Author: MIL-OSI Publisher

Source: Save the Children

Thousands of families in earthquake-devastated Colombia have had their homes damaged or destroyed, with children and families urgently in need of drinking water, food, and emergency shelter, said Save the Children.

Colombia has declared a national emergency following the 7.4 magnitude earthquake that struck the western part of the country on Monday and killed at least 224 people and damaged or destroyed about 9,521 homes [1].

Isabel-, works for Save the Children in Cali and is one of the organisation’s staff whose home was damaged.

Isabel- said:

“I feel powerless, frustrated, and very sad because the efforts of my entire family over many years vanished in a moment. However, we have been staying strong by being together and facing the situation.”

In Buenaventura, a city in one of the most-affected regions, Save the Children will be providing children and families with shelter and hygiene kits, drinking water and water filters, primary healthcare, and food.

Save the Children also started establishing safe spaces in Buenaventura where children can play, access psychosocial support, and other protection services. The aid agency is closely monitoring needs in Cali and Chocó, two other highly impacted areas where Save the Children is ready to scale up its response.

The needs of children and families are likely to continue to grow, with dozens of health facilities (https://reliefweb.int/report/colombia/colombia-flash-update-003-actualizacion-afectaciones-por-terremoto-en-13-departamentos-de-colombia-11-agosto-de-2026) affected by the earthquake, including a major hospital in the city of Cali which was severely damaged.

Almost 800 schools have also been affected, disrupting learning and leaving children in need of safe spaces, education support and psychosocial care, while children will need mental health support to cope with the shock and trauma caused by the earthquake.

Maria Mercedes Liévano, Save the Children’s Country Director in Colombia said:

“Thousands of homes have been damaged or entirely reduced to rubble, and schools, community centres and hospitals – the places children rely on to feel safe – have been damaged. For thousands of children, their whole world and sense of safety have been ripped away.

“The stories our staff are hearing from affected communities are deeply distressing. Families have fled damaged homes with nothing, parents are struggling to find safe places for their children to sleep, and children are facing the trauma of losing loved ones, homes and a sense of security. Our immediate concern is for the safety and wellbeing of children, especially those who have been injured or separated from their families.

“In the days ahead, children urgently need emergency shelter, safe drinking water, food, mental health support and healthcare. An earthquake upends children’s lives in a matter of minutes, but we need to ensure that children are at the centre of the humanitarian response so that its effects on the children of Colombia are not permanent.”

Save the Children has worked in Colombia for 40 years, working in the regions most affected by natural disasters, armed conflict, violence, poverty, climate change, and mixed migration.

New Zealanders wanting to donate to support the response can do so through the Children's Emergency Fund (https://www.savethechildren.org.nz/how-to-help/donate/childrens-emergency-fund-one-off).

Notes to editor

[1] According to UNOCHA, the earthquake damaged 8,385 homes and destroyed 1,136 others https://reliefweb.int/report/colombia/colombia-flash-update-003-actualizacion-afectaciones-por-terremoto-en-13-departamentos-de-colombia-11-agosto-de-2026

-Name changed to protect privacy

Source: Bill Toft Awards

The Bill Toft Award is once again open to broadcasters working in online or broadcasting media in New Zealand.

The Bill Toft Memorial Fund in 2026 will consider applications for a grant of $5,000 for broadcasters working in online or broadcasting media in New Zealand.

The Award is to be used for advancing the skills, experience, or other contribution to professional development as a broadcaster.

Bill Toft was an eminent broadcaster who epitomised clear and consistent broadcast communication and set high standards of professionalism within the industry.

The Bill Toft Memorial Fund was set up to encourage excellence in content and delivery in broadcast and online communication.

Information and application form are on: www.billtoftawards.org (http://www.billtoftawards.org/).

Closing date: 31 October 2026

Winner notified: 30 November 2026

Source: Greenpeace

More than 30 protests and community events will take place across Aotearoa this Saturday as opposition to the Coalition Government's Conservation Amendment Bill continues to grow.

Protests are planned from Invercargill to Mangawhai, including at Mission Bay in Auckland, the Wellington Botanic Gardens, Godley Head in Christchurch, Aramoana near Dunedin, and dozens more in beaches, forests, parks and town squares around the country.

