Solomon Islands, Israel-Palestine, Syria.

Today's three stories you should know.

Solomon Islands

Vote counting is due to start in a parliamentary election in the Solomon Islands closely watched by China, Australia and the US. The islands struck a security pact with China in 2022 after switching diplomatic ties from Taiwan to Beijing in 2019. The deal signalled a growing closeness with Beijing for a country whose strongest security ally was traditionally Australia. The Solomon Islands has a population of just 700,000 but sits in a strategic position 1,600 km northeast of Australia, which is significant for U.S.-China rivalry in the Pacific.

More from Reuters here.

Israel-Palestine

The Israel/Iran story has knocked what’s happening on the ground in Gaza from the top headlines. But the war continues. This one got slightly lost in the noise: At least 13 people, including seven children, were killed when an Israeli strike hit a playground in Gaza’s Maghazi refugee camp, according to local reports. A witness described what they saw as a “horrific scene of children torn apart.”

More from The National here.

Syria

Suspected ISIS members and their families are dying in large numbers and being subject to torture and other human rights violations in detention camps in northeast Syria, a rights group has said. An estimated 56,000 people are being held in the camps, run by the region’s authorities, since ISIS was largely defeated in 2019. The number includes an estimated 11,500 men, 14,500 women, and 30,000 children. Amnesty added the US is “involved in most aspects” of the detention.

More from Amnesty here.