Vanuatu

Vanuatu Police and the Australian Federal Police are investigating an abandoned yacht, believed to have contained two tons of cocaine, that was found drifting at Havannah Harbour in North Efate

The main cemetery at Laone in North Pentecost island has been completely destroyed by soil erosion and rising sea levels

Jailed former MP for the Epi Constituency and Speaker of Parliament has formally sought reconciliation at the National Nakamal, apologising to the President of the Malvatumauri Council of Chiefs and the people of Vanuatu for his past actions

The island of Motalava in TORBA Province shipped a 5-tons copra cargo, the first one after a 15-year hiatus; recipient is Future Fund Company in Espiritu Santo and the operation follows a rise in local and global prices

Over 1.000 members of the Vanuatu Teachers Union, who have been on strike for the past 18 months, will return to the classroom following the signing of a Collective Bargaining Agreement with the government

Doctors and medical officers will be trained on Medical Certification of Cause of Death MCCD to improve the accuracy of national health data; the initiative of the Ministry of Health is supported by the World Health Organization

Twenty-one custom chiefs from across Vanuatu have convened to call for an urgent review of the Land Reform Act, saying the legislation has not fully benefited indigenous landowners since its introduction

Prices of beef sausages in Port Vila have surged sharply in recent weeks, raising questions among consumers and traders about what is driving the increase; all agree that meat is much more consumed that in previous years

The Minister for Environment and Climate Change said he is “tired” of Vanuatu being a dumping ground for second hand vehicles from abroad and Amendment to the Bill for the Motor Vehicles will enforce strict emission standards on all imported vehicles

250 chainsaws of those acquired with recovery funds were reportedly handed out in front of schools without following the proper government procedures, raising concerns about the possible political misuse of government property

A call has been made to International Labour Organization to ensure fair pay, safe conditions, proper housing, medical support for Vanuatu and Pacific workers participating in the labour mobility schemes, one of the main drivers of migration in the region