New Zealand Election Too Close to Call as PM Luxon Claims Pathway to Government

New Zealand's general election has produced an uncertain result, with Prime Minister Christopher Luxon saying the outcome remains too close to call but asserting that his National Party has a pathway to forming the next government. Luxon noted it was encouraging that current figures show National as the largest party in parliament, though he stopped short of claiming outright victory.

Opposition leader Chris Hipkins separately cautioned that the shape of the next government would not be clear for some time, underscoring how tight the contest is. Coalition negotiations are expected to be complex given the closeness of the result.

Separately, allies of U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Miller have signaled that he views the Iran war as a political disaster and believes the administration must return to policies popular with the MAGA base, raising questions about a potential shift in U.S. foreign policy direction. A new Polymarket prediction market has also opened on whether the French presidential election will be delayed, reflecting broader political uncertainty across multiple countries.