World News – Page 2 – MIL-OSI Export

By Finau Fonua, ABC

Tongans have been barred from short-term visits to the US under new restrictions. (AP: Rebecca Blackwell) AP / Rebecca Blackwell

Tongan citizen Lionel Funaki fears a United States policy of “collective punishment” has ended his dream of studying in Hawaii.

He is one of many in the Pacific Island nation grappling with the Trump administration’s new travel restrictions affecting Tongan nationals.

Under new immigration restrictions that came into effect on 1 January, the US has suspended issuing visas to Tongans for short-term visits, tourism and business purposes.

Lionel Funaki studied at a university in the US state of Hawaii. Supplied / Lionel Funaki

Only two weeks after the new rules came into effect, the US State Department, in a separate measure, also said it would suspend processing immigrant visas for people from 75 countries including Fiji.

Funaki, who is based in Tonga and used to study in Hawaii at Brigham Young University, said he was saddened by the new measures imposed on Tongan nationals.

“I was looking forward to continuing my educational journey, but unfortunately, that now looms in limbo,” he said.

“I understand that in the name of national security and the interests of the United States, certain measures have to be made, but collective punishment seems to be a bit extreme.”

Tonga was named alongside 20 other countries in a round of full and partial travel restrictions imposed in December by the Trump administration, as it continued its sweeping immigration crackdown.

The White House said it included Tonga on the list due to the high number of its nationals – about 14 percent – who overstayed their visas.

It also said Tonga had unreliable civil documents and criminal records, lacked birth registration systems, and that its government had refused to share data and repatriate deportees.

“I would tell everyone that America is a land of hospitality, we love to have visitors – but they have to come here legally,” US Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said in a November press conference.

“When they’re done visiting, then they need to go home.”

Donald Trump’s broad immigration crackdown has reached across the United States. (Reuters: Evelyn Hockstein) Reuters / Evelyn Hockstein

In a December statement, US President Donald Trump said countries listed for the new travel restrictions had failed to address concerns raised by his administration about their screening, vetting, and the information they provided about their citizens.

“Such countries warrant continued or new travel restrictions,” he said.

Restrictions stir frustrations in Tonga

The US travel restrictions have caused frustrations in Tonga, which has a large diaspora of citizens living in states such as Utah, Hawaii and San Francisco.

About 78,000 people of Tongan heritage were living in the US during the most recent census in 2020, and many regularly travel between the countries.

The diaspora in the US is an important part of Tonga’s economy, having long been the largest source of remittances to the Pacific nation.

The US has long been viewed as a “land of opportunity” for Tongans seeking education, wealth and a higher standard of living overseas.

“Since the 60s, most of the immigration was the result of Tongans coming through the Church of Jesus Christ [of] Latter-Day Saints,” said Tongan-born American citizen Semisi Fa’asolo, who lives in Phoenix, Arizona.

“It’s a pity that Tonga is experiencing this … there’s a possibility that Trump maybe cancels [the ban] so Tonga needs to step up its diplomacy.”

Experts have also warned that travel bans could pose problems for families hoping to visit US-based relatives on religious or cultural occasions, or to provide support.

The ABC approached newly elected Tongan Prime Minister Lord Fakafanua, but he declined to comment.

His predecessor, ‘Aisake Eke, was critical of travel restrictions while in office and signalled his government’s displeasure at a proposed ban last year, telling local media it was “unacceptable”.

It was a turn in relations nearly three years after Washington opened a new embassy in Tonga’s capital, Nuku’alofa – a move meant to symbolise that America was re-engaging with the Pacific.

Critics link ban to ICE arrests

Many in the US have also condemned the move, accusing the Trump administration of racism and of being motivated by anti-immigrant sentiment.

“We need not enact these draconian restrictions,” Hawaii state senator Jarrett Keohokalole said.

He said visa overstay rates among Tongans living in the US could instead be solved through diplomacy.

Jarrett Keohokalole has described the travel restrictions as “draconian”. Supplied

Senator Keohokalole said the new restrictions went overboard and came off the back of a Supreme Court ruling interpreted as empowering US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to racially profile suspects.

“They’re allowed to take into account a person’s skin colour … and speech in their investigations,” he said.

“Basically what the law now allows is for [ICE] agents to stop, investigate, detain, and potentially arrest anyone that they think resembles a Tongan national.”

ICE officers have ramped up arrests since Donald Trump returned to power last year. (AP: Alex Brandon) AP / Alex Brandon

The ABC approached the US government for comment.

