Latest News Archive December 2009

Santa Claus came in a form of 21 football players on Christmas Day for the Children at the Children's Ward at the National Referral Hospital.

Police will launch a security operation today and will continue into the weekend to coincide with the New Year celebrations.

Security operation for the Christmas period was very successful with police observing quiet and peaceful celebrations across Honiara and surrounding communities.

An enquiry into the Solomon Islands National Referral Hospital has called for urgent action by the Government to improve services that are described as a national disgrace.

The region has been urged to do more to control the spread of HIV AIDS.

The Solomon Islands Football Federation President, Martin Alufurai OBE, on Monday, addressed the members of the SIFF LEARN & play team at the SIFF Academy Conference Room as they continued their preparations for their first ever international tour.

The Solomon Islands Football Federation (SIFF) LEARN & play Select Squad is currently preparing to represent the country in the U15-U16 TVL International Tournament in Vanuatu in January 2010.

The former Solomon Islands attorney-general Julian Moti is calling on Australia to investigate how he came to be facing sex abuse charges which were tossed out last week by a Brisbane court.

Amsterdam, 23 December 2009 - Four Greenpeace climate activists will spend Christmas and New Year in Copenhagen prison after the High Court there this afternoon rejected appeals to release them from Danish police custody.

Saturday 19 December 2009, COPENHAGEN--Officials from a growing list of countries at the UN Climate Change Talks are aligning themselves to a deal offered after a 24 hour marathon session that started on Friday and stretched out into Saturday.

Negotiations between the RSIPF and community leaders in the Naha area continued yesterday after members of the Participating Police Force were forced to use teargas in the early hours of Saturday morning when two groups throwing rocks at each other started attacking the police and military.

The Auditor General, Edward Ronia says the Government's financial system has three major flaws that continue to affect service delivery.

Prime Minister Dr Derek Sikua has clarified the Government's decision last week to award a new Mobile Telecommunications License to mobile service provider, beMobile Company.

Fiji says that it will consider taking in climate refugees from neighbouring countries in the future.

Press Statement - The Traditional Knowledge Action Plan for Forum Island Countries (FICs) has been launched marking a milestone development for the region.

Provincial Police in Western Province are still searching for a crocodile reported to have snatched a seven-year-old boy around the Vona Vona lagoon, near Savanga village last Tuesday afternoon around 3pm.

The former Solomon Islands' Attorney-General, Julian Moti, says he will sue the Australian Government over child sex charges that have ruined his life.

Copenhagen, 16 December - Negotiators in Copenhagen have been called on to give attention and act on threats climate change poses to the marine environment, particularly coral reefs, fisheries and ultimately food security.

Copenhagen, 16 December - As the clock winds down on a climate change agreement being reached at Copenhagen, Pacific Island leaders say they will continue to negotiate until the last minute.

The Solomon Islands opposition leader Manasseh Sogavare says he's not surprised that the former Solomon Islands attorney-general Julian Moti has won a battle to have child sex charges against him dropped.

The Evaluation Committee of Solomon Islands decided on Friday 11 December 2009 to award the country's first new entrant telecom licence to bemobile.

The Report of the Auditor-General was tabled in Parliament yesterday with the AG citing common problems which included widespread failure to comply with mandatory procedures, the use of funds for purposes for which they are not authorized and the lack of accurate and relevant reporting on activities.

Former Solomon Islands attorney-general and Australian lawyer Julian Moti is a free man after a court ruled child sex tourism charges against him were an abuse of process.

MANILA, PHILIPPINES - The Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Government of Australia today announced a US$12 million grant package which aims to improve the business environment and stimulate private sector investment in the Pacific region.

The Provincial Feedback, which was expected to commence early December 2009, was postponed for next year as Government's slow revenue gain and financial constraints have been major factors in delaying the progress of the remaining activities of the Constitutional Reform programme for this year.

The RSIPF yesterday arrested and charged three men for intentionally closing down the water source supply at Kongulae area over the weekend around 2pm.

Cyclone Mick, which caused destruction in Fiji in the past 24 hours, is now headed out of Fiji waters.

Today, the Solomon Islands Government and Government of New Zealand signed a new three year funding arrangement of SBD165, 000,000 to improve the quality of basic education and to ensure all Solomon Islands children can go to school.

Australia commends the Solomon Islands Government for their commitment to addressing violence against women in Solomon Islands.

Finance and Treasury Minister, Snyder Rini, has unveiled the government's budget, estimated at $1.997 billion. This is an overall increase of $43.9 million or 2.2 per cent on the 2009 Budget.

COPENHAGEN, DENMARK - The countries of Asia and the Pacific have a strong stake in a successful outcome to the current climate change talks in Copenhagen, senior officials of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) said Sunday.

The Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS) on Thursday announced a proposal designed to safeguard the Earth's climate system and to secure the future survival of its 43 members.

