News

VANUATU’S Prime Minister says he has not received any petition from the new political bloc that was made last Wednesday and he believes it is not a petition but a manipulation for MPs to sign another motion against him. Mr Salwai said ‘with the Solidarity Agreement (SA) that the political bloc made, to say that they have made a petition to me, I have never received a petition.’

CHINA has approached Vanuatu about building a permanent military presence in the South Pacific in a globally significant move that could see the rising superpower sail warships on Australia’s doorstep. Fairfax Media can reveal there have been preliminary discussions between the Chinese and Vanuatu governments about a military build-up in the island nation. While no formal proposals have been put to Vanuatu’s government, senior secu ...

VANUATU para-athlete Friana Kwevira has won the country’s first medal at a Commonwealth Games event, taking bronze in the Women’s F46 Javelin final. The event, for women missing a section of one arm, was won by Welsh thrower Hollie Arnold with a word record throw of 44.43 metres.

A ‘GIFT’ of 60 Apple Mac Book computers worth about VT10 million to all MPs was a form of bribery and was not acceptable, says a Pentecost MP. Speaking from Pentecost, Francois Chani told The Independent Online news that he had put the computer back in its box and would return it to the Speaker when he returned to Port Vila.

AID totalling VT 142 million for Malampa and Penama provinces has been approved at the Council of Ministers (COM) meeting yesterday. They have also declared disaster zones in both islands which have been ravaged by Cyclone Hola and Ambae’s Manaro volcano. Disaster Zones have been declared over five priority areas identified in the assessment reports – North, NW and NE Malekula; West Malo; Central Pentecost; SE & SW Ambae; North Amb ...

THOUSANDS of people in Vanuatu’s West Ambae are being forced to use umbrellas when they go outside because of constant ash fall from the island’s Manaro volcano The volcano had forced the compulsory evacuation of the island’s 11,000 people last December. Speaking from his village in West Ambae, Chief Zacchaeus said all the crops they have planted on their return after the evacuation have been ruined and the environment looks as i ...

THE Government of Japan today signed a US$5.2m agreement with the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) which will allow its current parliamentary development work to six Pacific Parliaments. The Strengthening Legislatures in Pacific Island Countries Project will run from 2018 for three years. The program will allow UNDP to provide new support to the Parliaments of Samoa, Republic of Marshall Islands and Federated States of Microne ...

AON Corporation, the leading global provider of risk management and insurance services and Vanuatu’s principal insurance service since 2000 is now independently owned and trading as Vanuatu Insurance Brokers Ltd. The transition has taken nine months to achieve after Aon (New Zealand) approached its Vanuatu based General Manager Bob Sanders to purchase the brokerage and transform it to a Vanuatu company.

PORT Vila Lapetasi International Multi-Purpose Wharf has officially opened after two years of construction work. Vanuatu’s Prime Minister, Charlot Salwai said it was an historical day for the people of Vanuatu and especially the Chiefs and people of Ifira. Mr Salwai said that they are happy to declare that this terminal now begins full operations to work with international shipping agencies and operators.

VANUATU has become the fifth country in the Pacific to receive support from the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) through a three-year Parliament strengthening project with funding from the New Zealand Government’s Aid Program. The UNDP Pacific Parliamentary Effectiveness Initiative (PPEI) was initially a NZ$3m funded project providing support to the Parliaments of Cook Islands, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands and Tonga.