Other critics have linked the US travel restrictions to the Trump administration’s controversial ramp-up in arrests of suspected illegal immigrants.

National Tongan American Society executive director Fahina Pasi said Mr Trump’s policies – enforced by ICE on streets around the US – had caused anxiety among the Tongan diaspora.

Fahina Pasi says some Tongans in the US are afraid to leave the country in case they are refused re-entry. (Supplied: National Tongan American Society) Supplied / National Tongan American Society

“Not too many people are travelling [overseas] for fear that something might happen … that immigration [officials] might not let them back in for whatever reasons they have,” Ms Pasi said.

“[Mr Trump is] very racist and is always trying to put people of colour down.”

Pasi said her organisation had been actively advising the community about their legal rights and protections against arrest by ICE personnel.

“What we tell our people is, ‘If you see some strange people coming to your door that look kind of fishy, don’t open your door,’” she said.

“Slide this red card under and the red card basically says, ‘Contact our attorney.

-ABC

– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

LiveNews: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/01/29/tongans-frustrated-with-trumps-collective-punishment-of-foreign-nationals/

January 29, 2026

US agents involved in Minneapolis shooting placed on leave – reports

Source: Radio New Zealand

A photo of Alex Pretti is displayed at a makeshift memorial in his honor in the area where he was shot dead by federal immigration agents in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on January 26, 2026. AFP / OCTAVIO JONES

At least two federal agents who were involved in Saturday’s fatal shooting of a US citizen in Minneapolis have been placed on administrative leave, two US media outlets say.

The Department of Homeland Security said the two immigration agents who discharged their weapons during the deadly encounter with Alex Pretti were put on leave as part of standard procedures, Fox News reported on Wednesday (Thursday NZT).

MS NOW earlier reported that agents involved in the shooting of Pretti were being put on leave, citing an unnamed source.

Representatives for DHS could not be immediately reached to confirm the reports.

Immigration agents on Saturday fired multiple shots at Pretti, an ICU nurse at a hospital for veterans. His death was the second fatal encounter between Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents and US citizens in Minnesota this month, sparked a national uproar.

US Customs and Border Protection has said it is reviewing the shooting.

More to come…

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January 29, 2026

Doing stretches in your warm-up? Don’t.

Source: Radio New Zealand

When Dr Paul Marshall, a sports and rehab research fellow from the University of Auckland, warms up before a tennis match, he plays some tennis.

No pretzel-like stretching. No weird movements. He might jog a lap or two of the court, and slowly increase the intensity of the warm-up hits, but that’s it, really.

“…I personally spend 20 to 30 minutes in the activity with a graded increase in activity so it starts quite light with small movement, progressing forward.”

Walking or a slow job is the ideal way to warm up for a faster, longer run.

Unsplash / Fellipe Ditadi

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“…when that first serve happens, I’m ready to go.”

If you’ve been on this planet for a few decades you’ve likely experienced a vast array of exercise fads. That includes warm-up theories that research over the last 20 to 30 years has proven to be wrong or misplaced.

“Back in the 80s, we used to encourage people often to stretch as part of their warm-up, that static stretching, so get up in the morning, do your stretches, get out for a run,” says Kirsten Davie, the president of Physiotherapy New Zealand, who also has a clinical practice in Wellington. By static stretching, she means a stretch that you hold for 20 or 30 seconds.

“Whereas, now we would be looking to walk around, get the blood flowing before you go out for a run, and when you come back from your run, you might take that opportunity to do some stretches at that time.”

And what about the theory of stretching as far as you can and pulsing it out four or five times? Definitely, don’t do that, according to Davie.

“…It’s pretty recognised now that we don’t want to stretch cold muscles.”

What is a good warm-up?

Research over the last 20 years indicates that warming up is literal, as in increasing your body temperature through movement, according to Marshall.

“…what we’ve looked at with regards to the warm-up is how changes in muscle temperature are directly linked in with explosive performance.”

Strong evidence suggests that a one degree Celsius increase in muscle temperature can increase performance by about 10 percent, he says.

“The way we can increase the temperature of a muscle is what you see in warm-ups are like rhythmic, continuous activities.”

“There might be some jogging, there might be a gradual increase in the intensity of the movement, so some sprinting type work, some game specific work you see, which is really good in the ball skills type sports, where there’s a requirement, you need to be on ball, whether it’s football, whether it’s in the rugby football codes.”

In other words, the warm-up you do should be specific to the sport or activity you are about to do.

