Vanuatu

RNZ reports the fourth EU-Vanuatu Political Dialogue will formally open tomorrow.

Mr Salwai's delegation includes the Foreign Minister Bruno Leingkone, the Agriculture Minister Matai Nawalu as well as other senior government officials.

It is expected Vanuatu will brief the EU on its new strategic plan, called Vanuatu 2030, an over-arching policy framework for the government's development plans for the next 13 years.

Dominated by Australia's top seeds in both the mens and the womens the rest of the field was closely fought all weekend.

Tournament favourites Phoebe Bell and Jess Ngauamo won in straight sets after dominating the play at the net and the service line against Vanuatu's Loti Joe and Shershyn Toko. Set scores were 22-21, 21-12. The number one seeds did not drop a set all tournament and were very excited to take away the National Championships.

At the invitation of Vanuatu's parliament, a delegation led by Arken Imirbaki, vice chairman of the Standing Committee of China's National People's Congress (NPC) concluded its three-day goodwill visit to the Pacific island country on Sunday.

Xinhua News reports during the visit, Arken met with Vanuatu's President Baldwin Lonsdale, Prime Minister Charlot Salwai and Parliament Speaker Esmon Saimon separately.

Now here’s a really good reason to visit in 2017 - they’re all on a new hot list of destinations where you can be sure your trip won’t be guilt trip.

Holidaying in developing countries can often raise a complex set of questions and concerns - like, “Is tourism really helping the local people?” or “Am I damaging the environment by visiting?”

Passport holders from Samoa, Vanuatu and the Federated States of Micronesia can enter Belarus for up to five days if they arrive at the international airport in Minsk.

The president of Belarus signed a decree to ease travel for a broad range of countries, including the US.

In September, neighbouring Russia signed an agreement with Vanuatu for visa-free travel.

Fiji passport holders also have visa-free access to Russia but no other such access in Europe except to Ireland.

The Fiji Times newspaper reports the 5.8 magnitude earthquake occurred at 1.16pm at a depth of 10km.

The offshore earthquake occurred 141km Northwest from Luganville, Vanuatu; 901km Southeast from Honiara, Solomon Is; and 1344km Northwest from Suva.

There are no reports yet of whether people felt the shake.  

Last week, Visiting Fellow to the ANU's Development Policy Centre, Tess Newton Cain, told Pacific Beat that Vanuatu had been warned by the taskforce that it urgently needed to lift its game in combatting fraud and money laundering.

But the director of Vanuatu's Financial Intelligence Unit Floyd Ray Mera says they have begun prosecuting money laundering suspects.

The first money laundering case is currently before the court in Santo.

The alert level was raised to 3 (on GeoHazards' scale of 0-5 highest), meaning "minor eruption".

Wellington VAAC mentioned the eruption was confirmed by pilot observers and issued an alert about possible ash plumes estimated not to surpass 10,000 ft (3 km) altitude and drifting SE. 

The most likely type of activity that seems to be occurring is strombolian explosive activity from the summit. Lopevi is one of the most active volcanoes of Vanuatu and has frequent explosive-effusive eruptions of varying intensity.

Head coach Etienne Mermer called on the players to come to the training.

“We have been training for OFC competition but today (Thursday) we are training for the FIFA U-20 World Cup in Korea,” Mermer said.

South Korea will host this year’s FIFA U-20 World Cup in six different cities.

A total of 24 countries will take part in the tournament from the May 20 to June 11, 2017.

Photo by OFC - Vanuatu U-20 captain Bong Kalo 

SBS reports high on a mountain outside Port Vila, Steve Nilwo looks over the plantation he manages for South Pacific Sandalwood.

Even in the tropics, where vegetation grows fast, it took six months for his crop to recover from the impact of Cyclone Pam.

“We were expecting to lose about 50 per cent, but we were so lucky to lose less than 10 per cent,” he says.

The crop is a native variety of sandalwood. It is used in skincare and beauty products and sold locally, mainly to international tourists.