The Detail
Join The Detail team six days a week as they make sense of the big stories with the country’s best journalists and experts.
In a 'great power rivalry', NZ gains friends
As China and the US vie for power, Southeast Asian countries look to diversify, and that includes new and strengthened ties with New Zealand
As the great superpowers battle for supremacy, power dynamics in Southeast Asia are shifting - and for New Zealand, that means strengthened partnerships with countries across the SEA region
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Inching towards a more prosperous time
It seems like we've been tightening belts forever, but there are signs of hope for many - though not all - sectors in the latest economic numbers
There are small beams of light peeping through for the economy, but don't get excited about a recovery just yet. It's uneven, and not for everyone.
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The battle for the soul of sport
Running elite sporting competition is an increasingly pricey business, making privatisation of our top codes inevitable
It might not always be the best result for fans, but privatisation of elite sport and the injection of money that follows is becoming more and more inevitable
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NZ's Chinese frenemies
Experts warn businesses must keep their eyes wide open when it comes to dealing with China, especially if they're in the tech or space industries
This year's security threat report names China to an unusual extent, leaving questions around whether the wording might provoke our 'complicated but important' trading partner
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Small businesses, big impact
New Zealand is a nation of small businesses, but their owners don't feel their political heft is equal to that scale
Small businesses say they don't want handouts - but they do want stability, both economically and in government policy
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The incredible world of Kiwi-made drones
These are drones far removed from the little spinny craft you might see hovering above a park - and they can do so much more
A manufacturer believes local companies are more than capable of filling orders for New Zealand's defence drones
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Why the world is neglecting our worst humanitarian crisis
More than three years of war in Sudan has led to the world's worst humanitarian crisis - and perhaps the most ignored
It's been called 'the forgotten war' but a journalist just back from Sudan says we should be calling it 'neglected' instead
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Luxon's survived, but 'the fundamental issues are still there'
Luxon made it through yet another leadership coup, but with National divided, the polls shifting, and a new kingmaker emerging, the question is whether he can survive until election day
Luxon has survived, Penk is gone, and now National reels after a week of political chaos that's threatened to reshape New Zealand's election
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A thirst for knowledge, and a beer
The reasons to eat insects, whether nanny states make us healthier, and why smart people make dumb money decisions are some of the talks on offer at this year's Raising the Bar event
For the tenth year, Auckland University is taking learning outside of the lecture hall and into the pub with its Raising the Bar series
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In Syria, a Kiwi finally meets her colleagues
Kiwi Anne Bulley promised herself she would go meet her Syrian colleagues in person when it was safe enough. After 13 years of waiting, she finally made it.
While the world's attention has moved on from the war in Syria, the humanitarian crisis continues, but Kiwi Anne Bulley says, 'they are daring to hope again'
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The $55 million drain from Kiwi pockets
Know your rights - or you could be one of those New Zealanders who collectively lose tens of millions by refusing to complain
It's estimated $55 million goes down the drain every year as Kiwis fail to ask for their money back when things go wrong
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Our biggest brains on controlling AI
A gathering in Auckland of business and tech experts raises some awkward questions over our embrace of artifical intelligence
Critical thinkers and change-makers looked at the impact of artificial intelligence on New Zealand communities when they gathered in Auckland
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In China-US rivalry, NZ remains isolated but not insulated
Trump's gift to China, and the 'unenviable position' it leaves for New Zealand
With China and the US vying for status as the major world superpower, New Zealand is caught walking a careful line
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A fast track to trouble
Communities are seeing red over the law giving the green light to faster development and city sprawl where there's no infrastructure in place
In theory, giving developers the power to build more houses, more quickly is great - but the reality is more complicated
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The lost children
The number of school dropouts in New Zealand is staggering, and for those 10,000-plus teens, there's a life-long cost
The post-school landscape is bleak for many school leavers because of high youth unemployment, but it's even worse for those who leave without qualifications
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The backlash over some fantastical TikTok figures
An Infometrics report on the value of TikTok to the New Zealand economy didn't pass the sniff test for many who got it in their inbox
An Infometrics report on TikTok attributes a staggering value to the app's contribution to our economy. Experts have doubts.
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NZ's big wins at a scaled-back Commonwealth Games
The Commonwealth Games were smaller and cheaper than planned, and hosted across the world from their original location - and could be a blueprint for future events
The glory days of the Commonwealth Games may be behind us, but the Glasgow games showed a scaled-back version is a viable option
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Helen Clark's warning for NZ
Former PM Helen Clark says New Zealand is drifting and only long-term thinking can change course
Less than 100 days out from the next election, Helen Clark tells The Detail that New Zealand needs less clickbait politics and more long-term thinking
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The return of Trump's tariffs
Trump has put a 12.5 percent tariff on about 70 percent of NZ exports to the US, and this one looks more likely to stick
The 'Liberation Day' tariffs were struck down earlier this year, but Trump is back with a new round of tariffs, and experts say these look more legally sound
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Inside NZ's hospital crisis
Patients dying in waiting rooms, cockroaches in showers, and IT failures are the tip of the iceberg as NZ's public health system reaches breaking point
From waiting room tragedies to crumbling hospital buildings, NZ's health system is on 'a slow descent into crisis'
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The state of op shops
A new report estimates that the New Zealand op shop industry reinvests $78 million back into communities
Charities across the country have come together to lay out what a difference op shops make for communities
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Mainlining the manosphere
In a few short years our young men have become radicalised online, and initiated into a world where women are the enemy
A constant drip-fed diet of woman-hating propaganda has become the norm for young men from a cross-section of society
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The refugees we can't say no to
Australia's 501 deportees say they feel like refugees when they arrive on New Zealand soil. But we're getting better at helping them adapt.
