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On April 8, 2026, London-listed Sunda Energy Plc signed a deal to acquire producing oil and gas assets in Taranaki from Matahio Energy. · The deal was announced publicly on April 9, with an effective date of January 1, 2026. · This was not speculation. · This was a transfer of control over producing assets: · Cheal, Cheal East and Sidewinder fields Existing infrastructure Around 1,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day production · And the…

There’s a growing tension in New Zealand’s farming sector — and it’s no longer sitting quietly in policy papers or industry meetings. It’s now out in the open. On one side, Federated Farmers are urging caution. On the other, farmers themselves are pushing back — hard! And at the centre of it all is a simple question: · Why are New Zealand farmers forced to meet higher standards while competing against imports that don’t? · The Official Line:…

After meeting with Marco Rubio, foreign minister Winston Peters says he made sure US understands ‘significant economic impacts on New Zealand and Pacific’ Eva Corlett · New Zealand has called on the US to send fuel tankers to the Pacific to help alleviate some of the significant economic and fuel pressure caused by the war in the Middle East. · Winston Peters, New Zealand’s foreign minister, met the US secretary of state, Marco Rubio, in…

New Zealand’s ministers answer to Parliament for departments they cannot control. They cannot choose, direct or remove the chief executives who run those departments. The Public Service Commissioner makes those appointments. The New Zealand Initiative argues this arrangement is broken. It recommends that New Zealand adopt a version of Germany’s model, where ministers appoint their top officials while a protected career service operates below. ·…

The Free Speech Union commends Minister Goldsmith’s instinct to scrap the Broadcasting Standards Authority and says a proposal by former District Court Judge David Harvey for a unified regulator covering media standards and online harm deserves serious consideration. Goldsmith told the Ryan Bridge Today show he is “tempted to scrap” the 37-year-old BSA, with both NZ First and ACT supporting abolition. Harvey’s proposal goes further, replacing…

The bloc is facing an energy crisis due to the Strait of Hormuz disruption, with soaring diesel prices triggering protests · FILE PHOTO. ©  Horacio VillalobosCorbis/Corbis via Getty Images · The EU is sliding into a fuel crisis driven by a global supply shock caused by the US-Israeli attack on Iran. It has already triggered protests, early signs of shortages, and warnings of the wider economic impact. · This has resulted…

Washington isn’t interested in ending the conflict with Tehran as it benefits from turmoil in the Middle East, Moussa Ibrahim has told RT · US Vice President JD Vance speaking to journalists before departing to Pakistan for talks with Iran. ©  Jacquelyn Martin · Iran should not repeat the mistakes of Libya, which paid a heavy price for trusting the West, the North African country’s former information minister, Moussa…

Russia’s assessment is political in nature and intended to challenge the US’ claims of victory. · Andrew Korybko · RT and other media reported that Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova described the US-Iranian ceasefire as a “crushing defeat” in an echo of the exact same wording employed by Iran’s Supreme National Security Council. Interestingly, that part of her press conference wasn’t included in the Foreign Ministry’s…

The Islamic Republic will likely become much stronger, but also more moderate, free, and open. · John Leake · It seems to me that the history of Iran between 1941 and 1979 was dominated by the drama of the British, Americans, and Russians coveting the nation’s vast and strategically located oil reserves. As I mentioned in an earlier column, I was surprised to learn that Iranian Light is almost as valuable as West Texas Intermediate. …

World Affairs In Context · Overview · In a wide-ranging and highly critical interview, economist Dr. Steve Hanke delivers a stark assessment of the United States economy, warning that the gap between political rhetoric and economic reality is widening rapidly. · Speaking on the World Affairs and Context podcast, Hanke outlines a system under pressure from inflation, policy missteps, geopolitical conflict, and structural financial instability —…