Baltic News: Here is a summary of significant articles published on ForeignAffairs.co.nz on May 23, 2025.
Operation Sindoor Outreach: Third All-Party Delegation leaves for five-nation tour Source: Government of India Source: Government of India (4) The third all-party delegation led by DMK MP Kanimozhi Karunanidhi departed on Thursday for a five-nation tour aimed at building international pressure on Pakistan over its support for terrorism. The delegation will visit Russia, Slovenia, Greece, Latvia, and Spain to further India’s outreach campaign, which […]
MIL-OSI: Tesonet launches nationwide initiative bringing world-class AI tools to Lithuanian schools Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI) Tech accelerator Tesonet has launched a nationwide initiative offering Lithuanian schools free access to two advanced AI tools, nexos.ai and Hostinger Horizons. The goal behind the initiative is to bring both teachers and students in the 9-12th grades up to speed with the latest developments in AI, ensuring Lithuanian competitiveness on the […]
MIL-OSI: Bitcoin Solaris Launches Explosive Phase 3 Presale: Up to 75% Bonus Available for Limited Time Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI) TALLINN, Estonia, May 22, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The countdown is on. Bitcoin Solaris (BTC-S), a next-generation crypto platform built for mass adoption and wealth creation, has officially entered Phase 3 of its limited-time presale, and the numbers speak for themselves. With over $1 million already raised and 8,900+ early participants, Bitcoin […]
MIL-OSI: Invalda INVL dividend payment procedure for the year 2024 Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI) On 30 April 2025 the General Shareholders Meeting of Invalda INVL (identification code 121304349, address Gyneju str. 14, Vilnius, Lithuania) decided to allocate EUR 1.25 dividend per share. Dividends will be paid to the shareholders who were shareholders of Invalda INVL at the end of the tenth business day following the day […]
MIL-OSI Russia: Cargo flight connects Urumqi and Tallinn Translation. Region: Russian Federal Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian – Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News BEIJING, May 22 (Xinhua) — A cargo flight linking the cities of Urumqi and Tallinn opened on Wednesday, the Tianshan news portal reported. The plane carrying 51 […]
Ukraine News: Here is a summary of significant articles published on ForeignAffairs.co.nz on May 23, 2025.
MIL-OSI Global: Golden Dome: An aerospace engineer explains the proposed nationwide missile defense system Source: The Conversation – USA – By Iain Boyd, Director of the Center for National Security Initiatives and Professor of Aerospace Engineering Sciences, University of Colorado Boulder Posters that President Donald Trump used to announce Golden Dome depict missile defense as a shield. AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein President Donald Trump announced a plan to build a […]
MIL-OSI: ESET participates in operation to disrupt the infrastructure of Danabot infostealer Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI) ESET Research has been tracking Danabot’s activity since 2018 as part of a global effort that resulted in a major disruption of the malware’s infrastructure. While primarily developed as an infostealer, Danabot also has been used to distribute additional malware, including ransomware. Danabot’s authors promote their toolset through underground forums and offer […]
MIL-OSI Economics: Press Briefing Transcript: Julie Kozack, Director, Communications Department, May 22, 2025 Source: International Monetary Fund May 22, 2025 SPEAKER: Ms. Julie Kozack, Director of the Communications Department, IMF MS. KOZACK: Good morning, everyone and welcome to this IMF Press Briefing. It is wonderful to see you all today on this rainy Washington morning, especially those of you here in person and of course also those of you […]
MIL-OSI Economics: Meeting of 16-17 April 2025 Source: European Central Bank Account of the monetary policy meeting of the Governing Council of the European Central Bank held in Frankfurt am Main on Wednesday and Thursday, 16-17 April 2025 22 May 2025 1. Review of financial, economic and monetary developments and policy options Financial market developments Ms Schnabel recalled that President Trump’s announcement […]
MIL-OSI Canada: G7 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors’ Communiqué Source: Government of Canada News Statement We began by reiterating our shared commitment to the G7. After 50 years of working together, transcending national differences and promoting global prosperity, the value of the G7 is clear. Banff, May 20-22, 2025 We, the G7 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors, met on May 20-22, 2025 in […]
MIL-OSI Russia: Press Briefing Transcript: Julie Kozack, Director, Communications Department, May 22, 2025 Source: IMF – News in Russian May 22, 2025 SPEAKER: Ms. Julie Kozack, Director of the Communications Department, IMF MS. KOZACK: Good morning, everyone and welcome to this IMF Press Briefing. It is wonderful to see you all today on this rainy Washington morning, especially those of you here in person and of course also those […]
MIL-OSI Europe: Press release – Parliament approves new tariffs on Russian and Belarussian agricultural goods Source: European Parliament MEPs backed increased tariffs on fertilisers and certain Russian and Belarusian agricultural goods on Thursday, seeking to reduce EU dependency on those imports. Plenary has endorsed the Commission proposal to increase by 50% EU tariffs on agricultural products from Russia and Belarus that were not yet subject to extra customs duties. The […]
MIL-OSI Canada: G7 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors conclude productive meeting in Banff Source: Government of Canada News (2) May 22, 2025 – Banff, Alberta – Department of Finance Canada Today, G7 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors concluded their meeting in Banff, Alberta, which is part of Canada’s 2025 G7 Presidency. The Honourable François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Finance and National Revenue, and Tiff Macklem, Governor of the […]
MIL-OSI Canada: Prime Minister Carney speaks with Prime Minister of Poland Donald Tusk Source: Government of Canada – Prime Minister Today, the Prime Minister, Mark Carney, spoke with the Prime Minister of Poland, Donald Tusk. Prime Minister Tusk congratulated Prime Minister Carney on his election. The prime ministers discussed shared priorities, including Euro-Atlantic security, co-operation within NATO, and support for a just and lasting peace in Ukraine. The […]
MIL-OSI Global: Ukraine: it’s clear right now there are no serious plans for peace Source: The Conversation – UK – By Jonathan Este, Senior International Affairs Editor, Associate Editor When it comes to the sincerity, or otherwise, of Vladimir Putin’s apparent willingness to talk peace with Ukraine, the Russian leader has given us plenty of hints. He may insist he wants to see a deal done and an end […]
Seventy-eighth World Health Assembly – Daily update: 22 May 2025 Source: World Health Organisation Health progress despite financial challenges Thursday’s Committee B noted the Results Report 2024, and the financing and implementation of the Programme budget 2024–2025. Member States commended the transparency, and the level of detail provided. At the same time, Member States noted with concern that while some important achievements have been realized, […]
MIL-OSI Europe: Meeting with the Prime Minister of the Republic of Bulgaria Source: Government of Italy (English) The President of the Council of Ministers, Giorgia Meloni, received the Prime Minister of the Republic of Bulgaria, Rossen Jeliazkov, at Palazzo Chigi today. The meeting provided an opportunity to acknowledge the common will to deepen bilateral relations in strategic sectors such as infrastructure and transport, energy, interconnections and defence. […]
MIL-OSI Global: Golden Dome: what Trump should learn from Reagan’s ‘Star Wars’ missile defence system plan Source: The Conversation – UK – By Matthew Powell, Teaching Fellow in Strategic and Air Power Studies, University of Portsmouth Donald Trump has unveiled plans for a new “next-generation” missile defence system which he says will by “capable even of intercepting missiles launched from the other side of the world, or launched from space”. The […]
MIL-OSI Security: Matt Jukes takes on role as Deputy Commissioner Source: United Kingdom London Metropolitan Police Matt Jukes has been confirmed as the Met’s new permanent Deputy Commissioner. Assistant Commissioner Jukes is currently acting in the role since the retirement of Dame Lynne Owens earlier this month. He will now formally step into the substantive role of Deputy Commissioner on Monday, 26 May. Acting Deputy […]
MIL-OSI Africa: Continued AGOA participation aimed at collective African prosperity Source: South Africa News Agency Washington D.C., United States – President Cyril Ramaphosa has reiterated South Africa’s commitment to fostering inclusive prosperity through its continued participation in the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA). President Ramaphosa concluded a productive Working Visit to the White House on Wednesday, where he held high-level discussions centred on trade, geopolitical […]
MIL-OSI Russia: Peace talks between Russia and Ukraine may take place next week in the Vatican – Finnish President Translation. Region: Russian Federal Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News HELSINKI, May 22 (Xinhua) — Technical-level talks involving Russia and Ukraine could take place in the Vatican as early as next week, Finnish President Alexander Stubb said in an interview with Yle TV on […]
MIL-OSI Security: California Man Sentenced for 20-Year Scheme to Evade Employment Taxes Source: United States Attorneys General 1 Defendant Caused Approximately $60M in Loss to United States Which He Used to Fund a Lavish Lifestyle A California man was sentenced today to 96 months in prison and ordered to pay $38 million in restitution for a decades-long scheme to evade employment taxes. The following is according to […]
MIL-OSI USA: California Man Sentenced for 20-Year Scheme to Evade Employment Taxes Source: US State of California Defendant Caused Approximately $60M in Loss to United States Which He Used to Fund a Lavish Lifestyle A California man was sentenced today to 96 months in prison and ordered to pay $38 million in restitution for a decades-long scheme to evade employment taxes. The following is according to court […]
MIL-OSI: Red River Bancshares, Inc. Announces Quarterly Cash Dividend Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI) ALEXANDRIA, La., May 22, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Red River Bancshares, Inc. (Nasdaq: RRBI) (the “Company”) announced today that on May 22, 2025, its board of directors declared a quarterly cash dividend in an amount equal to $0.12 per share of common stock. The cash dividend is payable on June 18, 2025, […]
MIL-OSI: Red River Bancshares, Inc. Announces Private Stock Repurchase Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI) ALEXANDRIA, La., May 22, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Red River Bancshares, Inc. (Nasdaq: RRBI) (the “Company”) announced today that, on May 22, 2025, the Company entered into a stock repurchase agreement with a shareholder for the repurchase by the Company of 100,000 shares of its common stock in a privately-negotiated transaction for […]
MIL-OSI Russia: Israeli PM recalls negotiating delegation from Doha Translation. Region: Russian Federal Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian – Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News JERUSALEM, May 22 (Xinhua) — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday ordered the return of the Israeli delegation from Doha. A senior Israeli official confirmed to […]
MIL-OSI: Intchains Group Limited Reports First Quarter 2025 Unaudited Financial Results Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI) Total revenues of US$18.2 million exceeds guidance, up 445.5% YoY Total ETH-based cryptocurrency units were approximately 7,023, up 23.2% QoQ Income from operations reach US$5.1 million, achieving turnaround from prior-year period SINGAPORE, May 22, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Intchains Group Limited (Nasdaq: ICG) (“we,” or the “Company”), a company that engages in […]
MIL-OSI Economics: Meeting of 16-17 April 2025 Source: European Central Bank Account of the monetary policy meeting of the Governing Council of the European Central Bank held in Frankfurt am Main on Wednesday and Thursday, 16-17 April 2025 22 May 2025 1. Review of financial, economic and monetary developments and policy options Financial market developments Ms Schnabel recalled that President Trump’s announcement […]
MIL-OSI: Clear Street Investment Banking Expands Blockchain and Digital Assets Franchise Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI) Managing Directors Mehta and Finnerty to Lead Dedicated Team Proud Sponsor of Nakamoto’s Bitcoin 2025, Next Week in Las Vegas WEST PALM BEACH, Fla., May 22, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Clear Street Investment Banking (“Clear Street” or “the Company”), an investment banking firm providing a full suite of strategic advisory, transaction and […]
MIL-OSI Europe: Written question – Israel’s demolitions in Masafer Yatta – E-001952/2025 Source: European Parliament Question for written answer E-001952/2025to the Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security PolicyRule 144Hana Jalloul Muro (S&D), Benedetta Scuderi (Verts/ALE), Rasmus Nordqvist (Verts/ALE), Villy Søvndal (Verts/ALE), César Luena (S&D), Lynn Boylan (The Left), Bruno Gonçalves (S&D), André Rodrigues (S&D), Oihane Agirregoitia Martínez (Renew), […]
MIL-OSI USA: Lummis Speaks on Senate Floor to Honor Yaron & Sarah – Jewish Couple Murdered Outside DC Jewish Museum US Senate News: Source: United States Senator for Wyoming Cynthia Lummis Washington, D.C.— Senator Cynthia Lummis (R-WY) this morning spoke on the Senate floor honoring Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Milgrim, a young Jewish couple gunned down last night by a terrorist outside the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington, D.C. After reportedly murdering the young couple, the perpetrator yelled […]
MIL-OSI Global: Ukraine: it’s clear right now there are no serious plans for peace Source: The Conversation – UK – By Jonathan Este, Senior International Affairs Editor, Associate Editor When it comes to the sincerity, or otherwise, of Vladimir Putin’s apparent willingness to talk peace with Ukraine, the Russian leader has given us plenty of hints. He may insist he wants to see a deal done and an end […]