The flow of Australian 501 deportees isn't likely to stop any time soon, but some of the early arrivals are doing their best to help those who follow them
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Kiwi brothers divided by the Springbok tour
One backed the rugby, the other protested - 45 years after Kiwi brothers took opposing sides, they reflect on the Springbok tour
One country, one family, one defining divide: two brothers reflect on the Springbok tour that changed New Zealand
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Australia's diplomatic blitz across the Pacific
As China tries to gain a military foothold in the Pacific, Australia is fighting back with creative diplomacy, and NZ is joining in
Fears of Chinese expansion have both New Zealand and Australia ramping up their diplomatic efforts across the Pacific
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Reopened tracks draw the crowds
Tracks in the Waitakere Ranges are gradually reopening as they're rebuilt to minimise the spread of kauri dieback. The experience is not the same - but for some, it's better.
As the manicured paths reopen, some hardened trampers complain that dieback is not only killing kauri, but also adventure
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This election, solar power is having its moment in the sun
Political parties across the spectrum want to see more solar panels on people's roofs, but there's a hitch
Solar power is having its moment in the sun, with National, Labour, and the Greens all making campaign promises to help make solar panels more accessible
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Our disappearing tidal marine life
Two experts say both education and legislation would help a situation which is rapidly coming to a racist and threatening head around Auckland's shorelines
Conservation, anger, and racism converge on Auckland beaches as rockpools are stripped of marine life
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The deadly opponent no athlete can outrun
'The human body just can't' - as the world heats up, so does sport, and athletes, fans, and workers are being pushed beyond their limits
For some athletes, it's become simply too hot to compete, as climate change forces sport to rethink the rules
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The deadly battle New Zealand forgot
Inside the story of Waerenga-a-Hika - a forgotten war, generations of trauma, and a history finally being told
The six-day battle changed Gisborne forever, but many New Zealanders are only now learning its story - and the cost of forgetting
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Why India wants NZ on its side
India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi has wrapped up a short but historic visit to cement our free trade deal. Here's a look at the ways he's changing India, and what he might want from NZ.
New Zealanders may have caught a brief glimpse of him during his 48-hour visit last week, but Modi's visit has longer lasting implications
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The Fallon verdict on the Football World Cup so far
All Whites legend Rory Fallon gives his verdict on the best, worst and biggest talking points of the World Cup ahead of Monday's final
Football royalty Rory Fallon reflects on the World Cup, the All Whites and why football needs less VAR, drinks breaks and on-field diving
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The decay of our cool capital
Wellington has become a city of gold-plated report writing, and very little action
With a new tunnel at the bottom of the priority list, cancellation of the main street's beautification programme, and costly reports seeking answers, Wellington's not moving
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Domestic abuse, with pets as a weapon
Animal lovers welcome plans for a law that criminalises coercive control using pets, but an expert in domestic abuse law isn't so sure it will work
The Act party wants to criminalise coercive control using pets, but one expert questions why only this type of abuse is being singled out for attention
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A clear direction for councils on tourism
The government's made a sport of bashing councils for overspending, but a new tourism plan acknowledges that they're about more than just rubbish, roads, and water
Local bodies welcome a substantial plan for tourism that clearly lays out whose job it is to do what, including attracting visitors into towns through events
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The life and crimes of James Henry Wilson
The 'callous, cruel, ultra-violent' man linked to one of New Zealand's most infamous murders has now had his conviction overturned
James Wilson was convicted of the Red Fox Tavern murder, but has now had his conviction quashed
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Killer bird flu now just a short flight away from NZ
With H5N1 now in Australia, New Zealand's biosecurity systems, poultry producers and conservation teams are preparing for its arrival on our shores
The bird flu has landed in Australia, and there are fears it's now ready for take-off to New Zealand
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Beating back the illicit tobacco trade
There's an unpalatable solution proposed to combat illicit tobacco and the violent behaviour that comes with it - reduce the tax on legal cigarettes
Some experts are blaming excessive excise tax for making legal cigarettes so expensive that it's opened the door for illicit tobacco
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Netball's domestic future in question for third year
The ball is in Netball New Zealand's court as players and staff wait for word on the future of the ANZ Premiership
Last year's Silver Ferns coaching saga and recent board changes may have been another roadblock to locking in the ANZ Premiership
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Disability bill sparks backlash
The Government says it's protecting the future of disability support, while critics say it's taking away workers' rights and letting itself off the hook
The disability community has largely reacted to the bill with outrage, with one advocate saying the Government is shutting people down 'in the cruellest and most perverse way'
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