Xi puts forward proposals to advance women's all-round development at Global Leaders' Meeting on Women

Chinese President Xi Jinping and his wife Peng Liyuan pose for a group photo with the heads of foreign delegations and their spouses attending the Global Leaders' Meeting on Women in Beijing on October 13, 2025. Photo: Xinhua Chinese President Xi...

MAL welcomes first female director

BY MORRIS NAFU The Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (MAL) welcomes the appointment of Jean Eroa Manepora’a to lead Biosecurity Solomon Islands, marking a groundbreaking moment as the nation’s first woman in this top post. In a statement...

Upto to nine tropical cycones forecast for Pacific this season

The official cyclone season for the region runs from November to April. Photo: The Solomon Islands Meteorological Service Meteorologists are predicting five to nine cyclones for the southwest Pacific in the coming season. The official cyclone...

Ahanga wharf project makes progress 

Following completion of the geo-technical survey required to determine underground conditions and the suitable pile-driving method for the Ahanga wharf project in Rennell Bellona Province, the contractor, China Civil Engineering Construction...

Minister urges teachers to team up for students’ sake

BY MORRIS NAFU Minister of Education and Human Resources Development (MEHRD), Tozen Leokana calls on teachers across the Solomon Islands to work together for the sake of their students, stressing that collaboration is key to shaping the nation’s...

Pacific news in brief for 6 October

Fijain Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka and Solomon Islands Prime Minister Jeremiah Manele in Suva. June 2025 Photo: Facebook / Fiji Government Fiji/Solomon Islands - defence A newly signed defence agreement between the governments of Fiji and...

PH coral reefs in danger zone

CORAL reefs in the Philippines, which lies in the Coral Triangle region, are in a danger zone and are threatened, according to marine biologists and conservationists, by 2030 if current trends are not interrupted. The Coral Triangle, a marine...

Global, Regional, and National Burdens of Inflammatory Bowel Disease in Women of Reproductive Age (15–49 Years) from 1992 to 2021

Introduction Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) is a chronic, relapsing condition that primarily includes Crohn’s disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC).1 IBD most commonly affects young adults, with peak incidence between the ages of 15 and 30...

UAE issues $10m in funding for natural disaster defences in Asia and the Pacific

The UAE has allocated $10 million towards efforts to build resilience to natural disasters in the Asia-Pacific region. Announced under the directives of President Sheikh Mohamed through the UAE International Aid Agency, the funding will go to...

Philippines pioneers coral larvae cryobank to protect threatened reefs

Known as the “Amazon of the seas”, the Coral Triangle is a 5.7 million sq. km expanse across the tropical waters of Indonesia, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, Solomon Islands, and Timor-Leste — and the richest marine ecosystem on the...

Why is China funding the Russian war?

Chinese President Xi Jinping with Russian President Vladimir Putin For the first two years of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, China presented itself as an independent arbiter. In 2023 it even proposed a 12-point peace plan that was mainly...

A Pacific reflection on Women, Peace and Security

This year marks 25 years since the adoption of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security (WPS), a global commitment to elevate women’s voices in peacebuilding, conflict prevention and recovery. For the Pacific,...

UN resolution on Climate Change rapporteur a boost for Pacific-SG Puna

Pacific Islands Forum Secretary General Henry Puna has welcomed the latest UN Human Rights Council vote for a UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights and Climate Change. The 48th session of the Council was held in hybrid mode, combining virtual...

Education minister reaffirms commitment to teachers

BY MORRIS NAFU The Minister of Education and Human Resource Development (MEHRD) Tozen Leokana, pledges to continue supporting the teaching profession in Solomon Islands, backed by development partners, to ensure educators receive the necessary...

Will humanity have the capacity to predict earthquakes?

The death toll so far makes the Turkey-Syria earthquake the deadliest and most destructive in recent history. ON February 7, the world woke up to news that a 7.8 magnitude earthquake on the Richter scale had rocked Turkey and Syria and left...

Third-year nursing students donate water tank to SINU faculty

BY CHRIS ALEX The third-year nursing students of the Solomon Islands National University (SINU) proudly presented a water tank to the Faculty of Nursing, Medicine, and Health Sciences on Thursday. This significant donation serves as a heartfelt...

CITES Parties in the Pacific take part in training on implementation through fisheries legal frameworks

The waters of the Pacific Islands countries (PICs) are home to numerous aquatic species that are listed in the CITES Appendices, and which support livelihoods and economic opportunities for communities in over a dozen Parties to the Convention....

Progress continues with SIRAP bridges in Malaita

BY SAMIE WAIKORI Progress continues with the implementation of key bridges in Malaita province. The bridges are; two on the South Road and two on the North Road, constructed by China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC). Yesterday,...

Community consultation a success

The community of Orete in Southeast Vella la Vella Island, Western Province has successfully hosted a community consultation to form a community governance structure. The event was held on Wednesday 8th October 2025. The meeting was made possible...

Teachers urged to work collaboratively to benefit students

The Minister of Education and Human Resource Development (MEHRD), Hon. Tozen Leokana, was the Chief Guest at the World Teachers’ Day celebrations held in Honiara on Friday, 3 October 2025. The event was attended by teachers from schools in and...