
Why did Iran bomb Dubai? A Middle East expert explains the regional alliances at play
Mar 02, 2026 07:03 am UTC| Insights & Views Politics
US-Israeli joint strikes on Iran over the weekend have seen war break out in the region once again and the death of Irans supreme leader. Iran has retaliated with volleys of ballistic missiles and drones targeted at...

The Pentagon strongarmed AI firms before Iran strikes – in dark news for the future of ‘ethical AI’
Mar 02, 2026 06:57 am UTC| Insights & Views Technology
In the leadup to the weekends US and Israeli attacks on Iran, the US Department of Defense was locked in tense negotiations with artificial intelligence (AI) company Anthropic over exactly how the Pentagon could use the...

The strikes on Iran show why quitting oil is more important than ever
Mar 02, 2026 06:56 am UTC| Insights & Views Economy
As Israel and the United States strike Iran, global oil markets are on edge. Oil prices have begun rising even before any disruption to supply. Oil traders are factoring in the possibility the Strait of Hormuz might close....

Booked to travel through the Middle East? Here’s why you shouldn’t cancel your flight
Mar 02, 2026 06:54 am UTC| Insights & Views Life
Travellers are being advised not to cancel their tickets for flights through the Middle East and check with their airlines, as airspace remains closed indefinitely. If travellers cancel a ticket, they may lose some of...

Does international law still matter? The strike on the girls’ school in Iran shows why we need it
Mar 02, 2026 06:53 am UTC| Insights & Views Politics Law
As the US and Israel began their joint assault on Iran, reports emerged from Iran that a strike hit the Shajarah Tayyebeh girls elementary school in the southern city of Minab. The school was reportedly packed with young...

AI is already creeping into election campaigns. NZ’s rules aren’t ready
Mar 02, 2026 06:40 am UTC| Insights & Views Technology Politics
If youre often on social media, youve probably seen it: the deluge of low-quality, artificial intelligence-made material clogging up our feeds. So-called AI slop the Macquarie Dictionarys Word of the Year for 2025 is the...

Mar 02, 2026 06:38 am UTC| Insights & Views Politics
Three rounds of nuclear talks between the U.S. and Iran failed to persuade President Donald Trump that a solution to the two countrys nuclear impasse lay in diplomacy, rather than military action. A perceived lack of...