Free Republic

People from the country's most populous island, Malaita, had traveled to the capital in a spillover of anger about a host of domestic issues including unrealized infrastructure promises, media reported. As well as anger about a lack of development, the Solomons government has faced pressure over a 2019 decision to cut ties with Taiwan and establish a formal relationship with China. As well as looting stores, demonstrators set fire to a thatched roof building on the grounds of the Parliament -- as it was sitting -- and a police station, said the Prime Minister. The Royal Solomon Islands Police Force...

Australia has been warned Chinese military troops, ships and aircraft could arrive in the Solomon Islands within weeks. There are growing fears China will act swiftly to establish a military base less than 2,000km from Australian shores after its security pact with the South Pacific island nation was finalised on Tuesday. Security experts expect Beijing to have 'boots on the ground' by the time Australians go to the polls next month.

The China-Solomon Islands security pact has triggered significant unease among the US and its Pacific allies. A US delegation openly warned the Solomon Islands’ government, saying any step to establish a permanent military presence by Beijing in the southern pacific nation would receive a strong response. Australia has issued a warning over the Solomon Islands-China security pact following significant efforts by the US and its allies to thwart the deal. On Monday, Defence Minister Peter Dutton said that Australia could only preserve peace by preparing for war. "The only way you can preserve peace is to prepare for war, and...

Like the Hunga Tonga–Hunga Ha’apai volcano that triggered a massive tsunami and sent shockwaves around the world when it erupted on January 15, the recently signed security deal between the Solomon Islands and China has also unleashed geopolitical convulsions of immense magnitude. The source of the spectacular volcanic eruption that was visible from space came from deep below the surface. Similarly, the controversial security deal, and Australia’s alarmed response to it, also goes deep into history. Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare has repeatedly described the China deal as an assertion of sovereignty. (Critics say it is the opposite.) China...

Scott Morrison says China building a military base on Solomon Islands would be the "red line" for Australia and the United States, but did not say how Australia would respond if it happened. Key points: Mr Morrison says Australia will not have Chinese naval bases "on our doorstep" Deputy PM Barnaby Joyce says Solomon Islands is risking its sovereignty by signing the security deal with China Labor's Penny Wong has all but confirmed more foreign aid spending in the Pacific if the party is elected There are concerns about a recently signed security agreement between China and Solomon Islands and...

A Chinese politics specialist has called the deal between the Solomon Islands and China a "game-changer" saying New Zealand could be cut-off US military support. A leaked draft of the agreement, which was verified by the Australian government, said Chinese warships would be permitted to dock on the islands and that Beijing could send security forces "to assist in maintaining social order". The agreement is sparking concern China will look to throw its military weight around in the region.

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison declared on Sunday that a Chinese military base on the Solomon Islands would be an unacceptable 'red line', without adding how Canberra would retaliate, media reports said. Morrison's government and the US are scrambling to respond to a recently-signed security deal between the islands and Beijing, which they consider an 'aggressive' move, RT reported. 'Working together with our partners in New Zealand and of course the United States, I share the same red line that the United States has when it comes to these issues,' Morrison said. 'We won't be having Chinese military naval bases...

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern stood by her government’s relationship with Beijing, saying that there was still a need to “work together” in areas of mutual interest, despite its “growing assertiveness” in the region. “China is a very important trading partner for us, but it’s also a mature relationship for us,” Ardern told the BBC. “Where there are areas we can work together, we will—but there will always be areas in which we will not necessarily agree and when those areas arise, we are very forthright and clear on our position.” Ardern questioned the need for the Solomon Islands...

Swimming legend Dawn Fraser has dived into the transgender sporting debate, becoming Australia’s third high-profile female swimmer to speak up on what has turned into a controversial issue amid the 2022 federal election campaign.Her comment comes after Australia’s most decorated Olympian Emma McKeon and Olympic gold medallist Emily Seebohm this week aired their concerns about the “unfair” advantages of transgender athletes if they are allowed to compete with female athletes.Fraser, who is a four-time Olympic gold medalist, told the Daily Telegraph on Thursday: “I don’t think it’s fair to have transgender men competing against women.”“Why don’t transgender people compete against...

Five-time Olympic gold medalist Emma McKeon called it unfair that biologically male swimmers can dominate and compete against biologically female athletes. McKeon, a champion swimmer and Australia's most decorated Olympian, made the comment Thursday when asked about the place of transgender athletes at an event for women in sports ... "I personally would not want to be racing against someone who is biologically a male," she said. "I have not had to, and at the moment, I think it is just in the college system in America." College swimming in the United States has gained global attention in the last...

