Solomon Islands tells Pacific islands it won’t sign White House summit declaration – note
Sydney, Australia/Washington DC, US Reuters The Solomon Islands has told Pacific nations invited to a White House meeting with President Joe Biden it won’t sign the summit declaration, according to a note seen by Reuters, prompting concern over the islands’ ties to China. Leaders from the Pacific Island Forum bloc have been invited to the […]
Pollution killing nine million people a year, Africa hardest hit – study
Reuters Worsening outdoor air pollution and toxic lead poisoning have kept global deaths from environmental contamination at an estimated nine million per year since 2015 – countering modest progress made in tackling pollution elsewhere, a team of scientists reported Tuesday. Air pollution from industry processes along with urbanisation drove a seven per cent increase in […]
Tuvalu, sinking in the Pacific, fears becoming a superpower “pawn”
Sydney, AustraliaReuters Tuvalu fears that climate change, an existential threat to the Pacific nation, is being forgotten and it worries that fellow island nations could become “pawns” in a global competition between China and the United States, its foreign minister said. Simon Kofe told Reuters the superpower competition was a concern, distracting attention from climate […]
Australia wants calm in ties with Solomon Islands after “invasion” claim
Sydney, AustraliaReuters Australia will respond calmly to the Solomon Islands after it signed a security pact with China, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said, dismissing a furious response by the leader of the Pacific nation to Western criticism of the deal. In a fiery speech to parliament on Tuesday, Solomons Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare said “we […]
US ambassador to Solomons warns of aid that goes to “one bank account”
Sydney, Australia Reuters The US ambassador to the Solomon Islands has warned Pacific Islands against “aid that benefits one person, one party and one bank account” – remarks that come after the Solomons were beset with riots last month blamed in part on discontent with China. Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare was accused last week […]
Updated: Solomon Islands Prime Minister survives no-confidence vote after riots
Updated 6.15pm (AEDT)Sydney, AustraliaReuters Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare on Monday survived a no confidence motion in parliament, after accusing the Pacific island nation’s most populous province of being “Taiwan’s agent”, and anti-government protesters of attempting a coup. Dozens of buildings were burnt and shops looted in the capital of the Pacific island nation […]
Explainer: What is behind unrest in the Solomon Islands?
Sydney, AustraliaReuters Four people were killed during violent anti-government protests in the Solomon Islands that prompted Australia to send police and soldiers to help keep order. In three days of unrest last week, buildings were set ablaze and shops looted by protesters angered by problems such as high unemployment and crowded housing, witnesses said. A […]
Calm returns as clean-up begins in Solomon Islands – media
Melbourne, AustraliaReuters Soldiers and police from Australia and Papua New Guinea were helping to restore calm in the Solomon Islands as clean-up operations started, after several days of rioting left three dead and led to dozens of arrests, local media reported. The Solomon Star newspaper said Australian soldiers and police and troops from Papua New […]
Australian police take control of Solomon Islands capital after days of unrest – witnesses
Canberra, AustraliaReuters Australian police began taking control of the Solomon Islands capital Honiara on Friday after days of violent protests in the South Pacific island nation, witnesses said. Tear gas was deployed in Chinatown where looting and the burning of buildings continued on Friday morning and a new curfew was expected to be imposed later […]
Updated: Australia to deploy police, military to Solomon Islands as protests spread
Updated: 6pm (AEDT)Sydney, AustraliaReuters Australia will deploy more than 100 police and military personnel to aid the Solomon Islands, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said on Thursday, as protesters in the Pacific Island nation defied a curfew to protest for a second consecutive day. Morrison said Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare had requested Australian assistance, […]