Vanuatu

The vehicles were presented as part of World Immunisation Week that finished on Sunday.

UNICEF's Pacific representative Sheldon Yett said health workers need reliable transport to the communities which depend on them.

Mr Yett said there were many challenges that contributed to high dropout rates in Vanuatu that result in children failing to receive all of their scheduled vaccines.

He said one of these was transport.

The paper was prepared in cooperation with Codex New Zealand.

Emily Tumukon, the Codex Liaison Officer during the 14th session of the Codex Committee for North America and South West Pacific (CC NASWP-September 19-22, 2016) said one of the resolutions was for Codex New Zealand to assist Vanuatu as the Regional Coordinator, to work on the proposal for the development of a Regional Codex Standard for kava.

RNZ reports he helped the island countries negotiate the deal and said it should bring significant benefits.

But Dr Kessie said a key is that New Zealand and Australia meet their commitments to allocate up to 20 per cent of their Pacific aid budgets to helping the island nations develop such things as the capacity to meet international bio-security requirements.

He said this would amount to $US300 million dollars annually being allocated.

After being sent in to bat first, the Japanese innings got off to a disastrous start with a mix-up on the first ball between the openers leading to Shizuka Miyaji being run out without facing a ball.

The Vanuatu bowlers then did the rest of the work along with a strong fielding effort that saw them bowl the more experienced Japan out for just 61.

Navaika then backed up her bowling performance with 15 not out to pick up the Player of the Match and a four wicket win for Vanuatu which she brought up with a big six down the ground.

Van2017 CEO Clint Flood said a number of key roles still need to be filled to help them deliver the Games on schedule.

The Games website lists vacancies for a Client Relations Supervisor, Sports Competition Supervisor and an Operations Assistant.

It also says there are a variety of roles on offer locally in program/project management and support, operations, media, communications, sports, graphic design and technology.

Clint Flood said recruitment was proving a challenge.

In the opening match of the Qualifier, Samoa won the toss and sent Japan in for the first ICC match on turf in Japan.

Japan got off to a slow but solid start before captain Kurumi Ota was unluckily run out at the non-striker’s end.

From there Japan lost regular wickets throughout their 20 overs which restricted their ability to set a defendable score.

Former captain Shizuka Miyaji was the only batter to stay there for her 27 not out with Japan setting Samoa a target of just 71 for victory.

Up for grabs is a berth in the final qualifying tournament for next year's World T20 Championships in the West Indies.

The PNG Lewas are strong favourites after winning last year's 50 over regional qualifier in Apia.

They're up against Vanuatu in today's opening round in Sano and assistant coach Arua Dikana backed them to do well.

"The last couple of months we've been training well in PNG," he said.

"We are really good at the moment and we have some players who can win matches and cricket is a funny game where we expect anything.

In further promoting  Nasi’s constant message to school-age  children of eating healthy foods,  Xavier and Savannah De Ceuster skillfully hand-painted some hard-boiled eggs specially for the sick children, who were very grateful for the eggs. The children say « Thank you for the eggs !»

Nasi was received with mixed feelings of initial intrepidation then elation when they realised that Nasi, though seemingly intimidating, is just a harmless loving Nasiviru.

The Public Prosecutor has filed for a retrial of conspiracy charges against the ten and one other former MP still in prison, with pleas to be entered in court next week.

14 MPs were convicted in late 2015 after being found to have received money to cross the floor of parliament and change the government.

One of the convicted MPs, the speaker Marcellino Pipite, immediately used his temporary powers as acting president to pardon himself and the others.

This is the first workshop for regional executive-level police officers facilitated by the Fiji Women’s Crisis Centre (FWCC) and funded by the Australian Federal Police (AFP). It builds on four previous training sessions funded by the AFP with frontline police officers from across the Pacific to improve policies and responses to cases of violence against women.