Solomon Islands

The committees, set up in wards, include local political and church leaders, women and youths.

Deputy Police Commissioner, Gabriel Manelusi, said the roll out of the strategy was taking longer than planned but police want to ensure the committees are well established.

He said they would play a vital role in the new crime fighting strategy.

Its aim is to provide police with better intelligence so criminal issues can be dealt with as they develop, rather than the police being reactive.

The Japanese miner started its acquisition of prospecting licences and has been exploring nickel in Isabel and Choiseul province since 2005 but got caught up in a six-year legal battle with Australia’s Axiom Mining.

The legal battle ended in March with neither SMMS nor Axiom being granted the rights over the International Tender Areas.

The bank received the final letter of authorization from the Central Bank of Solomon Islands (CBSI) on Monday.

Governor of CBSI Denton Rarawa issued the final letter of approval after the Central Bank carried out a final inspection of the premises and its banking chamber.

The CBSI says the opening of BRED Bank Solomon will allow businesses, corporate clients, and the general public opportunities to make choices of banking services available in Solomon Islands.

At the same time, the number of commercial banks in Solomon Islands has now increased to four.

The province was struck by a magnitude 7.8 quake that damaged about 35 houses including the police barracks and hospital.

At the time Australian Foreign Minister, Julie Bishop assured the government of Solomon Islands that Australia is ready to provide any support once requested.

Last night Australia’s Minister for International Development and the Pacific, Senator Concetta Fierravanti-Wells confirmed the Australian government’s support.

Bloody Ridge, or Edson's Ridge, near Honiara was fought over by Japanese and American troops during the Battle of Guadalcanal, which claimed nearly 40,000 lives.

This week Solomon Islands has been marking the 75th anniversary of the battle and as part of the commemorations the Solomons Prime Minister Manasseh Sogovare has unveiled a monument to the pivotal battle.

Bloody Ridge's new status has been described as "a testament to peace, unity and friendship".

Director of Solomon Islands Meteorological Services David Hiba who is now studying at Reading University in the UK said the current sea level in Solomon Island is more than doubled the global average.
 
“This is the net sea level rise after filtering out noises such as tides, earth movement, meteorological factors etc,” Hiba said.
 

The owners of the forest of Rurata in the East Are 'Are area in the province's south are reportedly furious over the destruction caused.

They use mangrove trees as posts for their houses and mangrove swamps provide the habitat for food sources like mud crabs, shellfish and mangrove fruit.

The Solomon Star reported the MEGA logging company cut down the mangrove forest to use the trees as posts for a new wharf it is building.

The paper reported the people were also worried the company had extracted coral from their reefs for the wharf building.

The incident on Tuesday came amid claims a woman in Maoro Village was a sorcerer and responsible for the sudden death of a local teacher.

RNZI reports 20 men from East Kwara'ae had demanded compensation and when this was not forthcoming police say they burned down the two traditional houses and looted the properties.

The men have since been arrested.

Photo file centralmalaita. blogpsot: Caption: Auki, the provincial capital of Malaita 

It is one of several key events during the 75th commemorations of the historic World War Two battle.

About 1000 soldiers died on Bloody Ridge which the Solomons' government says is one of the world's most important World War Two sites.

Sir Bruce Saunders, of the Solomons' Scouts and Coastwatchers Trust, which is one of the organisers of the commemorations, says Bloody Ridge was adjacent to Henderson Field airport - the key prize sought in the fighting.

The education minister John Moffat Fugui said currently only three percent of the population has had the chance to obtain higher education.

He said the government would this year spend $US37 million on scholarships for students to attend the National University in Honiara and other regional tertiary institutions.

Mr Fugui also said the ministry would set up 500 scholarship Awards for 2018 to be fully and partially funded by the government.