Telebere News

For young Solomon Islanders looking to build practical skills for work and community development, a new conversation between Solomon Islands and Morocco could open fresh doors in vocational and technical training. The opportunity was discussed in Koror, Palau, when Minister for National Planning and Development Coordination Hon. Peter Kenilorea Jr met with Mr Omar Kadiri, Director General for Asian and Oceanian Affairs within Morocco’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation and Moroccan Expatriates. While the meeting covered the broader renewal of Solomon Islands–Morocco cooperation, vocational and technical training stood out as one of the most practical areas where the partnership could make a direct difference. Morocco offered to either provide specialised trainers to support capacity-building in Solomon Islands or host Solomon Islands officials and students in Morocco for targeted training programmes. Potential areas include sustainable agriculture, water manageme...

Solomon Islands’ new Prime Minister, Matthew Wale, faced a motion of no confidence filed by Cabinet members just three months after taking office. The root of this political turmoil lies in Wale’s legal flaws of “signing before discussing” and “substituting the government for parliament” in major diplomatic and security decisions, directly violating the Solomon Islands Constitution and parliamentary procedural requirements of collective cabinet decision-making and parliamentary oversight. The Core Allegations of the Motion of No Confidence On August 29, Minister of Home Affairs Manasseh Maelanga filed a motion of no confidence, explicitly accusing Wale of “repeatedly making unilateral decisions on matters of national importance without proper consultation with, or the approval of Cabinet” and argued that his style of governance undermined the principles of collective Cabinet responsibility, representative democracy, and good governance.  This accusation strikes at the heart o...

KOROR, PALAU – More jobs, better skills and new economic opportunities could be on the horizon for Solomon Islanders as Solomon Islands and New Zealand look to deepen cooperation in areas that directly affect livelihoods and economic growth. The commitment was discussed during a bilateral meeting between the Solomon Islands Government and New Zealand on the margins of the 55th Pacific Islands Forum Leaders Meeting in Koror, Palau. The meeting brought together Solomon Islands’ Minister of Foreign Affairs, Hon. Rick Houenipwela, Minister of National Planning, Hon. Peter Kenilorea Jr, and New Zealand’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Rt Hon. Winston Peters. At the centre of the discussions was how the two countries can turn their longstanding partnership into practical opportunities for Solomon Islanders – particularly young people looking to enter the workforce. Skills development and jobs Skills development and vocational training were identified as key areas for cooperation, wi...

Solomon Islands has challenged Pacific Islands Forum Leaders to move beyond years of regional commitments and turn words into concrete action that delivers meaningful results for Pacific peoples. Speaking at the 55th Pacific Islands Forum Leaders Plenary Meeting in Koror, Palau, Minister of Foreign Affairs and External Trade, Honourable Rick Houenipwela, called for a stronger and more strategic regional approach as the Pacific faces a rapidly changing global environment. Minister Houenipwela said the Leaders Meeting provides an important opportunity to take stock of the Forum’s past decisions and ask whether they have translated into outcomes that matter to Pacific communities. “As we gather for our 55th Leaders Meeting, building on 54 Communiqués and anticipating the 55th by the end of this week, it is timely that we pause and ask ourselves honestly, whose priorities have we truly been serving?” He said the question comes at a critical time, with the Pacific navigating increas...

Telebere News travelled to Gizo in Western Province, where the first welcome at Nusatupe Airport was not a busy terminal or a long road, but the calm blue water shining under the Solomon Islands sun. After two nights at Zaru Hotel, Telebere News team boarded an outboard motorboat from Gizo town back to Nusatupe Airport for the return flight to Honiara. The trip took only five to ten minutes, but it felt like a final postcard from Western Province. the concrete walkway appeared damaged, with slabs shifted or broken and the shoreline exposed beneath.  Along the way, the lagoon opened around us in clear shades of turquoise . Coconut palms, island trees and quiet shorelines framed the view — the kind of natural beauty that makes Western Province one of the Solomon Islands’ most memorable travel destinations. It is easy to understand why travelers speak warmly of Gizo. The airport sits on Nusatupe Island, just across the water from town, turning arrival and departur...

From the skies above Solomon Islands’ vast exclusive economic zone, Australian and Pacific partners worked side by side to help protect the region’s fisheries, maritime borders and shared security. The Solomon Islands and Australia have completed participation in Operation Island Chief, a Pacific-led maritime surveillance operation coordinated by the Forum Fisheries Agency to combat illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing and transnational crime across the region. Royal Australian Air Force loadmaster Corporal Cameron Kunde and Ms Emily Pitakaji from the Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources analyse maritime surveillance imagery on a C-27J Spartan aircraft. *Image has been digitally altered for operational security. As part of the operation, a Royal Australian Air Force C-27J Spartan aircraft and supporting Australian Defence Force personnel deployed to Solomon Islands, contributing aerial surveillance and information-sharing support across more than 320,000 square kilomet...

For small island states, a seat closer to the world’s major decision-making tables can make a powerful difference. Solomon Islands may soon have that opportunity again, following Switzerland’s offer of financial and logistical support to help the country re-establish a permanent diplomatic mission in Geneva. The offer was presented by H.E. Barbara Anna Gonzenbach, Special Envoy of Switzerland for the Pacific Region and Ambassador of Switzerland accredited to Solomon Islands, during a bilateral meeting in Koror, Palau, with Minister of Foreign Affairs and External Trade Hon. Rick Houenipwela and Minister for National Planning and Development Coordination Hon. Peter Kenilorea Jr. Ambassador Gonzenbach outlined a proposed Swiss support package aimed at helping Solomon Islands establish and maintain a permanent presence in Geneva , including assistance with office accommodation and limited support towards residential accommodation for the head of mission . She said Geneva offers...