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Nick Munn

Nick Munn

Senior Lecturer in Philosophy, University of Waikato
I have a BA(Hons) in Philosophy and Politics and an LLB, both from the University of Otago, and a PhD in Philosophy from the Centre for Applied Philosophy and Public Ethics at the University of Melbourne. My focus is primarily on democratic legitimacy, through a critical analysis of the practice of and variations in political inclusion.

AI companions can relieve loneliness – but here are 4 red flags to watch for in your chatbot ‘friend’

May 09, 2024 05:48 am UTC| Insights & Views Technology

Its been seven years since the launch of Replika, an artificially intelligent chatbot designed to be a friend to human users. Despite early warnings about the dangers of such AI friends, interest in friendships and even...

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Economy

Asian Stocks Rally as Trump Signals Iran Peace Deal; Tech and Chip Shares Rebound Strongly

Asian stock markets surged on Friday after U.S. President Donald Trump indicated that a peace agreement with Iran could be finalized soon, boosting investor confidence and driving a broad rally across regional equities....

Japan Core Inflation Seen Steady in May Ahead of BOJ Rate Hike

Japans core inflation rate likely remained unchanged in May, signaling that price pressures are still below the Bank of Japans (BOJ) 2% target despite rising energy costs and expectations of further monetary tightening....

Gold Prices Slide Toward Second Weekly Loss as Fed Rate Hike Expectations Weigh on Market

Gold prices declined on Friday, marking their second straight weekly loss as investors reacted to persistent U.S. inflation concerns and growing expectations that the Federal Reserve could raise interest rates later this...

Trump Signals Possible U.S.-Iran Peace Deal as Hormuz Reopening Nears

U.S. President Donald Trump announced that the United States and Iran could finalize a peace agreement as early as this weekend, potentially reopening the strategically important Strait of Hormuz and marking a major...

US Appeals Court Keeps Trump’s 10% Global Tariff in Effect During Ongoing Legal Battle

A U.S. federal appeals court has extended its temporary stay on a lower court ruling that challenged the Trump administrations 10% global tariff imposed under Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974. The decision allows the...

Politics

France Hosts Israeli-Palestinian Peace Conference to Revive Two-State Solution

French officials, Israeli and Palestinian civil society leaders, and representatives from dozens of countries gathered in France on Friday to reaffirm support for a two-state solution and prevent the issue from fading amid...

DOJ Sues Virginia Over Law Enforcement Mask Ban

The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has filed a lawsuit against the state of Virginia, challenging a recently enacted law that restricts law enforcement officers from wearing face coverings while carrying out official...

Lebanon Resists Iran Pressure as Israel-Hezbollah Ceasefire Talks Stall

Lebanon is pushing ahead with diplomatic efforts to end the conflict with Israel despite growing pressure from Iran, which is seeking to preserve its influence in the country through Hezbollah. As ceasefire negotiations...

Trump Nominates Jay Clayton as DNI Amid FISA Surveillance Dispute

President Donald Trump has nominated Jay Clayton, the current U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, to serve as the next Director of National Intelligence (DNI), a move that comes amid growing political...

Peru Election 2026: Fujimori Holds Narrow Lead as Contested Votes Face Review

Perus presidential election remains too close to call as electoral authorities begin reviewing hundreds of thousands of contested ballots, with conservative candidate Keiko Fujimori holding a razor-thin lead over leftist...

Science

Blue Origin New Glenn Explosion Could Delay Launch Operations Until 2028

Blue Origin is facing a significant setback after a dramatic explosion involving its New Glenn rocket severely damaged a launch pad at Cape Canaveral, Florida. According to NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman, repairs to the...

Blue Origin New Glenn Rocket Explodes During Launch Pad Test, Delaying Space Ambitions

Blue Origin suffered a major setback after its uncrewed New Glenn rocket exploded during a launch pad test in Florida on Thursday, raising new challenges for Jeff Bezos space company as it competes with Elon Musks SpaceX...

SpaceX Delays Starship V3 Launch Ahead of Potential Record IPO

SpaceX on Thursday postponed the highly anticipated launch of its 12th Starship rocket test from Texas after technical issues interrupted the final countdown. The company now plans to attempt the Starship V3 launch again...

Trump Administration Releases New UFO Files and Apollo Mission Records

The U.S. Defense Department has released dozens of previously classified UFO-related files following an order from President Donald Trump, sparking renewed debate over unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP) and government...

China vs. NASA: The New Moon Race and What's at Stake by 2030

The space race is back and this time, its a direct competition between the United States and China for dominance on the lunar surface. NASAs Artemis II mission recently made history when four astronauts flew farther into...

Technology

EngineAI Files for Hong Kong IPO Amid Rising Demand for AI and Robotics Stocks

Chinese humanoid robotics startup EngineAI has reportedly confidentially filed for an initial public offering (IPO) in Hong Kong, seeking to capitalize on growing investor interest in artificial intelligence (AI) and...

Adobe Beats Q2 2026 Estimates, Raises Full-Year Outlook as AI Revenue Surges Despite Stock Drop

Adobe (NASDAQ: ADBE) delivered stronger-than-expected fiscal second-quarter 2026 results, surpassing Wall Street forecasts on both revenue and earnings while raising its full-year guidance. The software giant also reported...

SpaceX IPO Sets Record With $75 Billion Raise, Valuation Hits $1.77 Trillion

SpaceX has officially made history after pricing its highly anticipated initial public offering (IPO) at $135 per share, raising an unprecedented $75 billion and becoming the largest IPO ever completed in the United...

Astera Labs and Rocket Lab Surge After Nasdaq-100 Inclusion Announcement

Shares of Astera Labs (NASDAQ: ALAB) and Rocket Lab (NASDAQ: RKLB) climbed sharply in after-hours trading on Thursday after Nasdaq confirmed both companies will be added to the prestigious Nasdaq-100 Index during its June...

SK Hynix Stock Rebounds as AI Memory Chip Demand Fuels Expansion Plans

SK Hynix shares recovered from early losses on Thursday after reports revealed the companys ambitious plan to significantly expand its wafer production capacity over the next decade. The South Korean memory chip...
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