
Mending broken hearts: NZ research could spare sick kids multiple surgeries
Auckland scientists aim to develop a replacement heart valve that will grow with the child

Russell Brown: Northland green fairy arrest exposes a flawed system
The arrest of a Northland ‘green fairy’ highlights NZ's onerous medical cannabis rules.
Politics

Best intentions: The reasons leftist governments can’t build infrastructure
A captivation by governments with progressive causes stymies growth, claims a new book.

Danyl McLauchlan: Adrian Orr’s vanishing act
Adrian Orr’s hasty departure is symptomatic of the backlash against bureaucracy.
Opinion

Proposed new protest rules: A loss of freedom or are greater police powers now needed?
Changes to laws on policing protests could undermine democracy and the right to speak out.

Gunboat diplomacy: NZ faces growing defence challenges after China’s naval incursion
Chinese navy’s activities bolster the case for rapid replacement of NZ's ageing frigates.

Russell Brown: Northland green fairy arrest exposes a flawed system
The arrest of a Northland ‘green fairy’ highlights NZ's onerous medical cannabis rules.
New Zealand

Listener weekly quiz: March 19
Test your general knowledge with the Listener's weekly quiz.

Our quiet achievers: 15 of the most influential NZers you’ve never heard of
Forget the 'Kiwi greats'. Our best and brightest are famous in fields that don't make news

Kiwi exceptionalism: Does NZ really punch above its weight?
It's a phrase thrown around in conversation, but is it true?
Enterprise & Tech
Health

Mending broken hearts: NZ research could spare sick kids multiple surgeries
Auckland scientists aim to develop a replacement heart valve that will grow with the child

Health in 2025: Is there any hope for our mental health system?
Rising rates of mental distress means changes must be made to our health system.

Health in 2025: Why measles, whooping cough, HMPV, Covid and bird flu will keep making news
Infectious diseases will continue to make headlines this year.
Life

Move over, microwaves: Jamie Oliver’s simple air fryer recipes
Jamie Oliver bows to public affection for air fryers with three simple recipes.

Putting our wines to the test: NZ’s Bordeaux-style reds versus the French region’s wines
In a blind tasting, how well do our Bordeaux-style reds compare with the originals?
Culture

Artist Dick Frizzell on aspirations, obsessions & guilty pleasures
Dick Frizzell once dreamt of a hairdressing salon with a fountain, then he discovered art.

He made it big in the dotcom era, now he’s making music for Ukraine
NZ software engineer turns composer to write a symphony for Ukraine.

From takeaway bars to beach cleanups: Iconic NZ poster gets a makeover to tackle plastic pollution
Classic takeaway shop poster inspires new wave of Kiwi creativity - and cleaner beaches.
Entertainment

Why Seth Rogen’s The Studio is the best Hollywood send-up in ages
Comedian stars as movie mogul in star-studded satire.

Henry VIII’s sixth wife gets her moment in the spotlight in Firebrand
A fascinating, speculative drama about Katherine Parr, the wife who survived.

The notoriously prickly Ben Elton on swearing, drinking and being overeager
Ahead of his one-man show arriving in NZ, Michele Hewitson speaks with the UK comedian.
Books

Book of the day: First Name Second Name by Steve MinOn
Modern-day antipodean vampire tale breaks new ground in exploration of racial identity.

Book of the day: We Do Not Part by Han Kang
Brilliant, original novel from South Korean Nobel Prize winner is not for faint-hearted.

Best intentions: The reasons leftist governments can’t build infrastructure
A captivation by governments with progressive causes stymies growth, claims a new book.
Crime

Russell Brown: Northland green fairy arrest exposes a flawed system
The arrest of a Northland ‘green fairy’ highlights NZ's onerous medical cannabis rules.

NZ’s top cop on the crime he’ll never forget
"Investigating crimes against children has been the hardest part of my career."

Lights, camera and bare-faced lies: The Canadian who fooled NZ
A fake résumé secured him a top job — until a tenacious reporter got suspicious.
World

Jane Clifton: Eurovision might be the ultimate foreign policy test for Trump and Putin
Politics meets pop in the venerable annual song contest.

Jane Clifton: Scotland’s peculiar perverse cat problem
Europe’s growing practice of reintroducing fauna strikes wild issues.

How one speech turned the tide in Germany’s election
All eyes were on the far-right AfD party, but a smaller political force gathered steam.
Sponsored Stories

10 things we learnt from listener.co.nz stories this week
Peacekeeping, population and why cannabis could cure insomnia.

10 things we learnt from listener.co.nz stories this week
The former PM who helped solve a violent crime to 11 words to say before you die.

10 things we learnt from listener.co.nz stories this week
From politics to entertainment & books, points worth noting from our most recent stories.