Mr. Ian Vaevaso is officially appointed as the new commissioner of the Royal Solomon Island Police Force (RSIPF) on Friday morning (24 April 2026) before the Governor General (GG) of the Solomon Islands at Government House. Mr. Vaevaso accepts this responsibility with humility, with seriousness and with firm commitment to serve our nation faithfully.  He said, this appointment is not about one individual. It is about responsibility, it is about duty to Constitution, to our communities and to every citizen who looks to Police for protection and fairness. Mr. Vaevaso emphasises his commitment to enhancing community safety and building trust between the police and the public. He outlined several key initiatives aimed at dealing with emerging crimes and improving training and resources for officers to better serve the citizens of the Solomon Islands. PC Ian Vaevaso sworn-in Vaevaso also highlighted the importance of collaboration with local communities and international partners to address...

To support communities affected by Maila By FLOYD TERRY JNR Solomon Star, Honiara The Solomon Forest Association (SFA) has stepped in to support communities affected by the recent cyclone Maila, donating tons of essential food supplies to the National Disaster Management Office (NDMO). The handover, which took place on Friday day at the Cocoa and Copra Export Warehouse at Henderson, included 1,000 bags of 10kg rice, 1,000 cartons of noodles, and 100 cartons of canned tuna [taiyo]. SFA Secretary Austin Holmes said the association was pleased to contribute to relief efforts, describing the donation as a gesture of solidarity with those impacted by the cyclone. “We are happy to step in and support our people during this difficult time. Although this assistance may not be enough to meet all needs, it comes from the heart,” Mr. Holmes said during the handover ceremony. The contribution is expected to assist the NDMO...

The Solomon Islands Government, through the Ministry of Finance and Treasury, received a USD 500,000 payout from the Pacific Catastrophe Risk Insurance Company (PCRIC) following the impacts of Tropical Cyclone Maila. The payout was officially presented by PCRIC CEO Aholotu Palu to the Honourable Minister of Finance and Treasury, Rexon Annex Ramofafia, with the presence of Permanent Secretary Mckinnie Dentana and Deputy Secretary Technical, Ministry of Environment, Climate Change, Disaster Management and Meteorology, Agnetha Vave Karamui on Thursday 23 April. Tropical Cyclone Maila caused significant impacts across Western, Choiseul, and Isabel Provinces, prompting the declaration of a State of Emergency.  The payout received highlights the importance of pre-arranged finance in providing immediate financial protection against natural disasters and supporting government relief efforts.  This marks an important milestone for the Government in securing national parametric insurance cover, given the frequency and severity of cyclones in the region. PCRIC’s risk transfer mechanism directly supports the implementation...

Honiara, Solomon Islands Friday 24th April- Prime Minister Hon. Jeremiah Manele has welcomed a major nationwide initiative by the Seventh-day Adventist Church (SDA) aimed at promoting peace, unity and community well-being across Solomon Islands, while complementing Government’s efforts in national development. The initiative, “Solomon Islands Mission for Christ 2026,” will bring together churches, communities and stakeholders across the country, with a strong focus on peace-building, spiritual renewal and addressing key social challenges, including the growing burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs). Details of the initiative were formally presented to the Prime Minister during a courtesy call by an SDA delegation led by Pastor Linray Tutuo, General Secretary of the SDA Solomon Islands Mission. As part of the lead-up to the national program, the SDA Church will host a Health Expo from 11–16 May 2026 at Lawson Tama in Honiara, with simultaneous rollouts in provincial centres.  The Expo is expected to bring together more than...

Participants in the recently completed Exercise Coastwatchers have spoken about the new skills they acquired that will help keep Solomon Islands secure. Exercise Coastwatchers, a joint activity betwen the Royal Solomon Islands Police Force (RSIPF) and the Australian Defence Force (ADF) concluded earlier this month. It takes its name from the Coastwatchers of World War II, a secret communication network comprised of Australians and Solomon Islanders which reported information to the Allies on military assets moving across the Pacific. True to this legacy, this instance of Exercise Coastwatchers included advanced courses focused on maritime and border surveillance, bringing together students from earlier small boats operator and drone operator courses to further upgrade their skills. The course required students to work together and draw on a wide range of skills in a simulation targeting criminal activity. After receiving information on potential criminals, they planned their mission, and worked with the small...