MIL-OSI USA: More Than $37 Million for Local Water Infrastructure Projects Source: US State of New York overnor Kathy Hochul today announced the Environmental Facilities Corporation Board of Directors approved over $37 million in financial assistance for water infrastructure improvement projects across New York State. The Board’s approval authorizes municipal access to low-cost financing and previously announced grants to get shovels in the ground for critical […]
Health system at breaking point as hostilities further intensify in Gaza, WHO warns Source: World Health Organisation Israel’s intensified military operations continue to threaten an already weakened health system, amidst worsening mass population displacement and acute shortages of food, water, medical supplies, fuel and shelter. Four major hospitals in Gaza (Kamal Adwan Hospital, Indonesia Hospital, Hamad Hospital for Rehabilitation and Prosthetics, and European Gaza Hospital) have had to […]
Seventy-eighth World Health Assembly – Daily update: 22 May 2025 Source: World Health Organisation Health progress despite financial challenges Thursday’s Committee B noted the Results Report 2024, and the financing and implementation of the Programme budget 2024–2025. Member States commended the transparency, and the level of detail provided. At the same time, Member States noted with concern that while some important achievements have been realized, […]
MIL-OSI China: Modric to leave Real Madrid after Club World Cup Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News Real Madrid midfielder Luka Modric announced Thursday that he will leave the club after this summer’s FIFA Club World Cup. The 39-year-old Croatian confirmed his decision two days before what will now be his final appearance at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium against Real Sociedad on Saturday, […]
MIL-OSI USA: Senators Marshall, Moran, Baldwin, and Bennet Introduce Bill to Spur Innovation in the Livestock Feed Sector US Senate News: Source: United States Senator for Kansas Roger Marshall Washington – U.S. Senators Roger Marshall, M.D. (R-Kansas), Jerry Moran (R-Kansas), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wisconsin), and Michael Bennet (D-Colorado) today reintroduced the Innovative Feed Enhancement and Economic Development (FEED) Act – bipartisan legislation that would establish a pathway at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for novel […]
MIL-OSI Global: Golden Dome: An aerospace engineer explains the proposed nationwide missile defense system Source: The Conversation – USA – By Iain Boyd, Director of the Center for National Security Initiatives and Professor of Aerospace Engineering Sciences, University of Colorado Boulder Posters that President Donald Trump used to announce Golden Dome depict missile defense as a shield. AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein President Donald Trump announced a plan to build a […]
MIL-OSI Security: Federal Charges Filed After Deadly Shooting of Israeli Diplomats in D.C. Source: Office of United States Attorneys WASHINGTON – Elias Rodriguez, 31, of Chicago, has been charged with federal and local murder offenses in connection with the fatal shooting of two Israeli Embassy staff members outside the Jewish National Museum in Washington, D.C., on May 21, 2025. […]
MIL-OSI USA: Rep. Huffman Statement on Capital Jewish Museum Shooting and Antisemitism Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Jared Huffman Representing the 2nd District of California May 22, 2025 Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Representative Jared Huffman (CA-02) released the following statement in response to the deadly act of violence at the Capital Jewish Museum: “The deadly display of antisemitic violence that transpired outside the […]
MIL-OSI USA: Chairman Lawler Reacts to the Horrific Antisemitic Attack at the Capital Jewish Museum Source: US Congressman Mike Lawler (R, NY-17) Washington, D.C. – 5/22/2025… Today, Congressman Mike Lawler (NY-17), Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee’s Middle East and North Africa Subcommittee, reacts to the heartbreaking antisemitic attack last night. This is part of a trend of rising antisemitic violence around the country in the wake of the […]
MIL-OSI Russia: Israeli PM recalls negotiating delegation from Doha Translation. Region: Russian Federal Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian – Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News JERUSALEM, May 22 (Xinhua) — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday ordered the return of the Israeli delegation from Doha. A senior Israeli official confirmed to […]
MIL-OSI Europe: Written question – Israel’s demolitions in Masafer Yatta – E-001952/2025 Source: European Parliament Question for written answer E-001952/2025to the Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security PolicyRule 144Hana Jalloul Muro (S&D), Benedetta Scuderi (Verts/ALE), Rasmus Nordqvist (Verts/ALE), Villy Søvndal (Verts/ALE), César Luena (S&D), Lynn Boylan (The Left), Bruno Gonçalves (S&D), André Rodrigues (S&D), Oihane Agirregoitia Martínez (Renew), […]
MIL-OSI Global: Ukraine: it’s clear right now there are no serious plans for peace Source: The Conversation – UK – By Jonathan Este, Senior International Affairs Editor, Associate Editor When it comes to the sincerity, or otherwise, of Vladimir Putin’s apparent willingness to talk peace with Ukraine, the Russian leader has given us plenty of hints. He may insist he wants to see a deal done and an end […]
MIL-OSI USA: REP LIEU CONDEMNS MURDERS OF TWO ISRAELI EMBASSY STAFFERS IN DC Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Ted Lieu (33 District of California) WASHINGTON – Today, Congressman Ted W. Lieu (D-Los Angeles County) issued the following statement after two Israeli Embassy staff members were murdered exiting an event at the CApital Jewish Museum last night. “I am shocked and horrified by the news that […]
MIL-OSI USA: Congressman Sherman Statement on Capital Jewish Museum Shooting Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Brad Sherman (D-CA) WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Congressman Brad Sherman issued the following statement after two members of the Israeli Embassy staff were gunned down outside an event at the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington D.C. in what the FBI believes may be a targeted attack: “Another […]
MIL-OSI USA: Rep. Smith Statement on Fatal Shooting Outside of Capital Jewish Museum Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Adam Smith (9th District of Washington) WASHINGTON, D.C. – Last night, two Israeli Embassy staffers, Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Lynn Milgrim, were brutally shot and killed as they were exiting an event at the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington, D.C. I strongly condemn this reprehensible act of violence. […]
MIL-OSI USA: McConnell Statement on Murder of Israeli Embassy Employees US Senate News: Source: United States Senator for Kentucky Mitch McConnell Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY) issued the following statement on the murder of Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Milgrim: “Among the innocent victims of October 7th were young peacemakers. Last night, terrorist murder on the streets of Washington claimed the lives of two […]
MIL-OSI Africa: 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 […]
Human Rights News: Here is a summary of significant articles published on ForeignAffairs.co.nz on May 23, 2025.
MIL-Evening Report: Punitive criminal libel charge against Samoan journalist draws flurry of criticism Pacific Media Watch A punitive defamation charge filed against one of Samoa’s most experienced and trusted journalists last week has sparked a flurry of criticism over abuse of power and misuse of a law that has long been heavily criticised as outdated. Talamua Online senior journalist Lagi Keresoma, who is also president of the Journalists […]
MIL-Evening Report: Indonesian military operations spark concerns over displaced indigenous Papuans By Caleb Fotheringham, RNZ Pacific journalist A West Papua independence leader says escalating violence is forcing indigenous Papuans to flee their ancestral lands. It comes as the Indonesian military claims 18 members of the West Papua National Liberation Army (TPNPB) were killed in an hour-long operation in Intan Jaya on May 14. In a statement, […]
University News: Here is a summary of significant articles published on ForeignAffairs.co.nz on May 23, 2025.
MIL-OSI China: Trump admin blocks Harvard from enrolling int’l students Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News The U.S. Donald Trump administration on Thursday revoked Harvard University’s certification under the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP), effectively barring the institution from enrolling new international students. U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem announced the decision. “Let this serve as a warning […]
MIL-OSI Global: Golden Dome: An aerospace engineer explains the proposed nationwide missile defense system Source: The Conversation – USA – By Iain Boyd, Director of the Center for National Security Initiatives and Professor of Aerospace Engineering Sciences, University of Colorado Boulder Posters that President Donald Trump used to announce Golden Dome depict missile defense as a shield. AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein President Donald Trump announced a plan to build a […]
MIL-Evening Report: Head knocks and ultra-violence: viral games Run It Straight and Power Slap put sports safety back centuries Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Christopher Yorke, Lecturer in sport management, Western Sydney University runitstraight24/instagram.com, The Conversation, CC BY Created in Australia, “Run It Straight” is a new, ultra-violent combat sport. Across a 20×4 metre grassed “battlefield,” players charge at full speed toward one another. Alternating between carrying the ball (ball runner) […]
MIL-OSI USA: Jayapal Statement on DHS Order Blocking International Students at Harvard Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal (7th District of Washington) SEATTLE, WA — U.S. Representative Pramila Jayapal (WA-07), Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Immigration Integrity, Security, released the following statement regarding the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) announcement that they are revoking Harvard University’s Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) […]
MIL-OSI USA: Harvard University Loses Student and Exchange Visitor Program Certification for Pro-Terrorist Conduct Source: US Federal Emergency Management Agency Headline: Harvard University Loses Student and Exchange Visitor Program Certification for Pro-Terrorist Conduct lass=”text-align-center”>Harvard is being held accountable for collaboration with the CCP, fostering violence, antisemitism, and pro-terrorist conduct from students on its campus WASHINGTON – Today, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem ordered DHS to terminate the Harvard University’s […]
MIL-OSI Security: Harvard University Loses Student and Exchange Visitor Program Certification for Pro-Terrorist Conduct Source: US Department of Homeland Security Harvard is being held accountable for collaboration with the CCP, fostering violence, antisemitism, and pro-terrorist conduct from students on its campus. WASHINGTON – Today, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem ordered DHS to terminate the Harvard University’s Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) certification. This means Harvard can no longer […]
MIL-OSI Global: Why a ‘rip-off’ degree might be worth the money after all – research study Source: The Conversation – UK – By Sean Brophy, Senior Lecturer , Manchester Metropolitan University PeopleImages.com – Yuri A/Shutterstock Certain university degrees – especially in the arts and humanities – are often maligned as “rip-offs” or “Mickey Mouse degrees”. The argument is that while some degrees lead to high-paying jobs, others offer little financial return […]
MIL-OSI Global: Canada’s skills crisis is growing — here’s how we can fix it Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Stephen Murgatroyd, Instructor, Faculty of Education, University of Alberta Canada needs to rethink how to prepare Canadians for the workforce. (Shutterstock) Canada is facing a significant skills shortage. According to recent data, 77 per cent of Canadian businesses surveyed say they are unable to find suitably skilled candidates […]
MIL-OSI Russia: Forbes University Rankings: HSE University Has the Best Reputation Among Employers Translation. Region: Russian Federal Source: State University Higher School of Economics – State University Higher School of Economics – On May 22, Forbes Education presented an updated rating 100 best universities in Russia for 2025. The Higher School of Economics retained 2nd place, establishing itself as the university with the highest level of reputation among […]
MIL-OSI USA: Rep. Mann, Colleagues Invest in Land Grant Universities and Agriculture Innovation Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Tracey Mann (Kansas, 1) WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Representatives Tracey Mann (KS-01) and Kim Schrier (WA-08), alongside Senators Jerry Moran (R-KS) and Mazie Hirono (D-HI), reintroduced the bipartisan, bicameral AuGmenting Research and Educational Sites to Ensure Agriculture Remains Cutting-edge and Helpful (AG RESEARCH) Act. The Ag Research Act bolsters […]
MIL-OSI Russia: Chinese and Central Asian Youth Discuss Friendship and Cooperation in Shaanxi Province Translation. Region: Russian Federal Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian – Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News BEIJING, May 22 (Xinhua) — Representatives of Chinese youth and Central Asian students studying in northwest China’s Shaanxi Province recently gathered to share their experiences and deepen […]
MIL-OSI Global: Lifecycle of a research grant – behind the scenes of the system that funds science Source: The Conversation – USA – By Kelly S. Mix, Associate Dean for Research, Innovation, and Partnerships in the College of Education, University of Maryland Without grants for salaries, supplies and more, many research labs would be empty. Solskin/DigitalVision via Getty Images Science funding is a hot topic these days and people have questions about […]
MIL-OSI USA: Three Students Earn National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowships Source: US State of Connecticut Three students with ties to the University of Connecticut have recently earned National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowships (NSF-GRFP). The trio includes one current graduate student and two recent alumni, one of whom is currently enrolled in UConn’s Research and Mentoring for Postbaccalaureates Program (RaMP). The oldest graduate fellowship of […]
Analysis: Here is a summary of significant articles published on ForeignAffairs.co.nz on May 23, 2025.
