The New Zealand government is being warned that continued political antipathy towards the World Health Organisation risks undermining health outcomes in the Pacific.

It's understood that he had minimal safety or survival equipment.

A refugee advocate says the Australian government is refusing to medivac a severely ill Kurdish-Iranian man currently in Port Moresby.

The announcement follows complaints by several political parties in the French Pacific territory, with less than two weeks to go before the crucial provincial elections.

Researchers from the University of Sunshine Coast made the discovery, but locals in Papua New Guinea have long been aware of the legendary nocturnal fish they nicknamed 'lazy shark'.

A round-up of news from around the region, including renewed calls for action on New Caledonia, French Polynesia, Guam and Tokelau at the UN Special Committee on Decolonisation.

The registration for Australia's "incredibly popular" Pacific Engagement Visa ballot will open for applications on 1 July, the Australian Department of Home Affairs announced Wednesday.

But the Samoan government says it is engaging with Vietnamese authorities over the two men accused with killing a suspected Sydney gang leader in Ho Chi Minh city last month.

Bougainville has accused Papua New Guinea's government of breaching the landmark agreement between the two parties, and called for United Nations support.

The crucial poll, involving over 190,000 voters (as part of a recently revised, but still restricted electoral roll) is scheduled to take place on 28 June.

The last census shows Pacific peoples make up just 3.7 percent of the Wairarapa population, or almost 2000 people out of around 50,000 residents.

Naupa's appointment marks a historic milestone for the regional bloc after a 40-year wait for Vanuatu to lead, the Vanuatu government says.

An El Niño event occurs when the ocean becomes warmer than usual, affecting rainfall and wind patterns.

This comes despite conservation advocates slamming the move to reopen protected waters to commercial fishing, saying it "is a significant setback" for "Pacific communities cultural heritage".

A New Zealand oncologist and researcher says the country's health system needs to be easily accessible and culturally safe to help narrow inequities in breast cancer care.