Navigation for News Categories
Comment & Analysis
Comment & Analysis headlines with summaries.
-
Trump returns to confront deepening duel of pain as shutdown drags on
31 Oct 2025Analysis: The trophies from Donald Trump's Asia tour won't count for much when he arrives home Thursday, just as the month-long government shutdown takes its bitterest turn yet.
-
Trump's big concession to Xi is loaded with red flags
Analysis: Trump risks further eroding America's relationship with its key allies while gaining a friendlier relationship with its chief economic adversary. Audio
-
Labour's capital gains gamble: From leak to launch
28 Oct 2025Analysis: It was hardly a dream debut for Labour's long-awaited, much-argued-over tax package, writes Craig McCulloch.
-
Talley's v TVNZ in defamation confrontation
26 Oct 2025TVNZ's newsgathering ended up under the microscope in the Talley's defamation trial. What can we learn from this high-stakes case?
-
What All Blacks' US visit is really about
27 Oct 2025NZ Rugby are putting a flex on World Rugby with an eye on the 2031 World Cup, writes Jamie Wall.
-
The Conversation: Rushed new maths curriculum doesn’t add up
For busy schools heading into the end of the school year, the timeline for a new maths curriculum is unrealistic, say education experts.
-
Why Trump's sudden White House wing demolition is extraordinary
24 Oct 2025Analysis: The US President has now done what he wants for the construction of a new ballroom - in ways that are causing consternation.
-
Has Putin's strategy of playing Trump run its course?
24 Oct 2025Analysis: The Kremlin may have convinced itself that US President Donald Trump didn't have the stomach to apply real pressure on Moscow to end the brutal conflict in Ukraine.
-
A tiny fossil offers clue on lost-lost bird species
23 Oct 2025Technologies such as micro-CT scanning are now helping to reveal the secrets of some of New Zealand's smallest birds. Video
-
Government wants tourism to drive the economy - but how will it deal with emissions?
Globally, passenger traffic is projected to grow by 3.8 percent annually over the next 20 years. In New Zealand, this optimism is reflected in Jetstar's expansion plans for its domestic and…
-
Is Labour's first election policy a fizzer?
21 Oct 2025Analysis - The 'Future Fund' is as much about optics as economics, but a lack of detail has left Labour exposed, writes Craig McCulloch. Audio
-
The leaked email that finally forced Charles to act on his brother
19 Oct 2025Analysis: Something had to be done, the question was whether he would do it himself or if his brother would be forced to show him the door.
-
Why claims of ‘transformational’ school reading improvement are premature
20 Oct 2025Comment - student achievements in phonics don't translate to claims students are better at reading, and clear data is only available for 516 pupils nationally, a senior lecturer in education says.
-
Is the internet entering its Victorian era?
17 Oct 2025Analysis: The popularity of social media bans suggests a resurgence of conservative values in our digital lives.
-
True political fights of One Battle After Another happen on the edges of the frame
17 Oct 2025Review: One Battle After Another is among the most exciting Hollywood films to hit cinemas this year.
-
Jim Bolger: The master of the 'smoke-filled room'
Analysis: The former prime minister was never afraid of expressing his opinion, even when facing brutal polling and stormy political seas, but he was skilled at picking his fights. Audio
-
It's been 50 years since the Balibo 5 were killed in Timor-Leste. No one's been held accountable
16 Oct 2025On October 16, 1975, five journalists were killed in the remote Timorese town of Balibo. To this day, no one has been charged with their deaths. Known as the "Balibo...
-
Who are the groups battling Hamas for control in Gaza?
16 Oct 2025More than two dozen Palestinians have been killed in recent days in clashes between Hamas and members of various clans.
-
Polls and trolls: Is violent online abuse turning women away
15 Oct 2025Tory Whanau's candid speech on the relentless online abuse she faced as Wellington mayor would not been reassuring for candidates waiting for local election results.
-
Why Trump shouldn't be thanked for Gaza ceasefire
Analysis: "Thank you," said giant letters etched in the beach in Tel Aviv. But should anyone be thanking the US president?
-
Europe worries it’s already at war - and America hasn’t noticed
10 Oct 2025Analysis: For 80 years Europe considered its peace inviolate. Now, it can no longer be sure.
-
Trump exerted leverage for Gaza deal but tough questions remain
Analysis: There are a host of unresolved issues that could still trip up implementation of the initial phase and impede progress toward the next, analysts say. Audio
-
Can Trump really win a Nobel Peace Prize? Yes: here’s how
8 Oct 2025His supporters say he deserves the prize already, while his detractors mock the pursuit entirely - pointing to his controversial policies as disqualifying.
-
Not voting in local elections is rational: voters need better reasons to engage
7 Oct 2025On the available evidence, more than half of New Zealand voters think the effort to vote in local elections is unlikely to be worth the return.
