SINU no longer accept MPs funding arrangement, G-province tops list
BY GEORGINA KEKEA
AS of 2019, Solomon Islands National University (SINU) will no longer accept any sponsorship of students through Constituency Funding arrangements from MPs.
In a statement issued to the public, SINU says this decision was made by the Senior Management Committee of SINU.
“This is to control untimely or non-payment of fees under these arrangements”.
The statement says, under these funding arrangements, MPs must pay the students fees in full or pay 60 percent upfront payment.
Of this brunt, Guadalcanal province was axed the most, where SINU will no longer accept sponsorship from their funding arrangements.
“All students, both new and continuing, will have to pay during registration the full fee or sixty percent upfront of the total. Only students who met any of these two payment options will be allowed to enrol next year,” the statement said.
Recently, SINU was lenient to students but was faced with a dilemma when the students’ fees were not paid.
The university needs the funds for their operations and when the students’ fees were held up, services and operations were also affected.
Because of this, as of the upcoming academic year, SINU will be strict when it comes to sponsorship of students fees through.
ABC reports that while the Army wants to lure 1,000 personnel, the Royal Navy is hoping for 300 more
people and the RAF expects to take
on 50.( Getty )
Solomon Islanders can now join the British Military
BY GEORGINA KEKEA
SOLOMON Islanders and other citizens of Commonwealth countries can now join the British Military.
In the past, other nationals wanting to sign up for the British military must reside in the United Kingdom (UK) for five years. Now the rules had been loosened.
Speaking to Island Sun on Friday, Deputy Head of Mission, British High Commission (BHC) says with the opening of this new programme, Solomon Islanders can also apply to work in the British military.
He says Solomon Islanders will be competing with citizens of other commonwealth countries. However if one has belief in him or herself, there is nothing stopping him or her to apply.
Mr Paul Dryden told Island Sun, in this current programme, the British military is looking for 1000 personnel.
“They will be advertising on their websites. There are three separate websites. There is the British Army Website, the Royal Navy website and the RAF website.”
ABC reports that while the Army wants to lure 1,000 personnel, the Royal Navy is hoping for 300 more people and the RAF expects to take on 50.
At the same time, Dryden says, there is no funding for this. Except a call for applications where due process will be adhered.
Dryden says interested Solomon Islanders must take note that all costs to UK must be borne by the applicant including other expenses pertaining to this process of application.
He says the BHC also has no part to play in this recruitment but can only assist in giving out information about the UK.
He however said a career in the military is a good one, as there are different roles in the military that one can apply for.
He said those wishing to seek a career in the military should check the websites of the three different military setting.
“Probably some qualification and a proficiency in the English language are requirements. There could be other requirements depending on the job or a need of some sort of qualification or not. A lucrative offer but a costly one,” Dryden says
Dryden then wishes Solomon Islanders who wishes to apply for a career in the British Military all the best and encourages them to go to the websites to know more about the programme.
It was reported by overseas media that the British Army, Royal Navy and Royal Air Force have struggled to recruit sufficient numbers from within the UK and by next year all roles and ranks are open to citizens — older than 18 — from all Commonwealth countries.
More than 4,500 Commonwealth citizens, from countries including Australia, Fiji, Ghana, South Africa and Jamaica are already in the ranks of the British Armed Forces.
Solomon Islands has been a member of the Commonwealth ever since it gained Independence from Great Britain in 1978.
A new fungi which can help us deal with our plastic habit has been found.
This is according to the first ever State of the World’s Fungi, produced by Kew Gardens and a team of around 100 scientists from 18 countries, reports that fungi successfully degrades Plastics (polyurethane) in a matter of weeks.
The plastic-busting potential was discovered last year by a team of scientists from China and Pakistan, who search for to separate the fungi that were degrading plastics (polyurethane) at waste disposal sites.
The fungi were identified as aspergillus tubingensis and the scientists observed how it broke down bonds between the different polymers in weeks, rather than the decades it can take plastic to naturally break down.
The breakthrough comes as people across the world demands the throwaway consumer culture that has filled the world in a toxic tide of plastic that is killing marine life and polluting seas.
In relation, according to the report authors, argued that fungi deserve more specialist attention, saying further research into these often neglected organisms could provide answers to some of humanity’s greatest challenges. There may be as many as 3.8 million fungal species but only 144,000 of them have been named.
