
God on their side: how the US, Israel and Iran are all using religion to garner support
Mar 27, 2026 05:15 am UTC| Insights & Views Politics
Americas secretary of defense, Pete Hegseth, sports an array of tattoos with Christian messaging, including one which reads Deus Vult, God wills it, and is associated with the medieval crusades. So perhaps it shouldnt come...
Iran was always going to close the Strait of Hormuz
Mar 27, 2026 05:04 am UTC| Insights & Views Politics
The five-day deadline to open the Strait of Hormuz handed to Iran by Donald Trump on Monday expires some time tomorrow and the Islamic Republic needs to get serious before it is too late or so the US president has...

Will a new border deal with the US open a backdoor into Kiwis’ personal data?
Mar 27, 2026 05:02 am UTC| Insights & Views Law
Anyone who has recently travelled to the United States will be familiar with biometric checks facial and fingerprint scans used at the border. It is the same technology platform that is used in airports elsewhere in the...

What does China’s host bid mean for the High Seas Treaty?
Mar 27, 2026 04:24 am UTC| Insights & Views Politics
Delegates are meeting in New York for the third session of the preparatory commission (PrepCom 3) on the Agreement on Marine Biological Diversity of Areas beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ), also known as the High Seas...

Gold is meant to be a ‘safe haven’ in uncertain times. Why is it crashing amid a war?
Mar 26, 2026 08:50 am UTC| Insights & Views Investing Economy
Gold has long enjoyed a reputation as a financial safe haven during stormy times. But over the past few months of geopolitical chaos and market panic, the precious metal has moved more like a roller coaster than a steady...

After the Iran war, Persian Gulf nations face tough decisions on the US – a former diplomat explains
Mar 12, 2026 04:48 am UTC| Insights & Views Politics
When the US-Israeli war on Iran finally ends, the Middle East will be even less predictable than it was before it started. The decision by US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to go to...

Mar 12, 2026 04:46 am UTC| Insights & Views Economy
Despite being one of the worlds top exporters of fossil fuels (coal and gas), Australia has little left of its own oil. Neither does New Zealand. Both Australia and New Zealand sit at the end of a long supply chain for...