When it comes to a gym workout or a boot camp-style strength class like F45, the philosophy is the same, says Brittany McNabb, an Auckland-based personal trainer.

“When a client is warming up, I always kind of remind them that what we’re doing at the start of the session is actually priming the body for movement…”

“…how can you get the muscles that you’re about to work, really activated?”

For example, this could look like doing a few slow and controlled bodyweight squats before you stack yourself with some dumbbells for weighted squats, says McNabb.

If you do group exercise, then you’ve probably noticed that most types – for example, BFT and F45 – will take you through a dynamic movement warm-up, gentle movements that mimic the exercises you are about to do.

Dynamic warm-ups ahead of a strength class could include doing the motion without weights.

123rf

So, stretching is bad?

No stretching is not bad, but it’s not a good idea to do it in your warmup. Marshall and Davie recommend doing static stretches following your workout.

Or, even better, dedicate days in your week between workouts or training sessions to stretching. This could include a pilates or yoga class or a tai chi session, according to Marshall.

“…passive stretching is actually fantastic to do after exercise to reduce that soreness.”

Strength training during your workout week is another piece that can prevent or limit the extent of injury from playing a sport, Marshall says.

Some research suggests that stretching can fatigue or momentarily weaken muscles. Davie is more cautious about framing stretching so negatively

“I wouldn’t say stretching damages muscles unless you overdo it.”

“So overdoing it is, doing stretches when you’re cold, overstretching to a point that you’re not comfortable.”

How did stretching come to be associated with warming up?

SL Benfica’s Angel Di Maria and Auckland City FC’s Haris Zeb at the FIFA Club World Cup in 2025.

photosport

It came about through what Marshall called “bread crumbs” of research, coupled with what felt like intuition – injury is caused by tight muscles, therefore stretching them will loosen everything up.

Over the years, other elements were added to the concept of the warm-up, including strength exercises. However, this was more about coaches and sport bodies theorising that to get people to do these things – stretching and strengthening – it was easiest to incorporate them into the warm up to make compliance easier, says Marshall.

However, as research has accumulated on what constitutes an effective warm-up, these ideas have changed. A major contributor to this was the development of the FIFA 11+ warm-up programme. Numerous studies show it can reduce injuries by more than 30 percent.

The warm-up programme starts with slow running exercises, followed by gentle strength, balance and plyometric exercises (explosive movements like jumping). This is followed by a series of medium to high-speed running exercises.

Research has also looked at rejigging the FIFA 11+, with a 2019 study finding that moving the second phase of the programme (strength, balance and plyometric exercises) following a game didn’t impact the injury prevention and performance benefits. Giving coaches and athletes more flexibility to complete the entire programme before or after play could increase compliance, according to the research paper.

There is no single authority on the ideal warmup, says Marshall. However, he points athletes and exercises towards resources on ACC’s website for evidence-based and sport-specific warmup ideas that can increase performance and potentially decrease injury risk.

– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

LiveNews: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/01/29/doing-stretches-in-your-warm-up-dont/

January 28, 2026

Democratic congresswoman Ilhan Omar sprayed by unknown substance during speech

Source: Radio New Zealand

A man is tackled after spraying an unknown substance at US Representative Ilhan Omar. AFP / Octavio Jones

US Democratic congresswoman Ilhan Omar has been targeted during a speech by a man who sprayed an unidentified liquid at her from a syringe before being tackled by security guards, according to an AFP journalist at the scene.

The man was led out of the premises as Omar, a frequent target of attacks by President Donald Trump, continued her speech saying “we will stay resilient in the face of whatever they might throw on us.”

The incident took place during a town hall in the US city of Minneapolis, where two US citizens have been killed this month in a violent anti-immigration crackdown, provoking growing unrest.

Omar had just finished calling for the Trump administration to reverse its current course when the attack occurred.

“ICE cannot be reformed, it cannot be rehabilitated. We must abolish ICE for good,” Omar said, to applause. “And (Department of Homeland Security) Secretary Kristi Noem must resign or face impeachment.”

After Omar uttered those words, a man sprang up from the front row, made a remark and sprayed the congresswoman, as security leapt to grab him. Omar raised a fist and stepped toward the attacker before returning to the podium.

After uttering a few expletives, and against her team’s vocal concerns that she should not continue, the congresswoman took the microphone.

“Here’s the reality that people like this ugly man don’t understand: We are Minnesota strong. And we will stay resilient in the face of whatever they might throw on us,” Omar said.

