Will History Vindicate the Swedish COVID-19 Strategy?

Published 18 Aug 2020

While the New Zealand government enforces severe lockdown measures in a bid to ‘stamp out’ COVID-19, there is a growing international endorsement of the public health strategy in Sweden, which has now recorded far fewer deaths per capita than the United Kingdom – despite keeping schools, restaurants, and workplaces open throughout the duration of the pandemic.

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The false economy of aged care

elocal magazine • Wellness • 17 Oct 2026

by Dr Oliver Hartwich

New Zealand's aged care system faces growing pressure as its population ages. Dr Oliver Hartwich examines why underfunding residential care may ultimately cost taxpayers more through hospital admissions, delayed treatment and shortages of rest home beds. Opinion by Dr Oliver Hartwich | Executive Director, The New Zealand Initiative · Last week, we co-hosted a dinner with the Selwyn Foundation. Its chair, former Labour health minister David…

New Zealand's Sulphur Supply: Is Our Food-Producing Economy Facing a 2027 Crisis?

A new warning raises serious questions about fertiliser security, imported raw materials and the resilience of New Zealand agriculture

elocal magazine • Farming • 17 Oct 2026

New Zealand's agricultural economy depends on an industrial raw material that rarely makes headlines: sulphur. With international supply routes under pressure, questions are emerging about whether the country has sufficient reserves, alternative suppliers and domestic production capacity to withstand a prolonged disruption Report by eLocal | 17 October 2026 · A Warning That Deserves Examination · New Zealand has spent years debating energy…

Trump's Russian Diesel Deal Exposes a Growing Divide Between Washington and Europe

As energy shortages intensify, economic necessity is challenging Western sanctions policy

Independent News Roundup • World News • 17 Oct 2026

Washington has temporarily reopened the door to Russian diesel as high fuel prices threaten American consumers and industry. The decision has exposed tensions with European allies and Ukraine, raising a larger question about whether economic realities are beginning to override geopolitical commitments INR Report: Based on reporting by RT, with additional reporting from Reuters, Associated Press and the International Energy Agency. · President…

Tesla's Flying Roadster: The Car That Challenges Everything We Thought Possible

SpaceX rocket technology gives Tesla's long-awaited electric supercar a remarkable new dimension

Independent News Roundup • Automotive • 17 Oct 2026

Elon Musk has unveiled a Tesla Roadster capable of driving upside down, leaping over other vehicles and performing controlled manoeuvres in midair. At a demonstration in Texas, the company also recorded a claimed 0–60 mph acceleration time of just 0.81 seconds, offering a glimpse of automotive engineering that until recently belonged largely to science fiction. Report by INR · A new chapter in automotive engineering unfolded at SpaceX's rocket…

Marsden Point: Did New Zealand Sacrifice Fuel Security and Put Food Production at Risk?

The refinery is gone, sulphur supplies are exposed, and the 2026 election has brought national resilience back into focus.

elocal magazine • Opinion • 17 Oct 2026

by Mykeljon Winckel

New Zealand's decision to abandon domestic oil refining deserves scrutiny beyond the price of petrol. The loss of refining capacity also raises questions about industrial by-products, agricultural inputs and whether successive governments have adequately protected the country's productive economy. The Cost of Losing a Strategic Industry · In March 2022, New Zealand's only oil refinery at Marsden Point ceased operations, ending nearly six…