The government on Monday rejected accusations by Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare that it was involved in last month’s bloody riots in the Pacific nation.
Sogavare on Monday survived a no-confidence motion in parliament, after accusing the Pacific nation’s most populous province, Malaita, of being “Taiwan’s agent,” and anti-government protesters of attempting a coup.
Dozens of buildings were burned and shops looted in the capital, Honiara, with four deaths, after Sogavare refused to speak with protesters who had traveled from Malaita.
Photo: AFP
Opposition leader Matthew Wale, who initiated the no-
confidence motion, had told parliament before the vote that Sogavare was “in the service of a foreign power,” accusing him of using money from China in a national fund to prop up his political strength.
The motion failed, with 15 parliamentarians voting in support, 32 against and two abstaining.
Sogavare, now in his fourth term in office, rejected graft accusations, saying he would not submit to “calls to resign by Taiwan’s agents.”
“The call for me to resign and this motion was made against the backdrop of an illegal attempted coup,” he said, blaming the Malaita provincial government.
Malaita has a history of disputes with Guadalcanal Province, where the central government is located, and opposed Sogavare’s 2019 decision to sever diplomatic relations with Taiwan and switch to China.
Sogavare on Monday defended the diplomatic switch, saying that the decision was made because China was an economic powerhouse, adding that it was unlawful for provinces to engage in diplomatic relations with other countries.
Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokeswoman Joanne Ou (歐江安) condemned the accusation raised by Sogavare as “irresponsible,” saying he has wrongfully blamed Taiwan and pro-Taiwan people in his country for the riots.
The riots in the Solomon Islands were due to public dissatisfaction with Sogavare’s poor governance, Ou said.
Ou reiterated Taiwan’s stance in calling for a peaceful and rational resolution of the disputes between the people of the Solomon Islands and their government.
Taiwan urges the Solomon Islands’ central government to listen to its people instead of trying to rule the Pacific nation by copying China’s authoritarian rule, she added.
INCREASED CAPACITY: The flights on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays would leave Singapore in the morning and Taipei in the afternoon Singapore Airlines is adding four supplementary flights to Taipei per week until May to meet increased tourist and business travel demand, the carrier said on Friday. The addition would raise the number of weekly flights it operates to Taipei to 18, Singapore Airlines Taiwan general manager Timothy Ouyang (歐陽漢源) said. The airline has recorded a steady rise in tourist and business travel to and from Taipei, and aims to provide more flexible travel arrangements for passengers, said Ouyang, who assumed the post in July last year. From now until Saturday next week, four additional flights would depart from Singapore on Monday, Wednesday, Friday
The Ministry of National Defense yesterday reported the return of large-scale Chinese air force activities after their unexplained absence for more than two weeks, which had prompted speculation regarding Beijing’s motives. China usually sends fighter jets, drones and other military aircraft around the nation on a daily basis. Interruptions to such routine are generally caused by bad weather. The Ministry of National Defense said it had detected 26 Chinese military aircraft in the Taiwan Strait over the previous 24 hours. It last reported that many aircraft on Feb. 25, when it spotted 30 aircraft, saying Beijing was carrying out another “joint combat
Taiwan successfully defended its women’s 540 kilogram title and won its first-ever men’s 640 kg title at the 2026 World Indoor Tug of War Championships in Taipei yesterday. In the women’s event, Taiwan’s eight-person squad reached the final following a round-robin preliminary round and semifinals featuring teams from Ukraine, Japan, Thailand, Vietnam, the Basque Country and South Korea. In the finals, they swept the Basque team 2-0, giving the team composed mainly of National Taiwan Normal University students and graduates its second championship in a row, and its fourth in five years. Team captain
Taiwan’s three major international carriers are increasing booking fees, with EVA Airways having already increased the charge to US$28 per flight segment from US$25, while China Airlines (CAL) and Starlux Airlines are set to follow suit. Booking fees are charged by airlines through a global distribution system (GDS) and passed on to passengers. Carriers that apply the fees include CAL, EVA, Starlux and Tigerair Taiwan. A GDS is a computerized network operated by a company that connects airlines with travel agents and ticketing platforms, allowing reservations to be made and processed in real time. Major players include Amadeus, Sabre and Travelport. EVA Air began
RSS