According to Dr Ilia Leitch, senior scientist at Kew Gardens stated that there are hidden, mysterious kingdom that are underpinning the majority of life on earth.
“We just don’t know enough about them. There are fungi inside plant cells and they can influence how resilient a plant is to climate change. There are all these different links and impacts that we just take for granted but we ignore them at our peril,” she says.
Leitch also says that other fungi and microorganisms are also being explored for their potential to break down other types of plastic.
“By understanding how the fungi break down these bonds and what the best conditions are, you can then increase the speed at which they do it.”
Every year, at least some millions of tonnes of plastic end up in our oceans, sometimes breaking down into tiny micro plastics that make their way into our food chain with, as yet, unknown effects. Through its Clean Seas campaign, and the UN Environment to mobilise governments, businesses and citizens to rethink how we produce, use and manage single-use plastics.
The Kew Gardens report showcases the kind of ground-breaking thought that will be at the heart of the fourth UN Environment Assembly to be held in March next year.
With the theme for the meeting- innovative solutions for environmental challenges and sustainable consumption and production.
The motto is to Think Beyond and Live Within: to think beyond major patterns and live within sustainable limits to tackle environmental challenges and assure a prosperous future.
WHILE a HIV-positive person has an annual risk of 10 percent of developing TB (tuberculosis), a HIV-negative person is at greatest risk of developing the disease after two years of initial infection.
This is according to Infectious Disease doctor Wei-Ru Lin from Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital (KMUH) in Taiwan.
Moreover, he stressed on the difference between a HIV-negative person having a 10 percent lifetime risk of developing ATBD (Active TB Disease) compared to a 10 percent annual risk for people living with HIV.
Dr Lin explained that a 10 percent lifetime risk means 1 in 10 HIV-negative people with Latent Mtb Infection (LTBI) will develop ATBD over the course of their entire life.
“So if you have a group of 100 HIV negative people with LTBI, 10 will develop ATBD at some point in their lives, meaning that 90 will never get sick with TB. Most of those who develop ATBD do so within the first two years after infection”, he said.
On the other hand, Dr Lin stated that people living with HIV have a 10 percent risk of developing ATBD each year.
He said that from a group of 100 HIV-positive people who have LTBI, 10 of them after the first year will be likely to have developed ATBD.
Dr Lin mentioned that treatment and care for HIV related TB includes HIV testing and counselling, HIV prevention methods, co-trimoxazole preventive therapy (CPT), care and support and antiretroviral therapy (ART).
Dr Lin who is also the Director of Infection Control Center at KMUH along with colleague Ching-Tzu Hung, an Infection Control nurse of KMUH had facilitated a three day Infection Prevention and Control workshop at the Taiwan Health Centre during their brief visit last month.
Participants were thirty-three health workers from the National Referral Hospital (NRH), SINU’s School of Nursing, Honiara City Council (HCC) and Guadalcanal province.
THE Marovo Carver is a short Documentary about Marovo Carvings, life and culture in the Solomon Islands.
Elliot Spencer as the Director and Producer of the Documentary Filmed it as it tells the story of Tasiro, a Marovo Carver from Nggatokae Island.
Elliot Spencer first met with Tasiro when he visited the Solomon Island in 2004 when sailed by yacht with a small crew direct from Brisbane to the Santa Cruz Islands of Temotu Province.
“I liked it so much that I ended up staying. While still in my teens, I learned Solomon Islands Pijin, hunting, fishing, gardening, and story-telling solo style,” he said.
Spencer said that when met up with Tasiro, he was amazed by his level of skill as he calved directly into the wood following only his imagination.
“His name also struck me special, Tasiro is the name of my favourite actor Toshiro Mifune from the Akira Kurosawa’s film Seven Samurai 1954,” he added.
Bare triton bowl and two woodspoons made from Kerosene wood.
In relation, the documentary is part of a platform for over 75 Film Festivals around the globe where all budgets, genres and geographies are represented in one place, whom 80 countries attend it for over the course of the five days with attendance of more than 50,000 people participated.
With much adoration for the carver’s art, Mr Elliot then started producing the project as he wanted to create the cinematic film in which would showcase Solomon Islands arts and culture in a very positive way.
“I love Marovo Carvings and I have many old friends who are Marovo Carvers. The goal was to share Marovo Carvings with the World, and inspire a sense of pride among Marovo Carvers” Mr Elliot said.
