Dateline Pacific evening edition 17 May 2017

Papua New Guinea's police commissioner has defended his decision to engage with an American security firm and consider their services to train local police and other security forces in preparation for PNG hosting the APEC summit next year; early next month the Pacific Islands Forum's PACER Plus agreement for closer economic relations is being signed after being under consideration, in various forms, since 2001; a sugar industry bailout in Fiji is seen by some as a bandaid approach; Amnesty International calls for accountability within PNG security forces after the killing of 17 unarmed prisoners; Tonga shocks the region announcing it'll can its hosting of the 2019 Pacific Games; The Cook Islands police force loses twenty percent of its staff over the past six months; Samoan pastor takes first place in the NZ Toastmasters Public Speaking Contest.