AM Edition: Top 10 Politics Articles on LiveNews.co.nz for October 25, 2026 – Full Text

Source: Palestine Forum of New Zealand

Famine does not always begin with a failed harvest or a natural disaster. It can begin with decisions: decisions to restrict food, obstruct humanitarian assistance, destroy essential infrastructure and deny a population access to the necessities of life.

The situation in Gaza demands that the international community confront an urgent question: when the means of survival are systematically undermined, can hunger still be treated as an unavoidable consequence of war?

The deliberate use of starvation against civilians is prohibited under international humanitarian law. Food, water, medicine and humanitarian assistance must never be used as instruments of collective punishment, coercion or political leverage.

The destruction of agricultural land, food production facilities, water systems, bakeries and other essential infrastructure, combined with restrictions on humanitarian access, can devastate a population’s ability to sustain itself. Where such deprivation is deliberately imposed or knowingly maintained in violation of international law, responsibility and accountability must follow.

For Palestinians in Gaza, this is not an abstract debate. It is a daily struggle for food, clean water, medical care and survival.

The Palestine Forum of New Zealand calls on the New Zealand Government to:

• Demand sustained humanitarian access and the delivery of sufficient food, water, medicine and other essential supplies into Gaza.
• Press for an end to policies and actions that unlawfully deprive civilians of the necessities of life.
• Support independent investigations and accountability for violations of international humanitarian law.
• Pursue meaningful diplomatic and economic measures, consistent with international law, to prevent further atrocities.
• Work with international partners to ensure civilian protection and a just and lasting peace grounded in Palestinian self-determination.

Humanitarian concern without effective action is not enough. Governments must use the diplomatic, legal and economic tools available to them to protect civilian life and uphold international law.

Famine must never become a weapon. Palestinian survival must never be a bargaining chip.

The Palestine Forum of New Zealand stands for justice, human rights, accountability and the right of the Palestinian people to live in freedom, dignity and security.

We remember, we resist, we remain.

Source: Médecins Sans Frontières/Doctors Without Borders (MSF)

Bujumbura, 22 October 2026 – More than ten months after tens of thousands of Congolese refugees arrived at the Busuma camp in eastern Burundi, living conditions remain extremely precarious, and many refugees say they would rather return to the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) than remain in the camp. Médecins Sans Frontières/Doctors Without Borders (MSF) is extremely concerned that conditions could deteriorate further, as several humanitarian organisations operating in the camp risk running out of funding in the coming weeks.

“It feels as though we are goats tied to a stake and left there to graze,” says Ibonge Alinoti, who arrived in Busuma in December 2025 after fleeing clashes near Uvira, in the DRC. “I thought I would be able to go home in April, but we are still in this camp where everything is in short supply. We are suffering so much.”

Since April, more than 20,000 refugees have returned to the DRC under a United Nations-run voluntary return programme to areas considered safe. However, around 35,000 people still live in Busuma, where the lack of available humanitarian funds is exacerbating an already critical situation.

“Due to insufficient funding, food and cash distributions have been repeatedly scaled back, and shelter needs remain enormous. The shelters built at the beginning of the crisis have a lifespan of just six months and are deteriorating as the rainy season started,” warns Ouo-ouo Sakouvogui, MSF’s emergency response coordinator at the camp. “If nothing changes, the situation could once again become extremely critical.”

The future of the humanitarian response is also a major cause for concern. Several organisations operating in Busuma have funding commitments only until the end of 2026, while some have no funding secured beyond October 2026.

“Despite efforts by the authorities and the United Nations to mobilise donors, widespread funding cuts are a reality. There is a real risk that several humanitarian organisations will be forced to withdraw as early as the beginning of 2027, despite massive needs,” warns Adélaïde Ouabo, MSF’s programmes coordinator in Burundi.

Living conditions put refugees’ health at risk

Although emergency interventions in early 2026 helped improve sanitary conditions and bring cholera and measles outbreaks under control, refugees’ living conditions remain extremely precarious. In September, there was just one latrine for every 119 people and one shower for every 242 people in the camp.

“Cases of waterborne diseases declined during the dry season, but the rainy season, against a backdrop of El Niño-related forecasts, could change that,” says Ouo-ouo Sakouvogui.

Medical needs also remain extremely high. Between July and September, MSF teams conducted more than 12,000 outpatient consultations in the camp and the surrounding host community, particularly for respiratory and intestinal infections. More than 300 people also received more specialised medical care.

Psychological distress is particularly concerning. MSF teams are seeing a high demand for mental health support, driven by the violence people experienced in the DRC, their flight from home, their losses and the deteriorating living conditions in Busuma.