MIL-OSI Global: Golden Dome: An aerospace engineer explains the proposed nationwide missile defense system Source: The Conversation – USA – By Iain Boyd, Director of the Center for National Security Initiatives and Professor of Aerospace Engineering Sciences, University of Colorado Boulder Posters that President Donald Trump used to announce Golden Dome depict missile defense as a shield. AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein President Donald Trump announced a plan to build a […]
MIL-Evening Report: Head knocks and ultra-violence: viral games Run It Straight and Power Slap put sports safety back centuries Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Christopher Yorke, Lecturer in sport management, Western Sydney University runitstraight24/instagram.com, The Conversation, CC BY Created in Australia, “Run It Straight” is a new, ultra-violent combat sport. Across a 20×4 metre grassed “battlefield,” players charge at full speed toward one another. Alternating between carrying the ball (ball runner) […]
MIL-Evening Report: There is a growing number of ‘super-sized’ schools. Does the number of students matter? Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Emma Rowe, Associate Professor in Education, Deakin University LBeddoe/Shutterstock Earlier this week, The Sydney Morning Herald reported one of Sydney’s top public high schools had more than 2,000 students for the first time, thanks to the booming population in the area. This follows similar reports of other […]
MIL-Evening Report: From peasant fodder to posh fare: how snails and oysters became luxury foods Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Garritt C. Van Dyk, Senior Lecturer in History, University of Waikato An Oyster cellar in Leith John Burnet, 1819; National Galleries of Scotland, Photo: Antonia Reeve Oysters and escargot are recognised as luxury foods around the world – but they were once valued by the lower classes […]
MIL-OSI Global: Ukraine: it’s clear right now there are no serious plans for peace Source: The Conversation – UK – By Jonathan Este, Senior International Affairs Editor, Associate Editor When it comes to the sincerity, or otherwise, of Vladimir Putin’s apparent willingness to talk peace with Ukraine, the Russian leader has given us plenty of hints. He may insist he wants to see a deal done and an end […]
MIL-OSI Global: Starmer’s winter fuel allowance ‘U-turn’ sets him on a tricky path with backbenchers and voters Source: The Conversation – UK – By Tim Bale, Professor of Politics, Queen Mary University of London Turning things around? House of Commons/Flickr, CC BY-NC-ND The U-turn is a long and, depending on your point of view, honourable or dishonourable tradition in British politics. Now Keir Starmer has been accused of following this tradition after […]
MIL-OSI Global: Just three nights of poor sleep might harm your heart – new study Source: The Conversation – UK – By Annie Curtis, Professor (Assoc), School of Pharmacy and Biomolecular Sciences (PBS), RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences Prostock studio/Shutterstock We’ve long known that a lack of sleep is bad for the heart – but scientists are now starting to understand exactly how it causes harm. In a […]
MIL-OSI Global: Mary Dorcey: queer Irish poet illuminates a form of sexuality even the law has overlooked Source: The Conversation – UK – By Jack Reid, PhD Candidate in Irish literature, University of Limerick Ezhova Mariia/Shutterstock It’s the tenth anniversary of the marriage referendum in Ireland on May 22. The first country to legalise same-sex marriage by popular vote, Ireland has transformed itself from a conservative stronghold to a liberal state. This […]
MIL-OSI Global: After 50 successful years, the European Space Agency has some big challenges ahead Source: The Conversation – UK – By Daniel Brown, Lecturer in Astronomy, Nottingham Trent University Rosetta at Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko. ESA/ATG medialab; Comet image: ESA/Rosetta/Navcam This year marks the 50th anniversary of the founding of the European Space Agency (Esa). It has launched spectacularly successful missions, but is different to other space agencies which generally represent […]
MIL-OSI Global: Working women are too often left to deal with endometriosis alone. But big changes could be coming Source: The Conversation – UK – By Victoria Williams, Research Fellow, University of Surrey PeopleImages.com – Yuri A/Shutterstock Endometriosis is a long-term and invisible gynaecological condition that affects around 1.5 million women in the UK alone. It’s known for its unpredictable and debilitating symptoms, like chronic pelvic pain, heavy periods and fatigue. But many women […]
MIL-OSI Global: Why a ‘rip-off’ degree might be worth the money after all – research study Source: The Conversation – UK – By Sean Brophy, Senior Lecturer , Manchester Metropolitan University PeopleImages.com – Yuri A/Shutterstock Certain university degrees – especially in the arts and humanities – are often maligned as “rip-offs” or “Mickey Mouse degrees”. The argument is that while some degrees lead to high-paying jobs, others offer little financial return […]
MIL-OSI Global: Why Ofcom wants to plug a legal loophole around politicians presenting news Source: The Conversation – UK – By Stephen Cushion, Chair Professor, Cardiff School of Journalism, Media and Culture, Cardiff University Following a legal battle with GB News, the UK’s media regulator is proposing to tighten its rules on politicians appearing as presenters. Earlier this year, a judge concluded that Ofcom’s current impartiality guidelines are badly […]
MIL-OSI Global: Canada’s skills crisis is growing — here’s how we can fix it Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Stephen Murgatroyd, Instructor, Faculty of Education, University of Alberta Canada needs to rethink how to prepare Canadians for the workforce. (Shutterstock) Canada is facing a significant skills shortage. According to recent data, 77 per cent of Canadian businesses surveyed say they are unable to find suitably skilled candidates […]
MIL-OSI Global: Golden Dome: what Trump should learn from Reagan’s ‘Star Wars’ missile defence system plan Source: The Conversation – UK – By Matthew Powell, Teaching Fellow in Strategic and Air Power Studies, University of Portsmouth Donald Trump has unveiled plans for a new “next-generation” missile defence system which he says will by “capable even of intercepting missiles launched from the other side of the world, or launched from space”. The […]
Technology News – A Roundup of Significant Articles on ForeignAffairs.co.nz for May 23, 2025
MIL-OSI China: Featured products highlight openness, unlock trade potential between China, CEEC Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News This photo taken on May 22, 2025 shows the opening ceremony of the 4th China-CEEC Expo & International Consumer Goods Fair in Ningbo, east China’s Zhejiang Province. [Photo/Xinhua] NINGBO, May 22 — With over 8,000 featured products on display, from traditional goods like wines and cheese […]
MIL-OSI Economics: Samsung Electronics Secures Two Leadership Positions in 3GPP Source: Samsung ▲ (From left) Rajavelsamy Rajadurai and Lixiang Xu Samsung Electronics has secured new chair and vice-chair positions in the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), the world’s largest telecommunications standards organization. Established in 1998, 3GPP develops global mobile communications standards with participation from major companies and organizations including Samsung, Qualcomm, Apple, Ericsson, […]
MIL-OSI USA: News 05/22/2025
VIDEO: Tennessee Artist Martina McBride Urges Congress to Pass Blackburn’s NO FAKES Act US Senate News: Source: United States Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn) WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Privacy, Technology, and the Law, led a hearing examining the consequences of AI-generated deepfakes. During the hearing, Tennessee multi-platinum country music singer-songwriter, Martina McBride, called on Congress to pass Senator Blackburn’s NO FAKES Act to protect individuals […]
MIL-OSI USA: News 05/20/2025
Blackburn, Moolenaar Call for Investigation Into Chinese EV Charging Startup US Senate News: Source: United States Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn) WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) and U.S. Representative. John Moolenaar (R-Mich.), Chairman of the House Select Committee on China, sent a letter to U.S. Department of Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and U.S. Department of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth urging an investigation into Autel Energy, a Chinese electric vehicle (EV) charging startup, […]
MIL-OSI Security: Sheboygan Man Indicted for Child Pornography Production and Possession Source: Office of United States Attorneys Richard G. Frohling, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that on May 13, 2025, a federal grand jury indicted Nolan M. Pitsch (age: 31) of Sheboygan, Wisconsin, on five counts of production of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography, in […]
MIL-OSI USA: CFTC Resolves Technical Issues with Comment Portal Source: US Commodity Futures Trading Commission CFTC Resolves Technical Issues with Comment Portal | CFTC /PressRoom/PressReleases/9079-25Skip to main content May 22, 2025 Washington, D.C. – The Commodity Futures Trading Commission today resolved a technical issue with its online comment submission portal and extended a deadline for comment submissions. The public can submit comments on 24/7 […]
MIL-OSI USA: ICYMI: Ernst Releases Alarming Report on Tech Vulnerable to China US Senate News: Source: United States Senator Joni Ernst (R-IA) WASHINGTON – In case you missed it, U.S. Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship Chair Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) released a report revealing that billions of dollars in sensitive American intellectual property are vulnerable to China, because the lack of a consistent due diligence standard in […]
MIL-OSI: Acceleware Ltd. Reports First Quarter 2025 Financial and Operating Results Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI) CALGARY, Alberta, May 22, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Acceleware® Ltd. (“Acceleware” or the “Company”) (TSX-V: AXE), an advanced electromagnetic (“EM”) heating company with highly scalable solutions for large industrial applications, today announced its financial and operating results for the three months ended March 31, 2025 (all figures are in Canadian dollars unless […]
MIL-OSI: First Capital, Inc. Announces Quarterly Dividend Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI) CORYDON, Ind., May 22, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The Board of Directors of First Capital, Inc. (NASDAQ: FCAP) has declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.29 (twenty-nine cents) per share of common stock, according to Michael C. Frederick, President and Chief Executive Officer. The dividend will be paid on June 27, 2025 […]
MIL-OSI: From Onboarding to Settlement in Minutes: TransFi Launches BizPay to Redefine Global Business Payments Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI) TransFi launches BizPay, a unified global payment platform enabling instant, compliant cross-border transactions with AI-powered routing and 250+ local methods across 100+ countries NEW DELHI, May 22, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — In a world where time zones, banking systems, and regulatory barriers often complicate global transactions, one platform is leading the charge […]
MIL-OSI: ESET participates in operation to disrupt the infrastructure of Danabot infostealer Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI) ESET Research has been tracking Danabot’s activity since 2018 as part of a global effort that resulted in a major disruption of the malware’s infrastructure. While primarily developed as an infostealer, Danabot also has been used to distribute additional malware, including ransomware. Danabot’s authors promote their toolset through underground forums and offer […]
MIL-OSI: Rapid7 to Participate in Upcoming Investor Conferences Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI) BOSTON, May 22, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Rapid7, Inc. (NASDAQ: RPD), a leader in extended risk and threat detection, today announced that the company will be attending the following conferences: The William Blair 45th Annual Growth Stock Conference in Chicago, IL. The presentation is scheduled for Tuesday, June 3, 2025 at 1:20 […]
MIL-OSI: Intchains Group Limited Reports First Quarter 2025 Unaudited Financial Results Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI) Total revenues of US$18.2 million exceeds guidance, up 445.5% YoY Total ETH-based cryptocurrency units were approximately 7,023, up 23.2% QoQ Income from operations reach US$5.1 million, achieving turnaround from prior-year period SINGAPORE, May 22, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Intchains Group Limited (Nasdaq: ICG) (“we,” or the “Company”), a company that engages in […]
MIL-OSI USA: Supporting New York State Arts and Culture Source: US State of New York overnor Kathy Hochul today announced that the FY 2026 opportunity guidelines for $81.5 million in New York State Council on the Arts grants are now available for nonprofit arts and culture organizations and individual artists across New York State. Included in this grant opportunity is critically needed general operating […]
MIL-OSI USA: AI Data Security: Best Practices for Securing Data Used to Train & Operate AI Systems News In Brief – Source: US Computer Emergency Readiness Team Executive summary This Cybersecurity Information Sheet (CSI) provides essential guidance on securing data used in artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) systems. It also highlights the importance of data security in ensuring the accuracy and integrity of AI outcomes and outlines potential risks arising […]
MIL-OSI USA: New Best Practices Guide for Securing AI Data Released News In Brief – Source: US Computer Emergency Readiness Team This information sheet highlights the critical role of data security in ensuring the accuracy, integrity, and trustworthiness of AI outcomes. It outlines key risks that may arise from data security and integrity issues across all phases of the AI lifecycle, from development and testing to […]
Source: United States Senator for Kentucky Rand Paul
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
May 22nd, 2025
Contact: Press_Paul@paul.senate.gov, 202-224-4343
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) has introduced new legislation to expand affordable health coverage options for millions of self-employed Americans and employees of small businesses. The Association Health Plans Act of 2025 amends the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) to give small business employees, sole proprietors, and gig workers the ability to aggregate together and access health insurance through large-group Association Health Plans (AHPs).
