The news, explained. Join Sharon Brettkelly and Alex Ashton every weekday as they make sense of the big stories with the country’s best journalists and top experts. Made possible by the RNZ/NZ On Air Innovation Fund.

New Zealand is facing the biggest flu outbreak in a decade putting pressure on our health system New Zealand is in the grip of Influenza A, and for our most vulnerable it's proving deadlyFind The Detail on Newsroom or RNZGo to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Some politicians have managed to weaponise social media for electoral purposes, but experts say if you don't have the deft touch, just stay away Politicians who think TikTok is an advertising platform for their party are wasting their time on the platform, say expertsFind The Detail on Newsroom or RNZGo to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Humanitarians in war zones are constantly looking at the sky as drones deliver their deadly weapons indiscriminately - in some cases they're targeting aid workers A Kiwi humanitarian says it's time we re-think the rules of war and have discussions around arming aid workersFind The Detail on Newsroom or RNZGo to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Developer Winton has been at the centre of several controversies, from its fast track applications to a problematic boss and suspension from the stock exchangeA hugely controversial fast-tracked housing development is not the only bump in the road for Winton Land, whose owner is under the spotlight for his behaviour Find The Detail on Newsroom or RNZGo to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Shane Jones' explosive 'medieval slave practices' claims raise questions over exploitation, regulation - and Jones' true intent Shane Jones has accused the kiwifruit industry of 'medieval slave practices' and called for a review of the laws governing Zespri. But with the industry pushing back, the question is whether this is a genuine systemic problem or provocative political grenade from the coalition partner.Find The Detail on Newsroom or RNZGo to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

How to fix your house to avoid those sweltering summer nights Now we've changed our homes to keep in the winter warmth, it's time for more modifications as we try to flush out the summer heatFind The Detail on Newsroom or RNZGo to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

'This should never have happened' - how warnings about the Mount Maunganui landslide went unheeded, and why no one has been held accountable Questions remain over failures and accountability in the Mount Maunganui landslide, after a review found the tragedy could have been prevented, had councillors bothered to read commissioned reportsFind The Detail on Newsroom or RNZGo to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Every 60 minutes, three New Zealanders develop dementia, and that number is getting worse. The good news - there are things we can do to help avoid it. The number of people with dementia in NZ is set to more than double in the next 25 years. Luckily, the medical world is learning more about treatment and prevention.Find The Detail on Newsroom or RNZGo to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

The world's nicest people are sick of their southern neighbour's economic bullying, and the Canadian PM is standing firm in his refusal to give inCanadian PM Mark Carney has gone toe-to-toe with US President Donald Trump, refusing to back down to tariff demands. It's costing Canada, but they're backing Carney anyway.Find The Detail on Newsroom or RNZGo to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Te Pāti Māori's high-stakes strategy could reshape Parliament and decide who governs - or could end the party In an election where the margins matter, TPM is focusing its campaign strategy on the candidate vote in all seven Māori seatsFind The Detail on Newsroom or RNZGo to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

The votes of the poor and the working class have traditionally been Labour's, but the party's drift to the centre seems to be leaving that base behind It's election year and there's a cost-of-living crisis, but the traditional party of the struggling worker has moved to the middle and can't promise a rescue for the poorFind The Detail on Newsroom or RNZGo to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

A major international study is uncovering genetic clues that suggest eating disorders aren't simply about food, weight, or control, opening opportunities for prevention and treatment Behind the devastating reality of eating disorders, scientists are finding clues written into our genes, in a landmark international study that could change treatmentsFind The Detail on Newsroom or RNZGo to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

A recent survey found that disruptive behaviour has gotten worse in classrooms, but teachers say Act's proposal to allow them to use 'reasonable force' isn't the answer A majority of secondary teachers say their classroom time is sometimes or often disrupted by bad behaviour, but the PPTA says using physical force won't solve the issueFind The Detail on Newsroom or RNZGo to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

New reports expose the devastating human and financial cost of New Zealand's maternal mental health crisis After his wife's death by suicide, a grieving husband describes a NZ mental health inpatient facility as being 'unfit for his dogs to spend time in, let alone his wife who's just given birth'Find The Detail on Newsroom or RNZGo to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

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 regionFind The Detail on Newsroom or RNZGo to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

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.Find The Detail on Newsroom or RNZGo to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

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 inevitableFind The Detail on Newsroom or RNZGo to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

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 partnerFind The Detail on Newsroom or RNZGo to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

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 policyFind The Detail on Newsroom or RNZGo to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

These are drones far removed from the little spinny craft you might see hovering above a park - and they can do so much moreA manufacturer believes local companies are more than capable of filling orders for New Zealand's defence dronesFind The Detail on Newsroom or RNZGo to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

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' insteadFind The Detail on Newsroom or RNZGo to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

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 dayLuxon has survived, Penk is gone, and now National reels after a week of political chaos that's threatened to reshape New Zealand's electionFind The Detail on Newsroom or RNZGo to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

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 seriesFind The Detail on Newsroom or RNZ Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

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'Find The Detail on Newsroom or RNZ Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Know your rights - or you could be one of those New Zealanders who collectively lose tens of millions by refusing to complainIt's estimated $55 million goes down the drain every year as Kiwis fail to ask for their money back when things go wrongFind The Detail on Newsroom or RNZ Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

A gathering in Auckland of business and tech experts raises some awkward questions over our embrace of artifical intelligenceCritical thinkers and change-makers looked at the impact of artificial intelligence on New Zealand communities when they gathered in AucklandFind The Detail on Newsroom or RNZGo to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

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 lineFind The Detail on Newsroom or RNZGo to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

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 complicatedFind The Detail on Newsroom or RNZGo to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

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 qualificationsFind The Detail on Newsroom or RNZGo to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

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.Find The Detail on Newsroom or RNZGo to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

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 optionFind The Detail on Newsroom or RNZGo to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Former PM Helen Clark says New Zealand is drifting and only long-term thinking can change courseLess than 100 days out from the next election, Helen Clark tells The Detail that New Zealand needs less clickbait politics and more long-term thinkingFind The Detail on Newsroom or RNZGo to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

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 soundFind The Detail on Newsroom or RNZGo to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

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 pointFrom waiting room tragedies to crumbling hospital buildings, NZ's health system is on 'a slow descent into crisis'Find The Detail on Newsroom or RNZGo to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

A new report estimates that the New Zealand op shop industry reinvests $78 million back into communitiesCharities across the country have come together to lay out what a difference op shops make for communitiesFind The Detail on Newsroom or RNZGo to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

In a few short years our young men have become radicalised online, and initiated into a world where women are the enemyA constant drip-fed diet of woman-hating propaganda has become the norm for young men from a cross-section of societyFind The Detail on Newsroom or RNZGo to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

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 themFind The Detail on Newsroom or RNZGo to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

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 ZealandFind The Detail on Newsroom or RNZGo to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

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 PacificFind The Detail on Newsroom or RNZGo to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

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 adventureFind The Detail on Newsroom or RNZGo to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Political parties across the spectrum want to see more solar panels on people's roofs, but there's a hitchSolar power is having its moment in the sun, with National, Labour, and the Greens all making campaign promises to help make solar panels more accessibleFind The Detail on Newsroom or RNZGo to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

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 lifeFind The Detail on Newsroom or RNZGo to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details