Stories by Caleb Fotheringham

Critics of a new tax bill in the Cook Islands' say low wage earners will see little benefit from the law change. Audio

The Cook Islands has removed a law from its Crimes Act that could jail men for having sex with men.

The governor of the Papua New Guinea province worst-hit by last week's earthquake feared the death toll was going to be much higher. Audio

A remote coral atoll about 400km away from the Cook Islands capital Rarotonga, with a population of under 50 people, is on a mission to eradicate rats on the island by the end of this year.

Communities in Vanuatu continue to rely on government for basic necessities and still lack access to clean water sources a month after severe tropical cyclones Judy and Kevin made landfall.

New Zealand has made available an additional $NZ1 million to support Vanuatu's post-cyclone recovery efforts.

Pacific leaders are not surprised by the latest Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report that says current action and plans are insufficient to keep warming below 1.5 degrees. Audio

Vanuatu's Minister of Climate Change warns "there's going to be a lot of hardship" for people waiting for their crops to grow back as dry rations are distributed to communities.

A Pacific elder and former secretary general of the Pacific Islands Forum says Pacific leaders need to sit up and pay closer attention to AUKUS. Audio

Six Pacific nations pledge to phase out fossil fuels "as soon as possible" but need international partners to finance the transition.

Marine invasive species are an ecological and economic threat to Pacific nations, the founder of a New Zealand-based ocean conservation and science organisation says.

Samoa's director general of health says he is not concerned about another measles outbreak like the one in 2019 after recent suspected cases returned negative. Audio

After close to two decades of negotiations, an historic United Nations ocean treaty has been agreed to protect marine biodiversity in international waters. Audio

There are concerns that tens of thousands of ni-Vanuatu children could be suffering from "stress and trauma" after the double cyclones that tore through the island nation last week.

The art of making vaka is being preserved in the Cook Islands after nine canoes built entirely of traditional materials set sail to the sound of drums in Avarua harbour recently. Audio

It is going to be another long night for many in Vanuatu as Cyclone Kevin lashes the country.

Slow internet could soon be a thing of the past in the Pacific's most isolated locations with Elon Musk's Starlink said to be looking to enter the regional market. Audio

A member of parliament for Arorae in Kiribati says the island has had almost no rain for two years. Audio

A Fijian conservationist opposing a Suva tourism development with an estimated price tag of $US300 million is encouraged that the government has indicated that the development may not get under way. Audio

Petrol pumps in Port Moresby are flowing fuel again after supply became extremely limited for several days, but the country's largest fuel importer can't rule out it happening again.

Seasonal workers from the Pacific are bunking in emergency shelters after Cyclone Gabrielle tore through New Zealand's North Island as they wait to hear if there's still work available for them.

Traditional navigation knowledge could be hidden in stories and songs, and a Cook Islands master navigator is hoping to unearth them. Audio

A Fiji conservationist is concerned one of Suva's last remaining mangrove areas will be lost if a large tourism development gets underway.

The Samoa Farmers Association is concerned with the decline in the country's agriculture sector outlined in a new government report.

Cook Islands tourism operators are struggling with an unusually tough off-season, with some worrying they will lose their local population as staff are put on reduced hours. Audio