Armed police threw a cordon around the office of Solomon Islands Prime Minister Sir Allan Kemakeza yesterday after it was surrounded by militants demanding money.
About 200 unarmed ex-combatants from the former Malaita Eagles militia had demanded around 250 US dollars each in "goodwill" payments in exchange for leaving the capital ahead of an expected Australian-led intervention force.
The national parliament gave preliminary endorsement to the Australian plan on Thursday night