Earlier Tuesday, Trump blasted Omar and Somalia during a speech in Iowa, saying the Mogadishu-born congresswoman “comes from a country that’s a disaster.”

Trump has ordered 143 strikes against Somalia in his second term, according to US think tank New America, and has pulled back diplomatic relations, including recently stopping humanitarian aid.

– AFP

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January 28, 2026

Wētā FX scores BAFTA nomination for Avatar: Fire and Ash

Source: Radio New Zealand

Wētā FX’s visual effects work on Avatar: Fire and Ash has been nominated at the BAFTA Film Awards, alongside major contenders F1, How to Train Your Dragon and Frankenstein.

Directed by James Cameron, the film also received Academy Award nominations last week for best visual effects and best costume design, the latter by Wētā Workshop.

More than 1200 Wētā FX artists contributed to the project, delivering more than 90 percent of the film’s visual effects. Only about 11 seconds did not contain special effects.

Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) in Avatar: Fire and Ash.

Supplied / 20th Century Studios

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January 28, 2026

How YouTube filmmaker Rob Parsons helped the search for missing tourist Celine Cremer

Source: Radio New Zealand

A renewed search for Celine Cremer, more than two years after she disappeared in remote north-west Tasmania, has attracted international attention.

Many of the people who tuned in to the private search party’s efforts have done so through the action camera and smartphone lenses of Rob Parsons.

He calls himself a filmmaker, though some may know him as a YouTuber, who lives about two hours away from where the Belgian woman disappeared in June 2023.

Celine Cremer disappeared in June 2023.

Supplied/Facebook

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But in recent months, it is his videos documenting the wilderness where the 31-year-old tourist vanished that have made up for the bulk of views to his channel, and garnered widespread support.

A visitor to Tasmania disappears

Celine Cremer disappeared in June 2023 on a bushwalk at Philosopher Falls, near Waratah in Tasmania’s north-west, in wintry conditions police said were “not survivable”.

Despite a weeks-long search effort by emergency services, including with the use of a cadaver dog, they found no further trace of her at the time.

Over the next two-and-a-half years Cremer’s loved ones started organising a private search.

During that period, Parsons was travelling to the area and filming his own search efforts.

A five-day search took place in mid-December.

Although the stated goal of finding Cremer’s remains was unsuccessful, finding her mobile phone was a significant breakthrough.

The discovery was a vindication for Parsons, who had stirred such interest in the case online that outdoor enthusiasts travelled from across Australia to volunteer their time and expertise for the search.

Ken Gamble says his objective has been to try and give closure to Ms Cremer’s family.

ABC News

Building a following through exploring wilderness

Parsons started filming his ventures into Tasmania’s wilderness about six years ago while working at his family grocery store on the north-west coast.

He began researching areas of the Tasmanian wilderness that had been popular with gold prospectors in previous decades and centuries, which he said had never been recorded or shared online.

“It was a void I was glad to fill,” he said.

Without significant outdoor experience beforehand, he said he was able to begin making an income from documenting his wilderness experiences online.

“It was a massive leap, and it took a lot of focus and commitment,” he said.

“And I’m so glad that it did, as it set me on a totally new trajectory for life.”

Although he publishes his videos on YouTube, Parsons shies away from the term ‘YouTuber’ as he does not want to be associated with social media influencers.

“I consider influencers people of lesser talent,” he said.

“At least with ‘filmmaker’, it’s like, well, this is my skill.”

Joining forces with a private investigator

With that skill, and an interest in unusual stories and unanswered questions, Parsons connected with the private investigator Ken Gamble, seeking Cremer’s phone data, in 2024.

Gamble had been given access to Cremer’s online accounts by her family, after her friends had sought him out while he was investigating the disappearance of another Belgian tourist — 18-year-old Theo Hayez — who went missing from Byron Bay in New South Wales.

Gamble provided Parsons with the data, as he knew about the filmmaker’s interest in the case, and they appeared set on reaching the same goal.

Gamble said that the two cases were “strikingly similar” in how Cremer and Hayez had both left a trail of GPS coordinates from their phones, which proved vital to search efforts.

And that data became the hook of the first video Parsons published on Cremer’s disappearance, which as at the time of writing had more than 900,000 views on YouTube.

Gamble said he was initially surprised Parsons published that video, as he did not expect the phone data to be a part of any filmmaking.

But, he said, the data being made public was ultimately a good thing if it painted a clearer picture of where Cremer had disappeared.