“The Association Health Plans Act gives small businesses and individuals the leverage to negotiate collectively for lower health insurance and lower drug prices. Additionally, the CBO previously estimated that 400,000 uninsured would gain coverage under AHPs and over 3 million people would switch coverage to AHPs,” Dr. Paul said.
Current federal law makes it nearly impossible for self-employed individuals to access affordable group health insurance. The Association Health Plans Act fixes that by allowing them to fully participate in AHPs as part of a broader membership-based group or within a group of other self-employed individuals. These plans would operate across state lines and be treated as fully-insured large-group or self-insured ERISA plans, unlocking better rates and flexibility.
“In Mississippi, 99 percent of businesses are considered small businesses. It is imperative that these employers can offer affordable and accessible health insurance coverage to their employees. The Association Health Plans Act would give small businesses owners and employees more options for health care plans that fit the needs of their employees,”said Senator Wicker.
The bill requires participating associations to have existed for at least two years and to serve a broader purpose than providing health benefits, ensuring stability and accountability. It also prohibits discrimination based on health status and guarantees coverage for individuals with pre-existing conditions.
Member-based associations made up of small employers, self-employed individuals, as well as service providers in the industry, support Dr. Paul’s Association Health Plans Act, including but not limited to the following:
American Society of Association Executives (ASAE)
Credit Union Consortium, Inc.
Decent Health
Manufacturer & Business Association (MBA)
Medical Practice Consortium (MPC)
National Association of REALTORS (NAR)
National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB)
TailorWell Holdings, Inc.
Virginia Association of REALTORS
The Association Health Plans Actgives self-employed Americans and small businesses the same negotiating power and risk pooling advantages that large employers enjoy—without new mandates, subsidies, or bureaucratic interference. Read the bill HERE.
Source: United States Senator for Iowa Chuck Grassley
WASHINGTON – Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) joined Sens. Steve Daines (R-Mont.) and Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.) in introducing the Protecting Veteran Community Care Act. The legislation would strengthen the Department of Veterans Affairs’ (VA) existing Community Care program and bolster veterans’ access to mental health services. It would also hold the VA accountable to Congress for the full implementation of the VA MISSION Act.
“Thousands of veterans call Iowa home, and each one deserves high-quality, accessible health care, including mental health care. Our legislation would strengthen the VA MISSION Act to ensure veterans can access quality care, close to home, in a timely manner,” Grassley said.
“Our nation’s veterans have put their lives on the line to protect our freedoms, and the last thing they should have to worry about is mismanagement and delays at the VA. I’m proud to work with my colleagues on this bill to strengthen the availability of community based mental health programs and ensure that our veterans have access to the care and resources that they deserve,” Daines said.
“Providing for those who’ve defended our nation is the VA’s core purpose. This means Wyoming’s courageous veterans deserve top-tier healthcare services regardless of their geographic location. I remain committed to ensuring veterans throughout our state can access the medical care they’ve earned in their local communities,” Lummis said.
Specifically, the Protecting Veteran Community Care Act would:
Amend the VAMISSION Act to specifically include inpatient mental health standards
Establish minimum standards for community residential programs
Address the VA’s subversion of Community Care access standards
Require the VA to track relevant community care data and provide those statistics to Congress
Full text of the legislation can be found HERE.
Background:
The Veterans Community Care Program (VCCP) allows veterans to receive care in their local communities when they cannot receive it at a VA facility. When veterans use community care, the VA will pay for the veteran’s health care.
Last Congress, Grassley and Daines, along with Sens. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) and Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), sent a letter scrutinizing a VA report suggesting the agency was unethically limiting veterans’ access to community care networks. In a letter to then-VA Secretary Denis McDonough, the senators demanded to know how the VA is protecting health care options for veterans. These efforts echo concerns Grassley raised in 2022, when he requested information on the VA’s progress towards implementing community care standards.
The Government is sharpening its focus and support for New Zealand’s world-leading food and fibre producers through Budget 2025 – backing the growth and resilience of our largest and most Important sector. Agriculture Minister Todd McClay says Budget 2025 confirms $4.95 billion in continuing baseline funding over the next four years for MPI to support farmers, growers, fishers, and foresters to lift on-farm productivity and profitability, strengthen rural communities, and drive higher returns at the farm and forest gate. “This year alone, the food and fibre sector is forecast to contribute $56.9 billion to the economy, that’s why we’re focused on unlocking new global opportunities –from the UK and EU, to the Gulf, and India– while cutting red tape so producers can get on with the job.” To further strengthen the sector’s resilience, Budget 2025 includes a new focus on driving growth and rural wellbeing through a series of targeted grassroots investments:
$246 million over four years in a new Primary Sector Growth Fund (PSGF) to help lift food and fibre sector productivity, profitability, and resilience; $2 million over four years in a contestable rural wellbeing fund; $1m extra over four years for Rural Support Trusts and other organisations to support farmers and growers; $400,000 over four years in direct grants for New Zealand’s A&P shows; Ongoing support for catchment groups of $36 million over the next four years, through the Ministry for Primary Industries; $250,000 for the 2025/26 financial year for Rural Women New Zealand to boost its on-the-ground support for rural communities.
“These initiatives back the people behind the sector who make our rural economy tick.” The new Investment Boost tax incentive will also improve cashflow and make on-farm and forest investments more affordable, allowing for Farmers and Growers to immediately deduct 20 per cent of the cost of new machinery or farm equipment, on top of existing depreciation rates. Budget 2025 also continues our commitment to $400 million over four years with an additional $23 million carried over to accelerate the development and rollout of new tools and technologies to reduce emissions without closing down farms or sending jobs and production overseas – a key part of ensuring the sector is globally competitive into the future. “When our rural communities do well, the whole country benefits. Budget 2025 is about ensuring our farmers and growers have the tools and support they need to succeed – not just for today, but for the long-term prosperity of New Zealand,” the Government’s team of Agriculture ministers, Todd McClay, Andrew Hoggard, Mark Patterson and Nicola Grigg say.
Covering period of Thursday 22nd – Monday 26th May – Weather set to turn on Sunday:
• Foggy and frosty in places this morning (Thursday) • Settled weather for most to end the work week • Potentially severe weather from Sunday • Warmer nights early next week
Most of New Zealand will enjoy settled and mostly sunny weather going into the weekend, thanks to a high-pressure system. After some cold nights and frosty mornings recently, temperatures are expected to go up a few notches over the next few days.
MetService expects the chance of showers to persist in the west from today (Thursday), especially in the South Island, due to moist air coming in with southwesterly winds under the high-pressure system. However, the rest of the country should stay mostly clear with sunny skies through the weekend. MetService meteorologist Oscar Shiviti says, “People should enjoy the sunny weather through the weekend while they can, it’s great for outdoor activities, but things may change toward the end of the weekend”.
On Sunday, clouds will increase over the South Island, mostly in the west, as a rain-bearing front approaches from the northwest. This could bring heavy rain and strong winds to southern parts of the country. Shiviti continues, “This system brings the potential for severe weather, so we encourage people to keep an eye on the MetService website for updates” (www.metservice.com).
That said, Auckland should stay mostly dry with only some clouds during Saturday’s rugby match between New Zealand’s Black Ferns and the USA Women.
“By early next week, the front will move north and may bring severe weather to those areas too. Warmer air with this system means nights will likely not be as cold as the new week begins” adds Shiviti. Next week’s weather will be quite different with cloudier, wetter and windier weather compared to the today’s conditions.
Budget 2025 takes $12.8bn from low-income, female dominated workforces to prop up the Government’s failed economic policies, said NZCTU Te Kauae Kaimahi Economist Craig Renney.
“The Government has promised this would be a growth budget, yet it has effectively cut the wages of low-income women workers. We know that one of the best ways to stimulate economic growth is by lifting wages – the Government is doing the opposite,” said Renney.
“The figures released today also showed that the number of people on Jobseekers Support is rising, and higher than forecast just last year. Real wage growth is lower than forecast last year – the Treasury itself says the Budget “lowers wage growth”. This is a Budget that is taking working people backwards.
“The Budget delivers more cuts to investment, including real terms cuts to early childhood education funding. New funding for learning support is largely being delivered by cutting funding from other programmes in education. Māori Development programmes have been cut significantly, as has funding from our media, culture, and heritage institutions.
“Promises made in health aren’t provided with new funding and the destruction of the pay equity process will mean we will continue to lose health workers to Australia, putting further stress on the system.
“Forecasts show we will continue to miss our child poverty targets over the next four years, and we will see thousands of families loose essential income due to cuts to Best Start and Working for Families. The Government is taking money from unemployed 18- and 19-year-olds, while investing nothing in action on climate change.
“Overall, this is a Budget that works by taking away from some of the poorest people in New Zealand, to fund tax cuts for multinationals, increased investment in corrections, the failed charter schools project, and more spending on defence.
“This is a Budget with its priorities all wrong – and working people will be paying the price,” said Renney.
The Government’s decision to slash over 620 jobs at Kāinga Ora is another devastating blow to vulnerable communities, especially Māori and Pacific whānau who are overrepresented in the housing crisis.
The cuts include essential frontline roles, such as those in call centres and tenant support, who work every day with whānau in desperate need of safe, secure housing.
Te Kaihautū Māori of the PSA Janice Panoho says many of the workers losing their jobs are Māori and Pacific, whose cultural competence and lived experience are essential to connecting with communities in a way that upholds mana.
“By disestablishing 769 roles, the Government is actively removing Māori and Pacific workers who bring whakapapa, reo, tikanga and aroha to their roles,” says Panoho.
“These are the people who guide our whānau through complex housing systems and advocate for them in a system that often excludes them,” Panoho says.
“This is not just about job cuts. This is about a government turning its back on its obligations under Te Tiriti o Waitangi. Kāinga Ora has been one of the few agencies striving to work alongside Māori to deliver housing solutions rooted in dignity, partnership and manaakitanga. Gutting its workforce is a betrayal.
The Public Service Association Te Pūkenga Here Tikanga Mahi condemns this move as a calculated assault on equity, cultural integrity, and frontline workers who serve our most at-risk families.
“We’ve seen this before under the previous Key Government, the sale of state housing and the forced removal of whānau from their homes, which led to widespread homelessness, with families left to live in cars, tents, and on the streets,” Panoho says.
“Now we are faced with this Government placing even more pressure on our communities without proper consultation with Iwi Maori and community leaders to maintain sustainable housing for our communities.
The PSA warns that these decisions will have lasting consequences. Kāinga Ora’s capacity to serve is being hollowed out, with a third of its workforce gone in just one year.
“This Government says it wants better outcomes for Māori, yet here we are, cutting the very services and people that support those outcomes,” says Panoho.
“This is not tino rangatiratanga. This is a continuation of systemic neglect that leaves our whānau homeless, our workers displaced, and our rights ignored.”
“Te Pūkenga Here Tikanga Mahi calls on the Government to halt these cuts, honour its commitments under Te Tiriti o Waitangi, and invest in public housing and frontline workers, not strip them away,” Panoho says.
The Public Service Association Te Pūkenga Here Tikanga Mahiis Aotearoa New Zealand’s largest trade union, representing and supporting more than 95,000 workers across central government, state-owned enterprises, local councils, health boards and community groups.
Applications are now open for the CLNZ | NZSA Research Grants to help writers research a fiction or non-fiction writing project.
Kua tuwhera ināianei ngā tono mō ngā Karāti Rangahau o te CLNZ | NZSA hei āwhina atu māu e rangahau tō hinonga, tō kōrero paki, tō kōrero pono rānei.
Four grants valued at $5,000 each are available to New Zealand writers.
One of the grants targets diverse writers and topics, including writers from, and writing about, parts of Aotearoa that are not broadly represented in writing and publishing, and projects on issues or subjects that are topical in present day Aotearoa.
E whā ngā karāti, e $5,000 te wāriu o ia karāti, ā, e wātea ana aua mea ki ngā kaituhi o Aotearoa.
E aro pū ana tētahi o ngā karāti ki ngā kaituhi kanorau me ngā kaupapa kanorau, tae ana ki ngā kaituhi i ahu mai ai i, e tuhi nei hoki mō ngā wāhi o Aotearoa me uaua ka kitea i roto i ngā tuhinga, i roto hoki i te ao tā pukapuka, ā, tae ana ki ngā hinonga e pā ana ki ngā take o te wā, ki ngā kaupapa o te wā rānei nō roto mai o Aotearoa onāianei.