Greenpeace campaigner Gen Toop says the scale of the mobilisation reflects how strongly New Zealanders feel about protecting public conservation land.

“Nobody wants to show up to their favorite conservation areas to go camping, tramping, hunting, or fishing and find that the quiet wilderness they knew is gone, replaced by an open mining pit, a private resort or a shopping complex,” says Toop.

“Public conservation land exists today because generations of New Zealanders have cared for it and fought to protect it. People are turning out this Saturday because they don't want to see those hard-won protections dismantled.”

The Bill proposes to change the purpose of the Conservation Act from protecting nature to enabling commercial exploitation “to the greatest extent practicable” instead. It originally also proposed making it easier to sell off around 5 million hectares of public conservation land, before the Government backed down and committed to removing those provisions.

Toop says introducing the Bill in an election year was a major political gamble.

“The last time a Government tried to weaken protections for our most treasured conservation land in 2010, massive public backlash forced them to back down entirely.

“This Government has made a big political gamble by putting public conservation land in the firing line in an election year. It has badly underestimated how deeply people from all walks of life care about these places and want them protected.”

Toop says widespread public opposition to the Bill is already having an impact.

“Tens of thousands of people across Aotearoa have signed petitions, made submissions and spoken out against this Bill. Together we've already forced the Government into an embarrassing backdown on one of its most extreme proposals to make public conservation land easier to sell.”

“But this Bill is still rotten to its core. It opens the door to more mining, more commercial exploitation and degradation of the wildlife and places we all love.”

“The snow-capped mountains, ancient forests and wild rivers of Aotearoa are part of who we are as a nation. We have a responsibility to leave these places as wild and beautiful for the wildlife that depends on them, and for the generations who come after us.

Protestors are calling on the Government to bin the Conservation Amendment Bill entirely.

A full list of events is available at binthebill.nz (http://binthebill.nz).

Source: Australia West Papua Association (Sydney)

Statement. 13 August 2026

This year will mark 64 years since the New York Agreement when the West Papuan people were betrayed by the international community.

The New York Agreement

On 15 August in 1962, an agreement was concluded in New York between the Netherlands and Indonesia. Under this agreement, the Dutch were to leave their colony of West New Guinea and transfer sovereignty to UNTEA (the United Nations Temporary Executive Authority). After 7 months the UN would transfer power to Indonesia with the provision that a referendum be held to determine Papuan preference for independence or integration with Indonesia. Indonesia did hold a referendum in 1969 called the Act of Free Choice. The West Papuans call this, the act of no free choice. It was a sham. Indonesia choose only 1025 people to vote (one representative for approximately every 700 Papuans) and under coercion they voted to remain with Indonesia.

Rallies 3 August

On Monday 3 August 2026, the West Papua National Committee (KNPB) held rallies across West Papua with the theme “Papua: Military and Humanitarian Emergency”. The rallies were called to bring attention to the humanitarian crises in the territory. The ongoing human rights abuses, the military operations, the killing and torture of civilians.

At the rally organised in Sentani, Jayapura, the security forces responded with their usual heavy-handed approach to rallies in the territory. As the demonstrators gathered for their planned march to the Jayapura Regent’s Office, Police officers dispersed the protesters using rubber batons and sticks, striking blows to protesters’ heads and bodies during the dispersals. According to Human Rights Monitor 33 protesters were injured.

Photo in Suara Papua

KNPB demonstration in Abepura, Monday morning (August 3, 2026). (Doc. Aida Ulim for Suara Papua)

In another incident a Jubi journalist was intimidated by a police officer. The journalist reported that the incident occurred as he attempted to photograph police officers placing a protester into a crowd-control vehicle on Ifar Gunung Road in the Sentani District. The Jayapura Police Chief later apologised for the incident.

Demonstrations planned for the 15 August

The KNPB says it will stage another round of demonstrations on the 15 August 2026 (under the theme “Papua: Military Emergency and Humanitarian Crisis Zone”) to mark the anniversary of the New York Agreement. A KNPB spokesperson announced the plan after the group’s rally in Jayapura City on Monday 3 August. He said that the rallies on the 3 August were an initial mobilisation ahead of the larger coordinated demonstrations planned for 15 August.