And, Gamble said, Cremer’s family was supportive of Parsons’ efforts, which is highlighted across social media as her friends and loved ones shared his posts and videos.

Ken Gamble holding Ms Cremer’s phone after it was found by a volunteer who was part of the private search in December.

Australian Story: Morgan Timms

A volunteer army makes an incredible discovery

And that awareness led to a large contingent of volunteers putting their hands up to invest their own time and money to be a part of the search.

The day before the search, some of those volunteers spoke to the ABC and singled out Parsons’ YouTube channel as the reason they had travelled — in some cases thousands of kilometres — to Waratah.

But, to ensure safety and minimise distraction, Gamble separated the search party into two groups.

Parsons, intending to film his involvement, was in one group with Cremer’s friends and his father.

Gamble led a second group of about 30 volunteers with a broad range of expertise in wilderness searching, including Tony Hage, the man who found the phone.

And it’s agreed by those involved in the search, the phone would not have been found without the sheer number of people who volunteered in response to the YouTube videos.

“It was really heartwarming,” Parsons said.

“I knew that as soon as we got the numbers in there, that something big was going to happen.

Rob Parsons with friends of Ms Cremer’s who travelled from Belgium to take part in the December search.

Rob Parsons/ABC

Responding to criticism

Despite the outpouring of support from the volunteers and ongoing praise shared on social media, Parsons is aware of a small number voicing scepticism about his involvement.

He was asked what he makes of people who think he is using the tragedy to build an online following.

“I feel sorry for people who think that way,” he said.

“There’s just a certain percentage of the world that when it comes to online stuff you just need to ignore.”

Similarly, Gamble knows that some may be cynical about private investigators and believes the successes of the search may change some minds.

“There are unfortunately people out there in this profession that aren’t very professional,” he said.

“But I think that we have a reputation, we have been around a long time.

“I knew that if we do this properly, we have got a high chance of success.”

And, he says, his business took on Cremer’s case on a pro-bono basis — free of charge — but not because he expected it to attract widespread attention.

The future of the search

Weeks on from the search, both men have returned to their versions of normality, but the search for Cremer is never far from their minds.

Tasmania Police is doing forensic tests on her phone, as well as on a garbage bag and water bottle discovered during the search that may have belonged to her.

Parsons has published three videos about what was found during that week to his YouTube channel, which have racked up more than half-a-million views so far.

And Gamble said the WhatsApp group set up among the search volunteers continued to be updated regularly as efforts continue to find more clues about where Cremer went.

In recent posts in the private Facebook group dedicated to the search for Cremer, other members also continue to share ideas and document their own efforts.

Parsons recently shared a photo of a wilderness campsite, updating those following that “the search hasn’t gone quiet”.

“We’re back into it, and we’re pushing deeper,” he said.

In the comments and elsewhere on social media, people continue to praise his efforts.

Cremer’s mother, Ariane, posted a simple message on her own social media.

“Thank you, Rob Parsons,” she wrote.

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January 28, 2026

Nigella Lawson to replace Prue Leith on ‘The Great British Bake Off’

Source: Radio New Zealand

The move was announced Monday in a statement from Channel 4, which airs the TV baking competition in the United Kingdom.

It said it was “delighted to announce” Lawson’s arrival on the show, which airs on TVNZ+ in New Zealand.

“Nigella’s expertise, empathy and humour are the perfect ingredients for the Bake Off tent,” the statement reads.

Lawson said in the same statement that she is “bubbling with excitement” to take up the role, while acknowledging that it is “daunting to be following in the footsteps of Prue Leith and Mary Berry before her, great dames both”.

“The Great British Bake Off is more than a television programme, it’s a National Treasure – and it’s a huge honour to be entrusted with it,” she added.

Leith said she is “thrilled” that Lawson will take over her role as a judge.

“She’s sassy, fun and she knows her onions — and her croissants, cake and crumble,” she said in the statement.

Lawson, age 66, is herself something of a national treasure in the UK, where she is known to many simply as “Nigella” and credited with bringing new audiences to the world of cooking shows thanks to her flirtatious manner.

Born in London, she is the daughter of former Chancellor of the Exchequer — or finance minister — Nigel Lawson.

After studying at Oxford University, she began her career in publishing before moving into media, writing restaurant columns.

Lawson went on to contribute to various UK newspapers before writing books.

In 1998, she brought out How to Eat, in which she described how food was one of her earliest loves.

