Hugo Hodge

1 month ago | abc.net.au | Hugo Hodge |Lillyrose Welwel

Vanuatu is one of the most disaster-prone nations on the planet, with cyclones, earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. And its people now face an unsettling question: how many disasters can one nation take?

Oct 16, 2024 | abc.net.au | Hugo Hodge

It's a time of celebration and optimism for most, but New Year's Day this year was one of tragedy for the family of ni-Vanuatu seasonal worker Moken Maltungtung. Moken's older brother, Epa Stieve Maltungtung, was with family at home in Port Vila when he received a call from Australia. On the evening of January 1, emergency services had pulled Moken's body from a storage dam at a farm on the outskirts of Carinda in northern New South Wales.

Oct 16, 2024 | refresh.news | Hugo Hodge

A former striker for Vanuatu’s national youth soccer team drowned in a dam while on the job in Australia. He’s one of at least 84 Pacific seasonal workers who have died here since 2020. Powered by the Echo RSS Plugin by CodeRevolution.

Oct 2, 2024 | abc.net.au | Belinda Kora |Hugo Hodge

Rugby league is one of Australia's most celebrated exports, but there are growing fears the NRL's ties to gambling are having an insidious effect on Pacific communities. Sunday's grand final between Melbourne Storm and Penrith Panthers will be watched by millions across Papua New Guinea, where rugby league is the national sport. The broadcast will carry Australian gambling ads, according to Peter Aitsi, chairman of Transparency International PNG.

Sep 18, 2024 | abc.net.au | Belinda Kora |Hugo Hodge

Outside the gates of Port Moresby's public morgue, Albert Sarufa prepares for a 150-kilometre journey to lay a family member to rest. Warning: This story contains videos and images that some readers may find disturbing. He's waiting to collect his late cousin's body and take him back to his home village. But the family can't afford the task without help, so politicians from Mr Sarufa's province offered to payfor the return of the remains to Gulf Province.