Latest from Defence

Brian Rudman: Spies bigger threat than terror fighters

Only in a topsy-turvy world would it be seen as rational to bring a posse of spies to heel by increasing their rights to snoop without a warrant, writes Brian Rudman.

Chinese land reclamation prompt US warnings

China is building a massive island in the South China Sea that could host an airfield in an area where Beijing is locked in territorial disputes with neighbouring states, a US military spokesman says.

Air Force P3 Orion has mission extended in Gulf of Arabia

The Royal New Zealand Air Force P3 Orion aircraft which has been supporting counter-piracy operations in the Gulf of Arabia has had its mission extended for another year.

NZ defence forces aim to improve our fitness

Kind TV 'dad' or serial rapist?

Nine years after The Cosby Show star settled out of court with an alleged victim of sexual assault, a string of fresh claims have been made about the 77-year-old comedian's past.

A spy called Genevieve

An agent who evaded the Nazis to send coded messages to Britain is to be honoured by France. Andrew Stone writes about a modest war hero who lives quietly in Auckland.

111km of secret information

A chilling but illuminating legacy of the former East German state is the archives of its Ministry for State Security, the dreaded Stasi.

Russian warships send G20 a message

The Russians are coming, but the Australian Government isn't about to panic. Four Russian warships are exercising in the Coral Sea before this weekend's G20.

Any SAS activity under the radar for public

New Zealand's options for assisting the US led coalition against Islamic State range from simply continuing our humanitarian support to the "pointy end of things" - a deployment of our....

Public misled on US talks: Goff

PM John Key appears to have been misinformed by the Defence Force about the nature of a Washington meeting of the United States-led coalition to defeat Islamic State.

Cops tell of hail of bullets

When faced with an "angry" man wielding a shotgun outside a hospital emergency department, West Auckland Constables Nick Frederick and Mike Nolan didn't hesitate to put their own lives on....

Brian Rudman: Scaremongering to curb freedom further

Displaying your defeated enemy's heads on poles is a time-honoured New Zealand military practice.

SIS looks to boost surveillance powers

The SIS, the country's domestic spying agency, looks set to gain greater powers in a quickfire overhaul of terrorism laws despite the PM's assertion there's a "low risk" to NZ.

Editorial: Confiscation of passports a step too far

The Prime Minister wants New Zealand to do what it can to help Western powers deal with the so-called Islamic State that has taken over a swathe of Iraq and Syria.

Should NZ join the coalition against Islamic State?

Brian Rudman: If Key wants to send troops, here's a better war

The argument that if we don't join the American crusade to wipe out Muslim fanatics in Iraq and Syria, they'll swoop down to Godzone and behead us all is a rerun of the old Vietnam War domino theory....