“Many people are deeply desperate. Aid is dwindling, while some people do not even have a tarpaulin or a blanket to protect themselves. We are seeing depression, anxiety, psychosis and post-traumatic stress disorder,” explains Vanessa Niyonizigiye, an MSF clinical psychologist working in the camp. “The needs are truly enormous.”

Asiya Bipemaju arrived in Busuma after fleeing the DRC in mid-December 2025. She now shares a shelter with 14 other refugees.

“We fled, leaving everything behind, only to arrive here and face cholera, infections and people dying around us. Now we are struggling to sleep and feed our children. All these problems are weighing heavily on me. Honestly, I am overwhelmed. I want to go home.”

Returning to the DRC despite the risks

Like Asiya, many refugees say they want to return to the DRC, despite the volatile security situation. For some, conditions in Busuma have become so difficult that returning home seems preferable to remaining indefinitely in the camp.

“We simply do not want to stay here. There is too much suffering and not enough aid. We do not want money; we just want to leave,” says Ibonge Alinoti. “I have already fled violence three or four times in the Congo. If it happens again, we will flee again.”

“The people of Busuma cannot go on living in such conditions,” stresses Adélaïde Ouabo. “It is unacceptable that refugees should feel they would rather risk their lives than remain in a camp that is supposed to protect and support them. This situation is a wake-up call that demands urgent action.”

MSF is an international, medical, humanitarian organisation that delivers medical care to people in need, regardless of their origin, religion, or political affiliation. MSF Australia was established in 1995 and is one of 24 international MSF sections committed to delivering medical humanitarian assistance to people in crisis. Every year more than 120 Australians and New Zealanders go on assignment with Médecins Sans Frontières working as: doctors, midwives, psychologists, laboratory technicians, human resource/finance coordinators, pharmacists, mental health specialists and logisticians. MSF delivers medical care based on need alone and operates independently of government, religion or economic influence and irrespective of race, religion or gender. For more information visit https://msf.org.au

HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach Newswire – 21 October 2026 – To mark the annual World Sight Day, international sight-saving organization Orbis, in partnership with the Hong Kong Ophthalmological Society (HKOS), Southern District Office, and Southern District Services & Community Care Teams (Southern District Care Teams), held the “World Sight Day: Southern District Eye Care Day” at Wah Kwai Community Hall in Aberdeen. Combining medical expertise, government administrative support, and local district networks, the event featured interactive sensory games, medical seminars, and in-depth eye screening to promote eye disease prevention and early screening for underprivileged seniors.

Intergenerational Care: The Earlier the Eye Protection, The Better – “When Vision Fades, It’s Already Too Late”

Eyes are the windows to the soul, and good vision is key to maintaining quality of life and dignity for seniors. Clear vision allows everyone to live life to the fullest. Yet, many local seniors dismiss deteriorating vision as an inevitable sign of aging and choose to endure it. As early-stage eye diseases are often painless and asymptomatic, by the time seniors experience noticeable blurriness or vision impairment, they have often missed the golden window for effective treatment.

On World Sight Day, the message from organizers was clear: caring for aging eyes is a shared family responsibility. Through twin themes of “Intergenerational Care” and “Early Screening, Early Control,” they called on younger generations to accompany their elderly loved ones on the journey to better vision. Eye care should never be put off until problems arise. A gentle word of concern, a thoughtful reminder, or simply offering to accompany parents to an eye exam could be the very thing that catches a silent disease early and protects seniors’ clarity, confidence, and quality of life.

Three Key Program Highlights: From Interactive Sensory Games to In-Depth Eye Screening

The full-day event offered a comprehensive eye care experience:

• Interactive Sensory Games: Featured 5 interactive eye care booths (including AR eye disease simulation and Braille challenges), allowing residents and young caregivers to experience visual challenges faced by seniors firsthand while learning eye care knowledge.
• Professional Medical Seminars: 3 specialized seminars hosted by HKOS specialist ophthalmologists unraveled “silent vision thieves” like cataracts, glaucoma, and macular degeneration in accessible terms, attracting over 500 seniors and caregivers.
• In-Depth Eye Screening: On-site HKOS specialist ophthalmologists provided free Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) scans and diagnostic consultations to 120 underprivileged seniors from the Southern District, issuing specialist referral letters to cases requiring further medical follow-up.

