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Kiribati says it has officially declared the Phoenix Islands to become the world’s largest protected area to ensure its biological diversity and sustainability. The protection zone, which is halfway between Hawaii and Fiji, will be 185,000 square kilometers and will consist of underwater mountains, coral reefs and more than 520 species of fish. Kiribati’s minister for environment, Tetapo Nakara, says the government wants to ensure a viable use of its resources. “Certain areas of the Phoenix Islands will be declared a marine protected area. In March, we’ll going to have the negotiation with the potential donors and after that we’ll determine the timeframe. The main reason for this is part of the government’s commitment to conserve the place and the biological diversity.” Tetapo Nakara says it hopes to fully establish the area as a protected zone by the end of the year.(RNZI)

Kiribati authorities will be seeking help from New Zealand Police forensic experts to test the weapon they suspect were used to decapitate Teunaia Moriti. The thirty-eight year-old was murdered earlier this month in Tarawa after a drinking binge with friends. Police have found a knife they believe was used to commit the grisly crime. Kiribati's Head of Crime Katimaran Teweraa says the case has become the most complicated Kiribati Police have handled - and the first of it's kind. He says they'll be putting in a request to New Zealand Police to forensically test the knife. (NiufM)

Auckland 5pm: The family of a decapitated man in Kiribati has been urged to seek legal action against newspapers who published photos of his body. Teunaia Moriti was murdered and had his head cut off after a drinking binge with his friends in Tarawa more than three weeks ago. Two newspapers published the photo of the decapitated Moriti. The President of the Kiribati Media Islands Association, Roz Terubea, says the only avenue for those having a complaint against the media is the court. Meanwhile the police have now released the two suspects under investigation following Moriti's death because they don't have strong evidence against them. (Niufm)

Police in Kiribati have arrested two men in connection with the death of a 38 year old man. Crime branch superintendent Katimaran Teweraa says they're yet to charge the men. Teunaia Moriti was having a drink with his friends on Saturday 12 January. His body was later found by some villagers in the capital Tarawa without a head. "He was decapitated. His family had to bury the body without a head," Katimaran said. The head was later found afloat at a small lake in Tarawa. "We took the head to the family on Thursday 17. They bury it with the body," he said. This was the first worse murder case in Kiribati.