New Zealand’s parliament on Thursday passed legislation ending a ban on offshore oil and gas exploration, reversing a flagship policy of former Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern’s government.
The move will allow companies to apply for petroleum exploration permits outside the onshore Taranaki region from September, opening the door to renewed investment in the country’s fossil fuel sector.
Environmental groups criticised the decision, calling it a blow to New Zealand’s renewable energy ambitions.
“This government keeps choosing to undermine our resilience rather than transition to clean, green energy,” said Green Party Climate spokesperson Chloe Swarbrick.
In 2018, Ardern’s centre-left Labour government halted the granting of new offshore oil and gas permits as part of efforts to combat climate change and reduce reliance on fossil fuels.
Since taking office in late 2023, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon’s conservative administration has moved to unwind a series of Labour-era climate policies, including scrapping rebates for electric vehicles and fast-tracking mining approvals.
Resources Minister Shane Jones said the previous government’s ban had deterred investment and worsened domestic energy shortages.
“This government is pragmatic about the vital role natural gas will play in our energy mix in the decades ahead, and we have set a course for greater energy security backed by our own indigenous reserves,” Jones said.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) deployed one of its largest ballistic missiles at a newly unveiled underground base on Wednesday (3 ...
“Having a good security relationship with the United States is of utmost importance for the Japanese as a whole,” said Professor Seijiro Takeshita...
Iran and the United States are set to hold high-stakes negotiations in Oman on Friday (6 February) over Tehran’s nuclear programme. However, dispute...
Indonesia and Australia have signed a security treaty on Friday (6 February) that commits them to consult each other if either country is threatened, ...
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief: here are the top news stories for the 6th of February, covering the latest developments you need to ...
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) deployed one of its largest ballistic missiles at a newly unveiled underground base on Wednesday (3 February), just two days ahead of mediated nuclear talks with the United States in Muscat, Oman.
“Having a good security relationship with the United States is of utmost importance for the Japanese as a whole,” said Professor Seijiro Takeshita of the University of Shizuoka, highlighting the strategic stakes ahead of Japan’s national election.
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief: here are the top news stories for the 6th of February, covering the latest developments you need to know.
France’s “absolute priority” remains the fight against the Islamic State (IS) group, Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot said on Thursday (5 February) during talks with his Syrian counterpart in Damascus, as Paris reassesses its counter-terrorism strategy.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) deployed one of its largest ballistic missiles at a newly unveiled underground base on Wednesday (3 February), just two days ahead of mediated nuclear talks with the United States in Muscat, Oman.
Rivers and reservoirs across Spain and Portugal were on the verge of overflowing on Wednesday as a new weather front pounded the Iberian peninsula, compounding damage from last week's Storm Kristin.
Morocco has evacuated more than 100,000 people from four provinces after heavy rainfall triggered flash floods across several northern regions, the Interior Ministry said on Wednesday.
The World Health Organization has added the Nipah virus to its list of the world’s top 10 priority diseases, alongside COVID-19 and the Zika virus, warning that its epidemic potential highlights the global risk posed by fast-spreading outbreaks.
Uzbekistan is accelerating plans to expand uranium production and deepen international nuclear cooperation, positioning the sector as a pillar of long-term industrial growth and resource security.
“Having a good security relationship with the United States is of utmost importance for the Japanese as a whole,” said Professor Seijiro Takeshita of the University of Shizuoka, highlighting the strategic stakes ahead of Japan’s national election.
Iran and the United States are set to hold high-stakes negotiations in Oman on Friday (6 February) over Tehran’s nuclear programme. However, disputes over the agenda, particularly Iran’s missile programme, suggest progress will be difficult.
Indonesia and Australia have signed a security treaty on Friday (6 February) that commits them to consult each other if either country is threatened, Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto said.
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief: here are the top news stories for the 6th of February, covering the latest developments you need to know.
Security services say they have now rescued all 166 worshippers who were kidnapped by gunmen during attacks on two churches in northern Nigeria last month, a Christian group said on Thursday (5 February).
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