Solomon Islands chooses Jeremiah Manele as new prime minister

FILE - Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi shakes hands with Jeremiah Manele during a ceremony in Beijing, Sept. 21, 2019. Manele was selected as the new prime minister of the Solomon Islands on May 2, 2024.

Solomon Islands lawmakers selected a new prime minister in a secret ballot on Thursday, choosing foreign minister Jeremiah Manele, who has pledged to continue the Pacific Island nation's foreign policy that saw it grow close to China.