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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…
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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?
Comment & Analysis headlines with summaries.
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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.
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What is the Insurrection Act Trump is threatening to invoke?
16 Jan 2026The US President says he could send the military to quell anti-ICE protests in Minnesota, in the wake of a second civilian shooting by federal agents.
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Inside Trump's 'crazy world' of milk bottles, sled dogs and threats
16 Jan 2026Analysis: Asked how he could trust pledges from an Iranian regime, the US president left on a cliff-hanger.
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Does adding 'please' and 'thank you' to ChatGPT really waste energy?
15 Jan 2026Analysis - As artificial intelligence use expands, so does its underlying footprint.
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Did NZ's sweeping health reforms deliver on their promise?
While some health indicators have improved three years after the reforms, access to primary care remains uneven.
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The World Trade Organisation is on life support. Will Trump's new rules finish it off?
Analysis - To date, Trump has not withdrawn the US from the WTO. But his administration instead seeks to reinvent it.
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'Completely bonkers': Trump's mining dreams collide with reality
Denmark's ownership of Greenland is not what's stopping the US from tapping the island's treasures.
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Why small businesses could strengthen NZ's low productivity
12 Jan 2026Analysis: For decades, we have heard a familiar story about why New Zealand's firms choose to stay small.
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Has Trump landed a dud with his Venezuelan oil play?
11 Jan 2026While debate rages over the legality and the potential fallout from America's incursion, there's been a quiet acceptance that it is all about oil.
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Court decision sets up a big year for freshwater
8 Jan 2026Analysis: It's reasonable to assume freshwater will be a hot topic in the general election, partly, perhaps, because cow herds are expanding.
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Trump’s credibility problem on Venezuela
8 Jan 2026Analysis - In 2008, Donald Trump took to CNN to bemoan the dangers of a president lying the United States into war.
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Venezuela, Gaza, Ukraine: Is the UN failing?
7 Jan 2026Many are now asking whether the United Nations has any future at all if it cannot fulfil its first promise of maintaining international peace and security.
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Big Oil doesn't share Trump's Venezuelan vision
Analysis: There's plenty of reasons oil industry bosses aren't keen to go into Caracas.
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