Roadworks Disrupt CBD Travel: Honiara’s Mendana Avenue (Hot Bread roundabout to HCC roundabout) will see lane narrowing and possible closure of one carriageway through end-July 2026, with pipe crossings, drainage and pavement works underway and traffic controllers directing vehicles and pedestrians. WWII Recovery Update: Jackson native Lt JG Thomas Arthur Ruth was laid to rest with full military honours after being missing since his 1943 crash; a 2013 crash-site discovery led to DNA identification in 2025 and final burial this week. Agritech Innovation Call: The UN FAO-backed Global AgriInno Challenge 2026 is open for agrifood innovators targeting Small Island Developing States, with Solomon Islands among the reserved finalist slots and a Hangzhou pitch week in August. Health & Research Partnership: Japan’s SATREPS project on sweet potato seedling management for national food security officially begins in Honiara, with MALD and Solomon Islands National University working alongside Japanese research institutions through 2030. Connectivity Lessons from Starlink: A report highlights how Solomon Islands’ Starlink workaround is shaping practical connectivity thinking for the wider Pacific, pointing to institutional barriers beyond the tech itself. Fisheries Surveillance Boost: Pacific nations completed Operation Tui Moana 2026, including Solomon Islands, conducting 61 vessel inspections and identifying four vessels of interest to strengthen action against IUU fishing. US Investment Framework Signed: The Solomon Islands and the United States signed an Investment Incentive Agreement in Honiara, aiming to mobilise private capital for jobs, infrastructure, ICT connectivity and energy. Dugong Conservation Warning: Experts warn dugongs are highly endangered locally due to opportunistic hunting and habitat loss, urging stronger protection for the slow-breeding marine mammal.