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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,…

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…

Dr Robert Malone argues that soaring rates of reported mental-health problems among women may reflect something broader than an epidemic of psychiatric disease. Drawing together surveys on diagnosis, life satisfaction, loneliness and global mental-health burden, he asks whether modern culture and the medical system itself is increasingly turning ordinary human distress into pathology. eLocal Report: Based on commentary and research presented by…

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…

Donald Trump says Washington will seek repayment from Europe for billions of dollars spent supporting Ukraine under Joe Biden. But the scale of US assistance cited by Trump is disputed, and he has not explained which countries would pay, how much they would owe, or what legal mechanism could make a retrospective claim possible. INR Report: Based on reporting by RT HERE · US President Donald Trump has reopened one of the most contentious…

Donald Trump's special envoys arrive in Moscow for talks with Vladimir Putin in a fresh bid to resolve the Ukraine conflict. Ukraine's anti-corruption agency exposes an alleged fraud and money-laundering scheme involving allies of Vladimir Zelensky, with five arrests made. A Philippine court lifts an arrest order on Vice President Sara Duterte after she posts bail. And as Germany's AfD eyes its first local election victory, we examine its…

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…

CIA Director John Ratcliffe’s unusually discreet visit to Moscow has generated speculation about Ukraine, Iran and intelligence negotiations. But columnist Rachel Marsden advances a different argument: that the timing also benefits Baltic governments seeking billions from Brussels and ultimately the American defence companies supplying much of their military hardware. INR Report: Based on commentary by Rachel Marsden for RT HERE · The secrecy…

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…

Outgoing National MP Andrew Bayly is calling for New Zealand’s superannuation age to begin rising from the next parliamentary term, arguing that continued delay will make future reform more severe. His proposal would increase eligibility by one month each year from 2029, eventually lifting the age from 65 to 68 by 2065. eLocal Report: Based on reporting by Craig McCulloch for RNZ HERE · Andrew Bayly is using his final weeks in Parliament to…