Latest news with #SolomonIslanders
The Irish Sun
2 days ago
- The Irish Sun
Bibby Stockholm asylum seeker's chilling words before sexually assaulting teenage girl
AN ASYLUM seeker on the Bibby Stockholm sexually assaulted a teen girl after saying "I've never been this close to a white woman". Moffat Konofilia, who travelled 10,000 miles from the Solomon Islands, tried to kiss the terrified 17-year-old as she sat on Weymouth seafront in Dorset. Advertisement 2 The migrant told the girl he was on holiday, when he was housed on the Bibby Stockholm barge moored at nearby Portland Credit: BNPS The ex-footballer, 48, told her he was on holiday - but in fact he lived on the controversial migrant The girl said Konofilia commented on the colour of her skin and said he had 'never been this close to a white woman' which made her feel uncomfortable. She began secretly recording their conversation and was heard saying 'no, no' as Konofilia tried to kiss her on the mouth before apologising. The victim left to walk home and Konofilia tried to follow her but she managed to lose him down an alleyway. Advertisement READ MORE UK NEWS After the next day. The migrant, who had played for Solomon Islands national team, said he had taken the bus into the Dorset seaside town and bought beers to drink on the beach 'as he often did'. When interviewed by police he said the girl told him she was 18 and that he wanted to help her. He claimed he had not kissed her but had put an arm around her to comfort her and she had pulled away. Advertisement Most read in The Sun He denied kissing her or following her when she left. Konofilia was found guilty of one count of sexual assault by magistrates in Poole. Shock moment cops DRIVE INTO protester while under siege from yobs as chaos erupts over small boat migrant 'sex assault' Sentencing was adjourned for reports and he was released on bail. He now lives at Quadrant Hall in Coventry, a former university halls that was converted to house 100 asylum seekers. Advertisement Although he speaks English, he said his first language is Pijin, a common language in the Solomon Islands. At a previous court hearing he said he had two interviews for his asylum claim which depended on the outcome of this case. The Solomon Islands are the seventh furthest country from the UK and there are currently no specific visas for Solomon Islanders to enter the UK to seek asylum. Australia , New Zealand and Papua New Guinea are the primary destinations for asylum seekers from the Solomon Islands. Advertisement 2 Moffat Konofilia, an asylum seeker who travelled 10,000 miles from the Solomon Islands, tried to kiss a terrified 17-year-old girl on Weymouth seafront Credit: BNPS
Scottish Sun
2 days ago
- Scottish Sun
Bibby Stockholm asylum seeker's chilling words before sexually assaulting teenage girl
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) AN ASYLUM seeker on the Bibby Stockholm sexually assaulted a teen girl after saying "I've never been this close to a white woman". Moffat Konofilia, who travelled 10,000 miles from the Solomon Islands, tried to kiss the terrified 17-year-old as she sat on Weymouth seafront in Dorset. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 2 The migrant told the girl he was on holiday, when he was housed on the Bibby Stockholm barge moored at nearby Portland Credit: BNPS The ex-footballer, 48, told her he was on holiday - but in fact he lived on the controversial migrant barge moored at nearby Portland. The girl said Konofilia commented on the colour of her skin and said he had 'never been this close to a white woman' which made her feel uncomfortable. She began secretly recording their conversation and was heard saying 'no, no' as Konofilia tried to kiss her on the mouth before apologising. The victim left to walk home and Konofilia tried to follow her but she managed to lose him down an alleyway. After the sexual assault the girl called a friend crying and asked them to meet her. She reported the incident to police the next day. The migrant, who had played for Solomon Islands national team, said he had taken the bus into the Dorset seaside town and bought beers to drink on the beach 'as he often did'. When interviewed by police he said the girl told him she was 18 and that he wanted to help her. He claimed he had not kissed her but had put an arm around her to comfort her and she had pulled away. He denied kissing her or following her when she left. Konofilia was found guilty of one count of sexual assault by magistrates in Poole. Shock moment cops DRIVE INTO protester while under siege from yobs as chaos erupts over small boat migrant 'sex assault' Sentencing was adjourned for reports and he was released on bail. He now lives at Quadrant Hall in Coventry, a former university halls that was converted to house 100 asylum seekers. Although he speaks English, he said his first language is Pijin, a common language in the Solomon Islands. At a previous court hearing he said he had two interviews for his asylum claim which depended on the outcome of this case. The Solomon Islands are the seventh furthest country from the UK and there are currently no specific visas for Solomon Islanders to enter the UK to seek asylum. Australia, New Zealand and Papua New Guinea are the primary destinations for asylum seekers from the Solomon Islands.
