Destructive potential in mass landslides from PNG quake; More revealed about causes of Kiribati ferry disaster; Tongan publisher and commentator, Kalafi Moala, says a cabinet minister's resignation this week was a ploy; The Parties to the Nauru Agreement holds just its second leaders' summit since inception in 1982.

Almost four weeks since a magnitude 7.5 earthquake in Papua New Guinea's Highlands, the response effort is picking up pace; Vanuatu's disaster authorities are in emergency mode again amid intensified rumblings from the Ambae volcano; Indonesia's place in the Melanesian Spearhead Group has come under scrutiny from regional leaders; an expedition off the Solomon Islands coast has found the wreck of American World War 2 ship, the USS Juneau; Samoa's coconut oil farmers celebrate US soap company deal; Tahiti's Flosse fails in bid to stand in next month's election; Pasifika Festival at Western Springs in Auckland is on this weekend and the organisers have aimed to improve connection with villages within the event and their Pacific communities.

We go to the Tongan island of Eua in the aftermath of Cyclone Gita, and hear how people are getting on after the category four storm; The Tongan prime minister speaks to RBNZ Pacific about disaster response; Two Samoa's reflect on emergency communication post Cyclone Gita; The Cook Islands government won't raise its quest for a seat at the UN when New Zealand's PM visits next month, but many say a wider debate on the relationship is inevitable; Locals oppose Tahiti floating island project; PNG Govt accused of facilitating illegal logging; A Cook Island tivaivai inspired gown goes global; Nauru refugee begs NZ PM for help.

It's now four days since cyclone Gita whipped across Tonga's Tongatapu causing widespread damage; following his visits to Fiji, Papua New Guinea and Indonesia, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights has highlighted a range of deep concerns in these countries; the University of Auckland launches a three part Pacific conference series with part one exploring Samoan traditional leadership, customary land tenure and religious rights; in 1968 twelve Pacific countries founded the University of the South Pacific which has grown to become the premiere provider of tertiary education in Oceania; the World Bank says poor child and maternal health is hampering Papua New Guinea's long term economic prospects; Over 4-thousand people from Vanuatu are working in New Zealand's horticulture and viticulture industries this year under the Recognised Seasonal Employer or RSE scheme; tributes flow this week for renowned Samoan musician.

NZ looks to beef up marine safety in Kiribati; Call for Nauru to retain access to Australia's High Court; Reaching out to disaster hit Pacific communities via radio; Cooks tourism body mindful of community needs; Samoa continues to find ways to manage plastic litter; NZ govt looks to protect RSE workers rights;Life-time ban sought for convicted Tahiti politicians; Sport: Fiji Bati players still waiting for World Cup payments.

Renewed calls for independent inquiry into Kiribati ferry disaster; Death of girl in Tonga highlights need for more awareness of dengue throughout region; Fears deadly measles outbreak in Papua could flare further; Academic warns Australia's approach could foster Pacific instability; Fiji govt concerned about uptick in "racial vilification"; Marshall Islands move against adoption loopholes, and; Samoan floating classrom sails around New Zealand.

Social media is being blamed for fanning the flames of sorcery-related attacks in Papua New Guinea; Recent high-profile attacks have highlighted how PNG's problem with belief in sorcery is spiralling out of control; Ongoing concerns about dengue in Samoa and the region; Vanuatu prepares to ban single-use non-biodegradable plastic bags and polystyrene takeaway boxes by the end of Jan; Some Australia detained refugees on Papua New Guinea's Manus Island flew out of Port Moresby bound for United States resettlement; Fears of genetic mutations in French Polynesia because of nuclear tests; Security stepped up at Hindu temples in Fiji in the wake of attacks over the last month; New Zealand pharmacists build support to improve Pacific health; A Tongan women's advocate continues to rally more support for human rights treaties; and Tuvalu school's biogas and solar energy project wins an award.

Incoming Tongan govt expects challenges from across the floor; Vanuatu minister says cabinet reshuffle creates more 'solid' government; Pacific to benefit from global climate finance summit; Huge Solomons airport development set for completion; Media freedom at risk in Samoa; Historical Pacific films part of a US project; Pacific sporting highlight all about the Tongans.

Anti-nuclear advocacy from Pacific Islanders helped lay the groundwork for a treaty to ban nuclear weapons that is gaining momentum globally; Just over four weeks after the election of the new Tonga parliament, MPs will gather on Monday to choose a new prime minister; peak medical bodies and development workers raise concern over Australia's treatment of Manus Island refugees; Pacific Island MPs have been learning about how to deal with the challenges of government spending and parliamentary process in New Zealand, this week; an academic says the unjustified sacking of two Tokealauan public servants puts the spot light on the performance of the atolls' leaders; Tokelau makes its mark at the Pacific Mini Games; New Zealand is pressing the message that Timor Leste is safe a decade after violent civil unrest saw peacekeepers sent to restore order; New Zealand's Auckland War Memorial Museum has established their first Pacific senior management role.

A New Zealand parliament select committee has heard there's currently no pathway for Indonesian-ruled Papua region, known as West Papua, to be put on the UN decolonisation list; French PM takes initiative for New Caledonia's independence referendum; An opposition MP has criticised Fiji's unions for not doing enough to boost bus driver conditions and prevent foreign workers coming in; Scientists are warning Japan's plans to dump treated water from the Fukushima power plant into the Pacific Ocean could be a hidden disaster for the region;Pacific training provider in Auckland leaves Pacific people to fend for themselves;Pacific women MPs visiting New Zealand this week say meeting prime minister Jacinda Ardern was a real inspiration for them; Pacific mini games wrap up; The Pacific Communityhost health officials from across the region gather to observe the revised guidelines on Pacific nutrition.