$ 34.12 million) US aid programme. Malaita protesters last month sparked riots by residents of the capital

island of Malaita for a 2019 decision to drop diplomatic ties with Taiwan in favor of mainland China....

CANBERRA, Australia— The Solomon Islands’ decision to switch its diplomatic allegiance from Taiwan to Beijing has been blamed for arson and looting in the national capital Honiara, where protesters are demanding the prime minister’s resignation.... With the police force ethnically divided, law and order on Guadalcanal collapsed.... China has provided another cause for the community to divide, with the government supporting Beijing and the Malatian leaders supporting Taiwan....

Australian Federal Police inspect burnt out areas of Chinatown in Honiara, Solomon Islands, on Nov.... The riots grew from a peaceful protest that highlighted long-simmering regional rivalries, economic problems and concerns about the country's increasing links with China.... Opposition leader Matthew Wale told Parliament he brought the motion of no-confidence against Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare because a political solution was needed to the nation's problems....

Smoke rises from burning buildings in Chinatown of Solomon Islands’ capital Honiara on Thursday. —Reuters HONIARA: Australia rus-h-ed peacekeepers to the Solo-mon Islands on Thur-sday, hoping to quell riots that threatened to topple the Pacific nation’s government and left its capital ablaze. After a second day of widespread protests and looting in Honiara, Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare called on neighbouring Australia for help. The first contingent of a 100-strong Australian police and milit

MELBOURNE, Australia — Protests rocked the capital of the Solomon Islands on Thursday for the second straight day as people clashed with the police and demanded that Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare resign.... Some set buildings ablaze and looted stores. Protesters were met by police tear gas and rubber bullets on Wednesday after they stormed the national Parliament in the capital, Honiara, and set a police station and buildings in Chinatown on fire, the authorities said.... Outnumbered, the p

In this image made from aerial video, smoke rises from burning buildings during a protest in the capital of Honiara, Solomon Islands, on Nov.... Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare had declared the lockdown Wednesday after about 1, 000 people gathered in protest in the capital Honiara demanding his resignation over a host of domestic issues, according to local media reports.... " However, today's events are a painful reminder that we have a long way to go." Despite an announcement from the Royal

Solomon Islands police and Australian Federal Police patrol road blocks in Honiara, Solomon Islands, on Dec.... Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare told lawmakers in a fiery 90-minute speech that he'd done nothing wrong and would not bow down to" the forces of evil" or to" Taiwan's agents." At one point he picked up his chair and banged it on the Parliament floor to emphasize a point.... In the end, Sogavare easily had the numbers, winning 32 votes to 15, with two abstentions....

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison gestures during a press conference at Parliament House in Canberra, on Nov.... Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the deployment includes a detachment of 23 federal police officers and up to 50 more to provide security at critical infrastructure sites, as well as 43 defense force personnel, a patrol boat and at least five diplomats.... " Our purpose here is to provide stability and security," he said....

close Video Fox News Flash top headlines for November 26 Fox News Flash top headlines are here.... Manasseh Sogavare, prime Minister of Solomon Islands, attends a Lowy Institute event in Sydney on Monday Aug.... " We would very much hope for a return to stability." Local journalist Gina Kekea said the foreign policy switch to Beijing with little public consultation was one of a mix of issues that led to the protests....