Global violence is becoming more frequent and less restrained. States and armed groups are normalising harm to civilians. Data shows protest, insurgency, and conflict spreading—challenging assumptions about stability.

Ukraine is targeting oil tankers linked to Russia’s shadow fleet beyond its waters. The strikes aim to cut war funding, expose sanction gaps, and highlight rising risks to shipping, energy supply, and undersea infrastructure.

Biophilia (affinity with nature) is not universal or purely instinctive. Cultural and individual differences exist, shaped by both environment and genetics, with roughly half of nature connectedness attributable to heredity and distributed like personality traits.

North Korea is rebuilding its conventional forces using Russian funding and battlefield lessons. This shift widens regional risk, adds non-nuclear pressure options, and points to faster arms competition shaped by modern warfare experience.

Hitler seized Pearl Harbor as the moment to formalise a long-planned clash with the United States. Japan’s entry promised naval weight and distraction—so Berlin rushed to declare war first and widen the conflict fast.

China is steadily shaping Indonesia’s development choices—making neutrality harder to sustain—by linking growth, finance and political recognition in ways that quietly raise the cost of resisting Beijing’s core interests.

Air New Zealand is testing electric and hydrogen-powered aircraft, exploring sustainable alternatives to conventional aviation. Early trials focus on short regional cargo flights and hydrogen fuel systems, advancing cleaner, low-emission flight technologies.

A long-running regional mission restored order but struggled to deliver lasting reform. Its mixed legacy shows why stability efforts need local ownership, clear limits, and honest expectations about what outside support can achieve over time.

Drone warfare now shapes daily survival and battlefield outcomes. Cheap, adaptable systems dominate. Forces that fail to match speed, scale, and electronic resilience risk being outpaced in any high-intensity conflict shaped by constant aerial threat.

Japan has approved its biggest defence budget yet. It aims to achieve 2 per cent of gross domestic product ( Australia 2.05% in 25/26) sooner than planned. Missiles and drones are key buys—funding will likely mean higher taxes.