Quarantine & COVID Variants: Opposition leader Matthew Wale warns the government to take a “zero risk” approach before any further repatriation flights, saying SOPs must account for misleading early test results and the spread of delta and the emerging lambda variant. Mining Law & Community Benefits: Minister Derrick Manuari introduces the Mineral Resources Bill 2025 to modernise mining rules, make Community Development Agreements (CDAs) statutory, strengthen landowner access and compensation, and tighten environmental approvals and rehabilitation. Port & Shipping Infrastructure: Honiara International Port upgrade works move into the next phase for the International Berth 1 seaward extension, with temporary marine piling structures now being fabricated and installed to support a planned 30-metre increase in capacity. Police Training Upgrade: RSIPF receives a SBD 5.5 million upgraded Tactical Training Centre from Australia’s AFP, aimed at improving officer preparedness and response capability. Energy & Grid Build-Out: Construction begins on a 22-kilometre transmission line from Tina River to Lungga Power Station, targeting up to 15MW of renewable power for Honiara and reduced reliance on imported diesel. Freshwater Security Programme: Solomon Islands launches PacFresH2O to protect freshwater resources and boost climate resilience across Solomon Islands and Papua New Guinea, supported by GIZ, SPC and Live & Learn. Tax Reform Push: Finance Minister Gordon Darcy Lilo flags revenue losses from tax exemptions and abuse, pointing to new tax administration steps and plans for VAT and income tax rewrites. Economic Outlook: Lilo says real GDP growth is revised to 3.5% for 2026, driven by mining, agriculture, tourism and fisheries as logging declines, while also noting debt remains within fiscal safety limits. Regional Fuel Hub Plan: PM Wale proposes a Pacific regional fuel hub at Aruligo, aiming for up to 12 months of storage to improve energy security and potentially cut fuel costs across the region. Agriculture Value-Add: Indonesia talks with PM Wale focus on coconut value-added processing (beyond raw copra) plus opportunities in cocoa and seaweed, while Faifatala’a kava farmers move toward a plantation-to-market hub model to meet export demand.