Copen producers and vendors Gizo in the Western Province say they will continue to produce and sell copen—a locally made stimulant drug—unless copen is formally declared as an illegal substance under Solomon Islands law. This comes amidst growing concern from public health officials, government leaders and some members of the public over the widespread consumption…
Members of the newly appointed Solomon Islands Political Parties Commission paid a courtesy visit to the Prime Minister (PM) Jeremiah Manele on Friday. The Commissioners included Mr Victor Ngele (Chair), Lady Joy Kere, Mr James Remobatu and Mr Frank Paulsen. Registrar Gilson Galo was also part of the delegation. The courtesy visit provided an opportunity for the Commission to…
LOCAL farmers in Malaita Province are raising concerns over the prolonged delay in the operation of the multi-million-dollar taro pack house in the province. The SBD $1.5 million facility was fully funded by the World Trade Organization’s Enhanced Integrated Framework Programme (EIF) and was completed and officially handed over in 2023. However, despite the fanfare…
Bank customers, businesses and users across the country are being encouraged to use the EFTPOS (Electronic Funds Transfer at Point of Sale) machine to avoid unnecessary bank fee deductions when making payments or withdrawals. According to Hon. Ricky Nelson Houenipwela, the Member of Parliament (MP) for Small Malaita and Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), many…
Solomon Islands Council of Trade Unions (SICTU) has expressed its firm stand with Solomon Islands National Teachers Association (SINTA) calling for immediate dialogue to avert a strike and call extra ordinary meeting. SICTU President Tony Kagovai on Friday announced SICTU strong support for the 28-day strike notice issued by the teachers association to the National Government, specifically the Ministry of Education and…
Honiara – Huge recognition and reward for its ongoing efforts to promote the Solomon Islands on the Australian travel scene, Tourism Solomons has been nominated for a prestigious Australian National Travel Industry Award (NTIA). The tourist board has been nominated in the ‘Most Popular National Tourism Office’ category, one of the biggest award categories to be…
In an hour of celebration and pride, two Solomon Islanders have graduated from Newcastle University, NSW, Australia marking a major academic milestone and the beginning of an exciting new chapter. This year the University celebrates its 60th anniversary with its largest ever graduation of 3,7000 students. It also celebrated with its 200,000th graduate. Two Master…
Over 3000 diarrhoeal cases have been reported in Honiara and provinces since the outbreak. Because of this the public have been urged to continue good hygiene practices as response interventions expand nationally. Since the start of the outbreak over 3,000 cases have now been recorded. Although most cases are concentrated in Honiara and Guadalcanal, recent clusters have…
The Leader of Opposition Hon. Matthew Wale has described the International Court of Justice’s advisory opinion on climate change as a milestone in international law and congratulated the young Solomon Islanders who played a leading role in the historic campaign. In a statement issued Thursday morning, Hon. Wale said the ICJ’s decision represents a critical breakthrough…
A new book about Isabel Island was recently published by the British Museum. Called ‘Santa Isabel: A Pictorial History from Solomon Islands,’ it features many pictures which help tell the story of the Isabel Island and provides fascinating new insights into the history of a Pacific island. The book was written by Ben Burt and Geoffrey…