Quotes from Officiating Guests

Ms. Sandy CHEUNG, JP, District Officer (Southern)

“The Southern District Office has always been committed to bringing together government, charitable organizations, and community forces to serve residents. We are delighted to coordinate the Southern District Care Team, partnering with Orbis and the Hong Kong Ophthalmological Society to bring top-tier eye care resources directly to Wah Kwai Estate for free screenings for local seniors. The Care Team will continue to leverage its community network to care for the physical and mental well-being of the elderly.”

Ms. Kathleen SHERWIN, President & Chief Executive Officer of Orbis International

“For over 40 years, Orbis has firmly believed that cross-sector collaboration is key to preventing and treating avoidable blindness. Hong Kong has always been a vital global hub for Orbis. As a centerpiece of Orbis’s World Sight Day community initiatives, this event aims to promote ‘Intergenerational Care’ and encourage the younger generation to actively care for their elders’ eye health.”

Prof. YAM Cheuk Sing, Jason, President of Hong Kong Ophthalmological Society

“Common elderly eye conditions such as cataracts, glaucoma, and macular degeneration often develop silently in their early stages. By the time seniors notice blurred vision, irreversible vision damage may already have occurred. HKOS is honored to mobilize specialist ophthalmologists into the community to conduct screenings, putting the medical philosophy of ‘Early Screening, Early Control’ into practice.”

Ms. HUI Sze Man, Orbis “Sight Ambassador” & Senior Artiste

“Having had cataract surgery myself, I was fortunate that my habit of regular eye checkups allowed me to recover my vision completely post-surgery! My five grandchildren are always caring for my eyes. I strongly urge fellow seniors not to endure vision problems silently, and encourage the younger generation to show more care by taking their elders for regular eye checkups!”

Cross-Sector Unity to Achieve “Early Screening, Early Control”

The event featured a simple yet solemn kick-off ceremony. Officiating guests affixed colorful “E” chart props onto a giant eye chart backdrop, symbolizing the four-party partnership across government, medical, charitable, and district sectors, uniting to restore clear vision to Southern District seniors. This was followed by a mass photo op with over a hundred seniors and family members holding eye care props and chanting slogans in a warm, enthusiastic atmosphere.

Photo Captions

Photo 1 (Joint Kick-off Ceremony): Ms. Kathleen SHERWIN, President & CEO of Orbis International (right 3); Ms. Sandy CHEUNG, JP, District Officer (Southern) (left 3); Prof. YAM Cheuk Sing, Jason, President of HKOS (right 1); Ms. LAM Yuk-chin, BBS, MH, Representative of the Southern District Care Team (left 2); Ms. Mary LAU, Executive Director of Orbis Hong Kong (right 2); and Ms. HUI Sze Man, Orbis “Sight Ambassador” (left 1) officiate the “World Sight Day Senior Eye Care Action” launch ceremony by placing colorful “E” props on a giant eye chart.

Photo 2 (Mass Intergenerational Group Photo): Officiating guests pose with nearly 160 Southern District seniors, residents, and family members, holding eye care props and calling for “Early Screening, Early Control” and promoting “Intergenerational Care”.

Photo 3 (Free Specialist Eye Screening): HKOS specialist ophthalmologists provide free comprehensive consultations and OCT scan evaluations for underprivileged seniors in Wah Kwai Estate.

Photo 4 (Sight Ambassador Experience): Orbis “Sight Ambassador” Ms. HUI undergoes a professional eye checkup on-site and shares her story of overcoming cataracts to encourage seniors not to endure eye issues silently.

Photo 5 (Community Eye Care Booths and Seminars): The event featured AR eye disease simulation booths and medical seminars to help residents experience patient perspectives and deepen community eye health education.

Hashtag: #Orbis

JAKARTA, INDONESIA – Media OutReach Newswire – 22 October 2026 – The New Asia Forum (NAF) 2026 aims to mobilize US$30 billion in investment across the New Asia region by strengthening strategic partnerships and accelerating investment execution. Held under the patronage of President Prabowo Subianto, with Danantara Indonesia as a founding partner, the forum will take place on 3–4 December 2026 in Bali, Indonesia.

NAF 2026 is designed as an action-oriented platform connecting global investors, industry leaders, and policymakers to advance investment opportunities across strategic sectors. Moving beyond conventional economic dialogue, the forum seeks to translate investment interest into concrete commitments, financing structures, and measurable outcomes.

Pahala Nugraha Mansury, Managing Director of Global Relations & Communications at Danantara Indonesia, emphasized Asia’s growing potential to attract long-term global capital amid shifting economic and geopolitical dynamics.