Ipsos iris March 2026 rankings, released today, confirm News Corp Australia as the nation’s top publisher of news and information reaching 80.4 per cent of online Australians. In March, 18.15 million people visited News Corp Australia’s sites, 2.4 million more than the nearest competitor. Audiences were also highly engaged, averaging 149 browser page views per person, up 3.25 per […] The post News Corp Australia Reaches 80.4 Per Cent of Online Australians: 18.15M Audience, 103M Video Views appeared first on NewsCorp Australia. RPT

Our Telekom engineers are working around the clock to restore services By ULUTAH GINA Solomon Star, Gizo Telecommunications services across Western and Choiseul provinces have been severely disrupted following the onslaught of Cyclone Maila, leaving several rural communities cut off from vital communication links. Telecommunications provider Our Telekom confirmed in a statement this week that key network infrastructure suffered extensive  damage during the height of the cyclone, particularly from lightning strikes and strong winds. The outage has raised serious concerns over emergency communication and the flow of local trade, as affected communities struggle  without reliable mobile and data services. Initial technical assessments indicate that high-altitude relay equipment sustained the most damage. In Western Province, parts of Vella La Vella including Karaka, Boro and Tuzu are experiencing partial to total service loss. Similarly, in Choiseul Province, affected areas include Kandova, Lengatura, Kumanibae, Varunga and Sambe. “Our key network hardware was heavily ...

Government through the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development (MALD) has reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening agricultural development through international partnerships following a high-level bilateral meeting with delegates from Guizhou Province, People’s Republic of China. The meeting, hosted in Honiara, brought together Hon. Minister for Agriculture and Livestock Development Nestor Giro, senior MALD officials, representatives from the Chinese Embassy, and delegates from the Guizhou Provincial Foreign Affairs Office and the Institute of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Science under the Guizhou Academy of Agricultural Sciences. In his opening remarks, Hon Giro welcomed the Guizhou delegation and acknowledged the importance of the discussions in advancing the agricultural sector in Solomon Islands.  He emphasized that such engagements are vital for strengthening partnerships that will benefit the country’s agricultural development. Deputy Director-General of the Guizhou Provincial Foreign Affairs Office, Mrs. Luo Yu, provided an overview of Guizhou Province, noting its location in southwest China...

Conservation has become a growing priority for the community of Aitolo in Central Kwara’ae, Malaita with the official opening of a new administration office for its environmental project last week. The opening coincided with the community’s St Mark’s Day celebration, drawing hundreds of people from nearby villages to witness and take part in the event. For Aitolo, the new office represents a strong commitment to protecting the environment, particularly its forests, which have long sustained local livelihoods. Community leader Paul Kabolo said that for centuries, the people of Aitolo and surrounding villages have depended heavily on their natural environment for survival. Villagers enjoying a feast during the celebration.  He added that the establishment of the new administration office marks a significant step in recognising the importance of conservation. “The Aitolo community has successfully opened its administration office to support our conservation efforts,” Mr Kabolo said. He explained that the office will...

Honiara, Solomon Islands – The Government has confirmed a fuel price increase announced on Wednesday 22 April by the Price Advisory Committee (PAC), with new prices taking effect immediately. This increase was one of the options alluded to in an earlier Press Release of 26 March 2026. The adjustment reflects a sharp rise in the price paid by our two fuel importers – SPOL and Markwarth Oil since the beginning of March 2026 as a result of the increase in international fuel prices, driven by ongoing tensions in the Middle East. Global oil prices have increased from below USD $70 per barrel before the conflict to over USD $100 per barrel during the first week of the conflict and had remained  above USD$100 per barrel ever since.  Fuel prices in Solomon Islands  are typically adjusted every two months with each new monthly price based on the price of fuel two months...