1The future of the Pacific Forum as it celebrates its 40th-anniversary today. Insight looks at whether New Zealand can reinvigorate the Pacific Forum during its year in the chair. At this year's meeting there were two-absences, Vanuatu, which had an important meeting at home, and Papua New Guinea. The excessive influence that Australia and New Zealand have over the smaller nations comes in for strong debate, as does the influence of China in the region. Other topics are; money for climate change adaptation has been slow to arrive; the suspension of Fiji;

109:00 News

1Mediawatch looks at how two rugby stars ended up squirming under the media spotlight, Mike Tindall, the England Captain and Zac Guildford, and All Black. while two other rugby identities turned exposure into free publicity, Matthew Ridge, and Sir Peter Leitch � for themselves and their preferred politicians.

2And we�ll also hear about the weird world of celebrity journalism from a local reporter at the cutting edge of it overseas

3and a broadcaster from abroad, John Dybvig, who�s turned his back on the showbiz life here.

1The Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas, has put his bid for statehood to the UN. Terence O'Brien, a former NZ ambassador to the UN, talks about why this is making the US nervous, and what's at stake for NZ.

2The Horn of Africa is in the midst of the worst food crisis of the 21st century. Twelve-million people are in dire need of food � 750,000-of them, according to the United Nations, are at risk of starvation over the next four months. Chris Laidlaw explores the origins and geo-politics of the crisis. Is this a natural or man made disaster?

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