Lawson went on to release a string of other successful cookbooks as well as to host numerous cooking shows, such as Nigella Bites. She was also a judge on the ABC show The Taste.

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January 28, 2026

Sly Dunbar, legendary reggae drummer, dies aged 73

Source: Radio New Zealand

Jamaican drummer Sly Dunbar, one half of a legendary duo who played with reggae and rock giants from Lee “Scratch” Perry to Mick Jagger, has died at his home aged 73, Jamaica’s authorities announced.

Nicknamed “Sly and Robbie”, the rhythm section Dunbar formed with bassist Robbie Shakespeare, who died in 2021, backed some of reggae’s biggest names, including Black Uhuru, Wailers co-founder Peter Tosh and Gregory Isaacs.

Their talent also brought them into the orbit of singers such as Grace Jones and Madonna, as well as folk icon Bob Dylan, French crooner Serge Gainsbourg, and the Rolling Stones with whom they toured in the late 1970s.

As producers, the pair birthed some of the dance hall anthems of the 1990s, including the famous “Murder She Wrote” by Chaka Demus and Pliers.

“Sly was an architect of sound. Alongside Robbie Shakespeare, he established a foundation that defined the era of Reggae and Dancehall,” Jamaica’s Prime Minister Andrew Holness wrote on Instagram.

“Farewell, Sly Dunbar! Rest in peace!” wrote Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards on Facebook, posting a 1979 photo of himself standing beside the drummer.

Dunbar’s wife, Thelma, told Jamaican newspaper The Gleaner that she found Dunbar unresponsive on Monday morning, with doctors later pronouncing him dead.

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January 27, 2026

Kanye apologises for antisemitic remarks, says he was treated for bipolar disorder

Source: Radio New Zealand

American rapper and record producer Ye, formerly known as Kanye West, took out a full-page advertisement in the Wall Street Journal on Monday to apologise for antisemitic remarks that drew years of backlash.

“I lost touch with reality,” Ye wrote in the ad, attributing his behaviour to an undiagnosed brain injury and an untreated bipolar disorder.

“I regret and am deeply mortified by my actions in that state, and am committed to accountability, treatment and meaningful change. It does not excuse what I did, though. I am not a Nazi or an antisemite. I love Jewish people,” he added.

Ye also voiced regrets for past expressions of admiration for Adolf Hitler and the use of swastika imagery.

The Anti-Defamation League, which tracks antisemitism, issued a statement describing his apology as overdue and noting his prior antisemitic remarks.

“Ye’s apology to the Jewish people is long overdue and doesn’t automatically undo his long history of antisemitism – the antisemitic ‘Heil Hitler’ song he created, the hundreds of tweets, the swastikas and myriad Holocaust references – and all of the feelings of hurt and betrayal it caused,” an ADL spokesperson said in a statement to Reuters.

“The truest apology would be for him to not engage in antisemitic behaviour in the future. We wish him well on the road to recovery,” the statement added.

Ye’s next album, Bully, is due out on Friday, according to the Spotify website.

The rapper referred in the full-page ad to his struggles with his mood disorder over the years.

“Bipolar disorder comes with its own defense system. Denial. When you’re manic, you don’t think you’re sick. You think everyone else is overreacting. You feel like you’re seeing the world more clearly than ever, when in reality you’re losing your grip entirely,” he wrote.

Ye wrote that 25 years ago he was in a car accident that caused significant brain damage that he said wasn’t properly diagnosed until 2023. He added that the medical oversight caused mental health problems that led to his bipolar type-1 diagnosis.

The songwriter said that being in “a four-month-long manic episode of psychotic, paranoid and impulsive behaviour” in early 2025 destroyed his life.

Ye added that he “hit rock bottom a few months ago” and had thoughts of not wanting “to be here anymore”.

The ‘Gold Digger’ rapper also addressed the Black community with both appreciation and more apologies.

He said it was “unquestionably, the foundation of who I am. I am so sorry to have let you down. I love us”.

The ‘Stronger’ rapper previously said he was on the autism spectrum rather than having a bipolar disorder. However, looking through Reddit posts of other “manic” people helped him feel “not alone” and understand that he has a chronic mood disorder.

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January 27, 2026

‘Absolute disgrace’ to consider joining Trump’s ‘Board of Peace – Hipkins

Source: Radio New Zealand

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Labour Party leader Chris Hipkins. RNZ

Labour leader Chris Hipkins has labelled the government’s so-far refusal to rule out joining US President Donald Trump’s ‘Board of Peace’ an “absolute disgrace”.

