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Vanuatu

Elon Musk's Starlink satellites promise to connect the Pacific to the internet. So why are some countries trying to ban it?

Five years after Starlink satellites started orbiting the Earth, Pacific Island countries are still weighing up its benefits despite calls to approve its services.
A vapour trail in a sunset sky over the ocean, and silhouettes of palm trees.

'It hurts': Seasonal workers detail alleged sexual abuse while working in Australia

Ni-Vanuatu seasonal workers brought a case to the Federal Court alleging they were subjected to persistent sexual harassment. They hope it will bring change for other women.
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Graphic - seasonal workers

Pacific leaders maintain pressure on France over New Caledonia as PALM wraps up in Tokyo

Pacific leaders are ramping up pressure on France over tensions in New Caledonia, pressing Paris to allow a "high-level" Pacific delegation to visit the troubled territory before a critical regional meeting next month.
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A burnt-out car sits next to a burning car with flames and black smoke pouring from it on a motorway surrounded by green trees

analysis:On a trip to China, Solomon Islands' PM visited a shining example of Australia's concerns about Pacific security

Jeremiah Manele praised China and indicated his country was keen to extend security and policing partnerships with the regional power — but will his words translate to more deals?
Jeramiah Manele shakes hands with Xi Jinping standing in front of the flags of Solomon Islands and China

'This is their hard-earned money': The battle these workers face claiming their super

Pacific Island workers coming home from Australia say it's a long and complicated process to get their superannuation — and the barriers appear to be stopping many from claiming their money.
A woman with a scarf and with sunglasses rested on her head, and a man in a jumper.

China has added a sprawling new palace to the skyline of Vanuatu's capital — but some fear it will be hard to maintain

China has handed over a massive newly-built presidential palace to Vanuatu days before the Pacific nation's prime minister is expected to visit Beijing.
An aerial shot shows a large complex of buildings with red roofs, including a palace, with a bay in the background.

Riot-stricken New Caledonia is empty of travellers. Businesses hope it can regain its place as a Pacific tourism jewel

Blessed with pristine lagoons and coral reefs, New Caledonia was hoping to attract more Australian tourists. After civil unrest struck, businesses are now thinking about survival.
A pristine white sand beach with palm trees and turquoise water.

Vanuatu had three PMs in a month. Voters hope a referendum result will stop the churn

Vanuatu has backed changes in a referendum aiming to end political instability that saw the Pacific nation elect three prime ministers in a month.
A view of a bay of tropical turquoise water on a mostly sunny day.

A new Pacific visa is expected to be a hit — but some warn it could bring challenges for the region

The first Pacific Engagement Visas will be granted in late 2024. Experts and community leaders welcome the scheme, but say the government needs to manage it carefully.
Vasa Selupe smiles while standing in front of some trees.

In a world-first ruling, an international court finds carbon dioxide is a sea pollutant

The UN maritime court ruled in favour of nine island states who had sought greater protection from the impacts of climate change.
Three people commute in a small metal boat on calm ocean in front of villas that sit on a green mountainside close to the ocean

Air Vanuatu collapsed under heavy debt. A thousand kilometres across the ocean, it's a different story

Air Vanuatu's collapse has raised questions about the future of aviation in the Pacific. While experts say the problems are vast, there are glimmers of hope for the region's airlines.
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A Fiji Airways plane in flight, with a grey cloudy sky in the background.

Elderly get 'a hug and a smile' every day from their ni-Vanuatu aged-care workers

The first ni-Vanuatu workers to join the aged-care sector in Australia have graduated and elderly residents say their carers are "a blessing". 
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A Vanuatu woman in an aged care uniform crouched down next to an elderly resident, both smiling.

'Ripped open a seam in society': Why New Caledonia's violent riots this week are unsurprising for many

Experts and observers say the discord in New Caledonia has built amid a deepening economic divide and a prolonged stalemate over the future of its status as a French territory. 
smoke over buildings.

Aussie volunteers offered charter flights and a luxury cruise home after Air Vanuatu collapse

A group of young Rotary volunteers stranded on the Vanuatu island of Tanna will return home in style after P&O cruises offers to pick them up in Port Vila. 
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A group of kids standing in front of an air vanuatu plane

Fire risk 'very significant' in overcrowded Tasmanian house with 40 seasonal workers crammed inside

The owner of a house where 40 workers from Vanuatu were living dismisses concerns of fire risk at the property, where Tasmanian authorities found 56 beds and conditions described as "poor and unsafe".
A yellow house with green roof and deck in front.

Aussie teens from Rotary club stranded after Air Vanuatu collapse

Air Vanuatu's collapse has left teenage volunteers stranded on the island of Tanna, Vanuatu. Members of an Albury-based Rotary club were running health clinics on the island and paid thousands for their initial tickets, but now face additional expenses of $3,000 per person to get the group home.
A group of kids standing in front of an air vanuatu plane

'It's so shameful': Seasonal workers, tourists stranded as Air Vanuatu enters voluntary liquidation

Ernst & Young confirms it has taken control of the airline after the Vanuatu government appointed it as voluntary liquidator of the company. 
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A white, green and blue Air Vanuatu plane in the sky above the blue Pacific ocean

Australians stranded in Vanuatu as national airline teeters on the brink of voluntary administration

Australian tourists are stranded in Vanuatu after the country's national airline cancelled international flights for four days, while the Vanuatu government considers putting it into voluntary administration.
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A white Air Vanuatu plane with green and blue design on a tarmac. 

Inside Vanuatu's world of unwanted children

One young mother alleges she was raped by a medical doctor in Vanuatu while he secretly performed an abortion on her.
The Pacific: A woman with an ornate black and gold mask and bandana in a darkened room.
Duration: 14 minutes 5 seconds

Witch doctors, coconuts and sexual assault: Inside Vanuatu's disturbing world of unwanted children

Around the world, heated debates about abortion are taking place. But in the Pacific, the topic is so taboo, only a handful of people are willing to talk about it. You’re about to hear from some of them.
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A photo of Florence wearing a mask.

Vanuatu is importing its own foreign workers as labourers move to Australia and NZ for higher pay

Pacific Island nations are looking abroad for workers, and taking control of labour mobility schemes at home, as they look to address labour shortages hitting employers. But experts say it's too early to say whether they're succeeding.
A palm tree and other green foliage with buildings, a bay and headland in the background.

Two Australian businessmen bought a casino in a tropical paradise — only to shut it down

The Jewel casino once stood at the turquoise shores of Vanuatu's Iririki Island — until its new owners shut it down. Their reason? "The house always wins."
A view of Jewel casino across Vila Bay at Iririki Resort, with hibiscus flowers in the foreground.

Pacific Island nations prepare to claim kava as their own — but will other countries agree?

Pacific Island nations are preparing to stake their claim to naming rights for kava, as demand for the product grows outside the region.
Three bottles full of kava for sale at a kava bar on Santo island, Vanuatu.

Florence left her remote Vanuatu island with a team of para-athletes to prepare for Paris 2024

Para-athletes from Vanuatu travel to the Australian Institute of Sport in Canberra for 'very rare' classification opportunities ahead of the 2024 Paris Paralympic Games. 
A Pacific Islander woman coaching outdoors.

Seasonal workers and their Australian dollars are changing the Pacific. But at what cost?

With the nation's growing dependence on a Pacific Islander workforce, especially in regional areas, attention is shifting towards improving worker welfare and wellbeing.
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Family photo of parents with three boys