Telebere News

People with disabilities should not be left behind. That’s why Australia has established a new partnership with Smart Technology, a technology and mobile phone repair business in Honiara to provide targeted training to ten (10) hearing-impaired Solomon Islanders in mobile phone repair.  Smart Technology worked closely with National Disability Forum Solomon Islands, to identify participants and develop a training model suited to deaf and hearing-impaired people. William Rowell, First Secretary – Economic at the Australian High Commission (far right) with Roylex Sitana of Smart Technology, Dina Karic of Strongim Bisnis, Claude Ivupitu, Vice President of the Solomon Islands Deaf Association, and Casper Fa’asala of the National Development Forum Solomon Islands (NDFSO).   Roylex Sitana, Smart Technology Founder, said the initiative was inspired by his experience studying in the Philippines, where he saw people with disabilities working successfully in technical trades. Austral...

Australia is supporting skills training and development by strengthening workforce readiness and improving technical and vocational education and training (TVET). Under Pacific Australia Skills, Solomon Islanders were supported to participate as observers at the Samoa National Skills Competition in June and the Timor-Leste 2 nd International Friendly Skills Competition in July. Solomon Islanders who attended the skills competitions in Samoa and Timor-Leste gathering for a knowledge-sharing session after returning to Solomon Islands. Solomon Islands Government officials, TVET practitioners and education stakeholders had the opportunity to observe regional best practices, share experiences, and explore approaches to strengthening skills systems that are responsive to industry needs and labour market demands. Solomon Islanders attending the Samoa National Skills Competition, including (L-R) Mathias Kutai (MEHRD) Starling Konainao (MNPAC), Philemon Ruia (Pacific Australia Skills), Gol...

  Basketballs bounced, relay batons flew and laughter filled Burns Creek Adventist School as Australian Defence Force (ADF) members led a morning of sport for 250 students in Honiara. The activity, delivered through the ADF International Sports Program, brought together students in grades five to eight, teachers and members of the sporting community to promote teamwork, healthy lifestyles and positive relationships. A student from Burns Creek Adventist School hops over hurdles . Students took part in a range of activities throughout the morning, showing enthusiasm, cooperation and determination as they competed and encouraged one another. Burns Creek Adventist School Head Principal Partinson Bekala thanked the ADF team and said the energy on the field was infectious. “Seeing students actively engaged, encouraging one another and enjoying themselves through sport has been wonderful. Learning happens both inside and outside the classroom, and activities like these allow stude...

Fourteen representatives from Solomon Islands traffic and transport management agencies have travelled to Fiji to learn first-hand how to create safer vehicle management systems, effective enforcement arrangements and well-maintained roads. The Australian-supported delegation brought together representatives from the Ministries of Infrastructure Development, Police and Finance, as well as Honiara City Council, for a week-long study tour of Fijian agencies responsible for vehicle licensing and inspection, traffic enforcement, road safety and road infrastructure. Fiji and Solomon Islands share common challenges in road safety, traffic management and road maintenance, making the exchange of practical experience particularly valuable . Leading the delegation, Minister for Infrastructure Development, Hon Rick Fuo’o, said the study tour demonstrated how safer vehicles, effective enforcement and well-maintained roads could be addressed as a single, interconnected system. “Fiji has a wel...

Provincial annual meeting and elections bring ward representatives together to strengthen youth governance across Central Islands Province. For three days earlier this month, young representatives from wards across Central Islands Province gathered with a shared purpose: to renew their leadership, agree on priorities and turn national youth policy into practical action in their communities. The Provincial Annual General Meeting 2026 and elections were convened by the Central Islands Provincial Youth Council (CIPYC), with support from the Solomon Islands National Youth Congress (SINYC) and the Ministry of Women, Youth, Children and Family Affairs (MWYCFA) Youth Division. The Central Islands Provincial Government also worked closely with organisers to deliver the program. A renewed mandate By the close of the assembly, delegates had elected a new CIPYC Executive, aligned the council’s priorities with the National Youth Policy 2017–2030 and agreed to progress an actionable provi...