Usually telling strong human stories Elliot’s work has tackled many challenging contemporary matters from refugees, indigenous issues, and the environment. While filmmaking in the Solomon Islands and China Elliot has learned to speak Mandarin and Solomon Islands Pijin which have given him a unique insight and creative freedom while filmmaking abroad.
Elliot is most known for his work “Long Yearning: Modern China Ancient Poems” Awarded Best Film Human Rights at the 5th Life After Oil International Film Festival 2018, Best Experimental Film at the ATOM (Australian Teachers of Media Awards 2017, Best Documentary at the Asia Peace Film Festival 2017.
Carvings from Marorvo.
“It’s always great to be awarded as it’s highly competitive out there, often thousands of films are entered into a single festival. Marovo Carver was made on a non-profit basis, so getting live screenings and feedback that the film has been impacting audiences is important to me,” he said.
In addition to, it’s a very positive film as it shows the original beauty of the Solomon Islands environment and the openness of Solomon Island people.
Hence, the film does bring to light some of the pressing issues facing the Solomon Islands especially with regards the environment impacts that Global Warming threatens.
“I want to put pressure on the World at large to respect the Solomon Islands and the Pacific region which I consider sacred.
“Sharing this news with the Solomon Islands. Together, we can all be proud of the Marovo Carvers,” he added.
To date, Marovo Carver was Awarded Best Short Documentary and Grand Prize Winner at the IAFOR IDFA (International Documentary Film Awards) in Japan, and Best Indigenous Film at the POP (People of Passion Awards) in Australia.
Picture by Elliot spencer.Carved wood work. Bareho village, Solomon Islands.
THE United Nation peace programme together with the Ministry of National Unity, Reconciliation and Peace and Malaita province will host a three-day summit on traditional governance and customary land system.
Deputy Director from the Ministry of Traditional Governance, Peace and Ecclesiastical Affairs Mr Genesis Kofana said the idea behind the summit is Malaita province wants to come up with a land law especially to pave way and allow land in Malaita province for development especially for investors.
“We try to understand ourselves on what we have in our traditional systems where we can engage developments.
“As development comes from the western society it will remove some of our laws in the traditional system and some will still remain us our fundamental laws.
“Those fundamental laws of the customary land including tribal ownership and equal sharing for resource owners still remain based on customary land value.
“This is the main concept behind this summit that the Malaita provincial government has agreed upon that all lands in Malaita province must be free for development purposes.
“We will also be looking at creating a legal frame work which includes management, leasing, benefit sharing, and registration so that the same formular will apply to all kinds of development in our lands.
“Some of our senior state’s men will be available during the three days summit.”
“It is enough of talking about land but we need to move forward in development.”
Mr Kofana also highlighted that a group presentation concerning customary land reform will be made during the summit by some local chiefs who visited Fiji last year.
A single cough can generate more than 9,000 bacterium, in other words, TB bacteria.
This is according to Dr Wei-Ru Lin, an infectious doctor and Director of Infection Control Centre at Taiwan’s Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital (KMUH).
He gave a lecture about tuberculosis (TB) to a number of local health workers during an Infection Prevention and Control workshop at the Taiwan Health Center (THC) that took place from October 30 to November 1.
Dr Lin expressed that TB is a single-cell organism bacteria, more specifically a mycobacteria of 70 different types.
He said TB can be defined as Latent MTb infection (LTBI) and TB disease.
In relation, Dr Lin expressed that LTBI is TB bacilli (class of bacteria) that is a live dormant inside the lung but does not cause destruction of organs.
TB disease on the other hand is said to be an infectious TB bacilli that results in signs and symptoms of the disease and progressively invades and damages parts of the body.
Health workers were also told that active TB disease may occur in the lungs known as pulmonary TB or in other parts of the body, called extra pulmonary TB.
Some people may experience both cases.
Dr Lin mentioned that the most common and infectious from of TB is Pulmonary TB.
He added that the damage caused by this TB disease sends pus containing TB bacilli into the lungs, which a person with TB may cough up in spit or sputum.
The other TB disease, extra pulmonary TB is normally rare but occurs in up to 40 percent of TB cases among people living with HIV.
Dr Lin went on to speak on the transmission of TB.
He stressed that TB is transmitted through the air and once TB bacteria is inhaled it pushes its way into the lungs.
