RNZ Comment : Recent Episodes
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Opinion - Right now, the positive signs that we saw in the first five tests of the year seem an awful long time ago, Jamie Wall writes.
Opinion - Right now, the positive signs that we saw in the first five tests of the year seem an awful long time ago, Jamie Wall writes.
Analysis - The main parties launch their campaigns and Labour's attack ads draw an angry response, National's tax cuts are challenged, the policy deluge continues and is this "the most negative campaign in New Zealand history?", writes Peter ...
Analysis - Trade Minister Damien O'Connor's recent foray into the Middle East may be a sign of things to come as New Zealand needs to start putting in the hard yards in the region, Geoffrey Miller writes.
Opinion - The 2023 US Open is showing US players can enjoy themselves on court and they may help boost the sport worldwide, Dave Worsley writes.
Opinion - Ian Foster watched on as Jordie Barrett cut a frustrated, injured figure at another sweltering All Blacks training, but at least the head of state did not show up demanding answers, writes Jamie Wall.
New Zealand is fertile ground for an empty house tax, which would directly impact investors and the rich, tax expert Ranjana Gupta writes.
Power Play - Policy proposals from National and Labour aimed at easing financial pressures are rolling out thick and fast - and that comes with scrutiny, Jane Patterson writes.
Analysis - National aims its tax package at middle New Zealand, where the most votes are. The strategy behind Chris Hipkins ruling out working with NZ First and the government cuts its spending as revenue comes tumbling down.
Analysis - The National Party's newly released tax package makes a clear and politically prudent play for the middle-income vote.
First person - Eight years ago, Craig Norenbergs took the last known photograph of Jonah Lomu, and the All Blacks legend has been wandering through his mind's eye ever since.
Analysis - Commentators deliver similar verdicts on the latest poll, and its grim reading for Labour. The main parties continue to crank out policies, David Seymour's joke that no one thought was funny and a National MP is stood down.
Opinion - Interventions to decrease the rate of Covid infections are sensible, but not at any cost, a group of academics write. Here's what the science shows us about protection strategies.
Opinion - Disabled people have once again been overlooked as the last of the Covid-19 rules were ended by the government last week, Chris Ford writes.
Opinion - A flurry of polls are delivering bad news for Chris Hipkins' hopes for Labour to win a third term. Bryce Edwards looks at the political weather and predicts storm clouds on the horizon.
Analysis - As the 15th annual summit of the BRICS looms ahead, the potential for an enlarged BRICS poses something of a dilemma for New Zealand, Geoffrey Miller writes.
A highly pathogenic bird flu is currently sweeping the world - and New Zealand could be better prepared for its potential arrival.
Opinion - You may not have noticed, but we already passed Earth overshoot day, when humanity's demands for ecological resources and services exceed what our planet can regenerate, Mike Joy writes.
Analysis - Earth is warming and the signs of climate change are everywhere. But who's feeling warming the most may surprise you.
Opinion - The release of the threat assessment by the SIS is the final piece in a defence and security puzzle that marks a genuine shift towards more open and public discussion, Alexander Gillespie writes.
Opinion - New Zealanders have been put on notice that defence and security are among the bigger challenges the country faces this century, John Moremon writes.
Analysis - Labour's tunnel proposal for Auckland Harbour, National's policy to ban cellphones in schools and the latest poll shows New Zealand First over the 5 percent threshold.
The Warriors are looking good for a top four finish for the first time since 2007, and Shaun Johnson is being touted as a possible Dally M medalist.
Analysis: A big shake-up in how hospitals are built allows for private sector investment, but just how - and how much - remains in question.
Opinion - New Zealand now faces a very different and rapidly changing world. Business as usual is no longer considered an option, Alexander Gillespie writes.
Internationally, there's a growing body of research showing sleep is often shaped by a person's social and economic circumstances, write Mary Breheny and Rosie Gibson.
Analysis - It's all still to play for in the countdown to the October election, but the trend for the governing Labour Party is only heading one way - and that is down.
