Analysis: Here is a summary of significant articles published on ForeignAffairs.co.nz on May 15, 2025.
MIL-Evening Report: After an autocratic leader was toppled in Bangladesh, democratic renewal remains a work in progress
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Intifar Chowdhury, Lecturer in Government, Flinders University Last July, a powerful student-led uprising in Bangladesh toppled the authoritarian, corrupt government led for 15 years by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. Bangladesh now shows modest signs of democratic recovery. Months into its tenure, a transitional government has reopened political […]
MIL-Evening Report: Greenpeace flagship Rainbow Warrior to return for 40th anniversary of French bombing
By Russel Norman The iconic Greenpeace flagship Rainbow Warrior will return to Aotearoa this year to mark the 40th anniversary of the bombing of the original campaign ship at Marsden Wharf in Auckland by French secret agents on 10 July 1985. The return to Aotearoa comes at a pivotal moment — when the fight to […]
MIL-Evening Report: Can we confront cancel culture by finding common ground between moderate leftists and ‘wokists’?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Hugh Breakey, Deputy Director, Institute for Ethics, Governance & Law, Griffith University A.C. Grayling’s new book Discriminations: Making Peace in the Culture Wars sees the renowned philosopher wading into the ethical minefields of “woke” activism, cancellation, and conservative backlash. Filled with thoughtful analysis, deep reflection, and fascinating […]
MIL-Evening Report: Justice on demand? The true crime podcasts serving up Erin Patterson’s mushroom murder trial
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kate Cantrell, Senior Lecturer – Writing, Editing, and Publishing, University of Southern Queensland The trial of the so-called “mushroom cook” Erin Patterson, currently underway in the Victorian town of Morwell, continues to generate global attention. The mother of two is charged with three counts of murder and […]
MIL-OSI Global: Should AD stand for Alzheimer’s disease, or for Auguste Deter, the patient whose case was first described?
Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Donald Weaver, Professor of Chemistry and Senior Scientist of the Krembil Research Institute, University Health Network, University of Toronto Alzheimer’s disease is named for Alois Alheimer (left), but his patient, Auguste Deter (right), should not be overlooked. (Wikimedia Commons) Auguste Deter was born 175 years ago on May […]
MIL-Evening Report: This 6-point plan can ease Australia’s gambling problems – if our government has the guts
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Charles Livingstone, Associate Professor, School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University WHYFRAME/Shutterstock We have a refreshed and revitalised Australian government, enriched with great political capital. During the last term of parliament before the election, opportunities to address Australia’s raging gambling habit were neglected. Could this […]
MIL-Evening Report: Whatever happened to Barbie’s feet? Podiatrists studied 2,750 dolls to find out
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Cylie Williams, Professor, School of Primary and Allied Health Care, Monash University elinaxx1v/Shutterstock What do you get when a group of podiatrists (and shoe lovers) team up with a Barbie doll collector? A huge opportunity to explore how Barbie reflects changes in the types of shoes women […]
MIL-Evening Report: Economic pessimism is behind the drift of voters to minor parties and independents
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Viet Nguyen, Principal Research Fellow, Macroeconomics Research Program, Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research, The University of Melbourne Growing economic pessimism appears to have pushed many voters away from Australia’s two major parties, Labor and the Coalition. Support for minor parties and independents has doubled […]
MIL-OSI Global: Decades of neglect: Migrant farm worker housing needs national regulatory standards
Source: The Conversation – Canada – By C. Susana Caxaj, Associate Professor, Nursing, Western University Housing for migrant workers in Western Canada. Many workers live in poorly maintained housing and face surveillance and harassment from employers. (Elise Hjalmarson/RAMA Okanagan) In today’s political climate, temporary migrants in Canada are being scapegoated for everything from rising grocery […]
MIL-Evening Report: A law change will expand who we remember on Anzac Day – the New Zealand Wars should be included too
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alexander Gillespie, Professor of Law, University of Waikato The New Zealand Wars memorial in new Plymouth. Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA Anzac Day has come and gone again. But – lest we forget – war and its consequences are not confined to single days in the calendar. Nor […]
