Solomon Islands PM defies calls to resign, says riots orchestrated to topple him

The prime minister of the riot-hit Solomon Islands defied pressure to resign on Sunday, saying a wave of torching and looting that swept through the capital had been orchestrated by a few people with “evil intention” to topple him.Shattered glass and rubble still lined the streets of Honiara as Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare addressed the nation, a reminder of the three-day eruption in violence blamed partly on poverty, hunger and frustration with his policies.“It is very clear that the…