Cause for concern

Joe Collins of AWPA said, “every year West Papuans commemorate this tragic event in their history. In the past the security forces have responded with a heavy-handed approach to any demonstrations on the 15 August”. During the August 2024 commemoration police dispersed peaceful protests in the towns of Nabire, Wamena, and Sentani, as well as in Jayapura City with force. According to Human Rights Monitor, approximately 222 protesters were arrested and 41 injured as police forces dispersed the crowd with batons, teargas, and rubber bullets

“Hopefully this year there will be not a repeat of the incidents of brutally by the security forces that have occurred the past and as occurred on the 3 August and the planned rallies for the 15 August will be allowed to proceeded without interference from the security forces”, Collins said.

The KNPB have been submitting official notices of the planned peaceful protest to government and security institutions ahead of the nationwide demonstration planned for the 15 August.

(Photo in Jubi)
The West Papuan National Committee (KNPB) activist after submitting notification of the August 15, 2026 protest at the Papua Governor’s Office, Tuesday (11/08/2026). – Courtesy of KNPB

Intimidation

In one incident while the KNPB were informing police of the planned rally, members were subjected to violence by police officers while attempting to deliver the notification letter. A KNPB official said several members were subjected to repressive treatment, including physical violence by the police officers on guard. He reported that police blocked the group from entering, confiscated two KNPB flags and assaulted two KNPB members. The KNPB has called on security forces to refrain from any form of repression and to respect public safety and order during the planned demonstration (Jubi 12 August).

“The KNPB can bring out large numbers of demonstrators to take part in rallies and the crackdown on peacefully rallies in West Papua should be seen as a way to try and intimidate civil society groups into not taking part as the rallies can be an effective way of bringing the world’s attention to what West Papuans suffer under Indonesian rule. This is what Jakarta fears most, the internationalisation of the issue”.

The situation in the territory 64 years after the New York Agreement
The world might recognise Indonesian sovereignty over West Papua. However, the fact is that 64 years after the New York Agreement clashes still continue between the West Papua National Liberation Army and the security forces. West Papuans continue to be arrested and intimidated as the take part in rallies to protest against the injustices they suffer under Indonesian rule. As a result of ongoing military operations in the territory there are over 125.931 internal refugees according to Human Rights Monitor. Civilians are bearing the brunt in the areas of conflict with children missing out on education because schools are closed, access to health services for people can be difficult and economic activity is paralysed. West Papua is basically a colony of Jakarta.

West Papua is the most militarised area of the archipelago.

According to a Project Multatuli investigation, there are approximately 103,196 security forces (Military +police) in the territory.

Illustration: Indonesian military operations in Papua have driven over a hundred thousand Papuans from their homes, leaving them displaced in their own land. (Project M/Sekarjoget)

Illustration from Project Multatuli report

https://projectmultatuli.org/militerisasi-papua-tentara-non-organik-dalam-operasi-militer/

West Papuans have also reported that they are not only seeing more military personnel deployed in the territory but they are also beginning to see the use of drone technology by the Indonesian military. A new drone command has been set up to support military operations in Papua.

https://en.jubi.id/indonesia-military-establishes-drone-command-centre-for-operations-in-papua/?_gl=1*15aaq3k*_ga*MTU0NTkyNDAxLjE3NzM5NjI3MDk.*_ga_ZZTT8RG182*czE3ODQyMzYyNTckbzEyMiRnMCR0MTc4NDIzNjI1NyRqNjAkbDAkaDA.*_ga_CNWVJ6KFKD*czE3ODQyMzYyNTckbzEyMCRnMCR0MTc4NDIzNjI1NyRqNjAkbDAkaDA .

There is also the massive environmental destruction caused by agricultural projects, such as the Merauke Integrated Food and Energy Estate (MIFEE) and projects to convert forests, into rice fields, sugarcane and palm oil plantations.