Analysis: Poll results are often used to project the makeup of Parliament, here's what you need to know about them.
Analysis - The old joke about "just one more lane" being all that's needed to solve traffic congestion has been heard a few times since the National Party released its transport policy this week.
Opinion - IRD is doing less to share information about failing businesses than tax agencies in other countries, and could do more to protect New Zealanders, Lisa Marriott writes.
Since homicide trials often have a high profile, public understanding of precise legal terms is important, writes law professor Kris Gledhill.
Jazz and rap collided on stage as Loyle Carner shared an intimate and soulful performance with a packed Auckland Town Hall last night, writes Jordan Dunn.
A board member at RNZ appointed less than a month ago quit this week after making public comments on Kiri Allan's downfall and criticising media coverage of it.
Opinion - The Australians found out the hard way just how much it means to the All Blacks to chase that mythical perfect performance, writes Jamie Wall.
Hoping to get some summer road trip vibes in the middle of winter, Katie Fitzgerald headed along to Bic Runga's Auckland Town Hall concert.
Analysis - The 'father of the atomic bomb' always despaired about the nuclear arms race triggered by his creation - so have his fears been realised?
The political implications of Kiri Allan's downfall, David Parker gives up revenue and National says Labour's tax policy includes removing GST from fruit and vegetables, and it isn't denied.
With bedazzling outfits and an inclusive and positive message the four-time Grammy winning pop, rap, and flute-playing sensation Lizzo has blessed Auckland with a stunning show.
Opinion - As the US Secretary of State and Australian PM visit, it seems inevitable that NZ's potential role in the AUKUS defence pact will be up for discussion in closed-door meetings, Geoffrey Miller writes.
Analysis - The recent failure of the proposed Kermadec ocean sanctuary is a striking reminder of the need for leadership around New Zealand's ocean policies.
Opinion - Increasingly noticeable gaps on grocery shelves are being caused by disruption to food supply chains by natural disasters and the impact of climate change, Alan Renwick writes.
Analysis - New Zealand's central bank is preparing for a future that includes the mainstream use of cryptocurrency.
Analysis: The opening match of the FIFA Women's World Cup in Auckland was a historic moment for women's sport in NZ - and not just because the Football Ferns upset highly ranked Norway.
Analysis - "Soft on crime" taunts finally get a response from Labour, National's Christopher Luxon puts his foot in his mouth, and a poll shows Labour's support hasn't collapsed.
Analysis - Traditional harvesting sites, or mahinga kai, continue to be used throughout New Zealand to provide food and to share skills and cultural practices between families and generations.
Analysis - Big donors are already pouring millions into New Zealand's 2023 election, but new proposals could make it harder for large donations to translate into political influence in future, Lisa Marriott and Max Rashbrooke write.
Explainer - The Football Ferns are hoping for better as they look to shake off indifferent form when the country hosts its biggest sporting event ever in a few days. RNZ takes a look at the star players and how it will all unfold.
Long read - Raised to be meek and submissive in a world dominated by men, six former Gloriavale women have won an extraordinary legal victory they say vindicates their claims of labour exploitation.
First person - As the country marks the rising of Matariki, Te Ao Māori journalist Ella Stewart writes about her Māmā's adoration of this special time of year.
Opinion - At a time when urban communities want higher transparency, there are ways farmers could strengthen agriculture's social license to operate, researchers say.
Analysis - As a "welcomed guest" at the latest NATO summit in Lithuania, PM Chris Hipkins had a front-row seat for debates such as Ukraine's membership and the ongoing threat of China, Alexander Gillespie writes.
Analysis - Every decade after the 1960s has been warmer than the one before and the 2010s were the warmest on record. But there can be a lot of variability from one year to the next, Kevin Trenberth writes.
Opinion - New Zealand has an abysmal record of work-related deaths. Yet the country's only postgraduate course in work health and safety is under review as part of a wider cost-cutting exercise at universities, Joanne Crawford writes.
The New Zealand Herald column Sideswipe ended in May after a 21-year run. Its creator tells Mediawatch about how it survived so long and what the revamped version looks like.