These are brought to you by Copyright Licensing New Zealand (CLNZ) and the New Zealand Society of Authors Te Puni Kaituhi O Aotearoa (PEN NZ Inc) as part of the CLNZ Cultural Fund.
Previous recipients comment on how the grant has helped them Kerry Sunderland received a recent grant for her book project: Deathwalker’s Guide to Life: how exploring death can help you live life more fully.
“The CLNZ|NZSA Research Grant has proved to be invaluable in the writing of a book inspired by my radio show and podcast, Deathwalker’s Guide to Life. The grant has not only enabled me to dive back into the 31 episodes I’ve already produced (by generating transcripts from my audio files), it’s also helped me identify where there are gaps, so I can conduct more interviews. In the book, I am weaving together the stories, wisdom, and practical advice my interviewees have shared, while reckoning with the repercussions of my own death denial in the past. Part memoir, part personal essay and part people profiles, readers will be encouraged to face their fears, empowered to embrace their own mortality, and supported to communicate more openly and honestly with their loved ones.” Lauren Keenan (Te Ātiawa ki Taranaki) was a recent grant recipient for her project Rākau: The Lost Tree.
“This Grant enabled me to spend more time visiting the historical sites I write about in my book and do high-quality research. This has, in turn, greatly enriched my manuscript.”
Rākau: The Lost Tree is a middle-grade novel about the New Zealand wars and will be the sequel to Lauren’s children’s book Amorangi and Millie’s Trip Through Time, about Taranaki’s history.
Want to Apply?
While a broad range of fiction and non-fiction writing projects are eligible for these grants, some works and projects are excluded so please check the guidelines carefully.
The CLNZ | NZSA Research Grants open for applications 9am Friday 23 May 2025, and will close at 4pm Friday 20 June 2025.
Submissions must be made online. Unsuccessful applicants will be advised before recipients are announced. Successful recipients will be contacted directly, and we will also publish the announcement on the CLNZ and NZSA websites and social media platforms.
NZSA is proud to be administering the awards in 2025. Copyright Licensing New Zealand (CLNZ) plays a key role in making creative rights valuable assets for all New Zealanders, be they rightsholders like authors, publishers and artists, or users such as educators, students and businesses. CLNZ provides licences to help make copying, scanning and sharing printed works easy and legal.
New Zealand Society of Authors Te Puni Kaituhi O Aotearoa PEN NZ Inc was established in 1934 and is the principal organisation representing writers’ interests in NZ. A national office oversees our branches, administers prizes and awards, offers contract advice and runs professional development programmes among other activities.
Source: Police investigating after shots fired at Hastings house
Ruahine Forest Park’s majestic beech forests and delicate understories are home to taonga species, yet these ecosystems are under pressure from browsing wild deer. But a new approach is taking root—one that brings communities, iwi, hunters and conservationists together to restore this cherished place.
The issue is that our national monitoring and reporting system show introduced wild browsing animals like deer are increasing in number, contributing to a decline in common tree species and changing the make-up of forests.
This is threatening the habitats where many of our native species live.
Localised monitoring in Ruahine Forest Park indicated relatively high numbers of ungulates (primarily deer) compared to national averages. Important understory plants, which help a forest regenerate and stabilise slopes, are disappearing.
This is not good!
What we saw was that taller plants preferred by deer and goats were very rare, while plants they avoid were common. This suggests that wild deer, goats, and pigs may have affected forest composition. Previously common plants like kamahi, broadleaf, mahoe, pate and tree fuchsia are now rare in Ruahine Forest Park.
The Plan: Adaptive Management
To address these very negative impacts, alongside local iwi/hapū, we are taking an adaptive management approach.
Basically, we’re taking a flexible, science-based approach.
And what this really means is trying different solutions, monitoring their effectiveness, and adjusting as we learn more, ensuring actions are guided by real-time insights.
Ruahine Forest Park presents unique challenges, including rugged terrain and a high risk of reinvasion by wild deer from surrounding areas. At the same time, the park is deeply valued by a wide range of users, from those who enjoy the outdoors and nature, to community restoration & conservation groups, adjoining landowners, recreational and commercial hunters.
Hunting for kai/food and sport have a long history here – common since red deer were first established in the park, with around 5,000-6,000 hunters visiting the Park annually.
So, the health of Ruahine Forest Park is our shared responsibility.
What we’re aiming to do is to enhance the effectiveness of deer removal efforts, to reduce the browsing impact of wild deer. To achieve this, together with our Treaty Partners we will focus on better aligning our work, the aspirations of iwi, wild animal recovery operations, recreational hunting, and work of other stakeholders.
Trevor Gratton, the New Zealand Deerstalkers Association’s Lower North Island Board Rep & Hutt Valley Branch President says, “As hunters, we value the opportunity to hunt in Ruahine Forest Park, but we also understand the need to manage deer numbers to protect the forest. A healthy forest ensures a sustainable habitat for all wildlife and preserves this special place for future generations.”
The adaptive management approach seeks to find solutions that addresses the conservation and management challenges of the park and maintains cultural and recreational values.
📷: Iwi visit to Ruahine Forest Park to discuss deer impacts. – DOC
Te Ao Māori: A Deep Connection to the Land
According to Māori kōrero tuku iho – stories passed from generation to generation – the range is part of the spine of the ika/fish Māui hauled up, known as Te Ika-a-Māui/the North Island. The Park holds significant value to tangata whenua, with deep connections through pā punanga/refuges, mahinga kai/food-gathering sites, the whakapapa/genealogy to the land that comes with place names, stories and wāhi tapu/sacred places. Kaitiakitanga/guardianship of the ngāhere/forest and the taonga/treasured flora and fauna is central to the role of tangata whenua.
Why Now?
When we assumed responsibility for the park in 1987, deer numbers were relatively low due to active commercial aerial hunting through the 1970’s to 1980’s. Since then, deer control has relied largely on recreational and commercial hunting, which has been declining over time. Thanks to additional funding, we are now expanding efforts to reduce deer numbers and monitor the effects on the forest. This builds on successful goat control programs and complements predator control projects happening in the park.
Together with local iwi/hapū we are drafting a deer management plan and getting advice from a newly established Community Deer Advisory Group.
Trial actions are taking place this autumn, and findings will help inform our longer-term management approach:
NZ Deerstalkers Association hunt: We worked with the Lower Hutt Branch to make it easier for hunters to fly by helicopter into the Western/Central area of Ruahine Forest Park. The hunt took place on 14-17 March 2025. Around 80 deer were removed. Hunters targeted hinds and the branch will provide DOC with track logs and kill way points, and hunter observations. This will help us assess the effectiveness of the hunt.
DOC aerial management: In May and June, we will carry out aerial control in the remote and hard to access North-West deer Management Unit (MU) – an area of 12,056 hectares. This work also complements possum and rat control being carried out in the Northern Ruahine’s high priority ecosystem unit, an area which contains a rich and diverse range of habitats and species. Where practical and within budget limitations, we will work with community to harvest meat from this operation.
Industry/WARO incentivisation: We have contracted the commercial venison industry to harvest 300 deer, operating under normal WARO permit conditions. Lower weight deer harvest is being incentivised. The work will start May 2025 and finish when the harvest target is met.
All three actions combined, make a start in addressing Ruahine deer impacts. We’ll continue working with the community to assess the effectiveness of each action and refine the deer management approach.
Stay tuned for updates on this exciting collaboration. In the meantime, explore the beautiful Ruahine Forest Park this summer and consider getting involved in community conservation projects.
Ruahine Forest Park’s future depends on all of us. Together, with adaptive deer management and a commitment to te taiao/the environment, we can ensure this precious ecosystem thrives for generations to come.
The Government is investing $246 million in a new fund over four years through Budget 2025 to supercharge growth and productivity in New Zealand’s world-leading food and fibre sector, Agriculture and Forestry Minister Todd McClay announced today.
The new Primary Sector Growth Fund (PSGF) replaces the former Sustainable Food and Fibre Futures Fund and will focus on practical projects that reduce costs across the food and fibre sector value chain and deliver stronger returns on investment to the farm and forest gate.
The Fund will support projects that are business-led, market-driven, and commercially focused – with a clear aim of delivering strong economic outcomes and high growth potential. “Every New Zealander depends on the success of the food and fibre sector – making up 80 per cent of our goods exports it powers our economy and puts food on our tables. Without agriculture and forestry, we would not be able to compete on the world stage,” Mr McClay says.
“That’s why the Government is moving at pace to increase farmgate returns, reduce compliance costs, implement smarter and better rules, and build resilience into rural communities.”
The PSGF refocuses MPI’s existing investment tools to back projects that drive higher-value outcomes across the food and fibre sector value chain – supporting the Government’s goal of doubling exports by value in 10 years and returning value to the farmgate.
“We’ll be working with the sector to find the best projects that help drive returns, including new high-value products, and providing practical tools for farmers and growers,” Mr McClay says.
“Projects that increase productivity and support the quality demanded by global consumers will remain a priority. As a trading nation, we need to enable initiatives that lift the bottom line, improve efficiency, and give our products a competitive edge in global markets.”
“This is about partnering with the sector to unlock real growth – helping producers, processors, and exporters to scale up, innovate, and deliver more value for the New Zealand economy,” Mr McClay says.
The Government is investing in the wellbeing of rural communities through a new fund that backs practical, on-the-ground programmes designed to build resilience and support the 360,000 hard working men and women who power our primary sector. Agriculture Minister Todd McClay says Budget 2025 provides $2 million over four years for a new contestable Rural Wellbeing Fund to back farmers to back themselves. “When rural communities thrive, all of New Zealand benefits. The food and fibre sector is the engine of our economy, and that means backing both production and the hardworking people who drive it,” Mr McClay says. Rural Communities Minister Mark Patterson says the fund builds on the Government’s Budget 2025 investment of an extra $1 million over four years to boost the work of Rural Support Trusts and other providers that support farmers and growers. “This is about giving rural people the tools and connections they need to stay supported. “Initiatives that bring people together through events, advice, or peer networks, are a key part of building long-term resilience across the sector,” Mr Patterson says. The fund will be administered by the Ministry for Primary Industries, with successful applicants selected by a governance group including industry representatives.
The Government is securing the backbone of rural New Zealand by supporting the volunteers and communities that bring A&P shows to life, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay says.Budget 2025 delivers $400,000 over four years to support more than 90 A&P shows across the country, providing each with a direct grant of $1,000 a year to help keep these iconic events running. “A&P shows are a cornerstone of rural life — they help bridge the urban rural divide, celebrate farming success, showcase our world best food and fibre, and are powered almost entirely by local volunteers,” Mr McClay says. “This is about backing the people behind the scenes who put in the hours to make these shows happen. Their work keeps communities connected and our rural culture alive.“When rural communities thrive, our whole country benefits. This is a practical investment in regional pride, rural resilience, and the communities that make our most productive sector stronger year after year,” Mr McClay says.
The Government is tackling the spread of wilding pines and backing rural resilience with a 20 per cent increase in funding this year – taking the total direct investment this coming year to $12 million. Agriculture and Forestry Minister Todd McClay, and Biosecurity Minister Andrew Hoggard says the Government is focused on protecting the productive heart of New Zealand’s economy. “Wilding pines cost the rural community significantly and are often the bane of farmers lives, we have an obligation to work with them to control their spread, and reduce on farm burden,” Mr McClay says. “This additional $2 million funding ensures those working to contain wildings over the next year can stay ahead of the spread. It’s a smart investment in rural productivity, land management, and our long-term rural resilience.” More than two million hectares are affected by wilding infestations, with untreated areas expanding by an estimated five per cent each year. Left unchecked, the economic impact could reach $3.6 billion over 50 years. Biosecurity Minister Andrew Hoggard says wilding pines threaten our farmland, water catchments, native biodiversity, and increase the risk of wildfires. They take over productive land, drain vital groundwater, and choke out native species. “Since 2016, the Government has invested more than $150 million into the National Wilding Conifer Control Programme, alongside more than $33 million contributed by partners and communities,” Mr Hoggard says. “This year’s investment continues to support the people doing the work – regional councils, iwi, farmers, researchers, and volunteers – who are making a real difference across ten priority regions. “We’ve pushed back some of the worst infestations and protected key landscapes. This funding keeps that momentum going and gives landowners the tools to protect and restore productive land.” The programme is led by Biosecurity New Zealand and delivered in partnership with councils, landowners, iwi, industry, and community groups.
