by Martin Haffner Associate Editor Only indigenous Ni-Vanuatu will be able to contest provincial and national elections in a key reform at the top of the government’s 100-day plan. This reform plan bought cries of “racism” from the opposition ranks of parliament. The 100-day plan’s expected outcome for this electoral reform is to strengthen citizenship…
by Martin Haffner Associate Editor The category 1 system is expected to intensify into a category 2 system overnight. A tropical depression to the east of Vanuatu has intensified and been named Seru, the Fiji weather office has confirmed. Cyclone forecasters at the Fiji Metservice have confirmed to RNZ Pacific that the system is expected…
瓦努阿图撤销贸易专员外交护照，因担忧滥用权力 Richard Sanders In a move aimed at addressing growing public unease, Vanuatu’s Internal Affairs Minister, Andrew Napuat, has signed an order revoking diplomatic passports held by trade commissioners. The Vanuatu Daily Post reports that Minister Napuat stated the government has received credible reports of inappropriate conduct by a number of trade commissioners, prompting the…
Tusi Tala Leaders from five political parties in Vanuatu have reached an agreement to establish the upcoming coalition government. The parties involved are the Leaders Party, Vanua’aku Party, Graon Mo Jastis Party, Reunification Movement for Change, and the Iauko Group. This week, the leaders signed a memorandum of agreement in Port Vila. Although official results…
Richard Sanders Vanuatu’s Attorney General Arnold Loughman expressed deep concern over the United States’ recent decision to withdraw from the Paris Agreement, marking a second exit by President Donald Trump. Loughman, who has been instrumental in Vanuatu’s significant climate litigation at the International Court of Justice, described this move as a significant setback for global…
by Martin Haffner Associate Editor Frustration is growing in Vanuatu over the snap election, with claims the government has put politics before people. Ballot boxes are still arriving in Port Vila and official counting is unlikely to begin until the weekend. The talk in Vanuatu is that former deputy prime minister Jotham Napat will win…
by Martin Haffner Associate Editor The number of official deaths from Vanuatu’s 7.3 magnitude quake now stands at 12. This has been confirmed by the Vila Central Hospital, according to the latest situation report from the Vanuatu Disaster Management office. Earlier unofficial reports had placed the death toll at 16. The hospital said 80,000 people…
by Martin Haffner Associate Editor Boarding has started for New Zealand’s last repatriation flight from Port Vila after Tuesday’s magnitude 7.3 earthquake. Passengers heading home on the RNZAF Boeing 757 on Saturday afternoon include stranded tourists of various nationalities, returning disaster response officials and media. Staff at the Port Vila’s Bauerfield International Airport International Airport…
by Martin Haffner Associate Editor Quake Rocks Pacific Island Vanuatu, Deaths Feared; U.S. Embassy Damaged Port Vila, Vanuatu – October 15, 2023 A powerful earthquake struck the Pacific island nation of Vanuatu late Sunday night, triggering widespread panic and significant damage across the region. Preliminary reports indicate that the magnitude 7.2 quake, centered approximately 20…
by Martin Haffner Associate Editor Voters have until 5pm today (03 December) to register to vote in the Snap Election on 14 January 2025, including the by-election for the Northern Ward Constituency of the Port Vila City Council (PVCC). Citizens who have recently turned 18, those who are 18 but have not yet registered, and…