Nauru’s bold push to initiate deep-sea mining in international waters has ignited a contentious debate at the United Nations, pitting economic sovereignty against environmental caution. At the heart of the controversy is Nauru’s partnership with The Metals Company, a Canadian firm seeking to extract polymetallic nodules from the Clarion-Clipperton Zone—an area rich in cobalt, nickel,…
Gartner’s July 16 report reveals a surprising downturn in Asia Pacific IT spending, with managed services and enterprise software investments dropping sharply despite AI-driven cloud growth. This slump reflects a broader economic recalibration across the region, driven by strategic caution and national integrity concerns.
The Asia-Pacific Policy Strategy Dialogue (APPSD) concluded in London with a resounding call for a new organising principle: “America First, Allies Always.” The summit, attended by defense and policy leaders from the U.S., U.K., Japan, Australia, and South Korea, emphasized the need for integrated deterrence against the rising influence of the China-Russia-Iran-North Korea axis —…
In a show of growing military coordination, the Pacific Alliance Naval Coalition (PANC) — comprising Australia, Japan, the United States, and the Philippines — launched a series of joint naval drills in the Coral Sea, marking the largest coordinated maritime exercise in the region since 2021. The drills, dubbed Operation Sovereign Wake, are designed to…
Governments across the Asia-Pacific region scrambled to assess the fallout from the U.S. strikes on Iran, with energy security and trade stability topping the list of concerns. Japan and Australia issued statements urging calm while quietly activating contingency plans to secure oil reserves and reroute shipping lanes. The Philippines, still reeling from internal political tensions,…
Defense officials in Japan, Australia, and Taiwan held closed-door meetings this week after satellite imagery showed increased People’s Liberation Army (PLA) naval activity just outside Taiwan’s air defense zone. The activity, coupled with PLA cyber probes into Taiwanese infrastructure, has been described by analysts as “dry run drills” for a blockade or rapid escalation. The…
As tensions between Israel and Iran cross new thresholds, nations across the Asia-Pacific region are rushing to bolster preparedness for economic, energy, and security shocks. The conflict escalated sharply on June 22 with reports of retaliatory strikes from both sides, including drone attacks near strategic oil shipping lanes. Japan, deeply reliant on Gulf oil, expressed…
The global dengue crisis has reached alarming levels, prompting urgent action at the 8th Asia Dengue Summit held in Manila. With over 14 million cases reported worldwide—most concentrated in Asia—health experts and government officials from 22 countries gathered to discuss strategies for combating the deadly virus. Dengue, a mosquito-borne disease, has long plagued tropical and…
Consumers across the Asia-Pacific region should prepare for another round of oil price hikes, as global market trends indicate an upward adjustment. The Department of Energy attributes the increase to geopolitical tensions, particularly the escalating conflict between Russia and Ukraine, as well as stalled nuclear negotiations between the U.S. and Iran. With trade talks between…
Interpol announced on June 16 that it had dismantled a massive cybercrime network operating across the Pacific, with arrests in Nauru and over 20,000 malicious IP addresses taken down. The operation, dubbed “Secure Pacific,” targeted info-stealers — malware bots that harvest passwords and financial data for sale on the dark web. Participating nations included Fiji,…
