Vanuatu

The snap election is being held nine months ahead of schedule, following a period of political instability in which 14 Members of Parliament were convicted of bribery. The convictions led to a political deadlock between the Government and the Opposition which prompted President Baldwin Lonsdale to dissolve Parliament.  

The Commonwealth’s Secretary-General, Kamalesh Sharma, mobilised the Observer Group at the invitation of the Vanuatu Government. He said its work would complement the Commonwealth’s ongoing effort to support democracy in the country.

Mr Toama who is Charge d'Affaires at Vanuatu's embassy in China has not been declared as eligible to contest the Tanna constituency.

Mr Toama's lawyer Less Napuati says Mr Toama had been removed from the electoral list and the Commission had a statutory duty to inform him they had done so.

Operators are invited to submit their entries into one of 14 categories, designed to align each award with all areas of the tourism industry.

“We are delighted to launch the second year of the Westpac Vanuatu Tourism Awards for Excellence after a successful start in 2015,” said Linda Kalpoi, General Manager of the Vanuatu Tourism Office and Chairlady of the Awards Secretariat. “The Awards are about helping our industry to improve their business operations and recognizing the best of the best.”

Annie Joseph who was also known by the name ‘Ani Tangi, a mother of five in her early 30s, died on Thursday, January 7, in a local hospital after she allegedly collapsed in her home.

The Vanuatu Daily Post reported that she was rushed to hospital with injuries from what it described as “suspected domestic violence.”

Senior Magistrate Peter Moses was initially due to decide whether or not the case is admitted to the Supreme Court last Friday but decided to adjourn until this week.

The 11 former MPs are currently serving sentences of three years in Port Vila female correctional centre after they were guilty by the Supreme Court and the Appeal Court on corruption and bribery.

Ula is now a Category Three cyclone and is easing as it moves in a south easterly direction from its position south of the Vanuatu group.

Ula reached Category Four level as it veered towards Vanuatu's south at the weekend raising fears for vulnerable islands in Tafea Province which are still recovering from the devastation of last year's Cyclone Pam.

“Today I am very happy, on behalf of the Chinese government, to offer Vanuatu a package of sport equipment at the beginning of 2016, which demonstrates both the actively supports of Chinese Government towards Vanuatu’s post-Pam reconstruction and another testimony of Sino-Vanuatu friendship,” Ambassador Xie said.

The NDMO says seas will remain rough to very rough over southern waters with heavy swells expected.

The category four cyclone is about 200 kilometres south of Aneityum and 285 kilometres south southeast of Tanna.

Early this morning it was situated 160km south southeast of Aneityum and 250km south southeast of Tanna.

On its current path it could hit the same region devastated last March by Cyclone Pam which killed 11 people, left tens of thousands homeless and wiped out entire food crops.

In its latest warning, the country's meteorological service says Ula is currently about 145 kilometres northeast of the island of Aneityum, with winds of 165 kilometres an hour at its centre.

It is moving southwest at about 14 kilometres an hour.