Tagata o te Moana. 2009-08-22

Tagata o te Moana is a weekly round up of news from the Pacific from Radio New Zealand International, broadcast on Radio New Zealand National on Saturdays at 5.30pm. This week's edition is presented by Don Wiseman and the items are:

The New Zealand Government says regional bodies must perform or lose funding;
Hawaii acknowledges 50 years as a US state but is divided on whether it's a cause for celebration;
Palau's President explains why the country is accepting the Uighurs held at Guantanamo Bay;
The Solomon Islands Government gets tough with its scholarship students;
Vanuatu prepares to select a new President;
Fiji's established Methodists are banned from holding an annual conference or choir festival but the rival New Methodists get the green light for a big meeting;
Papua New Guinea is closer to reserving seats in Parliament for women;
Work continues to transform the once dysfunctional Honiara, Solomon Islands, city council.