Tagata o te Moana. 2014-07-05. 17:30-18:00.

A weekly wrap-up of news, issues and current affairs from the Pacific. The programme is broadcast nationwide every Saturday evening on Radio New Zealand National and is produced by the newsroom of Radio New Zealand International. The following rundown is supplied from the broadcaster’s news system:

1. A district court judge in Papua New Guinea's capital has dismissed an attempt by the police commissioner, Geoffrey Vaki, to set aside an arrest warrant for the prime minister, Peter O'Neill.

2. The Cook Islands go to the polls next week and continuing de-population has been raised as a key concern for people.

3. The speaker of the Nauru parliament has accused five MPs suspended from the house of high treason.

4. The United Nations Population Fund is in talks with the Kiribati government about ways to curb what it calls concerning population growth.

5. Pacific countries have again agreed to declare further limits on some tuna species as fears grow for depleted fish stocks.

6. One of the co-founders of a theatre group in Vanuatu [i.e. Jo Dorras from Wan Smolbag] which turns 25 this week, says performing arts have proved a powerful tool for spreading important messages.