Tagata o te Moana. 2013-12-07. 17:30-18:00.

A weekly wrap-up of news, issues and current affairs from the Pacific. The programme is broadcast nationwide every Saturday evening on Radio New Zealand National and is produced by the newsroom of Radio New Zealand International. The following rundown is supplied from the broadcaster’s news system:

1. There is a call for more research into sorcery in Papua New Guinea and how the long-standing custom has become twisted and abused.

2. Seven years have passed since the Fiji military seized power in a coup that ousted the government led by Laisenia Qarase.

3, The Fiji regime says everything is on track for elections by the end of September next year and an independent Electoral Commission will be in place in a matter of weeks.

4, The Catholic Church in Papua New Guinea is disputing a politician's call that there is a need to cut the country's birth rate because of rapid population growth.

5, Pitcairn Island is making moves to bolster its dwindling population by encouraging descendants to return to live on the remote and rugged British territory.

6. There are claims Papua New Guinea has lost a third of its territory to foreign companies, which the think tank the Oakland Institute calls one of the swiftest and largest land grabs in recent history.

7, The Electoral Commission in Solomon Islands has introduced a new voter registration system ahead of next year's national election in a bid to eradicate the risk of cheating.

8. After a stunning victory in Dubai, Fiji sevens coach Ben Ryan says this weekend's tournament in Port Elizabeth will be the real test of how far the team has progressed.