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Want to be a mayor? How to stand in local body elections
Explainer - 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
What you need to know headlines with summaries.
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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
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Australia's social media ban will go ahead regardless of election outcome
3 May 2025Explainer - Why is YouTube exempt from the ban, and does this undermine its intended aim?
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New Zealand's shifting seasons, explained
30 Apr 2025Our weather is getting 'increasingly muddled'. What does that mean, and when does winter even start now?
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What to know about getting a flu shot this year
21 Apr 2025Explainer - Flu season is almost here. Here's what you need to know about the different vaccine options.
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What you need to know as Cyclone Tam brings heavy wind and rain
17 Apr 2025As Cyclone Tam continues to pummel the upper North Island tens of thousands of homes and businesses are without power.
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Putting the new Defence Capability Plan in context
Explainer - $12 billion sounds like a lot to spend on the military. But is it, really? Audio
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Deadline for comments on copper access: What you need to know
9 Apr 2025The Commerce Commission is calling for views on its recommendation that would see the copper network switched off sooner
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Aluminium, jeans, and whisky? What tariffs mean for New Zealand
27 Mar 2025Explainer - We've heard a lot about tariffs recently. But how do they work, and where does NZ fit in?
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Gene technology changes: What you need to know
18 Mar 2025Explainer - The current GMO regime is out of date, experts agree. But proposed changes sideline Māori, some say. Audio
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The US TikTok ban and security concerns: What you need to know
8 Feb 2025Explainer - Why is TikTok seen as a bigger security risk than other social media platforms? Audio
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Was the Mangawhai storm a tornado? Here's what science tells us
27 Jan 2025Explainer: The wind speed of the Mangawhai tornado is similar to one that's occurred before - RNZ has been looking at what we know so far.
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