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WORLD NEWS Tuesday 10 May 2022
Unionist party refuses to form new N Ireland government

LONDON (AP) — Northern new checks have created
Ireland’s largest unionist a barrier between Northern
party, which lost last week’s Ireland and the rest of the
local elections, refused U.K. that undermines their
Monday to return to a pow- British identity, and want
er-sharing government say- them scrapped.
ing it will not do so until its Northern Ireland has been
demands over post-Brexit without a functioning gov-
customs arrangements are ernment since February
met. when the DUP’s leader at
Democratic Unionist Party the time, Paul Givan, quit
leader Jeffrey Donaldson as first minister in protest
was among political lead- over the post-Brexit rules.
ers that met with Britain’s Britain’s Conservative gov-
Northern Ireland Secretary ernment is trying to get
Brandon Lewis, who urged the EU to agree to major
them to come together changes, but negotiations
to resurrect a paralyzed have reached an impasse.
Northern Irish government. Speaking after Monday’s
The talks came after na- meetings with party lead-
tionalist party Sinn Fein, ers, Lewis said London will
which seeks union with Ire- “take nothing off the table”
land, scored a historic vic- Democratic Unionist Party leader Jeffrey Donaldson pauses as he speaks to the media at in its negotiations with the
tory in last week’s Northern Parliament Buildings, Stormont, Belfast, Monday, May 9, 2022. EU.
Ireland Assembly elections. Associated Press “The U.K. government’s
Sinn Fein overtook the rival unless the DUP, as the larg- in the U.K. internal market. Northern Ireland from the overriding priority remains
DUP to become the first Irish est unionist party, agrees They have not done so, rest of the U.K. that were in- the preservation of peace
nationalist party to top the to take the role of deputy they have failed over the troduced after Britain’s exit and stability in Northern Ire-
voting in Northern Ireland’s minister under the region’s last two-an-a-half years to from the European Union. land,” he said. “The current
history. mandatory power-shar- honor that commitment,” The special arrangement situation with the protocol
It was a milestone for a par- ing rules. Donaldson said Donaldson said. was meant to prevent the is fundamentally undermin-
ty long associated with the Monday he made clear to “We look to what the gov- return of a hard land bor- ing the Belfast (Good Fri-
paramilitary Irish Republi- Lewis that the DUP will not ernment is now going to der with the Republic of day) Agreement and cre-
can Army, which sought to nominate ministers to the say, but more fundamen- Ireland. Keeping that bor- ating an unacceptable sit-
use violence to take North- Executive unless the U.K. tally important is what the der open to the free flow uation in Northern Ireland.”
ern Ireland out of U.K. rule. government takes “deci- government is going to of people and goods is a Sinn Fein’s vice-president,
But while Sinn Fein now has sive action” on new Brexit do,” he added. key pillar of the Northern Michelle O’Neill, stressed
the right to the position customs rules known as the The unionists are strong- Ireland peace process that that she wanted to serve as
of Northern Ireland’s first Northern Ireland Protocol. ly opposed to new cus- ended decades of bloody a “first minister for all” and
minister, a functioning Ex- “They gave a firm commit- toms and border checks conflict. work in partnership with
ecutive cannot be formed ment to protect our place on some goods entering But unionists argue that the other parties.q

Australia aware of China plans for Solomon Islands wharves

By ROD McGUIRK miles) from the Australian and intrusion of the Chinese
CANBERRA, Australia (AP) coast. government into these
— Australia’s prime minis- Security experts suspect types of arrangements and
ter said on Monday he was that maritime infrastructure what that can mean for
aware of China’s ambitions built under the latest draft the peace, stability and se-
in the southwest Pacific af- memorandum of under- curity of the southwest Pa-
ter a newspaper reported standing would be used by cific,” Morrison added.
plans by Beijing to build the Chinese military. Solomon Islands opposition
wharves, shipyards and Prime Minister Scott Mor- lawmaker Peter Kenilorea
underwater cables in the rison said his government Jr. said his father, Peter Ke-
Solomon Islands. was not surprised by the nilorea, the independent
The Australian newspa- reported draft agreement country’s first prime minister
per published a leaked to develop “port wharves, from 1978 until 1981, would
four-page draft maritime submarine optical cable be “upset” by current Prime
cooperation agreement construction, shipbuilding Minister Manasseh Soga-
between China and the and ship repair.” vare’s use of China to “le- Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison speaks at a press
Solomon Islands dated this “We’re very aware of what verage” more from other conference after visiting a steel fabrication company in
year. the Chinese government’s countries. Townsville, Tuesday, April 26, 2022.
That follows the recent con- ambitions are in the Pacific, “The Solomon Islands is nev- Associated Press
firmation by China and the whether it be in relation to er going to become part of using each other as lever- pose a threat to U.S. or al-
Pacific island nation that facilities such as that or na- that kind of diplomacy,” age against each other,” lied interests.
they have signed a sepa- val bases or other presence Kenilorea told Australia’s he added. Australia has a security
rate security agreement of their military in the Pacif- Ten Network television. The United States has said it pact with the Solomon Is-
that the United States and ic,” Morrison told reporters. “We have cordial relations would take unspecified ac- lands and sent a peace-
its allies fear could lead to “I am very concerned, as with our friends. They know tion against the Solomon keeping police force to the
a Chinese naval base less many other Pacific leaders our needs and we work Islands should the secu- capital, Honiara, in Novem-
than 2,000 kilometers (1,200 are, about the interference through them rather than rity agreement with China ber after civil unrest.q