There is concern that PNG's political instability will be "detrimental" to key discussions that are meant to be held between the national government and officials in Bougainville and hundreds of Pacific seasonal workers from Solomon Islands and Fiji head to Australia this week to help fill a massive labour shortage in the horticulture sector.

The emphasis on big families amongst Pacific islanders means that for couples who can't conceive, the grief is not just felt at an individual level but also a cultural one -- we meet one Samoan-Kiwi woman who's lived through that experience.

There's been some panic in Samoa after the country's first case of COVID-19 was announced but a leading health expert believes the country has prepared well for the arrival of the virus.

After more than a decade of negotiations, the region's PACER Plus free trade deal is set to start on December the 13th.

Dahlia Malaeulu is a Samoan-born teacher and author based in New Zealand, but says she became an author by accident, when she saw a gap in Pasifika-led resources for her students and even her own children.

The Samoan Government appeals for calm after the country recorded its first case of COVID-19, which prompted some parents to pull their children out of school and others to stock up on supplies, and amidst the rush to find a coronavirus vaccine, experts warn of another public health crisis in the Pacific: anti-microbial resistance.

Papua New Guinea's Opposition is asking the Supreme Court to rule whether the country's constitutional laws have been interpreted and applied correctly by the Parliament. PNG law expert Bal Kama says while the matter is complex, the courts are equipped to deal with it.

PNG's rushed 2021 budget this week sparks concern about the level of scrutiny placed on fiscal decisions, after the emergency medical service provider, St John Ambulance, discovered its funding was missing but it's been called an oversight, and fate of PNG's latest political turmoil to be decided by the courts.

New research has uncovered a network of fake Dutch, German and English social media accounts attempting to manipulate the narrative of the West Papuan independence movement.

The Solomon Islands government's move to temporarily ban Facebook has been condemned as "pathetic" by the country's opposition and citizens, both at home and in Australia, are worried about the move.