If the International community continue to turn a blind eye to the human rights abuses in West Papua, we will see an endless conflict with West Papuans the victims.

Joe Collins said, “ the Australian Government prefers to ignore the situation in West Papua. However, a simple action Canberra could do is to support and urge the Pacific Islands Forum leaders in again pressing Jakarta to allow the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights to visit West Papua to investigate the human rights situation in the territory. That is what they West Papuans are asking for”.

The 55th Pacific Islands Forum Leaders Meeting (PIFLM) will be held from 30 August to 04 September 2026 in Palau under the theme – Building Economies: Life. Action. Unity.

Source: Environmental Protection Authority

The Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) has increased hazardous substances decision-making, completing 66 application assessments in 2025/26, the highest annual total since 2018/19.

“We’ve lifted the throughput of hazardous substances assessments, and improving our performance in this area remains a key priority,” says General Manager Hazardous Substances and New Organisms, Dr Fernando Torres-Vélez.

During 2025/26, the EPA reduced the number of applications awaiting assessment by 36.5 percent from 96 to 61, a net reduction of 35. In the year, 66 decisions were made, 11 applications were withdrawn, and 42 new applications were lodged.

The number of applications awaiting assessment has halved since 1 July 2024 when it was 121.

“The progress we’ve made this year builds on last year and gives us confidence that we are heading in the right direction.

“Our focus has been on making practical improvements that support access to innovative products while maintaining robust regulatory oversight.

“The number of assessments continues to increase as staff onboarded over the past year take on complex applications,” says Dr Torres-Vélez.

We continue to maintain momentum in processing containment applications, with nine decided.

The use of rapid assessments also continued to grow, with 51 applications decided through this pathway, the highest since 2015/16.

“The increased use of rapid assessments reflects our commitment to ensuring assessments are proportional to the risks posed, while enabling timely decisions where appropriate,” says Dr Torres-Vélez.

The EPA also continued to support applicants to use international regulatory pathways. Seven applications were approved using this pathway in 2025/26, up from five in 2024/25.

Providing faster access to innovative products remains a top priority, and we’ve continued to strengthen our performance in this area. We decided two Category C applications in the fourth quarter. During 2025/26, we approved six complex Category B and Category C applications.

The ambitious targets set for 2025/26 and 2026/27 are making inroads into reducing the number of applications awaiting assessment.

A further seven Category B and C applications were received in the fourth quarter, expanding the complex assessment pipeline and positioning the EPA to deliver more decisions in 2026/27.

“The EPA has committed to completing at least nine higher-complexity applications in the next financial year.

“The momentum we’ve built over the past year is encouraging. Our team continues to drive progress, and I’m confident we’ll deliver even stronger results in the year ahead,” says Dr Torres-Vélez.

The EPA is also making operational enhancements to ensure its processes are fit for purpose ahead of amendments to the Hazardous Substances and New Organisms Act. These include changes to technology, processes, and greater transparency on progress with applications.

Read the Hazardous substances quarterly report (https://www.epa.govt.nz/assets/RecordsAPI/Hazardous-Substances-Quarterly-Report-1-April-to-30-June-2026.pdf)

Source: World Vision

• Death toll continues to rise, with more than 180 people confirmed dead and 1,300 injured, as search efforts for missing people remain underway

• World Vision reports that children amongst most vulnerable

• Communications and access to the hardest-hit areas remain challenging

• World Vision is identifying urgent needs, with support focused on shelter, safe water, hygiene, and essential items for children and families

World Vision are carrying out rapid emergency assessments following the powerful 7.4-magnitude earthquake that struck Colombia on 10 August.

World Vison is working with local authorities and organisations to assess needs, identify humanitarian access routes, and determine where assistance is most urgently required.

The child-focused humanitarian organisation warns that children are most at risk following the deadly earthquake, which was felt across several major cities, including Bogotá, Manizales, Pereira and Cali, with its epicentre located in the department of Chocó.

“Children are particularly vulnerable when emergencies disrupt homes, essential services, and the systems that normally protect them,” says Peter Gape, Bi-national Director for Colombia and Venezuela.

