WPS potential in great-power rivalry Pacific Forum has released an Issues and Insights report outlining how Australia and the US can utilise the women, peace and security agenda as an ‘edge’ in their strategic competition …
Sea state Australian Anzac-class frigates Anzac, Ballarat and Parramatta transited through the South China Sea with replenishment vessel HMAS Sirius. It was the navy’s fourth transit of the area this year, after six trips in …
There’s rising concern about the prospect of a major military crisis erupting across the Taiwan Strait as a result of China’s intention to force Taiwan to unify with the mainland. President Xi Jinping suggested in …
Planet A New research from the University of Melbourne may provide a better framework for biologists to predict individual species’ vulnerability to extinction as a result of climate change. The study examined the impact of …
Sea state The wreckage of Indonesian submarine KRI Nanggala 402 was found on the sea floor following a five-day search with support from India, Malaysia, Singapore, Australia and the US. All 53 crew members and …
Planet A Japan announced that it will release 1.2 million tonnes of treated radioactive water into the Pacific over several decades, commencing in two years. The water was exposed to nuclear material at the Fukushima …
Turkey withdraws from Istanbul Convention, sparking protests and legal challenges On 20 March, Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan withdrew the country from the Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence against Women and …
Sea state The Royal Australian Navy has commissioned a new auxiliary oiler replenishment (AOR) ship, HMAS Supply, which replaces the retired HMAS Success. One of two AORs built by Spanish company Navantia, Supply will be …
Planet A Cyclone-triggered flash floods and landslides in eastern Indonesia and Timor-Leste have caused widespread destruction and at least 150 deaths. Relief efforts and search and rescue operations are underway but are being hindered by …
Sea state Three Russian nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines emerged within 300 metres of each other through polar ice and snow during major Arctic exercise Umka-2021 (see video). One fired a torpedo under the ice, while …
China’s annual national political gatherings, known as the two sessions (‘lianghui’ (两会)), held earlier this month in Beijing, have drawn attention across the international community, in part due to China’s growing military and technological power. …
Planet A In response to rising sea levels, 10 Pacific nations are mapping their remote island territories to secure permanent rights to exclusive economic zones (EEZs). These small island states, including Fiji, Tuvalu and Kiribati, …