Latest news with #Guadalcanal
NHK
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- NHK
The sound of music where bombs once fell
A musician travels to the island of Guadalcanal to honor an uncle who died there in the Pacific War. His music becomes both a personal tribute and a shared call for peace, as former enemies and local residents reflect on the enduring scars of conflict.
RNZ News
23-07-2025
- Politics
- RNZ News
Solomon Islands bylaw empowers chiefs to block child marriage
By Khalia Strong , PMN HOPE Trust is set up in communities that are vulnerable to human trafficking due to poverty. Photo: PMN / Supplied In the Solomon Islands, child marriage, sometimes involving girls as young as 12, continues to be driven by poverty, custom, and outdated legislation. But in the remote community of Koleasi, Central Guadalcanal, traditional leaders are reclaiming their role in justice and protection through a locally led initiative that blends custom with legal clarity. "This is the beginning of something great," Prema Maeato, the executive programme director of Homes of Peace and Empowerment (HOPE) Trust, the organisation leading the work, says. "Our people have always governed themselves. What this bylaw does is help them use that power again - this time, to protect the next generation." Koleasi lies near dense forests and active logging camps, where industry brings both opportunity and risk. Maeato says the surrounding environment creates vulnerabilities that communities can no longer ignore. "In our domestic logging camps, there are practices of girls being taken and forced into marriage because of poverty," he says. "Sometimes there are up to seven children in one family, so only one or two are allowed to go to school. "The rest stay home or get married early - where the consent comes from the parents, not the child." The Koleasi Community Bylaw, developed in partnership with Hope Trust and Tearfund, explicitly prohibits marriage under the age of 18. A breach carries a maximum fine of SI$1000. Penalties also apply for organising a forced marriage or harbouring someone against their will. Community leaders, including HOPE Trust and representatives from the police and Tearfund NZ gather to mark the signing of the Koleasi Community Bylaw. Photo: NZ High Commission in Honiara Beyond fines, the bylaw introduces a clear referral pathway, linking community leaders with the Crime Prevention Committee, police, and social services. Chiefs, church leaders, and community representatives are responsible for raising awareness in schools and villages, reinforcing cultural norms that prioritise children's rights and well-being. The bylaw outlines a wide range of consequences for harmful or exploitative behaviour, including the gifting of a live pig, a cash fine, or kogana, a traditional currency made from precious shells. The Koleasi Community Bylaw enables traditional leaders to be part of the justice process. Photo: PMN / Supplied Claire Grey, Head of Advocacy at Tearfund New Zealand, says the Koleasi initiative sets a new standard for how traditional leadership and formal systems can work together to uphold justice. "These bylaws weren't created in a back room and imposed; they were built by the community," she says. "The result is that leaders feel ownership. They understand their mandate, and they know how to act when something goes wrong." She says the bylaw clearly defines which matters are handled at village level, and which must be referred to formal auth "It gives traditional leaders the authority to enforce the rules, and when a case is too serious, like child abuse or exploitation, there's a pathway to escalate it." Maeato says the impact is visible and transformative. "When this bylaw is launched, you can see the pride in people's faces. They feel recognised by the Government, by the Police. "They know their community matters and the traditional leaders realise they still have power - they still have a voice." HOPE Trust works with communities who have high rates of poverty and are near mining and logging camps. Photo: PMN / Supplied Since launching the Koleasi bylaw, Hope Trust has received growing interest from communities in other provinces, including Malaita and Western Province. However, capacity is limited. "We want to build a model in Central Guadalcanal that others can adapt," says Maeato. "But every community is different; their customs are different, so each bylaw must reflect that." Despite these challenges, the progress in Koleasi offers hope, especially for girls who might otherwise be married off without consent or protection. "This bylaw gives traditional leaders the mandate to say no," says Maeato. "It tells the community that children matter, their voices matter, and marriage, exploitation, abuse, none of that is acceptable." The Koleasi Community Bylaw is developed with support from Hope Trust, Tearfund New Zealand, and the SAFE programme funded by New Zealand's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade. It came into effect on 19 June 2025. -This article was first published by PMN .
