Analysis: Here is a summary of significant articles published on ForeignAffairs.co.nz on July 4, 2025.
MIL-Evening Report: Lost in space: MethaneSat failed just as NZ was to take over mission control – here’s what we need to know now
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Nicholas Rattenbury, Associate Professor in Physics, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau Environmental Defense Fund, CC BY-SA This week’s announcement of the loss of a methane-detecting satellite, just days before New Zealand was meant to take over mission control, is a blow to the country’s space research […]
MIL-Evening Report: I’ve seen the brain damage contact sports can cause – we all need to take concussion and CTE more seriously
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alan Pearce, Professor, Adjunct Research Fellow, School of Health Science, Swinburne University of Technology AAP Image/The Conversation, CC BY Concussion in sport continues to make headlines, whether it be class actions, young men flocking to the highly violent “RunIt” activity or debate about whether Australian rules football […]
MIL-Evening Report: Rare wooden tools from Stone Age China reveal plant-based lifestyle of ancient lakeside humans
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Bo Li, Professor, Environmental Futures Research Centre, School of Science, University of Wollongong Excavation at the Gantangqing site. Liu et al. Ancient wooden tools found at a site in Gantangqing in southwestern China are approximately 300,000 years old, new dating has shown. Discovered during excavations carried out […]
MIL-Evening Report: NZ will soon have no real interisland rail-ferry link – why are we so bad at infrastructure planning?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Timothy Welch, Senior Lecturer in Urban Planning, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau Hagen Hopkins/Getty Images) Another week, another Cook Strait ferry breakdown. As the winter maintenance season approaches and the Aratere prepares for its final months of service, New Zealand faces a self-imposed crisis. The government […]
MIL-Evening Report: Mauna Loa Observatory captured the reality of climate change. The US plans to shut it down
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alex Sen Gupta, Associate Professor in Climate Science, UNSW Sydney Izabela23/Shutterstock The greenhouse effect was discovered more than 150 years ago and the first scientific paper linking carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere with climate change was published in 1896. But it wasn’t until the 1950s that […]
MIL-Evening Report: 6 simple questions to tell if a ‘finfluencer’ is more flash than cash
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Dimitrios Salampasis, Associate Professor, Emerging Technologies and FinTech | FinTech Capability Lead, Swinburne University of Technology Oleg Golovnev/Shutterstock Images of flashy sports cars. Lavish lifestyle shots. These are just some of the red flags consumers should watch out for when they turn to social media for financial […]
MIL-Evening Report: Grattan on Friday: how two once hot-button issues this week barely sparked media and political interest
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Political and news cycles often work in a certain and predictable way. Issues flare like bushfires, then rage for weeks or even months, until they are finally extinguished by action or fade by being overtaken by the next big thing. […]
MIL-OSI Submissions: Your essential guide to climate finance
Source: The Conversation – UK – By Mark Maslin, Professor of Natural Sciences, UCL MEE KO DONG/Shutterstock The global ecosystem of climate finance is complex, constantly changing and sometimes hard to understand. But understanding it is critical to demanding a green transition that’s just and fair. That’s why The Conversation has collaborated with climate finance […]
MIL-OSI Submissions: Comics and graphic novels can empower refugees to tell their stories on their own terms
Source: The Conversation – UK – By Dominic Davies, Reader in English, City St George’s, University of London There are more refugees in the world today than at any other point in history. The United Nations estimates that there are now more than 120 million people forcibly displaced from their homes. That is one in […]
MIL-OSI Submissions: Eco labels in South Africa don’t do the job: how to help customers make informed choices
Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Miemie Struwig, Professor, Department of Business Management, Nelson Mandela University South Africans want to shop more sustainably, according to research published in the journal Sustainable Development. But most can’t tell which products are environmentally friendly. Some food manufacturers have introduced eco labels – a certification symbol placed on […]