Political reporters often say people need to get to know National leader Chris Luxon, despite being in the job for 18 months. Is it possible he's unknowable? Or is it time to retire the narrative?
Analysis - Denis Welch asks us to consider whether or not Labour's lost leader(s) might yet help us find a better future, Richard Shaw writes.
Analysis: Is NZ about to join 'NATO+'? That seems to be the effective endgame, if reports ahead of Chris Hipkins' attendance at the NATO summit in Lithuania are anything to go by, Geoffrey Miller writes.
Analysis: Health workforce data shows the extent of the problem that this government and the next are facing, National and ACT reject a report which says the country can't arrest its way out of the gang problem, and the Kiri Allan saga rumbles on.
Opinion - There's little doubt the FIFA Women's World Cup will deliver spectacle and significant financial rewards, however the longer-term rewards are harder to predict, Julie E Brice and Holly Thorpe write.
Analysis - While the PM succeeds in Beijing a ministerial scandal breaks out at home; Luxon is called out for trying to humiliate the acting PM and ageing RNZAF aircraft spark another controversy.
Analysis - Hipkins was wise to visit China now given the upcoming NATO summit and decision on joining AUKUS, Alexander Gillespie writes.
Opinion - Yesterday's budget boost for universities has been welcomed, Nicola Gaston writes, but is it a bailout or a Band-Aid?
Review - The sun set on one of the greatest careers in British music history, as Elton John played the last UK show of his farewell tour at Glastonbury.
Opinion - Rugby is often a game of inches, so you're probably not going to win if you're giving up yards. The problem with the Super Rugby final was who was giving them up and when, writes Jamie Wall.
Power Play - In letting slip its election-night target of 45 percent this weekend, the National Party revealed some of its inner thinking around its campaign strategy.
Analysis - National pushes Labour on gangs and disorder as it settles on one of its primary campaign narratives, writes Peter Wilson in a look at the Week in Politics.
Opinion - It's not every day that a NZ prime minister takes China's side in a disagreement between Washington and Beijing. But these are extraordinary times.
Opinion - The Green Party made waves recently when it proposed to tax net wealth over $2 million for individuals and $4m for couples, Susan St John writes .
Opinion - While funding shortfalls and sweeping redundancies in the university wider research sector are now making headlines, the underlying problems have been evident for years, Nicola Gaston writes.
Opinion - Rising food prices bring up debates on removing GST from fresh produce - but is this a good idea? And if not, what alternatives might there be to help people afford fruit and vegetables?
Analysis - National would have had clear air for its agriculture policy if Christopher Luxon had not come down with a case of foot in mouth, writes Peter Wilson.
The NZ Rugby chief executive isn't usually short of a word, but one question has him wondering: what was it like to be an All Black?
Analysis - For a competent minister - and he has shown himself to be that - Michael Wood has got himself into a real muddle, writes Peter Wilson.
Analysis - The mānuka honey trademark case shows how Aotearoa New Zealand's law lacks substantive protections for Māori intellectual property rights, writes David Jefferson.
Opinion: Democracy is a lot like helping out around the house - as soon as the kids show the slightest bit of interest, they should be heartily encouraged, Michele A'Court writes.
Analysis - Three waters legislation, raising the retirement age and a press conference with a visiting prime minister were all hot topics this week in politics, writes Peter Wilson.
Megan Whelan explains what she wishes she'd known earlier about the effects of stress on her body and how her diagnosis has made her better at trying to manage its effects.
Opinion - The world is under growing pressure to find sustainable options to cut emissions or lessen the impacts of climate change.
The Three Waters legislation just got messier as the government tries to untangle a move which lawyers and opposition parties labelled as unconstitutional, Jane Patterson writes.
Opinion - As recession looms, some have called for a windfall tax on record corporate profits. But do such taxes actually work? And what is a windfall tax?
Opinion - Sometimes it feels as if election year has begun already, with an old kingmaker back on the scene, writes Grant Duncan.
