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Comment & Analysis
Comment & Analysis headlines with summaries.
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New Barbie has type 1 diabetes
The doll comes with a visible insulin pump and a continuous glucose monitor, devices many people with diabetes rely on.
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Who are the Druze and why is Israel bombing Syria to protect them?
Explainer: Syria has been wracked by a new wave of deadly sectarian violence that has placed the spotlight on the Druze minority.
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Trump tries to rewrite history on being 'fooled' by Putin
Analysis: It remains to be seen just how lasting and severe President Donald Trump's turn against Vladimir Putin will be. Audio
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Analysis: ACT's campaign calculus
14 Jul 2025The party's challenge this term has been - and remains - how to stand apart from its coalition partners without pulling apart the government. Audio
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Music is at the forefront of AI disruption, but NZ artists still have few protections
14 Jul 2025Analysis: Was the recent Velvet Sundown phenomenon a great music and media hoax, a sign of things to come, or just another example of what's already happening ?
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Where next for Regulatory Standards Bill?
11 Jul 2025Anaylsis: Critics of David Seymour's controversial bill are in for disappointment. Audio
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NZ's new AI strategy: Big tech dreams, small safeguards
13 Jul 2025While the government talks up AI-driven productivity, its strategy offers little protection for jobs, ethics, or equity. Audio
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Why real 'de-extinction' is unlikely to fly
11 Jul 2025The announcement that New Zealand's moa nunui (giant moa) is the next "de-extinction" target has caused widespread alarm among scientists.
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Rugby headgear can't prevent concussion - but new materials could soften the blows
11 Jul 2025Analysis - "Isotropic" materials could potentially reduce the impact forces experienced by players.
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How will NZ pay the higher premiums for defence spending?
Analysis: Defence spending is like insurance - you have to pay for it but you hope you never have to use it.
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What happens when people want to quit vaping?
8 Jul 2025One suggests many New Zealanders are now trying to quit nicotine vapes, and some face real barriers to doing so.
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Fast-track mining projects: The hard questions NZ must ask about the claimed economic benefits
7 Jul 2025Analysis: The claims of economic benefits from fast tracking mining projects need to be scrutinised closely, and if those benefits don't stack up, any adverse environmental impacts become harder to…
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Why Tesla's Cybertruck has been such a flop
Analysis - Tesla is deliberately opaque about its sales numbers on specific models, so you have to squint to see what is an ugly collapse, writes CNN's Allison Morrow.
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Many Americans want a third party. But what would it be?
4 Jul 2025Analysis - Americans are entrenched into their partisan corners, but the party lines keep moving in weird new ways.
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Can Trump defy the White House's 'second-term curse'?
3 Jul 2025Analysis: Other repeat performances have ranged from lacklustre and uninspiring to disastrous.
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Memo to Shane Jones: What if we need more regional government, not less?
2 Jul 2025If the headlines are anything to go by, New Zealand's regional councils are on life support.
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Why better ADHD treatment needs more than just meds
2 Jul 2025Analysis: The government is expanding access to ADHD diagnosis, but experts warn medication alone won't fix NZ's systemic shortfalls.
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Questions museum visitors should ask themselves this school holidays
26 Jun 2025Analysis - Like all forms of storytelling, museums present the past in particular ways.
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Why Trump needs the world to believe Iran's nuclear program is 'obliterated'
27 Jun 2025Analysis - Evidence that Iran retains the capability to manufacture nuclear weapons or to restart its program after daring US bombing raids would raise an uncomfortable question.
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'Daddy has to sometimes use strong language': NATO's Trump flattery
Analysis - There is nothing subtle about NATO's strategy to keep the US president on board. Audio
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Are we one bad rainstorm away from disaster?
27 Jun 2025Analysis - Slash and slash management rules are a cause for serious concern as the government looks to further amend the Resources Management Act.
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Playful or harmful? Seymour's posts raise questions
The Deputy PM's "Victim of the Day" posts have now led to at least two official complaints to Cabinet.
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These strikes look like an Iranian escalation. They're likely the opposite
24 Jun 2025Analysis - Iran has decided to retaliate to the US attack on its nuclear sites with a symbolic and overtly telegraphed strike that has caused no casualties.
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Is US strike on Iran Trump's riskiest gamble?
Analysis - The US President, who faced no major international crisis in his first term, is now embroiled in one just six months into his second.
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