Solomon Islands: Wale, an anti-Beijing figure, is the new prime minister

Today’s headlines: Trump leaves Beijing hailing “fantastic trade deals”; Xi: “Constructive strategic stability”; Iran and the United Arab Emirates clash at the BRICS summit preventing common position in New Delhi; Thousands of ultra-nationalists with anti-Arab slogans in Jerusalem for the ‘Flag March’; Data analysis using artificial intelligence prevents suicides on Seoul’s bridges.

SOLOMON ISLANDS-CHINA

The Solomon Islands parliament has elected Matthew Wale as the new prime minister following a vote of no confidence in the previous pro-Chinese leader Jeremiah Malele, who was elected in 2024. Wale has promised change, acknowledging the impact of global geopolitical tensions on the country. In the past, he had criticised the security agreement signed in 2022 with China, which allows Chinese police and military forces to be deployed to the islands, although he now adopts a more moderate tone. The Solomon Islands severed ties with Taiwan in 2019 to forge closer ties with Beijing. Meanwhile, Australia remains the archipelago’s main aid donor.

CHINA-UNITED STATES

US President Donald Trump has left Beijing after two days of meetings with Xi Jinping, hailing the “fantastic trade deals” reached during the summit. The visit aimed to seal agreements in the sectors of agriculture, aviation and artificial intelligence, as well as to manage geopolitical tensions, particularly regarding the Middle East. Trump stated that Xi had committed not to provide military aid to Iran and had shown a willingness to facilitate the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz. Xi described the meeting as “a historic visit” and spoke of “constructive strategic stability” between the two countries, but on the issue of Taiwan he warned that mistakes could lead to conflict. Among the key trade agreements cited by Trump were the purchase of 200 Boeing aircraft and potential purchases of US oil and soya, but no official document has yet been released on the matter.

BRICS

Whilst the world’s spotlight was on Beijing for the summit between Xi Jinping and Trump, divisions within the BRICS over the Gulf conflict were playing out in New Delhi. During the foreign ministers’ summit, Iran’s Abbas Araghchi accused the United Arab Emirates of directly supporting the US and Israeli military campaign. The clash between the two new members of the group highlighted the difficulties in finding a common position. A previous BRICS meeting in April had also failed to produce a joint statement, precisely because of the differences between Tehran and Abu Dhabi over responsibility for the regional crisis.

ISRAEL-PALESTINE

Tens of thousands of young Israeli ultra-nationalists marched last night through Jerusalem’s Old City during the Flag March, shouting anti-Arab slogans such as “Death to the Arabs” and “Burn your villages”. Far-right politicians hoisted the Israeli flag on the Temple Mount and called for the destruction of the Al-Aqsa Mosque to rebuild the Temple, on Jerusalem Day. The anniversary, which marks the outcome of the 1967 Six-Day War, is now being exploited in an increasingly provocative manner each year by Jewish religious nationalists in Jerusalem.

JAPAN

Over 1,000 cases of irregularities have been discovered at the Japanese company Nidec Corp in the production of motors for household appliances and cars since 2020. Internal investigations have revealed unauthorised changes to materials, processes and designs, as well as altered test data and false information regarding production sites. The scandal comes on top of allegations of accounting fraud that have already emerged against the Japanese firm. According to the company, no immediate safety or functionality issues have been identified so far, but there remains a suspicion that many of the breaches were caused by pressure to cut costs.

SOUTH KOREA

Using artificial intelligence to save lives: this is one of the tasks of the Hangang Bridge CCTV Integrated Control Centre in Seoul’s Gwangjin district. The centre, established in 2021, utilises data from 900 cameras on 17 pedestrian bridges over the Han River, intervening primarily to prevent suicides, but also in relation to crime, road accidents and drug trafficking. Every day, there are 3–4 calls regarding suicide attempts, with a survival rate of 99%. The AI flags people who remain stationary for more than 300 seconds in critical areas of the bridges, enabling timely intervention.

RUSSIA

The Central Bank of Russia recorded record demand for cash during the holidays in the first ten days of May due to the internet blackout, reaching 210.5 billion roubles (over 2 billion euros). This is the highest figure since 2011, and is five times higher than the same period in 2025, when the increase was 41.2 billion roubles. A similar result had only been seen during the pandemic year of 2020, when the volume of cash in circulation during the May holidays increased by 133.5 billion roubles.

KAZAKHSTAN

The National Bank of Kazakhstan has announced the issue of a collector’s coin, Altyn Orda, dedicated to the historical legacy of the Tatar-Mongol Golden Horde, with coins made of 925 silver with gold plating. The face value of each coin is 2,000 tenge (), and the press release explains that “the historical legacy of the Golden Horde, dating from the 13th to the 15th centuries, occupies an important place in the formation of the state and cultural identity of the peoples of Eurasia, including the territory of present-day Kazakhstan”.

• ASIA
• TODAY