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Has Trump landed a dud with his Venezuelan oil play?
While debate rages over the legality and the potential fallout from America's incursion, there's been a quiet acceptance that it is all about oil.
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Court decision sets up a big year for freshwater
8 Jan 2026Analysis: It's reasonable to assume freshwater will be a hot topic in the general election, partly, perhaps, because cow herds are expanding.
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Trump’s credibility problem on Venezuela
8 Jan 2026Analysis - In 2008, Donald Trump took to CNN to bemoan the dangers of a president lying the United States into war.
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Venezuela, Gaza, Ukraine: Is the UN failing?
7 Jan 2026Many are now asking whether the United Nations has any future at all if it cannot fulfil its first promise of maintaining international peace and security.
Comment & Analysis headlines with summaries.
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Big Oil doesn't share Trump's Venezuelan vision
Analysis: There's plenty of reasons oil industry bosses aren't keen to go into Caracas.
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Trump's new US mission statement: Strength, force, power
6 Jan 2026Analysis - An interview with Donald Trump's deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller laid bare how the White House sees its place in the world now.
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Trump’s intervention in Venezuela: The three warnings for the world
6 Jan 2026Analysis: The Trump administration is using domestic laws to ignore global rules entirely - it's a new strategy, but one with no international legal basis.
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Can office culture survive the work-from-home revolution?
5 Jan 2026For jobs that allow it, hybrid work is the new normal, allowing employees to work both remotely, usually from home, and in the office, writes Barbara Plester.
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Trump attacked Venezuela and arrested its president. Is that legal?
A look at the legality of a US attack on Venezuela and the arrest of the country's president.
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NZ report card 2025: How we fared in key global and domestic rankings
29 Dec 2025To borrow a phrase from old school reports: Shows great potential but needs to try harder, Alexander Gillespie writes.
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US has been here before, but seizure of Venezuela's Maduro is unprecedented
Analysis: The seizure of a foreign leader is a blatant sign of the Trump administration's aggressive but unfocused might-makes-right approach.
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Ancient African bedrock reveals the violent beginnings of life on our blue planet
2 Jan 2026In remote corners of the world, geologists have found tiny relics of Earth's very ancient surface, writes Simon Lamb.
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JD Vance tries to have it both ways on Nick Fuentes and antisemitism
23 Dec 2025Analysis - Vance could inherit a conservative movement that is increasingly riven over antisemitism and conspiracy theories in its midst.
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Parliament's year in numbers: Who spoke the most and how many bills were introduced?
21 Dec 2025Analysis: We look back at this year's Parliament in data, including just how much coffee fuels our democracy?
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Australia defeats words with actions to complete rapid Ashes romp
22 Dec 2025Anaylsis: In the pre-series furore, with England crowing and injury concerns mounting, Australia stayed quiet. Its response was emphatic.
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How Bondi shooters gained access to now-banned guns
Analysis: With Australia's strict gun laws, how was Sajid Akram able to legally own the gun he used to slaughter innocent people in Bondi on 14 December?
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Putin's brazen new tactics
Analysis: Undercover Russian personnel have been placed on board ships carrying the country's oil and they're spying on Europe, intelligence sources say.
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Takeaways from Trump's primetime address
19 Dec 2025In case there was any doubt, Trump made clear his message will continue to feature a heavy dose of the B-word: Biden.
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What is the BRICS ‘UNIT’ – and could it really challenge the US dollar?
18 Dec 2025At a major summit in Russia last year, a banknote was unveiled that carried more symbolism than monetary value.
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What NZ needs to watch as Australia reforms gun laws after the Bondi terror attack
17 Dec 2025Analysis - The Bondi terror attack on Sunday has seen Australian federal, state and territory governments agree to the biggest overhaul of firearms regulations since the 1996 Port Arthur massacre.
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Falsehoods and deepfakes spread online after Bondi attack
A deepfake image depicting one of the victims is among a slew of false content spreading online.
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Trump chief of staff says president 'has an alcoholic's personality'
17 Dec 2025Analysis: From criticism of JD Vance to admitting Trump is out for retribution, here's what we learnt from Susie Wiles' unvarnished interviews.
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Intervene, run or hide? What to do during public violence like at Bondi
16 Dec 2025A man tackling a shooter has prompted the question of what the public need to do during attacks.
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Americans think Trump knew about Epstein's alleged crimes
Analysis: But it's not just a poll that suggests the public believes he has something to hide.
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Faster, cheaper … but better? The devil in the RMA reform detail
12 Dec 2025Anaylsis: When the government this week unveiled reforms to finally replace the RMA, many of us would have been glad to see the back of it, writes Bill McKay.
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Data reveals what crash delays really cost Auckland
11 Dec 2025Analysis - Rolling back speed limits ignores the hidden costs of delays caused by an increased number of crashes, Timothy Welch writes.
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Why the government shouldn't bring oral nicotine pouches to NZ
11 Dec 2025Tobacco and nicotine companies want to introduce oral nicotine pouches, claiming these are a "cleaner way to enjoy nicotine".
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Through the mill: Tokoroa’s tough year was about much more than job losses
Around the world, small towns built around a single industry or company are feeling the effects of decisions made far beyond their borders.
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