Analysis - The Supreme Court's voting age ruling age brings joy to campaigners but there's no way Parliament is going to lower it, while the Reserve Bank's possible recession could be Labour's "nightmare scenario".
Opinion - The government has opted to make a single change to the Human Rights Act and push "wider and more complex" issues around hate speech legislation to the Law Commission for review, David Jenkins writes.
Opinion - This week's Supreme Court judgment on lowering New Zealand's legal voting age has, at times, been interpreted as some kind of mandate for change. That's not quite the case, but the court's ruling does at least make change a possibility.
Opinion - My eyes were opened to the horror and helplessness our vulnerable people and health workers face at emergency departments, writes a mother* who battled to get her daughter treated with vital IV antibiotics.
Opinion - As the FIFA World Cup gets underway in Qatar, how does New Zealand's wider relationship with the host nation fair?
Opinion - Aotearoa's current assisted dying law should stay as it is - it should go no further and not be extended, Chris Ford writes.
Analysis - While the Myanmar military continues its brutal repression, the outside world has in some ways moved on since the 2021 military coup. Stan Jagger takes a look at the ongoing work to directly aid those affected.
Week in Politics - National announces a strong youth offender policy; the government calls for an apology after Luxon points the finger at principals over truancy.
Opinion - There has been some resistance to proposals on reducing urban speed limits right across the country but evidence suggests it's the right move, writes Simon Kingham.
Analysis - The ongoing review of workplace culture in Parliament should establish a new hierarchy, ensuring that parliamentary staffers are no longer accountable to MPs, Mike Webster writes.
This year marks a century since an extraordinary medical breakthrough - the use of insulin to treat diabetes mellitus.
Opinion - Saturday night's heart-stopping 34-31 Women's Rugby World Cup victory by the New Zealand Black Ferns over England was more than a great game, it was a milestone in women's sport in general, Holly Thorpe writes.
Opinion - New Zealand's independent foreign policy is back. That's a key underlying message from Ardern's trip to Southeast Asia, Geoffrey Miller writes.
Opinion - It wasn't that long ago that people were calling for Codie Taylor to be dropped, TJ Perenara actually was, and Mark Telea wasn't even in the conversation to get picked at all. All three played big roles in this morning's win over Scotl...
Opinion - Giving the commission power to regulate wholesale fuel prices might be good news for cash-strapped motorists but it runs against other plans to mitigate climate change, Timothy Welch writes.
These mid-terms have the look of a moment where America's breathed out its Trumpish toxins, writes political commentator Tim Watkin.
Analysis - The PM casts doubt on the accuracy of a shocking poll for Labour, while opposition parties are upset by the re-appointment of the Reserve Bank governor.
Analysis - The 'red wave' that wasn't promises to complicate the rest of Joe Biden's term. But for his rival, Donald Trump, the future is even more uncertain.
Opinion - A borrower enters negative equity if the value of their home drops below the value of their mortgage and for around 2 percent of NZ mortgage holders, this threat has become a reality. But it's probably not time to panic.
Analysis - Reserve Bank Governor Adrian Orr has never fitted the buttoned down, scripted image of an economist, but it clearly has been no impediment to his advancement, Gyles Beckford writes.
Analysis - It seems like we have heard a lot from new Auckland mayor Wayne Brown. But we haven't. The weekday statements and the release of table-thumping letters are mostly the work of his closest advisor Matthew Hooton.
Opinion - You may have seen the news: In its attempts to tackle inflation, the Reserve Bank is going to increase unemployment.
Opinion - It's an opportunity to not be missed, as the next one won't be visible from our region until 2025.
Power Play - Labour's efforts to stress it can offer stability during tough times as it made a pitch for a third term this weekend were not subtle, writes Katie Scotcher.
Opinion - The excavation of a 23-million-year-old whale fossil by a private collector on the West Coast of the South Island, has raised questions about the ethics of private fossil collecting and trading.
Analysis - National security was front and centre this week with Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern saying New Zealand needs to plan its own response to terrorist threats, writes Peter Wilson.