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has been invited to join the new organisation, saying last week he would give it “due consideration” and on Tuesday confirming it was still a possibility.

Invites have gone out to dozens of world leaders, including those of Russia, its ally Belarus and Saudi Arabia. No invites went to any countries in Sub-Saharan Africa, Canada’s invite was withdrawn, and several Western nations – including France, Germany, Spain, the UK, Sweden, Ireland and Italy – have said ‘no thanks’, some fearing it was intended as a replacement for the United Nations.

The Board of Peace will be chaired by Trump, according to its founding charter. It claims to be “an international organisation that seeks to promote stability, restore dependable and lawful governance, and secure enduring peace in areas affected or threatened by conflict”.

Hipkins told Morning Report on Tuesday joining it would not be considered under a Labour-led government.

“It’s going to have people like [Russian President] Vladimir Putin on it. The idea that New Zealand would even consider being part of that would be an absolute embarrassment and an absolute disgrace on New Zealand.”

Putin – generally considered an autocrat – has led Russia through its war with neighbouring Ukraine, which began with the annexation of Crimea in 2014 and ramped up with the full-scale invasion of 2022.

Trump has threatened to impose tariffs on countries whose leaders decline to join the Board of Peace. Hipkins said any threat of tariffs on New Zealand for not joining would not sway him.

“Donald Trump does not respect anybody who just simply sucks up to him. He doesn’t respect anybody else, regardless.

“New Zealand has to be principled, we have to be consistent. We have a very strong reputation around the world for being consistent and principled in our foreign policy – all of that is being thrown away by this government.”

Christopher Luxon with Donald Trump. Supplied / Christopher Luxon via X

Asked for an update on Tuesday, Luxon said New Zealand was still considering its invitation and the accompanying charter.

“There’s a whole range of things that we just need to work through and really understand what it’s actually there to achieve,” Luxon said. “Can we make a difference? What value can we add? That’s where our focus is. So we’ll have those conversations and consider everything.”

Hipkins said New Zealand needed to be “a bit more nimble and more fleet-footed” in its diplomacy “in an environment where those big international organisations are struggling to bring countries together”.

“So countries like Canada, Australia, the UK, many European countries, and many countries in our own neighbourhood that we can work with, and we should focus on the areas where we can work with them and really get some momentum behind that.”

Trump recently outraged allies and friends by suggesting their troops did not pull their weight in Afghanistan. Late last week, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer called the remarks “insulting and frankly appalling”.

Luxon called them “incredibly disrespectful and wrong”. Speaking to media, Luxon said New Zealand sent 3500 troops to Afghanistan and lost 10 lives.

“I thought it was incredibly disrespectful,” Luxon said. “It’s up to him to work out whether he wants to apologise. What I want the New Zealand Defence Force and veterans to know is that they are deeply cared for and deeply supported, and we are very grateful for their service to our country.”

Minneapolis protests and deaths

As for the Trump administration’s violent intervention in Minneapolis, during which agents have killed two civilians – one an ICU nurse, the other an unarmed mother-of-three – Hipkins said it was “absolutely disgraceful”.

No one has been charged over the killings, both of which were caught on camera, video evidence contradicting statements by federal government officials.

“Under Labour, New Zealand will be consistent in our foreign policy. So where we criticise other countries who we also have constructive working relationships with, when they violate human rights, we should criticise the United States when they violate people’s human rights,” Hipkins said.

He called immigration officers’ actions in Minneapolis a “violation of people’s human rights”.

Winston Peters ’embarrassing’ – Hipkins

Hipkins also said it was “embarrassing” to hear Winston Peters – former deputy prime minister and present foreign minister – question the usefulness of the World Health Organization and New Zealand’s funding of it.

“You’ve got the minister of foreign affairs out in the world saying that we’re going to pull out of the World Health Organization, constantly sending contradictory messages to what our prime minister is saying. That’s embarrassing for New Zealand,” he told Morning Report.

Hipkins said Labour would “absolutely not” pull New Zealand from the WHO. Former foreign minister Phil Goff on Monday said it cost New Zealand a little more than $2m a year to be a part of the WHO.

Foreign Minister Winston Peters. RNZ / Mark Papalii

Hipkins said Luxon was a “total pushover” in setting up the coalition with ACT and NZ First (Peters’ party).

“He signed National up to supporting things that only weeks earlier he had been very clear with the New Zealand public the National Party would not support. I think that’s a betrayal of the people who voted for him.”

