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The Government has unveiled a new $51 million programme designed to accelerate the rollout of methane-reduction technology across New Zealand farms, signalling a major commitment to technology-led emissions reduction rather than taxation. Announced at Fieldays in Hamilton, the Early Adoption Accelerator will provide dollar-for-dollar funding to help move methane-reducing technologies from the development stage into widespread commercial use.…

New Zealand's hoped-for economic recovery is facing fresh challenges, according to Kiwibank economists Jarrod Kerr and Alexandra Turcu, who say rising global uncertainty, higher interest rate expectations and a struggling construction sector are combining to slow momentum across the economy. By Elocal Economics Desk · Speaking on the latest episode of Markets, Mystics & Mayhem, the pair examined the fallout from unexpectedly strong US…

Vladimir Zelensky has criticized British political party Reform UK for removing Ukrainian flags from public buildings in Britain, warning that such actions can ruin a “big friendship.” · The Ukrainian leader made the comments in an interview with The Guardian during a visit to London on Sunday, where he met Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron, and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz. · Asked about the decision by…

Israel has struck the historic city of Tyre in Lebanon, targeting the Christian quarter for the first time after ordering a partial evacuation. The attack has heightened local concerns over the fate of the city’s revered Biblical heritage sites. According to Reuters, eight people were killed in a single strike on Tyre’s eastern edge on Tuesday. · The Christian quarter, located in the city’s northwest, had been excluded from previous Israeli…

Bulgaria’s new government has announced it will halt weapons deliveries to Ukraine, signaling a major policy shift for the NATO and EU member, which has been supplying arms to Kiev since the escalation of the conflict in 2022. The conflict cannot be resolved on the battlefield, Bulgarian Defense Minister Dimitar Stoyanov told reporters on Tuesday, arguing that Ukraine’s primary challenge is a shortage of personnel rather than weapons. · "What…

FSB chief Alexander Bortnikov warned during a recent meeting of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) Council of Heads of Security Agencies and Special Services that “The West seeks to disrupt integration processes and undermine stability in CIS countries from within, making nations forget their shared history and trying to pit them against each other in order to take the situation here under control.” This is being advanced in part…

Anti-immigration riots broke out in Belfast on Tuesday night after a knife-wielding Sudanese asylum seeker allegedly attacked a man in the capital of Northern Ireland. The incident occurred amid a heated debate over migration policies, fuelled by a string of crimes involving foreign nationals across the United Kingdom. · Buses and cars were set ablaze as police urged the public to remain calm. · Videos from the scene showed vehicles engulfed in…

Mass protests erupt in Kenya over American plans to co-opt an air base there to quarantine US citizens. Locals fear the Ebola virus could spread from the site into a country without a single recorded case. · A gunman opens fire on Israeli soldiers and is shot dead after entering the country from Lebanon. It follows the IDF bombarding the ancient Lebanese city of Tyre killing several people. · Tehran insists that Washington must recognise the…

Northern Irish police have arrested a Sudanese asylum seeker over a brutal stabbing attack in Belfast on Monday. Graphic video footage showed locals intervening as the attacker plunged a kitchen knife into his victim’s neck. The attacker, who is in his 30s, was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder, the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) said on Tuesday. His victim, who is in his 40s, suffered stab wounds to his back, face, and eyes,…

As we move deeper into winter, the latest tanker movements show New Zealand's fuel supply chain continuing to operate smoothly. Product is moving through the network, imports are arriving as scheduled, and regional distribution remains active. That's the good news. · The less comfortable reality is that these daily tanker movements continue to highlight just how dependent New Zealand has become on imported refined fuel products and…