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Russian President Vladimir Putin's visit to China came only days after Donald Trump's own high-profile meetings in Beijing, leading some analysts to suggest a new “great triangle” is forming among the world's largest powers. By Fyodor Lukyanov, editor-in-chief of Russia in Global Affairs, chairman of the Presidium of the Council on Foreign and Defense Policy, and research director of the Valdai International Discussion Club. · However,…

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has summoned Israel’s ambassador in Rome after condemning the treatment of pro-Palestinian activists detained during Israel’s interception of a Gaza-bound aid flotilla. In a sharply worded statement on Wednesday, Meloni described footage showing Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir taunting the detainees as “unacceptable.” · "It is inadmissible that these demonstrators, including many Italian…

Former Polish Prime Minister Leszek Miller has accused senior European Union figures of causing what he described as “unimaginable damage” to the European project, directing criticism at European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and former German Chancellor Angela Merkel. Miller, who oversaw Poland's accession to the European Union in 2004, made the remarks following a ceremony in Strasbourg where Merkel received the newly created…

President Donald Trump and pro-Israel groups have helped unseat Representative Thomas Massie, a hardline conservative who broke with the president over Israel, Iran, and the Epstein files, in what became the most expensive US House primary in history. Ed Gallrein, a retired Navy SEAL and farmer who previously ran unsuccessfully for the Kentucky state Senate in 2024, defeated Massie after pro-Israel groups poured more than $10 million into…

The interesting thing this week is that after what felt like a very slow start to May, we're now starting to see the shipping picture fill out quite a bit. Earlier in the month there were days where you could look across the schedules and there was practically nothing new to report. That naturally raises eyebrows because people start asking whether supply issues are developing behind the scenes. But looking at where we sit now, the overall…

President Putin and Chinese leader, Xi Jinping, sign a series of bilateral documents, including an objection to 'forcing sovereign states to renounce neutrality', adding that hegemony must be eliminated. · Despite outside pressures the links between Russia and China are strong and the two countries are working hand in hand to counter global coercion. An Iranian MP lashes out at what he calls Donald Trump’s ‘unbalanced character’, saying the US…

Australia's latest budget changes are prompting renewed discussion around the differences between New Zealand and Australian tax systems, with some Australian commentators now describing New Zealand as a "tax haven" for investors and business owners. By elocal Report Desk · !Australia's latest government Budget has prompted some strong reactions · Australia's latest government Budget has prompted some strong reactions. Source: 123rf · The…

The Free Speech Union is calling on the Queenstown Lakes District Council to reverse its decision to blacklist Crux Media editor Peter Newport from council media access, warning that the move sets a dangerous precedent for press freedom in New Zealand. Mr Newport has spent a year investigating the sewage discharged from Queenstown's wastewater plant into the Shotover River. Three days before RNZ confirmed E. coli levels almost four times the…

You may have seen the Herald piece this week reporting that the Legal Complaints Review Officer has quashed the disciplinary finding against me and my firm. · !Herald headline · Source: Free Speech Union · I'm not writing to celebrate. · I'm writing because what happened to me is what is now happening, regularly and quietly, to people across New Zealand who don't have the resources to fight back. · A lawyer's letter, fifty years of practice,…

On Sunday's Q+A, Education Minister Erica Stanford confirmed what the Free Speech Union has been warning about for months: universal age verification is coming to New Zealand. That is the only detail the public has been given The Department of Internal Affairs is already recruiting a Programme Implementation Director. Procurement is underway. A July 2027 implementation date has been pencilled in. None of this has been before Parliament. None of…