MIL-OSI Global: Looking for mental health or wellness advice in a book? Check the author’s credentials first
Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Joanna Pozzulo, Chancellor’s Professor, Psychology, Carleton University Not all the suggestions provided in self-help books are evidence-based or written by professionals with advanced training in psychology or have a medical degree. (Shutterstock) Self-help books are a mainstay of the non-fiction market. According to a 2022 study by BookNet […]
MIL-OSI Global: Andor showcases the power of music to oppose tyranny – an homage to the French Resistance
Source: The Conversation – UK – By Clare V. Church, Fellow of the Institute of Historical Research, School of Advanced Study, University of London Warning: this article contains spoilers for Andor season two, up to episode nine. This week, many fans are diving into the final episodes of Andor season two on Disney+. Meanwhile, others […]
MIL-OSI Global: Trump administration moves to undo appliance efficiency standards that save consumers billions, reduce pollution and fight climate change
Source: The Conversation – USA – By David J. Vogel, Professor Emeritus of Business Ethics and Political Science, University of California, Berkeley Refrigerators were the target of the very first energy efficiency standards for appliances, back in 1974. Justin Sullivan/Getty Images The Trump administration has begun the process of undoing decades of regulations that improved […]
MIL-OSI Global: Who is Project 2025 co-author Russ Vought and what is his influence on Trump?
Source: The Conversation – UK – By Dafydd Townley, Teaching Fellow in US politics and international security, University of Portsmouth While Elon Musk has clearly been a major influence on the Trump administration, the less well known, but arguably more influential, power behind the presidency is Russell (usually Russ) Vought. Vought is the director of […]
MIL-OSI Global: Universities and social care depend on immigration. The UK government’s plans could be an economic own goal
Source: The Conversation – UK – By Tom Montgomery, Lecturer in Work and Organisations, University of Stirling James Jiao/Shutterstock The recent launch of plans to reform the UK’s immigration system reflects the government’s effort to regain the initiative on this issue. But looking at the finer detail of migration to the UK shows restrictions introduced […]
MIL-OSI Global: Peter Sullivan murder conviction quashed after 38 years in jail – it would be a mistake to see his case as a bizarre, one-off
Source: The Conversation – UK – By Brian Thornton, Senior Lecturer in Journalism, University of Winchester Peter Sullivan has had his conviction for the murder of Diane Sindall quashed. He is not the Beast of Birkenhead. He is an innocent man who got ensnared in a malfunctioning system that then took 38 years to admit […]
MIL-OSI Global: China-US trade war: the next 90 days are a big deal for Beijing as it seeks long-term solutions
Source: The Conversation – UK – By Chee Meng Tan, Assistant Professor of Business Economics, University of Nottingham Washington and Beijing have finally agreed a pause in their escalating trade war. US and Chinese officials announced in Geneva this week that US tariffs on Chinese goods would fall to 30%, while Chinese tariffs on US […]
MIL-OSI Global: Post-sepsis syndrome: when the body recovers but the brain doesn’t
Source: The Conversation – UK – By Steven W. Kerrigan, Professor of Precision Therapeutics, School of Pharmacy and Biomolecular Sciences, RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences A 3D rendering of the life-threatening condition sepsis Love Employee/Shutterstock Sepsis is a life-threatening condition triggered by the body’s extreme response to infection. It causes widespread inflammation, which […]
MIL-OSI Global: Caveman method skincare: how neglecting skincare completely can give you ‘cornflake’ build-up
Source: The Conversation – UK – By Adam Taylor, Professor of Anatomy, Lancaster University Gorodenkoff/Shutterstock Social media has done it again – this time reviving a minimalist skincare trend known as the caveman method. Think of it as the paleo diet for your face: no cleansers, no moisturisers, no water. Just your skin, left completely […]
MIL-OSI Global: Why are Turkey and the PKK turning to peace – and can it last?
Source: The Conversation – UK – By Pinar Dinc, Associate Professor of Political Science, Department of Political Science and Researcher, Centre for Advanced Middle Eastern Studies, Lund University Negotiations to end more than 40 years of conflict between the Turkish state and the Kurdistan Workers’ party (PKK) have taken on a concrete dimension. On May […]