The Government is backing farmers to lift on-farm productivity and improve land management through investment in catchment groups that support practical, locally-led solutions. Agriculture Minister Todd McClay and Associate Environment and Agriculture Minister Andrew Hoggard says Budget 2025 commits $36 million over four years through MPI’s On Farm Support team—including $4.3 million for long-standing groups and new regional projects. “This funding supports farmer-led groups that are already delivering real results on the ground—improving water quality and land management, and helping farmers adapt to changing conditions,” Mr McClay says. “It includes $2.8 million in 2025/26 to extend funding for six established groups and the New Zealand Landcare Trust, giving them certainty to keep delivering trusted programmes in their communities.” The groups receiving continued support include Thriving Southland, Rangitīkei Rivers Catchment Collective, Wai Wānaka, Hurunui District Landcare Group, Eastern Plains, and King Country River Care. Associate Agriculture Minister Andrew Hoggard says the Government is also investing in two new regional projects to expand reach and impact. “We’re putting $900,000 into the Karamu River Catchment Collective to support sub-catchment groups across the Heretaunga Plains, and $670,000 into the Piako Waihou Catchment Trust, which will deliver five demonstration sites focused on wetland restoration, waterway management, and the retirement of unproductive land,” Mr Hoggard says. “Catchment groups are a practical way to empower farmers to collaborate, innovate, and share knowledge. Farmers know their land best—this investment gives them the tools and support to manage it in a way that boosts productivity and delivers long-term environmental gains.”
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Gemma King, ARC DECRA Fellow in Screen Studies, Senior Lecturer in French Studies, Australian National University
Archival footage shows Tim Rarus, Greg Hlibok, Bridgetta Bourne-Firl and Jerry Covell, in Apple TV+ Deaf President Now! Apple TV+
In March 1988, students of the world’s only Deaf university started a revolution that made national news. Now, the first film to document this historic uprising is screening on Apple TV+.
By 1988, Washington DC’s Gallaudet University had been educating Deaf students in American Sign Language (ASL) for 124 years. But it had never had a Deaf president.
For the first time, two Deaf candidates were in the running for the top job. One was Gallaudet’s own Irving King Jordan. The second was Harvey Corson of the American School for the Deaf.
The third was Elisabeth Zinser, a hearing woman from the University of North Carolina Greensboro. She had no experience of Deaf community or knowledge of ASL.
As the hearing board of trustees met to choose a new leader, the student body waited with bated breath. Self-determination in higher education – by the Deaf, for the Deaf – was finally a possibility. But once again the board chose a hearing person, Zinser.
When chair Jane Spilman was questioned about the choice, she replied, “Deaf people are not ready to function in a hearing world.”
Incensed, Gallaudet students barricaded the campus, gave impassioned media interviews and took to marching. First they marched around the university – Zinser effigies burning – and then all the way to the Capitol.
The Deaf President Now protest became national news, leading to the resignations of Zinser and Spilman, and the appointment of Jordan as president. It also helped propel the Disability Rights Movement, contributed to the 1990 Americans with Disabilities Act and inspired Deaf Pride movements around the world.
Jane Bassett Spilman and Elisabeth Zinser resigned as a result of the Deaf President Now movement. Apple TV+
Timely, vital and imperfect
The 2025 documentary Deaf President Now! opens with footage of a political act: not from the 1988 protests, but from the present day, as the movement’s original student leaders – Bridgetta Bourne, Jerry Covell, Greg Hlibok and Tim Rarus – advise on their interview setups.
One alerts the crew they can’t see the interpreter. Another explains how much signing space they need in the frame. A third asks, joking but incisive, “What’s the microphone for?”
These aren’t throwaway moments; they show how inclusion and authenticity are only possible when Deaf people are in control of their own stories.
The film excels in exposing the paternalistic attitude and tightly-held hearing power that has long shaped Deaf education.
The film’s most powerful moments are when it contrasts the board’s dismissive rhetoric against the eloquent, impassioned arguments of the Deaf student body. Through intimate interviews and carefully curated archival footage, the documentary dismantles prevailing presumption that Deaf individuals need hearing oversight to succeed.
At the same time, the film embodies a paradox that mirrors its subject matter, as it is co-directed by hearing filmmaker Davis Guggenheim and Deaf director Nyle DiMarco.
DiMarco has been active in the screen industry for more than a decade, in acting roles and as a producer on Netflix hits Deaf U (2020) and Audible (2021). Though his involvement represents progress, Guggenheim’s raises an uncomfortable question: when will Deaf filmmakers fully own their narratives and be entrusted to lead projects?
Nyle DiMarco and Davis Guggenheim co-directed the documentary, with interviews from several of the movement’s leading figures. Apple TV+
The collaboration reflects how stories celebrating Deaf empowerment often require hearing endorsement to reach a mainstream audience. The film’s distribution on Apple TV+ offers unprecedented visibility, but comes through channels controlled by hearing decision-makers.
This production context reminds us true representation extends beyond what appears onscreen, to who controls the storytelling process — a revolution unfinished in Deaf cinema.
Using film for Deaf empowerment
The industry may remain exclusive, but the camera itself can be a tool for Deaf power. Throughout history, Deaf individuals have harnessed film as a means of resistance.
The extensive archival footage in Deaf President Now! shows how, by 1988, film was already being used by the Deaf community as a form of advocacy. Through the blending of this footage with present-day interviews in ASL, we witness Deaf individuals taking ownership of their history and recounting it in their authentic language form.
The documentary also mirrors how media attention was integral to spreading the protest’s message back in 1988. This culminated in a national broadcast of a live debate between Zinser and Greg Hlibok, the then student body president.
To understand the film’s profound importance for the Deaf community, we must recognise how sign languages have historically been undocumented in their true form, with speech and writing considered superior modes of communication.
Deaf culture, language and community are powerful forces of resistance that have continually defied mainstream oppression.
Trump: a step back for the movement
While the film was long overdue, its arrival now is eerily relevant. Trump’s push for conservative policies – part of what he calls “Project 2025” – seeks to dismantle programs and funding that serve minority students, including disability groups.
Many of the protections in the Americans with Disabilities Act are under threat as a result, including fundamental rights to sign language and interpreting access in higher education and beyond.
According to the New York Times, hundreds of terms including “accessibility”, “disability”, “minority” and “inequality” are being limited or outright removed from official government materials. In some cases, grant proposals and contracts have been automatically flagged for including “woke” terminology.
The spirit of the Deaf President Now! resistance has never been more vital.
But if Deaf history has taught us anything, it’s that the Deaf community forges a deep sense of pride and connection in the face of such pressures. And films like Deaf President Now! show us how integral film is to this resistance.
Gemma King receives funding from the Australian Research Council.
Samuel Martin and Sofya Gollan do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
When KiwiSaver was introduced in 2007 it was built on a stark reality: New Zealand Super alone will not be enough for most people to retire with dignity.
As the population ages and the cost of superannuation continues to climb, the gap between what the state provides and what retirees actually need is only going to grow. KiwiSaver was designed to bridge that gap – to give New Zealanders a fighting chance at financial independence in retirement.
But changes to KiwiSaver laid out in this year’s budget undermine what was already an underperforming scheme.
Despite 17 years of operation, KiwiSaver balances remain shockingly low. As of mid-2024, the average sits around NZ$37,000. That’s barely enough for a couple of years’ worth of modest top-ups, let alone funding a comfortable retirement.
For many nearing retirement, balances are even lower. And about 40% of members aren’t actively contributing. That includes people on contribution holidays, in irregular work, or who opted out altogether. Many accounts are effectively dormant “ghost accounts” created by auto-enrolment and never activated.
Let’s be blunt: a retirement savings scheme that doesn’t result in meaningful savings for the majority of its members isn’t working.
The 2025 Budget from the National Party, ACT and NZ First, included changes to the KiwiSaver scheme. Hagen Hopkins/Getty Images
Small cuts, big consequences
KiwiSaver’s design isn’t its only problem. Political decisions have steadily chipped away at the scheme’s effectiveness. Every tweak and cut might seem minor on its own. But together they’ve eroded the core engine of the scheme: compounding contributions over time.
Take the $1,000 kick-start payment from the state, scrapped in 2015. Left invested in a growth fund for 40 years, that single payment could have grown to over $8,000.
Or look at the member tax credit – an annual payment made by the government to eligible members. The reduction from $1,042 to $521.43 might seem modest, but over a working life, that change alone could shave more than $70,000 off your KiwiSaver balance. This year’s budget has cut it further to $260.72.
Then there’s the tax on employer contributions – the amount paid into KiwiSaver by employers. For someone earning $80,000 a year, that tax can reduce total contributions by around 1% of salary annually. Over 40 years, that means nearly $100,000 less at retirement.
These aren’t just numbers on a spreadsheet. They’re the difference between retiring with options and retiring with anxiety. The $200,000 that past policy changes have stripped from the average KiwiSaver balance could have provided an extra $170 a week in retirement – enough to cover basics like food, power or transport.
By eroding those balances now, we’re not saving money. We’re simply passing the bill to future governments and taxpayers who will have to pick up the slack.
The worst time to weaken saving
There’s never a good time to undermine a long-term savings scheme, but doing it during a cost-of-living crisis is especially reckless. People are already struggling to keep up with everyday expenses. Contributions to KiwiSaver – despite their long-term benefits – are one of the first things households cut when budgets are tight.
If people start to believe KiwiSaver won’t be there for them – or that it’s not worth the effort – they’ll opt out or reduce contributions. And the scheme, already struggling with engagement, will lose even more ground.
Which brings us to the current budget.
The changes to the member tax credit will undermine the core purpose of KiwiSaver, reducing the amount people will retire with by another $35,000 for someone investing for 40 years in a growth fund.
Income-testing the member tax credit, coming into effect on July 1 this year, is pitched as targeting support where it’s needed. But that assumes income is a good proxy for need. It isn’t. Plenty of people have high incomes now but low KiwiSaver balances due to career gaps, home purchases or starting late.
If we want to better target support, base it on balances, not income. That would help those with low savings regardless of their current salary – and encourage rebuilding after big life expenses, such as buying a first home.
Raising the minimum contribution rate from 3% to 4% of gross salary sounds promising. Nudging people into saving more is smart policy – in theory. Plus requiring higher employer contributions is a welcome benefit.
But with households stretched thin, there’s a real risk people will just cease contributing at all. The danger is we end up with a headline policy that looks bold but delivers little – or worse, backfires.
The bottom line
The bigger issue? These are tweaks around the edges. They don’t address the fundamental problem: KiwiSaver is not set up to deliver retirement security at scale.
Plenty of experts have put forward good ideas to improve it. But right now, the urgent priority isn’t invention – it’s protection. Every time we reduce incentives, chip away at contributions or confuse the message, we undermine the very idea that long-term saving is worth it.
A retirement savings scheme only works if people trust it. That means policy stability. That means recognising KiwiSaver not as a cost, but as a commitment – a promise that if you put money aside during your working life, the system will have your back when you stop.
KiwiSaver is at a crossroads. It can continue its slow drift into irrelevance –eroded by short-term thinking and piecemeal reform. Or it can be treated as the critical infrastructure it is: a tool for ensuring financial independence in retirement and relieving future pressure on the public purse.
Budget decisions should honour KiwiSaver’s original promise. We owe future retirees – and future taxpayers – nothing less.
Aaron Gilbert does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Heidi Norman, Professor of Aboriginal political history, Faculty of Arts, Design and Architecture, Convenor: Indigenous Land & Justice Research Group, UNSW Sydney
First Nations people please be advised this article speaks of racially discriminating moments in history, including the distress and death of First Nations people.
On a cold day 25 years ago, a bitter wind swept up from the south, pushing against an endless throng of people crossing one of Australia’s most famous landmarks.
Some 250,000 people were walking across Sydney Harbour Bridge in support of Indigenous reconciliation. It was an event called Corroboree 2000.
It took more than six hours for the mass of people to make their way from north to south, into the city. Across the nation, in small towns and in the capital cities, bridge walks symbolised overcoming a difficult past and coming together.
But Australia’s relationship with First Nations people in the years since has been sometimes tumultuous, occasionally optimistic and often vexed. What legacy did the event leave?
A ‘decade of reconciliation’?
A “Decade of Reconciliation” started with the unanimous passage of the Council for Aboriginal Reconciliation Act through the federal parliament in 1991. “Reconciliation” was to be achieved between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians by the centenary of Federation in 2001.
