Australia will fund 500 Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) scholarships in 2025 for young Solomon Islanders. Under the Solomon Islands-Australia Partnership, the Australia Skills Award will be delivered in partnership with the Ministry of Education and Human Resource Development (MEHRD) to provide greater access to quality TVET qualifications for Solomon Islanders. Valued at…
THOUSANDS of government workers expect to get a 3.5 per cent salary raise beginning later this week, according to sources. The raise, commonly known here as Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA) will be backdated to 01 January 2025 and will be paid on Thursday 13 February. By comparison, this year’s COLA is 0.5 per cent above a…
TRIAL of the restaurant owner who denied distributing plastic disposal forks to his customers at his restaurant last June commences today, Tuesday. Xian Pan Li faces one count of Distribution of Single-Use Plastic contrary to clause 4 (2) of the Environment (SINGLE USE PLASTIC BAN) Regulations 2023, as read with section 55 of the Environment…
A World Bank Technical Mission team is in Honiara, Solomon Islands. The team is led by the World Bank Global Director for Health, Nutrition and Population, Dr Juan Pablo Uribe and included Health , Nutrition and Population Pratice Manager Dr Ronald Upenyu Mutasa, Health Specialist Wayne Irava, Operationa Analyst Jim Waldersee and Health Finance Analyst…
THE case of a man on trial for leading a group of people to protest at the Parliament House in Honiara during the unrest in November 2021, has been adjourned to February 18 for judgement. Sade Kwate’e faces judgement for one count of Sedition, two counts of Unlawful Assembly and one count of Arson. Last…
Member of Parliament (MP) for West Guadalcanal, Moses Garu, 56 years old, has passed away on Guadalcanal Monday morning. MP Garu passed away after battling with a long illness. After winning in the National Joint Election in April 17, 2024, MP Garu joined the Opposition Group until his passing away. His family is still to…
Miss Solomon, Elsie Polosovai, has been belatedly awarded the Best Float title during a closing ceremony at Honiara Hotel on Sunday—a recognition that was not announced during the official Miss Pacific Islands 2025 crowning night at Friendship Hall on Saturday. The delay in announcing the award has sparked criticism against the Miss Pacific Islands Pageant…
THE National Referral Hospital (NRH) in Honiara is faced with an acute shortage of wheelchairs, which impacts its services. The demand for wheelchairs continues to increase as more people are admitted at the hospital. Most of those in need of wheelchairs are patients with amputated legs, a nurse told Solomon Star last week. The officer…
MARIJUANA farming is reportedly increasing in Malaita Province. Despite the legal prohibition of marijuana cultivation and use, locals continue to engage in cultivating the drug for sale, with some owning large-scale farms. Reports indicate that marijuana farming activities are primarily taking place in rural areas of the province, where police presence is limited, making it…
THE Acting Prime Minister Bradley Tovosia has lauded the Miss Pacific Islands Pageant (MPIP) 2025 contestants describing them as the ‘Pearls of the Pacific’, who demonstrate the true essence of beauty. At the same time, he hailed the pageant theme of ‘leadership in diversity and adversity’ as a reminder of true leadership, which is not…