Otago Daily Times
31-05-2025
- General
- Otago Daily Times
Climate crisis message shared
A Wānaka teenager is touring New Zealand to encourage other students to help those in need after he spent 40 hours in a cage and kayaked the length of Lake Wānaka to raise funds for World Vision. Former Mount Aspiring College student James Watson travelled to the Solomon Islands with World Vision recently and saw the devastating impact climate change has had on children and families. The 18-year-old is now sharing the stories of those he met as part of his role as a Youth Ambassador for the World Vision 40-Hour Challenge. He is visiting more than 100 schools in the lower North Island to inspire students to go 40 hours offline and raise funds to support children affected by hunger in the Solomon Islands. Mr Watson was moved by the daily struggles of Solomon Islanders, who do not get enough to eat each day due to the climate crisis. He recalled meeting 9-year-old Polyne, who had big dreams of playing football and becoming a nurse but faced challenges. "Polyne has the heart and determination to make these happen, but she faces a huge roadblock — lack of food. "Even the giant taro that once could feed an entire family is no longer growing in her community. It broke my heart to see how this severe lack of food has become normal for them." Spending this valuable time in the Solomon Islands gave Mr Watson perspective and left him feeling New Zealand society could be very self-focused. "We have an inclination to be all me, me, me. We forget that there are young people in other parts of the world who can't follow their dreams because they are struggling to get enough to eat each day," he said. As a result, he encouraged peers to view the world as their one and only home. Mr Watson has a long history with the World Vision 40-Hour Challenge and has tested himself with some big challenges, namely kayaking the length of Lake Wanaka and living in a cage for 40 hours to help raise funds for the campaign. "I am excited to be carrying on with this kaupapa to make a difference for rangatahi who aren't being afforded basic human rights, like getting enough food. I hope New Zealand students will get behind the campaign this year so tamariki in Solomon Islands can follow their dreams just like we can here," he said. "By giving something up we learn to connect with others, and we learn to be grateful for all the privileges we have in life." Mr Watson's challenge this year will include going offline for 40 hours while he films 40 conversations about hope. "In Solomon Islands we saw how much the people valued connecting with each other face-to-face and back here I saw how we have lost some of that ... I will be asking 40 people to share their stories of hope. I want to show that everyone has a story to tell, and that's what makes us human. Just like Polyne has a story and hope." The World Vision 40-Hour Challenge runs from June 13-15, with sign-ups and donations via the website. — APL
West Australian
13-05-2025
- General
- West Australian
Land squeeze threatens climate-exposed islanders
The Walande community is running out of space to grow food and build homes. Sea level rise threatens the viability of low-lying land for growing swamp taro crops and a collapsing seawall could push the indigenous Solomon Islands community further inland. The land squeeze and food insecurity have some members of the community considering relocation - another move after life on their former island home was made untenable by climate change-fuelled extreme weather. Sea level rise, intensifying storms and higher king tides forced islanders to flee to the mainland more than a decade ago. Today, all that's visible of the tiny island above water are a few wooden posts sticking out. Walande community secretary Fred Dauburi said the 50-hectare plot on the mainland was not enough for 800 people. "The population of this community is increasing rapidly but a piece of land will not expand," he told Human Rights Watch in a recent report. The community made the move with little financial support from the national government or international donors. Human Rights Watch climate displacement researcher Erica Bower said it was not unusual for Pacific Island communities to be forced to move more than once when they instigated the relocation themselves. It was less common when governments or NGOs were actively involved in the move to a more-resilient location, underscoring the need for more assistance. "This story highlights the consequences of inadequate support for climate-exposed communities," Ms Bower told AAP. The Solomon Islands government is one of just six with guidelines for planned relocation, a "beautiful document" largely collecting dust on the shelf. "It's not being implemented," she said. For the international community, funding was key, with Solomon Islanders receiving an average of $A31 a year in foreign aid for climate adaptation. Keeping the money flowing is another challenge. The Walande people were able to secure a small sum to rebuild their failing sea wall but the funds ran out before it was finished. Ms Bower said tensions over land were a huge problem throughout the Pacific, often stemming from informal arrangements made decades ago. "The government should play a role in mediating those conflicts and in attempting to support communities to find solutions," she said. Ms Bower said the move from the island had taken a toll, with one resident paddling her canoe back to the island every night. "The way she described it was 'as salt water people, we live by the ocean, we need to live on an island'."
Perth Now
13-05-2025
- General
- Perth Now
Land squeeze threatens climate-exposed islanders
The Walande community is running out of space to grow food and build homes. Sea level rise threatens the viability of low-lying land for growing swamp taro crops and a collapsing seawall could push the indigenous Solomon Islands community further inland. The land squeeze and food insecurity have some members of the community considering relocation - another move after life on their former island home was made untenable by climate change-fuelled extreme weather. Sea level rise, intensifying storms and higher king tides forced islanders to flee to the mainland more than a decade ago. Today, all that's visible of the tiny island above water are a few wooden posts sticking out. Walande community secretary Fred Dauburi said the 50-hectare plot on the mainland was not enough for 800 people. "The population of this community is increasing rapidly but a piece of land will not expand," he told Human Rights Watch in a recent report. The community made the move with little financial support from the national government or international donors. Human Rights Watch climate displacement researcher Erica Bower said it was not unusual for Pacific Island communities to be forced to move more than once when they instigated the relocation themselves. It was less common when governments or NGOs were actively involved in the move to a more-resilient location, underscoring the need for more assistance. "This story highlights the consequences of inadequate support for climate-exposed communities," Ms Bower told AAP. The Solomon Islands government is one of just six with guidelines for planned relocation, a "beautiful document" largely collecting dust on the shelf. "It's not being implemented," she said. For the international community, funding was key, with Solomon Islanders receiving an average of $A31 a year in foreign aid for climate adaptation. Keeping the money flowing is another challenge. The Walande people were able to secure a small sum to rebuild their failing sea wall but the funds ran out before it was finished. Ms Bower said tensions over land were a huge problem throughout the Pacific, often stemming from informal arrangements made decades ago. "The government should play a role in mediating those conflicts and in attempting to support communities to find solutions," she said. Ms Bower said the move from the island had taken a toll, with one resident paddling her canoe back to the island every night. "The way she described it was 'as salt water people, we live by the ocean, we need to live on an island'."
