Happy New Year

Protests erupt across France as soaring living costs and energy prices fuel unrest, with police and demonstrators clashing in Paris, Marseille and Strasbourg. Russia claims further advances in Ukraine, capturing two strategically important settlements and asserting that Kyiv now controls just 10% of Donetsk. Meanwhile, Donald Trump reportedly abandons the proposed Graham sanctions bill targeting Russia and Iran, arguing it conflicts with US…

Ukraine has asked the European Union for another €70 billion in financial and military support, but European leaders left their Brussels summit without an agreement on the additional funding. Behind the diplomatic assurances lies a difficult question for governments already facing competing domestic priorities: how much longer can Europe finance Ukraine's war effort, and under what conditions? INR Report: Based on RT's live coverage of the EU…

President Donald Trump has reportedly condemned Ukraine’s renewed attacks on Russian oil refineries as a “disgrace”, amid concerns over rising global energy prices. Meanwhile, Vladimir Putin warns of repercussions following Ukrainian strikes on Russian civilian areas. · As funding from frozen Russian assets comes under pressure, EU leaders face difficult questions about continued financial support for Kyiv. Can Europe sustain its commitments,…

Waikato's controversial Plan Change 1 has reached another legal milestone, but its economic consequences remain fiercely contested. Andy Loader argues that the drive to improve water quality risks imposing unsustainable costs on farmers and vegetable growers, threatening food security, rural communities and New Zealand's export economy. en years after it was first notified, Plan Change 1 has been confirmed by the Environment Court. · In June,…

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…