“Our focus is on encouraging long-term capital to recognize the many investment opportunities across Asian countries, because this is precisely where the center of gravity for growth lies. This will enable growth at scale, anchored by ASEAN and driven by Indonesia as the largest country in ASEAN,” said Pahala.

The Asia-Pacific region currently accounts for nearly 60% of global economic growth. However, long-term international capital allocation to the region remains below its potential, presenting significant opportunities for greater investment collaboration.

NAF 2026 expects to convene more than 1,000 global leaders, feature over 100 speakers, and host more than 40 sessions involving sovereign wealth funds, institutional investors, development finance institutions, multinational corporations, and government representatives. Notable speakers include President Prabowo Subianto of Indonesia; Masayoshi Son, Chairman and CEO of SoftBank Group; Tshering Tobgay, Prime Minister of Bhutan; Kathleen Quirk, Chief Executive Officer of Freeport-McMoRan; Matteo Renzi, former Prime Minister of Italy; and Israfil Mammadov, Chief Executive Officer of the State Oil Fund of the Republic of Azerbaijan.

The forum will follow a two-day structure: Discovery & Diligence on 3 December, focusing on investment opportunities, feasibility, and transaction structures; and Action & Execution on 4 December, advancing capital commitments, strategic partnerships, and implementation milestones.

Eight priority sectors will anchor the discussions: strategic resources and downstreaming; energy and power; advanced mobility and manufacturing; digital infrastructure and AI; food and agribusiness; trade and connectivity; tourism and creative economy; and education and human capital.

As a founding partner, Danantara Indonesia will participate as a co-investor alongside global partners, supporting investment in strategic sectors and reinforcing Indonesia’s role in regional economic transformation.

Through its transaction-focused approach, NAF 2026 aims to deliver preliminary investment agreements, bankable financing structures, and clearly defined implementation milestones. Investment commitments and progress will be tracked across subsequent editions to promote accountability, continuity, and tangible economic impact for Indonesia and the wider region.

Hashtag: #NewAsiaForum2026

Source: NZ Drug Foundation Te Puna Whakaiti Pāmamae Kai Whakapiri

20 October 2026

New Zealand is losing three people a week to preventable overdose, while hospitalisations from stimulants like methamphetamine and cocaine are increasing alongside a recent surge in consumption.

Last year 169 people died from accidental overdose, representing 6,659 years of potential life lost, according to a new NZ Drug Foundation report analysing coronial and Te Whatu Ora data on overdose deaths and hospitalisations.

“It’s heartbreaking and frankly unacceptable that for the last ten years we’ve failed to bring these numbers down,” executive director Sarah Helm says.

“We’ve lost 1,440 New Zealanders to entirely preventable overdose in the last decade. That’s an immeasurable amount of pain and loss in our community and so much life cut short.”

Opioids remained the biggest driver of deaths in 2025 and across the entire period since 2016. Mixing drugs was also a major contributor, with two or more substances involved in 85% of cases where complete data was available.

Helm says that stimulant deaths have been concerningly high since 2022, with hospitalisations increasing alongside rising methamphetamine and cocaine consumption.

“We know from wastewater data that methamphetamine and cocaine consumption has been at record levels for the last two years, and we’re starting to see the harm show up in this data,” she says.

Helm is concerned that some people may not realise that stimulants can cause a fatal overdose.

“Taking too much of a stimulant like cocaine or methamphetamine can cause body functions to speed up too much, leading to overamping – which is a stimulant overdose. That can be fatal if people don’t get medical attention quickly.”

Helm says that people taking stimulants should visit The Level to understand the signs of overamping and how to respond.

“Stimulants can also cause chronic long-term effects, so our fear is that the numbers in this report are only the beginning in terms of harms that will be showing up in our health system.”

Māori continue to bear the greatest burden, with twice the overdose hospitalisation rate and more than twice the death rate of non-Māori.

Helm says a major problem preventing coordinated action has been the lack of a well-integrated national system for tracking overdose numbers and trends.

“There is a huge information gap that is preventing actions which could save lives. We do our best as a small independent charity to gather and monitor the data that we can, but we desperately need properly resourced overdose monitoring within government.”

SOME KEY FACTS:

• Opioids remain the main driver of deaths in 2025 and have contributed to about half of all overdose deaths since 2016.
• Cocaine deaths are likely on the rise, with 16 of 24 recorded cases occurring between 2023 and 2025.
• Māori continue to be significantly overrepresented in hospitalisations and overdose death statistics.
• People aged 45–54 have the highest overdose death rate.
• Hospitalisations from stimulants such as methamphetamine and cocaine have risen since 2023, while hospitalisations from other substances have been stable or falling in recent years.

