Solomons' troops appeal

Solomon Islands ministers have urged Australia and New Zealand to send troops to the Pacific state to end the conflict between two warring militias.

The country's Prime and Foreign Ministers, Bartholomew Ulufa'alu and Patterson Oti, said a contingent of a few hundred soldiers would be enough to restore order on Guadalcanal where a militia group from the nearby island of Malaita attempted a coup earlier this month.

An uneasy truce remains in place on Guadalcanal, and the Prime Minister has warned of renewed violence if he steps down as the Malaitans have demanded.

Both Australia and New Zealand have earlier rejected similar appeals.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service