Port Vila

Vanuatu's Constitution says, "as of July 30 of 1980, all land is returned to the custom landowner".

However, since 1980, various governments had tried to compensate the surrounding communities of Port Vila for the land without identifying the genuine custom landowners.

Now under the new Land Act, the Village Land Tribunal has identified six custom landowners.

Wan Smolbag began in 1989 as an amateur theatre company with just over a dozen actors but it has now branched out into other areas of entertainment and has over 800 youths registered.

Tutor Alpha Solong said young people are developing strength and respect through Wan Smolbag's programmes, which include circus training, sports and recreation and music, alongside its theatre and film work.

Mr Solong said the company is also keeping youth out of trouble.

Confirmed reports from the Ministry of Internal Affairs said the raid was made during a normal joint Immigration Services and Police task force operation.

The 6 Chinese nationals are now in police custody waiting to be handed over to Chinese authorities

The suspects who have Vanuatu passports were reportedly identified by Chinese authorities of allegedly operating an illegal internet-based scam from Port Vila.

The arrest was made with the support of the new INTERPOL office in Vanuatu.

  The Port Vila Municipality recently passed a by-law aimed at ensuring kava bars were clean and healthy and that sellers always washed their hands with soap and water before handling kava.

The by-law also prevents people who sell kava from smoking and spitting close to where the product is sold.

Sellers must also wear an apron, a head cover and gloves.

If bar owners fail to comply with the standards then authorities can order the temporary closure of the kava bars.

It has declared an outbreak of influenza in the Port Vila area.

In the past two weeks there has also been an increase in suspected influenza cases at the Northern Provincial Hospital in Luganville.

The ministry said it is closely monitoring the cases.

During this time the Ministry is strongly recommending that members of the public to take action to prevent getting infected and if individuals are experiencing flu-like symptoms, to visit their nearest health facility.

The seed policy will help the Agriculture sector in Vanuatu to ensure that farmers have access to affordable quality seeds and planting materials of the most suitable crop varieties is essential for improving food security and nutrition as well as the livelihoods of farming communities.

 In many countries, there is a lack of adequate seed policies – i.e. principles that guide government action and define the roles of stakeholders.

The cruise liner berthed in deep waters between Ifira Island and Iririki island because the main wharf is not long enough to accommodate it.

Ovation of the Seas' has a capacity of almost 5000 passengers.

The Department of Tourism says the arrival of the cruise liner in Port Vila today is a milestone for the tourism sector as it is expected to generate substantial revenue.

"Cruise ships are crucial to the tourism industry"

This is not the first time the cruise liner visited Vanuatu,  in 2017 the ship  visited Mystery island in Tafea province

Should Ba FC fulfill expectations and defeat Samoa’s Kiwi FC in Friday’s opening match, Erakor will need to at least to draw with the group favourites from the New Zealand capital to qualify for the last eight of Oceania’s premier club football competition.

It is a daunting task for the hosts who produced a lacklustre first up performance to edge past Kiwi before buckling under the pressure against Ba FC to let victory slip through their fingers.

The Executive Director of France TV, Walles Kotra said the film festival will be very interesting to see and learn about livelihoods and culture of the people of Oceania.

“As part of the International Film Festival Pacific, free screenings will be offered at Chiefs Nakamal in Port Vila every evening starting from Monday 25 February.

The purpose of the festival is to cast the light on Oceania and to celebrate its rich culture and the diversities of its people.

It is the first whooping cough case of this year.

The victim was hospitalized at Vila Central Hospital (VCH) where the infection was confirmed by laboratory testing.

Whooping cough is a bacterial infection caused by Bordetella pertussis.

The bacteria lives in the mouth, nose and throat.

The first symptoms generally appear 7-10 days after contact with an infected person and symptoms include mild fever, runny nose and cough.

This can make it hard for the infected person to breathe.