Despite the latest tweaks to border testing rules, the risk of imported infection remains very high. NZ’s wider response needs upgrading —including reducing the large numbers of infected returnees.
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Removing Trump from office in nine days is virtually impossible. Congress can impeach now and try him later, but this could distract from President-elect Joe Biden’s all-important first 100 days.
With many more months of lockdowns, mask mandates and quarantining in our futures, the government needs to get its messaging just right and we all need to manage our expectations appropriately.
Britain accused China of deliberately misleading the world after the arrest of 50 pro-democracy figures under Hong Kong’s new national security law.
In such a narrowly divided chamber, the onus will be on the Biden administration not lose a single Democrat. This could limit the scope of his ambitious agenda.
Trump has claimed for weeks the election is stolen. Having fired up his supporters in this way, it became much harder to control mob behaviour.
The process of counting and certifying the Electoral College votes usually generates very little attention. Not so this year, with rebel Republicans planning to challenge the votes in several states.
In her ruling, the judge rejected claims that Assange’s case was an assault on press freedom, which must concern anyone who believes in the oversight role that journalists play in a democracy.
Little was achieved in the first round of talks last year. As round two is set to begin, there are major obstacles to overcome to finally bring peace to Afghanistan.
Much will depend on Iran’s response to what it sees as Israeli and US provocation, including the November assassination of an Iranian nuclear scientist.
As China’s influence and economic strength grows, it is unlikely to give middle powers like Australia more latitude to manage their relations with both Beijing and Washington.
In the Howard government, there was near-consensus in Cabinet that an ETS was eventually likely. A spike in asylum-seeker arrivals stimulated the hard “deterrent’ strategy” that would morph into the “Pacific Solution” in 2001.
A collapse in political legitimacy means people think the normal rules don’t apply anymore, making the world a more difficult and even dangerous place for all of us.
From coronavirus to climate change and the Black Lives Matter movement, street artists expressed their views on the walls and in the parks and laneways of Australia in 2020.
A vaccine may be the magic bullet, but getting travellers back in the skies will require much more — including convincing people that travel is safe again.
Women’s leadership reached new heights this year, just as the Coalition’s gendered policy response to the pandemic set women back across the board.
New Zealand scores well against other countries — especially over its handling of the pandemic — but there are still areas that need improving.
There is no particular ‘type’ of stupid person. Anyone can behave stupidly, especially in unfamiliar environments.
Australians have always preferred to keep their faith private, and politics “out” of religion. But the two are intrinsically entwined, and always have been.
The beach is synonymous with the Australian summer. But it has a long - and varied - history in this country too.
COVID-19 showed us we can’t necessarily have anything we want at any hour of the day, or in any season.
There are plenty of reasons why our road signs should be in both te reo Māori and English. And no, bilingual signs don’t cause accidents.
At a time when history is so contested, the gift of the Uluru Statement is that it provides a basis for redefining — and retelling the stories of — the nation.
The clever strategy by Premier Daniel Andrews to defer analysis of the failed hotel quarantine program until the virus had been suppressed makes the findings largely academic and historical.
Which countries emerge best from the pandemic, and how the world tackles the climate crisis, will be among the defining features of global politics in the coming year.