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Pacific health ministers, who met this week in the Cook Islands, say New Zealand and Australia should be sending ministers to such meetings.

Guam Delegate Madeleine Bordallo is calling for a de-escalation in rhetoric following the recent launch of a ballistic missile by North Korea over northern Japan.

The Northern Marianas tourism sector is opposed to US military plans to use local islands for training purposes. Tinian and the pristine volcanic island Pagan are being sized up by the Pentagon as live-fire training sites for units associated with a large build-up of marines in neighbouring Guam.

The plans are the subject of ongoing discussions between the Pentagon and the Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas government. However they are seen as a threat to tourism in the Marianas, which was recently rated the world's third fastest growing tourist destination.

Reports from Papua New Guinea say a faction of the Pangu Pati is defecting from opposition to the government of Peter O'Neill. According to members of the party, the Pangu leader Sam Basil, who only weeks ago campaigned on a platform of removing Mr O'Neill's government, has now decided to join it.

Reasons for such a defection have not yet been made public by the Pangu Pati, and its leadership has not confirmed this move. But party insiders have indicated Mr Basil has at least been seriously considering the move to join up with Mr O'Neill's coalition.