China’s first in-person meeting with Pacific island foreign ministers demonstrated Beijing’s willingness to talk the talk with little substance to back it up. But in a time of regional uncertainty, Pacific leaders showed they were …
Articles by: "Astrid Young"
Planet A Severe drought is affecting large areas of South Australia, Victoria, Tasmania and Western Australia, with some regions receiving near-record low levels of rainfall. Agricultural producers are incurring substantial financial costs to purchase feed …
Sea state The Australian government donated drones and operator training worth just under $1 million to the Philippine coast guard in early May. The gift of 20 aerial drones and training by drone operators from …
Australia’s young people are being radicalised to violence more frequently, more quickly, and for increasingly complicated reasons—including the spread of misogynistic ideology. It’s time we better understand the relationship between misogyny and violent extremism, and …
It’s been a year since massive riots shook New Caledonia, but progress towards a long-term agreement on the territory’s status has been slow. Last week, intense closed-door talks failed to reach concensus. The discussions centred …
Planet A China has secured a five-year agreement with Cook Islands to explore seabed minerals. The deal, signed alongside broader economic cooperation agreements, consolidates China’s growing presence in Pacific island countries. It follows recent Chinese …
Sea state An Australian contingent participated in Exercise Bersama Shield on 17-22 April, joining with forces from Britain, New Zealand, Malaysia and Singapore in a simulated defence operation around the Malay Peninsula. The exercise focused …
USAID cuts and tariffs will harm the United States’ reputation in the Pacific more than they will harm the region itself. The resilient region will adjust to the economic challenges and other partners will fill …
Democracy watch Indonesia’s parliament passed revisions to the country’s military law, which pro-democracy and human rights groups view as a threat to the country’s democracy. One of the revisions seeks to expand the number of …
Sea state Australian assembly of the first Multi Ammunition Softkill System (MASS) shipsets for the Royal Australian Navy began this month at Rheinmetall’s Military Vehicle Centre of Excellence in Redbank, Queensland. The ship protection system, …
Information operations Australia has banned cybersecurity software Kaspersky from government use because of risks of espionage, foreign interference and sabotage. The Department of Home Affairs said use of Kaspersky products posed an unacceptable security risk …
New Zealand wants to renegotiate its free association agreements with Cook Islands to secure increased transparency in its foreign partnerships. To do so, New Zealand will need to step up its own support and can …