The drug market is also becoming more volatile, with novel substances – designed to mimic well-known illicit drugs and often extremely potent – appearing in almost one in 10 cases since 2016.

Helm says legislative efforts such as the Drug Overdose (Assistance Protection) Legislation Bill currently before the Health Committee, which would remove criminal penalties for people seeking help during an overdose, could save lives.

“Accidental overdoses are preventable, and we need a health-based approach to turn things around,” Helm says.

The Drug Foundation is calling for a comprehensive overdose programme with targeted support for at-risk groups such as Māori and people aged 45–54, a take-home naloxone scheme like the one running in Australia, and a pilot overdose prevention centre that would move drug use off city streets and into a medically supervised setting.

Source: I Am Hope

21 October 2026

Proudly sponsored by Number One. Throwing everything behind youth mental health

Olympians, Commonwealth Games athletes and familiar Kiwi faces will take on Finland’s long-held men’s and women’s gumboot throwing world records this Gumboot Friday, 6 November, in an attempt to bring both records home to New Zealand and raise funds for I Am Hope.

For 30 years, both records have belonged to Finland. The targets are formidable:

• MEN — 63.98m
  Set by Teppo Luoma of Finland.
• WOMEN — 40.87m
  Set by Sari Tirkkonen of Finland in 1996.

On 6 November at The Trusts Arena in Auckland, I Am Hope will bring together some of New Zealand’s best throwing talent, sporting greats and well-known Kiwis to take their shot at history.

Leading the line-up are Olympic hammer thrower Lauren Bruce, two-time Olympian and Commonwealth Games decathlon silver medallist Brent Newdick, and Olympic kayaker Hamish Legarth. Newdick is coming out of retirement to take on the challenge.

They’ll be joined by Commonwealth Games hammer thrower Anthony Barmes, whose hammer personal best is over 70 metres, and New Zealand javelin champion Alex Wood.

Bruce said she was looking forward to putting her throwing experience to a rather different test.

“I’ve spent years trying to make a hammer fly as far as possible. A gumboot is a very different piece of equipment, so I’m curious to see what the technique looks like! But the reason I’m there is bigger than the throw. Gumboot Friday helps young people access free counselling, and it’s good to be able to use sport to get more people behind that.”

Newdick said the chance to come out of retirement for an unusual challenge was made more worthwhile by the reason behind it, “It wasn’t something I had on my bingo card, but I’m always up for a challenge with a good reason behind it. These records have stood for decades, so it’ll take a serious effort to bring them home.”

Barmes is also relishing the chance to put his throwing skills to an entirely different test.

“My hammer personal best is over 70 metres, but that doesn’t mean I know how to throw a gumboot that far! It’ll be a real challenge, but I’m keen to see what’s possible. More than anything, it’s a great opportunity to use sport to get people involved in Gumboot Friday and help raise money for young people who need counselling.”

Olympian Hamish Legath added, “Not sure how much kayaking correlates to throwing a gumboot but I’m here for it. Gumboot Friday is a great cause!”

The sporting line-up will be joined by familiar faces from entertainment and music. I Am Hope founder Mike King will take his turn at the throw, alongside actors Fleur Saville, known for Shortland Street, and Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi, known for Predator: Badlands and The Panthers. Award-winning rapper and songwriter KINGS is also committed to taking part. More athletes and familiar Kiwi faces will be announced in the lead-up to the event.

Saville said she was happy to be taking part, even if a world record might be a stretch.

“I can’t promise a world-record throw, but I can promise to throw it like I mean it! I like that Gumboot Friday gives a tangible solution to a serious problem, via a little bit of fun for awareness. The fact that our young people can easily access counselling via gumbootfriday.com for free is brilliant.”

Supporters will also have the chance to bid for their preferred thrower through a Trade Me auction. Winning bidders will receive VIP seating alongside their athlete and photo opportunities, with the potential to dress their thrower in their preferred strip or branding, subject to any sponsorship conflicts.

Mike King said the event was another way for people to get behind young New Zealanders in a fun and possibly historic way.

“People know Gumboot Friday for the gumboots, but what matters is what they help make possible. Young people aged 5 to 25 can access free counselling through Gumboot Friday without needing a GP referral. It takes a lot behind the scenes to make a national service like that work, and community support helps keep it going. This event gives people a fun way to get involved while supporting something that can make a real difference in a young person’s life.”

The event forms part of Gumboot Friday, I Am Hope’s annual fundraising campaign supporting free counselling for young New Zealanders aged 5 to 25. Young people can choose a registered counsellor through the Gumboot Friday platform, without needing a GP referral.