It's strange even trying to imagine something of that magnitude that happened in such a massively different era of rugby, writes Jamie Wall.
Analysis - While ostensibly about improving New Zealand's water infrastructure, the government's proposed Three Waters reforms have instead become a lightning rod for political division and distrust.
Analysis - With evidence showing the alcohol industry's relative contribution to sports sponsorship revenue is smaller than that of other companies, there is a strong case for restricting its presence in broadcast sports, academics write.
Player safety is paramount. Well, that's the intention, anyway, as NZ Rugby today announced the implementation of a new law around tackling, Jamie Wall writes.
Opinion- Letting the Climate Change Commission set the emissions price for the government's proposed scheme would provide some much-needed certainty, writes Zack Dorner.
Analysis - Another week of bad news for the government as hospital waiting times hit the headlines and National charges in, fair pay legislation is passed won't last long if Labour loses the next election, writes Peter Wilson.
Opinion - The controversy over a shift in funding for the Shakespeare Globe Centre NZ was more evidence the country's national culture is undergoing an identity crisis, Barry King* writes.
Opinion - The lack of international tourists and a very poor snow season have hit hard for two major North Island ski fields and it may be a sign of things to come, Holly Thorpe writes.
Analysis - Xi Jinping's China is not Mao's China - and Xi's ambition far exceeds anything Mao ever dreamed of, the BBC's Rupert Wingfield-Hayes writes.
Supply chain researchers argue unused PPE medical supplies should be donated to developing countries, despite the WHO recommending against it.
Analysis: It's been a grim week for the government, with higher than expected inflation, a daunting by-electio and Auckland's new mayor dumping Three Waters, writes Peter Wilson*.
Comment - I miss the days of the late Sam Doyle and Athletic Park, but if Wellington can follow up on their semifinal effort against Canterbury tomorrow, maybe they can bring us back to the good old days, writes Jamie Wall.
Opinion - research shows taking nicotine out of cigarettes will substantially reduce smoking, with no indication illegal trade will balloon, writes two public health experts.
Analysis - After spending six months out in the public glare making promises about what he'd 'fix' and what needs to change, Wayne Brown has to figure out how to deliver, Todd Niall writes.
Opinion - Menopause is becoming less taboo and fewer people going through it are feeling alone, but we still have a long way to go, writes Sarah Connor.
Analysis: There's rural outrage over the government's emissions pricing proposals for agriculture , and a swing to the right in council elections.
Analysis - The government's use of a firm run by Israeli ex-spies and military commanders to scour social media platforms has landed NZ in a global debate over 'surveillance for hire', writes Phil Pennington.
NZ Rugby added its newest side to the collection this week, with the selection of the All Blacks XV who will play two games in Dublin and London next month, Jamie Wall writes.
Opinion - New Zealand's relationship with India is not in good health. That's the underlying message from a rare visit by India's external affairs minister, Geoffrey Miller writes.
Analysis - National and international evidence supports teachers' unions' case for bringing an end to ability based streaming in classrooms, according to a group of education experts.
Analysis - Legal experts say the weighing up of tikanga Māori in the decision to posthumously exonerate Peter Ellis of child sex offences marks a seismic moment in the country's legal history.
Analysis - Two of New Zealand's great rugby coaches believe the battle for the Rugby World Cup will be won in the minds of the players rather than with physicality, Jamie Wall writes.
Analysis: A surprisingly good set of government accounts livens up the tax cut debate - it's shaping up as a key election issue and a defining difference between Labour and National.
Analysis - New Zealand is home to the longest running English-language market for illegal drugs on the so-called darknet, but its success may be its undoing, write Chris Wilkins and Marta Rychert.*
Analysis - Policymakers are considering the introduction of mandatory climate-related disclosures, but there remains a need to put all stakeholders at the centre of laws and communicate with them effectively, write Ilan Noy and Samuel Becher....
Comment: New Zealanders reacted with disbelief at the sentencing of Jayden Meyer to home detention after his conviction for rape, sexual violation and indecent acts.
