Relieved Kiwi fans celebrate the All Black victory over France in Auckland last night. Video: Telegraph

Pacific Scoop:
Commentary – By Edwin Puni of Event Polynesia

So the All Blacks have won the 2011 Rugby World Cup by a whisker – 8-7 against a magnificent French team.

And now time to reflect what the triumph means for New Zealand and the Pacific.

Willie Jackson’s column in the Manukau Courier a few days ago sums up the RWC experience in New Zealand for me. Read more »

French Polynesia President Oscar Temaru with New Caledonia's President Harold Martin and French Polynesia Assembly member Tea Hirshon. Photo: Te Ao Ma Ohi

Pacific Scoop:
Report – By the PMC newsdesk

A new report on Pacific media freedom says economic issues can be as destructive of a free press as direct censorship.

While few Pacific nations and territories experience a regime of media restriction such as Fiji, many find themselves in a situation where funding for public broadcasting is a long way down the governments’ wishlists.

The publication of the Pacific Journalism Review report tomorrow coincides with a recent announcement by the Territorial Assembly of French Polynesia, or Tahiti, of the planned closure of the online bilingual (English and French) news service, Tahitipresse. Read more »

Indonesian repression in West Papua. Cartoon: © Malcolm Evans / PJR

Pacific Scoop:
Report – By PMC news desk

The killing and abduction of journalists in Indonesian-occupied West Papua has been highlighted in a special new report on Pacific media freedom over the past year by Pacific Journalism Review.

“By far the most serious case of media freedom violations in the Pacific is in West Papua—far from international scrutiny,” says the journal in an editorial.

The 39-page report on the state of media freedom in the Pacific in 2011 notes that in August, in particular, “sustained repression has also hit the news media and journalists”. Read more »

Flashback to Nuku'alofa 2006 ... Pacific-wide fear of rioting, fuelled by jobless youth. Photo: SMH

THE 42nd Pacific Islands Forum came and went, but Pacific youth advocates are pleading with leaders to wake up to the increasing number of young people involved in crime and violence in the Pacific.

Pacific Scoop:
Report – By Christopher Chang

At 3:30pm on 16 November 2006, the first stone was thrown in Nuku’alofa, Tonga. Within three hours, rioters had tipped over cars and looted shops.

The Pacifica Royale hotel and ANZ Bank crackled under the blaze of fire. Eight people were killed.

The rioters were of all ages, but most were young males. It is a situation that Pacific youth advocates are still fearful of, five years on. Read more »

Samoan Prime Minister Tuilaepa Lupesoliai Sa'ilele Malielegaoi with Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard at the Pacific Islands Forum earlier this month. Tuilaepa is a prime mover of the proposed new Polynesian group. Photo: Alex Perrottet / PMC

Pacific Scoop:
Report – By John Andrews for Scoop

New Zealand may be invited to join Pacific Island countries in a ginger group promoting Polynesia’s interests.

For years the idea of a Polynesian-oriented grouping has been debated by Polynesian leaders at the annual Pacific Islands Forum summit. Now a few of them have decided to do something about it.

At the behest of Samoa’s Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sa’ilele Malielegaoi, one of the prime movers pushing for the formation of the group, five leaders met privately in the City Life Hotel on the eve of the forum summit in Auckland earlier this month. Read more »

Governor Tagiola of American Samoa making his speech before the Pacific Islands Forum. Photo: Savali

Pacific Scoop:
Report – By Tupuola Terry Tavita

Government leaders, heads of top international organisations and funding agencies have been moved by an emotional address by American Samoa governor Togiola Talalelei Tulafono.

It was an address that best highlighted the importance, and relevance, of the Pacific Islands Forum – for small island governments, territories and Pacific people – in this, its 40th year anniversary.

American Samoa – during the Forum plenary session at the SkyCity convention centre – presented its application for observer status. Read more »

At the heart of the "two flags" controversy: The French Tricolore and the Kanak pro-independence flag. Photo: PMC archive

Pacific Scoop:
Analysis – By Patrick Antoine Decloître

The French government and Parliament is tidying up perceived loose ends in the institutional and electoral systems in its two major Pacific territories – New Caledonia and French Polynesia, -where instability has been undermining economic performance.

In New Caledonia, where governments have constantly been toppled due to the resignation of one component party (which was using a provision of the Nouméa Accord promoting multiparty executive and therefore deemed as one party resigning meant the whole government was considered to have resigned), the French National Assembly (Lower House) on Thursday endorsed the final step of a revamp of the French Pacific territory’s organic law.

The changes, which the French government has recently insisted on not calling “amendments”, mean in essence that the former provision is now replaced by a new rule, introduced to strengthen stability: any newly elected government by New Caledonia’s Congress now has a minimum immunity period of 18 months before any motion of no confidence can be lodged. Read more »

Oxfam launched its GROW campaign for the Pacific in Auckland. Featured in the street theatre are "trader" Tim McPoland and "farmer" Maria Vai. Photo: Glenn Welch

Pacific Scoop:
Report – By Yvonne Brill

The Pacific region is at risk of falling victim to a “broken food system” with supplies being hit by environmental crises such as climate change, says Oxfam in a new global campaign.

Barry Coates, executive director of Oxfam New Zealand, said there was a growing global crisis in the world’s food system.

This view was supported by evidence from a new report released yesterday in conjunction with the launch of Oxfam’s GROW campaign. Read more »

French Polynesia's Oscar Temaru: Back as territorial President for the fifth time. Photo: Tahiti-Presse

Pacific Scoop:
Report – By Patrick Antoine Decloitre

Pro-independence French Polynesian leader Oscar Temaru has returned to the helm of the French Pacific territory after a Legislative Assembly motion was passed at the weekend, ousting conservative Gaston Tong Sang.

A dramatic change has also happed in New Caledonia with the Congress electing veteran pro-independence politician Roch Wamytan as its new President.

Chosen by 32 of the 35 members present -boycotted by two parties – Wamytan is the first pro-independence member to make it to the territorial legislature’s top office in 34 years. Read more »

Japan Ground Self-Defence Force soldiers gear up to wash away radioactive material emitted from Fukushima No.1 nuclear power plant. Photo: AP

Pacific Scoop:
Report – By Patrick Antoine Decloitre

The French government is sending a stock of iodine tablets to its overseas territories of the Pacific – as a “preventive measure” in response to the Japanese nuclear power plant crisis.

In a statement, the French Ministry for Overseas said the decision was made to send a consignment of iodine tablets to New Caledonia, Wallis and Futuna and French Polynesia, mainly because of the shipping delays associated with the remoteness of these French islands and because no suck quantities of iodine tablets are permanently stocked there.

The tablets, once delivered, would be stocked, but the need for a distribution to the population has so far been ruled out. Read more »