CBS News
22-07-2025
- General
- CBS News
Explorers find torpedoes, bell from U.S. destroyer that sank with 167 crew on board during WWII
Explorers on a quest to study a famed wartime shipwreck site have discovered new artifacts from one lost American destroyer. The USS DeHaven, which was sunk during an attack off the Solomon Islands in World War II, still has torpedoes and a bell that are still largely intact, according to the Ocean Exploration Trust, a nonprofit that recently surveyed and filmed the wreckage with remotely operated vehicles. The DeHaven went down in February 1943, after operating out of Guadalcanal throughout the U.S. military campaign there, according to the Destroyer History Foundation. The ship was bombed multiple times and eventually sank, with 167 crew members on board, near Iron Bottom Sound, a section of the ocean near the Solomon Islands known for its WWII-era shipwrecks. The Ocean Exploration Trust set out to learn more about the maritime history of Guadalcanal and Iron Bottom Sound — the site of five pivotal naval battles between August and December 1942. The team used a sonar device to locate wreckage from the surface of the sea before dispatching a pair of remotely operated vehicles down to the seabed. Those ROVs were able to capture high-resolution footage of what remains of the DeHaven, more than 80 years after it plunged to the ocean floor. Video of the expedition has now been published online. During their mission, explorers identified a number of relics among the wreckage of the DeHaven, including propellers, artillery and torpedo mounts, and multiple torpedo warheads, the organization said. They also spotted the ship's bell with help from viewers watching a livestream of the deep-sea initiative, which the organization called "a very unique sighting." Team leaders said the data gathered from the project can provide important frameworks for historians, as well as resource managers of heritage areas "to understand this site's history and future." The Ocean Exploration Trust partnered with NOAA Ocean Exploration, the U.S. Naval History and Heritage Command, the Solomon Islands Government and a number of archaeological centers at universities around the world to help carry out the expedition. The Ocean Exploration Trust has explored the wreckage of World War II warships in the Solomon Islands before. Its teams recently discovered a famed Japanese destroyer sunk by U.S. torpedoes as well as the severed bow of another well-known American warship called the USS New Orleans, which also sank in the Iron Bottom Sound.
The Independent
21-07-2025
- General
- The Independent
WWII Japanese Navy destroyer found 83 years after it sank
A Japanese navy destroyer torpedoed during a crucial Second World War battle has finally been discovered on the Pacific Ocean floor 80 years after it sank. The Imperial Japanese Navy destroyer Teruzuki sank in 1942 while transporting supplies to soldiers in the Solomon Islands. Measuring over 134m (440ft) long, Teruzuki was the Imperial Japanese Navy 's second Akizuki-class destroyer built with air-search radar. Such ships mainly acted as escorts with anti-aircraft screening abilities for main battle ships. Teruzuki was sunk in December 1942 by US torpedoes while transporting food for soldiers in Guadalcanal, also called 'Gato' or the island of starvation. After it was hit by torpedoes, a detonation broke the rudder and one propeller shaft, disabling the ship. Then a ruptured oil tank caught on fire, setting ablaze ammunition and causing an explosion. Nearly 350 crew members survived, most rescued by other nearby Japanese destroyers, but 10 died. Since Imperial Japan 's naval vessel plans were a tightly held secret, there are no historical images of Teruzuki and the latest survey is the first ever to get a glimpse of the vessel for this generation. A US marine research team has finally found Teruzuki's wreck in a sea area known as the Iron Bottom Sound, which was the stage of five major naval battles between August and December 1942 that led to the loss of over 20,000 lives, 111 naval vessels, and 1,450 planes. However, fewer than 100 of these US, Japanese, Australian, and New Zealand military ships and planes have been located in this marine location of an area less than 25 nautical miles wide, 40 nautical miles long, and 1,400 meters deep. "Iron Bottom Sound was the scene of five ferocious major night surface battles, resulting in the loss of dozens of ships and thousands of men. Both sides showed extreme courage and tenacity, although in the end the U.S. Navy and allies prevailed, at enormous cost,' said Samuel J. Cox, a retired US Navy rear admiral. Two Akizuki-class destroyers were known to have sunk in the Solomon Islands during WWII. Since the other one was already discovered, researchers concluded the latest finding was Teruzuki 's wreck. Earlier this month, a team of US and Japanese marine researchers conducted the first visual scan of the destroyer since it sank. 'This is the first time anyone has laid eyes on Teruzuki since it was sunk in WWII's battles off Guadalcanal, with surveyed details rewriting the ship's final hours,' researchers wrote. The marine scientists found that Teruzuki's bow had collapsed to one side, and most of her superstructure had fallen off to one side. Several features of the sunken ship match testimonies of former crew members who survived its sinking. The numbers and positions of gun turrets on the wrecked remains were also found to be the same as on Teruzuki.
