Foreign Ministers of the Melanesian Spearhead Group are set to tip-toe through a diplomatic minefield with news that a MSG delegation – led by Fiji’s Ratu Inoke Kubuabola – will make its long-awaited visit to the Indonesian province of West Papua this week. The mission is fraught with potential difficulty and will require all the…
The 2013 Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG) summit undoubtedly marked a historic moment on the long journey of Papua’s international diplomacy. During the top diplomatic gathering of the Melanesian countries, the Papuan representatives were invited for the first time. While this political decision constitutes a breakthrough for the political impasse in Jakarta, the decision is still pending…
THE Governor General during his New Year’s message reminded us of the vulnerability state institutions are in. The Australian-led Regional Assistance Mission to Solomon Islands (RAMSI) has resuscitated our failed state back to its feet. The description of ‘fail state’ came about as a result of dysfunctional institutions within the machinery of the National Government.…
WE know too well some of the drama that happened last year. One of the issues that affected everyone including children, youths, parents and families was the teachers’ industrial strike action. That particular impasse greatly affected school children. A good portion of the academic year was useless. It can’t be wrong, some students who deserve…
NEW Year’s greetings and welcome back to our readers and advertisers! This is our first issue for this year after the two-day break we had on Wednesday and yesterday. 2013 has indeed gone down the memory lane. We are now into the third day of 2014. Like the future, we all don’t know what this…
Frustration, confusion and disappointment are some of the things going through most of the teachers residing in the urban centres especially in Honiara. This is because most of them have yet to receive their traveling allowances or if they did the amount is just unbearable because its just insufficient. Some of the teachers in Honiara…
Over the last few days the public, news media and the social network had produced, published and broadcasted so much fabricated information and news about the episode surrounding the recently ill-fated MV Francis-Gerena. While we do appreciate public and press freedom, we must also be mindful of the wilful damage such unfounded fabricated information could…
WE know everyone is excited about heading out to their villages at this time to spend Christmas with loved ones. But please don’t overload our ships. The sinking of MV Francis Gerena eight miles off Anuha island in the Central Province yesterday offered us a big lesson. The vessel, on its way to the northern…
BETEL nut vendors are again invading almost every corner of the city with their vending activities. Some of them are now doing it openly, right in front of shops and bus stops in central Honiara. The sale of betel nut is not illegal. But selling it along the main streets is. The Honiara City Council…
WHAT lesson can we draw from Nelson Mandela’s leadership? That’s the question many Solomon Islanders were asking yesterday when they learned of the passing of Mr Mandela, the former South African president. Mr Mandela, a man who needs no introduction, died quietly in the presence of family members in his Johannesburg home in South Africa.…