Region
Oceania

Kalsakau Out as Top Vanuatu Court Weights in on No-Confidence Vote
By Dechlan Brennan
Sato Kilman became Vanuatu's third prime minister in less than 10 months after the Supreme Court ruled that last month’s no-confidence motion had, indeed, passed.

New Zealand Changes Tack in the Gulf
By Geoffrey Miller
New Zealand Trade Minister Damien O’Connor’s recent foray into the Middle East continues a surge of renewed interest in the region.

Queensland Allows Children to be Imprisoned in Police Watch Houses
By Dechlan Brennan
A new law allows children to be imprisoned in police watch houses, the equivalent of jails in the United States, as youth detention centers overflow. All while the number of youth offenders hits a decade low.

Will Regulatory Poison Pills Render AUKUS Dead on Arrival?
By Jeffrey P. Bialos
It’s time to consider novel, creative solutions to longstanding regulatory and bureaucratic hurdles that could, left unaddressed, doom AUKUS.

Women, Peace, and Security in the Pacific
By Heather Wrathall and Elizabeth Kopel
The Pacific Islands region is not immune to the scourge of gender-based violence, an insidious form of social instability with much wider implications.

Australian Lawmakers Tinker Around Hague Convention Flaws
By Grant Wyeth
With only minor attempts to address the Hague Convention’s flaws, Australia’s rhetoric on seriously addressing domestic abuse rings hollow.

US Given OK to Enforce Maritime Law Around Palau as Washington Vies With China for Pacific Influence
By David Rising
U.S. Coast Guard ships can now enforce regulations inside Palau's exclusive economic zone on behalf of the nation without a Palauan officer present.

Chinese Investment Becomes Political in New Zealand
By Logan Green
New Zealand’s opposition leader leaves the door open for joining the Belt and Road Initiative, despite China’s history of foreign interference.

8 US Marines Remain in Hospital After Fiery Aircraft Crash Killed 3 During Drills in Australia
By Rod McGuirk
The Osprey that crashed was one of two that flew from Darwin to Melville on Sunday as part of Exercise Predators Run.

For the Melanesian Spearhead Group, West Papua Presents a Challenge
By Grant Wyeth
West Papua’s independence movement again failed to obtain MSG membership, highlighting members’ competing strategic interests.

Australia Resumes Use of the Phrase ‘Occupied Palestinian Territories’
By Dechlan Brennan
Internationally, the decision to realign the definition is seen as very uncontroversial. But it does put Australia out of step with the United States.

Why Australia and Vietnam Should Create a Visa Exemption Program
By Hai Hong Nguyen
The move would help advance several core areas of cooperation in the burgeoning bilateral relationship.