Al-Qaeda group claims responsibility for 155 deaths in Baghdad; ASEAN leaves Buram unresolved; Tensions flare in Iran; Chinese military growth 'minimal', says general; and more
Read MorePolitics
Govt decision that cost us $100 million
As global stockmarkets climb and climb, the New Zealand Super Fund has hit an all-time high and this year enjoyed its most profitable month ever. So why was it again that the government cut contributions?
Read MoreAre we heading for ACC, RIP?
John Key has finally decided to spend some political capital, by moving towards privatisation for ACC. Sad that he isn't spending it on productivity, wages and the things he claims are his top priorities
Read MoreFrom Power to the people
So far, Simon Power is doing the right thing by the people and their constitution. Rodney Hide? Not so much
Read MoreKicking tyres all the way to the top
Obama photo-ops, David Letterman and 'kicking tyres' have taken John Key and his government to giddy heights in the latest Pundit poll of polls. But will ACC and the foreshore taint his gloss?
Read MoreA sea-ice free Arctic by 2028, and other chilling facts
The latest and best climate science is not recommended for bedtime reading. The globe is already committed to warming in excess of dangerous levels
Read MoreRugby row raises bigger TV issues
Ructions over free-to-air television coverage of the Rugby World Cup raise major questions about the sustainability of
The martial art of good political interviewing
Are New Zealanders, God forbid, losing their appetite for rigorous political interviewing? Confronting questions should be encouraged, especially by those who have made an art of it themselves
Read MoreThe Greens: leading from behind
“Where are the Greens?” chorus the political pundits. Well, they’re where they’ve always been, doing what they’ve always done—but there’s news about their alliance with the government
Read MoreAfghanistan: time to lift the veil
John Key says his government will review the long-standing convention of secrecy over Special Air Service operations. He needs to lift the veil on much more than that
Perhaps Key can compare himself to Obama after all
John Key was roundly mocked last year when he claimed that he and Barack Obama had a lot in common. However the early months of their respective administrations suggest he was onto something
Read MoreNew Zealand's new best friend?
America's decision to re-start training with the New Zealand military eliminates the absurdity that our troops could die alongside US soldiers, but not train alongside them. But what will the rest of the world make of it?
Read MoreElectoral finance reform: back to the future?
Stage two of National's electoral finance reform proposals is out—and it looks oddly familiar
Read MoreEarth Insurance: a way to prepare for the worst
We pay insurance on our car, homes and contents, so why not on our planet? Why aren't we preparing for the worst, for our grandchildren's sake?
Read MoreKicking out the jams
Everyone is talking about economic recovery – but where is the transformation we were supposed to make?
The proverbial brewery piss up... in a coal mine
If you've struggled to gauge the direction of this government, on energy efficiency policy at least, its ad libbing days are numbered. But the lignite to urea fertiliser proposal is fool's gold
Read MoreAgainst Mike Moore, but in support of him too
If we're going to have to have a vote on MMP, we should begin talking about it honestly.
Read MoreDon't leave road safety to the sharks
The government doesn't intend to pass new road safety laws for another year, in which time another 400 people are likely to have died. Steven Joyce needs to see the light
Read MoreNew Zealand Inc IS our foreign policy
John Key's trip to the US can be defined by a single line on Letterman... we come as friends and we really, really like you. Now let's do some business
Read MoreBill pays (another) hefty bill
Bill English is no doubt hoping Dipton-gate will disappear fast following his decision to pay back all his ministerial housing allowance. But will it?