Government funding covers counselling sessions, while donations and community fundraising help support the platform, practitioner support and wider I Am Hope work, including school programmes and community outreach. Together, that support helps make counselling accessible to young people and keeps the wider service running.

And the challenge isn’t just for elite athletes and celebrities. In the lead-up to the official attempts, I Am Hope is calling on schools, workplaces, sports clubs and everyday Kiwis around the country to grab a gumboot, have a throw and raise money for Gumboot Friday.

Whether it’s a school competition, a workplace challenge or a throw with friends, people can get involved, see how far they can send a gumboot and help build momentum ahead of the world record attempts. Standout throwers and fundraisers could even earn the chance to join the action at The Trusts Arena.

Event promo video: Instagram

Teaser: Instagram

Gumboot Friday takes place on Friday 6 November. To find out more and get involved, visit gumbootfriday.com.

BANGKOK, THAILAND – Media OutReach Newswire – 24 October 2026 – Makers of the capacitors, magnets and battery materials inside AI servers and electric vehicles (EVs) are lining up to invest in Thailand. Since 2023, they have filed 35 advanced materials projects worth about $690 million (23.5 billion baht) with the Thailand Board of Investment (BOI), the government’s investment promotion agency. Surging demand for AI, EVs, and clean energy is pushing global suppliers to build upstream capacity in the country.

The projects, filed through the first half of 2026, cover multilayer ceramic capacitors (MLCCs), thermal graphite films, high-performance ceramics, battery and fuel-cell materials, neodymium magnets, glass and quartz fabrics for printed circuit boards, and nanomaterials for precision manufacturing. Together they mark a shift for one of Southeast Asia’s largest economies from downstream assembly toward the high-value materials on which future industries are built.

In AI computing and clean energy, lighter, more heat-resistant and more conductive materials determine how well devices perform. MLCCs are essential components in products from smartphones to AI servers, and a single high-end server can use up to 30,000 of them.

“The world is moving toward products that are smaller and lighter, yet stronger and more efficient,” said Mr. Narit Therdsteerasukdi, Secretary General of the Thailand Board of Investment. “Producing advanced materials in Thailand is key to building sustainable industrial capacity, reducing reliance on imports, and opening the door for Thai companies to join higher-value supply chains.”

Thailand is already a production base for leading component makers, including Japan’s Murata Electronics, which holds more than 35 percent of the global MLCC market, and Kyocera AVX Components, the world’s top tantalum capacitor maker. Among the new projects, Taiwan’s Fultech Fiber Glass makes glass fabric for printed circuit boards, including high-performance grades for AI servers. Jones Tech produces synthetic and natural graphite films that carry heat away from electronic devices.

Beyond electronics, the projects strengthen supply chains for electric vehicles, batteries, and clean energy, from BGN Thai’s coated foils for lithium-ion batteries and Phinis Well’s neodymium magnets for EV motors to Xinyuan Graphite’s bipolar plates for hydrogen fuel cells.

CoorsTek Advanced Materials, a subsidiary of US-based CoorsTek — a global leader in engineered ceramics for the semiconductor and aerospace industries — has invested in producing ceramics for automotive pressure sensors and silicon nitride balls for hybrid bearings in EVs and wind turbines. Golden Egret Cemented Carbide is making tungsten carbide powders for precision cutting tools, reinforcing Thailand’s base for high-precision manufacturing.

“The advanced materials industry taking root in Thailand today is the foundation of tomorrow’s supply chains in electronics, EVs, batteries, and clean energy,” Mr. Narit said. “The BOI will keep building this investment base, strengthening upstream materials and components, and supporting R&D, technology, and workforce development, to move Thailand from downstream to upstream production and make it the region’s advanced materials hub.”

Note: USD conversions are based on the Bank of Thailand’s average selling rate of approximately 33.76 baht per USD.

https://www.boi.go.th/en/index/

Hashtag: #Thailandboardofinvestment #BOI #FDI #Investment

Thailand Board of Investment (BOI)

New hub connects North American AI technology and demand with Southeast Asia’s expanding infrastructure ecosystem; company is building capacity across North America, Asia-Pacific and Europe

SAN FRANCISCO, US – Media OutReach Newswire – 23 October 2026 – TokenPulse, a next-generation AI inference infrastructure company headquartered in San Francisco and Singapore, today announced the opening of its Asia-Pacific Operating Hub in Singapore. The company marked the occasion with an opening ceremony attended by invited industry leaders and ecosystem partners, who gathered to discuss emerging opportunities in AI compute and global infrastructure.

