Analysis: Here is a summary of significant articles published on ForeignAffairs.co.nz on May 6, 2025.
MIL-Evening Report: AI systems are built on English – but not the kind most of the world speaks
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Celeste Rodriguez Louro, Associate professor, Chair of Linguistics and Director of Language Lab, The University of Western Australia Reihaneh Golpayegani / Better Images of AI, CC BY An estimated 90% of the training data for current generative AI systems stems from English. However, English is an international […]
MIL-Evening Report: Crikey, ChatGPT’s gone bush! How AI is learning the art of Aussie slang
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ross Yates, Lecturer, Project Management, Edith Cowan University Shutterstock Ever tried to explain why a sausage would be referred to as a “snag” while overseas, or why the toilet is the “dunny”? If you found this challenging, spare a thought for large language models (LLMs) such as […]
MIL-Evening Report: We’ve heard the promises. Now it’s up to Labor to deliver its housing, wages and other economic policies
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Cull, Associate Professor of Accounting and Financial Planning, Western Sydney University With a convincing win for a second term of government, the pressure is now on the new Labor government to deliver the economic policies central to its win. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is wary of […]
MIL-Evening Report: What are the key risk factors for developing knee osteoarthritis? We reviewed the evidence
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Christina Abdel Shaheed, Associate Professor, School of Public Health, University of Sydney Osteoarthritis is the most common joint disease, affecting more than 3 million Australians and over 500 million people worldwide. The knee is the most commonly affected joint, but osteoarthritis can also affect other joints including […]
MIL-Evening Report: Labor has the chance to do something big in its second term. What policy reforms should it take on?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Yee-Fui Ng, Associate Professor, Faculty of Law, Monash University Dan Breckwoldt/Shutterstock Labor’s historic election victory means the Albanese government has a rare opportunity to pursue a big, bold reform agenda. The scale of the victory all but guarantees a third term in office after the next election […]
MIL-Evening Report: ‘I got sent something of people shooting themselves’ – research shows young people can’t avoid harmful content online
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Dougal Sutherland, Clinical Psychologist, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington Leon Neal/Getty Images A new report from New Zealand’s Classification Office has revealed how young people are being exposed to harmful content online and what it is doing to their mental health. The Classification Office […]
MIL-OSI Global: In Yemen, Trump risks falling into an ‘airpower trap’ that has drawn past US presidents into costly wars
Source: The Conversation – Global Perspectives – By Charles Walldorf, Professor of Politics and International Affairs, Wake Forest University A Yemeni soldier inspects the damage reportedly caused by U.S. airstrikes in Sanaa, Yemen, on April 27, 2025. AP Photo/Osamah Abdulrahman In the first 100 days of his second term, U.S. President Donald Trump has shown […]
MIL-OSI Global: Mark Carney heads to Washington: His visit with Trump kicks off high-wire politics in Canada
Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Thomas Klassen, Professor, School of Public Policy and Administration, York University, Canada Prime Minister Mark Carney is headed to Washington, D.C., for a high-stakes meeting with Donald Trump as the American president continues his trade war and annexation threats against Canada. “We are meeting as heads of our […]
MIL-OSI Global: To the brink and back: How near-death experiences can change how people work
Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Akierah Binns, PhD Management Candidate, University of Guelph New research on near-death experiences challenges conventional ideas about success, motivation and workplace culture. (Shutterstock) What happens when someone comes close to death and then returns to everyday life, including work? For some, the experience can be transformative. Near-death experiences […]
MIL-Evening Report: Caitlin Johnstone: It was never about hostages. It was never about Hamas
Report by Dr David Robie – Café Pacific. – COMMENTARY: By Caitlin Johnstone Benjamin Netanyahu said last Thursday that freeing the Israeli hostages in Gaza was not his top priority, suggesting instead that defeating Hamas should take precedence over a hostage deal. “We have many objectives, many goals in this war,” Netanyahu said. “We want […]
MIL-OSI Global: Mark Carney wants to make Canada an energy superpower — but what will be sacrificed for that goal?
Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Leah Levac, Associate Professor of Community Engagement and Political Science, University of Guelph Canada’s recent federal election was regularly dubbed one of the most consequential of the last 50 years. Economic and sovereignty threats from United States President Donald Trump were key issues in the campaign. In response, […]
MIL-OSI Global: Lessons from the fashion industry: Why some DEI efforts fail to resonate with consumers
Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Jordan Foster, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Sociology, McMaster University United States President Donald Trump and his administration have set their sights on the “tyranny of so-called diversity, equity and inclusion policies,” firing federal staff and purging public institutions like the Smithsonian of their commitments to racial history. Although many […]
MIL-OSI Global: Menopause symptoms may be critical to understanding Alzheimer’s disease risk in women
Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Jasper Crockford, Medical Science Master’s Student, University of Calgary Hot flashes, night sweats, vaginal dryness, urinary tract infections, irregular periods, low libido, trouble sleeping, brain fog, mood swings — and in rare cases, even a burning tongue sensation. What might all these symptoms have in common? They can […]
MIL-OSI Global: City police in South Africa’s capital have a bad image – how to fix it
Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Azwihangwisi Judith Mphidi, Post Doctoral Research Fellow, Tshwane University of Technology Corruption in South Africa’s public institutions has been a pressing issue for the past two decades. From national government offices to local municipalities, stories of officials enriching themselves at the expense of the public have become all […]
MIL-OSI Global: Marine fossil found in South Africa is one of a kind, thanks to unusual preservation
Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Sarah Gabbott, Professor of Palaeontology, University of Leicester A fossilised creature found in a South African roadside quarry 25 years ago has finally got an official name. The small, segmented, crustacean-like creature, dated to 444 million years ago, can now be introduced as Keurbos susanae. It belongs to […]
MIL-OSI Global: 30 years of free basic education in Ghana: a report card
Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Pearl S. Kyei, Senior lecturer, University of Ghana Ghana, like many sub-Saharan Africa countries, began investing substantially in free education three decades ago. This led to an increase in the number of children that attend primary school. But what has the impact been on learning outcomes? The Conversation […]
MIL-OSI Global: How industrial diversity affects local employment growth in France
Source: The Conversation – France – By Nadine Levratto, Directrice de Recherche au CNRS, Université Paris Nanterre – Université Paris Lumières In an interconnected global economy, regions face recurring economic shocks and intense competition. For policymakers and researchers, understanding the drivers of local employment growth has become critical. Recent theoretical advances highlight the importance of […]
MIL-OSI Global: Investing in agriculture reduces poverty and inequality: economic model finds the best funding mix for 10 African countries
Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Margaret Chitiga-Mabugu, Dean of the Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences, University of Pretoria Africa faces challenges in reducing extreme poverty and inequality. In 2024, 8.5% of the global population was living in extreme poverty (that is, on less than US$2.15 a day). Nearly 67% of these people […]
MIL-OSI Global: Pope Francis encouraged Christian-Muslim dialogue and helped break down stereotypes
Source: The Conversation – USA – By Craig Considine, Senior Lecturer in Sociology, Rice University Tributes being paid to Pope Francis at the Sacred Heart Cathedral Church in Lahore, Pakistan, on April 22, 2025. AP Photo/K.M. Chaudary Pope Francis’ pontificate marked a distinct shift in the Catholic Church’s engagement with the Muslim world. While his […]
MIL-OSI Global: National security advisers manage decision-making as advocates or honest brokers
Source: The Conversation – USA – By Gregory F. Treverton, Professor of Practice in International Relations, USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences Mike Waltz speaks with reporters in the press room at the White House on Feb. 20, 2025. AP Photo/Alex Brandon The removal of Mike Waltz as President Donald Trump’s national security […]