Asia Pacific: Here is a summary of significant articles published on ForeignAffairs.co.nz on July 1, 2025.
MIL-OSI New Zealand: Greenpeace – Government moves to further weaken freshwater protections as new report highlights poor state of New Zealand drinking water
Source: Greenpeace Greenpeace says it is deeply disturbed by the findings of the latest Taumata Arowai report, which shows that seven registered water supplies exceeded levels of nitrate associated with an increased risk of preterm birth. The organisation says it is also concerning that this news comes while the Government is consulting on proposals that would further […]
MIL-OSI New Zealand: Universities – Selina Tusitala Marsh appointed inaugural Commonwealth Poet Laureate – UoA
Source: University of Auckland (UoA) Notable New Zealand poet and academic Selina Tusitala Marsh ONZM, FRSNZ has been announced as the first Commonwealth Poet Laureate. The professor of English at Waipapa Taumata Rau, University of Auckland is a former New Zealand Poet Laureate and award-winning writer, known for her three collections of poetry and most […]
MIL-OSI USA: Sen. Markey, Rep. Titus Announce Legislation to Advance LGBTQ+ Rights Globally
US Senate News: Source: United States Senator for Massachusetts Ed Markey Bill Text (PDF) Washington (June 30, 2025) – Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) today joined Representative Dina Titus (NV-01) to announce the introduction of the Greater Leadership Overseas for the Benefit of Equality (GLOBE) Act, legislation that would reaffirm U.S. leadership in advancing the […]
MIL-OSI USA: Sen. Markey, Rep. Titus Announce Legislation to Advance LGBTQ+ Rights Globally
US Senate News: Source: United States Senator for Massachusetts Ed Markey Bill Text (PDF) Washington (June 30, 2025) – Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) today joined Representative Dina Titus (NV-01) to announce the introduction of the Greater Leadership Overseas for the Benefit of Equality (GLOBE) Act, legislation that would reaffirm U.S. leadership in advancing the […]
MIL-Evening Report: Aamir Khan’s big screen comeback, Sitaare Zameen Par, features an all-star neurodivergent cast – a Bollywood first
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Yanyan Hong, PhD Candidate in Communication, Media and Film Studies, University of Adelaide Bharti Dubey/X Bollywood star Aamir Khan’s return to the big screen after a three-year hiatus has been far from ordinary. Sitaare Zameen Par (2025) which translates to “stars on Earth”, is the first major […]
MIL-OSI New Zealand: Stage 2 of SH16 safety improvements project to move forward to construction
Source: New Zealand Transport Agency NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA) is pleased to confirm that additional funding has been approved for Stage 2 of the State Highway 16 (SH16) Brigham Creek to Waimauku safety improvements project which runs between Brigham Creek interchange and Kumeū town centre. These improvements will make this important link safer […]
MIL-OSI Submissions: G20 is too elite. There’s a way to fix that though – economists
Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Danny Bradlow, Professor/Senior Research Fellow, Centre for Advancement of Scholarship, University of Pretoria The G20 claims to be “the premier forum for international economic cooperation”. But is it? As scholars of global economic governance, we are sceptical of this claim. Here are our main reasons. The G20 is […]
MIL-OSI Submissions: Vaping hits alarming levels among South African teens – new study of fee-paying schools
Source: The Conversation – Africa (2) – By Sam Filby, Research Officer, Research Unit on the Economics of Excisable Products, University of Cape Town It’s become common to see kids, some in their school uniforms, puffing on a vape. The World Health Organization points to the enticing flavours and targeted marketing to young people as […]
MIL-OSI Submissions: Why Israel and the U.S. are sure to encounter the limits of air power in Iran
Source: The Conversation – Canada – By James Horncastle, Assistant Professor and Edward and Emily McWhinney Professor in International Relations, Simon Fraser University The United States has apparently answered Israel’s call to to become involved in the war between Israel and Iran. President Donald Trump had signalled a willingness for the U.S. to become involved […]
MIL-OSI New Zealand: Northland News – CityLink bus service to Matai St to be reinstated
Source: Northland Regional Council CityLink Whangārei is to resume services to Matai St that were suspended in March after a series of rock throwing incidents that damaged buses and put drivers and passengers at risk. The 16-bus CityLink network is operated by Ritchies Transport Whangarei under contract to the Northland Regional Council. The council’s Transport Manager […]