Companies putting AI applications into production face rising inference costs, pressure to keep response times low, and often have to rebuild their platforms as workloads grow. Inference demand is climbing alongside: the global AI infrastructure market is projected to grow from $982 billion in 2025 to $1.98 trillion by 2027, doubling in size over the two-year period.

TokenPulse delivers high-performance, cost-efficient AI compute at global scale. By combining data-center resources, GPU infrastructure, an optimized inference engine and globally coordinated serving capabilities, the company serves foundation model companies, AI platforms, enterprises and AI-native applications.

Singapore as a Strategic Hub for a Global Infrastructure Network

TokenPulse is building its infrastructure footprint across North America, Asia-Pacific and Europe, with Singapore serving as its strategic center for APAC. The company’s regional strategy is designed to connect North America’s AI technology, customer and capital ecosystems with the expanding data-center and energy resources of Southeast Asia.

From Singapore, TokenPulse is positioned to work with partners across Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand and the wider region. The hub will support regional operations, infrastructure partnerships and coordination across the company’s global inference network, helping bring compute capacity closer to customers and AI workloads.

TokenPulse is taking a long-term approach to building an integrated AI infrastructure network, bringing together data-center, energy and compute resources to support growing AI inference demand across its global markets. The company is advancing multiple data-center projects with infrastructure partners across key markets, positioning itself for sustained capacity growth. Its infrastructure roadmap includes deployment of the latest-generation NVIDIA AI infrastructure, while its engineering focus remains on improving how effectively compute resources are converted into tokens and useful AI output.

“AI is undergoing a fundamental shift: compute demand is moving from training to inference. For businesses, inference is no longer a hidden cost sitting in the background. It is becoming a core competitive factor in determining whether AI products can successfully reach the market,” said Steven Zhou, CEO of TokenPulse.

“As one of the fastest-growing regions for AI applications, developers in Asia Pacific are direct about cost and performance. By making Singapore our co-headquarters and APAC operating hub, we are putting our compute and our team closest to them to deliver better performance at lower cost.”

Flexible Consumption and Deployment Options

TokenPulse offers three consumption models on a unified technology stack, allowing customers to start with smaller workloads and expand their compute capacity as their applications grow.

1. Serverless — Pay per Token: Provides unified API access for rapid deployment, model evaluation and variable workloads. It enables developers and AI-native applications to get started without committing to dedicated GPU capacity upfront.
2. On-Demand — Pay per GPU-Hour: Offers dedicated endpoints and predictable performance for customers with elastic compute requirements, supporting workload optimization as usage grows.
3. Reserved — Contracted Capacity: Provides dedicated, contracted compute capacity for sustained workloads and more customized infrastructure requirements.

TokenPulse offers three deployment options to accommodate different infrastructure, security and operational requirements:

1. TokenPulse Cloud. Managed GPU infrastructure for a streamlined path to production.
2. Private VPC. A TokenPulse-hosted environment with a dedicated network boundary and workload isolation.
3. BYOC (Bring Your Own Cloud). The TokenPulse inference engine can be deployed in a customer’s cloud or VPC, or on the customer’s own GPUs.

The company’s commercial approach is built around a simple principle: “Start small. Scale without replatforming.” Customers can begin by validating their applications through API-based access, then transition to GPU-based services or reserved capacity as demand increases. This lets businesses expand their AI workloads without having to switch providers or rebuild their platforms as their infrastructure needs change.

Optimizing Inference for Performance and Cost

TokenPulse’s competitive advantage is the combination of high-standard data center infrastructure and deep inference optimization tailored to specific industry use cases. By optimizing open-weight models for vertical workloads, TokenPulse improves compute efficiency and serving throughput so customers can process more tokens at lower cost.

Key technology capabilities include:

1. Higher cache efficiency: TokenPulse uses HiCache and a multi-tier key-value (KV) caching architecture to reduce repeated computation. Its observed cluster-level cache hit rate can reach 95%.
2. Faster response times: With context parallelism enabled, TokenPulse has achieved a 50% reduction in 90th-percentile time to first token (P90 TTFT) and a 75% reduction in 99th-percentile TTFT (P99 TTFT) compared with the same workload without context parallelism enabled.
3. Global intelligent routing: A unified routing architecture directs requests across serving regions based on factors including customer requirements, model, region and time window. Nearest-edge access, session-context reuse and redundant network paths are designed to support low latency, high availability and efficient compute utilization.