“Another thing you should know about TB is that it loves oxygen. So it often initially takes root in the oxygen-filled regions of the lungs. To get inside the lungs, TB typically travels through the nose and mouth.”
“Getting there turns out to be fairly simple. A single cough can generate more than 9,000 bacterium. A sneeze can produce triple that amount and propel the germs up to 10 feet away,” said Lin.
He stated that not all individuals who are exposed to the disease can be infected.
In the case of symptoms of TB disease, Dr Lin said due to general infection and immune response, there are symptoms like fever, night sweats, weight loss.
He then spoke about treatment for the disease which includes four drugs that are taken within two phases and both depend on whether or not the patient has been treated before.
Dr Lin said the drugs are Rifampicin (R), Isoniazid (H), Ethambutol (E) and Pyrazinamide (Z) and are the first defence used for drug sensitive tuberculosis.
The first phase is the intensive phase where all four drugs are taken for a 2-3 months period and the second phase is the continuation phase where only two drugs (rifampicin and isoniazid) are taken for 4-6 months.
Dr Lin noted that treatment support such as monitoring side effects, encouraging the patient to keep taking treatment and the provision of extra care needed (psycho-social) is also essential.
Participating ROs pause for a group photo with the SIEC CEO and Chairman after the training.
By Gary Hatigeva
Participating ROs pause for a group photo with the SIEC CEO and Chairman after the training.
APART from their oaths to uphold integrity, Revising Officers appointed to carry out the Omission and Objection Inquiry phase of the Registration process have been reminded to use their rightful self-disciplinary principles when executing their tasks out in the field.
Speaking to the ROs after their final day of training on the crucial phase, Chief Electoral Officer of the Solomon Islands Electoral Commission (SIEC), Mose Saitala shared that it is important officers do not allow their conscience to be influenced or intimated, and follow what is right according to the laws, to guide them in their duties.
Saitala stressed that ROs are responsible for this scrutiny process and the manner in which they fulfil their duties will affect the citizen’s trust in the electoral process and the election authorities.
He said it is therefore, important that officers undertake to commit themselves so that they will perform their duties to the highest standards of integrity, impartiality, transparency, fairness, accuracy and respect for the law.
“I encourage you to go out and do your duties without fear or favour to ensure results are favourable for everyone,” the SIEC CEO stressed.
Also sharing similar sentiments, Pastor Kenneth Mamali, representative of the Solomon Islands Full Gospel Association (SIFGA) Executive, who facilitated the Pledge Ceremony, pointed out that the points highlighted are also something that comes back to self believes and disciplines of individual officers.
Before conducting the ceremony, Pastor Kenneth gave the officers encouragements and reminders, using biblical illustration that is related to the nature of the challenges expected in their work.
The SIFGA representative then used a biblical character that stood up to the tests and challenges encountered while serving people in the bible days, and this according to the Reverend, is also something these Revising Officers can learn from, as a relevant and applicable situation to what they are about to go through in the field.
He agreed with CEO Saitala that officers will be faced with a lot of challenges while out in the constituencies, through friends, electorates, candidates and even close relatives, but are again reminded to always refer back to the bible character, which he is confident, will help them uphold the highlighted integrity.
This will definitely help officers to maintain their impartiality and honesty status, which will give a positive prospect for a freer and fair outcome, at the same time, bring a good name for the country and the people they serve.
Meanwhile, in her remarks to mark the closing of both the training and the ceremony, one of the SIEC Commissioners, Mrs Taeasi Sanga also agreed that the CEO’s points on officers is acceptable as these officers can play a crucial role and added that a credible voter list is the foundation for an acceptable election result.
“Therefore the integrity of the process rests squarely in the role that you as Revising Officers play.
“The knowledge on procedures required to perform and fulfil your roles and responsibilities is equally important as wisdom that helps you to morally conduct yourself to the highest standard of impartiality.
The Revising Officers will as of this weekend, be sent out to their respective constituencies to carry out the Omission and Objection programmes, ahead of the public inquiries.
Commissioner of Royal-Solomon Island Police Force Matthew Varley
BY JENNIFER KUSAPA
POLICE Commissioner Matthew Varley has dismissed articles by Alfred Sasako in the Island Sun newspaper over allegations of corruption and conspiracy inside the Royal Solomon Island Police Force (RSIPF).
