RT World News - December 21 2025 CET

by RT

Published 22 Dec 2025

US forces seize a second tanker near the Venezuelan coast. Washington claims it carried sanctioned oil that falls under Donald Trump's blockade.
President Putin's special envoy arrives in the United States.
Kirill Dmitriev is searching for ways to end the Ukraine conflict with Washington's top negotiators.
Indonesia is reclaiming its history - the country's national museum receives thousands of priceless artefacts taken by the country's former colonial rulers.

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They Said They Never Lie. But Are Luxon and Hipkins Telling New Zealand What Really Matters?

As the leaders trade competing claims, official figures reveal a more troubling reality about economic growth, purchasing power and accountability.

elocal magazine • Election • 16 Oct 2026

Christopher Luxon and Chris Hipkins both defended their honesty during the latest leaders' debate, yet independent fact-checking exposed inaccurate and misleading claims from both sides. Beyond the political exchanges lies a larger question: after decades of promises, are New Zealanders being offered credible mechanisms for rebuilding national prosperity, or simply competing explanations for why the economy has failed to deliver? Report by…

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…

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…

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…

Putin Might Accept Trump’s Reported Peace Plan

by Andrew Korybko

Independent News Roundup • Analysis • 17 Oct 2026

Andrew Korybko examines a reported four-part US peace proposal involving Ukraine's reconstruction, security guarantees, European energy integration and a ceasefire. He argues that Moscow might accept a negotiated settlement, particularly if an energy agreement offers economic incentives, while questioning whether Kyiv would agree. It represents a pragmatic balance of interests between all sides. · The Washington Post reported that Trump’s…