RNZ: The Detail

There's hope we may have won the fight against the yellow-legged hornet, but a crucial phase lies ahead A massive eradication effort to get rid of what could have been a disastrous insect invasion is showing encouraging signsFind The Detail on Newsroom or RNZGo to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Sir Don McKinnon has travelled the world, rubbed shoulders with diplomats - and was nearly kidnapped at Paremoremo prison Nearly fifty years ago, six of the country's worst offenders were released from prison for the night for a debate in central AucklandFind The Detail on Newsroom or RNZGo to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Following yet another storm battering our coasts last weekend, pressure mounts on coastal communities to discuss relocation New Zealand communities confront the financial, cultural, and spiritual costs of staying by the sea - and of leavingFind The Detail on Newsroom or RNZGo to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Scientists worry that the often-long time lags between cause and effect when it comes to polluting our lakes and rivers will give politicians the excuse not to do anything about itThere's always something more urgent to attend to, but here's why we need to take freshwater warnings more seriouslyFind The Detail on Newsroom or RNZGo to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Petroleum is in everything from plumbing products to chocolate, so with the Strait of Hormuz blocked, industries face price hikes and folding projects The price of plumbing products is set to soar by 30 percent as the impact of the petroleum crisis spreads beyond the petrol pump, in what one expert calls a wicked problemFind The Detail on Newsroom or RNZGo to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

'Not one cent' - National MP moves to cut taxpayer funding to gang-linked groups, but one critic calls it 'short-sighted' and argue there will be fallout - including more victimsA member's Bill could stop public funding to gangs and organisations with gang ties. It's unlikely to be a hard sell, but one expert says it's 'cutting off our nose to spite our face'.Find The Detail on Newsroom or RNZGo to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

The Opua Cruising Club has taken over management for the iconic event, and it's promising to be bigger and better than ever The oldest competitor in this year's solo trans-Tasman yacht race is also one of the favourites to take the titleFind The Detail on Newsroom or RNZ Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

It's a second chance for criminals, which Letele says is really their first chance, given the life many of them were born into A new documentary shines a light on the Grace Foundation's bold rehab model for high-risk offenders and addicts, fuelled by the loss and lived experience of a former gang criminalFind The Detail on Newsroom or RNZGo to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

A 'permanent presence' on the moon is only a few years away, and Mars maybe a decade behind that - but that doesn't mean it's time to sell your house and make plans to relocate Space scientists expect a 'permanent presence' on the moon by 2028, and say now is the time to lay the groundwork for international rules for lasting peace in spaceFind The Detail on Newsroom or RNZ Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Birth rates are falling globally, inspiring pro-natalist movements and government schemes to incentivise procreation - but it's not working Countries around the world are trying everything from financial incentives to law changes to reverse declining birth rates. None of it is working.Find The Detail on Newsroom or RNZ Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Little cellulose balls could be a big answer to burying carbon emissions - if there's proof they work. Getting that is proving difficult. A company that says it has a startling solution to carbon storage wants New Zealand to make rule changes so it can forge aheadFind The Detail on Newsroom or RNZGo to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Statistics are a vitally important tool to plan and inform government policy - but when they're wrong or misleading, trust is at risk A former government statistician is sounding alarms about our ditching of the five-yearly census, saying we risk losing a rich seam of informationFind The Detail on Newsroom or RNZGo to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Almost 40 years after two Swedish backpackers disappeared, David Tamihere has had his convictions quashed. A journalist calls it 'another example of how slowly and painfully the system works when it sometimes might have got it wrong'. David Tamihere's murder convictions have been quashed, after nearly four decades, re-opening wounds and calling into question whether justice has actually been servedFind The Detail on Newsroom or RNZGo to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

