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.
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The British embassy in Tehran has been temporarily closed, with services now operating remotely, the government announced Wednesday....
The United States has announced an indefinite suspension of immigrant visa processing from 75 countries, expanding President Donald Trump’s crackdow...
Denmark has announced an immediate increase in its military presence in Greenland, citing growing security tensions in the Arctic....
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that he has been informed the killing of anti-government protesters in Iran has stopped and that planned...
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that he has been informed the killing of anti-government protesters in Iran has stopped and that planned executions would not go ahead, though details remain unclear.
Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen said on Wednesday that Denmark was unable to change the U.S. position on Greenland after talks with American officials in Washington.
As tensions between Iran and the U.S. persist, authorities in Tehran are facing another problem—this time at home.
The United Kingdom and the United States are withdrawing military personnel from bases in the Middle East as tensions with Iran rise, following Tehran’s warning to regional allies that it would target U.S. bases if Washington takes military action.
The Trump administration will suspend all visa processing for visitors from 75 countries beginning 21 January 2026, according to a State Department memo reported by media.
The U.S. has issued an urgent security notice calling all American citizens to leave Iran immediately, citing escalating protests, growing violence and widespread communication shutdowns across the country.
Israel and Arab States have urged the U.S. to delay any potential military action against Iran, warning that such a move could undermine ongoing protests inside the country, according to NBC News.
Sweden is sending a group of military officers to Greenland at Denmark’s request, Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said on Wednesday, as Nordic countries and NATO allies step up coordination around the Arctic territory.
Saudi Arabia has informed Iran that it will not allow its territory or airspace to be used for any military action against Tehran, according to two sources close to the kingdom’s government cited by AFP.
Venezuela’s acting President Delcy Rodríguez said Wednesday that her government will continue releasing prisoners detained under former President Nicolás Maduro, calling it part of a “new political moment” since his ouster by the United States earlier this month.
The U.S. and UK are reducing personnel at Qatar’s Al-Udeid air base as President Donald Trump weighs possible action against Iran over its violent crackdown on protesters.
The United Nations has called on Uganda to lift a nationwide internet blackout ahead of Thursday’s general election, describing the restrictions as “deeply worrying.”
Whole milk is heading back to school cafeterias across the U.S. after President Donald Trump signed a bill overturning Obama-era limits on higher-fat milk options.
NASA is carrying out the first emergency return in International Space Station history after an astronaut aboard Crew-11 suffered a serious medical condition.
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