CoveragePost
March 3, 2026
RNZ Pacific A Solomon Islands academic says the US and Israel illegal bombing of Iran is “deeply alarming” and the Pacific region does not need “more global instability” US President Donald Trump warned yesterday that Operation Epic Fury against Iran — “one of the largest, most complex, most overwhelming military offensives the world has ever ... <a title="Solomon Islands academic warns Pacific economies at risk from US-Israel-Iran conflict" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2026/03/03/solomon-islands-academic-warns-pacific-economies-at-risk-from-us-israel-iran-conflict/" aria-label="Read more about Solomon Islands academic warns Pacific economies at risk from US-Israel-Iran conflict">Read more</a>
CoveragePost
October 9, 2025
ANALYSIS: By Scott Waide, RNZ Pacific PNG correspondent The signing of the Papua New Guinea-Australia Mutual Defence Treaty — officially known as the Pukpuk Treaty — marks a defining moment in the modern Pacific order. Framed as a “historic milestone”, the pact re-casts security cooperation between Port Moresby and Canberra while stirring deeper debates about ... <a title="The Pukpuk Treaty and the future of Papua New Guinea-Australia relations" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2025/10/09/the-pukpuk-treaty-and-the-future-of-papua-new-guinea-australia-relations/" aria-label="Read more about The Pukpuk Treaty and the future of Papua New Guinea-Australia relations">Read more</a>
CoveragePost
June 21, 2025
By Lydia Lewis, RNZ Pacific presenter/producer Former New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark believes the Cook Islands, a realm of New Zealand, caused a crisis for itself by not consulting Wellington before signing a deal with China. The New Zealand government has paused more than $18 million in development assistance to the Cook Islands after ... <a title="Former New Zealand PM Helen Clark blames Cook Islands for crisis" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2025/06/21/former-new-zealand-pm-helen-clark-blames-cook-islands-for-crisis/" aria-label="Read more about Former New Zealand PM Helen Clark blames Cook Islands for crisis">Read more</a>
CoveragePost
May 9, 2025
By Caleb Fotheringham, RNZ Pacific journalist Australia’s plan to recruit from Papua New Guinea for its Defence Force raises “major ethical concerns”, according to the Australia Defence Association, while another expert thinks it is broadly a good idea. The two nations are set to begin negotiating a new defence treaty that is expected to see ... <a title="Experts split on Australia’s Papua New Guinea military recruitment plan" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2025/05/09/experts-split-on-australias-papua-new-guinea-military-recruitment-plan/" aria-label="Read more about Experts split on Australia’s Papua New Guinea military recruitment plan">Read more</a>
CoveragePost
June 15, 2024
By Patrick Decloitre, RNZ Pacific correspondent French Pacific desk French Polynesia has just played host to a 15-nation “Marara” military exercise aimed at increasing “interoperability” between participating armed forces. From May 27 to June 8, the exercise involved about 1000 military from Australia, New Zealand, United States, Malaysia, Japan, Indonesia, Philippines, Thailand, Cook Islands, Vanuatu, ... <a title="French Polynesia hosts ‘Marara’ military exercise for Asia-Pacific" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2024/06/15/french-polynesia-hosts-marara-military-exercise-for-asia-pacific/" aria-label="Read more about French Polynesia hosts ‘Marara’ military exercise for Asia-Pacific">Read more</a>
CoveragePost
March 22, 2024
By Jeffrey Elapa in Port Moresby Papua New Guinea’s Defence Minister Dr Billy Joseph attended the second Japan Pacific Islands Defence Dialogue (JPIDD) in Tokyo, Japan, this week on his first overseas engagement. The JPIDD is one of the pillars of the regional security architecture initiated by Japan and contributes to regional peace and security ... <a title="‘Help us help ourselves’ PNG plea over free and open Indo-Pacific" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2024/03/22/help-us-help-ourselves-png-plea-over-free-and-open-indo-pacific/" aria-label="Read more about ‘Help us help ourselves’ PNG plea over free and open Indo-Pacific">Read more</a>
CoveragePost
March 22, 2024
Asia Pacific Report Te Kuaka, an independent foreign policy advocacy group with a strong focus on the Pacific, has called for urgent changes to the law governing New Zealand’s security agency. “Pacific countries will be asking legitimate questions about whether . . . spying in the Pacific was happening out of NZ,” it said today. ... <a title="Te Kuaka calls for urgent law change on spy agency, warns over Pacific" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2024/03/22/te-kuaka-calls-for-urgent-law-change-on-spy-agency-warns-over-pacific/" aria-label="Read more about Te Kuaka calls for urgent law change on spy agency, warns over Pacific">Read more</a>
CoveragePost
August 25, 2023
By Doddy Morris in Port Vila Melanesian prime ministers have have signed off two declarations addressing the pressing issues of climate crisis and national security. The ceremonial signing took place at the Havannah Resort in North Efate yesterday, marking the culmination of the 22nd Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG) Leaders’ Summit Retreat. The signatories included host ... <a title="Melanesian leaders sign security and climate crisis declarations" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2023/08/25/melanesian-leaders-sign-security-and-climate-crisis-declarations/" aria-label="Read more about Melanesian leaders sign security and climate crisis declarations">Read more</a>
CoveragePost
August 3, 2023
In this the eighth episode of A View from Afar for 2023, political scientist Dr Paul Buchanan and Selwyn Manning examine the risks of a 21st century nuclear war. The movie Oppenheimer has renewed interest in the dawn of the nuclear era. Almost 80 years later, are we safer from nuclear war than we were in the years immediately after 1945?
CoveragePost
June 7, 2023
By Hilaire Bule, RNZ Pacific Vanuatu correspondent in Port Vila Vanuatu Prime Minister Ishmael Kalsakau says Pacific security is about the security of the Pacific peoples and their way of life as identified by Forum leaders in the Boe Declaration. Kalsakau said this reaffirmed climate change as the single greatest threat to regional security. The ... <a title="Climate crisis greatest threat to Pacific regional security, says Vanuatu PM" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2023/06/07/climate-crisis-greatest-threat-to-pacific-regional-security-says-vanuatu-pm/" aria-label="Read more about Climate crisis greatest threat to Pacific regional security, says Vanuatu PM">Read more</a>
CoveragePost
May 16, 2023
By Miriam Zarriga in Port Moresby Two American C-17 Globemaster transport planes will bring 20 vehicles to Papua New Guinea in the next few days as part of preparations for the arrival of US President Joe Biden next week. All eyes will be on APEC Haus as the President and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi ... <a title="PNG beefs up security for visit of Biden, Modi, Pacific leaders" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2023/05/16/png-beefs-up-security-for-visit-of-biden-modi-pacific-leaders/" aria-label="Read more about PNG beefs up security for visit of Biden, Modi, Pacific leaders">Read more</a>
CoveragePost
September 1, 2022
RNZ Pacific Papua New Guinea’s new Foreign Minister Justin Tkatchenko has revealed to Australian media his country is moving to negotiate a security treaty with Australia — and potentially New Zealand. The Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) reported this seemed to signal Canberra and Port Moresby were willing to build a deeper defence relationship as China ... <a title="PNG negotiating security treaty with Australia (and NZ?), says minister" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2022/09/01/png-negotiating-security-treaty-with-australia-and-nz-says-minister/" aria-label="Read more about PNG negotiating security treaty with Australia (and NZ?), says minister">Read more</a>