The Lake Onslow pumped hydro project could be back from the dead, with the "mega battery" that will cost billions, approved for the fast-track list by the same government that axed it The same government that scrapped the Lake Onslow pumped hydro project has put it on the fast track list. But whether this country can pull off a project of its size is another question.Find The Detail on Newsroom or RNZGo to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Fear and politics are increasingly dictating where our shrinking aid money is going Giving aid to shore up your strategic position in the world isn't the way to go about it, says an expert - because your aid won't help if you're not trying to helpFind The Detail on Newsroom or RNZGo to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

The government's backdown on an undersized fish rule has intensified scrutiny of sweeping fisheries reforms There's been a U-turn on the most controversial part of the sweeping new Fisheries Bill, but keeping undersized catches wasn't the only fishhook in the legislationFind The Detail on Newsroom or RNZGo to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Rather than being stuck behind their screens for entertainment, an old type of gaming is luring players out into the real world - one with people in itA sector of gamers are trading in their consoles and visual effects for real live company, turning to a centuries-old social version of entertainmentFind The Detail on Newsroom or RNZGo to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Billions in military aid crosses from the US to Israel in a decades-old alliance. But two current conflicts have many younger Americans questioning those ties. As the Iran war affects the global economy, Americans are asking if their ties with Israel look like the tail wagging the dogFind The Detail on Newsroom or RNZ Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

South Australia has a law around truth in campaign messaging that appears to have set a better tone. We ask if New Zealand should follow.Does New Zealand have robust enough checks and balances to stop politicians lying in election ads - or should we be looking to Australia for stronger lawsFind The Detail on Newsroom or RNZ Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

"No family should go through this":  - campaign push for free jabs grows following student meningococcal casesA grieving dad renews his call for free meningitis vaccines as cases hit NZ students, and a deadly UK outbreak growsFind The Detail on Newsroom or RNZ Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

It's currently illegal to ride on the footpath, but when the rubber meets the road, kids do it anyway. Proposed changes could make it legal for kids 12 and under. Both the previous government and the current one kicked the can down the road on making 'sensible' changes to road rules, but now the changes are back on the agendaFind The Detail on Newsroom or RNZ Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

A community rallies to involve itself in democracy, only to be tainted with accusations of fraud when they win a seat at the table Papatoetoe's Indian community put its hand up to be counted in local elections. It went unbelievably well, until it all went terribly wrong.Find The Detail on Newsroom or RNZ Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Kiwi dark comedy Crackhead tackles addiction and takes on the television world New Kiwi dark comedy Crackhead turns real-life addiction struggles into sharp humour - with Holly Shervey starring and husband Emmett Skilton directingFind The Detail on Newsroom or RNZ Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

An economist says despite entering the year 'quite optimistic', we could now be staring down the barrel of another recession Higher fuel costs mean higher transport costs, and that means higher prices across the board - and that's a hard pill to swallow for Kiwis three years into a cost-of-living crisisFind The Detail on Newsroom or RNZ Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

'Stupid Rules' is the new book, written by a Kiwi professor, that aims to throw out the rule book Too many rules, too little judgement - why one Kiwi professor says the country is strangling itself with red tapeFind The Detail on Newsroom or RNZ Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

America's war in Iran has hit global markets, but after a tough five years for the New Zealand Stock Exchange, things here may finally be looking up The NZX is a small exchange, and it's had a difficult stretch, but despite global events there may be hope on the horizonFind The Detail on Newsroom or RNZGo to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

The country's two biggest users of electricity could both soon be located in Southland if resource consents for a new data centre bring the project to lifeIt's being billed as the data centre that changes everything - but hopefully that doesn't include the price of your powerFind The Detail on Newsroom or RNZ Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

There is a bitter internal rivalry shaking one of New Zealand's most storied institutions, with a rebel alliance fighting the national body of the RSA A civil war has been unfolding inside the RSA, with suspended clubs, unpaid fees, and a High Court fight exposing the deep fractures in one of New Zealand's most historic organisationsFind The Detail on Newsroom or RNZ Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

