The Wire

Earlier this morning, the Solomon Islands parliament elected Opposition candidate Manasseh Sogavare as the country’s new Prime Minister. He replaces Snyder Rini, who resigned after his election to the top job sparked two days of violent riots in the capital Honiara. Australia’s response to the violence was to send in troops and police to calm the situation—a reaction that’s prompted some to claim we’re meddling in another country’s affairs. But Foreign Minister Alexander Downer says we had little option.