Independent Analysis and Reportage
Asia Pacific Report
COMMENTARY: By Lim Tean Last night, America bombed Iran. Again. Dozens of strikes — four to five times heavier than the last round — against radar sites, anti-ship missile batteries, and the Revolutionary Guard’s swarm boats. Explosions lit up Bandar Abbas, Sirik, and Qeshm Island. And what will it change? Nothing.
By Johnny Blades of RNZ Pacific A group of former Pacific prime ministers, presidents and senior diplomats has warned that Pacific Islands countries are at a crossroads as geopolitical competition reshapes the region. This comes after China fired a test nuclear-capable missile in the South Pacific on Monday, and amid Australia’s busy campaign of signing
By Johnny Blades of RNZ Pacific China’s test firing of a nuclear-capable ballistic missile into the South Pacific on Monday has added to unease in the Pacific over military posturing and strategic alliances. Regional governments were notified by China shortly before it launched the test, on the same day that Australia’s Prime Minister Anthony Albanese
From June 24-July 31, dozens of countries will be taking part in the latest edition of the massive RIMPAC military exercises that take place every two years — including New Zealand, Australia, Israel, Belgium, Ecuador, Norway, and Vietnam. The carbon emissions alone are staggering. Eugene Doyle outlines the high stakes involved in the second of
COMMENTARY: By Jeremy Rose On February 18 of this year, the United States launched a Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile from the Vandenberg Space Force Base, California. Travelling at speeds of more than 24,000 km/h, it landed near the Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands, 6700 kilometres away, 24 minutes later. Minuteman III missiles can
By Qassam Muaddi On June 10, Dr Hussam Abu Safiya appeared on a screen before Israel’s Supreme Court via video link. He looked gaunt, visibly emaciated, and his hands and feet were bound. It was one of the few times the public had seen the doctor since Israeli soldiers took him from Kamal Adwan Hospital
By Johnny Blades of RNZ Pacific New Zealand says China’s testing of nuclear-capable weapons into the South Pacific is at odds with peace and stability in the Islands region. China briefed regional governments on Monday of its intention to fire a long-range, nuclear-capable missile with a dummy warhead into the South Pacific Ocean. According to
ANALYSIS: Drop Site News Since President Donald Trump’s self-congratulatory tour for “ending” the Israeli war on Gaza last October, followed by a UN Security Council endorsement of his Gaza plan, negotiations over Gaza’s future have been stuck in a diplomatic netherworld. While Hamas handed over all of its captives and ceased its military operations, Israel
ANALYSIS: By Mike Treen The Bank for International Settlements (BIS) has issued a stark warning in its annual report. The central bank for central banks warned that the current AI investment boom is unsustainable. The five largest “hyperscaler” tech firms plan to spend more than a trillion dollars on AI-related capital expenditure from 2025 through
From June 24-July 31, dozens of countries will be taking part in the latest edition of the massive RIMPAC military exercises that take place every two years — including New Zealand, Australia, Israel, Belgium, Ecuador, Norway, and Vietnam. The carbon emissions alone are staggering. Eugene Doyle outlines the high stakes involved in the first of
By Kaya Selby of RNZ Pacific The new US Ambassador to New Zealand is introducing Donald Trump’s agenda of “disruption” to the Pacific. Jared Novelly arrived in Wellington last week, and is expected to travel to Niue, the Cook Islands and Samoa within the next month to present his credentials. A businessman and sports team
By Johnny Blades of RNZ Pacific Indonesia has defended the high number of military personnel it has deployed to West Papua, which dwarfs the size of deployments to other parts of the republic. But under Indonesian president Subianto Prabowo, a former military strongman, militarisation of Papua is changing gears and being shaped by a type