The unemployment rate for young people is three times higher than the national average - leaving new graduates in despair Three years minimum to set them up for a better career - and then new graduates discover there's nothing out there for them, thanks to our soaring jobless numbersFind The Detail on Newsroom or RNZGo to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

There are so many factors feeding into see-sawing petrol prices that predicting a landing price at the pump has become impossibleIt doesn't matter where we get our oil from - in a globally connected world, New Zealand is at the mercy of wildly fluctuating prices as long as the Iran conflict continuesFind The Detail on Newsroom or RNZGo to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Six years after New Zealand moved into its first lockdown, the final inquiry report examines lockdowns, mandates and the cost of the pandemic -and another Covid surge sweeps the countryA deadly Covid wave returns, just as New Zealand gets its final pandemic report cardFind The Detail on Newsroom or RNZ Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

New Zealand track and field athletes have achieved on the world scene for decades - but now there's a new strength and diversity not seen since the 1990s Sam Ruthe has set the world alight with his speed but he's far from the only Kiwi track and field athlete making waves right nowFind The Detail on Newsroom or RNZ Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

One million Kiwis use a Buy Now Pay Later scheme, but not everyone is convinced the regulations governing them are adequate to protect users from harm Financial watchdogs want the rules about Buy Now Pay Later schemes strengthened, saying the last tweak didn't workFind The Detail on Newsroom or RNZ Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

The once quiet workhorse of climate policy, the humble tree, is now headline material, fuelling political fights and finding itself at the very root of a legal battle over our climate futureTwo environmental groups are taking the Government to court over the country's second Emissions Reduction Plan and its 'risky' reliance on trees. The verdict won't just interpret the law but will test the country's climate ambition.Find The Detail on Newsroom or RNZGo to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

New Zealanders finally seem to be dialling down their obsession with owning houses to create wealth New Zealand's love affair with property could be in the break-up stage, with no shortage of houses and investors turning to the share marketFind The Detail on Newsroom or RNZ Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

A week after the US and Israel struck Iran, The Detail looks at what really led to the war, how Tehran hit back, and the political storm brewing at home A week after the US and Israel struck Iran, The Detail looks at what really led to the war, how Tehran hit back, and the political storm brewing at homeFind The Detail on Newsroom or RNZ Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Our national carrier is flying through turbulent skies, with grounded planes, global conflict, and growing criticism from politicians and passengers Air New Zealand is struggling in a booming aviation market, and new fears the war in Iran raise fuel costs and questions over whether the national carrier can regain altitudeFind The Detail on Newsroom or RNZ Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Central Otago is sitting on a gold mine that may be worth billions, but the decision of whether to dig has tensions simmering A proposed gold mine is on the fast-track list. Proponents says it will bring jobs and money to the region, but opponents say it will be an economic 'short-term sugar hit ... with long-term consequences'.Find The Detail on Newsroom or RNZGo to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

With LNG on the way, The Detail looks at two possible fuel alternatives that could deal to New Zealand's reliance on gas and coaWith geothermal energy exploration underway and torrefied wood pellets already in use, New Zealand could look to turn away from fossil fuelsFind The Detail on Newsroom or RNZGo to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

The Hauraki Gulf is back in the spotlight as National backflips on their own fisheries policy, leaving the commercial fishing industry sweating - and confusedNational has announced that, if re-elected, it will ban ring-net fishing in some areas of the Hauraki Gulf, but the policy they've promised to reverse was their ownFind The Detail on Newsroom or RNZ Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Bio-hackers are looking for the answers to stretching out their lives as long as possible, but research says there's a biological end point for our bodies We're all getting older - but we're not all happy to admit it. The longevity trend has taken off, with some people paying six figures for protocols that promise to make them live longer.Find The Detail on Newsroom or RNZ Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Rule changes for putting a granny flat on your section cut very little red tape, but move questions of liability from councils to homeowners The new regulations over granny flats may save homeowners some time when it comes to consents, but they won't save them from liability if things go wrongFind The Detail on Newsroom or RNZGo to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details