Opinion: Many causes of dementia - including viral infections - are preventable, writes Professor John Donne Porter.
Opinion - The prime minister intends to continue a more pro-Western foreign policy strategy, if her agenda at the UN is anything to go by, Geoffrey Miller writes.
First Person - RNZ deputy political editor Craig McCulloch pulls back the curtain on some of the lighter moments behind the scenes and on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly.
After a two-year Covid-induced hiatus, the United Nations' leaders' summit returned with gusto this week, but against a far darker backdrop than Jacinda Ardern's last time there.
Analysis - Sam Uffindell is back in National's fold but Luxon's refusal to release the report on his behaviour creates uncertainty over its findings, writes Peter Wilson.
Comment - It's been a huge week for New Zealand's other national sport: discussing refereeing, Jamie Wall writes.
Opinion - The existence of the "super-city" means Aucklanders are better represented at Parliament than in the council chamber, Grant Duncan writes.
First Person - It was hard not to be impressed by the beauty and scale of the ritual and pomp put on by the British this week, writes Corin Dann.
Opinion - Covid-19 remains a hefty risk, particularly to the disabled community - and many are alarmed New Zealand has ended most restriction rules, Chris Ford writes.
Opinion - The late monarch was a fount of wisdom, continuity and resilience in a turbulent world, former Archbishop of New Zealand Sir David Moxon, writes.
Power Play - Voters are being asked to take a leap of faith with the return of MP Sam Uffindell to the National Party fold, Political Editor Jane Patterson writes.
Analysis - With Covid restrictions eased, it's time to build on that success with a strong, science-informed strategy before the next pandemic arrives, write professors Michael Baker and Nick Wilson.
Analysis - Breathtaking. That's the best word you could use to describe the All Blacks' thrilling 39-37 win over the Wallabies at Marvel Stadium in Melbourne, writes Jamie Wall.
Analysis - While modelling suggests it was time to wind back Covid restrictions, some measures were perhaps scrapped prematurely, Michael Plank and David Welch write.
Analysis - As te reo Māori continues to expand, a conversation must be had around how the language should be used in a way that is culturally, spiritually and contextually appropriate, Carl Mika writes.
Analysis - An estimated 130 million objects smaller than 1cm and 34,000 larger than 10cm are travelling in orbit at speeds of thousands of kilometres per hour, according to the European Space Agency.
Opinion - The All Blacks will have to overcome more than just the Wallabies in Melbourne this week, with a lack of consistency proving to be the greatest obstacle in this year's race for the Rugby Championship, writes Jamie Wall.
Analysis - The new king had a reputation for meddling when he was Prince of Wales but has recognised that cannot continue in his new role.
Opinion - The death of Queen Elizabeth II brings to an end a long, complex and remarkable chapter in the history of Aotearoa New Zealand's evolution from colony to independent, bicultural and multicultural nation.
The Plain Language Bill now before Parliament aims to make clear communication more than just an ideal, write Andreea S Calude and Sam Campbell.
Opinion - While New Zealand's anti-Isis military deployment may becoming to an end, it is unlikely to be the last Kiwi mission to Iraq, Geoffrey Miller writes.
Opinion - With only six days left for submissions to the select committee examining the Aotearoa NZ Public Media Bill, it is becoming clear this crucial piece of legislation has some significant shortcomings.
Analysis - The government's KiwiSaver tax debacle is 'manna from heaven' for National, while extra checks are made to ensure the cost of living allowance goes to those living here, Peter Wilson writes.
Analysis - As tax is in the news, what is fiscal drag and why is it back in the minds of government officials fighting inflation?
Power Play - After kicking open the door to tax changes - a major vulnerability for the party - Labour has quickly slammed it shut again, RNZ Political Editor Jane Patterson writes.
Going to the gym got me to the doctor to find out why I didn't feel better. Getting the diagnosis forced me to think about what caring for my body meant, writes Megan Whelan.