A 34-year-old woman in southeast Australia has died from a rare blood clotting disease following her first dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine, health officials announced Thursday.The unnamed New South Wales (NSW) woman was confirmed to have died Wednesday from thrombosis with thrombocytopenia syndrome (TTS), which was "likely to be linked" to the British-Swedish COVID-19 vaccine, Australia's Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) said in a statement."The TGA extends its sincerest condolences to her family and loved ones. We are in close communication with NSW health who are undertaking further investigation of this case," the TGA stated.No other details — such as the...

A third death has been linked to the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine, the Ministry of Health announced on Monday evening. "This is a tragic circumstance, and the Board expresses their sympathy to the individual's whanau and friends," the ministry said in a written statement. The Board said it first reviewed the Center for Adverse Reactions Monitoring (CARM) report of a death in December 2021. "At the time, there was no enough information available to determine the potential role of the vaccine," the ministry said...

The heads of Australia, the United States, and the United Kingdom have vowed to cooperate on the development of hypersonic weapons as the three nations push to advance the trilateral AUKUS agreement amid increasing tensions in the Indo-Pacific region.On April 6, U.S. President Joe Biden and Prime Ministers Scott Morrison (Australia) and Boris Johnson (UK) released a joint statement outlining the progress of the AUKUS agreement thus far, including cooperation on establishing a nuclear-powered submarine fleet in Australia.“In light of Russia’s unprovoked, unjustified, and unlawful invasion of Ukraine, we reiterated our unwavering commitment to an international system that respects human...

Iluka Resources on Monday committed to building Australia's first rare earths refinery after lining up A$1 billion ($749 million) in cheap debt from the government, which wants to diversify critical minerals supply away from China. The mineral sands producer's Eneabba refinery in Western Australia is expected to cost between A$1 billion and A$1.2 billion, with production of light and heavy rare earths crucial for a range of tech applications - from electric vehicles to missiles - due to begin in 2025. The new plant is key to a push by the United States and allies, including Australia and Japan, to...

<p>China and the Solomon Islands have signed a draft version of a security pact that could see Chinese police and other forces take up duties in the Pacific Island nation, drawing concerns from traditional partners New Zealand, Australia and the United States.</p>

Rogue MP Bob Katter said every schoolkid should be armed 'to defend Australia' Mr Katter compared tensions in the Indo-Pacific to the situation in Ukraine He also said every school should have buildings where weapons are stored Outspoken politician Bob Katter has called for high school students to be given guns to protect Australia from an 'existential threat' from China. The North Queensland MP compared the growing tensions in the Indo-Pacific to the situation in Ukraine and said teenagers should be trained to take up arms. 'How are you going to defend this country? You've got no fuel, you've got...

Whether people who suffered heart conditions following their Covid-19 vaccinations develop long-term health problems is being looked into by the Ministry of Health. But not all of them want to take part in the study, with one saying the invitation to take part was "offensive"... So far about 250 people have been identified as eligible to participate in the new study... Last week Alexandra man Ben Jountz, 25, received a letter from the ministry inviting him to participate in the study. The heavy diesel mechanic was diagnosed with pericarditis following a reaction to the Pfizer vaccine last year. "I had...

New Zealand’s leader voiced concern Monday over a draft security agreement between China and the Solomon Islands that, if approved, could see Beijing establish a military base in the South Pacific. In addition, Australia’s prime minister reiterated his nation’s concern about the planned agreement that was leaked online last week. The security pact would allow Beijing to set up military bases and deploy troops in the Pacific island nation, “marking the start of a much sharper military competition than anything we’ve seen in the region for decades,” said David Capie, director of the Centre for Strategic Studies at the Victoria...

An extraordinary week has passed for the Indian government’s dalliance with the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue. Call it a defining moment, a turning point or even an inflection point, it has elements of all three. The past week saw a two-day visit to Delhi by Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, a virtual summit between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison, and foreign-ministry-level consultations with the visiting US undersecretary for political affairs, Victoria Nuland. The leitmotif was the situation around Ukraine. US President Joe Biden has since taken a jab at India for a “somewhat shaky” stance on...

New Zealand’s government announced Wednesday it is set to shelve most of its remaining coronavirus restrictions on the 4th of April as omicron begins to fizzle out. The hard-left Prime Minister of New Zealand, Jacinda Ardern, declared vaccine requirements will be removed from public venues such as retail stores, restaurants and bars, meaning the unvaccinated will once again be allowed out.