NEWS
Australia courts Vanuatu
Richard Butler | RNZ – Andrew Thomas | February 15th, 2019.
Analysts say Australia sees China’s influence as a potential threat to sovereignty, independence, stability and even to peace.
To counter China’s growing influence in the South Pacific, Australia’s Prime Minister Scott Morrison says he wants to…
Imagining Australia’s South Pacific family
Richard Butler | RNZ Graeme Dobel | February 10th, 2019 Part of a leader’s magic is to spin a few words into political gold, capturing the moment and proclaiming the future. Think Franklin D. Roosevelt’s ‘new deal’, Winston Churchill’s ‘iron curtain’, or Ben Chifley’s...
Australia welcomes Air Vanuatu’s new direct connection between Melbourne and Vanuatu
Richard Butler | RNZ | February 10, 2019 THE AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT has congratulated Air Vanuatu on its decision to resume non-stop flights between Melbourne and Port Vila and looks forward to flights commencing on 17 June 2019. Australians represent 65 per cent of...
Govt’s Vt1.5 Billion Energy Access Program On Track For Kick-off By Mid-2019
Richard Butler | RNZ | February 7th, 2019 The Government’s Energy Access Program (VEAP) is on track for implementation by mid-2019. The project, which will see distribution of grid extensions on Malekula and Santo has been made possible through a loan and grant...
Air Vanuatu to serve Melbourne from June
Now we know what colour the 2019 McLaren will be
Richard Butler | from GP Fans | 28 Jan 2019 McLaren have all but confirmed that a papaya livery will remain in situ on the team's 2019 challenger – the MCL34. McLaren have teased elements of their 2019 livery more than any other team on the grid so far, with all...
Vanuatu Vaccines Delivered From the Skies
Richard Butler | Egemen Qazaqstan | 24 Dec 2018 In the village of Cook’s Bay, on the remote side of the remote island of Erromango, in the remote South Pacific nation of Vanuatu, 1-month-old Joy Nowai was given shots for hepatitis and tuberculosis that were...
Sport: Vanuatu defend Oceania beach volley title
Richard Butler | RNZ News | 24 Dec 2018 Vanuatu have defended their Oceania Women's Beach Volleyball title, denying Tahiti a clean sweep of the podiums in Papeete. Top seeds Miller Pata and Sherysyn Toko defeated Emere Maau-Boutry and Vaihere Fareura 21-17 21-17 in...
China International Import Expo: a new opportunity for Pacific states?
Asphalt construction works commence on Bauerfield runway
Asphalt works on the Bauerfield runway has started following initial trials and testing early this month. Richard Butler | Daily Post | 3 Dec 2018 Asphalt construction works have commenced on the runway at Bauerfield international airport, following initial...
Tonga and Vanuatu join China’s Belt and Road
Richard Butler| from RNZ | 20 November 2018 Tonga and Vanuatu have signed up to China’s Belt and Road initiative. The announcements came on the sidelines of the APEC summit in Papua New Guinea last week. Tonga’s memorandum of understanding on Belt and Road was...
Chinese President Xi meets with leaders of seven Pacific island countries including Vanuatu
Chinese President Xi Jinping meets with President of the Federated States of Micronesia Peter Christian, Port Moresby, PNG, November 16, 2018. /Xinhua Photo Richard Butler | Xinhua | 17 Nov 2018 Chinese President Xi Jinping met with the leaders of seven Pacific island...
Australia’s plan to challenge China in the South Pacific
Richard Butler | CNN | 9 Nov 2018 Australian Foreign Minister Marise Payne and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi shake hands at a news conference at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing Thursday. Dr. John Lee is senior fellow at the Hudson Institute (Washington)...
Vanuatu chooses Stantec to supervise 400-kW Brenwe Hydropower Plant
Richard Butler | HydroWorld.com | 30 Oct 2018 The government of Vanuatu and the Asian Development Bank have chosen Stantec to be design supervision consultant for the Vanuatu Energy Access Project, which includes the 400-kW Brenwe Hydropower Plant. The project, on the...
Malta To Assist Government Of Vanuatu In Forming Blockchain Regulations
Richard Butler | Cointelegraph.com | 10 Oct 2018 The government of Malta has agreed to assist the Republic of Vanuatu in forming blockchain regulations. The Vanuatu Daily Post reported that Ralph Regenvanu, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Vanuatu, attended Malta’s...
Vanuatu launches new Dept of Climate Change
Vanuatu parliament building in the capital Port Vila. Photo: RNZI/ Walter Zweifel Richard Butler | RNZ News | 25 Sept 2018 The Vanuatu goverment is working towards setting up its first Department of Climate Change and Disaster Risk Reduction. The Daily Post newspaper...
Vanuatu PM hails bilateral ties with China
Vanuatu PM hails bilateral ties with China Richard Butler | Xinhua | 22 Sept 2018 Vanuatu Prime Minister Charlot Salwai has hailed the island nation's good relationship with China, saying that China-Vanuatu relations will continue to grow from strength to strength....
Even Faster Internet access for Vanuatu
Richard Butler | Loopvanuatu.com | 19 Sept 2018 Submarine Cable owner and operator Interchange Limited has delivered a 42% reduction off the regulated wholesale pricing of the Submarine Cable to Telecom Vanuatu Ltd (TVL) and Digicel (Vanuatu) Ltd as of 1 September...
Vanuatu Aviation Investment Project update for Bauerfield
Richard Butler | Vanuatu Daily Post, Jane Joshua | 26th Aug, 2018The Government and its partners in the Vanuatu Aviation Investment Project (VAIP) are committed to providing regular updates about construction works at the country’s three main airports.At Bauerfield,...
Vanuatu Aviation Investment Project update for Bauerfield
Richard Butler | Daily Post | 27 Aug 2018 The Government and its partners in the Vanuatu Aviation Investment Project (VAIP) are committed to providing regular updates about construction works at the country’s three main airports. At Bauerfield, the contractors China...
Close to 30,000 rural ni-Vanuatu to be migrated to electronic banking
Richard Butler | Pacific Office in Fiji | Aug 23rd 2018 Port Vila, Vanuatu – Addressing low usage, cost of travel and lack of opportunities to transact, the National Bank of Vanuatu (NBV) has announced the migration of close to 30,000 of its rural customers from a...
