Pacific Review

Papua New Guinea's media council concerned about journalists being harassed. A student from Solomon Islands tells us why he walked around Viti Levu to help cyclone victims in Fiji.

The Prime Minister Peter O'Neill survived a vote of no-confidence on Friday. The political drama in PNG has claimed some unexpected casualties after heart operations for around a dozen children were canceled.

Naru abandons the huge increase in the nomination fee for candidates wanting to stand in the upcoming election. And, Coping with albinism in the Pacific.

Students at the University of Papua New Guinea, supported by students at other institutions, boycotted classes and held large protest meetings this week. There have been some alarming robberies across Port Moresby.

Immigration authorities in Papua New Guinea say they have opened the gates to the Manus Island detention centre and the refugees and asylum seekers alike are no longer being detained. Solomon Islands and Vanuatu will support the United Liberation Movement for West Papua's bid for full MSG membership.

The ruling party in Papua New Guinea has begun court action to stop any more votes of no confidence against the Prime Minister after the acting speaker of parliament threw out the latest attempt. Communities across Solomon Islands are still discussing the plan for police to be given guns again, 13 years after they were disarmed in response to five years of ethnic tension.

First to Paris, where negotiators have been in talks for the past two weeks at the COP21 summit, trying to get international consensus on curbing global warming. In Vanuatu, the former finance Minister Willie Jimmy this week pledged he will appeal a court decision.

The first week of the Paris climate summit is drawing to a close and negotiators continue to work hard to reach an agreement. The former head of Papua New Guinea's defence force says a breakdown in command and control was to blame for last week's outbreak of violence between soldiers and police.

Fiji's former Police Commissioner has again blamed interference by the country's military in policing for his departure. Fiji's acting prime minister has been accused of making racist gestures towards an opposition i-Taukei MP.

In Vanuatu, 14 MP's, including the Deputy Prime Minister, Moana Carcasses, have begun serving lengthy jail sentences after they were convicted of corruption. A shocking video showing four PNG women being tortured over suspicion of practicing sorcery has appeared on the internet.

The Christian Council of Churches in Vanuatu says the parliamentary speaker Marcelino Pipite made a mockery of the country's motto, In God We Stand, when he took advantage of his temporary powers as acting president, to pardon himself and 13 other MPs found guilty of corruption.

Anti-corruption police in Papua New Guinea are claiming a victory, after the country's National Court reversed a travel ban on their Australian lawyers. And PNG Prime Minister Peter O'Neill may be facing a vote of no confidence in parliament in a few weeks time.

PNG's opposition leader says the distribution of aid to hungry people in his electorate is being politicised. Tribal fighting has interrupted the flow of relief supplies to Upper Mendi, one of the areas of Papua New Guinea most affected by the El Nino crisis.