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National Party members are gathering in Lower Hutt this weekend for the party's Annual General Meeting, with the economy expected to dominate discussions and a new election policy announcement anticipated from party leader Christopher Luxon. Report by elocal · The AGM comes at a critical time for the governing party as it seeks to build momentum heading towards the November election while managing the political and economic fallout from New…

A Hamilton doctor who spent more than five decades in medical practice has been sentenced to prison after admitting a pattern of sexual offending against three girls spanning more than 30 years. William James Reeder, 79, was sentenced in the Hamilton District Court on 15 sexual assault charges, with the court hearing that his offending stretched from the late 1980s through until 2024. · Judge Arthur Tompkins sentenced Reeder to four-and-a-half…

The India FTA entrenches policies that would not survive the floor of Parliament on their own - uncappable immigration, CBDC, UNDRIP, transfer of our cultivars to a competitor, a US$20B obligation enforceable by India. FTAs used to be about trade. By Joshua Riley · The India Free Trade Agreement has been presented to New Zealanders as a breakthrough deal - one that opens a vast market of 1.4 billion people and promises new opportunities for…

Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky has issued an ultimatum to Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, threatening him with military action if Belarus fails to dismantle the air defense radar array along its southern border, just days after a deadly Ukrainian drone strike on a bus carrying a children’s soccer team from the country. Earlier this week, Lukashenko said that those seeking to drag his nation into the conflict “will have to pay dearly for…

The Strait of Hormuz is again to close to all vessels. That's the latest declaration by Iran - who states the IDF's continued strikes on Lebanon is the reason why. · The assault is a violation of Washington's deal with Tehran. Cross-border Israeli attacks kill 16 in Lebanon's south this Saturday according to local authorities. That's also despite reports of a renewed ceasefire between West Jerusalem and Hezbollah. · Vladimir Zelensky…

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer is facing mounting pressure from Labour MPs, party heavyweights and even cabinet ministers to step down as early as this weekend, the Guardian has reported, citing lawmakers and government sources. Calls for Starmer’s resignation have grown since Labour lost nearly 1,500 seats in local elections in May. The pressure reportedly intensified after former Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham won Thursday’s Makerfield…

The West should not have expelled Russia from the G8, US President Donald Trump has said, adding that keeping Moscow in the group could have prevented the escalation of the Ukraine conflict in 2022. Trump made the remarks in a wide-ranging interview with Axios published on Friday, in which the US president reflected on the G7 summit in France and a dinner French President Emmanuel Macron hosted for him at Versailles. · He praised Macron for his…

The Green Party's latest tax proposal is being marketed as a solution to inequality. I see it differently. I see it as envy dressed up as economic policy. A wealth tax. An inheritance tax. Higher corporate taxes. More levies on productive enterprise. More government intervention into the lives and assets of people who have spent decades building businesses, creating jobs, taking risks and generating prosperity. The question New Zealanders…

Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown has strongly criticised New Zealand First's proposal to abolish Auckland's Independent Māori Statutory Board (IMSB), describing the move as "dumb, racist stuff" and questioning why the Government was choosing to focus on the issue during a period of economic pressure for many New Zealanders. Report by elocal · The comments come after New Zealand First introduced a Member's Bill seeking to disestablish the Independent…

After what has felt like a very quiet few weeks around New Zealand's fuel ports, we're finally starting to see a bit more movement in the system. G'day everyone. · The good news is that fuel is still flowing. · The other good news is that several vessels are now either alongside, arriving, or scheduled across the country over the coming fortnight. That's a noticeable improvement from the sparse activity we've been tracking recently. · At…