The Pacific Sheath-tailed bat population is seeing a rapid global decline and is listed as Endangered under the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List of Threatened Species. Photo: Kristofer Helgen
Fiji - bats
The largest known cave roost discovery of Pacific sheath-tailed bats was found on the remote Vanua Balavu island in Fiji.
Thousands of the endangered bats were found in the roost.
The discovery was led by Conservation International in Fiji in partnership with the Australian Museum and the University of Adelaide.
Conservation International Fiji terrestrial protected area manager Isaac Round said this find was far bigger than the typical roost size which is normally in the hundreds.
"Conservative counts of the bats in the cave by the team that actually found the roost was around between 2000 to 3000 bats," Rounds said.
"According to the specialist Professor Kristofer Helgen from the Australian Museum that's probably the largest he's found so far of this subspecies of bat."
Papua New Guinea - attack
Police say a university student in Papua New Guinea has been killed in an attack while six others are fighting for their lives in hospital in Goroka town.
The National newspaper reports Eastern Highlands Provincial Police Commander Michael Welly said the deceased was trying to calm a person, who was playing loud music, down.
The deceased was with a Hela group in their house when the Bena tribesmen attacked.
He ran off but sustained an arrow wound and fell, and was killed.
Welly said a police investigation is underway.
Meanwhile, PNG police say they welcome a "calming of tensions" in the past week in Enga - but are aware that hostilities are still simmering.
Tonga - appeal
Tonga's Chief Justice has rejected Parliament's appeal to abandon a judicial review into a pay rise from 2018 to 2021.
An MP brought a case before the court claiming Parliament gave itself a raise during a difficult economic time in Tonga.
RNZ Pacific's Tonga correspondent Kalafi Moala said the complanaint claims it was a breach of the consititution.
Moala said Parliament has denied its actions are illegal, and said the judicial review was outside of the court's jurisdiction.
US/Pacific - envoy
Newly appointed US envoy to the Pacific Islands Forum Frankie Reed said Washington is committed to addressing the priorities of Pacific Island nations.
Last year, President Joe Biden announced more than $US800 million to assist Pacific islands.
Reed told RNZ Pacific the US would cover the biggest concern raised by many Pacific countries - the climate crisis.
Meanwhile, the Pacific Islands Forum leaders meeting will take place in the Cook Islands this November.
NZ/Pacific - engage
Te Herenga Waka-Victoria University in Wellington wants to engage more with Pasifika.
It hopes that a series of Pasifika roadshow information evenings across the Wellington and Kapiti region, during August and September, will attract Pasifika communities.
Assistant Vice-Chancellor for Pasifika, Luamanuvao Dame Winnie Laban, said attracting Pasifika families to an open day at university can be challenging, so it had to re-think of a new way to engage.
Dame Winnie said the university is also keen to hear the viewpoints and aspirations of Pasifika communities concerning university education.
Guam - clean-up
The US Army Corps of Engineers is continuing to clean-up mountains of rubbish left by Typhoon Mawar in Guam.
The category four typhoon made landfall in late May, pummeling the US territory with strong winds and heavy rainfall.
Last week, the US army group reached a milestone by removing rubbish from three villages, though the work continues with 12 more villages still left to clear.
Pacific Daily News reports the teams go street by street through each village collecting everything from construction and demolition waste to vegetative debris until the entire village has been cleared.
Once US Army Corps of Engineers contractors make their rounds through a village, the local mayor is contacted and tours the village to ensure the debris pick-up has been completed.
