Accessing justice

Report from ODPP Gizo office THE cancellation of Magistrates court circuits due to the shortage of principal magistrates has affected the disposal rate of matters handled by the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) branch in Gizo, Western Province. This is according to the 2014 annual report from the ODPP branch in Gizo…

Improving search and rescue in the Pacific

THE Pacific has moved one step closer to achieving a harmonised regional approach to search and rescue capability as promoted in the Search and Rescue Technical Arrangement for Cooperation among Pacific Island countries and territories. At the Sixth Pacific Regional Search and Rescue Workshop held in Noumea, New Caledonia (13–17 April 2015), Pacific Island delegates…

Women accomplishments need to be recognised

I DECIDED to write again on the above topic because I think women of Solomon Islands have been unfairly treated time and again by those who make decisions at the workplace. I am referring to professional women who were victims of ill-informed decisions made by male-dominated committees, based on questionable assumptions. This is an issue…

Call to revoke appointments

IN a brief response to MPA Vasuni’s article in the paper dated 15th April 2015 for a call to revoke the appointments of four non-executive members of the Central Provincial Assembly. Firstly, I salute the MPA for Tulagi ward for continuing to be a “watch dog” to my Office since his election victory on December…

Cost of Pam to Vanuatu

POVERTY and unemployment in Vanuatu are expected to worsen as a consequence of the devastating impact of Cyclone Pam. According to statistics released today by the Department of Labour (DoL) in Vanuatu, approximately U$7 million or VT7 Billion of personal income have been lost due to Pam. The Category 5 cyclone left a trail of…

A ship with a story

Maersk Alabama visits Noro port MAERSK Alabama, which was hijacked by pirates near Somalia in 2009 and her crew held hostage, made her first trip to Noro Port, Western Province, on Thursday. The container ship arrived at Noro Port around midday on her maiden trip to the nation’s second international port. Onboard Maersk Alabama were…

Workshop for north Malaita villagers

COMMUNITIES in north Malaita participated in a Youth Management Community Reflection workshop conducted in their area this week. Adventist Development Relief Agencies (ADRA) facilitated the workshop. The province’s Minister for Development Planning and Institutional Strengthening Glen Waneta and Provincial Minister for Northern Regional Affairs Rev. Michael Maeliáu officiated at the closing ceremony. They were joined…