Comment - Our choices of brewing method can be cultural, social or practical. But how much do they really impact what's in your cup?
Analysis - Recent genetic research has shed new light on the long-running debate about the evolutionary origins of some of New Zealand's quirkiest plants.
The idea that keeping profits in the country automatically creates value for New Zealanders is by no means a given, Martien Lubberink writes.
While extremist parties have historically struggled at general elections in New Zealand, the political landscape has altered significantly in the past two years, writes Richard Shaw.
Comment - The critique of the All Blacks this year has been loud, passionate, and frankly, understandable. But Jamie Wall asks if it is fair.
Analysis - Gaurav Sharma is expelled but he's not giving up his campaign against Labour. Parliament gets a new Speaker and the government uses its majority to push through controversial legislation.
The death of Kiwi soldier Dominic Bryce Abelen puts renewed focus on the status of foreign fighters in Ukraine, writes Alexander Gillespie.
Opinion - The latest phase of the Abuse in Care inquiry has offered insight into the big four government agencies' role in historical abuse in state-operated residences, writes David Cohen.
Comment - There was great fanfare when the first cruise liner in two years arrived in Auckland recently, but Timothy Welch asks if it's time to consider the environmental and economic impacts.
Opinion - As decarbonisation threatens companies' commercial interests, it is increasingly important that business are transparent around how their business strategy aligns with the public good, Alistair Woodward writes.
Analysis - Last week saw an historic moment as New Zealand's professional firefighters went on strike, calling for better pay, more staff and increased investment in the fire service. But will industrial action spur the deeper systemic change in...
Analysis - As Labour MP Gaurav Sharma faces almost certain expulsion and a lonely future as an independent in Parliament he's continuing to go public with explosive claims about the party and the prime minister.
Comment - NZ's commitment to send another 120 defence staff to help train the Ukrainian military underlines how quickly the geopolitical landscape is changing, Alexander Gillespie writes.
Opinion - New Zealand Rugby's board has been made to look weak and indecisive after walking back on suggestions about Ian Foster's fate, writes Jamie Wall.
Megan Whelan looks at changing diet to deal with a health condition versus disordered eating habits, in this week's Diabetes and Me.
Analysis - Last week's visit to New Zealand by US Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman was another in a series of high-level calls on the country by top US military and political figures this year, writes Geoffrey Miller.
Power Play - Labour MPs will be meeting for an urgent caucus this afternoon, as the party tries to manage the snowballing damage from the serious allegations being made by one of its own, Gaurav Sharma.
First person - Being part of the successful rescue of eight dolphins stranded at Whakanewha on Waiheke Island last Friday gave me a hands-on chance to learn how to care for beached dolphins, writes Rose Davis.
However you look at it, the National Party has selected someone who once committed an act of criminal violence to represent the Tauranga electorate in parliament, James Mehigan writes.
Analysis - We live in a world with atrocious rates of gendered violence. House of the Dragon is interested in unpicking the intricacies of gender and power in a highly patriarchal society.
Analysis - Christopher Luxon must decide whether Sam Uffindell stays or goes - the most difficult call he's made since as leader - while a Labour MP launches an extraordinary attack on his caucus colleagues.
What a difference less than a week can make: National lurching from success to controversy and Labour facing its own bombshell, Political Editor Jane Patterson writes.
With Samoa fully reopening its borders on 1 August, another Pacific country moved tentatively forwards after two years of border closures and little or no international tourism.
Opinion - The accusations against MP Sam Uffindell are showing National leader Christopher Luxon that driving a strong team culture doesn't just mean just celebrating the wins, but also dealing with the difficult situations fairly and decisively.
Megan Whelan thought she had conquered diet culture. In this week's Diabetes and Me, she realises the messages are still all there.
Despite most universities goals to increase the proportion of Māori and Pacific students and staff, their numbers remain stubbornly low in research and STEM.
Analysis - Recent warnings of a "doomsday" scenario if foot and mouth disease arrived in New Zealand inevitably singled out the agriculture sector. But overseas experience tells us it can also result in potentially severe impacts on the tourism ...