Luxon said he would never consider pulling New Zealand out of the WHO because of the “great value” it provides.

“If you think about the work that we do together in the Pacific, particularly. If I think about the work that was done in measles around Samoa, there’s some really good value the World Health Organisation provides.

“We spend anywhere from $1.5 million to $4 million a year in partnership with them. They do some amazing work.

“But equally, as I’ve said, right from the beginning, there’s a need for our… global institutions, to continue to innovate, to overhaul, to make sure they are focused, they’re efficient and they’re effective.”

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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

LiveNews: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/01/27/absolute-disgrace-to-consider-joining-trumps-board-of-peace-hipkins/

January 26, 2026

Obama’s former speechwriter says Trump’s actions are all about his legacy

Source: Radio New Zealand

America has pulled out of the World Health Organisation as Donald Trump continues to reshape the world order.

It comes as he threatens to slap Canada with a 100 percent tariff if it does a trade deal with China and as NATO still reels from his demands to take Greenland.

Barack Obama’s former speechwriter and host of the podcast Pod Save America Jon Favreau, told RNZ that Trump’s actions were now driven by a desire to leave a legacy.

Favreau told Midday Report’s Guyon Espiner that he had been surprised by how easily Trump had disrupted the world order, as very few people stood up to him.

“I think the framers of the Constitution, the one thing they didn’t really count on was this sort of extreme polarisation and the idea that one party would just decide to give up on providing any kind of check on the president’s power,” he said.

“I think if we were to ascribe some kind of strategy to Trump – and again, I hesitate to do that – I do think he’s someone who he wants to dominate other people. He wants more land, more money, more everything.

“You can tell now he’s sort of looking for this legacy, and he believes his legacy is, how much territory he has and, how many people can be made to respect him and bow down to him.

“It’s not dissimilar to other authoritarian leaders, both around the world right now and throughout history. It is the same mindset that also becomes a political programme, whether it is conscious or not.”

Favreau also said he was concerned that the Five Eyes intelligence sharing network – which New Zealand is part of – was at risk under Trump’s second term in power.

This White House handout photo shows US President Barack Obama meeting with Director of Speechwriting Jon Favreau in the Oval Office of the White House to review a speech, on April 14, 2009. PETE SOUZA / AFP / WHITE HOUSE

However, he believed that within US agencies, there were people who were not beholden to Trump.

“I think that once you get a couple levels down in the administration and the federal government here, you still have career people.

“I think especially in the intelligence agencies and the Defence Department and the State Department, if they haven’t been purged yet, who are professionals.

“I do worry about… we have a national intelligence director and a CIA director and a secretary of state… who are all very, very loyal to Trump and would never cross him. But I do think once you get a couple levels down, you do have people who are still more loyal to the Constitution and the global order than they are to the personal whims of one president.”

US President Donald Trump. Mandel Ngan/AFP/Getty Images via CNN Newsource

Regarding the 2026 mid-term elections in the United States, Favreau was confident they were not under threat.

“I think they will happen, partly because in our system, the federal government does not run or control the elections. They are controlled by the states that they’re in.

“But my concern is less that the midterm elections won’t happen. It is that the midterm elections do happen. It is a polarised environment. We have close elections here already. And if control of the House or control of the Senate comes down to a couple districts or a state or two where it’s very close, then you see the federal government potentially stepping in and trying to say, the vote was rigged or this or that.

“So I worry more about what happens after the election than whether the election occurs. I think that if the Democrats do win the House, then Trump never passes another law again. So that is one way to check his power.

“I also think they can start to not just hold hearings, but and subpoena Trump officials to come testify, but also subpoena documents. So I think that could check his power and hold the Trump administration accountable in some way.”

If the Democrats win the Senate, Favreau said, they could prevent the President from nominating and confirming more judges.

“You can slow him down, I think, in the midterms if Democrats are successful in the midterms. And I actually do think that is, it’s quite meaningful and quite necessary. So, but I don’t think it’s a cure-all. I think that comes in 2028. And we have to win that election for sure.”

Favreau’s podcast, Pod Save America, reaches more than 1.5 million listeners per episode on average.

He said the conversational format was what attracted audiences.

“You have more time. There’s more time for nuance and subtlety, and to sort of dissect complex issues and to have sort of complex views on different issues.”

Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.

– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

LiveNews: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/01/26/obamas-former-speechwriter-says-trumps-actions-are-all-about-his-legacy/

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