Former Wellington mayor Tory Whanau has transitioned back into the political sphere, this time taking on a strategic role within the Victorian Greens in Australia. After serving as the mayor of New Zealand’s capital and leading the New Zealand Greens’ parliamentary office for six years, Whanau has confirmed her move to Melbourne to focus on … Read more
Sir Hirini Moko Mead, a towering figure in Māori academia, leadership and cultural advocacy, has passed away at the age of 99. A descendant of Ngāti Awa, Ngāti Tūwharetoa, Ngāi Tūhoe, and Tūhourangi, Sir Hirini leaves behind a legacy that fundamentally reshaped the landscape of tertiary education and cultural recognition in Aotearoa. Throughout his prolific … Read more
The Dark Side of Corporate Ambition: Lessons from the Yoozoo Games Tragedy The execution of Xu Yao, the lawyer who orchestrated the chilling murder of billionaire gaming tycoon Lin Qi, marks a grim end to a saga that felt ripped from a Hollywood script. While the case centers on a horrific act of betrayal, it … Read more
The Globalization of Gang Violence: A New Frontier in Transnational Crime The recent brazen assassination of a “Coconut Cartel” leader in Ho Chi Minh City has sent shockwaves through international law enforcement. This incident is not an isolated case of local violence; it represents a chilling evolution in how organized crime syndicates operate across borders. … Read more
The Rural Connectivity Paradox: Is Starlink Creating a Digital Monopoly? For years, rural communities have battled the “digital divide,” often relying on slow, expensive, and unreliable legacy copper networks. The arrival of Low-Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite providers like Starlink felt like a technological liberation, offering high-speed internet to the most remote farms and households. However, … Read more
The Digital Frontier of Harm: Why Online Safety Laws Are Failing The case of Kenneth Law, the Canadian man who facilitated hundreds of suicides globally through online forums, has exposed a harrowing “legal gap” in how modern justice systems handle digital crime. As the internet evolves into a space where physical harm can be exported … Read more
West Papuan Activist Targeted by AI-Generated Disinformation Campaign Koteka Wenda, a West Papuan independence activist, says AI-generated fake footage of her and her words is being used to spread disinformation on social media. West Papuan activist AI deepfake body language analysis Wenda, who is based in the Netherlands and is the daughter of United Liberation … Read more
The Geopolitics of Energy: Why the Strait of Hormuz Remains the World’s Most Volatile Chokepoint The global economy effectively runs on a thin, liquid thread. When tensions flare in the Strait of Hormuz—the narrow waterway through which a significant portion of the world’s oil transits—the ripple effects are felt instantly from gas pumps in the … Read more
An Indonesian documentary film investigating the social and environmental consequences of land seizures in West Papua has become the center of a mounting confrontation between filmmakers and state authorities. The film, titled Pesta Babi, explores the impact of large-scale agri-business ventures and the involvement of the Indonesian military in the region. Director Dandhy Laksono reports … Read more
The Evolution of the Living Room: Why Your Next TV Will Be an AI-Powered Hub For two decades, the television has transitioned from a simple “black box” for broadcast signals to the sophisticated centerpiece of the modern smart home. As Samsung recently marked its 20th consecutive year as the global leader in the TV market, … Read more