“Ensuring their safety and wellbeing will remain central to our response. Our teams are working directly with communities, authorities and humanitarian partners to understand where the greatest needs are and how assistance can reach families safely and quickly.”

World Vision is focusing on the immediate needs of children and families.

Planned assistance includes emergency shelter and essential household items such as tarpaulins, tools, blankets, sleeping mats, mosquito nets, kitchen utensils and lamps, along with water filters, hygiene kits, purification tablets and community water storage solutions to address water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) needs.

World Vision also plans to establish Child-Friendly Spaces to provide safe environments and activities for children and adolescents affected by the emergency, alongside ready-to-eat food for the most vulnerable.

The full impact of the earthquake is still unfolding, with several areas remaining without electricity and water, and communication systems are disrupted and overwhelmed. The earthquake, which had a depth of 88 kilometres, was felt as far as Ecuador and Panama, where metro service was suspended as a precaution following the seismic alert.

As the scale of the disaster becomes clearer, attention is turning to the immediate needs of children and families affected.

World Vision New Zealand National Director, TJ Grant, says,

“New Zealanders know too well how suddenly an earthquake can turn lives upside down. Our teams are already on the ground, working with local partners to understand where the needs are greatest and help ensure children and families get the support they urgently need.”

Source: New Zealand Nurses Organisation

The Nursing Council chief executive is latest in a string of resignations after its board was gutted by Health Minister Simeon Brown, NZNO says.

Tōpūtanga Tapuhi Kaitiaki o Aotearoa NZNO Kaiwhakahaere Kerri Nuku says Nursing Council staff were told today that Catherine Byrne has resigned her role as chief executive.

“Catherine Byrne is a respected nurse leader who has steered the Nursing Council through important developments including introducing new nursing standards and Te Tiriti-led cultural competency guidance, kawa whakaruruhau.

“Her departure follows three other recent departures from the Council’s executive team; the chief nursing education advisor and two legal advisors.

“The Councils’ executive are leaving in droves. This is the direct result of the Minister’s gutting of the Council’s board.

“Since late last year, Simeon Brown has replaced eight existing members, despite four of them wanting to stay on. Of the remaining four, two internationally qualified nurses resigned in protest and the other two members did not seek reappointment,” Kerri Nuku says.

The changes at the Nursing Council echo changes at the Medical Council which the Minister said were made because of their “ideological agenda (https://www.thepost.co.nz/politics/361024008/simeon-brown-ousts-medical-council-leadership-over-ideological-agenda)”.

“Simeon Brown has now gone after the Nursing Council because it rightly believed that improving the health outcomes of Māori through culturally safe care was better for all of Aotearoa New Zealand,” Kerri Nuku says.

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

Amman/Jerusalem, 13 August – Thousands of people in Gaza, Palestine, are at heightened risk of death and severe illness, as Israeli authorities continue to restrict the entry of engine oil and spare parts into the enclave, warns Médecins Sans Frontières/Doctors Without Borders (MSF).

These supplies are needed to keep hospital generators, ambulances, water pumps and water trucks running. The impediment of these essential services is emblematic of Israel's systematic destruction of the necessities for life in Gaza.

In some facilities, MSF barely has enough engine oil to last a month, and some of our equipment has already been affected by shortages. We are forced to try and find stocks at the local market for extortionate prices. The supply of engine oil is so limited that the price has increased 20 times in the last six months. By the end of July, it was
more than US$1,300 per litre. Neither the quality nor the availability is guaranteed.

On 5 August, one of the generators at the MSF field hospital in Deir Al Balah broke down. Forced to rely on a smaller backup generator, teams had to drastically ration electricity during this time. We were only able to run the operating theatre for people in the most critical condition; nurses could not sterilise essential equipment, x-ray services stopped, and people with painful burns were left to suffer in extreme heat without air conditioning.

“What we are witnessing in Gaza is not a series of isolated shortages, it is a policy of attrition by design,” says Filipe Ribeiro, MSF Head of Mission in Palestine. “For more than two years, we have observed Israel's policies impairing the entry of supplies. These policies do not merely delay aid; they dismantle the very systems people rely on to survive.”