The act made a national commitment for the federal government to address both “Aboriginal disadvantage and aspirations”.
It didn’t, however, specify what reconciliation was or what a reconciled nation would look like. The 2001 deadline would come and go without any way of knowing if it had been achieved.
The amorphous nature of the concept likely contributed to the widespread political support for reconciliation. But whether it meant addressing Indigenous rights, or disadvantage, or both, was often decided down political party lines.
Some First Nations activists were unequivocal in their criticism of reconciliation. It was widely perceived as a poor substitute for Bob Hawke’s 1984 promise of national land rights, and later, Treaty.
The late Uncle Chicka Dixon renamed the movement “ReCONsillynation”. The “con” was the call to “walk together” as an alternative to Treaty and land rights.
Instead, the Council for Aboriginal Reconciliation was established in 1991. Its approach to reconciliation was largely about building knowledge and understanding among non-Indigenous Australians about Australian Indigenous lives, experience and history. This was seen as essential to advancing justice.
Changing hearts and minds
For more than a decade, the council worked to achieve its vision, recruiting thousands of participants to the cause. It produced educational materials to guide learning about First Peoples histories and cultures. It also promoted reconciliation activities in the community.
Community-led reconciliation activities proliferated quickly. Some of these continue today, helping establish a foundation for truth-telling.
Huge historical events were unfolding alongside this work. In 1992, the Mabo decision in the High Court ruled Australia was not terra nullius (land belonging to nobody) when it was claimed by Britain in 1770. This led to native title laws, which have made it possible for some Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to claim ownership of their traditional lands.
In 1997, the Bringing Them Home report highlighted the trauma caused to generations of Aboriginal and Torres Strait children across Australia by removing them from their families. They are known as the Stolen Generations.
The report recommended all Australian governments apologise to Indigenous people for their involvement in the policies and practices of forcible child removal.
By 1999, all states and territory governments had apologised. The federal government had not.
A contested history
These seismic shifts in public conversation inevitably came to feature in federal politics.
In the 1996 election, the two leaders – Labor Prime Minister Paul Keating and Liberal leader John Howard – outlined very different political visions based on opposing approaches to Australian history.
While Keating was in office, he combined two causes – native title and the republic – hoping they would help generate a new story of the nation’s foundation.
He sought to replace the positive, comforting and Anglo-centric view of Australian history. He highlighted the impact of colonisation on Aboriginal people and cast doubt on the morality of British occupation.
Howard largely framed his history in opposition to Keating’s. Whereas Keating’s history dwelled on identifiable historical wrongs, Howard famously said Australians should “feel comfortable and relaxed about their history”.
For Howard, there was much to be proud of in the story of the nation’s past. He accused the Labor party of peddling “the rhetoric of apology and shame”, or what came to be known as the “black armband” view of the past.
Despite the recommendation of the Bringing Them Home report, Howard didn’t apologise to Indigenous people. He championed “practical outcomes” instead of “symbolism”, although ultimately failed to deliver either.
A historic culmination
With all these debates brewing throughout the 1990s, Australians used the new millennium to make their own large, symbolic gesture.
Corroboree 2000 was held over two days in May. At the first event held on May 27, Indigenous and non-Indigenous leaders met at the Sydney Opera House. The Council for Aboriginal Reconciliation presented non-Indigenous leaders with two documents: the Australian Declaration Towards Reconciliation and the Roadmap for Reconciliation.
All the leaders who took part left their handprints on a canvas to show their support.
But in the intervening years, the shape of reconciliation and what Indigenous people could expect from it changed.
Reflecting the Howard government’s emphasis on practical reconciliation, the council’s final report emphasised that “overcoming disadvantage is central to the reconciliation process”. The original brief for reconciliation to also address “Aboriginal aspirations” was forgotten.
Howard gave a speech at the event and expressed “regret” for the past treatment of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, but he did not apologise. This left many in the crowd unhappy.
The apology would eventually come in 2008 from Labor Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd.
Where are we now?
In his recent election victory speech, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese emphasised national unity. He again placed reconciliation at the forefront of the Australian government’s Indigenous affairs agenda, saying:
we will be a government that supports reconciliation with First Nations people, because we will be a stronger nation when we close the gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians.
In the aftermath of the Voice referendum, the Albanese government says it is focusing on First Nations economic independence and empowerment, along with continuing to “Close the Gap” in experiences of disadvantage.
So 25 years on from the bridge walk, reconciliation remains a feature of the government’s response to First Peoples’ calls for recognition and justice.
But reconciliation can be seen as a safe harbour to merely rebuild consensus, when more ambitious Indigenous affairs agendas stall or fail.
Heidi Norman receives funding from the Australian Research Council.
Anne Maree Payne has previously received research funding from Reconciliation Australia.
For the past 75 years, America’s nuclear umbrella has been the keystone that has kept East Asia’s great‑power rivalries from turning atomic.
President Donald Trump’s second‑term “strategic reset” now threatens to crack that arch.
By pressuring allies to shoulder more of the defence burden, hinting that US forces might walk if the cheques do not clear and flirting with a return to nuclear testing, Washington is signalling that its once‑ironclad nuclear guarantee is, at best, negotiable.
In Seoul, Tokyo and even Taipei, a once-unthinkable idea — building nuclear weapons — has begun to look disturbingly pragmatic.
Nuclear umbrella starting to fray
Extended deterrence is the promise the United States will use its own nuclear weapons, if necessary, to repel an attack on an ally.
The logic is brutally simple: if North Korea contemplates a strike on South Korea, it must fear an American retaliatory strike, as well.
The pledge allows allies to forgo their own bombs, curbing nuclear proliferation while reinforcing US influence.
The idea dates to Dwight D. Eisenhower’s “New Look” military strategy, which relied on the threat of “massive retaliation” against the Soviet Union to defend Europe and Asia at a discount: fewer troops, more warheads.
John F. Kennedy replaced that hair‑trigger doctrine with a “flexible response” defence strategy. This widened the spectrum of options to respond to potential Soviet attacks, but kept the nuclear backstop in place.
By the 1990s, the umbrella seemed almost ornamental. Russia’s nuclear arsenal had rusted, China was keeping to a “minimal deterrent” strategy (maintaining a small stockpile of weapons), and US supremacy looked overwhelming.
In 2020, then-President Barack Obama’s Nuclear Posture Review reaffirmed the umbrella guarantee, though Obama had voiced aspirations for the long‑term abolition of nuclear weapons.
Barack Obama’s 2009 speech advocating nuclear disarmament in Prague.
The Biden administration then embraced a new term – “integrated deterrence”, which fused cyber, space and economic tools with nuclear forces to deter potential foes.
In recent years, however, North Korea’s sprint towards intercontinental ballistic missiles and the modernisation and expansion of China’s nuclear arsenal began testing the faith of US allies.
Trump has now turbo‑charged those doubts. He has mused that his “strategic reset” ties protection to payment. If NATO’s Article 5 (which obliges members to come to each other’s defence) is “conditional” on US allies paying their fair share, why would Asia be different?
Reports the White House has weighed a resumption of underground nuclear tests – and, under the Biden administration, even a more extensive arsenal – have rattled non‑proliferation diplomats.
A Politico analysis bluntly warns that sustaining global “extended deterrence” in two parts of the world (Europe and Asia) may be beyond Trump’s patience — or pocketbook.
A regional nuclear arms race
Allies are taking note. Last month, an Institute for Strategic Studies survey found officials in Europe and Asia openly questioning whether an American president would risk San Francisco to save Seoul.
In South Korea, public backing for a bomb now tops 70%.
Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party is, for the first time since 1945, considering a “nuclear sharing” arrangement with the US. Some former defence officials have even called for a debate on nuclear weapons themselves.
Taiwan’s legislators — long muzzled on the subject — whisper about a “porcupine” deterrent based on asymmetrical warfare and a modest nuclear capability.
If one domino tips, several could follow. A South Korean nuclear weapon program would almost certainly spur Japan to act. That, in turn, would harden China’s strategic outlook, inviting a regional arms race and shredding the fragile Nuclear Non‑Proliferation Treaty.
The respected international relations journal Foreign Policy has already dubbed Trump’s approach “a nuclear Pandora’s box.”
The danger is not just about more warheads, but also the shorter decision times to use them.
Three or four nuclear actors crammed into the world’s busiest sea lanes — with hypersonic missiles and AI‑driven, early‑warning systems — create hair‑trigger instability. One misread radar blip over the East China Sea could end in catastrophe.
What does this mean for Australia?
Australia, too, has long relied on the US umbrella without demanding an explicit nuclear clause in the ANZUS treaty.
The AUKUS submarine pact with the US and UK deepens technological knowledge sharing, but does not deliver an Australian bomb. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese insists the deal is about “deterrence, not offence,” yet the debate over funding nuclear-powered submarines exposes how tightly Australian strategy is lashed to American political will.
A regional cascade of nuclear proliferation would confront Australia with agonising choices. Should it cling to the shrinking US umbrella, invest in a missile defence shield, or contemplate its own nuclear deterrent? Any such move towards its own weapon would collide with decades of proud non‑proliferation diplomacy and risk alienating Southeast Asian neighbours.
More likely, Canberra will double down on alliance management — lobbying Washington to clarify its commitments, urging Seoul and Tokyo to stay the non‑nuclear course, and expanding regional defence exercises that make American resolve visible.
In a neighbourhood bristling with new warheads, middle powers that remain non‑nuclear will need thicker conventional shields and sharper diplomatic tools.
This means hardening Australia’s northern bases against a potential attack, accelerating its long‑range strike programs, and funding diplomatic initiatives that keep the Non-Proliferation Treaty alive.
The Trump administration’s transactional posture risks broadcasting a deficit of will precisely when East Asian security hangs in the balance. If Washington allows confidence in extended deterrence to erode, history will not stand still; it will split the atom again, this time in Seoul, Tokyo or beyond.
Australia has every incentive to prod its great power ally back toward strategic steadiness. The alternative is a region where the umbrellas proliferate — and, sooner or later, fail.
Ian Langford is affiliated with the University of New South Wales.
Gen Z and younger millennials cut back on costs while young families and retirees spending more on health.
Young Gen Z Australian adults aged between 18–24 years old increased spending on health services by 3.1 per cent over the last year, a rate below annual inflation for the Health Consumer Price Index of 4.1 per cent, representing a decline in spending in real terms amid cost of living pressures.
Over the last year, 18 to 24-year-olds wound back spending on physiotherapy, chiropractors and osteopaths (down 5 per cent on the prior year), dental and optometry (down 4 per cent) which contributed to an overall decline in health spending in real terms.
Older Gen Zs and younger millennials between 25-34 years increased their health spending by 6.4 per cent while millennials aged between 35-44 increased spending by 7.8 per cent over the last year. Gen X aged between 45-54 spent less than the older millennial group increasing spending by just 7.5 per cent. Older Australians drove spending higher with those aged between 65-74 increasing by 8.9 per cent over the same period and over 75s spending 12.6 per cent more than the previous year.
The findings were released today in the inaugural CommBank Health Insights report which uncovers trends in healthcare spending. For the first time, the report uses CommBank iQ de-identified healthcare transactions from approximately 7 million Australians, providing a comprehensive overview of how consumer spending on healthcare has evolved over the past year with Australia’s largest transactional data set.
Haseda Fazlic, Executive General Manager Commercial Banking, CBA said: “The CommBank Health Insights Report highlights the healthcare spending sacrifices that younger generations are making while showing the growing share of healthcare in household budgets for older generations in particular. Older Australians and young families are doing their best to prioritise their health, with significant increases in spending over the last year. At the same time, we can see that younger Australians are still investing in their health while aiming to minimise their spending in a challenging cost of living environment.
“The findings over the last year come ahead of the Federal Government’s additional commitments to strengthening access to health services with additional Medicare funding.”
