according to a new Pacific Media Forum Index. 

Today, Tuvalu – a nation of eight islands and over 10,000 people is celebrating 46 years of independence. 

The coach of Samoa’s national rugby team, Mase Mahonri Schwalger has been arrested on sexual assault charges just four months after he was appointed to the top job.

As more World Cup players come forward to ask the Fiji Rugby Union what happened to their money, it has emerged that a promised bonus payment from World Rugby for reaching the last eight never actually existed.

Former Fijian prime minister Mahendra Chaudhry says failed coup leader George Speight, should have been release after a truth commission had been established. Speight had been serving a life sentence for leading an attempted coup in 2000.  

A Vanuatu climate delegate, Ralph Regenvanu says trillions of dollars are needed to finance climate resilience in the Pacific. Climate financing and levies are set to be discussed in meetings organised in London by the International Maritime Organisation.  

In Fiji, the family of the George Speight says he has no plans to make a public statement anytime soon after his release from prison last week. Speight led a failed attempt at a coup back in 2000 during which he and his followers held the then prime minister Mahendra Chaudry and his government hostage for 56 days. Since his release, there have been public calls for Speight to come clean on who his supporters were back in 2000.

After serving more two decades in prison, failed coup leader George Speight is now a free man. He succeeded in securing a presidential pardon after his application was received by a mercy commission last year.

Apia will be the new base for the Oceania Weightlifting Centre, which closed the doors at its previous location in Noumea as a result of travel restrictions imposed during the COVID 19 pandemic.

In Pacific culture, death is a unifying occasion that brings families together to mourn and to reflect. In Papua New Guinea however, the rising cost of living is robbing families of the opportunity to pay respects to their loved ones.  

In Papua New Guinea, Police and military reinforcements will arrive in Porgera today to help restore law and order. More than two dozen people have been killed in fighting between illegal miners and landowners in the Porgera Valley.

The Governor of Papua New Guinea's Enga Province is calling for a state of emergency to be implemented after dozens of people were killed in tribal fighting. Human rights activist Cressida Kuala a human rights activist says police need to extend their protection beyond the mine site and into villages.

It was on this day in 1975 that the Australian flag was lowered at Hubert Murray Stadium in Port Moresby marking the end of 70 years of colonial rule by Australia, and a new day of independence for the people of Papua New Guinea.

More than 600,000 people in Timor Leste — nearly half the country's population — have turned out for an outdoor mass by Pope Francis. It's one of the biggest ever crowds to have attended a papal event.

Pope Francis has been welcomed by tens of thousands in the capital Dili. It's the first visit by the Pontiff in 35 years. Timor Leste may be the world's youngest Catholic country. but it has the largest catholic proportion of any population outside the Vatican.

Pope Francis celebrated mass with more than 35thousand Papua New Guineans, as he spent the weekend in the Pacific's largest and most populated nation. While in PNG the Pontiff called for a peaceful resolution to Bougainville's bid for independence, better use of natural resources and an end to tribal violence. He now makes his way to Timor-Leste and is expected to touch down in the capital Dili later this afternoon.   

Excitement is building in Vanimo in PNG's North West with final preparations being made ahead of what will probably be the small town's most high profile visitor ever, Pope Francis.