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What you need to know
What you need to know headlines with summaries.
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Why New Zealand First wants to require businesses to accept cash
Explainer - A member's bill put forward by New Zealand First would require businesses to accept cash as payment. Here's what you need to know. Audio
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What is a flash flood and why are they so dangerous?
15 Jul 2025Explainer - Hundreds are dead or missing in Texas flash floods. The Tasman District has been hit hard. Why is flash flooding so hard to predict? Video
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Birth trauma - what is it and how do people heal?
14 Jul 2025Explainer - It's Birth Trauma Awareness Week - but what is it exactly and why should you know what it is?
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Why KFC went after a teen's business logo
Explainer: Why does a giant global corporation care so much about the logo being used by a young Christchurch entrepreneur?
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How New Zealand decides who is and isn't a 'terrorist'
8 Jul 2025Explainer - The Proud Boys are no longer a terrorist entity in New Zealand. But how does a group get designated as terrorists in the first place?
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Nobody's buying carbon anymore - and it's costing the government millions
5 Jul 2025Explainer - Seven failed auctions and counting. How did the government lose hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue from big polluters?
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Want to be a mayor? How to stand in local body elections
3 Jul 2025Explainer - Have you ever wanted to stand for local office? Now's your chance, as the nomination period for this year's local body elections opens Friday.
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Can US Customs search your phone? What you need to know
1 Jul 2025Explainer - When travelling to America as a tourist or on a visa, US Customs have the right to search your devices - as do many other countries. Audio
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Healthy Homes, KiwiSaver, Jobseeker and more - What's changing on 1 July?
30 Jun 2025Explainer - From Tuesday, new rules are affecting everything from Healthy Homes to ACC to Jobseeker and KiwiSaver. Here's a roundup. Audio
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Melatonin, ADHD meds and magic mushrooms - what are the changes?
26 Jun 2025Explainer - The government has changed regulations on several medications. Here's what you need to know about melatonin, ADHD medicine and psilocybin access. Audio
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Ozempic is just days away in New Zealand: what to know
26 Jun 2025Explainer - The celebrity weight loss and diabetes drug should be on shelves within days.
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Is it real or is it AI? How to tell fake from real
24 Jun 2025Explainer - AI-generated images are unavoidable these days. If you're not a computer expert, how do you even know what's real anymore?
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How the govt plans to tackle 'stubbornly high' suicide rates
18 Jun 2025Explainer - The government announced a new five-year Suicide Prevention Action Plan this week. But what does it include? Audio
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Why disposable vapes will vanish from stores this week
16 Jun 2025Explainer - What exactly is being banned? What are the new rules? And what does it mean for the industry and vapers? Audio
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Covid is still around - so what are the isolation rules now?
13 Jun 2025Explainer - Do you still have to isolate if you get Covid? Can you get free RAT tests? Here's what you need to know.
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Could California actually leave the US?
Explainer - After the US military was called in over anti-Trump protests in LA, perennial talk of California seceding sparked up again. Could it really happen? Audio
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Regulatory Standards Bill: What is it and why the controversy?
10 Jun 2025Explainer - The public has been asked to give feedback on David Seymour's new bill this month. Here's what it would do, and some of the concerns.
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Twelve-month prescription renewals: What you need to know
7 Jun 2025Explainer - The government announced in the Budget a plan to allow 12-month prescription renewals. But how will it work?
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What will the changes to Sport New Zealand actually mean?
6 Jun 2025Explainer - A government-ordered independent review of the sports agency recommended an overhaul of its institutional set-up. What will the overhaul mean for people on the ground?
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Run It: How a knock on the head can kill
1 Jun 2025Explainer - A 19-year-old died playing a version of the controversial violent 'Run It' contest. Just how dangerous is it? Audio
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King's Birthday weekend: What's it all about?
29 May 2025Explainer - King Charles' birthday is commemorated with a public holiday - so how do those royal honours get chosen and should we still celebrate it, anyway?
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Prostate cancer - What you need to know about how it's detected
26 May 2025Explainer - Prostate cancer will affect one in 8 Kiwi men. Former US President Biden's diagnosis reaffirms how important it is to be aware of the disease. Audio
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Emergency mobile alerts - how they work, why you're getting them
24 May 2025Explainer - Every May, NEMA sends out an emergency alert as part of an annual test of the system. Here's what you need to know. Video
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Budget 2025: Why is Budget Day such a big deal?
20 May 2025Explainer - Budget Day is coming on Thursday, but what does it all mean? RNZ is here to tell you what you need to know. Video
Top News stories
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