Key findings include:
General Practitioners benefiting from more frequent visits: Almost six in ten Australians visited a GP in the past year with an average of 5.4 visits per person. Overall, spending on GP visits increased by 12.7 per cent on the previous year with an average annual spend of $523 per person, reflecting increased demand and rising costs coupled with private billing. Pharmacies booming with ecommerce driving growth: Pharmacy grew at 9.9 per cent with an average spend of $710 per person. Online purchases were up by 28 per cent, compared to 9 per cent growth for in-store. While in-store remains more common, accounting for over 95 per cent of total sales in the last year, those buying online spent significantly more with each purchase. The average purchase size was $101 for an online basket, compared to $41 for in-store. Specialists and allied health see strong growth:Specialists saw growth of 9.1 per cent at $846 per person. Radiology increased by 8.2 per cent with $459 annual spend while physios, chiropractors and osteopaths grew by 7 per cent with an average spend of $429 per person. Health insurance moderating: While maintaining a large proportion of overall health spend with an average $3,088 per person, health insurance spend experienced more moderate growth than other categories at 6.5 per cent. Dental growing through repeat visitors: While only 1 in 3 Australians regularly visit the dentist, those that do are coming back more regularly at 2.4 times per year and paying $321 on average per visit, contributing to overall growth of 5.5 per cent on the previous year. Spending growth on dental is led by older generations, with over 75s lifting by 14 per cent. 18-24 year olds were the only group to trim their dental spend, down by 4 per cent. Vets only category to decline overall: Medical spending on furry friends increased by 2.2 per cent at an average of $873 per person, the only category to see a decline in real terms.
“It is encouraging to see Australians visiting their GPs and dentists more regularly and attending specialists and allied health appointments when needed. With an ageing population, it is becoming increasingly important that providers continue to meet the needs of older patients while ecommerce is offering greater opportunities to meet needs for pharmaceutical care for those in regional and remote communities in particular,” Ms Fazlic said.
“Understanding demographic spending patterns can help those in the health industry adapt and make more informed decisions to better meet the needs of their customers.”
About the research
All data is sourced from CommBank iQ, that uses Australia’s largest transactional dataset to evaluate spending behaviours. This includes online and in-store transactions from approximately 7 million Australians.
This analysis is based on CommBank iQ data covering spending in eight healthcare sectors from 01 April 2024 to 31 March 2025, including: general practice, dental services, medical specialists, radiology, pharmacies, Physio, Chiro and osteo, vets and pet services, and health insurance. All figures are spend per capita rather than total consumption.
This week you have heard from nearly every speaker about the development emergency before us. It is amidst a world in turmoil and uncertainty, as Ambassador Rae has said, but more problematic to us are all the young people in the world that feels a sense of anxiety.
So indeed it is a time of crisis and countries are struggling still to recover from the impact of the pandemic. There is a war in Europe, and the tragedy and injustices we see in Gaza, in Sudan, in Myanmar.
At this juncture I think it is important for us to pause and reflect on the progress that has been made and set our trajectory for the year ahead. As and such, I want to point out the vital leadership we have had from Ambassador Szcserski in guiding our discussions over the past three days.
I would also like to acknowledge and appreciate you, the Member States, for your constructive and active engagement, and our Principles of our agencies, funds and programs, especially my Vice-Chair Achim Steiner, our Resident Coordinators who participated, the UN Country Teams and the entities who contributed with perspectives and insights from the ground.
Excellencies,
This week we heard a shared readiness to respond to the challenges before us — from Member States, Resident Coordinators, and the UN development system entities. Allow me to set out my humble take aways from this segment.
First, let me say that I have heard from the majority of you that we are delivering on your expectation of a coordinated and coherent system. You were clear that Resident Coordinators must be at the forefront of efforts to deliver on this.
Second, I have heard your concerns about funding and the challenging landscape before many UN development system entities.
Third, I have heard your acknowledgement of the immense progress on delivering on efficiencies but noted that we still have a long way before us on the common back offices, our general services and premises.
You were clear about your expectations for the road ahead, that we need to shift towards a more tailored UN development system. We are in the process of recalibrating DCO to optimize the ability of the RC system to meet country needs and priorities.
As the Director of the System-Wide Evaluation Office highlighted earlier today, derivation of country level programming instruments also have to be strengthened. The country configuration exercises would need to be reinvigorated. And we need to move away from a stagnant UN development footprint and ensure that we have an agile and responsive footprint and presence.
We need to redouble our effort to ensure that entities are fully aligned with the reform imperatives. The business model review of UNSDG entities is an important opportunity to assess alignment and propose some adjustments.
We also need to continue to strengthen transparency and accountabilities. The forthcoming review of the management and accountability framework provides an opportunity to do so. Your acknowledgement of the transparency and information provided is welcome, and a testament to the progress that is being made in enabling your oversight.
Over the course of the next year, we are committed to making progress on these areas. And furthermore, we will continue to strive to provide you with the tools that you need to monitor our adherence to the reforms and encourage you to follow up these discussions at the governing boards.
In my capacity as UNSDG Chair, I will keep you updated on the progress we make, as we tailor the UN development systems response, including the development coordination office.
Many of you have stressed that UN80 could provide a drive for addressing these aspects and others highlighted this week, such as renewed efforts to drive efficiencies and accountability.
UN 80 provides a welcome momentum to continue implementing reforms across the development system.
Now is the time for us to invest in that future.
As we approach 2030, the actions that we are going to take now will have a lasting impact on our ability to deliver on the SDGs and our promise to leave no one behind.
The Secretary-General could not have been clearer. Our efforts will only bear fruit if the broader changes in the international financial systems agreed in the Pact for the Future are implemented.
Therefore, the Financing for Development Conference (FfD4) taking place in Seville, the World Social Summit, the Food Systems Stocktake, and COP all represent pivotal opportunities to put the goals back on track. But also to demonstrate why it is and how it is that the UN system, this incredible institution, brings people together, challenging those who say that things cannot be done, and give hope to how they can be done, particularly at the country level.
Excellencies,
There is no time to lose. We do have a deadline around the corner.
We can transform our current challenges into opportunities, take the dividends from this crisis and make them happen— but we need to act together, and act now.
We must underscore, as Ambassador Rae stated, people have a right to justice, they have a right to a life of dignity, and in solidarity, I believe we can show that this reality is possible, for all people on this good earth.
Thank you so much for the opportunity, we have taken with us lots of homework, to be continued.
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
The Government announced today (May 23) that company re-domiciliation is now open for application.
The Companies (Amendment) (No. 2) Ordinance 2025 was gazetted and came into effect today. From today onwards, a company incorporated outside Hong Kong may apply to the Companies Registry (CR) for re-domiciliation to Hong Kong. The mechanism reduces the need to go through complicated and costly judicial procedures, and enables a re-domiciled company to maintain its legal identity as a body corporate, thereby ensuring business continuity. At the same time, an applicant for company re-domiciliation is required to fulfil requirements concerning company background, integrity, member and creditor protection, solvency, etc.
The types of company which may apply for re-domiciliation to Hong Kong include a private company limited by shares, a public company limited by shares, a private unlimited company with a share capital and a public unlimited company with a share capital, or a type comparable to the above four types of company.
Under normal circumstances, the CR will complete the approval process within two weeks after an applicant has submitted all required documents and information. Upon the issuance of a certificate of re-domiciliation, the applicant becomes a re-domiciled company, which will generally be regarded as a Hong Kong-incorporated company with effect from its re-domiciliation date. A 120-day period will be allowed for the re-domiciled company to complete the deregistration procedures at its place of incorporation.
For regulatory purposes of the insurance and banking sectors, a non-Hong Kong-incorporated authorized insurer, or an authorized institution (AI), a holding company of an AI or an approved money broker should approach the Insurance Authority (IA) or the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) (as the case may be) for prior assessment before making a re-domiciliation application to the CR.
Further information on company re-domiciliation procedures, including a guide on company re-domiciliation, forms and frequently asked questions, is available in a new thematic section of the CR’s website (www.cr.gov.hk/en/legislation/co2025/redomiciliation/overview.htm). The IA and HKMA will announce details on the requirements for relevant financial institutions separately.
WASHINGTON — U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright today announced the designation of coal used in the production of steel as a critical material under the Energy Act of 2020, in accordance withPresident Trump’s Executive Order “Reinvigorating America’s Beautiful Clean Coal Industry.” This action affirms the Administration’s commitment to American energy dominance, manufacturing resurgence, and strengthening America’s energy and industrial security.
A Department of Energy analysis concluded that metallurgical coal, a key input for steel production, meets the statutory definition of a critical material. A robust steel industry is fundamental to U.S. manufacturing, infrastructure development, and economic resilience. Steel is essential to energy technologies, transportation, and defense systems, as the materials that enable steel production (including metallurgical coal and anthracite) are vital to American interests.
“Metallurgical coal is more than a fuel—it is a cornerstone of our industrial base,” said Secretary Wright. “By designating metallurgical coal as a critical material, we are ensuring that American steel, generated by American coal, remains the backbone of our manufacturing sector.”
Why Coal Qualifies as a Critical Material:
Metallurgical coal possesses unique properties necessary for producing coke, the fuel and reactant required for steel production using the blast furnace–basic oxygen furnace method.
Anthracite coal, concentrated in the Appalachian region, plays a key role in the electric arc furnace method, which accounts for approximately 70% of domestic steel production.
The U.S. coal industry provides reliable, domestically sourced metallurgical and anthracite coal essential to supporting both steelmaking processes.
There are over 150 metallurgical coal mines in the United States that employ tens of thousands of Americans.
Shared infrastructure and workforce supporting both thermal and metallurgical coal production are under strain from declining investment and operational capacity. Without intervention, this erosion will jeopardize domestic steel dominance.
The designation underscores the multiple threats facing the U.S. steel sector, including foreign anti-competitive practices, unreliable supply chains, and underinvestment in critical upstream materials. In accordance with the President’s proclamation on adjusting steel imports, this determination supports strategic supply chain development and reindustrialization efforts.
The designation of coal for steelmaking as a critical material is inclusive of its supply chain vulnerability and its indispensable role in the energy sector. Steel is a foundational component of U.S. energy infrastructure, from our pipelines to transmission towers, linked to national energy security.
Learn more about critical materials and view the Federal Register Notice, here.
Funding for New Zealand’s Ministry for Pacific Peoples (MPP) is set to be reduced by almost $36 million in Budget 2025.
This follows a cut of nearly $26 million in the 2024 budget.
As part of these budgetary savings, the Tauola Business Fund will be closed. But, $6.3 million a year will remain to support Pacific economic and business development through the Pacific Business Trust and Pacific Business Village.
The Budget cuts also affect the Tupu Aotearoa programme, which supports Pacific people in finding employment and training, alongside the Ministry of Social Development’s employment initiatives.
While $5.25 million a year will still fund the programme, a total of $22 million a year has been cut over the last four years.
The ministry will save almost $1 million by returning funding allocated for the Dawn Raids reconciliation programme from 2027/28 onwards.
There are two years of limited funding left to complete the ministry Dawn Raids programmes, which support the Crown’s reconciliation efforts.
Funding for Pasifika Wardens Despite these reductions, a new initiative providing funding for Pasifika Wardens will introduce $1 million of new spending over the next four years.
The initiative will improve services to Pacific communities through capacity building, volunteer training, transportation, and enhanced administrative support.
Funding for the National Fale Malae has ceased, as only $2.7 million of the allocated $10 million has been spent since funding was granted in Budget 2020.
The remaining $6.6 million will be reprioritised over the next two years to address other priorities within the Arts, Culture and Heritage portfolio, including the National Music Centre.
Foreign Affairs funding for the International Development Cooperation (IDC) projects, particularly focussed on the Pacific, is also affected. The IDC received an $800 million commitment in 2021 from the Labour government.
The funding was time-limited, leading to a $200 million annual fiscal cliff starting in January 2026.
Budget 2025 aims to mitigate this impact by providing ongoing, baselined funding of $100 million a year to cover half of the shortfall. An additional $5 million will address a $10 million annual shortfall in departmental funding.
Support for IDC projects The new funding will support IDC projects, emphasising the Pacific region without being exclusively aimed at climate finance objectives. Overall, $367.5 million will be allocated to the IDC over four years.
Finance Minister Nicola Willis said the Budget addressed a prominent fiscal cliff, especially concerning climate finance.
“The Budget addresses this, at least in part, through ongoing, baselined funding of $100 million a year, focused on the Pacific,” she said in her Budget speech.
“Members will not be surprised to know that the Minister of Foreign Affairs has made a case for more funding, and this will be looked at in future Budgets.”
More funding has been allocated for new homework and tutoring services for learners in Years nine and 10 at schools with at least 50 percent Pacific students to meet the requirements for the National Certificate of Educational Achievement (NCEA).
About 50 schools across New Zealand are expected to benefit from the initiative, which will receive nearly $7 million over the next four years, having been reprioritised from funding for the Pacific Education Programme.
As a result, funding will be stopped for three programmes aimed at supporting Tu’u Mālohi, Pacific Reading Together and Developing Mathematical Inquiry Communities.
Republished from Pacific Media Network News with permission.