Together, these capabilities are designed to help AI businesses improve inference economics while maintaining the responsiveness and reliability required for production workloads. Actual performance gains vary by workload and operating conditions.

Leadership With Deep Infrastructure Experience

TokenPulse’s leadership and technical team bring experience spanning AI and machine learning infrastructure, cloud computing, networking, data centers and global business operations, including backgrounds at Microsoft, Google and Equinix.

CEO Steven Zhou is a serial entrepreneur with more than 20 years of experience scaling businesses across the United States and Asia. Chairman Thomas Pang brings more than 30 years of experience across government, investment, infrastructure and corporate leadership. He spent more than two decades with Keppel and served as CEO of Keppel’s Data Centres & Networks Division from 2014 to 2024, overseeing the group’s global data-center and digital-connectivity businesses.

“Singapore is a natural choice for building our APAC operating hub, given its mature data center ecosystem, strong network connectivity and deep talent pool,” said Thomas Pang, Chairman of TokenPulse. “Our foundations are rooted in decades of experience across data centers, networking and cloud computing. Drawing on that experience in building and operating infrastructure at scale, we will continue investing in compute capacity and ecosystem support, delivering the best performance at the lowest cost per token.”

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Source: Tertiary Education Union

Today around 8000 Tertiary Education Union (TEU) members at universities and polytechs across New Zealand will strike from 1.15pm to 5.00pm.

This is historic action – the first time universities and polytechs have gone on strike together.

Amy Ross, National Secretary of TEU, says a thriving Aotearoa needs quality tertiary education.

“If we want to live in a country that supports us all with enough quality nurses, builders, teachers, doctors, engineers and other skilled professionals, then we need to value the people who teach them.”

Ross says that none of the pay offers received from employers in either sector go anywhere towards meeting the cost of living crisis, but pay isn’t the only issue staff are striking over

“Work security is a massive issue for university staff. At universities just over half (54.8%) of the workforce are on fixed-term or casual employment agreements. This is insecure work, which creates huge job uncertainty for people who are relied on to tutor, teach and do the research that a university’s reputation rests on.

“At polytechs, some employers are still refusing to engage in the multi-employer collective agreement (MECA) and instead want to change the structure and conditions of the collective agreement members work under.”

Ross says that polytech negotiations have dragged on for 10 months.

“We should have an agreement that values a workforce that has been through cut after cut and has been constantly undervalued. Employers are choosing not to engage or not to value the workforce that trains the skills Aotearoa needs.”

Maryann Corrigan, who is an Early Childhood Education lecturer at UCOL in Masterton says that staff are fed up. She says the MECA is an important part of fairness in the polytech system.

“UCOL here in Masterton and polytechs around the country are an asset in their regions; communities understand this. We keep students in the region where they go on to work. For management to think they can erode staff conditions by wanting to get rid of our hard-won terms and conditions leaves us angry, especially when we hear that other polytechs are willing to negotiate as a multi-employer agreement. Our MECA is such a critical part of parity for us in the polytech sector. We give so much to our students and we need our employers to recognise this.”

Annick Masselot is a Professor of Law at University of Canterbury who says that it’s time the Vice Chancellor at Canterbury to prioritise staff.

“Here at Canterbury, management have poured money into brand new buildings and software, but staff have been offered a pitiful pay rise. Students are flocking down here, which is great, but our increased workloads, need to be resourced and staff need to be invested in.”

David Kukutai Jones, a senior lecturer teaching in the nursing, social work and Māori health ecology at Manukau Institute of Technology (MIT) in Ōtara, says that high staff turnover is having a negative impact on staff and students.

“Some staff are being asked to cover the work of 4-5 people because staff are leaving and not being replaced. This creates enormous pressure on staff and there’s just not enough of us to teach – we’ve seen this in the nursing department, in carpentry and trades and more.

“At the same time we’ve seen a rise in student complaints, because they’re not getting the support they need because of these staffing issues. Profit is being put ahead of people, we see this at a management level at MIT and we can also see it at a government level. If we want great nurses, and social workers in this country, we need to invest in the people that teach them.”

Finn Illsley-Kemp is a senior research fellow and national expert on earthquake and volcanoes at Te Herenga Waka | Victoria University of Wellington. He says that the insecurity of work in the sector must be addressed.

“I’ve been working for 8 and a half years teaching, researching and supervising and I’m still in precarious contract employment. My research brings in funding for the university year after year, yet what I receive in return are fixed term agreements. The university should not be making bank by keeping my work insecure.”

The strike runs 1.15pm- 5.00pm today across the country.

Locations for rallies and pickets are here.