Tagata o te Moana. 2014-11-15. 17:30-18:00.

A weekly wrap-up of news, issues and current affairs from the Pacific. The programme is broadcast nationwide every Saturday evening on Radio New Zealand National and is produced by the newsroom of Radio New Zealand International. The following rundown is supplied from the broadcaster’s news system:

1. Solomon Islanders go to the polls on Wednesday to elect a new 50 MP parliament.

2. The Australian government was this week before the United Nations Committee Against Torture in Geneva.

3. Two years after the detention centre on Manus Island was reopened, the first ten asylum seekers have finally been granted refugee status in Papua New Guinea.

4. The visit by India's Prime Minister to Fiji next week is part of a grander plan to counter China's growing influence in the region.

5. The chair of the Fiji Public Accounts Committee [i.e. Dr Biman Prasad] says criticism of his chairmanship by Fiji First MPs is frivolous.

6. The chief whip in the Fiji government, Semi Koroilavesau, says he hopes the Public Accounts Committee will be able to meet next week.

7. An Auckland chapter of the Samoa Victim Support Group has officially launched, with hopes of raising more awareness and support for vulnerable children in Samoa.

8. The consortium proposing a huge airport development in Vanuatu remains committed to the deal despite the apparent opposition of the government.