Solomon Islands

Government workers have been told it's compulsory for them to attend three of the main ceremonies being held next week, and the whole country will have 29 June off.

The Australian-led state building mission was deployed to Solomon Islands in 2003 to end five years of ethnic fighting which had killed hundreds of people and displaced tens of thousands.

The Solomons' government's special secretary to RAMSI, John Wasi, said the week of events is the country's way of saying thank you to the region for helping a friend in need.

They were travelling from West Are'are in Malaita province to Marau on Guadalcanal on Wednesday.

The Solomon Star said two boats were doing the crossing together but one, carrying 23 people, failed to make it.

Police said eight people were rescued but one of them has died since.

Police with the help of the Search and Rescue team have been out in the sea to look for the remaining bodies.

The other boat with about 21 people onboard arrived safely.

Photo: Supplied Pacific search and rescue 

The win for Solomon Islands means they will meet Group A winners New Zealand in a home-and-away series.

“They deserved it. They’ve been working really hard.

“When I started coaching 6 weeks ago, they were just a bunch of people. We would go to practice and have only 14 players and on some days only 12 players.

“Now they are a team. Changing the mentality of a team is not easy. You need them to respond and to work really hard. They deserved it,” said Vega-Arango.

The Kapuls were penalized in the first minute of play after a foul from captain Michael Foster on Micah Lea’alafa.

This gave the visitors the momentum in the opening minutes as they launched several raids.

But the Kapuls were able to withstand this and eventually found their way into their opponents’ half.

Left one on one with the keeper, Kapuls striker Nigel Dabinyaba nearly put the home side in front but Phillip Mango denied him twice at close range.

But coach Felipe Vega-Arango says his team will fight and push on as hard as they can to get the win over PNG.

“The first match was really intense. I don’t expect anything different. I guess this game is going to be very much the same as the last one.

“PNG are a good side, so I expect there to be another battle again,” said Vega-Arango

Solomon Islanders’ skipper Henry Fa'arodo Jr shared the same sentiment, saying this afternoon’s game will definitely be just as tough as the first.

Is this possible? Coach of the Kapuls, Flemming Serritslev, says yes.

“The starting points for the two teams couldn’t be much more different than the case is.

“The Solomon Islands know that one point will bring them to the regional final, whereas we would have to beat Solomon Islands 5-0 or five goals to go on to the next stage.

“I think everyone would say we’re on a mission impossible. But in football, anything can happen.

“Of course we believe we can do it,” said Serritslev.

PNG were under the pump from the start and the home side put themselves in front after 12 minutes when Atkin Kaua drove one past keeper Ronald Warisan.

Solomon Islands continued to dominate possession and a cross from Jerry Donga saw captain Benjamin Totori do the rest putting boot to ball to beat Warisan for the second time in the 37th minute.

Solomon Islands led 2-0 at the break.

PNG struck back three minutes into the second half through captain Michael Foster who powered a shot into the nets to start the fight back.

The public broadcaster reported the beetle was sighted last year by farmers who feared the pest would kill coconut plantations and set back copra production.

A spokesman for the Ward Eight Farmers Association Samson Eric Lifuasi said authorities needed to support control measures and to formulate a plan to stop the beetle spreading to other provinces.

Last year, the Australian company Kokonut Pacific reported a renewed infestation of rhinoceros beetle in the Solomons was killing large palm trees.

Kokonut Pacific, a coconut oil producing company was one of three companies from the Solomon Islands invited to attend Auckland’s Pasifika Festival earlier in March as part of the PTI Pacific Path to Market programme.

The six-stage programme involves attending a Pacific Path to Market workshop in their own country, followed by an invitation to Pasifika Festival, a Gap Analysis workshop and one-to-one business meetings with prospective buyers, importers and distributors.

This was confirmed in court on Monday by Immigration Officer Chris Akosawa who appeared on behalf of the matter.
 
He said the total fine of USD$4,300 had been transferred to the Solomon Islands Government (SIG) account through the Central Bank of Solomon Islands (CBSI).
 
Akosawa asked the court for an extension of the detention order for another 14 days to allow the crew members to wait for their flights back to Vietnam.
 
The first four crews will leave the country today whilst the second batch of nine crews will leave on Friday.