Articles from ‘Independent News Roundup’

Russia's Valdai forum presented a world in which Western dominance is giving way to a more contested international system centred on sovereign states, competing power centres and institutions such as BRICS. That is Russia's interpretation of the transition, not an established historical verdict, but the underlying shift matters greatly to New Zealand INR Report: Based on analysis by Timofey Bordachev for RT HERE · For most New Zealanders,…

Europe is rearming, NATO is reinforcing its eastern flank and Russia is warning that confrontation could escalate into nuclear war. Yet NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte says there is currently “no imminent threat to NATO territory.” As military preparations intensify on both sides, the critical question is whether Europe is deterring a future war, or creating the conditions in which miscalculation could start one. For New Zealand, already…

Meta could face one of the largest corporate penalties in US history after a New Mexico jury found Facebook repeatedly misled consumers about how their personal information was collected, protected, shared and used. The state is seeking as much as US$40 billion, but the final penalty has yet to be determined and Meta argues the proposed amount is excessive. INR Report: Based on reporting by RT HERE · A privacy case originating in the Cambridge…

Brazilian authorities have opened an investigation into allegations that US government funds were intended to support civil-society organisations campaigning against the country's Supreme Federal Court. The controversy comes immediately before Brazil's presidential election and amid an increasingly bitter dispute between Brasília and Washington over judicial power, censorship, tariffs and political influence. INR Report: Based on reporting by…

BRICS nations collectively possess enormous energy resources, but recent supply disruptions have exposed a fundamental weakness: membership does not guarantee access to another member’s oil when a crisis strikes. An emerging proposal would move cooperation beyond declarations by positioning emergency oil stocks closer to importing countries and agreeing access before shortages begin INR Report: Based on analysis by Manish Vaid for RT HERE ·…

NATO's chief insists the alliance is defensive, even as member states claim they can strike Russian targets. Moscow's OSCE envoy Dmitry Polyansky calls NATO's actions a direct threat. Russian forces intensify strikes on Ukrainian military, energy and logistics infrastructure as Putin says Kiev's hold on Donbass is becoming unsustainable. Meanwhile, the EU rejects Ukraine's request for an additional US$27 billion, calling it "unexpected and…

An attempt by the US state of Tennessee to execute convicted murderer Christa Pike has ended with the 50-year-old alive but critically ill after receiving two injections of the execution drug pentobarbital. The extraordinary failure, Tennessee's second aborted execution this year, has forced the state to suspend executions while questions mount over its lethal-injection procedures INR Report: Based on reporting by Jonathan Allen for Reuters,…

Explosions have been reported in Ethiopia’s capital following an alleged drone attack by an armed opposition alliance as unrest intensifies. Meanwhile, NATO and some EU officials are blaming Russia for separate developments despite questions over the evidence presented. Moscow also says it is being wrongly blamed for a humanitarian crisis in Alyoshki, Kherson, claiming Ukrainian forces are preventing vital aid from reaching civilians.

A Flydubai passenger jet bound for Tel Aviv was forced into an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia after its captain was stabbed during a violent cockpit confrontation and the aircraft entered a dramatic descent. Israeli authorities say the co-pilot apparently attempted to crash the aircraft, but his motive and whether the incident constituted a terrorist attack remain under official investigation INR Report: Based on reporting by Tyler Durden…

An extra edition of RT’s Sanchez Effect sees Rick joined by The Young Turks co-host Ana Kasparian to discuss US domestic and foreign policy. Kasparian argues Democrats and Republicans offer little real alternative on foreign policy, particularly toward Russia, while many Americans would rather prioritise prosperity at home. She also warns of possible escalation with Tehran, arguing Trump being a “sore loser” makes the prospect of ending the…