A roundup of major stories from across the region and the people involved and affected by them.

A roundup of major stories from across the region and the people involved and affected by them.

On the program: Excitement is building in Papua New Guinea ahead of the canonization of the country's first Catholic Saint, Peter ToRot. Pain still lingers 50 years after the murders of the Balibo Five in Timor Leste as relatives continue to call for justice.  Micronesia's World War II shipwrecks are a magnet for divers but they're also a ticking environmental "time bomb"

Solomon Islands police say they are investigating the discovery of a low-profile semi-submersible boat found abandoned in Malaita Province.

Papua New Guinea and Australia are on track to sign a historic security treaty next week.

Angaur, a tiny island at the southern end of Palau, spans just four square kilometres, but it's overrun by thousands of invasive macaque monkeys. With only 114 locals left, the island's human population has been squeezed into a small corner, while the monkeys run rampant. Originally introduced by German colonists over a century ago, the macaques have multiplied through a chain of events involving war, neglect and geopolitics. Award-winning podcaster James Nokise boards an eight-seater plane to investigate this situation.  What he finds is a tangled tale involving WWII-era unexploded bombs, US military interests in the Pacific and a perfect monkey storm of cultural and environmental disruption. Presented and produced by James Nokise

Palau's president Surangel Whipps Junior says he was disappointed by Donald Trump's UN speech, which labelled climate change a scam and rubbished efforts to reduce emissions.

Papua New Guinea was the focus of attention this week as the Pacific region's largest nation celebrated 50 years of independence. 

The Pacific's biggest political meeting has wrapped up in the Solomon Islands capital Honiara, where Australia has put up $100 million for the Pacific's new climate fund.

A roundup of major stories from across the region and the people involved and affected by them.

A roundup of major stories from across the region and the people involved and affected by them.

A roundup of major stories from across the region and the people involved and affected by them.

A roundup of major stories from across the region and the people involved and affected by them.

A roundup of major stories from across the region and the people involved and affected by them.

A roundup of major stories from across the region and the people involved and affected by them.

Celebrations across the region after the world's highest court declares states have a legal obligation to combat climate change.

The country is home to a high number of endemic species found nowhere else in the world, and these birds most likely land in Asia, where there's a large black market for exotic animals. Join journalist Prianka Srinivasan as she travels from the jungles of Santa Isabel to the bustling markets in Jakarta, Indonesia, to track this illegal trade. Presenter: Prianka Srinivasan *Reporting was supported by the Sean Dorney Grant for Pacific Journalist through the Walkley Public Fund.

A roundup of major stories from across the region and the people involved and affected by them.

A roundup of major stories from across the region and the people involved and affected by them.

Fiji's prime minister says he is against China gaining a military base in the Pacific, but he remains unconvinced that's Beijing's aim.