Australia begins Solomons evacuation

A ship of the Australian navy is helping an evacuation programme to rescue foreign nationals from the conflict in the Solomon Islands.

It's anchored off the capital, Honiara; the first civilians to be taken aboard were women and children.

Commonwealth mediators are on their way too, and a spokesman for Malaita island rebels who occupy Honiara, Andrew Nori, says that any ceasefire would only be to allow their plane to land.

He says the fighting is a separate issue.

Mr Nori has told the BBC that the Malaitans have declared war on the militants of Guadalcanal -- the main island.

He's said that he expects a meeting of Parliament next week to chose a new leader who will tackle the ethnic tension. The Malaita Eagle Force, which represents immigrants from a nearby island, took control of Honiara on Monday, putting the Prime Minister, Bartholomew Ulufa'alu, under armed guard.

Mr Nori says the prime minister's now in the care of civilian police.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service