The magenta wash shot through the true blue National branding is one way Christopher Luxon is making his mark as party leader, and he'll be hoping this past weekend's party conference will be another, writes Jane Patterson.
Opinion - NZ's first climate adaptation plan provides a robust foundation for urgent nation-wide action and there are five key areas that need sharper focus Bruce Glavovic writes.
Despite many advances for women, the persistence and reinvention of heroic iconography for women continues to value image over substance, writes history professor Katie Pickles.
Analysis - The cost of living payment gets messy, Cabinet decides to urgently fix a serious electoral law problem, and James Shaw won't face any challengers for Greens co-leadership.
Opinion - The Accessibility for New Zealanders Bill was supposed to mark a significant legislative milestone for disabled New Zealanders, instead they got an empty piece of legislation, writes Chris Ford.
Opinion - Civic leaders, academic pundits, Defence Force brass and journalists in New Zealand have all figured prominently in the latest 'Russophobic Awards', David Cohen writes.
Analysis - New Zealand may seem to be under meteor bombardment at the moment. After a huge meteor exploded above the sea near Wellington on 7 July, creating a sonic boom that could be heard across the bottom of the South Island, a smaller fireba...
Analysis - Today's speech by Jacinda Ardern to the China Business Summit in Auckland was full of soothing words for Beijing, writes Geoffrey Miller.
First person - We're drowning in the stuff, but going without plastic is a pricey and difficult exercise that will leave you feeling sanctimonious, writes Penny Mackay.
New Zealand has likely passed the peak of the most recent Covid-19 wave, thanks to strong hybrid immunity in the community, according to several experts.
Analysis - The Green Party's instability has implications reaching through to the next election, while Christopher Luxon is caught up in another unnecessary muddle.
Analysis - With the first reading of a new bill in parliament yesterday, Aotearoa New Zealand's plan to be smokefree by 2025 takes another tangible step forward.
Tracking and weighing everything I ate was doing bad things to my brain. That realisation led to a much better place. I can still be creative with my food. I just had to change the way I think about it.
Power Play - It was quite the tableau in Parliament: National leader smarting after a social media gaffe, the Greens front bench putting on a brave face and a government feeling the weight of economic woes, writes Jane Patterson.
Opinion - Imagine a society where tobacco does not kill nearly 5000 people every year in New Zealand, and more than eight million worldwide.
There is a risk the Ukraine conflict may spark something worse - so peace on the right terms needs to be a priority, Alexander Gillespie writes.
Mediawatch - An effort to shield the under-fire All Blacks coach from a media mauling last weekend fired up commentators already cranky about the historic high-handedness of rugby bosses.
Analysis - Opposition parties see inflation as their ticket to victory in the next election, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern finds an unusual ally after the controversial maskless photo and a new book reveals the horror story behind National's lea...
Analysis - New Zealand Rugby's backroom staff must face the fire for the All Black's recent sub-par performances and the apparent lack of cohesion within the team, Jamie Wall writes.
Analysis - When politicians talk "net zero" emissions, they often fail to mention the cost of removing carbon dioxide from the air by using trees, technology or geoengineering, Kevin Trenberth writes.
Comment - Stranded at Los Angeles International Airport at midnight, David Cohen watches what was supposed to be a joyful return to travel become the season from hell.
Analysis - "Digital transformation" promises faster, more convenient and empowering online interaction, but four academics question whether it instead reinforces existing social divides.
For two-and-a-half years, Megan Whelan has wondered, worried, and fretted about what it would be like getting Covid.
Analysis - Higher vaccination coverage, mask use and distancing would help keep New Zealanders healthier and reduce the burden of long Covid, Professor John Potter writes.
Opinion - Joe Biden's controversial trip to Saudi Arabia could help New Zealand reset its own relationship with the Middle East, Geoffrey Miller writes.
Analysis - More than 900 doctors warn the health workforce is in serious trouble as the surge in Covid-19 cases and hospitalisations draws a response from the government.