MIL-OSI New Zealand: Agriculture – OSPRI expects smooth transition to in-house TB testing
Source: OSPRI New Zealand The move to bring bovine TB testing in-house at OSPRI officially starts today, as a team of 37 skilled and experienced technicians begin work with the disease eradication agency. Another 10 seasonal field technicians start later in the year. OSPRI took over the TBfree national eradication programme in 2013, and testing was […]
MIL-OSI New Zealand: Local News – Metropolitan Wellington councils confirm new water services delivery model
Source: Porirua City Council Metropolitan Wellington councils confirm new water services delivery model Five councils covering the Wellington metropolitan area – Hutt City Council, Porirua City Council, Upper Hutt City Council, Wellington City Council and Greater Wellington Regional Council – have all now confirmed they will establish a new, jointly-owned organisation to deliver water services to […]
MIL-OSI New Zealand: Greenpeace – Official documents reveal widespread opposition to Seymour’s Regulatory Standards Bill
Source: Greenpeace Documents released to Greenpeace Aotearoa under the Official Information Act reveal that both the Ministry for the Environment (MfE) and Treasury have joined the growing list of bodies issuing strong warnings against the Regulatory Standards Bill. In a scathing assessment dated 20 March, the Ministry for the Environment described the Bill as “deeply problematic” and warned […]
MIL-OSI New Zealand: Transport – Funding to speed up market demand for New Zealand’s recycled tyres
Source: Tyrewise Innovators, investors and change makers are being called on to put their best ideas forward as a substantial investment in funding becomes available to develop the market for tyre-derived recycled rubber material, and create economic value from Aotearoa New Zealand’s worn-out tyres. Tyrewise, the country’s regulated product stewardship scheme for end-of-life tyres, is […]
MIL-OSI New Zealand: Annual number of home consents down 3.8 percent – Stats NZ media and information release: Building consents issued: May 2025
Annual number of home consents down 3.8 percent – media release 1 July 2025 There were 33,530 new homes consented in Aotearoa New Zealand in the year ended May 2025, down 3.8 percent compared with the year ended May 2024, according to figures released by Stats NZ today. “The record for the annual number of new […]
MIL-OSI Submissions: New special tribunal for Ukraine will pave the way for holding Russian leaders to account for the invasion
Source: The Conversation – UK – By Andrew Forde, Assistant Professor – European Human Rights Law, Dublin City University A special tribunal has been established by the international human rights organisation the Council of Europe (CoE) and the Ukrainian government to try crimes of aggression against Ukraine which could be used to hold Vladimir Putin […]
MIL-OSI Submissions: Row over damage to Iran’s nuclear programme raises questions about intelligence
Source: The Conversation – UK – By Robert Dover, Professor of Intelligence and National Security & Dean of Faculty, University of Hull The ongoing debate over whether Iranian nuclear sites were “obliterated”, as the US president and his team insist, or merely “damaged”, as much of the intelligence suggest, should make us pause and think […]
MIL-OSI Submissions: Lagos fashion: how designers make global trends uniquely Nigerian
Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Adwoa Owusuaa Bobie, Research Fellow, Center for Cultural and African Studies, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) African fashion has flourished in terms of creativity and innovation in recent years, and is attracting global attention. Designers and labels are churning out garments that reflect African cities […]
MIL-OSI Submissions: African footballers in China: what’s behind the sport migration trend
Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Wycliffe W. Njororai Simiyu, Professor and Chair of Kinesiology and Health Science, Stephen F. Austin State University Relations between China and Africa are increasingly important in understanding the dynamics that shape our world. But until now, the role of sport was overlooked. A new book, Global China and […]
MIL-OSI Submissions: Japanese prime minister’s abrupt no-show at NATO summit reveals a strained alliance with the US
Source: The Conversation – Global Perspectives – By Craig Mark, Adjunct Lecturer, Faculty of Economics, Hosei University Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba has sent a clear signal to the Trump administration: the Japan–US relationship is in a dire state. After saying just days ago he would be attending this week’s NATO summit at The Hague, […]