Vanuatu

The MOU could be signed in its two-day special meeting in central Port Vila next month, to re-populate the lagoons of Efate and its offshore islands with sea cucumber.

The project is expected to be carried out by a private company and the same company will pay the communities to harvest the sea cucumber after one year.

The intensive two-day meeting will be held at the Presbyterian Church of Vanuatu Conference Hall on September 28 and 29.

Some of the programming priority investment projects under VISIP 2015 include the Vanuatu Urban Development Project (Phase 2 for Luganville and Port Vila), Malekula East Coast Road Rehabilitation, domestic jetties construction in every province, and reconstruction of Malapoa College.

In his speech Prime Minister Kilman called the plan a living document that will assist the country’s vision of a Just, Educated, Healthy and Wealthy Vanuatu.

The call has come from the head of the Climate Division of the Vanuatu Meteorology and Geo-Hazards Department Philip Mansale who says that the 2015 El Nino phase is well established.

Despite rains in recent months, Mr Mansale is warning the public to expect a dry run in the coming months.

It is part of the UNDP's reconstruction programme following the devastation of 22 islands by Cyclone Pam last March.

National Coordinator of the UNDP Project, Russel Tamata says the UNDP Office is working closely with the Department of Public Works and custom chiefs of the islands to construct the buildings.

Mr Tamata says both the standard of the buildings and carpenters are provided by the Public Works while the chiefs and their people on each island provide manpower and labour to complete the buildings.

Five people were arrested on Monday night by a multi-agency operation which had been tracking the alleged international drug cartel in recent weeks.

It's alleged an Estonian skipper departed Vanuatu aboard the cocaine-packed vessel on August 15 en route to Queensland.

Police say he docked nine days later in Coomera on the Gold Coast and met with a 58-year-old UK national, before the pair bought tools and cracked open the concealed drug haul.

The Vanuatu Daily Post reports Mr Lonsdale made the comments as he welcomed Fiji's newly appointed High Commissioner to Vanuatu, Esala Teleni.

He says Vanuatu has been very vocal on such sensitive issues, and it hoped that overtime, there would be a joining of hands to address what he described as the inhumane treatment received by the Melanesians in West Papua.

Mr Lonsdale says it is a challenge for the Pacific, especially Melanesians, to stand united with the Melanesians of Indonesia's Papua region.

The meetings are being held at the Tanoa International Hotel, Nadi, Fiji. 

Senior officials and representatives from Fiji, PNG, Solomon Islands and Vanuatu will be in attendance as part of talks towards a new and more comprehensive trade agreement - MSGTA3 – that will now include Trade in Services, and new chapters such as Labour Mobility, Investment, and Telecommunications. 

MSG Leaders have directed that a draft legal text of the trade agreement must be ready by November 2015.

The meetings include: 

The duo lost to Germany in three sets in the quarter finals 23-21, 15-21, 15-17, a day after upsetting the top-ranked team in the world, Agatha Bednarczuk and Barbara Seixa from Brazil.

Seixa said the Melanesians were better than them on the day and deserved all the credit for handling the wind better than they did.

Miller Pata says it's Vanuatu's greatest moment on the world tour and like a dream come true.

Their fifth-placed finish matches their best effort at a World Tour event.

They now head to Poland for another Grand Slam.

The Melanesian duo beat their American opponents 21-19, 17-21, 15-7.

It's their first win of the tournament, having lost their first match in straight sets against a Spanish pair and then going down in three sets against German sixth seeds Laura Ludwig and Kira Walkenhorst.

Minister Vohor is facing serious criminal charges in the bribery case where 18 MPs are defendants.

Justice Sey issued the direction upon the defendants request through his lawyer advising the minister will not be present when the court convenes, as Vohor will be overseas on official duty.

But Justice Sey ordered Vohor and the 17 defendants to refrain from travelling abroad, as well as attend all court sessions in the two weeks sitting and to be punctual.

Six political party presidents will stand trial as Supreme convenes the bribery case hearing in September.