The Latest Breaking News from Solomon Islands

United States Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman has reassured the Pacific region the Biden administration is watching closely as the security pact between China and the Solomon Islands takes shape, warning a military base on the islands would "create security concerns for all".

A Japanese sailor has been attacked in the Solomon Islands during a World War II memorial service that was also attended by U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman

Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare did not attend a weekend dawn service for a key World War Two battle organised by the United States, with local media reporting it as a "snub".

Senior government and military officials from Japan and the United States on Sunday vowed to strengthen cooperation with the Solomon Islands amid increasing Chinese influence, as they gathered in the capital Honiara to mark the 80th anniversary of the World War II Battle of Guadalcanal.

Strengthening ties with the Pacific is a priority for the Biden administration, says a top US diplomat, while warning the region faces a struggle from countries that seek to coerce and pressure the Pacific Islands family.

U.S. President Joe Biden sees strong ties with Pacific Island countries as a priority, Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman said in the Solomon Islands on Sunday, underscoring the stakes of her visit as tensions have been mounting in the region.

The government of the Solomon Islands is tightening its control over the nation’s state-owned broadcaster

A senior U.S. diplomat will travel to Samoa on Thursday on a multi-leg trip to Pacific Island countries intended to demonstrate re-engagement by the United States with a region in which China has been extending its influence.

All stories are to be approved by the government before broadcast on the SIBC, prompting grave concerns about press freedom

New security pact will pave way for China to deploy navy at Australia’s doorstep

In its latest crackdown on press freedoms, the government seizes editorial control of Solomon Islands Broadcasting Corporation, ordering the organisation to censor stories portraying the government in a negative light.