BY JOHN HOUANIHAU

George Brooks Veikoso, known professionally as Fiji, George Fiji Veikoso has passed away at age 55.

Fiji has a huge following in the Solomon Islands with dozens of his songs topping local favourite playlists.

Born on May 10, 1970, the late Veikoso is originally from Buretu, Tailevu, Fiji Islands.

He died on July 23, 2025.

His hit island classics include “Lia” and “Sweet Darlin”.

The late Veikoso’s voice was full of soul and island pride, touching hearts all over the Pacific.

Details around the passing of the King of the Island Reggae, and Fiji-born music legend, have not been confirmed, according to FBC News.

The FBC reported that the late Veikoso became one of the most loved and respected voices in Pacific music.

The FBC said tributes have been flown from all over, many calling him the “voice of the Pacific” since the news broke.  

The late Veikoso has produced and released many albums during his career, such as “Evolution” and “Born and Raised”, to name a few. He was active since year 1987– 2025.

In 2014, he was awarded the Best Pacific International Artist Award at the Pacific Music Awards.

He won the Pacific Music Awards, Manukau Institute of Technology Lifetime Achievement Award for his decades-long contribution to the Polynesian reggae scene in December 2021.

In 2024, Veikoso hosted Homecoming Fiji, a 2-day concert at King Charles Park in Nadi. He featured an international lineup such as Maoli, J Boog, and Josh Tatofi, among others contributed approximately FJD$1,000,000 to Fiji’s local economy.

He has earned numerous other industry accolades and awards “Favourite Entertainer of the Year” and “People’s Choice Award”.

Late Veikoso also earned a Grammy nomination for Best Reggae Album.

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HCC Health spotlights resellers at central market for inflated prices, limiting access to healthy meals for Honiara households

BY CHRIS ALEX

The Honiara City Council (HCC) Health Authority has sounded the alarm over rising prices of local food at the Central Market, blaming resellers and the black market for creating a growing health concern among city residents.

Dr Lawrence Diau, HCC health provincial director said the increase in food prices particularly for locally grown produce is having a direct impact on the lifestyles and health of ordinary citizens in Honiara who rely heavily on the market for healthy meals.

“The issue of resellers and black-market activities at the Central Market is seriously affecting our people.

“We are seeing inflated prices for local foods, and that is taking a toll on household buying power and access to healthy meals,” Mr Diau said.

He explained that the Health Division is particularly concerned about the physical health implications this trend is causing.

“More families are forced to opt for cheaper, less nutritious food options, which contributes to rising cases of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) such as diabetes, hypertension, and high blood pressure,” he said.

Diau said the Council’s Executive Team has acknowledged the seriousness of the issue and is urging relevant authorities to act swiftly to regulate market prices and monitor vendor practices.

“What’s happening now is that some resellers are putting up prices without regulation. This is affecting livelihoods in Honiara.

“People can no longer afford to eat properly. It’s not just about economics anymore it’s about public health,” he emphasised.

He also issued a call to both producers and resellers to work collaboratively with the HCC to ensure fair pricing and safeguard the health of the city’s population.

“As the health authority, we are calling on resellers and producers to cooperate with the council.

“Let us bring prices back to a reasonable level so that everyone can afford nutritious local food. This is critical for the general health of our people,” Diau said.

The HCC is expected to announce further actions in the coming weeks as part of its effort to regulate reselling and protect consumer welfare in the capital.

The issue of resellers at the Central market recently became viral on social media when video clips surfaced showing resellers bullying farmers into selling their produce at very low prices demanded by the resellers.

The resellers reportedly then re-pack these produces and sell them at absurdly high prices.

This practice has led to incidents such as a very small pack of cabbage being sold at $20, which could have otherwise been sold $5. A pile of only three bananas, potatoes, cassava or other root crops selling at $10 per heap.

Calls are being made for authorities to clamp down on this and ensure justice for our farmers – to allow them to sell their hard-earned produce at prices of their own bidding.

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BY LORETTA B MANELE

The Royal Solomon Islands Police Force (RSIPF) has strengthened the capability of its specialist team of highly trained officers responsible for conducting investigations into sexual assault cases against children and vulnerable people.

Royal Solomon Islands Police Force (RSIPF) in a statement said the Sexual Assault Squad (SAS), within the National Criminal Investigations Department (NCID) had recently undertaken further training.

This training as stated, was on specialist interviewing techniques to enable investigators to obtain detailed and thorough victim and witness statements during investigations as well as to empower victims of crime to tell their story and give back the voice taken from them by their assailant.

RSIPF investigators during the delivery of the Vulnerable Witness Foundation and skills refresher programs also learned about the importance of recorded evidence and how it can be used in court.