Report on Copenhagen Talks on climate change negotiations as reported by Makereta Komai for PACNEWS and released by the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP).

In the Solomon Islands, the Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) recently launched a $3 million project to benefit communities on the islands of Malaita and Guadalcanal, improving livelihood opportunities, building youth resiliency, and motivating the increased participation of youth.

With the Christmas and New Year holiday season fast approaching, the Australian High Commission today reminded Solomon Islanders planning to visit Australia to apply for visas well in advance of their intended travel date.

Prime Minister Dr Derek Sikua last night has praised the Republic of China, Taiwan for its growing investment in Solomon Islands.

December 07, 2009 Media Release

Carols in the Islands, the Christmas celebration scheduled this Saturday, 12 December, is set to see the return of the impressive voices of the RAMSI Pacific Choir.

The English Football Association (FA) run coaching course held in Honiara ended in a high note today with the 30 participants receiving the FA International Coaching Award Intermediate Level certificate from FA course coordinators John Alpress and Chris Dawham.

KOSSA were crowned the new champions of the Honiara Futsal League after beating defending champions Brisolona 4 - 2 yesterday at the Honiara Multipurpose Hall court.

Today marks the United Nations World Anti-Corruption Day.

The Government is prepared to carry out a mass education and awareness campaign on a new set of public service regulations starting in early 2010.

The 9-year-old boy, who went missing on Saturday afternoon at Betikama river bank, was found early yesterday morning by a man at the river bend near the Lunga River car wash area.

News Release - 7 December 2009

The Solomon Islands Government is delighted to announce that it has yesterday opened the Solomon Islands telecommunications market to competition.

PRESS STATEMENT - Friday, 4th December 2009 INTERNATIONAL DAY OF PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES: UN and Pacific regional organisations welcome progress in addressing rights of persons with disabilities

The Solomon Islands government plans an education and information campaign on a new set of rules for public servants.

Corruption, in all its forms, is the target of a new week-long comic series launched today by RAMSI and the Solomon Islands Government, in partnership with Transparency Solomon Islands.

The Carols are back. And this year, they are set to be bigger and better than ever. Carols in the Islands, presented by DJ League and RAMSI, is held each year at Honiara's Lawson Tama Stadium, with over 10,000 people attending last year's event.

Failure in Copenhagen is not an option in seeking a legally binding international agreement when world leaders meet next week to discuss a new climate change deal, said Collin Beck, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Solomon Islands to the United Nations.

There are fears voters in Solomon Islands will not be properly prepared for elections next year because the Government is short of money.

The FA Beginners Coaching Program begun yesterday at the Solomon Islands Football Federation (SIFF) Academy in Honiara.

Commissioner of Police Peter Marshall confirmed that Hon Mark Kemakeza, MP representing the Nggella Constituency of Central Islands Province and younger brother of Sir Allan Kemakeza, appeared at a mention hearing at Honiara Magistrate's Court yesterday .

An operation by the Royal Solomon Islands Police Force Liquor Licensing Squad, supported by General Duty officers and CID detectives, struck at the heart of a black market trade of illegal made homebrew, known locally as Kwaso, at Honiara's Central Market.

MANILA, PHILIPPINES - The Asian Development Bank (ADB) is planning to channel around $700 million from two new investment funds to its developing member countries as part of a broad global initiative to help developing countries meet the cost of actions needed to combat climate change.

The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Finance and Treasury, Mr Shadrach Fanega, today issued an update on the government's finances in response to public concerns.

The Regional Assistance Mission to Solomon Islands (RAMSI) today welcomed the new Code of Conduct as a milestone in the rebuilding of Solomon Islands public service.

MANILA, PHILIPPINES - Papua New Guinea (PNG) is to improve its border facilities with neighboring Indonesian province, Papua, in a bid to tap trade and investment opportunities that can benefit some of its poorest provinces.

MANILA, PHILIPPINES - Asian Development Bank (ADB) President Haruhiko Kuroda joined heads of other multilateral development banks in calling for a comprehensive agreement to come out of climate change negotiations that begin in Copenhagen next week.

Walking long distances to source fresh, clean water is a thing of the past for the people of Sanivele village on the Guadalcanal Plains, thanks to help from the Australian Government Aid Program.

A partnership of government and international development agencies today announced a $24 million grant package which aims to improve access to markets, health and education services among rural and urban households in Solomon Islands through an expansion of the Solomon Islands Road Improvement Project (SIRIP).

The Royal Solomon Islands Police Force has proudly welcomed 27 Police new recruits officers who graduated in front of colleagues and family members at Police Headquarters, Rove yesterday morning.

Solomon Gold plans to start a thorough exploration of Fauro Island in the north of Solomon Islands for gold copper porphyries and large scale epithermal gold ore bodies after it was granted a three-year prospecting licence for the tenement covering a 70 square kilometres area.