WORLD NEWS RT - June 3 2026 (17:00 MSK)

National says widening access to 5 percent-deposit mortgages will help thousands more New Zealanders into their first homes. But viewed through eLocal’s Hollowing Out of New Zealand investigation, the policy raises a more fundamental question: does helping households take on larger mortgages actually create national wealth — or does it reinforce the financial system that helped make housing unaffordable in the first place? eLocal Report: Based…

Hakyung Lee remains sentenced to life imprisonment for murdering her two young children, but the Court of Appeal has reduced the minimum period she must serve before becoming eligible for parole. The judges found a “stark” disparity between Lee’s sentence and that imposed on Lauren Dickason, concluding the difference could not be justified under sentencing principles. eLocal Report: Based on reporting by Ric Stevens for the New Zealand Herald,…

Remarks by Vladimir Zelensky about Ukrainian drone operations making Russian airspace increasingly difficult for civilian aviation have triggered an angry response in Moscow. Russian commentators describe the warning as a threat to civilian aviation, although one expert argues Zelensky was predicting disruption from mass drone raids rather than threatening to attack passenger aircraft directly INR Report: Based on reporting and expert…

Bessent explains Wall Street, the financial press, and Democrats keep being proved wrong—contrasting Canada’s job losses with a blowout U.S. jobs report, calling out FT/WSJ panic, and framing a Red Queen economy that must outrun debt, China, and skills gaps. By Barbara Boyd · Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent tells Steve Bannon that critics in Wall Street, the financial press, and Democrats keep being proved wrong, contrasting Canada’s job…

New Zealand First says it will campaign to allow greater economic development on conservation land, including mining and quarrying outside national parks. Deputy leader and Resources Minister Shane Jones says conservation status should not automatically prevent land from contributing to jobs, exports and economic growth. eLocal Report: Based on reporting by Ellen O'Dwyer for RNZ HERE · New Zealand First is taking a potentially significant…