In addition, participants of the training had an opportunity to visit local schools, where they practiced their new skills by engaging with students of different ages, backgrounds, and levels of communication and understanding.

After the training reached completion, investigators received specialised equipment and a dedicated victim interviewing room.

The specialised equipment is an audio-visual recording equipment, funded by the Pacific Community for Law Enforcement Cooperation (PCLEC) Small Grants program and supported by the AFP that will enhance RSIPF’s SAS in supporting victims of abuse and gender-based violence.

“The equipment is vital for accurately capturing interviews with vulnerable individuals, recording both verbal accounts and non-verbal cues such as body language and gestures,” said RSIPF.

As for the victim interviewing room, it is designed with comfortable seating and a calming atmosphere hence, is a room that offers a secure, distraction-free environment intended to make victims feel at ease during interviews.

To top that off, PCLEC also funded the construction of an on-site children’s playground behind SAS office within the Rove Police Headquarter.

The playground is to serve as a therapeutic space, helping to reduce stress for child victims and creating an environment that supports open and honest communication.  

At the official gifting ceremony at Rove Police Headquarters, RSIPF Supervising Assistant Commissioner (AC) Crime, Rodney Wheatney spoke on how the establishment of the playground will impact the work of investigators.

“The establishment of the playground will provide investigators with the tools to establish trust and build rapport with victims and their families, while at the same time ensuring victims feel safe and comfortable,” he said.

RSIPF said this training was supported by Australian Federal Police (AFP) specialist investigators who work with RSIPF to strengthen investigations in both Solomon Islands and Australia.

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BY JOHN HOUANIHAU

Solomon Islands has embarked on an ambitious path to strengthen its maritime security governance.

Solomon Islands National University Vice Chancellor Professor Transform Aqorau voiced this at the two-day Pacific Maritime Security workshop at SINU Ranadi campus on Wednesday, July 23, 2025.

The two-day workshop’s theme was “Charting a Shared Course: Enhancing Maritime Security Coordination in the Pacific”.

Hosted by the Solomon Islands National University (SINU), in collaboration with the University of Adelaide, the workshop ends today.

The workshop aims to encourage dialogue and coordination on maritime security among Pacific Island countries and their key partners.

It brought together leading academics and experts from across the region and beyond to discuss priorities, partnerships, and practical strategies for regional maritime cooperation.

“Earlier this year, the Solomon Islands (SI) launched its first comprehensive national maritime security strategy, a transformative roadmap to safeguard our maritime domain and sovereignty,” Aqorau said.

He explained that the strategy is built on the conviction that Solomon Islands must transition from fragmented, reactive measures to a cohesive, technology-driven approach that integrates real-time surveillance, intelligent analysis and coordinated enforcement.

Aqorau said that at its heart, is the creation of a National Maritime Surveillance Centre, a state-of-the-art facility to centralise all maritime monitoring, intelligence sharing and enforcement coordination activities.

He added that the National Maritime Surveillance Centre will fuse data from vessel tracking systems, satellites and patrol assets to give real-time maritime domain awareness and early warning of illicit activities.

“It will serve as a nerve centre for coordinating joint operations among our agencies, police, navy, customs, fisheries, and, crucially, it will link with regional networks like the Forum Fisheries Agency’s Surveillance Centre and the Pacific Fusion Centre for Regional Intelligence Sharing,” he said.

He also stated that a National Maritime Security Coordination Council will be established to ensure that this high-tech hub is guided by sound policy and multi-agency cooperation.

Aqorau said the new body will unite all relevant ministries and stakeholders to oversee the National Maritime Security Centre’s operations, align national efforts with regional and international maritime security frameworks and evaluate its performance.

“We see this as vital because maritime security is by nature intersectoral and international, so only a whole-of-government and regional approach will suffice. Our SI strategy is boldly forward-looking, and over the next three years, we will invest in aerial drones, coastal radar and AI-powered surveillance tools to detect illicit vessels in near real-time,” Aqorau said.

He said Solomon Islands aims to achieve tangible results by 2027, such as reducing illegal fishing incidents by 30 per cent, increasing joint maritime patrols by 50 per cent and extending real-time monitoring to 85 per cent of our exclusive economic zone.

The professor mentioned that these are ambitious targets, but they provide clear yardsticks for success.

“In implementing this strategy, we will rely on our regional family and international friends. What I wish to underscore from the Solomon Islands perspective is that we are taking ownership of our security challenge.

“We are determined to stand our ground as guardians of our waters, harnessing innovation and cooperation to overcome our constraints. In doing so, we will enforce not only our national security, but contribute to the collective security of the Pacific, because the threat to one island’s waters can imperil all of us,” he said.

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