“Today it is engine oil and spare parts. Tomorrow it will be something else,” says Ribeiro. “The items change, but the logic remains the same:

• reduce people to conditions where life becomes untenable, where dignity
• is systematically stripped away through the denial of the most ordinary,
• most essential goods. This is not bureaucracy. It is a deliberate effort to make existence itself impossible.”

In Gaza, most electricity has been cut by Israeli authorities and much of the electrical infrastructure has been destroyed. Hospitals and other essential services now rely almost entirely on generators. Without engine oil and replacement parts, these generators are increasingly breaking down.

If generators stop working, there are no alternative power sources such as solar systems or replacement equipment. New generators or new vehicles have also been blocked by Israeli authorities.

“When generators break down, hospitals are at risk,” says Ola Bardawil, deputy project coordinator. “Newborn babies in incubators, people who rely on oxygen generators, or those in need of lifesaving surgery will suffer.”

The withholding of engine oil and spare parts is not isolated, but part of wider restrictions imposed as part of Israel's genocide, using structural violence to intentionally limit access to vital services and supplies. The entry of engine oil and spare parts alone will not be enough to improve the lives of people in Gaza. Israel must immediately lift its blockade and allow the sustained, unhindered entry of all medical, humanitarian and commercial supplies needed to respond to people's immense needs.

The consequences extend far beyond hospitals. Currently, people's access to drinking water relies on trucks bringing water to the areas where they are sheltering. A survey carried out in July by organisations monitoring water and sanitation found that 90 per cent of households experience moderate to high water insecurity.

Without engine oil, all transport is at risk of stopping, including much needed water trucks at the height of the summer heat. This also means ambulances, buses enabling medical staff to come to work, and trucks collecting humanitarian supplies. Bakeries and flour mills also run off generators, meaning food production could be affected.

One of the generators in MSF's water desalination hub is already damaged due to the lack of engine oil and spare parts to replace what is broken.
In June, we had to start reducing its use from 12 to seven hours per day, resulting in a decrease in drinking water production from 600,000 litres to 350,000 litres a day. This means over 40,000 fewer people can receive water each day.

Israel's restrictions have become increasingly expansive, preventing the entry not only of generators and vehicles but also routine items, from ointments for skin diseases to rubber seals needed for machines to clean medical equipment. The shortages now extend across virtually every aspect of life in Gaza, leaving hospitals and humanitarian organisations without basic supplies.

Source: Palestinian Solidarity Network Aotearoa

 

Proceedings have been filed today (eds 12 August) in the Wellington High Court challenging the government’s approval of BlackSky spy satellite launches from the Rocket Lab site at Māhia.

The grounds state the satellites risk supplying Israel’s military with targeting data to use in Gaza.

 

New Zealand-founded space company Rocket Lab is BlackSky’s primary launch provider.  It launched a BlackSky satellite from Māhia back in March, with further launches recently approved by the Minister for Space.

 

The claim challenges former space minister Judith Collins’ approval of four launches, despite protest at BlackSky’s links to Israel.The claim is also made against the new space minister Chris Penk, who in April approved 26 more satellite launches which the plaintiffs hope to stop.

 

The pleadings are laid under the Outer Space and High-altitude Activities Act 2017.

 

The three plaintiffs are New Zealand citizens.  

 

The first plaintiff, Yasser Abdulaal, is an engineer in Christchurch.  His family sought refuge in Gaza when Zionist militia inflicted the Nakba (catastrophe) in 1948.  

They have suffered the devastation of Israel’s air strikes on Gaza since October 2023.

“More than 85 of my extended family have been killed in multiple air strikes by Israel. My two sisters have had to live in terrible conditions with their families in tents in the Al Mawasi area for more than two years now.”

 

“Israel is still bombing and killing in Gaza. We hope that we will stop these satellite launches.”

 

Maher Nazzal, the second plaintiff, is an information technology professional based in Auckland. His parents were displaced from their homes during the 1967 Naksa (the “setback”), when Israel occupied the West Bank.

 

“I have seen firsthand the struggles Palestinians face, including members of my own family. They continue to endure severe oppression and displacement in the West Bank and Gaza.”

