Vanuatu

The five countries are the Cook Islands, the Marshall Islands, Samoa, Tonga, and Vanuatu.

The company, which is owned by the Pacific Island countries, was set up after states saw a need for a mechanism to protect their people from increasing climate and seismic risks.

It provides a regional catastrophe insurance platform offering cover that can be paid out within 10 days of a triggered event, so governments have access to immediate liquidity for disaster response.

In a formal ceremony, Van2017 CEO Clint Flood said that transport is a critical component in the organization of the Games.

“I thank the Government of Vanuatu for supporting the Games; it’s been six years that the people of Vanuatu have been waiting for this Games and now time is very short, as we have to go operational next week.   

Pacific Games Council CEO Clint Flood says schools have been fitted with 1,600 beds, chefs are on standby to cook for up to 1,000 people a day and China has provided 25 buses for transportation.

Flood says it is also symbolic that the Queen's Baton Relay carrying the Queen's message for the Commonwealth Games will pass through the Pacific Mini Games.

The kava plant – Piper methysticum – only grows in the south Pacific islands, with each one producing different varieties according to growing conditions, soil and climate, much like the different varieties of tea, coffee or wine.

The sedative brew is made from the roots of the kava plant, a member of the pepper family. As a drink it looks like muddy water and has a bitter aftertaste, but it is popular in the islands for its relaxing, narcotic properties.

The French Polynesian government has reiterated it will go ahead with a boycott of the Mini Games, following a disagreement over who should represent the territory in boxing.

The CEO of Pacific Games Council Andrew Minogue said their position remained the same: in the absence of an elected Olympic Committee in Tahiti, sporting federations that want to attend the Games are welcome, provided they are recognised by their respective international federations.

The leak, dubbed the Paradise Papers, contains more than 13.4 million documents mostly from the offshore law firm Appleby.

The papers also contained details from the corporate registries of the Cook Islands, Marshall Islands, Samoa and Vanuatu as well as 15 other registries, mostly in the Caribbean.

The papers covered the period from 1950 to 2016.

The International Consortium of Investigative Journalists is investigating the files along with a network of journalists around the world.

Council President Vidhya Lakhan and CEO Andrew Minogue attended a joint meeting of the Van2017 Pacific Mini Games Authority, chaired by the Minister of Sport, Seule Simeon, and the Games Organising Committee, where the final Games delivery plans and arrangements were approved.

Mr Lakhan also received a briefing from Van2017 CEO Clint Flood.

He was very pleased with the state of preparations and said all stakeholders have worked together to deliver the sporting venues and operational plans on schedule.

Doors were opened to the public on Sunday to see the brand new venues at the Korman Complex, which will host 12 of the 14 sports on offer during the event.

The opening ceremony is now less than 50 days away and Van2017 CEO Clint Flood says it's important to demonstrate to the public - many of whom doubted the venues would be done on time - that Vanuatu will be ready to host the Games.

"It is important for people to see how good these venues are, and that Port Vila now has some of the best facilities in the Pacific," he said.

Samoa and Solomons Men met for the first time for many years and it provided a close tussle. 

At the conclusion of the match it was a 2 all draw.

To find the winner involved the first shootout competition of the tournament.

Exciting goalkeeping kept the score 1-1 as different strikers had their turns however, it was in sudden death that Samoa, in their first Hockey5s shootout broke the deadlock to take the game.

The highlight game in the women's section was the match between Samoa and Fiji. Samoa really challenged Fiji and the match ended 6-4 to Fiji. 

The government yesterday decided to evacuate the whole population of Ambae, as the island's volcano continues to erupt.

More than 7000 people are already crammed into coastal evacuation centres, as a thick layer of volcanic ash and acid rain blankets villages and crops.

The disaster coordinator on Ambae Manuel Ure said authorities were hoping to clear the whole island - more than 11,000 people - this weekend.

The evacuees will be scattered around the nearby islands of Santo, Pentecost, Malekula and Maewo, he said.