PM offers condolences to Taiwan

PRIME Minister Rick Houenipwela has offered sincere condolences to the President of the Republic of China (ROC) of Taiwan, Tsai Ing-Wen and the people of Taiwan. This followed the devastating earthquake that hit Hualien County in eastern Taiwan late on Tuesday. The magnitude-6.4 quake struck on Tuesday evening and was centered 14 miles northeast of…

Malaita fisheries monitors bech-de-mer ban

FISHERIES officials in Malaita say they’ll be on the look-out for possible illegal harvest of beche-de-mer now that the open period has closed. Senior fisheries officer Martin Jasper warned that his office will closely monitor the all fisheries activities to ensure there’s no illegal harvest of the product. The three-month open period the government permitted…

Demand for road fee illegal: Varley

THE practices by some youths who filled up potholes on public roads and then demanded money from drivers could amount to criminal offences. This is what Police Commissioner Matthew Varley said when responding to a question raised by a journalist at his weekly conference on Friday on this issue. “There are responsible authorities around town…

Boyers hits back at Sasako

KADERE Party president Peter Boyers has urged journalist Alfred Sasako to “stop misleading the public on issues he knew little about”. Mr Boyers was referring to recent articles Mr Sasako penned about his meeting with chairman of Russell Islands Plantations Estates Ltd (RIPEL) chairman Patrick Wong. “The suspicions Sasako raised about my meeting with Mr…

Auki Travelers Lodge death

Police receive medical report, no arrest as yet By ASSUMPTA BUCHANAN   POLICE have now received the pathologist’s report of the young woman who was found dead inside a room at the Auki Travelers Lodge on Christmas Eve. However, Police Commissioner Matthew Varley last Friday said no arrest has been made at this stage. But…

UK commits to work with SI

THE Foreign Office Minister from British Mark Field says the United Kingdom is fully committed to working closely to develop Solomon Islands. Mark Field, FCO Minister is looking after the Asia and the Pacific. “This is my first time to come to this part of the world and I am happy with this trip,” Mr…

LAND CLAIM

Controversial site may soon form part of Children’s Park By CHARLEY PIRINGI A PLOT of land located between the RAMSI Memorial Park and the Children’s Park at Rove that is currently at the centre of public debate is likely to become part of the children’s park soon. Initially allocated to senior citizen Leslie Teama, the…

Auki Market bans black market

The Management of Auki Market in Malaita have finally put a stop to black-market activities that have been going on within the market premises over the past years. Last week, security officers at the market stopped vendors who attempted to purchase out-right produces from farmers arriving at the market. Their intention was to buy off…

MELANESIAN ARTS FESTIVAL COMMITTEE RESUMES PRE-FESTIVAL PLANNING PROCESS

The Solomon Islands Melanesian Arts Festival National Organizing Committee (MAFNOC) has resumed its pre-festival planning process for 2018 this week. Solomon Islands will host the 6th Melanesian Arts and Culture Festival (MACFest) from July 1 to 10 this year on the theme “Past Recollections; Future Connections.”  The event is programmed to coincide with the country’s…