All articles

ACT wants to fundamentally change the way New Zealand taxes cryptocurrency, promising that qualifying personal crypto gains would become tax-free once an asset had been held for more than 12 months. The party also wants exemptions for small everyday transactions and clearer rules for stablecoins and financial technology companies. eLocal Report: Based on reporting by Craig McCulloch for RNZ HERE. · ACT has unveiled a cryptocurrency policy that…

Roger Waters has delivered a sweeping critique of artificial intelligence, social media and modern warfare, arguing that apparently separate developments share a common thread: the concentration of power. Speaking to RT, the veteran musician warned that AI-generated culture could undermine human creativity while algorithmic platforms manipulate attention, emotions and political behaviour. INR Report: Based on an interview with Roger Waters…

CIA Director John Ratcliffe has made the first known visit to Moscow by a serving CIA chief since 2021. The Kremlin says the previously unannounced trip involved contacts between US and Russian intelligence services, but reports suggesting discussions ranged from Ukraine and Iran to detainees and strategic stability remain unconfirmed INR Report: Based on reporting by RT HERE. · CIA Director John Ratcliffe quietly travelled to Moscow this week…

Russian forces have reportedly breached the first defensive lines in their advance towards Slavyansk in the Donetsk Republic. Qatar’s Prime Minister arrives in Tehran seeking ways to ease Middle East tensions as Washington vows to further isolate Iran. We examine how the US has used similar pressure tactics before, while RT India visits Kabul for an exclusive interview with Taliban leaders about the misconceptions they want to challenge.

Balancing the books is only half the job. Dr Oliver Hartwich argues that while National and Labour are focused on deficits, spending and taxation, New Zealand’s deeper challenge is declining productivity and competitiveness. He says restoring credible institutions, simplifying government and making ministers clearly accountable should be just as important as returning the budget to surplus. Over the past couple of weeks, the two major parties…

Residents of a quiet Wattle Downs street have described the frightening moments surrounding a suspected double homicide in which a man and woman were found dead. Police say a 30-year-old man is in custody and is being spoken to as investigators work to establish whether he was involved. eLocal Report: Based on reporting by Jessica Hopkins for RNZ HERE. · A South Auckland neighbourhood remains at the centre of a double-homicide investigation…

Labour has promised New Zealand motorists there will be no increase in fuel excise duty during its next term in government, while also calling on the coalition to cancel a 12-cent-a-litre increase currently scheduled for January. The commitment offers motorists certainty at the pump, but it also creates a larger question: if fuel-tax revenue does not rise, what transport spending will have to give way? eLocal Report: Based on reporting by Giles…

Ahead of the 25th anniversary of the September 11 attacks, CBC journalists have reportedly been reminded not to independently describe 9/11 as a “terrorist attack.” The broadcaster disputes reports suggesting it is denying the nature of the attacks, saying journalists can use the terminology when attributing it to authorities, experts or other sources. INR Report: Based on reporting by RT HERE. · Canada's publicly funded national broadcaster…

Five years after the chaotic US withdrawal from Afghanistan, a Pentagon review panel says it has uncovered classified documents that were apparently withheld from previous investigations. The panel's chairman says the material could help explain decisions surrounding the withdrawal, although the allegation of deliberate concealment has not yet been substantiated publicly. INR Report: Based on reporting by RT HERE. · Pentagon investigators…

Benjamin Netanyahu has declared that the West Bank will remain Israeli land while highlighting the expansion and legalisation of Jewish settlements across the occupied territory. His comments come as Israel advances the E1 settlement project east of Jerusalem — a development critics warn could further divide Palestinian territory and undermine the possibility of a viable two-state solution. INR Report: Based on reporting by RT HERE. · Israeli…