Tagata o te Moana

Protests in New Caledonia; Gun violences in Papua New Guinea; Tonga airline review is scathing; New Zealand's MFAT has more to do to make aid spending transparent; Building cultural capability in schools.

The fear Pacific countries are feeling amid the missile build-up; Samoa's quest to right a wrong; The impact of soaring cocoa prices; Tonga happy for China's help; Personhood for whales; A resort owner in Vanuatu shuts down a casino, saying they are unethical, and PNG cricket's on the rise

Violence erupts in Bougainville, the benefits of marine reserve areas are bigger than we may have thought, a call for a re-think on autism, rough waters for a PNG gold refining scheme, the Americans are growing their own kava and Pacifica rugby greats take the spotlight.

This week the horrific violence in Papua New Guinea and the role played by politicians; turtle wars in a Pacific paradise; the Pacific got no deal at the WTO but at least one NGO says it was a lucky escape; the Pacific continues to dominate lists of the most obese nations in the world; and Pacific fest is back on.

Tuvalu appoints a new prime minister Also A new Pasifika theatre show looks at developing healthy relationships And later... Pasifika children in New Zealand continue to live in poverty

We learn about digitising tapa from around the Pacific, Wellington's Pasifika community showcase their cultures, The captains of the Pasifika teams in the Super Rugby franchise are confident they can go far in this year's competition.

Keeping the pacific nuclear-free, in line with the Rarotonga treaty has been a recurring theme this week from the leaders of Tonga, Cook Islands and Samoa to New Zealand's visiting ministers; There are now 23 MPs on the opposition benches in Papua New Guinea ahead of an expected vote of no confidence in Prime Minister James Marape; The Cook Islands' now former deputy prime minister Robert Tapaitau has been removed from parliament;A US academic says the Biden adminstration's failure to fully engage with the Pacific during its first year is what has landed them in the transactional dilemma it is experiencing as it competes with China for influence in the region.