MIL-OSI Submissions: Jurassic World Rebirth has everything a Jurassic film should – except the wonder
Source: The Conversation – UK – By Barry Langford, Professor of Film Studies, Royal Holloway University of London Stephen Spielberg’s original Jurassic Park film (1993) instilled awe and trepidation in his characters and audience alike. As his protagonists wrestled with the unintended consequences and ethical dilemmas of reanimating extinct apex predators, viewers marvelled at the […]
MIL-OSI Submissions: Uganda’s ride-hailing motorbike service promised safety – but drivers are under pressure to speed
Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Rich Mallett, Research Associate and Independent Researcher, ODI Global Motorcycle-taxis are one of the fastest and most convenient ways to get around Uganda’s congested capital, Kampala. But they are also the most dangerous. Though they account for one-third of public transport trips taking place within the city, police […]
MIL-OSI Submissions: Gene therapy restores hearing in toddlers and teenagers born with congenital deafness – new research
Source: The Conversation – UK – By Maoli Duan, Associate Professor, Senior Consultant, Karolinska Institutet Hearing improvements were both rapid and significant after patients received the gene therapy we developed. Nina Lishchuk/ Shutterstock Up to three in every 1,000 newborns has hearing loss in one or both ears. While cochlear implants offer remarkable hope for […]
MIL-OSI Submissions: Virgin by Lorde is a layered work of performance art – her smartest references explained
Source: The Conversation – UK – By Lillian Hingley, Postdoctoral Researcher in English Literature, University of Oxford With her latest album, Virgin, Lorde is stretching the concept of the virgin beyond the common definition. Some may consider the album’s title and its cover art – an X-ray of Lorde’s pelvis showing an IUD – to […]
MIL-OSI Submissions: Can you spot a ‘fake’ accent? It will depend on where you’re from
Source: The Conversation – UK – By Jonathan R. Goodman, Research Associate, Public Health, University of Cambridge Cast Of Thousands/Shutterstock We all need to learn how to place trust in others. It’s easy to be misled. Someone who doesn’t deserve trust can appear a lot like someone who does – and part of growing up […]
MIL-OSI Submissions: ‘Gas station heroin’: the drug sold as a dietary supplement that’s linked to overdoses and deaths
Source: The Conversation – UK – By Michelle Sahai, Computational Biochemist, Brunel University of London US Food and Drug Administration, Office of Regulatory Affairs, Health Fraud Branch The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued an urgent warning about tianeptine – a substance marketed as a dietary supplement but known on the street as […]
MIL-OSI Submissions: Trump wins again as ‘big beautiful bill’ passes the Senate. What are the lessons for the Democrats?
Source: The Conversation – UK – By Dafydd Townley, Teaching Fellow in US politics and international security, University of Portsmouth Donald Trump is continuing his run of political wins after his keynote legislation, nicknamed the ‘big beautiful bill’, squeaked through the Senate. While the bill, which includes major cuts in tax and government spending, must […]
MIL-OSI Submissions: UK may be on verge of triggering a ‘positive tipping point’ for tackling climate change
Source: The Conversation – UK – By Kai Greenlees, PhD Candidate, Sustainable Futures, University of Exeter Nrqemi/Shutterstock The UK is now more than halfway (50.4%) to achieving a net zero carbon economy, which means it has reduced its national emissions significantly compared to 1990. We should even celebrate that 0.4%. Why? Because every tonne of […]
MIL-OSI Submissions: The US and Israel’s attack may have left Iran stronger
Source: The Conversation – UK – By Bamo Nouri, Honorary Research Fellow, City St George’s, University of London Israel’s attack on Iran last month and the US bombing of the country’s nuclear facilities, the first-ever direct US attacks on Iranian soil, were meant to cripple Tehran’s strategic capabilities and reset the regional balance. The strikes […]
MIL-OSI Submissions: Motion sickness drug linked to cases of robbery and assault – here’s what you need to know about ‘devil’s breath’
Source: The Conversation – UK – By Dipa Kamdar, Senior Lecturer in Pharmacy Practice, Kingston University Scopolamine is extracted from brugmansia MaCross-Photography/Shutterstock Scopolamine, more chillingly known as “devil’s breath,” is a drug with a dual identity. In medicine, it’s used to prevent motion sickness and nausea. But in the criminal underworld, particularly in parts of […]