 

“I am proud to be part of this legal action. We are asking our government to take meaningful action in support of Palestinian rights and to uphold its obligations under international law.”

 

The third plaintiff is Dr Timoti Te Moke (Ngāti Rangitihi, Tapuika and Tonga). He is a doctor working at Middlemore and Auckland Hospitals.

 

“I’m joining this case because I feel a strong affiliation with the Palestinian people.  Tangata whenua and Palestinians have both suffered colonial violence and so have a powerful connection with each other.”

 

Dr Te Moke is an independent candidate in the Māngere electorate for the upcoming 2026 general election.    

 

The pleadings note that Judith Collins and MBIE knew, when they approved the launch of BlackSky’s spy satellites in late 2023, that BlackSky’s satellites had been used by Israel. 

At the time, air strikes by Israel over Gaza had killed nearly 20,000 people.

 

The Palestine Solidarity Network Aotearoa, which is backing the case, raised their concern over Israeli military use for BlackSky satellites with Collins in November 2024.

PSNA spokesperson Rinad Tamimi says the result was ‘wilful ignorance.’

 

“Neither Collins nor MBIE questioned, when they were deciding to grant BlackSky’s payload permit in December 2023, whether the Israeli military was a current end-user of the satellites.”

“All Collins or her ministry needed to do was pick up the phone and ask whether the Israelis were part of the deal. But it’s most likely they feared they would get an answer they didn’t want.”

 

Collins refused all PSNA requests to reconsider her approval of the satellite launches. 

 

France based publication Intelligence Online reported in July 2024 that Israel was BlackSky’s ‘main foreign customer’.

 

A recent Federal Court outcome in Australia requires the Australian Defence Minister to release information on Australian arms exports to Israel.

 

Australia based Palestine advocacy organisations say they sought the information so they could assess whether these exports, such as F35 aircraft spare parts, could be used to commit human rights abuses, or were contrary to Australia’s international obligations or commitments.

 

“Right throughout the western world there is a pattern of secrecy about  arms exports to Israel.  It’s now unravelling.  Complicity with genocide is being exposed. Our government is part of that duplicity and now exposure,” Tamimi says.

 

Sam Vincent, one of the lawyers acting for the plaintiffs, says BlackSky is well known for the sophistication of its geospatial data.

 

“It is no secret that Israel has systematically relied on geospatial intelligence, such as BlackSky provides, for its targeting.”

 

“The case against the former space minister is that she did not take into consideration New Zealand’s obligations under the Genocide Convention nor broader international human rights law when she approved these satellite launches.”

 

“This was despite the likelihood that Israel was using these satellites, and would continue to use them for military targeting.” 

 

“Against protestations, the four BlackSky satellites Judith Collins approved are now in space.”

 

“There are 26 more BlackSky satellites now approved for launch by the new Minister – while Israel continues to strike Gaza. We are seeking an order that will quash the Minister’s approval and direct that he inquire into BlackSky’s likely supply of data to Israel.” 

 

Another of the lawyers acting for the plaintiffs, Ruby Haazen, says the UN’s independent commission of inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory and Israel has found Israel to have committed genocide in Gaza.  

 

“Many scholars, such as Omar Bartov, and international organisations such as Amnesty International, and the International Association of Genocide Scholars, have also found Israel has committed genocide in Gaza,” Haazen says.

 

“In January 2024, the International Court of Justice found it plausible that Israel’s military operations in Gaza risked irreparable harm to Palestinians rights under the Genocide Convention, putting all states on notice of their duty to act to prevent genocide. New Zealand is obliged to live up to that duty.”

Source: New Zealand Nurses Organisation

NZNO West Auckland nurses and Te Atatū MP Phil Twyford will host a meeting tomorrow to discuss ways to end understaffing at Waitākere hospital!

Waitākere Hospital is among the worst-staffed and worst-resourced hospitals in Aotearoa.

Patients, whānau, and healthcare workers are all feeling the consequences. As nurses and healthcare assistants working in West Auckland see the impact every day.

Where: Te Pai Centre, Te Pai Place, Henderson, Auckland

When: 7pm to 8.30pm, 13 August 2026