The Solomon Islands has once again welcomed the Australian Defence Force (ADF) International Sports Program, with this year's visit carrying a strong message of ambition, collaboration and sporting excellence. Launched in Honiara this week, the program brings together athletes, coaches, officials and community members to build skills, strengthen partnerships and support the continued growth of sport across the country. ADF members gather in the Solomon Islands for an International Sports Program at the Solomon Islands National Institute of Sport, Honiara.   This year's program features volleyball, hockey, netball and tennis, providing participants with opportunities to develop their expertise through coaching, umpiring, first aid training and sports trainer accreditation. Members of the Royal Solomon Islands Police Force joined representatives from local sporting communities to take part in the training activities. A significant highlight of the 2026 program is the inclusio...

More than 280 Solomon Islanders have completed practical meat processing training in Honiara, helping them prepare for employment opportunities in Australia through the Pacific Australia Labour Mobility (PALM) scheme. Delivered through Pacific Australia Skills under the Solomon Islands–Australia partnership, the training supports workers to become job ready for opportunities through the Pacific Australia Labour Mobility (PALM) scheme . Participants pictured with their trainer during the meat processing training program. Ten cohorts have completed the program so far , with some participants already putting their new skills into practice in Australian workplaces . The program provides hands-on instruction in knife handling, workplace safety and core meat processing techniques Participants of the meat processing training program pictured celebrating the completion of their training. Training is delivered by an experienced trainer from Papua New Guinea alongside a SolomonIsla...

A storytelling feature on how young Pacific voices, including Solomon Islanders, are shaping climate conversations before COP31. Solomon Islands youth are joining Pacific climate conversations ahead of COP31, bringing frontline stories of rising seas, coastal erosion, food insecurity and community resilience into regional and global climate action. On a low-lying shoreline in Solomon Islands, climate change is not an abstract policy phrase. It is the sea moving closer to homes. It is saltwater creeping into gardens. It is a classroom disrupted by heavy rain, a family talking about relocation, and young people asking why decisions about their future are still too often made without them. That question sat at the heart of the Pacific Youth Talanoa Series, a regional dialogue process that brought together young people, climate advocates, faith leaders, government representatives, civil society organisations and development partners to strengthen youth engagement in climate policy an...

Solomon Islands and the United Arab Emirates are seeking to advance practical development cooperation following a high-level bilateral meeting on the margins of the 55th Pacific Islands Forum Leaders Meeting in Koror, Palau. Minister for Foreign Affairs and External Trade Hon. Rick Houenipwela met with Omar Shehadeh, Envoy of the UAE Minister of Foreign Affairs to the Caribbean and Pacific States, to review areas where both countries can move existing proposals into practical projects aligned with Solomon Islands’ national priorities. The meeting built on earlier engagement between Solomon Islands and the UAE, with the Government now focusing on clear pathways to move priority initiatives from discussion to implementation. “We have a number of areas that were already being discussed, and our task now is to see how we can take those discussions forward and translate them into practical outcomes for Solomon Islands,” Minister Houenipwela said. Areas identified for cooperation inc...

Solomon Islands is seeking to strengthen its development partnership with Canada as the Government looks to unlock new opportunities in education, employment, affordable energy and transport connectivity for communities across the country . The priorities were raised by Minister for National Planning and Development Coordination, Hon. Peter Kenilorea Jr., during a bilateral meeting with Canada’s Secretary of State for International Development, Hon. Randeep Sarai, on the margins of the 55th Pacific Islands Forum Leaders Meeting in Koror, Palau. The meeting focused on practical areas where stronger cooperation could deliver direct benefits for Solomon Islanders and support the Government’s national development priorities. Education and skills development were central to the discussion , including possible pathways to strengthen scholarships, training and knowledge exchange between Solomon Islands and Canada. Minister Kenilorea said overseas education should not only provi...