Navigation for News Categories
Comment & Analysis
Featured Comment & Analysis stories
Tongariro at risk of losing its unique biological legacy
Analysis: The sight of flames tearing across Tongariro National Park last week was heartbreaking for lovers of the landscape.
-
Will drug testing drivers really make roads safer?
14 Nov 2025Police can now stop any driver, at any time, to screen for four illicit substances - cannabis, cocaine, methamphetamine and MDMA.
-
Two blasts a day apart in India and Pakistan's capitals fray regional nerves
13 Nov 2025The political shockwave caused by the blasts are a stark reminder of the lingering security issues that fester below the surface throughout the region.
-
Trump's pardons aren't just political; more importantly, they're transactional
11 Nov 2025Analysis: So much of the coverage of US President Donald Trump's pardons is focused on how political they are.
Comment & Analysis headlines with summaries.
-
Te Pāti Māori purge fails to end the party war
10 Nov 2025Analysis - As the Iwi Chairs Forum fought fruitlessly to keep Te Pāti Māori together last week, spokesperson Bayden Barber offered a warning: a split tōtara is only good for the fire.
-
Why the Pacific Championship final should be a look into rugby league's future
10 Nov 2025Analysis - If you could bottle what happened at Parramatta Stadium during the Kiwis' 36-14 victory, you would be as rich as whoever is flogging Samoan flags.
-
Pharmac wants to trim its waiting list - but no list at all might be better
Pharmac currently has 123 medicines on the Options for Investment list - but is there a better way?
-
Future of rugby league in Australia, NZ and Pacific is here - and it's brown
9 Nov 2025Analysis: The jerseys may be red or blue, green and gold, or black and white - but the game's future is decidedly brown. Audio
-
Can you really talk to the dead using AI?
8 Nov 2025'Deathbots' are AI systems designed to simulate voices, speech patterns and personalities of the deceased.
-
The 2025 election crystallises the Republican Party's post-Trump problem
6 Nov 2025As it was becoming clear that election day was a very bad one for Donald Trump's Republican Party, the president weighed in with his own electoral analysis.
-
If the Trump wall is about to crumble, here’s where it will show first
5 Nov 2025Analysis: No one wants to cross the commander in chief. But voters now get a chance to have their say. Audio
-
We're ill-prepared to combat threat of space terrorism
5 Nov 2025Once the domain of science fiction, the idea of terrorist activity in outer space is now a growing concern among experts.
-
We can all help stop the spread of deadly hornets
4 Nov 2025The discovery of yellow-legged hornets is frightening. They're aggressive, and a threat to people and honey bees. Here's how to help.
-
Why this week's elections may leave America more divided than ever
3 Nov 2025"You are getting two blocs of the country that have less and less in common with each other."
-
Beyond Trump: Luxon's quiet wins in Southeast Asia
Analysis:Christopher Luxon says he used his trip to double down on deepening ties with fast growing economies.
-
Yes, cricket is a contact sport - but we need to do more
31 Oct 2025Early on Thursday, a 17-year-old cricketer died in hospital after being injured in a training session in Melbourne days earlier
-
Trump returns to confront deepening duel of pain as shutdown drags on
31 Oct 2025Analysis: The trophies from Donald Trump's Asia tour won't count for much when he arrives home Thursday, just as the month-long government shutdown takes its bitterest turn yet.
-
Trump's big concession to Xi is loaded with red flags
Analysis: Trump risks further eroding America's relationship with its key allies while gaining a friendlier relationship with its chief economic adversary. Audio
-
Labour's capital gains gamble: From leak to launch
28 Oct 2025Analysis: It was hardly a dream debut for Labour's long-awaited, much-argued-over tax package, writes Craig McCulloch.
-
Talley's v TVNZ in defamation confrontation
26 Oct 2025TVNZ's newsgathering ended up under the microscope in the Talley's defamation trial. What can we learn from this high-stakes case?
-
What All Blacks' US visit is really about
27 Oct 2025NZ Rugby are putting a flex on World Rugby with an eye on the 2031 World Cup, writes Jamie Wall.
-
The Conversation: Rushed new maths curriculum doesn’t add up
For busy schools heading into the end of the school year, the timeline for a new maths curriculum is unrealistic, say education experts.
-
Why Trump's sudden White House wing demolition is extraordinary
24 Oct 2025Analysis: The US President has now done what he wants for the construction of a new ballroom - in ways that are causing consternation.
-
Has Putin's strategy of playing Trump run its course?
24 Oct 2025Analysis: The Kremlin may have convinced itself that US President Donald Trump didn't have the stomach to apply real pressure on Moscow to end the brutal conflict in Ukraine.
-
A tiny fossil offers clue on lost-lost bird species
23 Oct 2025Technologies such as micro-CT scanning are now helping to reveal the secrets of some of New Zealand's smallest birds. Video
-
Government wants tourism to drive the economy - but how will it deal with emissions?
Globally, passenger traffic is projected to grow by 3.8 percent annually over the next 20 years. In New Zealand, this optimism is reflected in Jetstar's expansion plans for its domestic and…
-
Is Labour's first election policy a fizzer?
21 Oct 2025Analysis - The 'Future Fund' is as much about optics as economics, but a lack of detail has left Labour exposed, writes Craig McCulloch. Audio
-
The leaked email that finally forced Charles to act on his brother
19 Oct 2025Analysis: Something had to be done, the question was whether he would do it himself or if his brother would be forced to show him the door.
Top News stories
- Bench top manufacturer calls out use of potentially deadly engineered stone
- Watch: Police discuss murder-suicide of three children and father in Sanson fire
- What Marjorie Taylor Greene's political revolt may say about Trump
- Tauranga Airport cancels flights due to Whakaari White Island ash
- Heavy rain, humidity and warm nights to hit parts of the country