“I can’t be anymore plain than to say that much of the content of the article that has being put forward to me today around conspiracies of what is going on in the RSIPF and the corruption team is just misinformation and false,” Mr Varley said.
Varley said the matters affecting the charges currently before the court are on the operation police announced in relation to the arrest of the MP last week and is something that police cannot comment on, that case now before the court and the argument is the due process if there are people who wish to raise allegation or conspiracy around that particular case they are entitled to do that through the normal defence mechanism through court and of course that matter will be heard in due course.
“I don’t want to comment on that I think that’s the matter that needs to be tested by defence in court and I don’t want to say anything that will prejudicial to the court process however it is important to state that the said officer was not involved in the arrest of the MP last week and has not been in involved in that case for well-over a year,” Varley said.
“However a year ago police identified that the said officer was one of the officers attached to that case and that he had attachment to that same constituency as a result of that, he was transferred on to other cases, he was not the officer who arrested Dickson Mua last week,” Varley said.
Varley said but there are allegation that somehow there’s attempt to dismantle the corruption team inside the Police Force.
“I think it is important that there are few facts put straight, when I took over as commissioner I discovered that there were a lot of cases that we had on our books in the corruption team that are been un-actioned and had not been able to resolved for many years and there was no system for us to be able to prioritise and triage those cases, so for the past year we have developed and implementing a new review and triage system on corruption cases in the RSIPF.
“And I can tell you that almost 100 of those cases have been fully reviewed, categorised and prioritised and from there we finalised 18 cases that we were able to assess that did not have satisfactory evidence or did not meet the standard for a reasonable prosecution in court in effect there is no evidence for those cases to continue and we closed them off,” Varley said.
However there are 75 cases currently on hand in the Corruption team.
“I have said this before I’m not going to comment on individual cases but I’m doing so, making some information available today so that people can have the facts about what the police force is doing, we have 75 cases on hand,” Varley said
Those cases are in various stages of progress and they have all been reviewed under our new triage system and been categorised not only by the corruption team but also by senior management in the RSIPF.
There are 10 active investigations that are occurring at the moment there are other cases before the court or in front of the DPP for assessment.
He also refuted claims that mass arrest will be made on MPs.
“There is no mass arrest of MPs planned, that is a fabrication and complete untruth, we will deal with cases individually as they come up for finalization and the DPP sanctioned them for charges and I have said all along we will do that in our time when the evidence is ready.
“There is also an allegation that the Corruption team has been pulled apart or dismantled through some sort of secret conspiracy which is complete rubbish in fact the corruption team has been strengthened when I took over as Police Commissioner,” Varley adds.
Therefore Mr Varley said his officers have his full confidence in investigating and dealing with the corruption cases before them.
THERE is an increasing number of reported violence on women and young women in Guadalcanal, Malaita and Western provinces, a report from Strongim Bisnis and Oxfam shows.
As a result, women from the selected locations in the research highlight that they are facing ‘lack of opportunities to participate in community’s social economic development’.
The report said women and young women across the three provinces have explicitly identified facing risks of violence.
It is in the course of undertaking unpaid care tasks which is a common form of punishment from husbands or partners for not completing their expectations.
To make it worse, many women interviewed in the research reveal that they are beaten by their husbands.
“Two have died in the past two years; one had a pot of hot rice thrown at her by her husband and this killed her. The other committed suicide because her husband was always belittling her,” the report shows.
Alcohol is also another aggravating factor, as highlighted by a young woman in Guadalcanal, saying “Sometimes our husbands drink and if we don’t please them, it causes trouble.”
Peculiarly, Guadalcanal women and young women, while identifying with the high risk of being attacked by a male member of the community going to and from the garden, also reveal that they are at risk of being attacked by Vele (local magic practitioners).
This threat is countered by women going to gardens in groups, the report says.
While women’s roles are expanding to encompass economic roles with paid work, women and young women in the three sites generally do not feel as though care duties are changing over time.
Some time and effort-saving resources have been secured at the household and community levels such as roads, tanks, water supply systems, solar power, wheelbarrows, kitchen and cleaning equipment and greater availability of transport.
Women’s increasing economic role has not been mirrored by an increase in support from men or new services or resources to ease their burden.
While most women want their husbands and sons to provide more support in this work, there was reluctance among some women to delegate work due to bride price and traditional gender roles.
