Материалы: ‘The South Pacific’

Australia and China: Do Bitlateral Relations Get Even More Complicated?

Australia and China have a long history of mutually beneficial cooperation. Over the past five years, bilateral trade volume has grown by about fifty percent, and that was before signing the Free Trade Agreement between the countries, which took place in June 2015. Both countries make their respective mutual investments, Australian companies are widely represented […]

The story of the Abbott government

by Peter Hartcher November 29 to December 3. Sense of mission: Abbott took to national security with table-thumping zeal, much to the chagrin of agency heads and ministers. Malcolm Turnbull was nothing if not forthright in telling Tony Abbott his shortcomings. On one occasion, Turnbull found himself in an Adelaide pub drinking beer with a […]

Australia To Build New Naval Fleet in $65B Package

SYDNEY — Australia has announced an AUS $89 billion (US $65 billion) shipbuilding package to construct new frigates and patrol boats locally, with a decision on an international supplier for replacement submarines to be made “in coming months.” The “continuous shipbuilding” proposal, which involves the replacement of frigates, patrol boats and submarines over two decades, […]

Russia sends warships towards Australia before G20 meeting

Russia has sent a fleet of warships towards Australia in an apparent display of muscle-flexing ahead of the G20 meeting amid tensions between the two countries over the MH17 crash. Defence announced late on Wednesday it is “monitoring Russian naval vessels that are currently transiting through international waters to the north of Australia”. It stressed: “The movement […]

G20: feelings about MH17 and Ukraine will have to be put aside for any productive discussion to happen

If Ukraine is to be a cohesive, peaceful, prosperous country, the pro-Europeans and the pro-Russians will need to cooperate together and learn the art of compromise Russian President Vladimir Putin.Photograph: Darko Vojinovic/AP If the G20 is to operate as an effective organisation, its membership must learn to behave with civility to each other. How Australia’s […]

The Coalition’s national security laws herald a new era in the Australian security state

Australia’s draconian new national security laws fundamentally threaten our open society. Coalition backbenchers must listen to the community where the attorney general will not The Australian government paraded its new national security laws through the Senate last week, enthusiastically heralding a new era for the security state. They did so with help from the Labor […]

Abbott v Putin: Will the G20 turn into a naked wrestling match?

Someone should tell Tony Abbott that gaffes aren’t like baby turtles; you don’t increase their chances of slipping by watchful predators by producing more of them. It certainly seems like he’s trying to increase his output. Not even a whole day has passed since his reality-shunning collection of mouth sounds “Coal is good for humanity” […]

Missiles for milk: how Russia offered NZ military hardware to settle dairy bill

Former PM Jim Bolger ‘absolutely stunned’ to be offered a nuclear sub and two MiGs in lieu of money, new book reveals. Russia made the unusual offer of two MiG fighters in 1993, when it was struggling to pay its debts after the collapse of the Soviet Union. Photograph: AAP/MiG Jet Adventures. How do you […]

Russian bravery award for Tauranga man

By Stuart Whitaker of the Bay News Bill Chapman with the Ushakov medal he has been awarded by the Russian government for bravery and valour during the Arctic Convoys of World War II. Photo / APN They were described by Winston Churchill as the worst journeys in the world. The Arctic Convoys supplying Russia during […]

New Zealand’s reputation to rescue – blame Russian Mafia connections?

Fairfax NZ News, New Zealand has launched a diplomatic effort to get the country restored to a prestigious European Union banking and corporate “white list” after it was struck off for having weak money laundering and counter terrorist financing laws. The Russian Federation was also removed, but because of corruption. Being struck off the white […]