Tagata o te Moana

On Tagata o te Moana this week: New Zealand hosts independence talks between Bougainville and Papua New Guinea. The Samoa Electoral Commission is preparing for an August election. And there's a lot at stake for the World's oceans as leaders, civil society groups, scientists and businesses gather in France.

On Tagata o te moana this week: Politically it is unsettled in parts of the region, while the Pacific is also trying to cope with dengue outbreaks. The continuing washup involving the Manawanui and next week academics in Auckland look at the links between health and climate.

This week on Tagata o te Moana: No solution yet to New Caledonia's political impasse. Polio is again on the rise in Papua New Guinea. The New Zealand Budget delivers substantial cuts to the Ministry of Pacific Peoples and work is underway to improve the response to ciguatera poisoning.

On Tagata o te Moana this week: Reports of some of the worst violence in 60 years in West Papua. Will former Fiji Prime Minister, Frank Bainimarama, be allowed to stand in the next election? An Auckland kava business celebrates its achievements but finds itself embroiled in a culture argument. And a Samoan legend of New Zealand politics and education steps away.

Is Samoa closer to an election? An ex-pat judge in Kiribati gets another shot in court, why is Australia planning to recruit soldiers in PNG, New Zealand police involvement in curtailing drug trafficking in the Pacific, and the difficulties faced by Fiji garment workers.

Talofa lava! This week on Tagata o te Moana: There are calls in Tonga for a rethink of the Sabbath Observance Laws; Tinian Island, in the Northern Marianas, was a pivotal site for US Forces in WW2 and there is now a US military resurgence there; In Papua New Guinea women continue to face hardship in maternity hospitals, where giving birth on the floors is not uncommon; The former Fiji attorney general Aiyaz Sayed Khaiyum attacks the current government and we hear from a Bougainvillean carver who has been in New Zealand for the past month, showing his skills and learning from local artists.

Halo oketa! First up this week on Tagata o te Moana: What's behind the growing assertiveness by the Bougainville Government; A report details systemic issues in the Solomon Islands election process; And why are turtles washing up malnourished in the Cook Islands? All that and more stories from the week on RNZ Pacific.

Kia orana, This week on Tagata o te Moana: A foreign policy expert says Trump's domestic policies are affecting US competition with China in the Pacific. New Zealand announces more recovery assistance for quake stricken Vanuatu. And Tokelau turtle hatchlings Popo and Uto have now tripled in size.

This week on Tagata o te Moana: Pacific nations are disappointed and are trying to wrap their head around US tariffs; The ADB says economic growth in the Pacific is projected to moderate to 3.9 per cent in 2025 and 3.6 per cent in 2026; Bougainville, which is seeking independence, continues to face trauma that can be traced back to the eight years of civil war from 1989; A National Geographic rapid assessment expedition has found Tokelau's coral reefs appear to be recovering following coral bleaching.

Halo oketa wantok! First up this week on Tagata o te Moana: Tonga shaken awake by massive earthquake, Samoa declares a state of emergency to try and address crippling power outages and Tuvalu receives a new state of the art passenger and cargo vessel! All that and more stories from the week on RNZ Pacific.

This week on Tagata o te Moana, French Minister for Overseas Manuel Valls returns to New Caledonia; the Australian government looks to fill some of the gaps left by USaid in the Pacific; the widow of the former Green Party MP Fa'anana Efeso Collins calls for an inquiry into his death; deep sea mining company denies branding accusation; Samoan tech expert Namulau'ulu Nu'uali'i Eteroa Lafaele named Young New Zealander of the Year.

This week on Tagata o Te Moana with Don Wiseman: There will be more talks between the leaders of Bougainville and Papua New Guinea to try and resolve an impasse blocking the province's referendum on independence being tabled in parliament, we also hear from the newly installed Ulu of Tokelau and other fascinating and important stories from the wider Pacific.

Halo oketa! This week on Tagata o te Moana: The dangers of not providing enough police to regions in PNG, A Bougainville leaders group say they want to be independent by September 2027, Deep sea mining campaigners in the Cooks are accused of using charity to win people over and Tokelau prepares to celebrate a century of its relationship with New Zealand. All that and more stories from the week on RNZ Pacific.

Halo oketa wantok! This week on Tagata o te Mona: Samoan PM survives second vote of no confidence, Cook Islands considers becoming a Christian nation, we talk to a Kanak academic about possible political futures for New Caledonia and the Rainbow Warrior will return to the Marshall Islands to mark the 40th anniversary of Operation Exodus. All that and more stories from the week on RNZ Pacific.

Halo oketa wantok! This week on Tagata o te Moana: The prime ministers of Samoa and the Cook Islands both defeat votes of no confidence in their respective parliaments. We speak with a meteorologist about the three cyclones that formed in the Pacific. And a mural honoring the late Fa'anana Efeso Collins was unveiled in Manukau this week. All that and more of this week's stories from RNZ Pacific.