DESPITE the growing influence of geopolitical dynamics in the region, the Solomon Islands remains steadfast in its foreign policy principle of being ‘friends to all, enemy to none’. Prime Minister Jeremiah Manele reaffirmed this during the inaugural ‘Meet the Press’ session of the Cabinet on Monday. PM Manele emphasized that while geopolitics – competition for…
PRIME Minister Jeremiah Manele will move a motion to set the date for the election of the Governor General when Parliament resumes on Monday 10 June. PM Manele confirmed this to media during the first ‘Meet the Press’ in Cabinet on Monday. He said such motion is provided for under Standing Order 16. Apart from…
THE Acquisition Officer who falsified documents that were produced to the Ministry of Lands, Housing & Survey (MLHS) about land acquired for mining on Rennell island in Renbel Province in 2015 has been fined $600. Principal Magistrate Tearo Beneteti yesterday also included 10 hours of counseling for the defendant, 79-year-old Laury Penrose Palmer. The maximum…
PRIME Minister Jeremiah Manele has announced a $140 million buy-back of prime land jointly owned by Levers Solomon Ltd (LSL) and Russell Island Plantation Estate Ltd (RIPEL) in a move which has taken everyone by surprise. Funds for the purchase would be raised by sale of Treasury Bonds to State-owned Enterprises (SOEs) such as Solomon…
THE trial of former Member of Parliament Temotu VATUD Constituency and former Temotu Premier Clay Soalaoi Forau, who was accused of converting over $350,000 of his constituency project fund in 2012, has ended. Soalaoi stood trial for 14 counts of conversion before Principal Magistrate Fatima Taeburi. The prosecution called a total of nine witnesses when…
TOURISM Solomons is celebrating its best first quarter international visitor intake since 2019. Figures released by the Solomon Islands National Statistics Office (SINSO) for Q1 show the destination attracted a total of 4903 visitors, an increase of 24 percent over the 3940 achieved for the same period in 2023. Australian arrivals continued to dominate the…
Officers of the Royal Solomon Islands Police Force (RSIPF) in Auki Malaita Province have arrested a 26-year-old male person in relation to the death of a 10 month old baby who was murdered by his father last week in Malaita. Operation (Ops) Manager Malaita Province Superintendent Michael Ramosaea said, “The suspect escaped after the incident…
The fourth China Police Liaison Team (CPLT) deployed in the country for about eight months were presented with certificates of appreciation letters and international law enforcement cooperation medals at Rove police headquarters today 27 May 2024. Eleven CPLT officers will be leaving the country sometime tomorrow (29 May 2024) and a new deployment team is…
FOUR of the 140 telecommunications towers project have gone online since Sunday night, the Minister of Communication and Aviation (MCA), Fredrick Kologeto confirmed in a media briefing yesterday. Minister Kologeto announced that MCA expects 10 more towers to be operational by June and a total of 42 towers completed by August 31. Currently, the project…
THE Lord Mayor of Honiara City Council (HCC), Councilor Eddie Kasuteé Siapu paid a courtesy visit to the Minister of Home Affairs, Isikeli Vave Jr at the Ministry of Home Affairs yesterday. Their discussions focused on the appointment of the Standing Committee of the Honiara City Council. Lord Mayor Siapu took the opportunity to officially…