CBS News
15-07-2025
- General
- CBS News
Japanese WWII destroyer torpedoed by U.S. boats discovered on Pacific seafloor — still armed with munitions
A famed Japanese destroyer sunk by U.S. torpedoes during a pivotal battle in World War II has been discovered on the floor of the Pacific Ocean more than 80 years after it sank, an exploration team has revealed. The warship was found still armed with unused depth charges, according to the explorers. The Imperial Japanese Navy destroyer Teruzuki was located by a remotely operated vehicle more than 2,600 feet below the ocean's surface near the Solomon Islands, the Ocean Exploration Trust announced on Saturday. "Lying on the seabed at over 800 meters in the Solomon Islands, this is the first time anyone has laid eyes on Teruzuki since it was sunk in WWII's naval battles off Guadalcanal," said the trust, which released images and video of the wreck. Teruzuki (which translates to "Shiny Moon" in Japanese) was under the command of Rear Admiral Raizou Tanaka. The legendary naval leader earned the moniker "Tenacious Tanaka" among U.S. forces for leading dangerous attacks and so-called "Tokyo Express" supply missions during the middle of the night. Weeks before descending to its watery grave, the Teruzuki used its state-of-the-art weaponry to great effect. In November 1942, the 400-foot-long Akizuki-class destroyer used its rapid-fire 100mm guns to help sink two U.S. destroyers, according to the U.S. Naval Institute. The Teruzuki's torpedoes also severely damaged two other U.S. battleships. But on December 12, 1942, the Teruzuki was targeted by American PT boats as it tried to protect a convoy of supply ships on Guadalcanal's northern coast, according to historians. The Teruzuki was hit by two U.S. torpedoes, breaking its rudder and disabling the ship. Most of the crew were rescued or swam ashore, but nine men died as the Teruzuki plunged to the bottom of the ocean. A remotely operated camera launched by the Exploration Vessel (E/V) Nautilus brought the first glimpse of the ship since that day when it spotted the wreck on July 10, the trust said. The massive warship had been severed, with its stern and hull 650 feet apart on the seafloor — but its munitions were still intact. An eerie video released by the trust shows the stern armed with multiple depth charges. One scientist can be heard on the video saying that an expert warned the team to be "extra careful as some Japanese ordnance at this time of the war had a reputation for being really sensitive." The team also noted that the ship was found with its forward artillery turrets pointing skyward. "When the exploration team found a 19-meter-long severed segment of Teruzuki's stern littered with depth charges, it disproved a long-held theory that it was depth charge explosions that sealed the ship's fate," the trust said in a separate news release. Ship located in Iron Bottom Sound Iron Bottom Sound in the Solomon Islands was the site of five pivotal naval battles between August and December 1942. Located about 600 northeast of Australia, the Solomon Islands became coveted territory for both Japan and the Allied Forces during World War II. The tiny island of Guadalcanal was key because of its airfield and its location, which offered command over shipping lanes in the region. "Recognizing this island and airfield's strategic value, both sides would soon commit substantial naval and air resources to control the island, the airfield, and its surrounding waters," the Ocean Exploration Trust said. Dozens of warships were sunk in Iron Bottom Sound, and the Teruzuki is just the latest to be discovered. Earlier this month, the same researchers found the severed bow of the American warship USS New Orleans during seafloor mapping operations in the area. In addition to the Teruzuki, at least six Japanese warships were lost off Guadalcanal between August and December 1942, according to the trust, and at least 10 Allies ships were lost during the same period. One of the American vessels lost in the area ws the USS Laffey, a Benson-class destroyer that survived a major battle in October 1942 but was sunk in Guadalcanal on November 12, 1942. One of the ships that sank USS Laffey was in fact the Teruzuki, which had only seen combat for a few months until its demise. The designs and details of Japanese naval ships were cloaked in secrecy during World War II. There are no historical images of the Teruzuki, making the new discovery especially revealing, the trust said. "I feel so lucky to see this ship. The fact that we have not seen Teruzuki in over 80 years underscores the importance of recording maritime heritage now," said Hiroshi Ishii, a Nautilus science team member and researcher at Kyoto University. "As a Japanese person, I appreciate the opportunity to witness part of our history and to be part of an international team shedding light on this campaign, which is important to all of our nations' history." In 2023, the wreckage of a Japanese ship that was torpedoed during World War II off the coast of the Philippines was found. The ship was carrying Allied prisoners of war, most of them Australians, when it sank in 1942. All 1,080 people aboard perished. Shipwreck World War II Japan
