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NRL Indigenous All Stars vs Māori match much more than a novelty
First staged in 2010, the fixture was not conceived as a marketing stunt, but as a deliberate exercise in showcasing Indigenous excellence and its contribution.
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Four lessons NZ should take from another summer of weather disasters
12 Feb 2026Another summer of extreme weather has destroyed and damaged homes, cut off communities and, in the most tragic cases, left families mourning their loved ones.
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Natural hydrogen can make decarbonising industry cheaper
12 Feb 2026Currently, "green" hydrogen - made by splitting water with renewable electricity - costs more than $12 per kilogram.
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AI researchers sounding alarm on way out the door
12 Feb 2026Analysis: In just the past few days, a number of high-profile AI staffers have decided to call it quits.
Comment & Analysis headlines with summaries.
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AI replicas of the dead an innovative tool or ethical nightmare?
5 Feb 2026Opinion - AI replicas are already used to assist people during bereavement and could be integrated into medical education - but should they?
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How fake NZ news pages are swamping Facebook with AI slop
9 Feb 2026Analysis - "Fake NZ news" pages are bombarding social media with misleading slop, including using AI to animate photos of a teenage landslide victim. Audio
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WHO membership doesn't threaten NZ's sovereignty - walking away from it would
8 Feb 2026Part of the problem for the WHO is not that it is too powerful, but that it is oddly invisible, writes vaccinologist Helen Petousis-Harris.
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Opposition infighting gives coalition brief relief at Waitangi
6 Feb 2026For once, it was the opposition feeling some heat at Waitangi.
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Backdown on apes video shows even the 'Teflon president' has limits
8 Feb 2026US President Donald Trump's complete impunity and dominance, "Peak Trump", may have passed, writes John Lyons.
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Can NZ set its own path with laws against online harm?
8 Feb 2026Comment - Online harm, including exposure to illegal material, sexualised deepfakes, harassment and bullying, is a pressing problem. NZ can now cautiously follow laws introduced overseas, or develop…
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The Auckland cottage where Māori, colonial histories collide
7 Feb 2026Analysis: Past, present and future intersect at 18 Wynyard Street, where Māori and European stories entwine.
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Diabetes care in NZ: Who's being left behind?
4 Feb 2026Analysis - At first glance, it can look like the result of individual choices, but that doesn't hold up.
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How to fix the 'build now, fix later' culture
Nearly 10 percent of the construction sector's total value is lost to systemic quality failure, writes industry consultant Mark Kirby.
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The hidden cost of 'fairness' in NZ finance law
31 Jan 2026Analysis: How legal requirements that NZ financial institutions treat consumers "fairly" raises questions about subjectivity, regulatory power and consumer choice.
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Trump is scared of the politics of ICE, and it's showing
30 Jan 2026Analysis: The White House and Republicans seem to be preparing to make significant legislative concessions.
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Monumental ambitions: The history behind Trump’s triumphal arch
29 Jan 2026Analysis - Is a personal tribute necessarily the best way to mark the anniversary of America's break with absolute rule and the British monarchy?
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Pessimistic voters look to Winston Peters to be the change candidate
27 Jan 2026Analysis: For a man who claims little regard for the polls, the NZ First leader will surely be feeling more favourably toward their latest offerings. Audio
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Ending duty-free tobacco sales would be good for health – and health budgets
Cheap duty-free sales of tobacco products not only deprive the public purse of millions of dollars, they undermine efforts to become a smoke-free nation, academics say.
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Another killing deepens Trump's self-inflicted political nightmare
The situation now risks truly spiraling out of control - both on the ground and politically speaking.
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Trump's Greenland grab part of a new space race as the stakes get higher
23 Jan 2026The only thing that remains consistent about the US President's position on Greenland and whether or not he will take it by force is his insistence the Arctic island is strategically vital to the…
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NZ is again being soaked this summer – record ocean heat helps explain it
22 Jan 2026Analysis: For many people this summer - especially those across Northland Auckland and Coromandel - showery days and bursts of heavy rain have become all too familiar.
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Deep sea mining is the next geopolitical frontline – and the Pacific is in the crosshairs
Analysis: Pacific-led governance is the best chance the world has to make sure decisions about the deep sea benefit people and nature, not just the next commodity cycle.
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Sexualised deepfakes on X are a sign of things to come. NZ law is already way behind
20 Jan 2026We expect social media providers to take down child sexual abuse material, academics say, so why not deepfakes of women?
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Next few months crucial for yellow-legged hornet eradication
20 Jan 2026In the three months since the yellow-legged hornet was first detected in Auckland, the eradication response is showing real signs of progress.
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All Blacks: The big issues for whoever takes over
19 Jan 2026Analysis - It's worth weighing up just what the new All Black coach is getting themselves into, writes Jamie Wall.
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The All Blacks face a deeper question than who coaches next
16 Jan 2026Analysis: With Scott Robertson's departure, New Zealand Rugby finds itself at a familiar crossroads.
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Stunned Europe wakes up to Trump's Greenland threat
19 Jan 2026Analysis - It's not often that Europe speaks with one voice - or responds with such urgency.
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A chatbot that chooses groceries? Woolworths' new AI push
Analysis: Woolworths' AI chatbot will soon plan meals and build shopping baskets, raising questions about who really makes decisions at checkout.